utmost exertions of the farmer can produce." He admits, indeed, of two exceptions to this rule, neither of which applies to the state of this country. Thence he infers that, in a well-governed country, there will not (except in circumstances like thofe of America), be any valuntary exportation of corn, unless of the extraordinary produce of a plentiful year. An ample market, therefore, and full encouragement, is always afforded to the farmer, without the affiftance of a bounty .— He pursues this fubject much further, and attacks the policy of the law in queftion, with arguments of apparent ftrength. The author further undertakes to fhow that the bounties will not ultimately prove advantageous, even to farmers, fince in proportion to their profits will their rents be raised; and, as all articles of life are influenced by the price of corn, he infifts that the land-owners themselves would foon find any decrease in their rents balanced by the reduction in the price of labour, and in that of every commodity, or even luxury, which they enjoy.

The injury to our manufactures, and confequently to commerce, which arifes from an increase in the average price of corn, which (as he maintains), the bounty on exportation tends to produce, is ftrongly urged by this writer, whofe reafonings, however, we can by no means attempt to detail. In our opinion his work deserves, at least, the attentive confideration of all, whofe fentiments are likely to have weight in any future regulation of this most important queftion.

MISCELLANIES.

ART. 30. A Tour in Zealand, in the Year 1802; with an Hiftorical Sketch of the Battle of Copenhagen. By a Native of Denmark. 8vo. 78 pp. 4s. White.

1805.

This is a very interefting, amufing, and well-written performance, which we have fome time fince perufed with much fatisfaction, but accidentally laid afide. It is the production of a native of Denmark, and in every particular does him the highest credit. Let him be for given if, in his narrative of the celebrated battle of Copenhagen, he labours with extraordinary zeal to do his countrymen the ampleft justice; there are traits and anecdotes in his account of it which would do honour to the moft illuftrious name of any country; at the fame time, he is not at all backward in allowing the claims of Englishmen to the greatest gallantry, coolness, and intrepidity.

Various anecdotes are interfperfed, from which we extract the following:

"From church we proceeded to furvey the interior of the castle, which, however, prefented nothing to engage our attention, excepting the peafant maid who fhewed us the apartments; her fingular dress and manners vifibly interefted my friend. Nor was I lefs pleased with the talcinating fimplicity of her whole appearance, fo fuperior to the imitations of our dafhing belles, who, at times, borrow the ruflic garh, but cannot complete the metamorphofis by affuming the ruftic's peculiar graces.

"Her

"Her petticoat was of green taffera; her pale pink filk corset, which being made to her fhape, difplayed all the fymmetry of her fine form; while a Gilken cap, entwined with gold, fat close to her face, just per mitting her features to peep forth, and exprefs a countenance which the fancy of no painter could equal.-My friend kindly asked her a very natural queftion; fhe caft down her fine blue eyes, and with a figh anfvered, fhe had Now no friend; "He fell", faid fhe, "laft year in the battle, yet I grieve not fo much for my felf; he died for his country, it was a noble end, but he might have become a firm fupporter of my aged parents, if distress should ever befal them." We noticed to her, that the had as just a claim as others to benefit by the general fubfcription. Her reply won my heart."There are widows, orphans, and wounded enough", anfwered this lovely daugh ter of fimplicity," to fhare the juft reward of their grateful country; my parents will foon leave this world, and honefty, with industry, will help me through it." Had I been a painter, the portrait of this affecting girl fhould have graced this page." P. 22.

ART. 31. The Tourifications of Malachi Meldrum, Efq. of Meldrum Hall. By Dr. Robert Couper. 12mo. 2 vol. 10s. 6d. Aberdeen printed. Johnson, London. 1803.

A burlefque tour in Scotland, interfperfed with much poetry, Scotch and English, is announced under this whimsical title. The farrago is fo extremely mifcellaneous, that it is not eafy to give a ge neral idea of it, except by faying that the author affects a fpecies of Shandyifm, which is fometimes happily, and fometimes unhappily exerted. Perhaps we cannot give a better notion of the author's ftyle than by inferting the defcription of his hero's house.

"Meldrum-hall, though I cannot trace the laying of its foundation-ftone to the fabulous ages, or even to the more recent ones of the Danes and Saxons, yet was of confiderable antiquity; and tradition held it up that my ancestors occupied the mansion, far farther back than I am willing to take credit for, though I never was at much pains, I muft acknowledge, to throw any doubt or ridicule upon the ftory. Like all old manfions, it had been built into shape, and out of shape, many times, and oft, no matter by whom; but convenience and strength feem to have weighed more with the architects, than regularity and beauty. By divers exertions, however, by the time I came to the poffeffion of it, it was moulded into no difagreeable fhape, either internally or externally; and even at that time I think no private gentleman needed to have been afhamed to hang up his hat and coat in the hall, in token of right or heritage. Such was the houfe: a neat ftone-wall, topped with a railing of iron, encompassed the court before it, and the gate was no mean affair, with its pillars decorated a top with the lion and the unicorn. The pillars of the fmall entries on each fide of the gate, and thofe at the angles, were fur mounted, according to the punning conceits of former days, with a drum and a mallet, in allufion to our name. Behind all this, but clofe to it, lay the garden and the orchard; and though usefulness was evidently the first feature in the compofition, yet elegance, and a particular

particular kind of taste, feemed by no means to have been left out of the bufinefs. The whole was nearly furrounded by a forest almost as ancient as the manfion itself, whofe tenants, the rooks, travelled forth in the morning, feemingly as well convinced of their rights, privileges, and property, as any fquire that ever died of the gout at Meldrum-hall." P. 118.

The appendage of a gloffary, very neceffary to an English reader, concludes the fecond volume. That Mr. Malachi will, even with this aid, obtain much popularity in our regions, we dare not promise; but in a chaife, or in the window of a fummer-house, it might for a time fupply the place of a living companion.

ART. 32. The Life and Character of Buonaparte, from his Birth to the 15th of August, 1804. By W. Burdon, A. M. 8vo. 55. Oftell. 1804.

We have formerly had occafion to expoftulate feriously with this author, on the delivery of opinions very erroneous, and of pernicious tendency; we have likewife borne teftimony to his candid retractation of fome of them. We congratulate him on permitting the light and force of truth ftill further to irradiate his mind; which that it has, is often

exemplified in the volume before us. This Life of Bonaparte is written with confiderable vigour; and certain parts of it, particularly the defcription of the battle of Marengo, is extremely animated. The author feels, and endeavours to explain, the mifchievous paffions and vices of the character which he once held up to unreferved admiration and applaufe. If we were difpofed captiously to point out defects, there are many diffeminated through the book, which, though we have not overlooked, we forbear to fpecify. Mr. Burdon hefitates to believe the authenticity of the intercepted Letters; if our affertion be of any avail, we beg leave to affure him, that we ourselves have feen them, and can testify to their being genuine. We are far from certain, that an occafional correfpondent of ours will feel any gratitude to Mr. Burdon for obferving, in his quotation from the inestimable Gilbert Wakefield's Letter, that the Doctor" purfued the Chief Conful with veneration, and every good wish at the commencement of his career in Italy." A coarfe medallion of Bonaparte is prefixed, of very little ornament to the book.

ART. 33. The Hiftory of the Gun-Powder Plot, with several historical Circumstances prior to that Event, connecting the Plots of the Roman Catholics to re eftablifh Popery in this Kingdom. Digefted and arranged from authentic Materials. By James Caulfield. Svo. Vernor and Hood. 1804.

We applaud the principle which induced the writer to publish this little work. It is very true, that the Roman Catholics endeavoured to fupprefs all enquiries into the facts relating to this memorable plot; and Mr. Caulfield is entitled to the thanks of the Proteftants for detailing the circumftances which are involved in this extraordinary

History.

Hiftory. Some prints, flightly executed, are introduced by way of illuftration.

ART. 34

Obfervations on the Weft India Dock Salaries, in a Letter 8vo. 16 pp.

addreffed to Randle Jackfon, Efq. Barrister at Law.

Is. Stockdale. 1804.

The purport of thefe Obfervations is to fhow, that the Directors of the Weit-India Docks ought to have been fatisfied with the honour and patronage annexed to their offices, and not to have required or ac cepted a pecuniary compenfation for their trouble. Such a compenfation, the author admits, has been given to them, by the vote of a majority of the proprietors. This vote, we should have thought, might have fet the question at reft. The author of this pamphlet, however, thinks otherwife; and fupports his opinion with fome vivacity and humour, though not, as it feems to us, with very conclufive arguments.

ART. 35. A Narrative, exposing a Variety of irregular Tranfactions in One of the Departments of Foreign Corps, during the late War. By James Poole, feveral Years a Regimental Inspector, and fince Deputy Inspector General in that Department. 8vo. 35. Parfons. 1804. ART. 36. An Anfaver to a Pamphlet of Mr. James Poole, entitled a Narrative, &c. &c. By Mr. Gardiner. 8vo. 35. Evans. 1804.

ART. 37. A Reply to Mr. Richard Gardiner's Answer to a Narrative, expofing irregular Tranfactions, &c. &c. 8vo. 2s. 6d. Egerton. 1805.

The charge brought in the first of thefe pamphlets we deemed a very heavy one, and fuch as demanded a reply. This reply has been made, after a fufficient interval, and has immediately been followed by a rejoinder.

The matter is far too complicated for us to develope, with fuch means of information as we may be supposed to poffefs. It will doubtlefs, for the credit of thofe concerned, as well as for the common caufe of truth and honefty, be fifted to the bottom, by thofe who can obtain poffeffion of every fact, and detect every fallacy. In the mean time, we have only to obferve, that an individual who, on different occa fions, and for different purposes, affumes three diftinct names, does not feem to be entitled to the leaft degree of credit; and there are many things in Mr. Poole's last pamphlet which claim the most serious attention on the part of thofe to whom they are addressed.

ART. 38. A Syftem of Geography, with a Series of Geographical Examinations. By John Holland. 8vo. 74 and 65 pp. 2s. 6d. Deans, Manchefter. 1802.

The title of this work fhould have been Geography in Miniature, and that ill proportioned. Britain, Scotland, and Ireland occupy 18 pages; in which we find names of places, but not a tittle of information concerning them worth a ftraw. Then comes Europe (meaning

the

rica, 7 ;

the Continent) which occupies 12 pages; Afia, 4; Africa, 3; Amethe Earth, little more than 1; and the Solar Syftem, lefs than 2. The Geographical Examinations, of course, are adapted to the Syftem. We were perplexed awhile, by finding another work annexed, entitled "a Sketch of Ancient Geography", extending to 65 pages. Our account of the former work is very applicable to this. Mr. H. feems to be the fame author whom we reviewed in our 24th volume, p. 336, and afterwards acknowwleged, p. 464. Neither his principles nor his performances can receive our full approbation.

ART. 39. An Introduction to the Ufe of the Globes, for Youth of both Sexes; particularly defigned for Schools and private Teachers. Containing Definitions and Problems in Geometry; the ftereographic Projec tion of the Sphere; the Rife and Progress of Geography and Aftronomy; the Defcription of the principal Lines on the Globes, with the Application of them by Forty fix Problems on the Terreftrial, and Twenty-two on the Celeftial, with the Ufe of the Analemma and fliding Hour Circle, felected with particular Attention; likewife a Reprefentation and Epitome of the Solar Syftem, Armillary Sphere, Comets, fixed Stars, ConRellations, &c. To which is added, a Variety of curious, entertaining, and ufiful Paradoxes; with fome Questions and Answers by Way of Application. By John Greig, Private Teacher of Writing, Geography, and practical Mathematics; and Author of "The Young Ladies' New Guide to Arithmetic”, &c. 12mo. 154 PP. 2s. 6d. Crosby and Co. 1805.

This is a very useful manual for students in aftronomy. The Problems are judicioufly felected, and the folutions neat and perfpicuous. The author has ufed none but the most refpectable works; and appears, on a curfory view, to have used them well.

ART. 40. The Young Ladies' New Guide to Arithmetic; being a short and ufeful Selection; containing, bifides the common and necessary Rules, the Application of each Rule, by a Variety of practical Questions, cbify on domeftic Affairs; together with the Method of making out Bills of Parcels, Book Debts, Receipts, Sc. &c. For the Ufe of Ladies' Schools and private Teachers. By John Greig, Private Teacher of Writing, Geography, &c. Author of An Introduction to the Ufe of the Globes", &c. The fourth Edition, improved and enlarged. Jzmo. 100 pp. 28. Crosby and Co. 1805.

This little book, by the fame author as the preceding, appears to have escaped our notice in its former editions; the first of which seems to have been produced in 1798. As the author announces him!elf as a practical teacher, we may truft that his methods have the fanction of experience. In all books, however, of this kind, we have equally to Jament that no attempt is made to explain the very fimple principles of the four firft rules of arithmetic. These methods teach only the practice, no one reafon for which being affigned, it is a mere burden upon the memory, without an exercise for the reafon. Why should not every elementary work begin by a propofition fuch as this?«According to our

common