The letters wear indeed the fair appearance of authenticity; and they contain a variety of useful and some entertaining particulars. On the whole, we agree with the editor that those who have any thing to lose should not run the risk of removing to America: but, at the same time, it appears from these letters that industrious labourers, and especially mechanics, stand a much better chance of improving their situation in life, by settling in the dominions of the United States than in any part of Europe; wages being very high, and the taxes very light.

Art. 44. An Exhortation to all People to forsake the Sin of swearing Oaths; being contrary to the express Commands of Jesus Chirst, our Lord and Saviour; and in Opposition to the Writings of Richard Brothers, God's recorded Messenger of Peace; as also the great Prince and Prophet of these latter Days. By Basil Bruce. 8vo. 6d. Riebau. 1798.

It appears that the writer of this pious exhortation was lately an officer in the excise; and that, being under a strong conviction of the sinfulness of office-oaths, he presented a petition to the Board, desiring to be excused from such unchristian swearing, in the exercise of his function; and praying that affirmation might be substituted, as in the case of the Quakers.As this favour could not be obtained, Mr. Bruce submitted to the alternative, and resigned his place. His integrity was laudable, but there is reason to conclude that he was a sufferer by it.

In this pamphlet, the author justly sets forth the enormities which flow from the polluted source of swearing and forswearing; on which subject he earnestly expatiates ;-lamenting and exhibiting the dreadful tendency of such individual and national wickedness; and enforcing his sentiments with many appeals to the holy scrip

tures.

With respect to what the author has introduced concerning Richard Brothers, we shall only observe that Mr. Bruce appears to be a disciple of that famous prophet of the present age; and we doubt not that he really believes the said Mr. Brothers to be a person favoured by special communications with the Divine Being;-that he is the recorded Prince of the Hebrews, and the descendant of David, King of Israel! On this part of the work we leave our readers to their own comments.

Art. 45. Remarks on the Cause and Progress of the Scarcity and Dearness of Cattle, Swine, Cheese, &c. &c. and of the Articles TallowCandles and Soap; poisting out divers Modes for Remedy, and to prevent such Calamity in future; being the Result of great Experience, acquired by dealing at Fairs and Markets, &c. &c. during the last thirty-seven Years. Humbly dedicated to the Prime Minister of England, in behalf of the Community at large, more or less interested therein: together with Hints for the Consideration of Persons having Landed Property, and the Dealers in Cattle. By J. Mathews. 8vo. pp. 234. 6s. Boards. Scarlett, No. 348, Strand, &c. 1797.

A dealer for 37 years at fairs and markets, in order to supply a butcher's shop, cannot be expected to be an adept in authorship. Expe

rience,

rience, like that which is detailed in these pages, must be expected to appear in a plain garb. Mr. M. tells us how things were in days of yore, when white and black puddings were brought to market by the farmers' wives and daughters, and chitterlings nicely cleaned and made up.by the hand of a mat dairy-maid :' but it is in vain to look back to these comfortable old times.-The return of this goldenage of Britain, who expects? The reformation which Mr. M. hopes to effect by his book must fail far short of this; he may think to do something towards lowering the price of articles of the first necessity, but he cannot imagine that he can change the characters of our degenerated farmers, their wives, daughters, and dairy-maids.

Without undertaking to enter into the detail of Mr. M.'s remarks and observations, we would only hint that, in trade and commerce, there are a constant action and re-action; and that his experience ought to have taught him that many of the evils, on which he descants with considerable prolixity and repetition, operate to their own cure, Writers may amuse themselves by giving advice to farmers and breeders of stock but the books of fairs and markets are the only books to which they will attend: by them only are they influenced in the management of their farms. Mr. M. undertakes to say that the war has not been the source of scarcity and dearness of provisions:-we undertake to say that his experience at fairs and markets has not taught him this: did he obtain it from the Prime Minister, to whom his book is dedicated?

He computes that about 4,000,000 sheep and 457,600 cattle are annually slaughtered in the kingdom.

This work reminds us of the writings of Farmer Ellis, of Little Gaddesden, Herts, about half a century ago; in which were many shrewd and useful observations.

Art. 46. Dissertations and Miscellaneous Pieces relative to Asia; or, Asiatic Researches; being the Transactions of the Society insti tuted in Bengal, for inquiring into the History and Antiquities, the Arts, Sciences, and Literature of Asia. Vol. IV. 8vo. London, reprinted from the Calcutta Edition, by Vernor and Hood. 10s. 6d. Boards. 1798.

We have already commenced our Review of this fourth volume of the Asiatic Researches, in Rev. June, p. 121; and the continuation of the article is now going forwards. In the meanwhile, it may be an agreeable piece of information to such of our readers as are unable to procure the quarto edition from Bengal, that an edition in octavo has been issued from the press by Mess. Vernor and Hood, London.

Art. 47. The Prisoners' Defence supported: or an Answer to the Charges and Allegations of George Markham, Vicar of Carlton, in Yorkshire, contained in his Book entitled, "More Truth for the Seekers.". By the Authors of the Defence. 8vo. 9d. or 6s. per Dzen.. Phillips, &c. 1798.

Mo-y

Our readers have already seen our notices of several publications relative to the controversy between the Rev. Mr. Markham and certain of THE FRIENDS, whom he has prosecuted to the utmost saverity of the law, for non-payment of tythes, We recollect that, in speaking

I i4

speaking of one of these publications, we ventured to predict that the prisoners would prove too hard for the Vicar on paper, notwith standing that he had the better of them while he held them so long indurance vile."

They

In the present pamphlet, the now liberated FRIENDS have given their answer to Mr. Markham's "More Truth," &c. and in our opinion, (as far as we can judge without seeing the Vicar's last publication, which our collector has been unable to procure,) this production of the Quakers is an unanswerable performance. here very seriously charge their prosecutor with having been actuated, in his proceedings against them, by a spirit which they consider as highly condemnable, and unworthy of his office, as their parochial minister, &c. &c. whence they conclude that the discountenance and opposition which he has experienced from some of his own order are as honourable to them as disgraceful to our prosecutor': adding, we believe there are few, if any persons of his description, so lost to the sense of humanity and justice, as to pursue a conduct similar to that of George Markham.'

、

6

In our account of the Defence' published by the prisoners in York-castle, M. R. for Nov. 1797, p. 330, we observed that the Legislature had so far interfered in their favour, that they obtained their freedom; in consequence of which, the Justices issued warrants for the amount of the sums decreed against them, respectively, by the Court of Exchequer; with the proportion of costs on each.The final effect of this mode of relief we shall give in the words of the tract before us.

Our effects were seized and sold to great disadvantage, and several of us stripped of nearly all the little furniture of our houses. Even the last bed was taken from several of our families. The ruinous consequences of suits in the Court of Exchequer, will appear to the reader from a comparison of the sum decreed against us for tythes, with that taken from us by the Bailiffs. The amount of the tythes, exclusive of costs, decreed against six of the defendants, was 2051. 10s. 5d. and the value of their property taken, was, according to a fair appraisement, 5071. 35. 3d. That property however was sold for 4181. 19s. 11d. This variation between the amount of the tythes and the value of the goods, is, to persons in straitened circumstances, an important difference; which, added to the loss of property and the improvements from industry, occasioned by our imprisonment, has been painfully felt by some of us. This original sum of 2051. 108. 5d. if divided, and yearly recovered before the Justices, according to the lenient provisions of the Legislature, would have been levied in such small portions, as to render the burden light, in comparison of what we have been made to feel.'

Among the many strictures here passed on the conduct of George Markham, not only with respect to his law-proceedings, but to the language with which he has treated the Quakers in general, in his literary attacks on them as a body, his alleged illiberality' is here reproved with that coolness of temper, and in that simple but energetic style, which are peculiar to this denomination of Christians; and against which nothing but truth (INVINCIBLE TRUTH!) can stand.

For

For particulars, we refer to the pamphlet ;-which will yield better entertainment to the disinterested and impartial reader, than it can be expected to afford to the Vicar of Carlton.

Towards the end of this Defence, the authors enter into the general argument respecting the doctrine of tythes; concerning which they appear to reason well, on scripture ground: but, as we have always been open disapprovers of this mode of providing for the maintenance of the clergy, we shall not now renew the subject.

The writers have recapitulated the main purpose of their present appeal to the public, in the following terms:

The work in which we engaged is now completed; and we persuade ourselves, that we have not laboured in vain. We trust that the reader has received ample proof, that George Markham did not, as a good neighbour and a christian, properly endeavour to obtain his demands before the Justices; and that his apologies for not doing it, are evasive; that after he had forced us into the Court of Exchequer, he voluntarily delayed the business, and increased the expences; and aggravated these injuries, by charging them upon us; that, after he had cast us into prison, he unfeelingly kept us there upwards of two years, without taking any legal steps to obtain the effect of his suit, and relieve us; and laboured to prejudice the public mind-against us, by misrepresentation and abuse; that he proceeded at last to a severe accomplishment of his object, by stripping most of the defendants of nearly the whole of their property; that he has interspersed his work with numerous assertions and reflections, designed to injure us and others, but which have no just foundation: and that, from the real religious scruples which we feel against the payment of tithes, we have a right to liberty of conscience, and to be treated with moderation and charity. After such a series of injuries, and so much abuse, it is surprising to find our opponent declaring, in the last page of his book, "That he could reflect with pride and triumph on his own conduct." Such a pride, and such a triumph, we do not envy him: but we lament that he can pride himself in oppression, and glory in his shame!

We shall now take our leave of George Markham, perhaps, finally. The subject has been so fully discussed, and, we trust, his conduct and misrepresentations so clearly exposed, that it would be an unwarrantable intrusion on the public attention, to call it again to a contest that can be no longer interesting. If he should again come forward, we shall rely on the candour and judgment of his readers. We shall hope that, as so many of his assertions, urged with confidence and plausibility, have been proved to be unfounded, his future charges and statements will be supposed to be equally groundless and fallacious, and equally liable to refutation. We do not, however, mean to preclude ourselves from a reply, if he should advance any thing that is new, and of importance sufficient to demand our notice, and claim the reader's attention. We sincerely wish he may become sensible of his severe and unjust treatment of us, and let what is past of this nature suffice. We feel no animosity against him, no wish to distress him: but, on the contrary, a real desire for his true happiness. A proper sense of his having done

wrong

wrong in this business, would afford us great satisfaction on his acCount. The comfort to be derived from such a change of mind, would bury in oblivion every painful remembrance of the sufferings which he has occasioned. That this may yet be the happy issue of the controversy between us, is our sincere and earnest desire.'. Art. 48. A Dictionary of Quotations in most frequent Use; taken from the Greek, Latin, French, Spanish, and Italian Languages, translated into English, with Illustrations Historical and Idiomatie. Small 8vo. pp. 120. 33. Boards. Robinsons. 1797.

It is truly remarked by this author that, at one period of our Eterary history, an attempt to form a dictionary of this kind might have been fruitless, if not impracticable: it may also be true, in a certain degree, that memory and not taste was consulted in citing passages from the antients: but he is rather fastidious, when, speaking of those tedious and frequent quotations, he adds, which "larded the leanness" of our earlier writers ;'-for, as our granddames had beauty in what we may call their odd and fantastic dresses, so these pristine writers had sense and spirit amid their affectations, fancies, and forms.-The performance before us will probably be acceptable to the mere English reader. Citations from other languages ought, indeed, to be translated, except in books purely designed for the learned: but as there has been and yet continues a blameable inattention in this respect, which we trust is now correcting, it must be agreeable to many to have recourse to a work of this kind. A farther account of the present dictionary will be found in the writer's own words:

If it had been the aim of the compiler to have made a large book, the task might easily have been effected. His object was of a more limited nature. He has for some years looked into every pubFication political or miscellaneous, and he trusts that his diligence has been such as to miss but few of the quotations which are most popular, or of the phrases most necessary to be understood. The readers of news-papers in particular will find, on reference, nearly all those Mots d'Usage with which those who know but little affect to impose on those who have learned something less.'

The Latin language, as might be supposed, principally occupies the pages of this compilement. A few law phrases, which every day occur, are concisely (perhaps too briefly) added to the list. The following specimens may assist the reader's judgment. • Arcum intensia frangit, animum remissio. Straining breaks the bow, relaxation the mind. Our proverb has it, that the bow which is always bent must break : This properly adds, that the mind will in time lose its powers, unless they are called into occasional activity.' Does not this last explication fall short of the force of the original?- Calum, non animum, mutant qui tuam mare currunt. Hor. Those who cross the seas, change their climate, but not their mind. This maxim is meant to enforce, what all must admit, that weak minds, and those incapable of observation, can derive but little advantage from the survey of foreign countries.'— We have inserted this well-known adage, chiefly on account of the remarkable erratum of tuam instead of trans: but we ought also to notice the singular turn which our compiler gives to this just remark of the

poct