form. Whether fuch a favour was ever conferred by the reader of a political tract on the author of it, may be juftly doubted: for what Englishman, of any feeling or fpirit, has not his political prejudices: fome perhaps erroneous, others highly laudable, and which, we will venture to fay, ought not to be laid aside. There is one prejudice indeed, in many British breafts, (as we hope), of an inveterate kind; which must be eradicated before we can liften with patience to fome of the doctrines and affertions of this author, namely," THE LOVE OF OUR COUNTRY." He begins by calling, without proof, the expedition to Copenhagen "an unjust aggreffion," and alludes to fome prophecy of his own, refpecting "that ungenerous measure (as he terms it) the expofition of which prophecy would, we believe, puzzle the most ingenious interpreter. Another prophecy of this writer is somewhat more intelligible, viz. that Bonaparte will compel us to restore the Danish fleet. To this we may, in the true fpirit of old Englih prejudice, anfwer, "Never while Britain remains unconquered." But what fhall we fay to that writer, who speaks of that expedition as "throwing up the cap of defiance, not only. to Denmark, but to Sweden, (our ally then and to the present moment.) Norway (with whofe fovereign the king of Denmark is not likely to difagree) Ruffia and Pruffia; the two laft of which powers had previoufly (though perhaps unwillingly) confederated with Bonaparte for our humiliation, if not our ruin. The few accidents (confidering the vaft number and variety of fhips compofing the fleet, and the tempeftuous season of the year) which occurred on the return of the expedition, are com pared by this author to the deftruction of the Spanish armada deftined for the invafion of England!!! May we not request of this writer to fearch his own mind before he talks of prejudices?

It is impoffible, however, to follow this author through all his opinions and fpeculations, which embrace most of the political queftions lately agitated. He is, of courfe, for what is fo im. properly termed Catholic emancipation, and gravely reprefents that body, to whom so many indulgences have been progreffively granted, as oppreffed! He rejoices, and feems to think his coun try rejoiced, at the difgraceful and lamentable fcenes which accompanied the treaties of Tilfit, and feems quite difappointed that England did not haften to fanction the humiliating article relating to her. His attempts at reafoning on the orders in Council (the profeffed object of the work) are fo weak in them. felves, and intermixed with fo much buffoonery, that they de. ferve little notice. One grofs mifrepresentation pervades them, The last order of Bonaparte, endeavouring to retaliate (if we may fo exprefs it) upon our retaliation, is reprefented as the firft; which firft order did prohibit all trade of neutrals to England, exprefsly declaring the British iflands in a ftate of blockade. Whether this order was, or was not, rigidly enforced as to American

*3

American fhips, is not the queftion. It remains unrepealed, and has been, generally fpeaking, enforced. The hardship on América conftitutes the chief objection of this writer. But to whom is that hardship to be afcribed? To the power who made the first aggreffion on neutrality? or to that which only repelled it, by a just retaliation on the aggrefor?

MEDICINE.

ART. 22. Obfervations on the Application of Lunar Caustic to Strictures in the Urethra and Efophagus. By M. W. Andrews, M. D. Member of the Royal College of Surgeons, London; late Army Surgeon, and now Phyfician at Madeira. 8vo. 185 pp. 5s. 6d. Callow. 1807.

The valuable work on Strictures, published by Mr. Home a few years ago, in which he fhowed the extraordinary fuccefs to be obtained by cauftic bougies, naturally excited feveral virulent attacks. Dr. Andrews has here, in a very gentlemanlike ftile, reprehended Mr. Home's antagonists for their fcurrility; and both by arguments and cafes repelled their objections.

The bougie, armed with lunar cauftic, is already employed by most of our eminent furgeons; and is very justly confidered as one of the most important improvements in modern furgery.: But it is an inftrument which ought only to be employed by thofe poffeffed of anatomical knowledge, and who are skilled in affuaging all the diftreffing fymptoms incident to Strictures.

There is of course no method of treating this disease, which is infallible; and the uncandid, as ufual, state the want of fuc. cefs in deplorable cafes, as a motive for rejecting the whole plan. Dr. Andrews has very ably refuted thefe partial objections; and he has narrated, with candour and perfpicuity, a number of cafes juftifying this new practice. He not only thows the good effects which are often quickly obtained by means of the armed bougie, but likewife points out the remedies to be employed, for fubduing the untoward fymptoms which fometimes attend this formidable disease.

The caufes which he affigns for ftrictures are principally two, inflammation and debility. That inflammation is a caufe, no" one will question; bat we confefs ourselves at a lofs to conceive how debility, either local or general, fhould occafion a stricture. There is no doubt that the debilitated are more liable to this, as well as many other difeafes, than the robust: but this is not fufficient grounds to constitute a caufe. To establish that, it is requifite to fhow what it is that occafions the contraction or diminution of the canal of the urethra at particular points. Medical writers certainly indulge too much in conjectures, and

do

do not guard their imaginations with a due portion of philofo. phical caution. And though the difcovering of caufes is often the most difficult part of their bufinefs, they frequently beftow upon it the least portion of their attention.

We regret likewife that Dr. Andrews has taken no notice of thofe cafes where the cauftic bougie is not requifite, or where it is inadmiffible. This is an important defideratum; for though the armed bougie is a most useful inftrument, it is not fitted for every cafe. There are circumftances where other means ought to be reforted to in preference. This work is therefore not to be confidered, which indeed it does not profefs itself to be, a com., plete Treatife on Strictures; but the obfervations it contains are extremely judicious, the cafes are fairly drawn up, and the con clufions which are deduced are practically useful.

ART. 23. Practical Obfervations on the Uterine Hemorrhage; with Remarks on the Management of the Placenta. By John Burns, Lecturer on Midwifery, and Member of the Faculty of Phyficians and Surgeons in Glasgow. 8vo. 203 pp. 55. Longman. 1807.

Mr. Burns two years ago publifhed fome valuable Obfervations on Abortion. The prefent work may be confidered as a continuation of the former, and juftly merits the attention of practitioners in midwifery. The author derives his information not only from writers who have employed the Latin and Englifh languages, but likewife from the French and Italian schools; and the knowledge thus acquired has been well digefted.

In confidering the causes of Uterine Hemorrhage, he enumerates every thing that fuggefts itself to his imagination as capable of producing this effect: and difplays an ingenuity bordering upon excefs. The treatment appears to us founded upon found prin. ciples; but the particulars are not fitted to appear in a publication of this kind.

We take this opportunity of remarking, that the various learned works on midwifery that have lately appeared, prove the importance of fome better regulations of this branch of medicine. The diftreffing and dangerous accidents to which the more delicate fex are fo liable, require the most confummate skill. Yet by an unaccountable neglect in Medical Legiflation, any man or woman, however ignorant, may practice midwifery without examination or controul. The pitiable cafe of a young lady who appeared to have been deftroyed by grofs mifmanagement, as was contended in a late trial at the Old Bailey, will, we hope, lead to fome falutary law on this fubject.

DIVINITY.

DIVINITY.

ART. 24. An Address to the lower Clafs of his Parishioners, on The Subject of Methodism; from the Minister of their Parish, by the Author of a Letter to a Country Gentleman, on the fame Subject. 8vo. 27 pp. 18. Raw, Ipfwich; Rivingtons and Hatchard, London. 1806.

This is an appeal to men of "plain understandings; confined altogether to points of which they are competent judges, and which come immediately home to themfelves." "The two fimple truths I wish to convince you of, are thefe: first, that you have left minifters of the gofpel, in whom you have hitherto confided on the jufteft grounds, for fuch as have no reasonable claim to your confidence at all. Secondly, that in leaving the established Church, in which you were brought up, you have left doctrines which are clearly the doctrines of the gofpel, for fuch as are not to be found there, and indeed are a direct violation of its principles." P. 6. Thefe points are plainly and ftrongly infifted and the tract will, in thefe times, be a feasonable and ufeful prefent to thofe for whom it was intended.

.

on

ART. 25. A Sermon, preached in the Parish-Church of St. Paul, Covent Garden, at the Primary Vifitation of the Archdeacon of Middlefex, May 20, 1806. By James Cowe, M. A. Vicar of Sunbury, 8vo. 26 pp. No Bookfeller. 1806.

Having, on feveral occafions, ftrongly commended the efforts of this refpectable writer, we cannot have willingly delayed fo long our notice of the prefent difcourfe. But the accidents which produce fuch delays are numberlefs; and (as in this cafe) are often unknown to the actual reviewers of the articles.

Taking for his text 1 Timothy iv. 16, Mr. Cowe states very justly, that the dignity and importance of the paftoral office feem not to be properly understood by many. They do not fufficiently confider the momentous purpofes for which Providence has defignated us to the duties of our facred function. With a view, therefore, of ftating to you the nature and defign of the clerical profeffion, I fhall offer a few obfervations on the obligations it impofes, on the character we ought to fupport, and on the duty of Chriftians to their fpiritual inftructors. The fubject, it is admitted, is neither new nor curious; but it is peculiarly interesting, and cannot be too deeply impreffed on our minds." P. 1.

ཀ

The defign of the apoftolic miffion is then fet forth from paffages of Scripture: "To fhew that Jefus Chrift is the Meffiah, the Redeemer of mankind, the reftorer of our loft hopes and happiness, was the grand defign of the apoftolic miffion. P. 2.

And

And the character of a Christian Minister is drawn from the apoftolic writings; which fhow, that "the facred truft which we have undertaken is the most awful and important that can occupy the mind of man.”

P. 4.

The nature and importance of the duties imposed on Christian Ministers, are then generally, but clearly ftated. When the preacher exhorts his reverend brethren to avoid theological controverfies; he doubtlefs intends to be underfood with a confiderable degree of limitation; fur, in thefe days, to warn his hearers against falfe doctrines, fpread throughout the kingdom by itinerant trangers in endless fucceffion, feems to be a duty' fpecially incumbent on parish minifters. To the following words we offer no objection: "to recommend mutual forbearance and good temper towards thofe who differ from us, and to guard our hearers against dogmatifm and intolerance." words, at p. 11, arreft our notice: "in this difolute, but enlight ened age." That the age is too generally diffolute, we cannot deny; probably we owe this, in a great degree, to the immenfe increafe of trade, and to the opulence and confequent luxury which it produces amongft uneducated perfons. Oh! that we could fay, or hope, that perfons in high ftations do not contribute their fhare! But furely if ever the world held forth warning to fuch perfons, this is the age, and this the year, in which fuch warning thould avail!

P. 9.

A few

As to "an enlightened age," we admit that feience is more generally diffufed than in former centuries; and, in fome of its branches, more accurately known. But is it not, for the moft part, fuperficial; filling its poffeffors with much prefumption, and little modefty?

At p. 13, 14, the Clergy, as a collective body of men, are ftrongly, and we believe, moft juftly commended. Yet we think their modeft feelings might have been fpared, by the ufe of terms lefs panegyrical, within their actual hearing.

To the following paffage we are far indeed from objecting: "We have often to lament that fome of our parishioners do not attend the public worthip of God as they ought; and that others do not derive thofe good effects from our inftructions which might naturally be expected. But, but up the temples of God; and the ignorance and wickednefs of the world would foon evince, that from our religious inftructions very great and beneficial effects are [had been] produced; in checking vice, in alleviating the miferies of mankind, and in promoting civilization, humanity, good order, and a reverence for the Deity." P. 18.

ART. 26. The Duty of the Clergy to enforce the frequent receiving of the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper: a Sermon preached at the Vifitation holden in the Parish Church of Holy Rood, South. ampton, on Monday, September 8, 1806. By the Rev. Samuel

Clapham,