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as the moft clear, concife, and comprehenfive definition and fentence of flavery, that the wit of man can poffibly form *.'

But on the other hand, the Author very candidly admits the abfurdity of pretending that there must be in every ftate one fupreme uncontroulable power: for this (fays he) never yet existed in any ftate whatever. The defpotic prince in fearch of fuch a power, finds that he changes the controul of affemblies, councils, civil departments, or of men of education and virtue, only to become under the controul of ferjeants and corporals.-And after having erroneously fuppofed that the colonies by their charter and original compacts were bound to fubmit to parliamentary taxation, he acknowledges that fucceeding changes of circumftances ay require a change of policy; and that as the Americans are growing rich, and have fomething that tempts rapacity, they ought to have better fecurity for their property than the continuance of former practice will perhaps beflow; and that they may have an opportunity of obtaining fuch fecurity, the Author tells us that commiflioners are foon to be appointed by the King, who are to accompany his fleets and armies acrofs the Atlantic. And being fully perfuaded of this, he fays, I write in every page on the fuppofition that negotiation may take place.'But though this be a poffible event, it is not likely to happen until the utmost force of both countries has been exerted to the rain of this. And indeed fo little is now expected from negociation, that, we are greatly misinformed, if the measure of employing commiflioners has not been for fome time wholly relinquished, for the deftructive operations of war, which probably will continue, until America, in conformity with our example, has obtained fo reign alliances and foreign aid; and in felf-defence, as well as in refentment, has difcarded all ideas of a reconciliation with us, and formed herfelf into a distinct independent ftate.

MISCELLANEOUS. Art. 26. A Letter from Mrs. Chriflian Hart, to Mrs. M. C. Rudd. Elucidating feveral Circumstances which did not appear on the TRIAL;-and relating a circumftantial Account of her Tranfactions during the Time Mrs. Hart lived fervant with her, 8vo. 1s. Williams.

Written in a vulgar, but, perhaps, honeft ftrain; and with strong marks of a well-founded averfion towards Mrs. R.

Art. 27. Remarks on the late Refolutions of the House of Commons, refpecting the propofed Change of the Poor Laws. To which are fubjoined fome general Obfervations on the printed Bill. By Henry Zouch, Clerk, a Juftice of the Peace. 8vo. 1s. Leeds printed, fold in London by Nicoll.

This Gentleman oppofes his arguments to the general plan and fcheme of houfes of industry; and much, undoubtedly, may be faid against them, particularly on the popular and pathetic idea of de. priving the pauper of his liberty. But much, on the other hand, is to be faid in their favour; and, if cleanliness, good order, religious inftruction, and regular provifion are objects of general polity, it is poffible that the legislature may confider thefe matters,

Inftructions to the Penfylvanian reprefentatives,

when

when thrown into the fcale, as circumftances ftrongly urging the propriety of the act in queflion.

Art. 28. An Addrefs to the Gentlemen and Inhabitants of the City of Litchfield, on the Expediency of uniting the feveral Parishes of St. Mary, St. Michael, and St. Chad, into one District, for the better Maintenance and Employment of their Poor; and also on the Advantages which would arife from the building one commodious House for their Reception. By James Wickins, Churchwarden of St. Mary's Parish. 4to. 6d. Baldwin.

A plain fenfible propofal on a very important fubject, the better regulation of the poor. But if the poor are ill managed in parish workhouses, why cannot reformation be immediately introduced on those small scales, until larger fchemes are carried into execution? This is certainly expedient, even if it fhould be admitted that collecting parish poor into larger communities, to increase the care of the managers. would facilitate the management, and procure the unhappy objects better treatment.

Art. 29. The Cafe of the late Agent of the Royal Hofpital at Plymouth, fuperceded in July 1774. In a Letter addreffed to the Right Honourable the Earl of Sandwich, First Lord Commiffionerer of the Admiralty. Interfperfed with candid Remarks on, and occafional References to, genuine Letters and Papers put into the Hands of Philip Stevens, Efq; Secretary of the Admiralty, fince October 1768. By Yeoman Lott, Author of, 1. An earnest Addrefs to the People of England; containing an Inquiry into the Caufe of the great Scarcity of Timber throughout the Dominions belonging to his Majefty: Published in 1766*. 2. Important Hints towards an Amendment of the Royal Dock-yards. Publifhed in 1767 t. 8vo. 1 s. 6d. Dodiley, &c. 1776.

Mr. Lott here recites the particulars of a cafe which feems to us, (as far as we can learn from a compaffionate hearing of his complaints, without being duly informed of all that his adverfaries may have to allege against him) to be a very hard one, and highly deferving of redrefs. After living thirty-three years in the public fervice, in different branches of the admiralty department, we find him difmiffed, and abandoned to diftrefs,-without any impeachment of his abilities or integrity. What we collect, both from his former publications and the prefent, is, that he has always been an active, as well as an intelligent man, in office; and especially, a vigilant detector of thofe abuses, and evil customs †, by which the community is often injured, for the gain of a few individuals. But, however laudable may have been his motives, the event fhews that had Mr. L. been poffeffed of what is called worldly prudence, and confulted rather his own private intereft than that of the public, he would not have lived, as he has, to experiencce the common fate of REFORMERS. He has been reprefented, by his brethren in office, as a troublesome man, an obftructor of business, and one with whom it was found

• See Rev. May, 1766, p. 396.

+ Rev. Feb. 1767, p. 158.

-

See our accounts of his former tracts, above referred to.

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impoffible

impoffible to agree, &c. &c. He has, accordingly, been stripped of his employment; and is left with only this confolation, that he is at liberty to tell his luckiefs tale to that impartial Public, in whofe fervice he has not enriched, but ruined himself,-through, perhaps, an excess of zeal for what he apprehended to be the ftrict difcharge of his duty, the common failing of thofe men who have been, unfortunately, endowed with a greater fhare of good meaning, than of kill to use it-and whofe misfortunes feem to run them full in the teeth of the old proverb, which pronounces honesty the beft policy.

Art. 30. The Royal Standard English Dictionary: in which the Words are not only rationally divided into Syllables, accurately accented, their Parts of Speech properly diftinguished, and their various Significations arranged in one Line; but likewife, by a Key to this Work, comprizing the various Sounds of the Vowels and Confonants, denoted by typographical Characters, and illuftrated by Examples which render it intelligible to the weakeft Capacity, it exhibits their true Pronunciation, according to the prefent Practice of Men of Letters, eminent Orators, and polite Speakers; upon a Plan perfectly plain and entirely new: To which is prefixed, a comprehentive Grammar of the English Language. By W. Perry, Author of the Man of Bufinefs, &c. 3 s. bound. Murray, 1775.

The defign of this publication is fufficiently explained in the title. With refpect to that part of it which concerns the fignification of words, the Author, though limited by his plan to a fingle line in a half-page for each word, has difcovered judgment and attention. But his chief object was to bring the pronunciation of the English language to a certain fixed ftandard, and to point out by particular characters the manner in which each word fhould be pronounced. With this view, he enumerates, we think, with much accuracy, the feveral vowel-founds, affigning a certain mark to each in a table or key, by referring to which the proper found of the vowels in any word may be known. He next diftinguishes accented fyllables by the characters used for acute and grave accents in the antient languages. And here we apprehend he has embarraffed his plan with an unneceffary distinction; for accent, as ufed with respect to the English language, always denotes a forcible or elevated utterance of a fimple or complex found: and, according to this use of the term it feems as abfurd to speak of a grave accent, as it would be in mufic to speak of a flat fharp. The Author ufes other characters to mark fuch letters as are either not founded, are indif tinctly founded, or have different founds. By means of these marks he attempts to point out the articulation and accent of every word; and he appears to us to have in general fucceeded in his attempts better than any of his predeceffors in this walk. After all, however, written characters fo imperfectly exprefs the variations of vocal founds; pronunciation is in itself a thing fo irregular and variable; and individuals, according to their education and fituation, will be accustomed to pronounce words fo differently, that a written standard of pronunciation, the authority of which shall be universally acknowalged, mult perhaps always remain among the defiderata in letters.

Art.

Art. 31. The Cafe of Nicholas Nugent, Efq; late Lieutenant in the ift Regiment of Foot Guards. 8vo. 2 S. Almon. Refers to what happened to Mr. Nugent, in confequence of a converfation which he chanced to hold with Adjutant Richardfon, previous to the ftrange information given by the latter, of à confpiracy against the King, by Mr. Sayre, &c. Mr. Nugent appears to have been hardly dealt with, in this ridiculous affair; he recites the circumstances of the cafe in plain but good language; and has interfperfed the narrative with copies of the letters which paffed, on this occafion, between him and General Craig, Lord Barrington, and the Judge Advocate. The general outline is, that Mr. N. made repeated application for a court-martial to be held on himself, in order, publicly, to clear his character of the charge brought against him, while under arrest; the refusal of which obliged him to refign his commiffion.

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Art. 32. An Appeal to the Officers of the Guards. By F. Richardfon, Enfign and Adjutant in the Firft Regiment. 4to. Is. Dodfley.

As Mr. Nugent's cafe was addreffed to the officers of the first regiment, and as Mr. Richardfon's name and proceedings in regard to his information, were unavoidably introduced in the narrative, though with a degree of tenderness toward the Adjutant, Mr. R. has addrefied this letter to the fame corps, in order to obviate thofe ill impreflions, with respect to his character and conduct, which might be formed in the minds of Mr. Nugent's Readers, upon fome circumftances related by that Gentleman. How far Mr. R.'s reputation will yet ftand immaculate, in the opinion of men of that nice and fcrupulous honour which is fo laudably characteristic of a foldier, is a matter which time alone can afcertain in the mean while, his zeal for the fafety of the King-God bless his Majefty! has not, if we are rightly informed, paffed unrewarded: as to Mr. Nugentthe world is all before him †.'

POETICAL.

Art. 33. Prometheus; or, the Rife of Moral Evil: a Satire. 4to. I S. Wilkie. 1775.

From the title the Reader will perceive that he is not to expect a philofophical poem. The Author derives his moral evil from the fable of Prometheus. Jove was angry at the feloneous prefumption of the fon of Japetus, and, in revenge, gave to the mortals, created by Prometheus, the bad qualities of the worft brutes. The tiger's ferocious and cruel difpofition fell to the share of the conqueror; in the flatterer we fee the ape; in the libidinous man the goat; in the

He has been tried, however, and with the ftricteft impartiality, in our court; and we have found him guilty of obftinately refufing, in utter defiance of his fuperiors, to violate the honour of FRIENDSHIP, and the confidence of PRIVATE CONVERSATION,

+ Since the foregoing Article was fent to the prefs, the newspapers have informed us that a Captain Nugent has been appointed a Lieutenant-Colonel; we hope it is the fame Gentleman.

glutton

glutton the hog, &c. &c. And in the defcriptions of the various characters we are to look for the fatire :—which is general, and therefore nobody will be offended. As to the poetry, it is middling, and therefore nobody will be pleafed.

Art. 34. The Tears of the Foot Guards, on their Departure for America. Written by an Enfign of the Army. 4to. Is. Kearly. The Enfign is made to reprefent himself as a wretched fribble, and debauchee, who (in fuch maukifh lines as the following) bewails the luckless fate of the poor Guards, who, now,

muft quit their nights of eafe,

For all the dangers of the land and feas.

Souls without fpunk, and pockets without pence.

If the red-guards of Westminster chofe to retort on the blackguards of Grabtreet, the last of the foregoing lines might apply aptly enough.

Art. 35. An Effay upon the King's Friends; with an Account of fome Difcoveries made in Italy, and found in a Virgil, concerning the Tories. To Dr. S―1 J- -n. Svo. I s. Almon.

A dinner, dug out of the ruins of Dr. Jn's Norfolk Prophecy! yet the Author's description of a certain fet of men (the fraternity of fcribblers, we fuppofe) is very juft and very deplorable: In this fequefter'd vale,

We have no certain dwelling but a jail;
Thither at certain periods we repair,

At certain periods wander here and there.

'Tis neither East, nor Weft, nor North, nor South,
We live as, heretofore, from hand to mouth.

Art. 36. The Prediction of Liberty By James Thiftlethwaite. 4to. 2 S. Williams.

Another of the fraternity, who for liberty (and poffibly he may know the want of it) is fo voraciously hungry, that he is ready to fwallow King, Lords, and Commons. The pamphlet is an affectation of Churchill's manner,-low, and fcurrilous.

Art. 37. The Whig; a Poem. 4t0, 1 s. 6d. Dixwell. Sure, half the fpouting clubs about town are in the prefs; and here, no doubt, we have fome blue-aproned tragedian, for he fays, I'd call fo loud that all this world fhould hear.'

Art. 38. Speculation; a Poem. 4to. I s. 6d. Conant. The top's mere froth, the bottom filth and mud.' This is a line of the Author's, and gives a true account of his poem. Art. 39. Sonnets. 4to. Is. Snagg.

These fonnets have fome fmall flavour of poetry, but are frequently feeble, incoherent, and injudicious.

Art. 40. Mifcellanies in Profe and Verfe, on various Occafions, by the Author of feveral anonymous well received Pieces. To which are added, fome private Memoirs of Mrs. W——n and Mifs R-ns of Drury-lane Theatre. 8vo. 3 s. fewed, Kearfly. Pert, filly, vain, and dull.

Art

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