liament by Mr. Banks, in which charges are brought against the people of Ireland as guilty of infurrection, diforder, revolt, and rebellion. To repel thefe charges is the immediate object of this author, but his chief view is to procure an unqualified exemption of the Catholics from the remaining difabilities which attach to them. "The prejudices," which (this author fays) are entertained by a few perfons, but affected to be entertained by many more, against the people of Ireland, originate in partial narratives, written to ferve the interests of different factions which have, fince the reign of Henry the Second (by uniformly calumniating Ireland) impofed on the good people of England, that they might be warranted in, their manifold iniquities." He therefore deems that," a few obfervations on thofe factions may not, at this moment, be thought irrelevant." Thefe obfervations accompany an hiftorical detail; for which the author (in a note) acknowledges himself to be indebted to Dr. Curry's "Hiftorical and Critical Review of the Civil Wars in Ireland." We have not that work before us; but the copy appears to us not undeferving the very character which this writer gives of the reprefentations of his adversaries, and to be (as is faid of them) " a partial narrative written to serve the interefts," we will not fay " of a faction;" but of a religion, the profeffors of which, though moft numerous in Ireland, form a minority, comparatively inconfiderable, when we estimate the population of the British empire. Many indeed of the facts stated, are fupported by refpectable authorities; and there can be no doubt, that for feveral reigns after the conquefts of Henry the Second, the negligence or partiality of the English government gave room to numerous abufes and oppreffions in thofe who bore the chief fway in Ireland. In that period of the Irish hiftory, upon which the writer chiefly dwells (namely, the reign of Charles the Firft and the Protectorate) we agree to many of his statements; and have no doubt, that when the Puritans had any fway or influence, the Irish, being in general of the Catholic perfuafion, were grievously oppreffed. Yet, even in the account of this ara, we fhould perhaps, on a comparison of the different biftorians, find that there are fome exaggerations, and fome fuppreffions. In after times, we cannot, all circumftances confidered, blame the Irish for their adhering, as long as poffible, to the fallen fortunes of James the Second. Admitting, however, that the Irish Catholics in former ages were "more finned againft than finning," admitting that it was time they should receive the most ample toleration, ftill the expediency of invetting them with political power, may be a matter of very ferious doubt.

In the latter part of this tract the author, though he ftigmatizes throughout the oppofers of the Catholics as Jacobins, feems to have thoroughly imbibed the principles and opinions of Oppofition. Mr. Pitt, who is generally fuppofed to have facrificed his power to the fup'port of the Catholic claims, is yet attacked upon every occafion. The projected measures of Parliamentary Reform, and what the Irish Oppofition called an adminiftration refponfible to the people of that country" (meafures which, in the manner projected, would probably have produced an entire fepatation of the two kingdoms) were, it

fecras,

feems, defeated by the Jacobin arts of the late Minifter, and (what Teems to be confidered as a facrilege by this writer) the portrait of the great and good Mr. Grattan was taken down from fome place where it had been hung up. This conduct is alfo compared to that of the revolutionary faction in France !!! A short account of the proceedings in the Irish Parliament, refpecting the claims of the Catholics, follows; in which the indecent manner of treating the argument arifing from the Coronation Oath (p. 105) is peculiarly reprehenfible. We have shown on other occafions, that we are far from thinking Mr. Butler's bjections to that argument to unanfwerable and conclufive as this author fuppofes. A mixture of violent declamations, grofs miftatements, and arguments that have been often anfwered, fills the concluding part of this work. It is an unpleasant task to queftion any favourable account of national character; and we most readily give credit to the Irish for many verv excellent qualities; but when the affertion of Sir John Davis, refpecting their ready obedience and attachment to the laws, is applied to modern times, we would ask this writer (not to mention numerous other proofs) what he thinks of the neceffity, which certainly exifted in feveral parts of Ireland within thefe few years, if it does not ftill, of fupporting the sheriff in execut ing writs of poffeffion by a military force? What he would fay to the frequent inftances of young women of fortune and rank being carried off by armed banditti, from the midft of their relations and friends, and at noon day? But we have faid enough concerning this intemperate defender of the Catholics. We would not advise them to truft their caufe to advocates of this defcription; and particularly to a writer, who seems to us to want candour, as much as his language fails in elegance, and even in decency.

ART. 33. The different Effects of Peace and War on the Price of BreadCorn; confidered in an Examination of Principles attempted to be efta blished from the yearly Rates of the Market, by J. Brand, Cl. M. A. &c. &c. By John Duthy, Efq. Author of Obfervations on the high Price of Provifions. 8vo. 60 pp. 19. 6d. Wallis. 1801.

In a former work, on the fame fubject, this author had stated, that the fcarcity and dearnefs of provifions "arofe partly from the difpenfations of Providence, and partly from the mifconduct of Minifters;" intimating, that the war was one of the principal causes of fcarcity, and affuming (without proof) that our Ministers, by their mifconduct, were the authors of it. This affertion (the author complains) has been termed inflammatory, whereas he deems it conciliatory. Whatever epithet it may thought to merit, we conceive that of candid will not, at all events, be applied to it; unless it can be deemed fo to prejudge a queftion of ftate policy (nay to decide it againft the general opinion) in arguing a queftion of political economy. But although party may, and we think has, influenced the opinion of this writer, it is but fair to ftate (as fully as our limits admit) the arguments by which it is fupported, and to place his controverfy with Mr. Brand in a clear light. Mr. Brand had maintained that “war has a tendency to lower the prices of bread-corn," and anfwered the feveral allegations by which it in attempted

X x 2

attempted to fhew, "that war raifes the prices of provisions, and principally corn." To these anfwers, the writer before us replies with confiderable ingenuity. But as the reafoning on both fides muft unavoidably be, in a great degree, a priori, and depend so much upon mere opinion, we deem it most material to ftate the argument which is founded upon authentic documents and acknowledged facts, and where the parties differ only in the mode of afcertaining that fact. The foundation of Mr. Brand's fyftem is (as the author before juftly obferves) his fecond mode of determining the difference of the effects of war and peace on the price of wheat by the yearly registers of prices." He therefore gave a table of the price of a quarter of wheat in every year, of every term of war and peace, with the average of each term, from the Revolution to the end of the Peace of 1783. From this table it clearly appeared, that the average price of wheat, during each term of peace, was higher than the average price of the fame article during the correfponding term of war. The only queftions therefore will be, whether or not, Mr. B.'s table be conftructed upon right principles? and whether founded or not, upon authentic documents? In the latter of thefe points, his antagonist cannot impeach it, excepting as to the fhort term from 1776 to 1770, both inclufive; the prices for which term are taken by Mr. Brand, from "Lord Hawkesbury's Office" (we prefume the Office of the Board of Trade) and by this writer from the Audit Books of Eton College, being more, as he admits, for his argument. But the moft material difference between thefe writers, is in the principle on which their refpective tables are conftructed. Mr. B. has made every term of war" to begin at the first noted act of hoftilities, and to end at the day of their ceffation by compact." But the writer before us (deeming that the effects of peace will not ceafe to operate till fome time after the commencement of war," and that "thofe of war will continue to be felt for a confiderable period after the conclufion of peace") calculates the influence of each ftate, as extending at least two years beyond the period of its nominal continuance," and has accordingly, in conftructing his tables, " annexed the two firft years of every fubfequent term, whether of peace or war, to the term which immediately precedes it."" By this alteration in the conftruction of Mr. B.'s table, i. e. by the different arrangement of the terms, and by the reduction of the prices in one of them, the balance," fays this author, "is compleatly reverfed, and it will appear, that the price of wheat in peace has been less than in war, by confiderably more than 51. per

cent.

It is not our province to decide on this controverfy; but we cannot help remarking, that the principle upon which Mr. Duthy's table is founded, does not feem to be made out to the extent which can warrant him in fo conftructing it. The influence of war on the price of provifions, muft undoubtedly (to a certain degree) commence with the war itself, and must have obtained, if not is full, yer a very extenfive operation, long before the expitation of two years from the begin. ning of hoftilities; fince, as foon as any confiderable augmentation of our land and fea-forces is determined upon, the manufactories which fupply them with provifions are fet to work upon a more extenfive

scale,

fcale, and large contracts are made, or commiffions to purchase given; which speedily create additional demands on the market, and alarm it by the profpect of further purchafes. On the other hand, we know, by what is paffing at the prefent moment as well as by former experience, that, on the profpect of peace, although our army and navy be not immediately reduced, the probability (approaching to a certainty, on the fignature of Preliminaries) that a great reduction will fpeedily be made, and that, at all events, diftent fervices which require large depôts of provifions, cannot reafonably be expected to take place, caufes an immediate fufpenfion of war-contracts, and a diminution of the quantity of provifions (efpecially of bifcuit) manufactured by the fervants of Government. In addition to this circumftance, it is notorious, that within a very fhort period after every peace, large quantities of government provifions have been fold by public auction, and in a proportionate degree relieved the market. In our opinion, therefore, fo far as we have examined the question, the table of Mr. Brand (if not quite according with thefe facts) appears to be conftructed on a more juft principle than that of the writer before us. Neither can we ag with Mr. Duthy in forming an average price for the prefent war (which, it will be obferved, contains two years of very uncommon fcarcity) during its continuance; fince there can be little doubt, that a year or two of plenty would have confiderably reduced his average. After all, on the principle of this writer, the general average of war prices (even including the prefent war) exceeds that of peace by about five per cent only. How flight then is the foundation upon which

fo much clamour has been raifed!

MISCELLANIES.

ART. 34. The Way to Speak well made eafy for Youth by the chief Words of the English Tongue claffed in Sentences, according to the Num ber of their Syllables: with a fhort Dictionary at the End of each Book. Containing four feparate Divifions, Subftantives, Adjectives, Verbs, and Particles. 12mo. 140 pp. 39. Cadell and Davies.

1801.

According to the plan mentioned in the preceding title-page, the prefent publication can be only the first book of a larger work, containing the clafs of monofyllables. There is much ingenuity in the method, though fome of the examples betray hafte in the felection; and, if confidered as rules, would not teach the ftudent to speak well. Thus it cannot correctly be faid that "feaks broil," as in p. 9. Steaks are broiled, the fire broils them. Some words might better have been avoided, as being obfolete, or of little ufe; fuch as Chards, Dorns, Spalt. &c. The firft and third of which the scholar will feek in vain even in the dictionary annexed; which certainly ought to have contained them. The Claffes of Leffons for reading are twelve, in which divifion, and its fubdivifions, the author has followed the method of the new French Pafigraphy, of which we shall foon lay before our readers a detailed account. The claffes are twelve: 1. beings;

2. vegetables; 3. animals; 4. man; 5. mind; 6. fociety; 7. trade; 8. art; 9. fcience; 10. time; 11. perfons; 12 place. Here, however, it is obvious that BEINGS is too general a term, as it includes properly the three next claffes. Animals also properly includes man. The Appendix may ferve to make a flight comparifon between the English, French, Italian, and German languages, but cannot afford much inftruction.

*. We understand that this work was commenced to serve as a fubftitute for a method employed, certainly without much judgment, at feveral boarding schools near the metropolis, that of learning Entick's Dictionary by heart, page by page. It would not be fufficient commenda. tion of the plan here begun to fay merely that it is much better than that; it is in truth ingeniously imagined, and likely to be effectual, if properly completed, and employed."

ART. 35. Select Amufements in Philofophy and Mathematics; proper for agreeably exercifing the Minds of Youth. Tranflated from the French of M. L. Defpiau, formerly Professor of Mathematics and Philofophy at Paris. With feveral Corrections and Additions, particularly a large Table of the Chances or Odds at Play. The Whole recommended as an ufeful Book for Schools. By Dr. Hutton, Profeffer of Mathematics at Woolwich. 12mo. 397 pp. 5s. 6d. Keariley. 1801.

This is the moft convenient in form, and altogether the best book of the kind, we have ever seen. It is more rational, and better conducted, than Hooper's Rational Recreations, and is not, like that book, extended to an unfair and inconvenient magnitude and expence. A teftimony in its favour is produced, in a Letter from Dr. Hutton, who fpeaks of it decidedly as a very curious and ingenious work, comprifing a great deal of useful matter in a small compafs, and well adapted for communicating the knowledge of a great variety of intereffing particulars, in a manner at once familiar, clear, and amufing." arithmetical amufements are, in our opinion, particularly amusing and rational; and the knowledge of chances, as fubfervient merely to cal culation, and an ingenuous curiofity, is conveyed in a very easy manner. Many things of courfe occur in this which are common in fimilar collections; but there are ftill more which are peculiar to it, and give it a value in the eyes of every curious reader.

The

ART. 36. Extracts, moral and facred; or, a few Hints fele&ed from the Writings of the Wife and Good in Support of the Caufe of Religion and good Order. By the Rev. D. Yonge, M. A. Vicar of Coerswood, Devon. 12mo. 35. 6d. Rivingtons. 1800.

This work is published from the fuggeftions which occur in the notes on fome parts of the Purfuits of Literature. The first portion confifts of the tenth and eleventh Chapters of the fecond Book of Burnet's Theory of the Earth; and well indeed may they be faid to deferve the attention of every reflecting mind. We also find Dr. Stillingfleet's Letter to a Deift, a scarce and curious tract. When we fay fcarce, we mean that it cannot eafily be obtained in a separate form.

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