Upon the breaking out of the war, Parnell fhipped his daughter for England, under convoy of captain Farrell, who commanded a man of war. The young lady had the misfortune, through this captain's cowardice, to be taken by a Sallee rover, who made her a flave. We fhall not affront our reader's understanding so far as to defcribe the terrible dangers the underwent under this reverse of fortune, and the perils to which her honour was expofed from the infidels. It is fufficient to say, that a failor escaping, announced her dreadful fate to major Bromley, who bravely set fail in an eighty gun ship, and, like a true knight errant, delivered his lady from the enchanted castle which confined her, put her on board his own ship, and carried her back to her father, without violence and without noife. The major, on his return to England, received a challenge from Farrell, for ridiculing his pufillanimity; but without giving him the fatisfaction required, he expofed him afresh, with a twitch of the nose, and a found kicking into the bar gain. This scene passed in presence of captain Henry Crosby of the army, brother to captain James Crosby in the sea service, two young gentlemen with whom the major had contracted the moft intimate friendship, having been fellow-collegians at Eton fchool.

On the arrival of Sir Arthur at London, those two young gentlemen fell in company at lady Hampton's with Mifs Elizabeth Cliffen, an antiquated, vain, ill-natured, prude, and her amiable neice, who conceived an inclination for captain Henry, which was returned on his fide; fo that it terminated in a mutual, and violent paffion for each other. Captain James, who was more mercurial than his brother, difcovering the old maid's weak fide, had no difficulty in perfuading her that he loved her, and thereby fecured to his brother and his mistress the conveniency, now and then, of an interview. Lady Hampton perceiving that her own daughter, a very virtuous young lady, did not behold captain James with an eye of indifference, carried her out of town, by major Bromley's advice, down to her country-feat, near Chefter. It happened that Parnell, the engineer, and his daughter lived in the caftle there; but in fo *reclufe a manner, that it was with difficulty lady Hampton and her daughter, who happened to fee Mifs Parnell, and were highly prepoffeffed in her favour, got admittance into their company. The mention of major Bromley removed all further difficulties, and Mifs Parnell lived as a friend and companion with Mifs Hampton.

The mock and real courtships between the two captain Crofbys and the two Miffes Cliffen, ftill went on at London, where Farrell alfo fell in love with the younger Mifs Cliffen;

and

and his courtship being favoured by one Peterson, a fycophant and a pandar, but an old intimate of Sir Arthur, the baronet fwears that his daughter shall marry Farrell. Sir Arthur in an unlucky moment catches his fifter in the arms of captain James, which produces fome ridiculous circumftances. He foon after receives a vifit from his rich brother the merchant, whom, being a batchelor, he durft not disoblige. The merchant was fond of his niece, Mifs Cliffen; and before he left the house Farrell and Peterfon drop in, and, as murder will out, the uncle learns that his poor niece's marriage was to take place in a very few days. Before these were expired, captain James Crosby was fummoned to repair to his thip at Portsmouth; but in the mean time the two brothers have a new interview with the aunt and the niece. Sir Arthur once more unfeafonably interrupts them, the very night that the writings were to be drawn up for his daughter's marriage with Farrell. He breaks in upon their courtship, alarms the family, the captain draws his fword, and the house is in an uproar; at laft, however, Sir Arthur locks up his daughter, with her faithful maid, Dolly, and the lawyers, Farrell, and Peterson, arrive to execute the writings. While preparations are making for that purpose, Mifs Margaret, who had discovered her lover's falfhood, and that he had only used her as a stalking-horse to his brother's intrigue, breaks like a fury into the room; and Sir Arthur, to fecure his daughter from her rage, is obliged, just as he is about to force her to fign the contract, to defire her to walk into the next parlour, which, very fortunately for the young lady, had a communication with the street. Mifs did not lofe the opportunity: fhe threw herself into a chair; and being carried to her uncle's houfe, put herself under his protection, which he readily promised.

Mifs Margaret having lost her lover, was immediately courted by Peterson, whom he married; in the mean time, the younger Mifs Cliffen confeffes the affection fhe bore for captain Henry Crosby to her uncle, who generously confents to give that lover a meeting, and to make them happy, if he found the captain deferved her hand. Sir Arthur, late as it was, hurries to his brother's house, but finds him fo determined in favour of his niece, that he leaves him, very little fatisfied with his vifit. Upon his fending for captain Henry Crosby, he is informed that he and his brother had left the town upon the refpective duties of their fervice.

Mifs Parnell continues ftill at Chester, where she was infulted and traduced at a ball by captain Farrell, which obliges her to recount her story to lady Hampton; her treatment in her captivity, and deliverance by major Bromley..

Lady

Lady Hampton, at this time, receives an account of her bro ther lord Bromley's death, who having left no iffue but a daughter, the major his nephew became thereby a peer. That young lady, who was immenfely rich, but whimfical, malicious, and vindictive, had conceived an early affection for the major, which had grown up with her; and fhe accepted of an invitation from lady Hampton to pafs fome days with her, to alleviate her grief for her father, which, however, appears to have been very flight. Upon mifs Parnell being introduced to her, the conceived an invincible averfion to her, because the 'thought the might prove her rival in the major's affections. She had a fly baggage of a woman, whom the employed on this occafion; and by making acquaintance with the mistress of a bowling-green in the neighbourhood, the discovered cap. tain Farrell at a school-ball in Chefter. She laid this intelligence before her mittress lady Mary; and by coaxing Mrs. Lloyd, lady Hampton's housekeeper, they obtained all the intelligence they could defire concerning Miss Parnell, and her connection with major Bromley. Upon this, lady Mary lays a scheme for miss Parnell's ruin, by means of Farrell, whom The receives as a lover; but lady Hampton forbids him ther house. As we are not very fond of entering into many particulars which follow, it is fufficient to say, that Farrell found an agent wicked enough to kidnap mifs Parnell at Liverpool, and to carry her into a veffel, with intention to land her in the Isle of Man. This ship was taken by a French privateer, the captain of which fell in love with mifs Parnell, whofe virtue was in great danger, when he was attacked by an English hip. An engagement enfued, in which the French captain was killed, the fhip taken, and mifs Parnell rescued. Captain James Crosby was on board the English ship, which was bound to an inland where lord Bromley now lay with his regiment. Mifs Parnell was carried thither safely about the time the major was seized with an epidemical diftemper, which had swept off great numbers of the inhabitants of the island.

Here we apprehend the bookfeller has been a little too peremptory with the author, by infifting upon his not exceeding the number of fheets he had prescribed for the work. He pretends that the manufcript was blotted, and that it was not legible at this period. All we know is, that the major and mifs Parnell return fafe and found to London; that the two captains Crosbys, and mifs Parnell their fifter, prove to be the fons of Sir Arthur's elder brother; that Parnell turns out to be Mr. Robinson; and a flood of happiness and marriage breaks in upon the whole company, excepting Sir Arthur and lady Mary, the former of whom shoots himself through the head, and

the latter difclaiming all engagements with captain Farrell, is caft in a law fuit, but is relieved by another lady proving a prior title to his perfon.

Such is the plan of this motley performance, which has neither plot, language, characters, or fentiment, to recommend it.

MONTHLY CATALOGUE.

1. An Effay concerning the Cause of the Endemial Colic of Devonfhire, which was read in the Theatre of the College of Phyficians, in London, on the 29th Day of June, 1767. By George Baker, Fellow of the College of Phyficians, and of the Royal Society, and Phyfician to her Majefty's Houfbold. 8vo. Pr. 15. Dodfley.

T

HE difeafe which is the fubject of this Effay, has, fome years ago, been copiously treated of by Dr. Huxham at Plymouth, who refers the cause of it, principally, to a very grofs, effential, acid falt, or tartar, with which the expreffed juice of apples, whilft unfermented, abounds. That gentleman thinks," that by long and frequent drinking a liquor of this kind, fuch a quantity of crude, grofs tartar is thrown into the blood, that it thence becomes very acrid; and not only the blood, but, from that impure fource, all the humours thence fecreted. So that inftead of a very soft, lubricating mucus feparated by the glands, difcovered by Dr. Havers, we have as it were a fharp, coagulated matter, whence arifes a great pain in the joints, and impotence of their motion.Instead of an exceeding foft lymph to moiften the nerves, a corrofive ichor; and hence epileptical attacks. Moreover, the blood being faturate with fuch a great quantity of falts, they attract one the other strongly, and form greater molecule than can pafs through the lymphatic arteries, fcarce indeed through the fanguineous capillaries; hence various obftructions, and great irritation on the nervous extremities. At length even the very bile, that varioufly useful balfam of the body, becomes corrupted and quite enervated by the fuper-abundant apple-acid, though in its natural ftate it was defigned to correct acidity."

Dr. Baker informs us, that, notwithstanding the deference which he has always paid to the authority of this celebrated phyfician, he has for fome time entertained doubts concerning the folidity of this doctrine. When he has confidered, that there

there is not the least analogy between the juice of apples, and the poifon of lead; and that this colic of Devonshire is precifely the fame difeafe, which is the specific effect of all faturnine preparations; it has not seemed to him at all probable, that the two causes, bearing fo little relation to one another, fhould make fuch fimilar impreffions on the human body. That however much our cyder may agree with the Rhenish and Mofelle wines in the circumftance of containing a large quantity of effential falt, of a fimilar figure, no argument from analogy will here be valid, unless it can be fhewn that Rhenifh and Moselle wines have ever produced the colic of Poitou in an unadulterated state. That if cyder is the cause of this disease, as being an acid, why is the colic of Poitou very little known in the Eastern countries, where the Turks, whose religion obliges them to abftain from wine, drink every day very large quantities of an acid fherbet? Does the experience of jockeys, fays he, who, in order to reduce themselves to a certain ftandard of weight by sweating, are faid to drink largely of vinegar, strengthen such an observation? Do we find it to be true, that children, and valetudinary people, and particularly chlorotic girls, whose prima via abound with acid, are on that account fubject to this colic? Is not a diarrhea, or cholera, the ordinary effect of eating unripe fruit immoderately? What reason can be given, why the poorer inhabitants of the counties of Worcester, Gloucester, and Hereford,, who ufe, as their common drink, a weak acid cyder, are fubject to no fuch colic? Why is this disease no longer endemic in the province of Poitou? Is it that grapes are brought to more maturity, than they were formerly? Has the fun more power now, than in the time of Citois? Why, in the Bahama-Islands is this disease unknown?

I am informed, continues he, by a gentleman, who lived there many years, that this has been the case, ever since rum has been no longer diftilled in those iflands. The fame gentleman informs me, that the inhabitants drink very large quantities of fmall punch, made extremely acid with the juice of limes; the labouring people to the amount of two gallons of it every day. And laftly, is it reafonably to be fufpected, that the effential falt of a vinous liquor can raife fuch tumults. in the bowels, whether by corrupting the bile, or otherwife; when it is vulgarly known, even among the miners in Derbyfhire, that patients, afflicted with this fame disease, do not receive a more immediate, or a more important relief from any medicine whatever, than by taking large and repeated doses of this very effential falt, the cremor tartari; and when it appears, that Dr. Hillary greatly depended on it for the cure of VOL. XXIV. Qa. 1767;

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the