1

ment of the Lord's Supper, are ably and clearly pointed out, upon the foundeft principles and practice of our Church, and confiftent with the doctrines of our excellent Liturgy. The nature of baptifm is first well explained, and the benefits which we derive from it. The propriety of ratifying that folemn promife, in our own perfons, is fully enforced, and deduced from the practice of the Church in the earlieft periods; as well as from the neceffity of fuch an open profeffion of our faith, before we are admitted to the full communion of the Church. We fhould be happy to fee this tract very generally diftributed among hofe who are either candidates for confirmation, or who have latel been admitted to this holy ordinance. We doubt not that it will be found as generally useful, as it has been in the diocefe of Durham, where it was firft published.

ART. 35. A Catechetical Syftem of Inflruction relative to the Or dinance of Confirmation, in the away of Question and Answer; founded upon a Letter on Confirmation of June ift, 1810; addreffed to a young Perfon about to be confirmed, and defigned to imprefs upon a Perfon's Mind the Subftance of that Letter. 38 pp. Newcastle, Akenhead and Sons; London, Rivingtons and Hatchard. 1810...

This little tract appears to be the fubftance of the preceding article, reduced into a catechetical form, as tending to imprefs the fubject more easily on the minds of those who are candidates for confirmation. It is compofed by the fame author, and contains the fame docrines, more clofely expreffed and arranged. The original letter, as we have faid above, is well calculated for the intended purpose, and the two publications may be used either together or feparately, with advantage. The form of the latter publication is perhaps better adapted for the ufe of the young, and may be committed wholly to memory, or, (as the author obferves in his introduction,) be carefully read over; at the fame time allowing a friend to examine and to compare their answers, in words of their own, with those contained in that little fyftem. The learning the very words of this catechifm, would be found ufeful; but to intelligent perfons the above mode may be more ftrongly recommended, as enfuring a more full and complete knowledge of the fubftance of the instruction defigned to be conveyed.

ART. 36. A Difcourfe on Cruelty to the Brute Creation. By the Rev. James Beresford, M. A. Fellow of Merton College, Oxford. 410. 15 PP. 1S. Miller. 1809.

This difcourfe is written in an impreffive manner, and diplays ftrongly the folly as well as the wickedness of cruelty to the brute It appears to have been originally intended for publication,

creation.

cation, and is addreffed to Lord Erskine, who is fo nobly prejecting in his legislative capacity, to abolish the impunity, with which cruelties are, at prefent, too frequently committed upon the brute creation." With this hope, the author addreffes himself to Lord E., as his Lordship's humble co-adjuter, to the conciences of thofe, whofe conduct concerns them in the fubject, accompanied with a fervent prayer, that the defign in hand may be ultimately profpered by him, "whofe mercies are over all his works."

MISCELLANILS.

ART. 37. A Narrative of the Circumstances which coufed and attended the Trials of the Reverend Robert Bingham, B. .. nobich took place at Hurjam, before the Lord Chef Baron, at the Spring Alizes, 1811. Written by Himself.

Sherwood and Co.

8vo.

pp. 122.

45.

The fituation of Mr. Bingham is fo exceedingly remarkable, that we are anxious to embrace an early opportunity of mentioning this tract; which he has published for the fake of vindi. cating his character from the very ferious charges adduced againit him. Legally in leed he was vindicated by his trials: but we feel perfuaded that no unprejudiced perfon can poffibly read the prefent narrative, without inclining to believe that every tigma on his fame is unmerited; this opinion feems alfo to be justified by the charge delivered on the occafion by the Lord Chief Baron; on whofe fagacity and judicial experience much reliance ought to be placed.

ART. 38. Evenings Entertainments; or, Delineations of the Manners and Customs of various Nations, interipered with geogra phical Notices, hiftorical and biographical vincdotes, and Dejcriptions in Natural Hytory, defigned for the Injiruction and Amusement of Youth. By J. B. Depping., 2 vols. 12100. 105.

burn. 1811,

1

Col.

This is a very well felected, agreeable, and for younger people, a ufeful compilation. A widowed father, who is reprefented to have been in his youth a great traveller, is left with five children, and for their inftruction and amufement he every evening relates fome curious particulars, concerning the various nations and countries he had feen and vifited; thus combining with geogra *phical inftruction a knowledge of the manners, characters, and customs of different people. The obfervations are exter de to the remoteft corners of the globe, and exhibit a great number of anecdotes, many of which have to us the recommendation of novelty. The work concludes with a diflertation on Gyplies, and with a promife of further communications from the fan e pen, Na which,

BRIT. CRIT. VOL. XXXVIII. NOV. 1811.

which, for the fake of our young readers, we fhall gladly fee ac. complished.

ART. 39. Hiftoire des Femmes Françaises les plus celebres et de leur Influence fur La Litterature Francaise commes Protectrices des Let tres et comme Auteurs. Par Madame De Genlis. 12mo. 2 vols. 105. Colburn.

1811.

This account of the celebrated women of France is in. troduced by a fpirited effay in vindication of the female charac ter. Every more popular argument against females exhibiting themfelves to public view as authors, is replied to if not fatisfactorily, at least with great plaufibility. The lives themselves, as may be fuppofed from fo great a number being comprehended in fo fhort a compafs, are given with concifenefs. They begin with Radegunda, the wife of Clotarius I, and conclude with Madame Cotin. Thus all living characters are excluded, which was ju dicious on the part of the author. They are characterized by the vivacity which distinguishes all the works of this writer, and will be found an agreeable and interesting publication,

ART. 40. Mifcellaneous Anecdotes illuftrative of the Manners and Hiftory of Europe during the Reigns of Charles II, James II. William III. and Queen Anne. By James Peller Malcolm, F.S.A. 8vo. 12s. Longman. 1811.

This very diligent and meritorious author informs the reader that thefe anecdotes were collected during his researches for the work he has published illuftrative of the manners and customs of the British metropolis. They are authenticated by references to authorities under the titles of each article, Some of them will be found very interefting, and all of them amufing. The voJume has the additional recommendation of five engravings, reprefenting Smyrna, Vienna, the regalia of Charlemagne, &c.

&c.

ART. 41. Trvo Letters from Thomas Falconer, A. M. of Corpus Chrifti College, Oxford, to the Editor of the Gentleman's Maga. zine, on the Articles in the Edinburgh Review relating to the Oxford Strabo. 8vo. 8vo. 11 pp. Murray. 1811.

Thefe letters which, as ftated in the title-page, were originally printed in the Gentleman's Magazine, Mr. Falconer has now published feparately. The critique on the Oxford Strabo, which appeared in the Edinburgh Review, bore fuch ftrong marks of ufair prejudice, that we apprehend few could read it without being truck with the pointed injuftice of its attack. Mr. Fal. coner, the writer of the preface, and nephew to the editor, whofe latinity was not merely queftioned in the above Review, but

treated.

treated with contempt and mockery, undertakes here the defence of the editor, upon fome few points. Since thefe Letters were firft printed in the Gentleman's Magazine feve. ral publications upon the fame fubject have appeared, and most of the topics have been more amply difcufled: fee, for instance, the Reply to the Calumnies of the Edinburgh Review againft Oxford, 1810. The Review of that Reply in the Edinburgh Review, No. xxxi. and the fubfequent reply to that. Mr. Falconer has undoubtedly a great right to review the reviewers, which in thefe Letters he does with confiderable effect; and fince their celebrity is fuch, that too many things advanced by them are perhaps taken upon truft, we fhall felect the following expofure of two mitakes which Mr. Falconer points out, of which critics fo fevere ought undoubtedly to be ashamed. In the notes tơ Strabo the following remark occurs,

"Obfervandum elt, quo Violentior eft Solis ardor, eo citius feri pluvias."

The Edinburgh Reviewer ventures to prefume that citius here ftands for crebrius, and that the fenfe intended to be expreffed is, that the hotter the fun, the fafter it rains. The latter, he tells us, is an English vulgarifm, which, however, he thinks would be properly expreffed by crebrias. This we doubt. The meaning, however, of cius in the paffage cited is fo evident to us, that we can scarcely believe that the reviewer could really make the mif take he pretends. "The hotter the fun the fooner the rains commence;" this we contend is the obvious fenfe of the paffageThat citus will bear this fenfe Mr. Falconer proves from Ho race, Virgil, and Servius, on the latter Plautus and Juvenal might have been added. The author of the Reply to the Calumnies thinks matuvius would have been more Ciceronian. This we fhall not controvert.

The next point in which the reviewer evidently ftumbles, is in fuppofing that by the expreffion" à porta Efquilina verfus Labicanam," the editor meant from the Efquiline to the Labican gate, upon which he is jocular, but we think far from witty, and in fact, if he meant to raise a laugh, the laugh is here fairly turned againft him by the expofire of his ignorance; for the paffage fimply means from the Efquiline gate towards the via Labicane, the road to Labicum commencing there. The fact is, that both the road to Prænefte, and that to Labicum began at the Efquiline gate; and it was neceffary to fay which of the two roads was meant.

We fhall not proceed further in our notice of this short publication, becaufe, as above remarked, other and fuller anfwers have appeared. Concerned as Mr. Falconer must have felt himself for the reputation of the Strabo, fo ill-naturedly and petulantly attacked, we think he has shown his inodeity and forbearance in faying fo little upon the fubject.

* See alfo Brit. Crit. vol. xxxvii. p. 346.

ART. 42. Remarks on the prefent State of the Established Church, and the Increase of Proteftant Diffenters. By an attentive Ob. ferver. 12mo. 64 pp. 1s. 6d. Mathews and Leigh. 1810. Every member of the Church of England, muft indeed lament the great increase of diffent which appears at the prefent day fo prevalent, but it certainly feems to us clear, that the plan of reform here fuggefted, would not by any means conduce to the propofed object; that of forming a perfect and undivided Church, built on the "foundation of the prophets and apoftles, Jefus Chrift himfelf being the chief corner tone." The conceffions here recommended, would directly tend to the fubverfion of the Etablishment, the infringement of our articles, and the total destruction of our excellent Liturgy. We fhall content our felves with one extract, leaving our readers to judge from it, how far fuch a reform could be fubmitted to by fuch as are truly and confcientiously attached to our very excellent church eftablishment.

"To adhere, however, to our own formularies, and difcipline is one thing; and to refufe the right hand of fellowship to our Chriftian brethren who differ from us in these uneffential particulars, and in effect fay to them, ftand by thy felf, come not near me, I am holier than thou,' is quite another. Even this defect in our venerable Church might be remedied by allowing the eftablished clergy to officiate, occafionally in any congregation willing to receive them; and by permitting Englith diffenters, Scotch prefbyterians, and minifters of foreign churches, (being" acquainted with the English language, and of approved piety. and learning,) to officiate in any church or chapel in the estab lifhment, on the invitation of the incumbent or minifter; provided they firft fubfcribe the articles, and do not abuse the pri vilege, to promulgate their peculiar doctrines, in which cafe the diocefan might interfere; and by cordially co-operating in every plan, which hath for its object the temporal or fpiritual advantage of our fellow creatures, at home or abroad.” ́P. 47... In addition to this we must infert the following note to the above extract.

"It may be worthy of remark, that devotion at the celebration of the Lord's Supper, might be aided by beadles or pewopeners going to the communicants in the order of their feats, as a fignal when they might attend at the altar; fince it would preclude the neceffity of watching for a proper opportunity which in large communions muft unavoidably diftract the attention."

MONTHLY LIST OF PUBLICATIONS.

DIVINITY.

A Defence of the Ancient Faith; or, Five Sermons in Proof of the Chriftian Religion. By the Rev. Peter Gandolphy. 4s."

Chriftian Liberty; a Sermon, preached at the Inftallation of his Royal Highness the Duke of Gloucefter, Chancellor of the University of Cambridge,

June