would have fhrunk from Johnfon as from a hedgehog; and from Chesterfield, if not as an adder too venomous to be touched, yet certainly as an eel too flippery to be held. For, notwithstanding my brother's panegyric on the friendly qualities of his idol, I cannot think that either he or the philofopher had a heart truly formed for that tender connexion. They feem to me to have poffeffed an equat degree of felfishness, though it thewed itself under very different hapes; one was continually trying to bully, and the other to in-veigle the world into an exclufive admiration of his particular tálents. The men accuse our sex of being actuated by a spirit of rivalfhip and mutual injuftice to each other; yet furely this is not only as vifible among themfelves, but more productive of general disadvantage. What the archdeacon obferved of Johnfon and Garrick, leads me to make a fimilar obfervation on Johnson and Chesterfield. Had thefe two men, of rare and different talents, inftead of kindling into a contemptuous animofity, contracted a folid friendship, on the noble plan of honouring, of enjoying the perfections, and correcting the deficiencies of each other, how infinitely might fuch conduct have contributed to the pleasure, improvement, happiness, and lafting glory of both! But the defects in each were too ftrong to let him derive all poffible delight and advantage from the faculties of the other. Great as they both were in their feparate lines, I cannot think that either was truly entitled to the epithet of amiable or good for I am equally offended by truth that is delivered with brutality, and by politeness that is utterly infincere: I own myself as much an enemy to the fplenetic malevolence of Johnson, as to the licentious vanity of Chesterfield. Could they have blended their better qualities; could the gaiety of the wit have cured the fpleen of the philofopher; and, could the ftrong intellect of Johnson have annihilated the libertinifm of Chesterfield; each might have been, what I think neither was, a truly accomplished and happy man; and each might have been rendered, by fuch a procefs, a more perfect and delightful writer; for, as it is, though we admire the wonderful understanding and energy of mind difplayed by Johnson, though we are charmed by the wit, elegance, and knowledge of the world, that we find in Chesterfield, yet it is certain that each fails us in the very point where, from his particular pursuits, we might naturally fuppofe it most fafé to take him as a guide. The literary judgments of Johnson, and the worldly admonitions of Chefterfield, appear to me equally unfound. The first are, furely, not confiftent with truth and justice; and for the latter, I am afraid no apologift can perfectly reconcile them to honesty and virtue. Yet there is fuch a mass of real, though different excellence, united to the grofs failings of those two authors, that, as a parent anxious to collect every thing that may render me ufeful to my children, I read them both with equal eagerness; and I find much innocent inftruction in Chesterfield that a mother's heart is irclined to adopt. Let rigid moralifts tell me, if they please, that all his parental merit is of the womanish kind; and that he is, at beft,

Fine by defect, and delicately weak.'

A6

As to Johnson, I have indeed many jarring ideas of his excellencies and defects; yet I believe I may give you my notion of his character comprized in a line, by which Pope has defcribed the whole fpecies. I fhall conclude, therefore, by telling you that he was, to my apprehenfion,

A being darkly wife, and rudely great.'

ca

However much this lady may be inclined to do juftice to the parties, the feems to have undertaken a task above the reach of her pacity. She takes too fuperficial a view of the subject to form a decided opinion; and therefore, very prudently, involves her fentiments in all the oracular obfcurity of a Pythian prieftefs. But we readily excufe her lady fhip for not determining with precifion, either on the weakness of Chefterfield, or the wifdom of Johnfon.

ART. 18. Gofpel Experiences and Memoirs of Gabriel Dainville, V.D.M. In Two Volumes. 12mo. 6s. Bew, London, 1787.

Under the appearance of a novel, thefe volumes prefent us with a fevere fatire on the methodistical teachers, who, pretending to an extraordinary call, and an inward light, ruth from mechanical and mercantile employments, to the holy office of the miniftry. The author is well acquainted with his fubject, poffeffes no common excellence of comic painting, and draws his hero, the evangelical hypocrite, in natural and lively colours. Gabriel's fermon on the Way of a Man with a Maid, will appear extravagant to thofe who are unacquainted with the myfteries of methodism; but many fuch fermons have been delivered at the Tabernacle. His defcant on the beauties of Solomon's Song, and the little fifter, is entirely in the ftyle of thofe folemn hypocrites, who ftudy to refresh the imaginations of the antiquated fifterhood by clothing obfcenity in fcripture language, and employing the king of Ifrael as a fpiritual pimp. After paffing through various degrees of grace and hypocrify, our reverend profligate at laft adopts the doctrines of Swedenborg, and pretends to make occafional trips to the other world, and to pafs his evenings alternately with Abraham and Beelzebub; as if it were poffible for him to have feen the devil before he was dead. The progrefs of methodism at present is indeed alarming, and ought to be inftructing. The established character which fome members of the Church of England have obtained for ig. norance, indolence, and libertinifm; their want of zeal for the inte refts of religion; their purfuit of good livings, while they abhor good lives; has emptied the regular churches, and peopled the conventicles of fanaticism. Were the mitre always conferred on fuch characters as Dr. Porteous and Dr. Watson; were the best livings beftowed on clergymen diftinguished by their piety and learning; the Church of England would indeed be reformed, and might bid defiance to the devil and the methodists.

ART. 19. Allan Fitzofborne; an hiftorical Tale. By Mifs Fuller. 12mo. 2 vols. 6s. London, 1787.,

17 C

This is a work, which we recommend to the admirers of chafte ro mance. The fair author has prefented it to the world under the name of an historical tale. The ftory is founded upon the hiftory of the turbulent times of Henry the Third; a reign rendered unhappy by factions and the ambition of the barons; and in which the spirit of crutading was the predominant paffion. In the attempt to defcribe the manners of the times, Mifs Fuller difcovers a mind well ftored with hiftorical knowledge, and with the happy facility of reciting events in language well adapted to her fubject.

In perufing this hiftory of an English baron, the mind is eafily called back to the times when the events are fupposed to have occurred. The story is told with fimplicity, and the events are fo combined, that we are interested in the developement of events which are delineated by a chafte pencil. Our fair author poffeffes promifing qualifications for a novellift; and the inlifts the mind under the banners of virtue and morality.

ART. 26. Imprefs of Seamen; Confiderations on its Legality, Policy, and Operation. Applicable to the Motion intended to be made in the Houfe of "Commons on Friday 12th May, 1786, by William Pulteney, Efq. 8vo. 1s. 6d. Debrett. London, 1787.

The defign of this pamphlet was to lay before the public, prior to Mr. Pulteney's motion, fome arguments in favour of any means of manning the navy without recourfe to that oppreffive one of impreffing; and the author has not failed in his view. After fhewing its implied illegality, fupported by the authorities of the firft crown lawyers, that it militates against the conftitution of this country, and against the great charter of liberty, he enters upon its impolicy, and points out the confufion it may now occafion, fince the declared independence of Ireland and America; for certainly neither of those Countries would fuffer their fubjects to be impreffed on an English warrant and unless men carried about them a certificate of their birth, endless must be the mistakes and commotions it must give rife to, and endanger the lives of the officer and men in their duty, from the fpirited refiftance of thofe they think proper to lay hold of.

He next proceeds to fhew the hardships the impreffed men undergo, and how often their families are deprived of their property by this rigorous meafure. He tells us of an instance he once knew of thirteen men of the Glatton East Indiaman, who were impressed on board a king's fhip; and though, prior to their failing, the purfer made out each man's account, and figned it, and thefe men gave their former officer fuch account, to receive it at the India-house, and give it to their families; yet, as they did not deliver with fuch account letters of attorney, it was never paid; the men either died, were killed, or never heard of; and their families fuftained the lofs of their wellearned wages, to the amount of near 300l.

The author does not give us any plan to remedy this evil, but tells us he has one for manning the navy, without expence to government, injury to trade, or oppreflion upon individuals; which will

exclude

exclude the neceffity of a general regifter; of raifing the king's pay, o reducing that of the merchant's; by a mode which will not only p ove efficacious and productive of advantage to the fea-fervice in general, but attended with other beneficial confequences to individuals and the community. We hope he will favour the public with this plan.

ART. 21. Defence of the Police Bill; in Answer to a Charge delivered. by W. Mainwaring, Efq. at the Seffions of the Peace held for the County of Middlefex in September 1785. Refpectfully fubmitted to the Right Hen, the Chancellor of the Exchequer. 8vo. 1s. Stockdale. London, 1787.

This is a collection of letters printed in a newspaper fince January last, in favour of Mr. Sheridan's police-bill for the city of Westminster, &c. which Mr. Mainwaring, as chairman of the feffions, endeavoured to fhew was improper. They feem to place the defects of the prefent police in a proper view, and fhew that a reform is highly neceffary, especially in the metropolis.

ART. 22. Thoughts on the farther Improvement of Aeroftation, or the ·Art of travelling in the Atmosphere; with a Defcription of a Machine now conftructing on different Principles from thofe hitherto adopted. By the Inventor of the Machine. 8vo. zs. Printed for the Author. King, New Broad-Street. London, 1787.

We have never feen the balloon now exhibiting at the Panthéon, to be drawn in the air by eagles, the invention of a Mr. Uncles, but we apprehend that to be the machine here defcribed, which resembles a fish, in the center of whofe body is a feat to hold the aeronaut, and to be worked in the air by its tail and a pair of oars, in imitation of fins. There is to be no car fufpended to it, but the perfon or perfons it carries are to be feated in its body, and nearly in the center of gravity. If this is the contrivance of Mr. Uncles, we prefume he has dropt his idea of conveying it through the air by the fimple means of oars, and has taken up another of drawing it by eagles. The author, however, by no means wants understanding, and feems to have a philofophical turn; and we are perfectly of his way of thinking, that, if a balloon is to be directed through the atmosphere, at the pleafure of the aeronaut, it must be conftructed on a principle very different from that now in use.

MEDICAL.

ART. 23. Chemical Reflections relating to the Nature, Caufes, Preven tion, and Cure of fame Diseases; in particular the Sea Scurvy, the Stone and Gravel, the Gout, the Rheumatism, Fevers, &c. Containing Ob"fervations upon Air; upon conftituent Principles; and the Decompofition of animal and vegetable Subflances; with a Variety of occafional Re marks, philofophical and medical. To which is added, the Method of making Wine from the Juice of the Sugar-Cane. By James Rymer. 12mo. 2s. 6d. Evans. London, 1787.

Thefe Reflections are, in general, curfory and fuperficial, though interfperfed with fome practical obfervations. Mr. Rymer dips not

Gg 3

deep

1

deep into the Pierian fpring, but he feems to have a moderate thirt for it; and when he cannot establish a proposition, he favours us at leaft with a conjecture.

ART. 24. Obfervations on Medical Electricity; containing a Synopfis of all the Difeafes in which Electricity has been recommended or applied with Succefs; likewife pointing out a new and more efficacious Method of applying this Remedy by Electric Vibrations. By Francis Lowndes. 8vo. 1s. 6d. London, 1787.

That electricity is highly useful in various diseases, experience has fufficiently confirmed. Mr. Lowndes's Synopfis contains a general account of its application and effects in the feveral disorders; and though he is doubtless interested in difplaying the virtues of electricity, we cannot say that he exaggerates them.

ART. 25. An Efay on the Medical Character, with a View to define it. To which is fubjoined, Medical Commentaries and Obfervations adapted to feveral Cafes of indifpofed Health. Small 8vo. 35. Laidler. London, 1787.

The nature and duties of the medical character have been defcribed, by a late eminent phyfician, with a degree of precision which ought to have fuperfeded the trivial and uninteresting effay now before us. Information, both ufeful and new, is not the object of the prefent author. Under a veil of affected folemnity and abftrufeness, he retails the precepts, a thousand times repeated, for the preferva. tion of health, intermixed with common remarks on medicinal waters, diet, and others of the non-naturals. A few trifling obfervations on the cure of the afthma and dropfy; in the former of which the author advifes inhaling the effluvia of camphor, benzoin, and ftyrax. We believe there are many patients in whom he might find the use of such a remedy to ftimulating, particularly in the cafe which he fuppofes, of puftula excoriation in the paffages.

DIVINITY.

ART. 26. A Collection of all the Papers relating to the Propofal for uniting the King's and the Marifchal Colleges of Aberdeen, which have been published by the Authority of the Colleges.

At prefent two independent univerfities, endowed with the amplest privileges, are fituated at Aberdeen, within a mile of each other. Two fets of profeffors are employed in these univerfities, in the fame elements of philofophy and the learned languages, while other branches of science are taught by no profeffors in either. Between thefe neighbouring univerfities jealoufies are apt to arife, and a rivalfhip, not of the moft liberal kind, has been known to fubfift, to the great detriment as well as difgrace of learning. These reasons have long given rife to a wish that both might be united into one refpectable university, on the fame footing with the other univerfities of Scotland. A fimilar junction of the two colleges at St. Andrew's, has been attended with the most beneficial effects. Accordingly in the year 1754 a plan of union was concerted, with the unanimous

consent