But, confidering nature as the common parent of living, growing, propagating bodies, which require an indefinite variety of foils and climates, the philofopher finds the most benevolent purpose in the end propofed, or effect which is attained, and fees perfect wisdom in the effectual means which are employed.

This is the view which I would with men of science to take; and it is for this purpofe that I am now to examine the phenomena of the furface of this earth. If ftrata, formed at the bottom of the fea, had been confolidated by internal operations proper to the earth, and afwards raised for the purpose of a habitable world; and if, for the purpofe of vegetation, the folid land must be refolved into foil by the diffolution and feparation of its parts, as is required in the theory, the ftrata, instead of being entire immediately below the foil, fhould be found in a mutilated ftate; the ends of hard and folid beds fhould prefent their fractures or abrupt fections immediately under the confufed materials with which they are covered, and the fofter ftrata fhould appear to fuffer gradual refolution or decay, by which may be perceived their tranfition into foil, the most important part of all the operations of the globe which do not immediately concern our life. These are facts which every person of obfervation has it in his power to verify; they are facts for which nothing farther can be faid than that the thing is truly fo; and they are facts from which the most important arguments might be formed, were any doubt to be entertained concerning the juftness of the theory which has now been given.

The theory confifts in this, that it is neceffary to have a habitable country fituated in the atmosphere, or above the furface of the fea.'

Dr. Hutton, after many other obfervations on the diffolution of the earth, concludes, that there is a gradual destruction of every thing which comes to the view of man, and of every thing that might serve as a refting-place for animals above the furface of the fea.

[To be continued. ]

ART. XII. Lavater's Secret Journal of a Self-Obferver.

THI

[ Concluded from our Number for May laft. ]

HIS fecond volume is prefaced by a letter from the editor to the author, mentioning his furprise on receiving a book bearing the extraordinary title, Secret Journal of a Self-obferver; and which reminds him, almost in every page, of his own fenfations, actions, and fentiments. I read, turned the leaves over again and again; fmiled, blufhed; was pleafed, afhamed,

and

and did not know what to fay, and what not to say.-And, < nevertheless, I can affure you, that I could not be angry with the editor*. I communicated the matter to feveral of my 'friends, whom I fufpected to have had a hand in it, and given you my manuscript, or rather the manufcripts of the printed journal. They fmiled, were rejoiced; pretended to know nothing of the matter; took the book, read, fmiled again, and 'fpoke of nothing but the editor's difcretion.'-The editor has made fome tranfpofitions, and admitted a few errors (on hearfay probably), refpecting matters of fact. But these are of no great confequence. Mr. Lavater declares, that the editor has not imputed to him a fingle virtue, vice, or fentiment, which he has not found recorded in his manufcripts, in fome fhape or other-although not a little of the external hiftory, and of the form, is fictitious, or altered and tranfpofed. But now the 'public demands undisguised truth, and fragments will not do. Yet fomething must be published-because the editor has 'made a kind of a promife.-Befides," I have received numerous applications for the performance of that promife, from the moft refpectable men +.'-The refult is, that Mr. Lavater fends to his editor fome fragments of his genuine, real, prefent journal, for publication;' with liberty to fay, in juftification of that permiffion, whatever he fhall think beft.

The character of this fecond volume, agreeably to the foregoing reasoning, is expreffed in a fecondary or running-titleUNSELECTED FRAGMENTS FROM MY JOURNAL.

The following brief extract, in which sentiments of devotion are called forth by the most ordinary occurrences, will ferve as a very juft fample of the obfervations and reflections contained in the volume before us:

Nov. 15, 1772.-I continued my journal, played with my little girl, and then went to dinner. The fervant came to look for my little fon; we called him, fearched every where, but

* If this shall be thought to favour of the felf-conceit of an author, it should be recollected, that there is a candour, becoming a felf-obferver, in acknowledging it.

The grand aim of this publication is, to excite Christian ⚫ readers to reflect on themselves, and to obferve and examine faithfully their fentiments and conduct.'-Was this laudable defign influenced, in any degree, by the love of praife, and of the complacency of the reader? Lavater fays, no. But perhaps that univerfal paffion might have been difguifed, even from our self-obferver. Somewhat like a love of praife undoubtedly appears.

could

1

could not find him. I was feized with anxiety, and felt how reluctantly I should facrifice him to the will of my Heavenly Father. I fent my fervant out, and the found him with his mother in the falthoufe, whither he went without his hat, because he could not find her at home, and had not feen her the whole evening, which he was not used to do.'

With regard to the matter or fentiments contained in this Journal, which relate chiefly, and almoft entirely, directly or indirectly, to fubjects of religion, we have to fay, that we very feldom meet with fo much fervour, untainted with myfticifm or fanaticism; fo much heat, with fo much light.-On the utility of fuch journals in general, we have made fome obfervations in our Number for May laft.-We fhall here add, that journals of this kind, kept by metaphyficians and moral philofophers, might contribute greatly to the advancement of pneumatology; particularly a knowledge of the laws of the fucceffion or affociation of ideas, and alfo the origin, progress, and viciffitudes of the paffions. It is, in fact, by fuch an accurate felf-examination and record, that it is moft in our power to obey the precept, know thyfelf.' Mr. Lavater himself starts a difficulty relative to the compofition of such journals: If he has a right to give an air of importance to his perfon, and his moft trifling occupations, then any other perfon has the fame right-and if this right is common to all, and every private • man fhould take it in his head to intrude his journal upon us, what then will be the confequence? What are we to think of fuch a familiarity with the public?'-This question he anfwers by remarks peculiar to his own particular cafe, and calculated to fhew the utility and propriety of the publication of his journal. A more general and juft defence, and one freer from the appearance of egotifm, is this. Every man, poffeffed of the faculty of speech, has it in his power to demand an audience of the world: but the world liftens to men only in proportion to their reputation.

ART.

ART. XIII. Authentic Correfpondence with M. Le Brun, the French Minifter, and others, to Feb. 1793 inclufive; published as an Appendix to other Matters not less important. With a Preface and Explanatory Notes. By W. Miles. pp. 310. 8vo. 6s. Debrett. London, 1796.

ΤΗ

The

HIS is the Miles that wrote a pamphlet entitled, Conduct of France towards Great Britain examined;' of which we gave an account in this Review for January 1794; and of which the object is to fhew, that war with France was provoked by the French, and, on the part of England, unavoidable. This alfo is the main drift of another publication by our author, entitled, A Letter to the Duke of Grafton, with Notes:' for an account of which fee the English Review for April 1794. In this letter, Mr. Miles makes a violent attack on Mr. Burke, for whom he feems almost a match in the art of railing; and whom [he fays], if he trefpaffes again on the

good fenfe of the nation, he will purfue, until he turns, like • the enraged viper, on himself, and expires by his own poison.' Accordingly he again attacks Mr. Burke in his letter to Mr. Duncombe, of which we have taken notice in our Number for April laft.

It feems that Mr. Miles, who, we understand, was employed in some secret services, and particularly that of giving intelligence, has a kind of double penfion. The moderate income that I receive under the fign manual, and from the treasury, is the reward of many years creditable, faithful, and acknowledged fervices. Feeling my right to the one and to the other < to be indubitable, the former cannot be withdrawn during my life, nor the other withheld during the continuance of Mr. Pitt in office, but by an iniquitous perverfion of power, against ⚫ which I feel the most perfect fecurity in the juftice of the mi• nifter.'—This is extracted from a letter of Mr. Miles's to Mr. Rofe, dated London, March 6, 1796, and published, with many other fcraps, on various and heterogeneous fubjects, in the collection before us. It appears that fome perfon advised Mr. Pitt to withdraw the Treafury penfion to Mr. Miles; and that perfon Mr. Miles fufpects to have been Mr. Burke. But Mr. Burke knows nothing of my quantum meruit, and cannot, muft not, be put upon the inqueft*.-In the fame letter to Mr. Rofe Mr. Miles apologifes for his having appeared again

This fentence exemplifies our author's affected flyle: imitative of Junius, yet very frequently deficient in grammar.

ENG, REV. VOL. XXVIII. JULY 1796.

D

in

in print, after, it would feem, he had come under an engagement to the Treasury not to do so any more. My letter to Mr. Duncombe is not a departure from the intention* I had formed of not writing any more, unless the occafion fhould be urgent. I fay this left you fhould fuppofe that I am fickle.'-We cannot but give Mr. Rofe credit for his prudence in difcouraging too much writing. The weakness and folly of writers, and other advocates, are often hurtful to the cause they efpouse.

But now Mr. Miles comes forward, in the character of an author, once more, and for doing fo it is his apology, that this is his farewell to the public. The paragraph containing this apology will exhibit a juft fpecimen of Mr. Miles's mind and

manner:

• Whenever a man profits by what he reads, he has no right to complain of the price of the book. The Memoirs of Mr. Gibbon, fo dear to every body elfe, has been a very valuable purchafe to me. I am a greater gainer by it than even Lord Sheffield, who, converting his friend into a mint, has coined three thoufand pounds from his drofs. The note at page 104, Vol. I. was of more value to me than the whole work. It completed the reformation I had long propofed, by fhewing me my own character most accurately drawn. There is to be fure that in it which might make any man proud; but there is also that in it which must make every man blush. The mirror fpoke truth; and, afhamed of my likeness, I refolved to amend. It fhall, therefore, be my care to check the intemperance of a mind that has hitherto been too warm in the pursuit of right ever to think of expediency; I will profit by the fober counfel of those who really with well to me, and even profit by the malevolent impertinence of time-ferving writers, with names or without, who would praise me, with the fame facility that they have abufed me, if they were paid for it. I am aware of the reproaches I may incur from both thefe defcriptions of writers by fpeaking on my own fubject; but the cuf tom of the theatre authorifes the performer, on his taking leave of the ftage, to fpeak his farewell; and in my cafe it is become neceffary to fay fomething in extenuation, at least, if not in vindication of that warmth which has occafionally marked my writings, and which has unfortunately been misunderstood by fome, and as maliciously reprefented by others. This is the account that I have to fettle with the world.'

On reading this paragraph our curiofity was ftrongly excited to know in what manner, and by what connexion, Mr. Gibbon could poffibly introduce a portrait of Mr. Miles. Turning to

This is a frange, and an improper expreffion. One may form an intention to write, or do any thing elfe. A determination not to write, is not an intention, but a refolution.

the