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which is fo generally confplained of in abridgements; and to obviate that difguft in the reader, which is the certain confequence of disappointed expectations. We are forry that we cannot honestly compliment the prefent author, by faying that he has fhewn any confiderable dexterity in furmounting the difficulties of his fituation; nor in avoiding the defects which are incident to his undertaking. His book, though fhort, is dull and tire fome. The events are unimportant; the narrative is heavy; the praife is indifcriminate; and the criticism, (of which, however, there is but little,) is unexemplified. Toward the conclufion, he evokes the shades of feveral departed writers, who, together with their works, have long been quietly inurned, and endeavours to confer on them a shortlived celebrity: but in fpite of his efforts, their memories, and even their names, fink back into oblivion as soon as we turn the page. He has, indeed, enlivened what he fays of Petrarch, by inferting one of his most beautiful fonnets; and, in his account of the literature of the fourteenth century, he has interfperfed fome amufing anecdotes, to fhew the great value and fcarcity of libraries, (a title given, in those days, to a dozen or a score of manufcripts in divinity or law,) to prove the difficulty of procuring materials for compofition; and to evince the ignorance of the best scholars, even of Petrarch himself, refpecting claffical authors, the fubjects on which they wrote, and the times in which they lived: but thefe things are not fufficient to counteract the languor and weariness produced by a perufal of the whole work. The paper and print of this little volume are neat and good, but the latter is not very correct.

REVOLUTION IN FRANCE.

Art. 16. Tranflation of a Letter from Monf. de Tracy, Member of the French National Affembly, to Mr. Burke, in answer to his Remarks on the French Revolution. 8vo. pp. 23. 6d. Johnfon. 1790.

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Monfieur de Tracy confiders Mr. Burke's famous invective against the national revolution in France, as indecent in the auguft affembly of the reprefentatives of a free nation;' that it fhewed great ignorance of the operations and principles of the French National Affembly;' and he is perfuaded, that the Hon. Member [of the British Parliament] who pronounced it, could only have drawn fuch falfe ideas from very impure fources.'

M. de Tracy is, no doubt, generally, right in his strictures on Mr. Burke's hafty cenfure of the great enterprize, hitherto, fo ably conducted by our fpirited and well-informed neighbours on the Continent. It was, indeed, with equal aftonishment and concern, that we firft beheld Mr. B. whom we always confidered as the ftaunch friend of liberty, acting fo unaccountable a part:-but, by this time, perhaps, as M. de Tracy feems charitably to predict, and we hope, he is convinced that he had too rafhly ventured to decide on a subject which, poffibly, he had not confidered with that calmness, and freedom from prejudice, which the great occafion required.

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The language ufed by M. de Tracy, in addreffing himself to Mr. B. is refpectful, candid, and perfectly in the ftyle of a gentleman.

Art. 17. Le Livre Rouge, &c. 8vo. pp. 172. 4 Livres. Paris. 1790. Kearsley, London.

The Red Book: being a List of secret Penfions paid out of the public Treasures of France, and containing Characters of the Perfons penfioned, Anecdotes of their Lives, an Account of their Services, and Obfervations tending to fhew the Reasons for which the Penfions were granted. 8vo. pp. 163. 3s. 61. fewed.

Kearsley.

A black history of the French court. If we may credit the obfervations fubjoined to each article, corruption had reached its fummit at Versailles, and vice became the only recommendation to favour. Shocking is the picture here exhibited of fome great perfonages. For the credit of human nature, we wish to believe it Overcharged; and it is probable that a nation, fmarting under oppreffions of an arbitrary and profligate court, might, in the hour of emancipation, employ their newly-acquired liberty in ftigmatizing both its real and fuppofed enemies, with a freedom and feverity which rigid truth and difpaffionate juftice would refufe to authorize. The tranflator of thefe annals of infamy, feems to have executed his talk with accuracy and fidelity.

LAW.

Art. 18. Trial for a Breach of Promife of Marriage, Mifs Elizabeth Chapman, against William Shaw, Efq. Attorney at Law. Before Lord Kenyon, in the Court of King's Bench, Westminster Hall, May 22, 1790. 4to. Is. 6d. Riebau.

A capricious defertion of a young female, after a promise of marriage, is fuch conduct as certainly merits punishment, in proportion to the circumftances of the cafe.-On reasonable grounds, fuch breach of contract, or promife, may, no doubt, be legally juftified but in the prefent inftance, no reafons are affigned; and the jury, therefore, very properly, found for the plaintiff.

MEDICA L.

Art. 19. Speculations on the Mode and Appearances of Impregnation in the Human Female; with an Examination of the prefent Theories of Generation. By a Phyfician. Svo. pp. 149. 2s. 6d. fewed. Elliot, Edinburgh; and Elliot and Kay, London. 1789.

The nature of these speculations will not permit us to examine minutely into their contents. We can only fay, that the author has been more fuccefsful in overthrowing the theories of others, than in eftablishing his own: which is founded on abforption, &c. Indeed he is aware of the unfatisfactory end of fpeculations like the prefent, where every candid reafoner muft finish as he began, by avowing his ignorance. To thofe, who wish to enquire into the fubject,

The defendant had married another lady.

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this treatife will be acceptable: though, like ourfelves, they may with that the author had not dealed fo much in general affertions, and unqualified cenfure: which latter is allo unfairly applied, as when directed, at pages fifteen and fixteen, against anatomifts; to whofe refearches, indeed, it would have been well, if more attention had been paid. In a work, too, of a fcientific nature, we could have difpenfed with a few brilliant paffages and fine expreffions, for the fake of precifion and perfpicuity

Art. 20.
An Effay on the Erysipelatous Sore Throat. To which is
fubjoined, an account of a Cafe of Hemiplegia. By Thomas
Reeve, Surgeon, Botefdale. 8vo. PP. 55.
Is. 6d. Richard-

fon. 1789.

This pamphlet contains a concife and faithful account of the difeafe concerning which it treats, and of the method generally employed in its cure. We meet, however, with no information, but fuch as is already, we believe, commonly known Indeed, above one fifth part of the effay is copied, verbatim, from a late publication by Dr. Johnstone, of Worcester.

Perhaps, by fome, Mr. Reeve may be thought fanciful in his nice diftinctions between the quick and the frequent pulfe; and, certainly, others will call him inaccurate, when he remarks that on his firft entrance into the patient's room, he has found the pulfations of the artery at the wrift fo frequent, that it has been out of his power to number them; but, after fitting a fhort time by the bed fide, they have become lefs frequent by one half. The doctrine, alfo, advanced in page 43, that the mineral acids increafe the putrefcent tendency of the blood and fluids,' will not, we fuppofe, be implicitly credited.

NATURAL HISTORY.

Art. 21. The Sexes of Plants vindicated; in a Letter to Mr. William Smellie, Member of the Antiquarian and Royal Societies of Edinburgh; containing a Refutation of his Arguments against the Sexes of Plants; and Remarks on certain Paffages of his Philofophy of Natural Hiftory*. By John Rotheram, M. D. Fellow of the Linnæan Society, London. 8vo. PP. 43. I s. 6d. Cadell.

1790.

The doctrine of the Sexes of Plants feems fo well established, and the experiments adduced by Linné himself, and by his difciples, have wrought fuch conviction on the minds of the generality of men, that a perfuafion to the contrary will not readily prevail. However, we do not difcountenance the queftioning any theory, for every attack produces fome fresh proof of the truth.

Dr. Rotheram enters the lifts on this occafion with great propriety, first as a Fellow of the Linnean Society of London, and, in the next place, as a zealous difciple of his great mafter. The doctor writes very fhrewdly, and evinces that he has viewed the fubje& with accurate attention. His language is every where free from perfonal reflection, and it is fuch as a liberal opponent cannot diflike to receive.

* An account of this work will foon be given.

This fubject has been fo often difcuffed, that it is needless to make any particular quotation. The botanist may be pleased to read the particulars of Mr. Smellie's objections, and to obferve the adroit manner in which Dr. Rotheram turns many of them to the confirmation of the doctrine which they were intended to fubvert.

The migration of fwallows has been maintained by Mr. Smellie: Dr. Rotheram difputes the point, and is rather inclined to think that they pass the winter in a torpid ftate; not that any facts are, or, perhaps, can be, yet brought, fufficiently fatisfactory to afcertain

the truth.

Art. 22. The Natural History of Eaft Tartary; traced through the three Kingdoms of Nature. Published at Petersburgh by the Academy of Sciences, and rendered into English from the French Tranflation. By William Radcliffe, A B. of Oriel College, Oxford. 8vo. pp. 200. 3s. 6d. fewed. Richardfon. 1790. An account of this work was given in our 79th vol. p. 638. to which we now refer our readers; only adding that Mr. Radcliffe feems to have executed his part with eafe and precifion.

Art. 23.

NOVELS.

Euphemia. By Mrs. Charlotte Lennox in 4 Vols. 12mo. About 240 Pages in each. 128. fewed. Cadell 1790. We have been better pleafed with Mrs. Lennox's Novel, than with many others of the fame clafs, which have lately paffed under our review; though indeed there is no prodigality of commendation in this fentence, as most of them have excited our displeasure. The language of Euphemia is eafy, though not always accurate; the fentiments are, generally, juft, though they may not entirely poffefs the recommendation of novelty; the incidents are frequently natural, though in fome inftances they are carried beyond the bounds of probability; and the characters are well preferved, though they are not drawn with any appearance of bold defign or nice difcrimination. Of the perfonages to whom we are introduced, Euphemia deferves the chief praife, as her manners approach nearest to what is feen in common life, and her conduct is marked by fortitude and judgement If we could admit of any agreement between the terms, utility and a Novel, it should be admitted where fuch characters as Euphemia are defcribed. Indeed, the chief merit of Mrs. Lennox's book is, that it will amuse thofe who read it, without depreffing their minds with unneceffary apprehenfions, and rendering them unable to perform with cheerfulness their duties in life. To this teftimony of its merit, there may, however, be found exceptions; particularly in the ftory of Mrs. Freeman, in which our feelings are prepofterously harraffed with accumulated and improbable diftrefs.

Whatever may be demeed imperfections in this work, it muft, on the whole, be allowed a confiderable degree of merit.-We always imagined, with respect to the literary abilities of this Lady, (whole productions are nearly coeval with the existence of our Review,) that it was impoffible for a writer endowed with fo much genius, to offer any performance to the public, that would prove

unworthy

unworthy the perufal of readers who have any pretenfions to the praife of difcernment and tafte;-and we are ftill of the fame opinion.

Art. 24. The Maid of Kent. 12mo. 3 Vols. 9s. fewed. Hookham. Without any pretenfion to the merit of fine writing, this is an agreeable novel. Several of the characters are not deftitute of humour; and the flory, in which there is a pleasing variety of incidents, is told with spirit.

Art. 25. The Hiftory of Mifs Meredith; Dedicated, by Permiffion, to the most noble the Marchionefs of Salisbury. By Mrs. Parfons. Izmo. 2 Vols. 6s. fewed. Hookham.

A widow, reduced from a ftate of affluence to the hard neceffity of writing, to provide for a numerous family, may justly hope to be fcreened by humanity from the fhafts of criticism. In the prefent cafe, however, this fhelter is unneceffary: for befide the refpectable patronage under which Mrs. Parfons's fubfcription places her work, it appears guarded by modefty and fimplicity. A natural and interesting tale is related in neat and unaffected language; and the moral which it inculcates, is the reverfe of thofe romantic notions, which most novels have a tendency to infpire: it is this; That violent attachment in the outfet is not requifite to make the married ftate a happy one: well-founded esteem, softness of manners, and a reciprocal wish to please, lay the foundation of a more tender and permanent regard, than the paffion generally called love that paffion paints the object of adoration in colours far beyond nature; and when the perfon who was thought an angel, is found to be nothing more than a mere mortal, the disappointment but too frequently produces indifference or disgust,'

Art. 26. The Man of Failing: A Tale. 12mo. 2 Vols. 58.

fewed. Lane.

Vulgar amours, vulgarly related; and fit only to lie in the corner of the powdering room, for the hair-dreffer's amusement, while he is waiting for his mafter.

Art. 27. The Reclufe: or, Hiftory of Lady Gertrude Lefby. Dedicated, by Permiflion, to her Grace the Dutchefs of Rutland. By Mifs Efther Finglafs. 12mo. 2 Vols. 5s. fewed. Barker. A feries of incidents arifing from a clandeftine marriage, contrived with fome ingenuity, and told in the ufual impaffioned ftyle, may give thefe volumes fome title to a place in the lift of interefting Novels.

Art. 28. Frederic, or the Libertine; including Memoirs of the Family of Montague. By Mr. Potter. 12mo. 2 Vols. 5s. fewed. Lane.

Under the tale pretence of expofing the deformity of vice, in order to recommend the practice of virtue, this novellift conducts his reader through a fucceffion of profligate amours. We cannot exprefs our idea of the work better than in the terms of one of the witty titles prefixed to the chapters, with the addition of a single

word

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