• Culture, expences, and produce of three roods, field M*, 1764, &c.

Culture.] I chofe three pieces of land of no larger fize for this comparison on many accounts, which I have more than once explained, that the experiment might be totally under command, and no inequalities arife from not being able to act perfectly fimilar to three divifions. I could have taken three acres for it with as much ease as three roods, but the authority of the trial would not have been equal: three acres to each divifion would have pleased many, but then the authority would have been absolutely destroyed.

• The foil of thefe Foods is perfectly the fame, a good gravelly loam found enough for turneps, and at the same time strong and rich enough for wheat. The preceding culture had also been exactly the fame; yielding barley in 1763, the stubble of which was ploughed up in November.

One of these roods I dedicated to the culture of wheat alone in the horse-hoeing husbandry, on the principle of Mr. Tull: this rood I fhall call N° 1. Another I apply to the horse hoeing culture, but the crops varied; this is N 2. The third is to be crop ped in the common Suffolk method broadcast, No 3.

My plan was to manure N° 2 and 3 equally, but not No r. in compliance with Mr. Tull alfo, though much against my own idea. I asked a friend's opinion on this point: and he was clearly in favour of manuring it like the reft, left a falfe idea in Mr. Tull, fhould bring me into an unfair treatment of the mode.

Before I infert the register, I fhould obferve here, (instead of numerous repetitions which I have ftruck out) that the treatment of the roods, was as fimilar as the cafe would allow; N° 1. being very different, could not be guided by either of the others, but the manure is precifely equal to all. N° 2, and 3, began each with turnips, for which crop every operation was performed at the fame hour; but different crops following, the fame rule could not afterwards be preferved. The general plan of doing equal juftice to all according to their respective natures, was minutely executed, which I was enabled without difficulty to do from the fmallness of the pieces.

• Account of N° I.

1764.] Ploughed up the barley ftubble in November, 1763. Io March, 1764, gave it the first spring earth; ploughed it once more in April, and harrowed it thrice, this left it fine, and many weeds fprouting, they were turned down by the fourth earth, the first week in June; ftirred it again in July; in Auguft threw it into five feet ridges by the fixth earth; the firft week in September manured them with five loads of rotten farm yard dung; turned it in by arching up the ridges, and harrowing once; drilled three rows of wheat at a foot afunder on each, leaving the intervals confequently three feet wide; the quantity of feed a peck and a half.

1765.] The rows carried a very beautiful appearance through the fpring; the firft horfe hoeing was given the 28th of March, turning a furrow from the rows, and throwing up a small ridge in in the middle of each interval; hand hoed the rows the 10th of April with fix inch hoes, and plucking out by hand the weeds that grew among the corn; May 9th, horfe hoed the fecond time con

trary

ful, in a moral fenfe, from what is deteftable, to fee the amiableness of virtue, and the deformity of vice It confists of obfervations and reflections on ambition, love, avarice, prodigality, anger, revenge, envy, jealousy, cruelty, compassion, and other fubjects, illuftrated with fhort historical anecdotes and examples. The tale entitled Zara fhews the inconveniences and the calamities which frequently attend imprudent love.

Books of this kind, if they are written with elegance and tafté, have an advantage over dry, prolix, and elaborate treatifes; because they convey inftruction under the appearance of amufement, and allure the giddy and the thoughtless to read and reflect.

37. A New Syftem of Geography, or a General Defcription of the World. Containing a particular and circumftantial Account of all the Countries, Kingdoms, and States of Europe, Asia, Africa, and America. Their Situation, Climates, Mountains, Seas, Rivers, Lakes, &c. The Religion, Manners, Cuftoms, Manufacturee, Trade, and Buildings of the Inhabitants, &c. &c. Embellished with a new and accurate Set of Maps, by the best Geographers, and a great Variety of Copper Plates. By D. Fenning, J. Collyer, and others. Folio. 31. 3. Johnfon.

In the Critical Review for July 1767, we obferved that this was one of the most comprehenfive Syftems of Geography in the English language; whether it was confidered with regard to.. topographical description, natural history, or the manners, customs, and government of different countries; that it exhibited fuch an account of the various parts of the globe, as was both interefting and curious; and that being compiled from the most approved writers, it would be at once entertaining and inftructive.

It gives us pleasure to find that the fentiments of the public have so far coincided with our opinion, as to occafion the publication of a third edition of this ufeful work. Some fresh improvements are here made from the writings of the latest travellers ; the maps are more elegant than formerly; fome new ones are added; and the whole has been carefully revised by Mr. Collyer, one of the principal authors of the work. The prefent edition, therefore, muft merit in a ftill higher degree the approbation of the public.

38. Animadverfions on Dr. Stewart's Computation of the Sun's Distance from the Earth. By John Landen, F. R. S. 4to. 15. Nourse.

Some few years after Dr. Matthew Stewart had published his Mathematical Tracts, wherein that gentleman affures the world he has afcertained the folar force affecting the gravity of

the

the moon to the earth, and from that has calculated very ac curately the mean distance of the fun from the earth, there appeared a small pamphlet, containing four propofitions on the diftance of the fun from the earth, of which we gave an account in our Review for September 1769; and delivered it as our opinion, that the distance of the fun from the earth could not be accurately determined from the known laws of gravitation; which we have now the pleasure to find corroborated by one of the most eminent mathematicians of the prefent age, who, in the work now before us, has clearly fhewn, that even after the most rigid correction of Dr. Stewart's mistakes, the distance of the fun from the earth may upon his (the doctor's) own principles, be either four million, or one hundred and nineteen million of miles, (admitting the mean diftance of the moon from the earth to be two hundred and forty thoufand miles) a circumstance, as Mr. Landen obferves, fufficient to invalidate every hypothefis, advanced by Dr. Stewart in fupport of the theory upon which his calculations are founded. 39. An Efay on the Myfiery of Tempering Steel. Wherein the Effects of that Operation are fully confidered. Extracted from the Works of the celebrated Monf. Reaumur. By J. Savigny. 8vo. 15. Kearly.

The author of this Effay endeavours to account for three phænomena obfervable in the tempering of fteel. The firft is the induration of the metal, the second its expanfion, and the third its friability. In regard to induration, he fuppofes it to be produced by the fudden immerfion of the heated iron in cold water, which fixes the cohesion of its particles on the furface; the falts and oils, or phlogistic part of the iron, which had been fused, are thereby prevented from mixing equally again with the whole mafs. He imagines the expansion of the fteel to be produced by the fame action of the water, condenfing at once its external furface, and preventing the exit of the fiery matter, which had penetrated during the application of heat. He accounts for the third phænomenon upon the fame principle with the firft; alledging the friability of fteel to be produced by the falts and oils, which had been liquefied by the heat, and were formerly diffufed through the interstices of the ferruginous particles, being confined to the more internal parts by the fudden immersion in water.

Notwithstanding the theory of this author is ingenious and plaufible, we must be of opinion, that the natural effects in tempering fteel are as much a myftery as before.

*

THE

CRITICAL REVIEW.

For the Month of May, 1771.

ARTICLE I.

Memoirs of Great Britain and Ireland. From the Diffolution of the laft Parliament of Charles II. until the Sea-Battle off La Hogue. By Sir John Dalrymple, Bart. 4to.

Cadell.

TH

185. boards.

HESE Memoirs, which relate to the most important period of British hiftory, were undertaken by the advice of the late right honourable Charles Yorke, to whofe memory they are infcribed; who likewife advifed the author not to truft to printed books for materials, but to procure access to original papers. In confequence of this admonition, it appears, that Sir John Dalrymple has induftriously exerted himfelf in procuring useful manufcripts in England, Scotland, and France. We cannot help regretting, however, that fo valuable a work as is here presented to the public, should not have been enriched with the evidence of those family-memoirs in London of great authority, which the author was anxious to have seen, and for obtaining which, we wish he had cons defcended to the neceffary train of follicitation.

Befides the authority of original papers, Sir John Dalrymple has adopted several anecdotes tranfmitted by oral tradition, which he confiders as of fufficient authenticity when generally current, and relative to a period fo late and interesting as that which is the subject of the Memoirs. We have no reafon to queftion the truth of any anecdote introduced by the author in this work, though we must be of opinion, that a general VOL. XXXI, May, 1771, Z ad,

admiffion of traditional evidence is dangerous to the credibility of hiftory. Though it be allowed, that neither the opportunities of information of the firft hiftorians of any period may be fufficient to collect all the materials that are requifite for an explicit detail of facts, nor their fanction be of adequate confideration to ftamp unquestionable authenticity on fubjects of common report; yet there certainly ought to remain a great degree of referve, in adopting circumftances that are not founded on more particular authority than that of common fame. As many of the transactions which history relates, depend originally on the evidence of a few individuals, common report can be confidered, in fuch cases, only as a general echo to the voice of its respective authors, and its authority therefore ought not to be estimated by the general credit it may obtain, but by that which feems due by the laws of evidence to the teftimony of the original propagators. We are, however, fully fatisfied with the authenticity of the traditional anecdotes related by this author, as they are adopted under fuch limitations as can offer no violence to historical faith; and, as he informs us, that, in the course of his researches, he has often found a current report, of which no one can tell the origin, authenticated by a number of original papers, which is fuch a collateral proof of authenticity as can admit of no doubt.

The author has prefixed to these Memoirs, a judicious review of the political ftate of England, from the commencement of the monarchy until the Restoration; as also a review of events after that period, more particularly connected with his fubject. We are fenfible of the great difficulty which every hiftorian must labour under, in giving an account of the reign of Charles II. as it is well known that the arcana of governmet, especially what related to foreign negociations, were never preserved more inviolable than by that prince, who to an extraordinary degree of affability joined the most profound diffimulation, and an univerfal diftruft of his fervants.

We agree with Sir John Dalrymple, that the best key to the fecrets of that reign lies in the dispatches of Barillon, the French ambaffador; and it gives us pleasure to find, that such application has been made to the miniftry at Versailles, for copies of these dispatches, that the author cannot fail of obtaining them. When they are procured, the publication of them would certainly be highly acceptable; and if Sir John Dal, rymple would, at the fame time, favour the world with a com plete edition of the original papers he has made use of in his work, we hope that the expence of a fecond volume is a tax which the public would pay with chearfulness, when it was

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