42. The Difinterested Marriage. 2 Vols. 12mo. 6s. Noble. In this mercenary age, the fexes will, in fpite of all the novel-writers can fay, marry more for money than love: nay, the frequent difappointments which thefe meet with who enter the marriage ftate with views merely lucrative, are not fufficient warnings. If the author of this novel expects to make his readers act in a difinterefted manner, when matrimony engages their attention, he will be, in all human probability, very much difappointed; however, as he has endeavoured to fhew the ill confequences refulting from a conjugal connection,. without the exiftence of love on both fides, his laudable efforts deferve commendation; and if his fictitious fcenes are perafed with attention, they may prove ferviceable to many perfonages, both of the mafculine and feminine gender in real life. DIVINITY.

43. Divine Truth Refcued: or, the Doctrine of the adorable Trinity vindicated. By J. W. 8vo. 6d. Keith.

This writer, whofe name is John Weir, is a humble advocate for what he calls the effentiality, perfonality, and eternal co-equality of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft.' The following short quotation will be fufficient to give the difcerning reader a proper idea of his character and abilities.

Some might impute my attempt to pride, which I will not clear myself of; yet I humbly fay, that it was with a view to the glory of a precious Chrift; and though the gentleman hath by far the advantage, being arrayed with all the glittering armour of profound learning, while I can only appear like weak David, having no kill in that fort of artillery: yet like him, I would come in the name of the Lord God of Ifrael, and with the ftone taken out of the mountain without hands, (and without the hand or help of man) it shall break in pieces the great image of human wisdom, carnal and devilish reafoning, which oppofeth itself to the knowledge and glory of Chrift.' 4+. A Serious Addrefs to Samuel Fisher, of Norwich; concerning the Errors charged upon him by the filitious Quaker, filing himSelf Timothy Harmlefs. By John Johnfon. 8vo. 6d. Gurney. Mr. Fisher appears to have been charged with feveral errors, and improprieties in his conduct, by a writer who calls himfelf Timothy Harmlefs. The author of this Addrefs, thinking it a difingenudus proceeding to attack a perfon's character ludicrously and farcaftically under a fictitious name, gravely and openly expoftulates with Mr. Fisher, on fome of thofe errors of which he finds him accufed by the pretended Quaker.

45. The Power of Mufick, and the particular Influence of Churche Mufick a Sermon preached in the Cathedral Church of Wor cefter, at the Anniversary Meeting of the Choirs of Worcester, Hereford, and Gloucefter, Sept. 8, 1773. By John Rawlins, A. M. 8vo. 6d. Rivington.

The author confiders the antiquity of mufic, its influence over the paffions, and its tendency to promote a rational spirit

of

of devotion.' The fubject is treated with ingenuity and learning, and the arguments illuftrated by quotations from the Greek and Roman writers, as well as the Scriptures.

MISCELLANEO U S.

46. Indices Tres Vocum fere omnium quæ occurrunt, I. In Dionyfii Longini Commentario de Sublimitate, et in ejufdem Fragmentis. II. In Eunapii Libello de Vitis Philofophorum et Sophiftarum. III. In Hieroclis Commentario in Pythagoræ Aurea Carmina. Concinnavit Robertus Robinfon. 8vo. 2s. 6d. in fheets. Payne. Thefe Indexes are compiled upon the plan recommended by the late ingenious and learned Mr. Merrick, There can be no doubt concerning their utility. This point is amply displayed in a letter from Mr. Merrick to Mr. Warton, and is evident to every man of learning. We have examined the accuracy of these three, in about fifty words; and have difcovered no error. The Index of Longinus is adapted to the 8vo edition of Pierce, 1732; that of Eunapius to Commelin's 8vo, 1616; and that of Hierocles to Pet. Needham's 8vo, 1709..

47. The Strangers' Affiftant and Guide to Bath: containing an Account of the Situation of the Place; of the Hot Springs there, their feveral Qualities and Impregnations, the Disorders to which they are adapted, and fome Cautions respecting their Ufe, as taken internally, or used as Baths. Also, an Account of the Public Amufements there; of the feveral Public Buildings and Inftitutions of the Police of the City, and Cenftitution of its Corpo ration, &c, &c. 8vo. Is.with a Plan of Bath 15. 6d. Crowder. The contents of this pamphlet being fo fully fpecified in the title-page, we have only to obferve, that it cannot fail of proving highly ufeful to those who are ftrangers at Bath. It is not to be fuppofed, however, that what is here delivered refpecting the ufe of the Bath waters can in any degree preclude the expediency of having recourfe to medical advice for more partieular inftructions on that fubject. With regard to the other points of information, this Guide is fufficiently explicit. 48. Some brief Remarks upon Mr. Jacob's Treatife on Wheel-Carriages. By Daniel Bourn. 8vo. Price the Sixth Part of Six Shillings Crowder.

In thefe Brief Remarks upon Mr. Jacob's Treatife on WheelCarriages, the author, Mr. Daniel Bourn, objects to almoft every article of that production, and farther affures us, that the numberlefs errors contained therein, would require an an-, fwer (were it merely to touch upon them all) as large as the original. How far this may be the cafe we will not prefume to determine, yet thus much we will venture to affirm, that it would require more than double the number of pages in Mr. Bourn's pamphlet, to explore the meaning (if any) contained in those remarks upon the abovementioned performance. Mr.

7

Jacob,

Jacob, indeed, fpeaks of vis inertiæ and momentum in fuch manner as plainly fhews he does not rightly understand the fub ject; and his furious antagonist, on the other hand, neither understands thofe philofophical principles, or even believes in their existence; this is clear from his own words, for he calls the former a quaint bugbear, and the latter an active spirit, which, according to Mr. Bourn's doctrine of wheel-carriages, áct as follows: At the firft onfet to motion, indeed, in the morning, or if the cattle ftop to perform any of the offices of nature, this naughty fprite vis inertia, hangs a little heavy behind the waggon, but as foon as the cattle give one good pull, away he flinks off, and a very active handy fpirit, called mo mentum, fteps in, and takes his place, whofe friendly affiftance is exactly equipollent to the hang-back mifchief of his oppo

nent.'

It will readily appear to the reader of these Brief Remarks, that Mr. Bourn is (in his own opinion) the only perfon now living properly qualified to treat upon this important subject ; for this reafon we are apt to think that Meff. Martin and Fergufon, of Fleet Street, have. lately taken the liberty to display their knowledge, or rather want of it, according to Mr. Bourn, concerning wheel-carriages. For with regard to this fubject, fays Mr. Bourn, they are conftantly misleading their auditors, though I know they are very fenfible gentlemen, and that their lectures are well adapted for public improvement; yet, with refpect to wheel-carriages,' Ah! there is the the rub, they are greatly deficient.'

The works (we mean the written ones only) of these contending wheelers, are very infignificant and uninterefting to the public.

49. Maxims for playing the Game of Whift; with all necessary Calculations and Laws of the Game. 8vo. 25. Payne.

In the preface to this fmall treatise, the author remarks that the game of whift is fo happily compounded betwixt chance and kill, that it is generally esteemed the most curious and entertaining of the cards, and is therefore become a favourité amufement to perfons of the first confequence, and the moft diftinguished abilities; the great variety of hands and critical cafes arifing from fuch a number of cards, renders the game fo nice and difficult, that much time and practice has heretofore been neceffary to the obtaining a tolerable degree of knowledge in it.'

The work itself contains a fet of maxims for playing at whift, under which the author has ingeniously ranged a great variety of plain and ufeful rules for attaining a complete knowledge of that game: he has likewife fubjoined a very exact table of the chances for winning in any propofed circumflance of play, and concludes this little elegant tract with the laws to be obferved in playing the game of whift, as they are laid down by the celebrated Mr. Hoyle.

THE

CRITICAL REVIEW.

For the Month of December, 1773.

་

ARTICLE I.

The Plays of William Shakespeare. In Ten Volumes. With the Corrections and Illuftrations of various Commentators; to which are added Notes by Samuel Johnson and George Steevens. With an Appendix. 8vo. 3. Bathurst. Concluded.

NO fupport the high opinion we entertain of the merit of

T

this work, we have already laid before our readers a few annotations on fome of the plays, and fhall now continue our progress through the remainder, where Mr. Steevens's ingenuity and extenfive reading appear equally confpicuous, and where he illuftrates the fenfe of his author by fuch remarks as had never been fuggefted by any of the preceding

commentators.

He thus elucidates the following line in King John.

In at the window, or elje o'er the hatch?

Thefe expreffions mean, to be born out of wedlock. So in The Family of love, 1608.

"Woe worth the time that ever I gave fuck to a child that came "in at the window.”

So in Northward Hoe, by Decker and Webster, 1607.

kindred that comes in o'er the hatch, and failing to Wefts minster," &c. STEEVENS."

On another line in the fame play, which runs thus,

• In likeness of a new untrimmed bride,"

the commentators entertain a great diverfity of opinion, and have warmly contefted whether a bride ought to be trim med or untrimmed. Mr. Steevens, however, appears to have determined the difpute, by maintaining the propriety of her VOL. XXXVI. Dec. 1773.

D d

being

being undreft. But for the entertainment of our readers we fhall present them with the arguments of the feveral commen rators on this very interefting fubject.

Though all the copies concur in this reading, yet as untrimmed cannot bear any fignification to fquare with the fense required, I cannot help thinking it a corrupted reading. I have ventured to throw out the negative, and read,

In likeness of a new and trimmed bride.

i. e. of a new bride, and one decked and adorned as well by art as nature. THEOBALD.

← --a new untrimmed bride.] Mr. Theobald fays, that as untrimmed cannot bear any fignification to Square with the fenfe required, it must be corrupt; therefore be will cashier it, and read, and trimmed; in which he is followed by the Oxford editor; but they are both too haly. It fquares very well with the fenfe, and fignifies unfteady. The term is taken from navigation. We fay too, in a fimilar way of fpeaking, not well manned. WARBURTON.

I think Mr. Theobald's correction more plaufible than Dr. Warburton's explanation. A commentator fhould be grave, and therefore I can read thefe notes with proper feverity of attention; but the idea of trimming a lady to keep her feady, would be too rifible for any common power of face. JOHNSON.

Trim is drefs. An untrimmed brideis a bride undreft. Could the tempter of mankind affume a femblance in which he was more likely to be fuccefsful? The devil (fays Conftance) raifes to your imagination your bride ftripped of the forbidding forms of dress, and in the anticipation of future enjoyment, the memory of my wrongs is loft.

Ben Jonson, in his New Inn, fays,

"Bur. Here's a lady gay.

"Tip. A well-trimm'd lady !"

STEEVENS."

In Richard the Second, Mr. Steevens favours us with an ac Count of the original meaning of Imp out, an expreffion which frequently occurs in Shakespeare. He informs us, that when the wing-feathers of a hawk were dropped, or forced out by any accident, it was ufual to fupply fo many as were deficient; and this operation was called, to imp a hawk.

In King Henry IV. Part I. our learned editor corrects a reading which had been fuggefted by Hanmer, adopted by Dr. Warburton, and acquiefced in by Dr. Johnfon.

Of palifadces, frontiers, parapets;'

• For frontiers Sir Thomas Hammer, and after him Dr. Warbur ton, read very plausibly fortins. JOHNSON.

Plaufible as this is, it is apparently erroneous, and therefore unneceffary. Frontiers formerly meant not only the boundaries of different territories, but alfo the forts built along, or near thofe limits. In Ives's Practice of Fortification, printed in 1589, p. 1. it is faid, "A forte not placed where it were needful, might fkantly be accounted for frontier." Again, p. 21. "In the frontiers made by late emperor Charles the Fifth, divers of their walles having given way," &c. P. 34. It fhall not be neceffary to make the bulwarkes in townes fo great as thofe in royall fron

liers.

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