ftead of an enemy, and receives his own blows in his own body! We are loth to lengthen out this reprobation of Mr. Bryant's prefent work. Yet we think it neceffary to fubjoin to the whole, one final mafs of contradiction in a fhort compafs. Philo, we have been told by Mr. Bryant before, was perfectly neutral" between Chriftianity and Judaifm; yet not merely neutral, but in fome degree hoftile." In p. 28, we find, however, that 46 he feems to have ftood in a fearful medium; which was the cafe of Jofephus, and of many of the Jews at that season." He therefore becomes neutral again. But " that he entertained a favourable opinion of the Gofpel, we may "judge from his filence," (p. 41). The neutrality and even the boftility, of Philo, are thus turned into favour! He alfo "borrows many effential truths" from Christianity (p. 91). "He has admitted most of the principal doctrines, which relate to the two characters of our Saviour: and, though he in fome refpects mifapplies them, yet he plainly admits and maintains them," (p. 78-79) But, with all this incorporation of Christianity into Judaifm, which as a Jew, he must have abhorred; he fill continued a Jew, as Mr. Bryant very juftly, though very contradictorily avers. That Philo" was a profelyte" when he wrote thefe treatifes," he alledges, in p. 43, "we have no evidence; on the contrary, Philo intimates, through all his works, that he continued in the religion of his fathers." So inconfiftent, fo felf-oppofing, is Mr. Bryant, even in the very character of his witnefs, even in that very point of his character on which his own appeal to him entirely depends! But here we leave our able antagonist, profeffing and truly feeling a high refpect for his learning, and a deep reverence for his religious zeal: yet convinced that he is too hafty in his ideas, too hafly in his compofitions, too hafty in his publications; and even remarking with forrow equal to our furprise, how much the elements of herefy are occafionally at work in this very orthodox writer; and how ready they are at times, being encouraged by the love of originality, and a fond partiality to his own notions, to produce more dangerous effects than he imagines; or than any one, who had not examined the matter with great care, could eafily believe. ART. ART. VII. Difperfion of the gloomy Apprehenfions, of late repeatedly fuggefted, from the Decline of our Corn-Trade; and Conclufions of a directly oppofite Tendency eftablifhed upon wellauthenticated Facts: to which are added, Obfervations upon the First Report from the Committee on Waste Lands, &c. By the Rev. John Howlett, Vicar of Great Dunmow, Effex. Is. 6d. Richardfon. 1797. 8vo. 52 PP. OUR notice of this tract will be proportioned, not to its number of pages, which is fmall, but to the importance of their contents, which is very confiderable. Among the gloomy apprehenfions lately fuggefted, refpecting our corn-trade, thofe of Mr. Dirom (noticed in our Review, vol. ix, p. 363) are particularly attended to by this writer. Mr. D. has ftated, that, "From nearly the commencement of the prefent century, when the corn-laws of 1688, &c. encouraging exportation, had begun to operate, our exports of grain continually increased, and our imports as conftantly diminished, till about the year 1750, when the former exceeded the latter by an annual average of above 800,000 quarters; but that from that period, a melancholy reverse took place; that our imports conftantly gained on our exports, till at length, during the twelve years from 1773 to 1784 inclufive, the balance of importation against us amounted yearly to 311,176 quarters." P. 1. The profperity of our corn-trade in the former period, is afcribed, by Mr. D. to the corn-laws of 1688; and the depreffion of it in the latter period, to the alterations of those laws. The advancement of our agriculture, the profperity of our farmers, and the increase of our population, together with their fubfequent decline, are attributed to the fame caufe. Mr. H. admits the fact of the decline of our corn-trade, as inconteftible. But he contends, that the causes and confequences of it, and the conclufion from it, are altogether mifconceived: and that the juft deductions from the acknowledged fact, instead of being gloomy, are highly fatisfactory and pleafing. This is certainly very comfortable information to every real lover of his country, and we shall rejoice in finding it verified by the author. He maintains, that from 1700 to 1740 or 50, agriculture was comparatively at a ftand; and that it has fince advanced with an unparalleled rapidity. The comparative ftate of rents is alledged as one prefumptive proof of this; they being, in the former period, almost ftationary; in the latter, greatly and generally augmented. Another proof is, the vaft increase of rates, taxes, and expences of farming, and of living; all which augmented demands, could be anfwered only by a more extended and improved cultivation. Mr. H. then alledges, that our farmers were in a state remarkably deprefled betwixt 1730 and 1750; and in an oppofite ftate, from 1750 to 1784, and even to the prefent day. Thefe things are afcribed to the low price of wheat (about 32s. a quarter) in the former period, with all other agricultural produce equally cheap; and to the high price of wheat in the other period (about 50s.) with butter, cheese, beef, mutton, and pork, ftill dearer. Mr. H. denies that the advance of repts, rates, tithes, and taxes, has been equivalent; and he appeals, on this point, to the numerous estates purchased by farmers, particularly to twenty inftances in his own neighbourhood. The greatest increafe of our population, Mr. H. affirms, was not prior to 1750, but during the laft 40 years; in England, to the amount of nearly two millions, in Scotland, as Sir John Sinclair has proved, about half a million. The maxim is next examined,-" that the change in our corn-laws, has been the cause of the great and rapid decline of our exportation of grain." It is argued, that this has been no caufe at all; because other caufes, certain in their operation, account for it fufficiently. The first is, the vaft increase of our population, and the confequently increafed confumption. Another is, the greatly increased proportion of perfons confuming fine wheaten bread. Allowing then the population of England and Wales to be increafed from fix to eight millions, and the confumers of wheat, in the proportion of from 15 to 24, of the total population; it follows, that the eaters of wheaten bread are two millions and a quarter greater than 40 or 50 years ago. In Scotland, the increafe is faid to be far greater. Here we muft exprefs a wifh that the opinion of Dr. Buchan, that the finest wheaten bread is not fo digeftible as the coarfer fort, may be fully canvaffed; and, if true, generally known and admitted. See an account of his book in Brit. Crit. vol. x, p. 197. Other confumers of the fruits of the earth are now brought forward; oxen, fheep, hogs; and, above all, additional horfes. The laft of thefe alone, are reckoned to confume annually five millions and a half quarters of grain. "Whence has arifen this amazing fupply? Undoubtedly from our increafed produce. Where then, I repeat the queftion, and it cannot be repeated too often, nor too zealously preffed upon the mind of the reader, where has been the pernicious influence of the change in our corn corn-laws? How has it impeded or obstructed the progrefs and improvement of our agriculture?" P. 18.-" Not the tenth part of the augmented quantity of grain alone has been brought from abroad ; and of the other articles nothing at all." P. 19. The comparative influence of the corn-laws is afferted to be trifling; and it is affirmed (a little too roundly, we think) that "A fingle bad feason, and a general, though very flight failure in our crops, even only to the amount of a fack an acre, in the present extent of our cultivation, would be more than equivalent to twice the amount of either the exports or imports which have ever taken place in Great Britain, and would effectually defeat the operation of the wifeft and moft judicious legal regulations." P. 21. Mr. Dirom's tables are then shown to confirm this idea, though defigned to do the contrary. This is, indeed, literally turning the tables upon a man; but it seems to be done here fuccessfully. The inhabitants of London, and particularly the Courts of Aldermen and Common-Council, are next ridiculed and reprehended for their injudicious proceedings in fome late cafes of fcarcity in meat and corn. The perpetually increasing state of our hop-plantations furnishes another prefumptive argument, that neither restraints upon importation, nor encouragements to exportation, are neceffary with respect to corn; and a further and still more powerful argument of our increased population and improved agriculture. At p. 37 it is admitted, that legal regulations of the imports and exports of grain, though trifling, when compared with the influence of the feafons, may yet be expedient in cafes of great emergency. Finally, it is predicted that a fair, honourable, and permanent peace, would open to us fuch fources of fupply, that we need not defpair of " feeing Great Britain rapidly rife to a pitch of profperity, glory, and happiness, hitherto unknown." P. 40. The obfervations upon the firft Report from the Committee on Waste Lands, thow, ift, that the inclosure of those lands will probably be completed in 50 years, inftead of 200, as the Committee had calculated, 2dly, that the Committee was mistaken in fuppofing that 60,000 additional acres of wheat might have prevented the distress arifing from the late scarcity; for thefe would have produced (in fuch a feafon) only 120,000 quarters, whereas the deficiency was 1,800,000; 3dly, that the remark of the Committee (in its apparent meaning)" that, for for many years pofterior to the Revolution, the price of corn was fteady and uniform, and rather low than otherwife," is just the reverfe of the real fact. Having been thus copious in our account of this tract, it is fcarcely neceffary for us to recommend it, as combining much judicious and ftrong argument, with an abundance of useful information. ART. VIII. A Mathematical and Philofophical Dictionary: containing an Explanation of the Terms, and an Account of the feveral Subjects, comprized under the Heads, Mathematics, Aftronomy, and Philofophy both natural and experimental; with an Hif rical Account of the Rife, Progrefs, and prefent State of thefe Sciences: alfo Memoirs of the Lives and Writings of the mafi eminent Authors, both ancient and modern, who, by their Difcoveries or Improvements, have contributed to the Advancement of them. In Two Volumes. With many Cuts and Copper-Plates. By Charles Hutton, LL.D. F. R. SS. of London and Edinburgh, and of the Philofophical Societies of Haarlem and America; and Profeffer of Mathematics in the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich. 21. 14s. Johnson, and Robinfons. 1796. AS S the state of fcience is progreffive, a work which explains its terms, exhibits clear and diftinct views of its advancement, and tranfmits to pofterity the lives of those who have exerted themselves in its extenfion, must ever be deemed ufeful and important. To a work of this kind, men of general reading can recur for fuch information as is fuitable to their purfuits; men of minute enquiry may apply to it for regulating their ftudies, or refreshing their memories; and thofe who venerate the exertions of former times can peruse the biography, by which a fpirit of emulation may be excited. to extend the bounds of human knowledge. To men of every defcription, therefore, who confider mental acquirements as a fource of happiness, fuch a work must be valuable; as it looks back on the past state of science, expatiates on the present, and holds out incitements to produce one ftill more highly improved. Of the neceffity of the publication now before us, and of the plan of the work, the author thus fpeaks in the beginning of the Preface. "Among |