own imagination about government, and wildly fancy that he could improve upon the very models of God himself.' We muft obferve that monarchy is here affumed to be formed on God's own model, but proved only by the author's mode of interpreting the Old Testament, and finding in it that which, if it be faid at all, is faid only by implication and not by any direct declaration.. Of commonwealths Mr. W. fpeaks

thus:

• Then rofe republicks. The first that made its appearance in the world, was at Athens. The keen genius of Attica, wanting to try an experiment upon the univerfal polity of man, to fubftitute à creature of its own reafon for the fabrication of GoD's wisdom, and to violate the primogenial law of nature in favour of a fantastical theory; took advantage of the death of a felf-devoted monarch, and, in a pretended fear of never having fo good a monarch again, moft ungratefully deprived his family of the crown, by venturing upon the bold innovation of erecting a republick. They thus inverted the ramid of government, made it to ftand upon its point, and reared its bafe in the air. The example however was afterwards followed, by all the states of Greece. They all gave free scope to their fancies, in modelling their governments. They cut them to this form, they carved them to that. But they ftill reduced them nearer and nearer, to an inefficient fimplicity of power. They then confidered them, as more or lefs perfect in their republican nature. Yet they could find none, that would give them the promifed happiness. They were wretched under all. The grand principle of all, in fuppofing the power of go vernment to be originally in the people, in believing the fubjects to be virtually the fovereigns, in affirming the fervants to be vitally the mafters; propofitions furely, however familiar to our ears at prefent, calculated only for the meridian of St. Luke's Hofpital; this precluded all poffibility of fettlement, changes fucceeded to changes, all was diftraction, confufion, and mifery. Having thrown their little world of fociety off from that central pin of authority, upon which it had been founded by GoD himfelf; they could never find a reft for it again. The divine equipoife had been rafhly deftroyed by the hand of man, and man felt his folly in his fufferings. The imputed power of the people was like the water of the ocean, now breaking through all its bounds as the balance of the globe was gone, and now fweeping in an irrefiftible deluge over the land. Yet, with fomething like the infatua tion of the Jews in receiving their falfe Meffiabs, they fill welcomed every pretender to the caufe of liberty, ftill hailed every factious man as a friend, and attached themselves to every reformer as a deliverer. Thefe declared," fays Plutarch himfelf at a particular period of their Sicilian hiftory, "that the end of their coming was to introduce liberty, and depofe monarchs; but they did fo tyrannize themselves, that the reign of the tyrants feemed A GOLDEN AGE, compared with the rule of thefe deliverers; which made the Sicilians to esteem those more happy who bad expired in flavery, than they who furvived to fee SUCH A FREEDOM." Nay, their feelings had been fo feverely wounded by this popular kind of tyranny, that when Timoleon had recovered their

N 2

capital

capital from its oppreffions, he found the market-place rankly overgrown with grafs, horfes actually feeding upon it, and the grooms lying upon the ground to attend them; that he therefore invited the emigrants to come back, and re-inhabit their defolated city; that few however came, "fo much," adds the hiftorian in a strain remarkably appofite to modern times, " did they DREAD and ABHOR the very NAME of those COMMUNITIES, and MUNICIPALITIES, and TRIBUNALS, which had PRODUCED THE GREATEST PART OF THEIR TYRANTS."

Mr. W. proceeds to ftate the various revolutions of the Roman republic, from the time of the expulfion of the kings to the deftruction of the commonwealth by Cæfar. The Romans, he obferves, having abolished royalty, and fet up a fort of Græcian republic for themselves; and having, like the Greeks, embarked on the boisterous ocean of republicanism; were buffeted by the fame tempefts.

The power which had created the first revolution, was perpetually called upon to create others. Confuls, dictators, plebeian tribunes, military tribunes or decemvirs were fucceffively and interchangeably appointed. The scale of power in the ftate under all, was continually finking towards the people, till it touched the very ground at laft. It funk therefore loaded more and more with mifery to them. They became the dupes of ambitious men, enlifted as partizans in their purfuits, and engaged as champions in their contefts; were embaraffed with feditions, fcourged with rebellions, and racked with revolutions. At the last of these revolutions Lucan describes one of the perfonages in his poetical hiftory, bursting out with all the agony of feeling for his wretched country; and exclaiming with envy at the happiness of the most absolute monarchies on the earth,

Felices Arabes, Medique, Eoaque tellus,

Quam fub perpetuis tenuerunt Fata tyrannis !'

We certainly are not advocates for a republican government, to which, perhaps, ftorms are more incidental than to monarchies: but we muft obferve that, whoever thinks there have not been frequent feditions, rebellious competitions, and revolutions, in kingdoms as well as in commonwealths, has read but little of the hiftory of mankind.-The author next points out the calamities that were brought on England by the tranfition from monarchy to a republic: but, as these are fo generally known, we will not particularize them.

Mr. Whitaker next croffes the water, and points out in forcible language the cruelties that have difgraced the cause of liberty in France. As he thinks ill not merely of those who abolifhed religion in France, but also of those who had a fhare in the formation of the conftitution of 1789, we find him afcribing the calamities experienced by most of them to the judgments of Heaven. If fome of them deferved their fate,

many

many good men will yet ftrenuously maintain that the conduct of feveral, whom Mr. W. describes as purfued by the vindictive juftice of the Almighty, was throughout highly praiseworthy; in which class La Fayette, whom he fixes at the head of his heaven-attainted lift, will probably be placed by the voice of a great majority of the people of England. Though some of the perfons whom he blames have been brought to condign punishment, others, no lefs guilty in his opinion, have not only escaped it, but have been raised to fituations of trust, honour, and emolument; witness the man who read to the unfortunate Louis, in the tower of the Temple, the fentence of death which very man is at this inftant refiding at Copenhagen with a diplomatic character, though not openly avowed, from the French republic to the court of Denmark. No doubt, Mr. W. will fay that the avenging fword is ftill fufpended over his head.

We have gone into an unusual length in our account of this fingular publication, for many reasons; we thought it due to the author, and to a work by no means unworthy of his reputation as a ftaunch advocate for monarchy: we wished alfo to give a proof of impartiality, in reporting at large the opinions of men from whom we have widely differed on various political topics. Ill founded as we must confider the main opinion from which all Mr. W.'s others fpring in luxuriant ramification, it is but strict juftice to say that it is fupported in a way which, though it may make him appear over zealous, and too much attached to antiquated notions of the divine. rights of crowns, will do him credit as a friend to religion, and to the stability of the peace and comfort of mankind in general-according to his own principles, we mean; for we truft that thofe who think very differently from our author, on thefe fubjects, may be as fincere friends to religion, and to the real happiness of mankind, as the worthy rector of Ruan Lanyhorne.

A&T. VI. Sermons on various Subjets. By John Bidlake, B. A. Chaplain to his R. H. the Duke of Clarence; and Mafter of the Grammar School, Plymouth. 8vo. PP. 319. 5s. Boards. Chapman. 1795•

MANY

ANY readers of fermons, in different claffes, will think thefe difcourfes exceedingly defective. The zealous ftickler for orthodoxy will be difappointed by finding what he calls the peculiar doctrines of Chriftianity fparingly introduced, and cautiously expreffed in general terms. The flighty fanatic will think the want of enthufiaftical rhapsody poorly fupplied

by dry morality. The warm politician, who esteems either loyalty or civifm to be the fum of focial obligation, will pronounce the author deficient in his duty as a public inftructor, in compofing fermons which neither inculcate the doctrine of paffive obedience and non-refiftance, nor fpread the murmurs of political difcontent. Even the fermonic connoiffeur, who paffionately admires the luxuriant flowers of rhetoric, and is in raptures when he meets with fine language, will defiderate in thefe plain difcourfes glowing metaphors, rich fimilies, and pointed antithefes. Notwithstanding all this, however, we are much mistaken if there be not a tolerably numerous class of readers, who will find great pleasure and improvement in the perufal of thefe compofitions; and who will even admire them the more for thofe very qualities, which to others may appear to be defects.

In fome of thefe fermons, the writer treats of general topics of morality, with great propriety, but without fubtlety of thought; and with fimplicity, without meannefs of language. In others, he illufrates a parable, or portion of facred history; and, without entering into any critical difcuffions, he deduces its moral leffons in an eafy and interefting manner. Mr. Bidlake appears to poffefs a candid and liberal fpirit; and his fermons are well adapted for ufefulnefs. The general topics are, the forgiveness of injury; the inordinate love of pleafure; indifference to religion; pride; a future ftate; gratitude; early piety. The narrative-difcourfes are on the parables of the rich man and Lazarus; the prodigal fon; the good Samaritan; and the ftories of Naaman the Syrian, and the falfehood of Gehazi,-Befides thefe, the reader will find three difcourfes formerly preached on particular occafions, and now reprinted.

ART. VII, Tranfa&ions of the Royal Irish Academy, Vol. V. [Article continued from p. 21.]

SCIENCE. Agriculture.

WHAT are the manures most advantageously applicable to the various forts of foils and what are the caufes of their benefi cial effect in each particular inftance? By Richard Kirwan, Efq. LL.D. &c.-In anfwer to this important queftion proposed by the Irish Academy, the learned member exhibits a collective view of all the recent difcoveries which promife to caft any light on the intricate process of vegetation. The eflay is written in a popular manner, and aims at making those chemical and mineralogical principles, which are occafionally introduced, intelligible to the generality of readers. For the fake of per

fpicuity,

fpicuity, it will be proper to depart a little from the arrangement which the author employs.

1. Soils. These are commonly double or triple compounds of the several reputed primitive earths, except the barytic. The magnesian likewife fparingly occurs. The more fertile foils afford, befides, a small proportion of coally fubftance arifing from putrefaction, and fome traces of marine acid and gypfum. The vulgar divifion into clay, chalk, fand, and gravel, is well understood. Loam denotes any foil moderately adhesive; and, according to the ingredient that predominates, it receives the epithets of clayey, chalky, fandy, or gravelly. The intimate mixture of clay with the oxydes of iron is called till, and is of a hard confistence and a dark reddish colour. Soils are found by analysis to contain their earthy ingredients in very different proportions. According to M. Giobert, fertile mould in the vicinity of Turin, where the fall of rain amounts yearly to 40 inches, affords, for each 100 parts, from 77 to 79 of filex, from 8 to 14 of argill, and from 5 to 12 of calx; befides about of carbonic matter, and nearly an equal weight of gas, partly carbonic and partly hydrocarbonic. The fame experimenter reprefents the compofition of barren foils in fimilar fituations to be from 42 to 88 per cent. of filex, from 20 to 30 of argill, and from 4 to 20 of calx. The celebrated Bergman found rich foils in the vallies of Sweden, where the annual quantity of rain is 24 inches, to contain, for each 100 parts, 56 of filiceous fand, 14 of argill, and 30 of calx. In the climate of Paris, where the average fall of rain is 20 inches, fertile mixtures, according to M. Tillet, vary from 46 to 52 per cent. of filex, and from 11 to 17 of argill, with 37 of calx. It hence appears that, in dry countries, rich earths are of a closer texture, and contain more of the calcareous ingredient, with lefs of the filiceous. Mr. Arthur Young has difcovered that the value of fertile lands is nearly proportioned to the quantities of gas, which equal weights of their foil afford by diftillation. Dr. Kirwan gives very circumftantial directions how to determine, by chemical analyfis, the compofition of foils.

2. Food of Plants. Plants contain a large proportion of water and charcoal, blended with oils, refins, gums, and vege table acids, which are the various products of thefe and hydrogene; the fixed alkaline falts, combined fometimes with the fulphuric and muriatic acids; and small quantities of the fimple earths. Confequently, the only fubftances common to foils. and their vegetable productions are water, coal, earths, and falts. These are, therefore, the true food of plants. We shall confider them in order. Water forms by far the largest ingredient in the compofition of vegetables. Grafs lofes two-thirds.