drid, and Florence. By S. Maxey. Ornamented with Engrav ings. 12mo. 58. boards. Vernor and Hood. 1805.

Instead of translating a translation, we should have advised Mr. Maxey to have followed the example of Dr. Booker *, in a poem on the apocryphal story of Tobit; and, without being a close copyist of the original, so to new form and embellish the whole as to produce something of an epic effect. Had he pursued this course, he would have freed himself from the fetters with which he appears to have been hampered, and his verse would have acquired more beauty and force. We are surprized that he should have followed M. de Florian with such servility as to put into English the line,

Fait tomber sur ses yeux un excrément impur.'

The muting anecdote might safely have been spared. Mr. Maxey should have dared to mount on the wing of original conception; and then, we hope, for the credit of his muse, such couplets as these would never have occurred in his pages:

• Words cannot their felicity explain,

Th' angel thought himself in heaven again.'
'Tis him to whom my lovely bride I owe,
"Tis him who has your sight restor❜d to you.'

The prefixed life of Florian, abridged from the French memoir, will be acceptable to the English reader: but in this part of the work, Mr M. has not been sufficiently attentive to correctness. For instance, is the following passage justified by the original? The labours of the field also occupied part of his time, and varied his pleaWhen hay-time, harvest, and the autumnal vintage arrived, he associated with the shepherds and shepherdesses in their daily toil.'

sures.

"Les travaux de la campagne partageoient aussi ses momens, et varioient ses plaisirs. Quand il avoit fait une bonne action, il parcouroit les prairies de Florian, en se mêlant aux jeux innocens des bergères de cette fertile contrée." Here no mention is made of the vintage and the harvest; nor is any season of the year assigned for Florian's intercourse with the sheperds and shepherdesses: but he is said to have joined with them in their innocent sports, whenever his heart was exhilirated by the performance of a good action.

M. Florian was born at the castle of Florian, in Languedoc, in 1755, and died of a fever, in 1794, in the 39th year

of his age.

Of the select moral tales, subjoined to the poems of Ruth and Tobit, the first, intitled the Spanish Courser,' has a very improbable conclusion; and the second, called the French Pullet,' may suit the taste of Gallic readers, but we are surprised that Mr. M. should think it adapted to English manners.

Florian might possibly have degraded the Thames by an epithet equivalent to foggy; and a line at p. 106.

And those beside the foggy Thames,'

induced us to suspect that he had taken this liberty with our beautiful river but, on turning to the original, we find that he has only styled it "froid," cold.

See Rev. for May last, p. 162.

Art.

Art. 40. The poetical Works of the Author of the Heroic Epistle to Sir William Chambers. Crown 8vo. pp. 133. 4s. 6d. boards. R. Phillips 1805.

The editor of these poems is Mr. Almon, the original publisher of them individually; who informs us that, owing to the difficulty of now procuring complete sets, he has often been solicited to reprint a new and uniform edition of the whole. No doubt can be entertained that this publication will be generally acceptable; and that those who relish the humour and pointed satire, displayed in this author's admired poems, will rejoice in an opportunity of possessing the whole in one volume. Mr. Almon has not satisfied the general curiosity, by disclosing the name of the author of the Heroic Epistle. It has been attributed, by many, to Mr. Mason: but it is here asserted in a note, that this report has no foundation; and the author disclaims the "Archæological Epistle" as a production of his pen.-This collection includes the Heroic Epistle, Heroic Postscript, Ode to Pinchbeck, Epistle to Dr. Shebbeare, Ode to Sir Fletcher Norton, and the Dean and the 'Squire.

HISTORY, &c.

Art. 41. The Baronetage of England, or the history of the English Baronets, and such Baronets of Scotland as are of English Families; with genealogical Tables, and Engravings of their armorial Bearings; collected from the present Baronetages, approved Historians, public Records, authentic Manuscripts, well attested Pedigrees, and personal Information. By the Rev. William Betham, Editor of the Genealogical Tables of the Sovereigns of the World. 5 vols. 4to. 71. 1cs. boards. Miller, Lloyd, &c. 1801-1805.

This copious title-page is a sufficient indication of the nature of the undertaking. Of the particular motives to it, Mr. Betham thus speaks in the preface: Considering that the former compilations of this kind are extremely scarce, that numerous changes have taken place since the last was published, that several creations have been absorbed in higher titles, several extinct; and that, since the time of Wotton's writing, to the end of the year 1800, no less than 262 baronets have been added to the list; that of these many are the representatives of antient families, who have held an important place in the community; many the descendants by collateral or female lines, of those in whom titles have become extinct; and many who have been raised to the dignity by the favour of their sovereign, as a reward for the honourable discharge of civil employment, or important duties performed in the naval or military service of the country; I shall not be deemed presumptuous in saying, that a new and correct English baronetage is an undertaking highly expedient at the present moment; and, if duly executed, worthy the public consideration and favour.'

It is of course impracticable for us to judge of the accuracy of a work of this nature: but Mr. Betham seems to have bestowed great pains and assiduity in collecting materials, and in improving the ar

rangement

rangement of his predecessors. Biographical particulars of individuals of note are so much connected with general history, that the present compilation is important in this point of view; and though genealogies and descents constitute not the most attractive reading, many events and anecdotes are here intermixed, which occasionally pierce the gloom, and amuse while they inform. From many families, Mr. B. has received the fullest information; and in some instances, perhaps, he has even been too indulgent in his communications. In the article of engravings, also, the liberality of individuals has sometimes decorated the work with ample displays of armorial bearings but, in general, the coats of arms are represented on a diminished scale, one quarto page containing twenty shields. They are all very handsomely executed.

In the preface to Vol. IV. the editor observes that he had then completed his original undertaking: but that the augmentations of baronets during his progress, and the copiousness of his materials, induce him to add a fifth volume; which contains the baronets of the united kingdom, down to the latest moment of publication, together with a general and comprehensive index, a chronological list of baronets, and addenda. & corrigenda.

The immense number of dates, names, and circumstances, occur. ring in a work of this description, must render it impossible to guarantee its perfect correctness; and the fluctuating nature of its subject must be perpetually creating alterations. Making allowances for these considerations, it appears to us that Mr. Betham's Baronetage deserves the countenance with which it has been assisted in its progress, and the reward of public favour in its state of completion.

Mr. B. acquaints his readers that he is preparing for the press, the histories of the baronets of Ireland and Scotland: the former of which he hopes to publish in the spring of 1806, in one volume quarto.

NATURAL HISTORY.

Art. 42. Account of Indian Serpents, &c. &c. published by order of the East India Directors, under the superintendence of Patrick Russell, M.D. F.R.S. Imperial folio. Vol. II. Part II. 1. 16s. boards. Nicol.

We announced the former parts of this publication, in M. R. vol. xxvi. N. S. p. 72. and vol. xxxix. p.432.- In the present fasciculus, we have three of the Anguis genus, nine of the Coluber, and two of the Boa, elegantly figured and coloured, with descriptions and remarks. Some of these are venomous, but many of them are innoxious; and some are reputed dangerous by the natives, in which Dr. R. found no poisonous organs. He observes that the bite of venomous serpents of every age is always in some degree dangerous; and that the bite of a young Cobra de Capello, not more than nine inches long, proved fatal to a chicken in a few minutes.

A venomous Coluber received from Java, without name or memo. randa, (No. 31.) was found to have large lamina on the head, and scales on the trunk not carinated: of the former of which, the cele brated French naturalist la Cépède had met with no example, ex

cept

ept in the Coluber Naja, and the Coluber Hemachate. Dr. Shaw has marked a third, in the Coluber Porphyriacus from New Holland.

The Boa, here described, do not resemble the far-famed Boa Constrictor, being small and harmless.

Art. 43. Plants of the Coast of Coromandel. By W. Roxburgh, M.D. Vol. II. Fasciculus IV. Folio. 31. 1os. coloured. 11. 18. plain. Nicol.

With equal care and splendour, this work continues to be offered to the botanical reader; and a valuable treat it will furnish, to those who can afford the purchase. In this fasciculus, we find the subse quent plants :

The leaves of the Sanseviera Zeylanica contain a number of fine strong longitudinal white fibres, of which the natives make their bow. strings; and of which Dr. R. thinks the fine line is made which is called China grass, used for fishing-lines, fiddle-strings, &c. The pulp of the leaves also yields a fine clean flax, and two annual crops of leaves may be obtained in good seasons. Altogether, Dr. R. is of opinion that this plant would be very valuable for culture.

The Crotalaria Juncea affords hemp to the natives, and very nourishing food for their milch cows.

Xanthocymus Pictorius produces apples little inferior in taste to many English apples, and, if meliorated by culture, Dr. R. conjectures, would prove delicious. While green, they copiously yield a gum resembling Gummi Gutte, which makes a pretty good watercolour, either by itself as a yellow, or in mixture with other colours, to form green, &c.'

Timber of considerable size is procured from the Terminalia Chebula; and the outer coat of the fruit is much used by chintz printers and dyers its astringency serving to fix the colours of the latter, and enabling the painters to give better defined outlines to their figures. Dr. R. has also, with this outer coat and salt of steel, made a good and durable ink.-Galls are found on the leaves of this tree. with which, and alum, the best and most lasting yellow is dyed; and, in conjunction with ferruginous mud, a black is procured from them.

See Rev. Vol. xxxiv. N.S. P. 310, and xxxix. p. 211.

They

They are very astringent; and the Dr. apprehends that they are the same with the drug introduced into England under the name of Bengal Beans, Faba Bengalenses, and much recommended for that quality The larva of a coccus, or chermes, also occurs on the leaves; which are replete with a bright rich yellow colour. Dr. R. thinks that, if these insects could be collected in quantities, they might prove as valuable as the cochineal insect.

A systematical Index to Vol. II. is given with this Number.

MISCELLANEOUS..

Art. 44. A Key to the Apostolic Writings, by John Taylor, D.D. abridged; with a preliminary Dissertation on the Scriptures of the New Testament. By Thomas Howe. 12mo. 38. 6d. Johnson. 1805.

From the manner in which St. Peter speaks of the Epistles of his brother apostle St. Paul, we may fairly infer that they require to be perused with attention; and that, without a key, ordinary readers will be liable to misapprchend their meaning. Perceiving the errors which prevailed among Christians from a misconception of the terms employed in the argumentative parts of Scripture, Dr. Taylor prefixed to his Paraphrase on the Epistle to the Romans an Essay, in which he endeavoured fully to explain the Gospel-scheme, and the principal words and phrases which the Apostles have used in describing it;" and the very judicious and satisfactory manner, in which this learned divine conducted his undertaking, recommended it to the perusal of those who were solicitous of obtaining a clear and rational view of scripture doctrine. The intelligent mind of the Bishop of Landaff appreciated its value, and inserted it among the tracts which he selected for the use of theological students in the University. Excepting, however, in this instance, it has never been published separately from the paraphrase; and we regard Mr. Howe as having been very usefully employed in not only exhibiting it as a detached publication, but in freeing it from that perplexity which appertains to it in its original form, and by which it becomes tiresome to common readers. His abridgement is indeed executed with care and ability; and the whole is so well concatenated as to afford a complete idea of Dr. Taylor's scheme, and to supersede the necessity of having recourse to the original essay. Dr. Taylor's mode of explaining the words Election, Justification, made Sinners, made righteous, &c. might have led him to a different statement of the doctrine of atonement, from that which is to be found in the 8th chapter; in which Mr. Howe admits that some obscurity exists, though he does not consider himself as warranted in presenting the subject in another point of view.

The preliminary dissertation includes short remarks on the histories of the N. T., on the doctrines and precepts of Christianity, on the prophecies contained in the N. T., and on the apostolic Epistles. It forms a suitable introduction to the essay which Mr. Howe has abridged, is a proof that he has perused the Scriptures with a reflecting mind, and will no doubt be very acceptable to many pious readers.