the Turks,-on the fcore of mal-practices; and he is accordingly brought to trial before the Divan. The following extract will bring our readers acquainted with the aim of the writer,-on which, for obvious reasons, we fhall make no kind of comment. It now came to Ofmyn's turn to defend himself. A few fimple words, fupported by the irrefragable fpirit of truth, deftroyed, in a few minutes, all that his enemies had employed months in fabricating." Were I guilty," faid Ofmyn," of the crimes with which I am charged, the fevereft tortures that could be devised would be an infufficient punishment for me: that I am not guilty, thefe teftimonies will prove." The evidence was then produced: it was incontrovertible. The cabal could bring no proof in fupport of what they had advanced; on the contrary, their own evidence turned against them. They retired overwhelmed with fhame, and expofed to all the horrors of difappointed malice and univerfal contempt. Mafond fought confolation in his favourite amufement, playing with fome pieces of painted paper, a fashionable diverfion at the court of Lahor, at which Maffond had lavifhed immenfe fums. The difappointment of Zaban threw him into a violent fever, fuppofed to proceed from the overflowing of the gall; and Tangut had recourfe to that opium fo frequently applied to in that country as a relief from every care. Ofmyn having acquired new glory, was raifed to the highest honours of the Divan, and received from all hearts the homage due to his fuperior virtues.' This performance, however, is not political throughout. The chapters which fpeak of the power of the Fairy of Adverfity exhibit a confiderable portion of fancy: and had the judgment of the author been equal to it, he would not fo frequently have fcattered the real and the fictitious through his pages, in the way that he has donebut rather have endeavoured to blend them fo as to give a kind of verifimilitude to the whole. In fine, the images are fometimes incongruous, and confequently unpleafing. "The painter who draws a woman with a beautiful face (lays Horace), would certainly deftroy the truth of the reprefentation, were he to fhew her with wings, and the tail of a fifh." MISCELLANEOUS. Art. 38. Accounts and Extracts of the Manufcripts in the Library of the King of France. Published under the Inspection of a Committee of the Royal Academy of Sciences at Paris. Tranflated from the French. 8vo. 2 Vols. about 430 Pages in each. Boards. Faulder. 1789. 125. Having formerly noticed the original of this work, at the time of its appearance*, we have only to obferve, that the tranflation is, in general, faithful. We heartily join with the tranflator, in wishing that the example of the French king may encourage other princes to unlock the ftores of knowlege that are imprisoned in public libraries; if thofe libraries deferve to be called public, from which the nation at large reaps little advantage; and from which men of letters, in particular, rarely derive any affiftance in the profecution of their studies. Access to them ought to be rendered as free and as eafy as poffible. See Appendix to Rev. vol. lxxx. p. 605. 003 Art. Art. 39. A felect Catalogue of German Books; with the Subject of pp. 76. 1789. This catalogue merits notice, as containing a well-chosen selection of German books; a circumftance, which, confidering the exuberant fertility of the German preffes, within thefe laft twenty years, cannot fail of rendering it acceptable to the lovers of foreign literature. Art. 40. Evening Amusements for the Ladies; or, Original Anecdotes, intended to promote a Love of Virtue in young Minds. 12mo. pp. 200. 2s. 6d. fewed. Vernor. 1789. This performance appears to come from the pen of a lady. The little hiftories of which it is compofed, are fuch as mifs in her teens may peruse with advantage. We might object to the language of fome of the pages, were it not that the author has precluded us from objections by the following paffage in her preface: The generous and the candid will pafs over any fentiments that may not be entirely congenial with their own-and, on the fame principles, the author would rely for any inaccuracy that may occur.' We wifh, however, that writers, instead of requesting indulgence for their inaccuracies, would endeavour to become correct. Art. 41. A Letter from Mr. James Callam, Surgeon of his Majefy's Ship SUPPLY, to his Brother, Mr. Alexander Callam, of Eat Smithfield, London; containing an Account of a Voyage from the Cape of GOOD HOPE, to BOTANY BAY, &c. With a fhort Defcription of the Inhabitants, and Settlement of the Colony. 8vo. pp. 21. 6d. Stalker, &c. Well enough for a private letter; but too crude and trivial for publication: efpecially after the variety of more important details which have appeared relative to this new and very fingular attempt at colonization. THEOLOGY and POLEMICS. Art. 42. A Letter addreffed to the Delegates from the feveral Congrega tions of Proteftant Diffenters who met at Devizes on Sept. 14, 1789. 8vo. pp. 27. 6d. Wilkies. Art. 43. A Second Letter, &c. by the Author of the Firft. 8vo. pp. 44. Is. 6d. Wilkies. The author of these letters is ftrenuous for fuch an alliance between church and state (your ftaunch divine always puts the church fir), as fhall confer on the members of the former an exclufive claim to the emoluments of the latter. He is, therefore, averfe to the repeal of the teft laws, by which diffenters are excluded from all civil offices. His manner of writing is gentleman-like; but he does not appear to us to argue with much clofeness and weight. The diffenters affert that they entertain no principles inconfiftent with the welfare of the prefent government; in anfwer to which, this author thinks it fufficient to inform them that they are hot friends to the ecclefiaftical government, and that the nature of the government of this country is twofold, civil and ecclefiaftical.' But this furely is not arguing, but trifling! When a body of men, who avow themfelves feparatifts from the eftablishment, make the above declaration, they can only be underfood to mean the civil government; or to declare that their religious tenets are not of a nature which ought, in justice, to exclude them from all places of trust and emolument. This is the question; and if the diffenters can make good their affertion, we, as philofophers, muft condemn their exclufion. This letter-writer, however, will inform us that the ftate does not exclude them; but that, in fact, they difqualify and exclude themselves. Suppofe (fays he) a churchman was to offer himself as a candidate for an elder's or preacher's place, given only to perfons of your perfuafion, you would reject him as not of your principles,' &c. But can this be thought a cafe in point? Is an elder's or preacher's place a civil office? To fhew with how little reafon diffenters complain of the test act, as depriving them of their rights and privileges, he demonftrates to them that they have no natural right to be appointed at all to any place of civil truft. Here again he is wide of the mark. The diffenters do not complain of their not being chofen, but of their being ineligible : words of very different meaning. Though he ventures to admit, in his fecond letter, that the magiftrate has no right to take cognizance of internal thoughts (which he might fafely do, as the magistrate has not fo much as the power), he holds him juftified in interfering as foon as thoughts break forth in declarations; but he has not chofen to inform us what fhould be the extent of this interference, or how the magiftrate should conduct himfelf toward those who publish opinions which he deems erroneous or dangerous. Is he to defend the established faith by taking care to appoint learned and ingenious men, who fhall meet the adversary in the field, and oppofe knowlege to knowlege, energy to energy, and argument to argument; or is he to exert his power to filence and to punish the daring innovator? He should be forbidden to propagate his dangerous opinions' (fays the author); but fuppofe he perfeveres in fpite of being forbidden, this writer would not, furely, plead for perfecution! We do not believe he would; but we state this to fhew the confequence of allowing fuch a right in the civil magiftrate, as that for which he contends. It would be fubverfive of all liberty. Political heterodoxy, more immediately dangerous to the ftate than religious, is feldom oppofed, whatever this author infinuates to the contrary, by the fecular arm. We have heard members in the house of commons broaching doctrines which were deemed, by the majority of the house and by the nation at large, repugnant to the very spirit of the conftitution (we allude to the debates on the regency bufinefs); but they were not forbidden to propagate them, or filenced by the appearance of the ferjeant-at-arms to convey them to prifon :-their doctrines underwent a fair difcuffion, and were only refifted by the we2pons of reafon and eloquence; and this is the only way in which fuppofed errors in politics, philofophy, or religion, thould be combated! The victory of truth is rarely haltened by the civil magiftrate's taking cognizance of principle. Much might be urged as to the propriety of an established reli gion; it fill, however, must admit of a doubt whether it be found policy to defend it by laws, which deprive the state of the fervice of fuch as are not of this religion? This author thinks the religious tek contributes to political unanimity; and that the admiffion of perfors of different faiths into the different offices of government, would produce confufion: but the more we reflect on the matter, the lefs we are convinced by his reafoning. A churchman and a diffenter may be in the fame public office, and tranfact the bufinefs of ftate very harmoniously. But we have given to thefe pamphlets more room than we intended. As they treat of a fubject which feems, if we may judge from the public papers, to be much difcuffed, our readers will pardon the enlargement. We wish that the established religion was fecured; but we think this may be effectually done, without the teÊ laws, which have long appeared to us an unneceffary abridgment of equal liberty. Art. 44. A short and plain Expofition of the Old Teftament, with deve tional and practical Reflections, for the Ufe of Families, by the late Reverend Job Orton, S. T. P. Published from the Author's Manufcripts, by Robert Gentleman. 8vo. Vol. II. pp. 550. Vol. III. PP. 745. 6s. each, Boards. Longman, &c. 1789. The account which we gave of the first part of this work, is appli cable to thefe fucceeding volumes;-and we are glad to fee it con firmed by the public opinion, in the addition of above an hundred names to the lift of fubfcribers. The editor has properly prefixed to the fecond volume, a very fenfible, though plain, difcourfe on the ufefulness of the hiftorical part of the old teftament. The contents of this volume are, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Jabua, Judges, and Rath. Thofe of volume the third, are, Ift Samuel to IId Chronicles. The whole bears evident marks of authenticity, and appears to have received very little correction from the editor; perhaps fome may think lefs than he ought to have given it (confidering that it was left by the author in fhort-hand for the pulpit only), particularly by curtailing fome redundancies. In the volumes now before us, however, there appear to be fewer of these than in the firft; and it may not unreafonably be expected, that as this work was the labour of twenty years, the author's growing ability will occafion the last part of it (proportionally) to excel the preceding, which were not revifed by himself. Art. 45. Effays on fever il religious Subjects, chiefly tending to illuf trate the Scripture-Doctrine of the Influence of the Holy Spirit. By Jofeph Milner, A. M. Mafter of the Grammar-School of Kingston-upon-Hull. 12mo. 25. fewed. Dilly, &c. 1789. This work is chiefly meant as an anfwer to theological elays of the late Rev. Mr. Ludlam, but, more especially, the laft," on the influence of the Holy Spirit." Mr. Milner has, already, given saf * Particularly in the St. James's Chronicle; where we have seen feveral letters on both fides of the question. + Mr. M. has likewife honoured the Reviewers with a large share of his notice. ficient -ficient fpecimens of the clearness of his ideas, of his abilities as a reafoner, and of his amiable temper, in his confiderations on Mr. Gibbont. The prefent effays exhibit a complete difplay of his manners and good breeding. In plain and honeft English, we do not hefitate to fay, that it is an abufive and illiberal attack on a most candid, rational, and worthy divine; a man who was an honour to his profeilion, of whofe rare talents the world has had ample experience, and with whose excellent private character we were well acquainted, for many years, before fociety felt the lofs of fo refpectable and useful a member.-Mr. M. fays, in his preface, that perfonal refentment can scarce be fuppofed to exist against a man who has certainly avoided all perfonal abuje;'-yet, notwithstanding fo juft an acknowlegement, this writer's whole book is made up of little elfe 1. We do not, indeed, wonder at the acrimony of fome polemics: they abhor fuch men as Mr. Ludlam, for the fame reafon that lunatics hate those who endeavour to bring them to their fober fenfes. In order to mark out Mr. L. as an object of detestation to all good Methodists, Mr. Milner ranks him with Pelagius, and Dr. P. and calls him Socinian, &c. And thus the Roman executioners were wont to clothe the Christian martyrs in the fkins of wild beafts, that the hounds might worry them, as their proper prey. But, enough of this narrow-minded effufion of party-zeal. For our brief account of Mr. Ludlam's work, against which the artillery of the Methodists has been fo violently difcharged, fee Rev. vol. lxxix. p. 185. Art. 46. A brief Treatife on the Divine Manifeftations to Mankind in general, and to fome in particular. By Jofeph Cornish, Paftor to the Church of Proteftant Diffenters, at Colyton, Devon. 8vo. 6d. PP. 31. Robinsons. From a due confideration of the manifeftations which God hath feen fit to make of himself to mankind at large, to Chriftians in particular, and (in a peculiar manner) to thole who behold his glory in his works, this pious and fenfible writer draws a variety of religious and moral conclufions, judiciously calculated for the inftruction and edification of those readers who, with common capacities, are happily endowed with good difpofitions. Art. 47. The Benefits and Advantages of Sunday Schools confidered; and the establishing of them recommended. By William Myers, Curate of Tetney, Lincolnshire. 40. pp. 17. Is. Rivingtons. 1789. The author informs us that, having had frequent opportunities of obferving the falutary effects produced by Sunday-fchools, he thought he could not employ his time better than in recommending the establishing of them; and he hopes that his well-meant endeavours will meet with a candid reception from a generous and indulgent Public.-We hope fo too: for though there is nothing new in this publication, the defign is laudable; and every person who + M. Rev. vol. lxviii. p. 112. The author's abuse, indeed, is not often made in direct terms, but it is plainly and ftrongly implied; and therefore, to us, it seems more difingenuous, and more culpable, than if he had spoken in coarfer terms. affifts |