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heart of a citizen truly virtuous. Within the compafs of a few pages, it makes every reader a lawyer upon the queftion under difcuffion; and it points out the means of preferving public peace and freedom with fo much clearness, that it is not poffible, as we conceive, for any reader to doubt of their efficiency, or to fee any difficulty in carrying them into practice.

Art. 15. A Plan of Affociation, on Constitutional Principles, for the Parishes, Tytnings, and Counties, of Great Britain, . &c. In Three Letters to a Member of Parliament. 8vo. 1 s. 6d. Kearfly. 1780.

In affigning the general cause of the late tumults and outrages, the Writer fets out with informing us, That the adminiftration of government in England, for many years, has been mifemployed, and its attention directed to diftant and unimportant objects; while thofe provifions, cuftoms, inftitutions, and laws, which our ancestors had left for our fecurity, and which are fometimes called the conftitution, have been fuffered to languish and die.'

His plan is to reftore to its ancient vigour, the power of the counties, hundreds, and tithings, by arming the inhabitants, and reviving the decayed authority of the civil officers; viz. the Tithingman, the Sheriff, and the Earl of every county. By thefe means, he prefumes, that difturbances, riots, and infurrections, will ever be inftantly and effectually fuppreffed, or rather totally prevented.

Provided every citizen of London had been, what the conftitution of England, not only allows, but requires every man to be, in a condition to defend himself and his family, and accustomed to appear upon a call of his ward by the magistrate, he afks, Will it be imagined, that any of the mischiefs which followed the Proteftant Affociation would have taken place?'

He then fhews the illegality and the inexpediency of employing a ftanding mercenary army in fupport of the civil power; and anfwers the late fpeech of Lord Mansfield in the Houfe of Peers, by a former speech made by him when Mr. Murray, at a time that he thought it a libel on the government, to fuppofe the civil magiftrate not strong enough.' This effay ranks not in the highest clafs of political tracts, but it is, in general, well calculated to promote the caufe of public peace and freedom.-We must remark, however, that the author feems to bear too hard on the Protefiant Affociation, whofe views do not appear to deferve the epithet of villainous,”. which he has bestowed on them.

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Art. 16. Reafons for Uniformity in the State. Being a Supplement to the Britannic Constitution, by Roger Acherly, Efq; late; of the Inner Temple. 8vo. 1 S. Bew. 1780.

The plan laid down in this pamphlet, is the fame which has lately. been adopted by Lord Abingdon, in his dedication to the people England: See Review for May.

The defign of this fupplement,' fays the Writer, is to unite the two contending parties, of Whigs and Tories, in the true notions of the conftitution of the British kingdom and government, as the only expedient to pull up by the roots all feditions, tumults, treafonable confpiracies, rebellions, and even party diftinctions, exceptthat one, viz. of those who are for the British conftitution, and

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thofe who are against it, being a diftinction that ought to be per petual: which defirable end can never be effected, without an act for uniformity.'

If an act for uniformity could really effect all this, how eafily might our grievances be removed! But, alas! such an act, we fear, is never likely to take place, at leaft, while they, whofe fortunes and confequence are built upon the irregularities and uncertainty of the conftitution, can prevent it.

Art. 17. An Addrefs to the Honourable Admiral Auguftus Keppel. Containing Candid Remarks on his Defence before the Court Martial; to which are added, Impartial Observations on the late Trial and Acquittal of Vice Admiral Sir Hugh Pallifer, with an Explanation of Sea-phrafes, and a Letter to the Monthly Reviewers. By a Seaman. The Third Edition. To which is added, A Supplement, containing the Subftance of Eight Letters to the Right Hon. the Earl of Sandwich, Two to Sir Jofeph Mawbey, and Three to Admiral Pigot; with a concluding Letter, addreffed to the Right Hon. the Earl of Sandwich. 8vo. 3 s. Nicoll. 1780.

The first edition of this work was announced in our Review for April 1779; of the fecond, in which was included the Author's letter to us, we took notice in our number for the month of August following; and we now mention the third edition on account of the fupplement: in which the acute writer renews his attack on Admiral Keppel; continues his defence of Sir Hugh Pallifer; and en passant, condemns Lord Howe, and the oppofition-party in general. He concludes, with advising administration to entrust the execution of their schemes to thofe only who approve them; to reward merit, punish delinquency, exterminate that party fpirit which has alarmingly pervaded our fleets and armies, and reftore difcipline to its wonted force.' We have already given our opinion of this Writer's merit.

Art. 18. A Differtation on the Political Abilities of the Earl of Abingdon, &c. &c. By a Gentleman of the Inner-Temple. 8vo. Is. 6d. Fielding and Co. 1780.

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This Gentleman of the Temple treats Lord Abingdon in a very ungentle manner. He is, himself, not an elegant writer, and he charges the Earl not only with holding bid [political] principles, but with ufing bad English in his publications. He roundly pronounces the noble politician's Thoughts on Mr. Burke's Letter to the Sheriffs of Bristol,' a compound of fcurrility, incorrectness, and political indigeftion. This reminds us of an ill-favoured fop, a man of fashion, who had a footman whofe countenance was not much more amiable than his own. The gentleman, who was fond of his own perfon, could only fee deformity in others, and he always faw it with difguft. It happened, one day, that being unusually offended with his man, while he was dreffing him, he exclaimed, What an ugly dog!'-Which of us is your honour looking at? faid the fellow, drily,-obferving, that his matter was, all the time, attentive to the pier-glass.

* See Review, vol. lvii. p. 249.

ART.

Art. 19. Letter to the People of Laurencekirk, on occafion of prefenting the King's Charter, by which that Village is erected into a Free and Independent Burgh of Barony. To which are fubjoined, an Abridgment of Two Letters published by Sir Richard Cox, giving an Account of the Etablishment and Progrefs of Industry in his Village near Cork in Ireland;-the Guardian, No 9.-and the Claufe of Erection of Laurencekirk into a Burgh of Barony. Edinburgh printed, and published for the Benefit of the Village. 8vo. I s. 6 d. Longman.

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Laurencekirk is, we understand, a new village, fettled by a Mr. Francis Garden, fomewhere in Scotland; but the public are neither informed whereabout, in that kingdom, Laurencekirk is to be found, nor of any circumstances of its eftablishment: this letter confifting only of general wholfome recommendations of industry and frugality, to the members of the rifing fettlement. The attributes of fredom and independence bestowed on a new burgh, did not fail of producing a fmile, when we reflected on the state of our old English burghs; the reprefentation of which is regularly fold and transferred by formal contracts, as if the free and independent electors were fo many herds of cattle! But this inclination to rifibility was fomewhat abated, by the following information, given by the benevolent Letter-writer to his new burghers: viz. By your conftitution, as a free and independent burgh of barony, you enjoy the ufeful and defirable power of electing, from time to time, your own magiltrates and they have a jurifdiction fufficient for the purposes of justice, peace, and good order, within your own territory. You have indeed no political capacity or title to fhare in the election of Our reprefentatives in parliament; this is the privilege of royal boroughs, and in my opinion, the fingle right they have which is not implied in the election of an independent burgh of barony. In truth, this is a privilege not to be envied. It certainly is too often the fource of diforders, and deftructive corruption of manners among the people, especially of our fmaller burghs: and experience, the beft guide to truth, proves, that our communities thrive beft without it; for in general, thofe communities, both in England and Scotland, which are from fmall beginnings in the best train of advancement in ufeful arts and confequential profperity, are endowed with no fuch political capacity;-and have no exclufive incorporation, which has been another baneful obftacle to the progrefs of industry, though originally intended as an encouragement, and perhaps conducive to the first introduction of arts."

It is extremely natural to inquire what we are to think of our political circumstances, when a body of the people are congratulated on not enjoying what we are taught to esteem as the most valuable pri. vilege under the English conftitution?

Art. 20. The Out-of-door Parliament. By a Gentleman of the
Middle Temple. 8vo. I s. 6 d.
Almos. 1780.

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An animated vindication of the rights of the people of England, concluding with a judicious recommendation of a proportional reprefentation in parliament, and annual elections, as the proper cure of our fate diftempers.

Rev. Aug. 1780.

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This effay feems to be the production of a young writer, whofe ftyle is far from chafte, and whofe diction is fometimes obfcure. Art. 21. Obfervations on the Opinion of Mr. George Rous, lately delivered in the House of Commons, That the Crown can give Independence to America, without the Affent of Parliament. 8vo. 15. Kearly.

A feeble comment on an able performance. Both the commentator and his original appear to us to be in an error, in confidering the independence of the American States, as a question upon which Great Britain ought to decide from motives, not of justice but of policy, not of right but of power.

Were the rules of juftice to be the rules of judgment, and they fhould decide the quellion in favour of thofe States, the reafoning of both thefe writers would fall to the ground. Arguments to that effect have been offered to the public, which we do not remember to have seen refuted. All reafonings upon the refidence of powers not previously fhewn to exift, feems to be unneceffary at least, if not tending to confound and mislead the public judgment.

Art. 22. A Letter to the Rev. Dr. Richard Watfon, King's Profeffor of Divinity in the University of Cambridge. 8vo. Cadell. 1780,

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This letter-writer profeffeth the higheft efteem for the general character of Dr. Watfon, and is lavish of his compliments on the great erudition and exalted generofity of the excellent Profeffor.

From our earliest acquaintance (fays this Author-who claims the Doctor as his quondam friend at the univerfity) I admired you for your candour, your courage, your integrity, and the openness of your hand and heart. I reverenced that induftry and unremitting diligence I could not imitate, and I efteemed the clearness and solidity of your understanding, as a gift God had bestowed on very few of our fpecies. I obferved the fuperior facility thefe qualities afforded you in your advancement. I was one of your few friends who faw your progrefs with triumph instead of envy, and at this moment I refpect and honour you as much as any man living-your political creed only excepted.' HINC illa lachryma!-But indeed the Author is more inclined to laugh than to weep at the Doctor's attack on the folid ftructure of monarchical polity, and his zeal to erect in its flead fome vifionary fabric of liberty and independence, on the models of a Locke, a Sydney, and a Harrington.

We think this Writer, notwithflanding the profufion of commendation bestowed on Dr. Watson's abilities, hath but a flight claim to the Doctor's gratitude. The Oppofition (fays he) are affailants: they condemn all prefent measures; they profefs amendment and reform; they deal in calumny, crimination and reproach and in order to forward thefe, they must have in the number of their ad. herents a clafs of men, whose business it is to found the alarm,

·Spargere voces

In vulgum ambiguas,

to unfold matters by degrees; to try the ground before them :-men who are not admitted into the depth and extent of their defigns;men of as honeft hearts as your own, who think they are speaking

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truth while they are only ferving a purpofe, and who really mean liberty while they are promoting a faction. If fuch be your fituation, lay your hand upon your heart, and feel whether it throbs with confcious fhame or confcious pride."- You deceive your adverfaries by your feints, and yourself too, I verily believe: but your friends understand the defign perfe&ly; they glory in the management and vigor of your affault [viz on the citadel of influence and corruption], and diffeminate your publication with as much affiduity as if it were a Congrefs Gazette.' What an invidious and illiberal infinuation! and in what a ridiculous point of view was it defigned to place Dr. Watfon! The very man whofe clearness and folidity of understanding placed him in the esteem of this Author, fo high above the reft of the human fpecies, is now degraded to the moft defpicable state of an-honeft indeed, but weak and credulous dupe, to be made the tool of artifice and knavery, whenever rebellion needs a hand to diffeminate its abhorred principles!

This Letter-writer infinuates-nay, he more than infinuates, that it would afford Dr. Watfon, and the party that employ him, the height of joy and exultation, to fee the conftitution overthrown, the parliament annihilated, and the law extinguished. An ill-natured reflection is also thrown on that truly great statesman Lord Chatham, because he complimented the Americans for the fpirit they discovered in refifting the encroachments of minifterial rapine; and hence this writer would infinuate, that he had no love for his country. It is certain, that he never shewed his patriotism in the manner in which some other minifters have exhibited theirs. But we think it was not the lefs real, because it did not appear with the covering of Lord G. G. and the Earl of S.

This Letter-writer ridicules Dr. Watfon's addrefs to the Deity, at the conclufion of his excellent fermon, by a filly and prophane parody. He also cafts a fneer at the language, as well as the fenti ments, of this prayer, and would, if poffible, make his readers believe that it is a fpecimen of arrant bombaft: that flippancy of ftyle, which would fuit a pert and captious epiftle, would ill become a grave difcourfe, preached before the univerfity by the profeffor of divinity.

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MISCELLANEOUS. Art. 23. Euphrofyne: or, Amusements on the Road of Life.. By the Author of The Spiritual Quixote. Vol. II. 12mo. Boards. Dodsley. 1780. This volume, like the former (fee Monthly Review, vol. Iv. P. 71.), contains an amusing variety of pieces both ferious and comic. Though the beft of them will never be confidered as efforts of fuperior genius, they, nevertheless, display evident marks of good fenfe and cultivated tafte: and even in the more trifling performances (of which there are many) there is a vein of good-humoured levity and eheerfulness, that will prevent the moft captions critic from being much offended by them.

Art. 24. Letters of the late Lord Lyttelton. Small 8vo. 3s. Bew. 1780.

Thefe Letters have been publicly declared fpurious; we are forry to add, that they indicate abilities in the writer, whoever he be,

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