proprieties of the English language. As a fpecimen of his ftyle, we give the following account of the clergy of Scotland in the 11th and 12th centuries. The Clergy of Scotland were not at this time eminently learned. Yet, with them, was almost all the little learning which the nation poffeffed. They were commonly able to read and write. They were killed in that legendary lore which recited the deeds of Saints, and the innumerable machinations employed by dæmons against their piety and peace. For the greater part, they underflood the Latin, as well as their vernacular language. They were patrons and profeffors of the Fine Arts. In the monasteries, copies of books were multiplied by tranfcription. The most skilful mafons and architects were monks or fecular clergymen. In the fpiritual courts, juftice was adminiftered with greater wifdom and impartiality, than in the Lay courts, in all cafes, in which the interefts of the church were not immediately concerned. The circumstances of their clerical ftate had a natural tendency to render the clergy felfifh, luxurious, proud, and hypocritical. But, the fame peculiar circumftances alfo made them peaceable, pious, wife, and beneficent above the laity. It is the felicity of the clerical character, that although it have a tendency to cultivate and cherish certain evil habits; it is at the fame time calculated, in a much more eminent degree, to produce and maintain those habits of virtue which are the moit beneficial to fociety. Grofs luxury reigned in fome of the more opulent monafteries, and among the fuperior clergy. A bifhop of St. Andrew's took away a patronage from the abbacy of Dunfermline; because the monks had neglected, upon a vifit which he paid to the abbey, to leave in his bed-chamber, enough of wine for his nocturnal potations. Many of the little legends by which the monkish writers have recommended virtue and reproved wickedness, relate punishments inflicted miraculously upon the butlers, stewards, and cooks, in the convents, for their grofs and abominable gluttony or drunkenness. Many of thofe legendary tales are also directed against fimoniacal practices, and against the engroffing of a plurality of benefices, in the hands of one incumbent." The morality of the writings of the monks, is often pure and fublime, as that taught by the theologians and philofophers of the most enlightened ages. The gradual emancipation of the Bondmen, was owing, in a very confiderable degree, to the folicitations and advice of the Clergy; although more, it must be confeffed, to their folicitations and advice, than to their example. The firm, independent fpirit with which the Scottish Clergy refifted the ufurped authority of the Archbishop of York and the English church, was fingularly honourable to them. In the whole it must be allowed, that the ignorance of the Clergy and the corruption of religion in this age were produced in a great measure, by the unavoidable effects of that flood of barbarifm which had deluged Europe, and remained for a time, in ftagnation, over it; but that no other fyftem of religion could, in a period equally barbarous, have accomplished effects fo beneficial, upon the condition of civil life; or could have formed and maintained a hierarchy of priests, so virtuous, al though though opulent, fo useful in fociety, although connected with it by fewer ties than others. It was in the courte of the eleventh and twelfth centuries, that the fecular clergy of Scotland gradually renounced matrimony, and were perfuaded to content themselves with celibacy and concubinage.' Although this work exhibits neither extraordinary novelty of refearch, nor felicity of arrangement, nor uncommon depth of reflection; yet, as a faithful compilement from authentic monuments of the early tranfactions in Scotland, it will be found, we have no doubt, when completed according to the intelligent author's plan, convenient, entertaining, and useful. ART. VII. THE HE ingenious author of this treatise thinks, rightly, with Sigonius, that there are so many monuments of virtue and wifdom amid the ruins of Greece, that we can scarcely apply ourselves too much to the study of the antients, and to the contemplation of their example. In examining the conftitutions of Sparta and Athens, Mr. D. justly claims the merit of always preferring that little which the Greeks have left to us, to the long and laborious treatises of modern compilers.' Among these, however, he says, 'I do not reckon Montagu, or [nor] a more learned author, who has published an account of the civil inftitutions of Sparta and of Athens in his Hiftory of Ancient Greece.' Mr. Drummond's opinions indeed, as to the merits and defects of thofe governments, nearly agree with thofe of Dr. Gillies; and it cannot be furprizing that writers who draw from the fame fources of information, and prefer the fair appreciation of hiftorical facts. to the vanity of forming new theories, fhould arrive at the fame or nearly fimilar conclufions. The chapter on the internal arrangement of the Spartan government gave us particular fatisfaction: but it is too long for an extract. Agreeably to the maxims which are contained in it, the author thus briefly explains the true principles of the Athenian government: • The first and most remarkable effect produced at Athens, by the promulgation of Solon's laws, was the equal liberty rendered to all its citizens, Now if the practice of the government had correfponded with its theory, the caufes which fhould have preferved this fyftem, would have been the virtue and moderation of the rich, and the fpirit and magnanimity of the poor. But thefe moral caufes may be all properly referred to one principle, namely, patriotifm. It is therefore obvious, that patriotism was a principle of the Athenian government, or at leaft of its theory. The The fecurity of perfon and property, which was fo well established at Athens, is defervedly confidered as the best gift of liberty. The efficient caufes of this fecurity, were the attention paid to the characters of those who were appointed judges, and the impartiality and wisdom of the laws themfelves. Now it is evident that juftice is the principle, to which thefe caufes may be referred; and which may be reckoned another principle in the Athenian government. The conftitution required, that a law, after it had been formed by the fenate, and approved by the people, fhould be finally referred to an affembly, compofed of the wifeft of the citizens of Athens; for although their approbation gave it no new force, yet their disapprobation was fufficient to annul it. Now the object being evidently to obtain the advantages of time, of deliberation, of reflection, and even of experience, we may justly conclude, that the principle here affumed, was prudence. The illustrious Montefquieu makes honour and moderation to be the principles of a limited monarchy, and of ariftocracy. But when we confider the high reputation of the Athenian magiftrates for juftice and probity, and when we recollect how much was left in the power of the judge, we must furely acknowledge, that these were also principles in the conftitution of Athens. For honour is the principle, which difpofes rightly that part of our conduct with regard to others, which law cannot reach; and moderation is a principle which founded upon reafon, co-operates with honour in rettraining the influence of the paffions. Now Solon provided by feveral laws against the admission of any perfons to the dignified station of Archon and Areopagite, whose characters, and even whose families bore not the reputation of virtue. No attempt even, was permitted to be made to influence the paffions in the affembly of the Areopagites, and their decrees have undergone the fcrutiny of historical research, unblemished by a stain. It appears then from the foregoing inveftigation, that the leading principles of the Athenian conftitution, were patriotifm, justice, prudence, honour, and moderation.' Mr. D. is a judicious and modest author, whose aim is not to dazzle, but to inform. In this age of literary enterprife and political innovation, he difdains to court temporary applause by fpecious fingularity and boldness: but, on the contrary, he fhews no small skill in impreffing maxims which are not the lefs refpectable because they are more antient, nor the less useful because, by all wife lawgivers, univerfally approved. In a few inflances, Mr. D. feems to have mistaken, and mif-tranflated, the Greek paffages which he cites. Thus, p. 209 he makes Paufanias fay" This report is believed by those who are ignorant of history; and who truft to what they hear from the tragedians, and the boys belonging to the chorufes." We think that the words "suous en maidov" should be tranflated" from their childhood;"-and then the paffage would run thus: "other falfehoods are reported by the multitude, ignorant of history, and who believe what they have εκ been been accuftomed to hear from their childhood in chorufes and tragedies." In p. 223, Mr. D. fays Ariftotle fpeaks of Solon with a kind of contemptuous approbation.' The Stagyrite's words do not juftify this remark: Σόλωνα ενιοι μεν οιονται νομοθετην γινεσθαι σπεδαιον : "fome indeed think that Solon was an excellent legiflator;" for that Ariftotle himself was of this opinion is clear from what follows in the fame chapter, Polit. ii. c. x. when he fays that the disorders which happened in the Athenian government proceeded not from any error in its original structure, but from the naval victories of the Athenians, which filled them with pride and infolence, and made them liften to flattering demagogues who deceived and betrayed them. In other parts of the fame work, Ariftotle fpeaks of Solon's inftitutions and character in terms of the highest refpect.-Vide Polit. i. 5. iii. 7. and iv. II. ART. VIII. Letters and Papers on Agriculture, Planting, &c. felected from the Correfpondence of the Bath and Weft of England Society for the Encouragement of Agriculture, Arts, Manufactures, and Commerce. Vol. VII. 8vo. pp. 390. 6s, Boards. Dilly. 1795. THE HE prefent volume is partly compofed of original communications to this valuable inftitution, whofe labours we ever examine with pleasure and inftruction, and is partly formed of extracts from the provincial reports,-from the counties of Wilts, Dorfet, and Gloucefter,-made to the Board of Agriculture by furveyors employed by the Board to collect the rural information of the different diftricts of thefe kingdoms, on a plan fimilar to that in which Mr. Marfhall has for many years been employed. The original papers are as follow: On the management of woods, by Mr. Davis. On the ftate and cultivation of timber, by Mr. Wimpey. On the ftate of naval timber, by Mr. South. On the American Buffalo; by G. Turner, Efq. of Philadelphia, Judge of the Western Terri tory. On the method of making Parmesan cheese, by Mr. Pryce, (written from Italy in 1793). Six papers, on mangel wurzel, potatoes, poor rates, and poor laws, &c. by Sir Mordaunt Martin, Bart. On the abufe of fpirituous liquors, by Dr. Fothergill of Bath. Six (uninterefting) letters on smut in wheat, by anonymous writers. On refervoirs in farm-yards, &c. by Mr. Pew. On the conftruction of cottages (with plans) by Mr. Davis. On fatting with potatoes, by the Rev. 7. H. Clofe. On the value of land, with the rife and fall of the public funds, by Sir Thomas Beevor, Bart. On planting chef nuts, nuts, &c. by Mr. Pugh. On reclaiming a bog, by Mr. South. An improved pedometer, by Mr. Tugwell. On turnip cabbage, by the Rev. T. Broughton. On preventing curl in potatoes, by Mr. Chapple. An experiment on fheep-feeding, by Mr. Billingfley. Laftly, a general index to the seven volumes, by Mr. Groker. Most of these papers are valuable, and would require particular notice, had we room for fuch a detail. Confined as we are in this respect, we shall felect those only which ftruck us moft forcibly in the perusal. Mr. Davis's paper, on the state and management of woods in the western counties, was compofed in confequence of a premium offered by the Bath Society for a treatise on this fubject. It contains many valuable obfervations, and is evidently written with thofe advantages which long practice will ever give but it is not equal to fome others of Mr. D.'s papers, which we have read with pleasure in these transactions; and it falls very short of his report to the Board of Agriculture on the ftate of husbandry in Wiltshire, (included in this volume,) which is a masterly performance. On the time of cutting woods,' Mr. Davis throws out a good idea, which deferves general attention: There are many opinions refpecting the moft proper time of the year for cutting underwood, but there is one rule which, on the Seller's part, is without exception, viz. that the older the wood is, the later in the fpring it should be cut. When old wood is cut early in the winter, and a hard winter follows, the damage done to the ftocks is very great;-young flourishing wood will bear cutting at any time.' His concluding remarks on the prospect of a future fupply of wood,-a fubject on which men differ fo very widely,-are fenfible, and, we apprehend, pretty just : Upon a general enquiry into the state of the woods in the weftern counties, and from an actual knowledge of a great part of them, the writer hereof is of opinion, that the quantity of wood-land in thofe counties is not reduced in any great degree; that in many large tracts of wood land, great advantages have of late years been derived from exonerating them, by inclosure acts, or other agreements, from the feed of cattle, to which they were before fubject, and by which they were very much injured; that upon the whole, as much attention, or perhaps more, is paid to the prefervation of woods, than has been in any former period; that from the quantity of woods newly planted within the last few years, and particularly from that fpirit of enquiry into their value now fo generally diffufed throughout this kingdom, which will point out the neceffity of protecting them when planted, and the mode of management most proper and natural for them, according to their feveral foils and fituations; there is at prefent no great reafon to apprehend that any fuch fcarcity of underwood or timber can happen, as will make the want thereof alarming; and as to the |