have ftrengthened the argument to have fhown (Deut. v. 15) that. among other ufes, the fabbath of the Jews tended to keep alive in them a fenfe of their deliverance from the bondage in Egypt.

In the duties of the fecond Table, the author has left us to regret that he did not enlarge his obfervations on fome parts of them. In the fifth difcourfe, he has treated the fubject of our political obliga tions in a very able manner. Bu the fituations of families, in all their relations, are fo interefting, and involve fo much of the welfare and happiness of life, that we cannot help withing he had appropriated one entire difcourfe for the mutual obligations of perfons in those fituations. We will not enlarge our remarks upon the various parts, which have particularly engaged our attention; but we cannot pafs by the feventh difcourfe without noticing that, in the duties which attach to early manhood, the expofition is warm to the feelings, and level to the understanding, with expreffions on a very delicate fubject, of peculiar propriety.

Great praise must be bestowed on the accurate diftinction which is preferved through this work, in defining the duties towards God, our neighbours, and ourfelves; and though certainly many perfons will not derive fresh information from it, yet to numbers it will convey moft important inftruction.

ART. 38. A Sermon, preached in the Chapel of Stamford-Hill, Middlefex, on Thursday, November 29, 1798, being the Day appointed by bis Majefty's Proclamation for a General Thanksgiving, for the glorious Victory obtained by his Majefty's Ships, under the Command of RearAdmiral Lord Nelson of the Nile, over the French Fleet, and for the other Succeffes of his Majefty's Naval Forces. By John Robert Scott, D. D. Chaplain to his Grace the Duke of Leinfter. Published at the Requeft of the Congregation who heard it on that Day. Second Edition. 410. 22 pp. Bateman. 1801.

The exordium of this discoufe, on Pfalm cvii, 31, is a panegyric, in general terms, upon the Pfalms of David; which are faid to "abound in the nobleft ftrains of poetry, which would fuffer no diminution, when compared with the fublimeft productions of heathen genius." P. 5. This is a feeble and degrading fort of praife; much like that which we noticed in our 15th volume, p. 558, where the oratory of St. Paul is faid to "difplay a dignity and pathos, not inferior to the nobleft paffages of Cicero's or Erskine's eloquence." In the body of his difcourfe, the preacher undertakes to fhow the grounds of the duty of thanksgiving, as it is incumbent on individuals, and on focieties; namely," the power and the providence of the Supreme, in the debility and the dependance of man; in the consciousness of bleffings enjoyed; and in the overflowing burts of gratitude for their abounding mea, fure." P. 7. The laft particular feems to be rather the very exercise of thankfgiving, than one of the grounds of it. The ftyle of this Sermon, in many inftances, offends our taste; as, "however infinite in thought the mind of man may be, yet" the torrid flames of a burning fever may calcine all its ideas" (p. 8)-" acquire frefh impulfes of cogency" (p. 11)-" worshipped a painted prostitute picked up from the ftews." P. 20. The whole difcourfe is a flight piece of rhetoric.

ART,

ART. 39. A Sermon, preached before the University of Cambridge, on Sunday, November 2, 1800. By Robert Luke, B.D. Fellow of Sidney Suffix College. 4to. Is. Rivingtons. 1800.

At p. 446, of our fixteenth volume, the reader will find notice taken of a former difcourfe from Mr. Luke. The author feems in fome refpects to have followed the advice which was there given, and to have adhered with greater clofenefs to the subject which he undertakes to illuftrate. Still we obferve nothing of peculiar energy, which rendered the publication of this Sermon neceffary. The credit of good meaning is most unquestionably due; but having faid this, we are rather inclined to deprecate the publication of fingle Sermons, unless recommended by fome peculiar circumftances of fituation and character, fome local connection, or fome folicitation not eafily to be refused.

ART. 40. A Sermon, preached at the Affizes held at Wisbech, August 7, 1800, before Henry Gwillim, Efq. Chief Justice of the Isle of Ely. By Cæfar Morgan, D. D. Vicar of Wisbech, and Chaplain to the Lord Bishop of Ely. Published at the Request of the Magiftrates prefent.

8vo. 21 PP. IS. White, Wifbech; Rivingtons, London.

The preacher difcourfes, through feveral pages, with no small fhow of metaphyfical learning, concerning the efficacy and utility of volition, or choice, in matters of small moment; and the duty of caution and circumspection in all others. To this part of the Sermon, the hearers (one or two excepted) probably liftened with great admiration, and with little comprehenfion and edification. The text (Pfalm cxi, 10) is then adverted to, but is foon difmiffed from notice. Much of the remainder of the difcourfe is occupied by a panegyric upon the learned and worthy Chief-Juftice;" with which, if we do not greatly mistake, he would willingly have difpenfed. To bestow due praise in a right manner, is in all cafes a matter of fome delicacy and difficulty; to beftow it thus in a man's prefence, is incomparably more difficult; and in a church alfo, confummately difficult. Dr. M. does not appear to us to have encountered all these difficulties with much felicity. That the encomium here delivered is jult, we very strongly atteft; but is in our judgment much too broad and direct, to have been pronounced under all the circumstances we have mentioned. The whole difcourfe has many more of the qualities of an ingenious effay, than of an edifying Sermon.

ART. 41. A Sermon, preached at Scarborough, on Sunday, September 28, 1800; and publifhed by the Requeft of the Bailiffs and Burgaffes of the Corporation of that Town. By J. A. Busfield, A. M. of Clare Hall, Cambridge, and Chaplain to Major General the Right Honour able Lord Mufgrave. 8vo. 15. Johnfor. 1801.

At p. 688, of our fixteenth volume, we noticed a Sermon by this well-intentioned author. We think this difcourfe much less liable to the objections which were there made, and to breathe a manly fenfe of piety and devotion.

ART.

ART. 42. A Sermon, preached at the Parish Church of St. Mary in Beverley, on Wednesday, March 12, 1800, being the Day appointed for a General Faf. By the Rev. Robert Rigby, Vicar. 8vo. 15 pp. IS. Turner, Beverley; Scatchard, London. 1800.

Good and ufeful exhortation, from Joel ii, 13, with much plainnefs of ftyle and argument.

ART. 43. An Argument concerning the Chriftian Religion, drawn from the Character of the Founders. 8vo. 2s. Robinfons. 1800. This is the translation from the French of M. Verret, of Geneva. The arguments in favour of Chriftianity are not indeed novel; but they are advanced with great force, perfpicuity, and precifion. The conclufion of the author will be admitted, not only by every true believer, but by every man who feels the force of logical difcuffion. He who difbelieves in Chrift, muft admit paradoxes contrary to every thing we know of man and of his nature, and contrary to all the examples with which we are furnished from hiftory.

LAW.

ART. 44. A Practical Treatise upon the Law of Annuities: wherein the different Securities for Annuities, and the Remedies for the Recovery · thereof are fully exemplified. Together with the Determinations of the Courts on the "Conftruction of the Annuity Act. To which is added, a large Collection of Precedents, drawn and accurately fettled in the Courfe of Practice, and adapted to every Species of Property that can be made an effectual Security for an Anuity; with Memorials thereof, whereby the fame may be prepared with Eafe, Precifion, and Difpatch. By Robert Witby, of Craven-Street, Solicitor. Evo. 526 pp. 10s. 6d. Butterworth. 1801.

Mr. Withy's view in publifhing this book is, as he fays, " to increase the prefent depreciated value of annuities, and remove that odium which has hitherto attended such transactions." P. 104. It is not a little doubtful, whether any learned labour could accomplish the Herculean task propofed by the author, or whether it would not work a mifchief if it were attained. The mode of borrowing money upon annuities, ftrictly fo called (that is) where the fecurity is merely perfonal, is nothing but a fuccefsful device to evade the ftatutes of ufury. Upon the principle, therefore, that the latter are politically wife, it might have been better to have prohibited the former altogether, unless granted according to a prefcribed table of value, rather than attempt to fhackle them by technical and unavailing regulations. The melancholy experience of Courts of Juftice fhows, that fome of the faireft tranfactions of this fort have been overfet, and the widow and the aged stripped of their only fupport, from being entangled in thefe ftatutory provifions; while the ufurer, again whofe contrivances they were in tended to guard, eludes its operation, but doubles his premium, under the pretext of guarding against the risk of a defective fecurity, which

he

he takes care to prevent, and of which no honeft man would (fo far as he was perfonally concerned) take advantage of, if it did exift.

Confidering Mr. W.'s work as a treatise on the law of annuities, as eftablished by 17 Geo. III. it is not ill done, and fhows that he is well qualified, at leaft fo far as an intimate knowledge of the fubject can render him fo, for the managing this fort of tranfactions. We fufpect this to be the chief defign of his publishing, and that we have paid him the most fubftantial compliment in our power, when we have acknowledged his capacity for this fort of agency. The book itself does not fuperfede the ufe of Mr. Hunt's more fcientific treatife; and it is become almost neceffary, in charity to the legal profeffion, to difcourage the growing practice of multiplying books upon the same subject, when nothing new is added in point of matter or arrangement. The precedents, however, which occupy the greater part of the volume, feem well chofen and correctly drawn.

ART. 45. A Summary of the Law of Set-Off: with an Appendix of Cafes argued and determined in the Courts of Law and Equity upon that Subject. By Bafil Montagu, of Gray's Inn, Efq. Barrister at Law. 127 PP. 6s. Mawman, and Butterworth. 1801.

Mr. Montagu collects and combines, in the body of the work, the feveral points and diftinctions which are to be found on this particular branch of the law, and gives, in the shape of notes, an abridgment of the various cafes in which the pofitions that he lays down have been established or recognized. His fubject is but of recent origin, and of course his remarks could not be either deep or extenfive. Whatever it did admit of, Mr. M. has performed with accuracy and diligence. He has paid particular attention to his arrangement, which is well done, but rather too oftentatioufly difplayed. Indeed we wish to fuggeft to him on this head, that he would have made his fubject more eafily comprehended, if he had pofiponed the confideration of his divifion, entitled, "Set-off at Common Law," until he had treated of that which he entitles "Set-off by Statute." The former has evidently grown out of the two Acts of Parliament which created the latter. No cafe is to be found on the books refpecting it, until fome time after they had paffed, and it is no more than an equitable application by courts of law, of the principle eftablished by ftatute to matters peculiarly within their difcretion, fuch as the fetting-off reciprocal judgments and cofts against each other. To profeflional men, however, for whofe ufe this fummary is principally defigned, this flight defect will not detract from its utility. The feveral reported cafes determined upon this fubject, are brought together in the shape of an Appendix to the work itfelf. As they had all been principally abridged with fufficient accuracy in the notes, to infert them a fecond time is at beft a piece of ufclefs tautology. Mr. M. might have taken his choice, either to infert his own abridgment, or the cafe itself, as it appears in full in the books; but to encumber his book with both, ferves only to fwell the fize, and thereby enhance the price of the publication, without giving any thing of real value to the purchafer.

POLITICS.

POLITICS.

ART. 46. A View of a Course of Lectures, to be commenced of Monday, May 11, 1801; on the State of Society, at the Opening of the Nineteenth Century; containing Inquiries into the Conftitutionss Laws, and Manuers of the Principal States of Europe. By Henry Redhead Yorke, of the Inner Temple, Student at Lar. 8vo. 45 PP. 15. Clement. 1801.

With what fuccefs the Lectures here referred to have commenced. and how far they have proceeded, we have not yet been informed. But the fubject which Mr. Yorke has undertaken to illuftrate, is unqueftionably of high importance; and, from the perufal of this introductory treatife, we are induced to form fanguine hopes of the ability and judgment with which all the topics it embraces will be difcuffed. The author begins with a very candid admission that, although we have an honeft prepoffeffion in favour of our own national inftitutions, we should not be unmindful that, under forms of polity mate rially different from our own, the feveral communities of Europe have enjoyed a degree of relative happiness, proportioned to their educa tion, their habits, and their moral condition."-" The common object," he adds, "of every European government, and indeed of all government, is the PUBLIC GOOD; but the comprehenfive views which are exerted in its attainment, and the mode in which it is to be exercised, when attained, depend on a variety of circumstances totally distinct from any notions of metaphyfical perfection." He purfues this train of reafoning further, and argues ftrongly against "unfettling the opinions of any people, and expofing their happiness to the sport of chance.", Yet by this reafoning, he very properly adds, it is not meant to "weaken the partiality we bear, and the preference we juftly give, to our own over the polity of every other nation of the habitable globe." We augur well of a work, the author of which sets out upon principles fo rational and juft.

Mr. Yorke proceeds to anfwer the queftion, which may be put by an objector, how, if public good be the object of all government, are we to reconcile to it thofe undifguifed violations of juftice, and those wanton acts of cruelty which are often perpetrated on the continent of Europe?" The above question is obviated in the most fatisfactory manner; and this part of the Introduction (though not exprefsly directly to that object) affords an admirable reply to those who have alledged inftances of mifconduct in regular governments, in order to palliate the atrocities of revolutionary France.

The next object of Mr. Yorke is, to fhow that the new century opens with events of fuch extraordinary magnitude, as to require that kind of previous knowledge which he propofes to communicate; in order that we may be "fortified and prepared against the confequences which are likely to arife from them." Here he gives a juft defcription of modern metaphyfical politicians, and points out the chief error of their fyftems. In remarking on the changes that have taken place in the ideas of mankind, he most forcibly paints "the feature fo pro

minently