Mrs. Phillips may, perhaps, have justly enough pointed ont the root of the evil; but we much fear that her arguments will not prove fufficient to remove it. Let us, however, applaud the goodness of her intention, and enumerate some other particulars to which the adverts. She observes, that many of the rich confume more than a pound in the day, of the finest flour, in hair powder; that much of this grain is likewise confumed in the manufacture of starch; that the increased quantity of malt used for distilling spirits, muft tend to advance the price of grain; and that the great number of dogs kept is a farther addition to the inconvenience. The proposals which Mrs. Phillips offers for reducing the price of provifions, arise naturally from the causes above assigned of their dearness; and it is therefore unneceffary to mention them. But we cannot conclude without complimenting her on the pains the has taken to investigate this interesting subject. Her observations, as a female writer, are uncommonly extensive; and she seems to be well acquainted both with domestic and rural economy. A Plain Man's Thoughts on the present Price of Sugar, &c. 8vo. 15. Debrett. 1792. The author of this pamphlet imputes the present high price of fugar to a variety of causes; some of which, however, feem not likely to operate much within the period of the late extraordinary rife in the price of this commodity. He endeavours to perfuade his readers, that a monopoly and speculation in fugar must ever be in a great measure impracticable; and he argues againft a reduction of the drawback on its exportation. We will not take upon us to decide concerning the juftness of his statement, from our own knowledge of the fubject; but there feems to be fome reason for suspecting him of a partiality towards the interests of the West India planters and merchants. An Address to her Royal Highness the Duchess of York, against the Use of Sugar. 8vo. 6d. Darton. 1792. This author, upon the specious pretext of an abhorrence to the flave-trade, earnestly recommends to the duchess of York the total disuse of fugar in her family; not doubting that the example of her royal highness would be followed by every person of rank in the kingdom. The petition reminds us of that which was presented to his majesty, foon after his accession, by the wig-makers; & and it will probably meet with fimilar attention. The Address, however, is neatly printed, upon good paper; and the author, we may naturally conclude, has taken care to present her royal . bighness with an elegant copy. The The Evils of Adultery and Prostitution; with an Inquiry into the 25. This author treats his subject with great perfpicuity and good sense. The first cause which he affigns for the increase of adultery and prostitution, is the example of men of rank and fortune, which infenfibly extends its influence over the morals of others. The second cause, he thinks, is to be fought for in the luxury and opulence of the nation. A third cause is the ready circulation, afforded by the public prints, to the instances which happen of those vices. They are told, he observes, as articles of news, and as common occurrences, which excite neither surprise nor indignation. It may be questioned, fays he, whether a well-regulated police should admit of the circulation of fuch debaucheries?" As a fourth cause of the profligacy of the present age, the author confiders that mass of novels and romances, which people of all ranks and ages now so greedily devour; a new species of entertainment, almost totally unknown in former ages. The bad effects of this practice are placed in a clear point of view, and strongly supported by observation; but we shall proceed to mention the means proposed for checking the progress of adultery and proflitution. These are, to discourage celibacy, and encourag marriage; a more regular and severe police directed againft all houses of ill fame; and a total change in the system of modern female education. On the Prevention of Crimes, and on the Advantages of folitary Im prisonment. By J. Brewster, A. M. 8vo. 15. Clarke. 1792. This judicious and humane author's works we have formerly had occasion to commend. What he observes respecting the inftitutions calculated to prevent crimes, we fully approve. Solitary imprisonment is a fubject that requires a fuller discussion than he has given, and a more full examination than we have yet been able to bestow. We have many doubts of its propriety. CORRESPONDENCE. GENTLEMEN, Feb. 10, 1792. AS I look on the inclosed Paper to be a fort of Literary Curiofity, I take the liberty of sending it to you. And should you judge it proper to have a place in your useful work, I hope to see it in an English dress-I understand it is a French translation of a definition, or rather a diftinction, made by the princess Daschkard, between a fimply honest man, and a virtuous man, for the use of the Ruffian Dictionary, now publishing at Petersburg. I am, Gentlemen, your humble servant. We We are much obliged to our friendly correspondent, and we think the inclosed paper truly curious: we have confequently fubjoined a tranflation of it. • HE deserves the name of a virtuous man, who, having fubdued his paffions, is guided by justice. This first principle of virtue induces him to prefer truth to every thing, and to fulfil every duty and obligation, even when opposed by his interests or perfonal enjoyments. The love of his country excites not only a zealous activity, but renders him ready and able, in cases of neceffity, to make the greatest sacrifices: virtue gives him firmness and courage, and he becomes capable of brilliant actions. Not contented with barely doing his duty like others, he eagerly sacrifices his perfonal interefts, to render his country the most distinguished fervices. In private life, he is equally attentive to his duty, and answers the claims of relationship and friendship with the greateft exactness. Every kindred virtue, prescribed by the Jaw of nature, by religion, or the laws of his country, are famiFiar to him: gratitude, sacred friendship, filial and paternal duties, with the other moral virtues, are the feelings which warm and animate his foul. Humanity and candour, in judging of human failings, unite him with peace and good humour to mankind; nor can the tranquillity of his foul be troubled but by vice, for the ftrength of his judgment enables him to furvey every object in its proper view: the passions have no influence on him, : • The boneft man does his duty. The virtuous man improves what honesty dictates. Executing with a zeal, more confiderable, more ardent, with greater activity and rapidity, he hurries on to voluntary fervices, and thinks these a sufficient recompence. • The boneft man does no harm. The virtuous man, so far from doing harm, has always in his view the most elevated and heroic actions: these are his models. • Unshaken in his principles, founded on virtue, he follows the path of justice, unmoved by envy or human frailty: the confoling teftimony of his confcience renders him tranquil and happy, independent of authority or accidents. In a word, the virtuous man diftinguishes himself as much by an elevated foul as by an enlightened genius. This last quality is so much the more effential, as without understanding it is often difficult to discover the fecret and obfcure paths of justice, which is the basis of every virtue." WE are forry that we cannot with propriety engage in the private correspondence requested. It will be sufficiently private to say, in this place, that the subject shall be examined with particular care. The reviewer is conscious of no error. He is certain that none was defigned. ※ La Pruffe Littéraire fous Frederic II. pour fervir de Continuation a l' Effai fur la Vie & le Regne de ce Roi. Par M. l'Abbe Denina. 3 Toms. 8vo. Roffman, Berlin. LITERARY hiftory is the creation of our own period, and contains a picture of the mind in one region, its various exertions in the different acquisitions, either purely intellectual, or more practical and manual. The late king of Pruffia did not strike the spark, but he cherished the almost imperceptible fire, raised the flame, and extended its general warmth, its animating heat. The sands of Brandenburg became the cradles in which genius fometimes began to flourish, but more often the confervatory in which the genius of other countries expanded with fresh vigour. Our present author does not confine himself to either class, nor to any one art; merit of every kind, connected with Pruffia, and the connections are sometimes a little remote, is his subject. His articles consequently amount to near 1200, and he scruples not to affert that there are at present, in the proteftant provinces of Germany, more writers than in the whole kingdom of France. He speaks, however, of literary men who were never authors, and of authors who have been but a short time in Prussia; though he confines himself also to the forty-fix years of Frederic's reign, yet those who at his accession were old, and others who at his death had just begun their literary career, are equally the subjects of his remarks, and his history consequently includes more than an age. In general, the articles are neither crowded with dates, and circumAPP. VOL. IV. NEW ARR. LI stances stanees only perfonally important, nor with very extensive cri tical reflections. The number of authors has extended it to three octavos. • Of one thing, he observes, I have scarcely any doubt: many of the Germans will think that I have said too little of them; foreigners that my details are too extensive. But let me assure the former that, however concise my accounts may appear to them, I have said more than is known in Italy, in France, in Spain, and perhaps even in England. To the latter I would suggest, that three or four of the 1200 authors and artists of whom I speak, would have filled all my volumes, if I had only detailed what themselves or their difciples have written of them; and one of the fix classes of authors to which my work extends, might have filled twice as many sheets.' The Life of Busching, for instance, written at the age of fixty-five by himself, with a very concise account of his works, equals in extent two of these volumes; and the Life of Wolff by Ludwig, composed seventeen years before he ceased to write, is equally copious. Our author intended to have added a fourth volume, but he has abandoned this plan, and we find only a Supplement annexed to the third. The Introduction contains a general view of literature in Pruffia. The abbe begins with detailing the first progress of letters and arts in the states which at present compose the Pruffian monarchy, till the year 1530. The dawn of literature seeins to have been at the acceffion of the House of Hohenzollern, of which the ancestor of the prefent family was a younger brother; and for two centuries before, though the crufaders illuminated in some degree the minds of the people, and the establishment of the Teutonic order gave fome little expanfion to the mental exertions, there scarcely exifts a fingle chronicle which proves that the priests and monks could write or read. The Reformation was, in every view, favourable to literature and to science; and the disputes which this great event produced, seemed, in our author's opinion, to have led to the vast system of Leibnitz, a philosopher who divides, with Newton, the credit of the deepest penetration and the foundest judgment which ever adorned mankind. Under the great elector, and in the reign of the first king of Pruffia, the progress was rapid; and though checked awhile by the brutality of Frederic-William, the delay was compensated by the auspicious influence of Frederic II. This wonderful man, born alternately to raise our admiration of the power of genius, and to depress human pride, by showing how gross the errors were into which minds of fuperior excellence could fall, gave a new impulse to every kind of mental activity, and was the great patron of literature for near half a century, though turned the course of science into fome erroneous channels. he |