ART. XXII. The Promifed Meffiah; a Sermon, preached at Sion Chapel, Whitechapel, to God's ancient People the Jews, on Sunday Afternoon, Augift 28, 1796. By William Cooper. pp. 28. 6d. Jordan. London, 1796.

ART. XXII. Chrift the True Meffiah, &c. By William Cooper, Minifter of the Gospel. Accurately taken in Short-hand, by E. Hodgfon. Second Edition. Pp. 36. 8vo. 6d.

London, 1796.

Two

Fairburn."

WO editions of the fame fermon, of which the latter appears the beft. This difcourfe was delivered extempore. Indeed, that is the only apology which can be offered for the negligent ftyle of the compofition before us. Mr. Cooper has but just reached his twentieth year, and his talents are equal to the most fanguine expectations. But it has often happened that an oration which charmed when animated by the geftures and delivery of the orator, excited lefs intereft in the clofet. Such is the prefent fermon.

If Mr. Cooper wishes to improve his talents, which are very good, to the best advantage, and for ufeful purposes, he fhould be more attentive both to his ftyle and the arrangement of his

matter.

ART XXIII. Rights of the People; or, Reafons for a Regicide Peace, &c. &c. By William Williams, of Gray's Inn, Student at Law, Author of Redemption, a facred Poem. 1s. 6d. Jordan. London, 1796.

O numerous are the publications on modern politics, that little novelty in argument can now be expected. This writer, having taken a brief view of the origin and progrefs of governments, and connected that view with the late aristocracy of France, proceeds to fhew, that, from the first principles of her revolution, and the prefent fituation of the other European powers, an immediate peace with the French republic is a meafure not only dictated by justice, but enforced by neceffity.England,' fays Mr. Williams, formerly the emporium of the world, finds her commerce, both foreign and domeftic, rapidly decay; and fees her great manufacturing towns without employment. The enormous weight of taxes, annually accumulating in a still increafing ratio, has reduced the middling claffes to a ftate of the most pitiable diftrefs; and the labouring poor are driven to the degrading neceffity of begging alms

: of

of the rich, who contribute fo fcantily to their relief, that they are compelled to crowd into the workhoufes by multitudes. Scarce a day paffes in which fix millions of people do not feel the ftings of hunger, thirft, and the want of fome abfolute ⚫ neceffary of life. More money is daily levied upon them, and · they are daily less able to pay it. Befides, they confider this as a war in which they have no concern; or, rather, look upon the conqueft of France as the greatest evil that could poffibly • befal them.’

Of Mr. Williams, as a writer, we obferve, that his lan guage is never inelegant, often highly poetical; and that his fentiments are animated with a rational patriotifm.

ART. XXIV. Free Thoughts on a General Reform. Addressed to every independent Man.-The Truth equally diftant from the fimfy Machinery of Meffrs. Burke, Reeves, and Co. as from the grofs Ribaldry of Thomas Paine and his Party. By S. Š. M. A. of the University of Oxford. pp. 90. 8vo. 2s. Dilly. London, 1796.

TH

HESE thoughts are not only candid, free, and indepen dent, but judicious, fagacious, and folid. The author takes a comprehenfive view of the prefent ftate of government, parties, and claffes of men, in this country, and, with much penetration, exposes various vices and follies in all. We fhall Tupport this judgment by a few extracts.

• The liberal and impartial observer at once fees how equally deftructive both thefe parties are to the true principles of the British confitution, and English liberty. But there are a fet of men who fancy, and even labour to prove, that from these extremes the true mean is produced; and that while the one pulls one way, and the other the other, the due equilibrium is preserved. They who thus argue, are chiefly compofed of a numerous tribe, as yet of no party, but ready to ferve, and anxiously waiting for the firft vacancy in either; who little care on which fide they enroll themselves; and who, like the troops of the petty German princes, are prepared to defend that power which firft requires their fupport; and, like them alfo, as readily change It is aftonishing the number of

when a more lucrative offer occurs.

It might be the hearing of arguments fuch as thefe, that gave the idea to a French declaimer to call the party-government a system of checks.-M. ANTOINE, at the Jacobin Club, Aug. 12, 1793, Sunday Evening.

this

this fort. The junior members of all the profeffions, an increafing fwarm of young men from the public schools and univerfities, as yet undetermined as to their employments in life; all the young trades people, at the polite end of the town; each, in their several fituations and capacities, eager for preferment, pushing forward, and crying, Quocunque modo rem. HOR. Pay from either fide.

Et occupat extremum scabies.
The devil take the lofer.

In fhort, to fuch a height is this party-fury rifen, that it is become utrum borum mavis accipe; but the neutrum" is very rarely repeated after my young mafter comes from school.'..

He justly arraigns that tedious, tautological, and vain, and really impudent and foolish oratory, which tickles the ears, and pleafes the imagination, of vulgar audiences. On this fubject we entirely agree with our author; and we are firmly perfuaded that the period is not far diftant (as abuses carried to extremes return by a kind of reflux to the level of common-fenfe) when that long-winded and frothy oratory, that exhaufts the patience of the members, torments the poor reporters of debates, but delights the gallery, and even tuns men of fenfe into fomething like a refpect for it, will not, for many years longer, keep its ground in parliament. Future ages will, beyond all doubt, be aftonished when they learn, that, in the prefent century, men without fortune, without any advantage of birth, without cha racter for common plain-dealing, and indeed without found fenfe that the verieft avanturiers fhould force themfelves into confideration by their much speaking.' He places the felfith verfatility of the furious haranguer in a very clear and ftriking light. But we are forry to find fo candid and intelligent a fpirit arraigning Mr. E, the first legal orator of the day, the idol of a revolutionary mob,' &c. for the most exceffive penurioufnefs and rapacity, and a total indifference to the utmost diftrefs of the poor and unfortunate, where he is not bribed, like a fashionable ftrumpet, by a very high reward.'

We are particularly pleafed with the writer's ftrictures on the game-laws, and on the prevailing influence of commerce, which, at the prefent moment, feems to fcorn all bounds.

The nation feems faft approaching to be a nation of traders; and when once this is the cafe, when we have got only the means to raise mercenary forces, and not the real forces within ourselves, we shall find our golden armour the grand object of attack, and, laden with the heavy trappings which we have not skill to manage, like Carthage in ancient, and Holland in modern days, we fhall eafily fall a prey to the ambition and poverty of fome defperate invader.'

It is much to be lamented that we have fo few authors, tors, or public men of any kind, who think and declare their fentiments with fo much freedom, manlinefs, candour, and fin'cerity, as the writer of this pamphlet.

ART. XXV. A Retrospect, illuftrating the Neceffity of an immediate Peace with the Republic of France. pp. 28. 8vo. Is. Crosby. London, 1796.

TH

HE author of this Retrospect thinks that the basis of all our mifery was the dire refort to loans! to the ever-fatal fyftem of funding, that arofe from the fell* ambition of William and his glorious fucceffor. He inveighs against the duration of parliaments prolonged from three to seven years; the frequency of our wars; the accumulation of the public debt; and other abuses-and concludes thus: Early proceed to a reform in the reprefentation of the commons, for it is this evil that has produced every other. Ameliorate your ecclefiaftical ftatutes; leffen, without delay, the burdens of the poor; regenerate and reftore to the prince and the people that confidence that the opening of the reign fo aufpiciously embraced; hefitate not another moment to negociate liberally and unequivocally with the republic of France, or, I folemnly declare before God-I fee no peace for Ifrael!!'!'

This author excufes his prefumption in demanding the attention of his fellow-fubjects from the prefent critical conjuncture of affairs: but, amidst fuch a crowd of fpeakers, no one has "any chance of being heard, who has not fomewhat of novelty in his appearance, and alfo a very strong, voice,

ART. XXVI. Lettre du Comte d'Antraigues a M. de L. C. fur PEtat de la France. pp. 30. 8vo. 15. Dilly. London, 1796.

THE

HE Count d'Antraigues, in all his writings, constantly maintained, that the ancient conftitution of France is the only system that is fuitable to the French. His enemies, grossly miftating his arguments, and his very words, alleged that he

*This epithet is unhappily and improperly applied to the ambi tion of a prince whofe ruling paffion was, to oppose, tyranny, and maintain the liberty of Europe.

had

had faid, Let France perish, rather than her ancient conftitution. Never did the Count express or entertain fuch a wish. · What I wrote,' fays he, was, that France would either be • loft, or return to her ancient government: and this principle, in my mind, requires no other proof than what France exhi bits every day.'-He does not confider himself as having any relation or connexion with the French republic. There is a confolation,' he says, in perishing together with that which * one loves but to live in the grave of the monarchy, and recal to mind happier times by various affociations, &c.-no; to this punishment I will never fubmit.'-If monarchy should be restored in France, under its lawful king, then will the Count d'Antraigues reply to his enemies; till that contingency, they muft excufe him.

The Count is a man of ability, of feeling, and of honour..

ART. XXVII. The Study of Aftronomy; adapted to the Capaci ties of Youth. In Twelve familiar Dialogues, between a Tutor and his Pupil; explaining the general Phenomena of the Heavenly Bodies, the Theory of the Tides, &c. Illuftrated with Copperplates. By John Stedman. Dilly. pp. 164. London, 1796..

>

MANY excellent treatifes have been written on this fubject, but abounding with technical terms, to young minds unintelligible. These the author of this treatise, when he has occafion to use them, clearly explains by familiar illustrations. And he has been careful not to introduce any thing new, till the former part, on which it depends, has been clearly explained.

This is an eafy, and therefore useful introduction to the ftudy of aftronomy; the best, indeed, for young people, and all who are not converfant with mathematics, that we have seen. It is well printed on a good paper; and the engravings are neat and beautiful.

For