fence agreeable is very different in different perfons, luxury, according to this definition, may be applied to very different and even oppofite characters. The man, for instance, who employs his riches in relieving the indigent, in affifting the induftrious poor, in encouraging genius, and promoting fchemes of public utility, may be denominated luxurious, though he is extremely temperate and frugal, and far from being expenfive in his table, equipage, drefs, or furniture. Such characters, it must be acknowledged, are but rare; this is nothing, however, to our Author's definition, which, at firft fight, appears to be extremely inac-.

curate.

Luxury, indeed, may be confidered either as innocent or vicious, and though it is difficult, perhaps impoffible, to determine exactly where it ceases to be innocent and begins to be vicious, yet it is reasonably expected of every author who writes upon the fubject, that he should avoid confufiou and ambiguity as much as poffible, both for the benefit of his readers and hi own reputation.

Luxury, fays Mr. Pinto, is exceflive in all thofe occafions, when individuals facrifice to their oftentation, to their convenience, to their fancy, their duty, and the interests of the public; nor are individuals led into this excefs but by fome defects in the conftitution of their country, or by fome faults in the administration. In this cafe, it does not fignify whether the nations are rich or poor, civilized or barbarous : when the love of country, and the ufeful paffions are not kept up among them, their manners will be depraved, and luxury will affume the character of the current manners.'

This affection must appear ftrange to those who are acquainted with human nature, or the history of mankind, as it must be evident to all fuch, that under the best administrations, under the most perfect forms of governnient that human wisdom hath as yet been able to plan, there have been always found individuals who have facrificed their duty and the interests of their country, to oftentation and private convenience. A well-modelled government and upright adminiftration, it is readily allowed, are abfolutely neceffary to form and fupport public fpirit and public virtue; but human nature must be new-modelled, before the felfish paffions lofe their influence, or are made conducive to the public good.

The defire of acquiring and enjoying riches, our Author fays, are paffions natural to men in a state of fociety; all great focieties are maintained, enriched, and animated by them: luxury, therefore, he con cludes, is a good; contributes to the greatnefs of ftates, and the happinefs of mankind; and the great point, he tells us, fhould be to encourage, enlighten, and direct it.

The abuses that may be made of luxury, and the exceffes to which it may rife, are owing, he apprehends, to faults or defects in the adminiftration, or the conititution, and will be reformed, when fuch defects are reformed.

To conclude; as far as we are able to collect Mr. Pinto's meaning from the confufed manner in which he writes, the principal design of his effay is to fhew, that luxury has no natural tendency to beget venality and corruption, and that it has often been affigned as the caufe of difor ders, which, in reality, have proceeded from an ill-modelled government." But this is no new difcovery. The Reader will meet with the fame fen

timent

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timents in many moral writers, particularly in Mr. Hume's ingenious Effay on Refinement in the Arts.

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Art. 8. A new Introduction to English Grammar, in the fimpleft and cafieft Method poffible. By John Houghton, Master of a private Grammar-fchool at Namptwich in Chefhire. 8vo. A S. Cooke.

In the analysis of human language, as in the anatomy of the human body, there are many dependencies, relations and connections, which have escaped the most accurate refearches, and which, therefore, furnish objects for further enquiries. But the Author of this piece is, by no means, qualified for any fuch tafk; and, indeed, he pretends to nothing more than the laying down fimple precepts; yet he does not appear to have that accuracy which is neceffary even for this. Thus he fays of the word people, that it has no plural; but he might more properly and more justly have faid that it has no fingular, the termination le being in our language many times of a plural power and quality, .g. cattle, ftubble, &c. Folks, he obferves, has no fingular number, and fo far he is right; but it is not, as he feems to fuppofe, upon the principle of the s being added to it, for it has the fame power without it; and folks, which he holds to be the right, is the wrong spelling; the word ought to be written folk. There are many other inftances of inaccuracy in this little tract, which we do not care to be at the trouble of enumerating.

Art. 9.

A Letter to the Rev. Dr. Brown. From Dr. Lowth. 8vo. An Half-fheet.

This genteel and fenfible letter is annexed to the 4th Edit. of Dr. Lowth's letter to the Bishop of Glocefter.The Author politely rallies Dr. Brown, for his groundless apprehenfions with regard to the fupp Sed attack of his moral character, in certain paffages of Dr. L.'s celebrated letter to the author of the Divine Legation: fee Review for Nov. 1765.

Art. 10. A free Addrefs to the Author of the Effays on the Characteristics. In Anfwer to his Letter to the Rev. Dr. Lowth. 8vo. 6 d. Richardfon and Urquhart.

The Author of this addrefs obferves, very justly, that Dr. Brown's letter contains nothing but one fingle point of knowledge, which the world has long been master of, viz. the Doctor's importance to himself. R. Art. 11. An expoftulatory Letter to the Author of Effays on the Characteriflics; occafioned by his Letter to the Rev. Dr. Lowth. 8vo.. 6d. Ridley.

The defign of this fhort letter, which is written with fome degree of feverity, is to fhew, that no attack has been made by Dr. Lowth upon Dr. Brown's moral character. R.

Art. 12. A Dialogue in the Shades, between the celebrated Mrs. Cibber, and the no lefs celebrated Mrs. Woffington, both of amorous

mermory:

Memory; containing many curious Anecdotes of the dramatic and intriguing World; the Amours of the modern Rofcius; the real State of the Cafe for which Theophilus Cibber profecuted Mr. S*****. 4to. Is. 6d. Bladon.

Thefe ghofts of departed players amufe themfelves in the shades with rehearfing old fiories-the ghefts of departed anecdotes, long ago configned to the grave of oblivion; from whence this Dialogue-writer has in vain attempted to harrow them up.

Art. 13. The Hiftory of Inland Navigations; particularly thofe of the Duke of Bridgewater, in Lancashire and Cheshire; and the intended one promoted by Earl Gower and other Perfons of Diflinction, in Staffordshire, Chefhire, and Derbyshire. Tiluftrated with Geographical Plans, fhewing the Counties, Townships, and Villages through which thefe Navigations are, or are intended to be carried. 8vo. 2s. 6d. Lownds.

The greatest part of this pamphlet is compiled from letters and defcriptions lately inferted in the news-papers: the remainder chiefly confits of tranfcripts from an excel'ent tract, mentioned in a late Review, and entitled, A View of the Advantages of Inland Navigations, &c. from which this notable hiftory hath alfo taken the liberty of borrowing the engraved plan of the navigable canal intended for a communication between the ports of Liverpool and Hull.

Art. 14. Obfervations and Conjectures on fome Paffages of ShakeSpeare. 8vo. 15. Rivington.

With the judgment and penetration of a critic, this Commentator preferves the decency and politenefs fo effential to the character of a gentleman: too often loft in the rude demeanour of the mere fcholar, It is needlefs to enwho is more converfant with books than with men.

large on the merits of fo fmall a tract. Those who are fond of Shakefpeare, and defirous of perufing whatever may tend towards illuftrating his beauties, will think it fufficient if they are informed that our Obfervator seems poffeffed of a genuine taite for his Author, and to have been a diligent collater of the old editions. As to his conjectures, if they have not all of them the force of demonftrations, they are, at leaft, upon a footing with the conjectures of all other fcholiafts. But to confefs a truth, without intending any affront to this ingenious Annotator, we muft fay, with the old Roman in the tragedy, we are weary of conjectures; and (with regard to Shakespeare) fhould not be forry were this pamphlet to end them.'

Art. 15. A compleat Syftem of Italian Book-keeping, according to the modern Method practifed by Merchants, and others. By Daniel 456 Dowling, late Teacher of the Mathematics. Svo. 4s Johnston.

Every new book of arithmetic, and every new fyftem of book-keeping, is, of course, more perfect than any thing of the kind, before Rav. March, 1766.

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offered

offered to the public.

Accordingly Mr. Dowling's book is the beft of the fort, that ever appeared fince the year of the world No. 1. down to the year of our Lord 1765. The next that appears will not fail to be better than Mr. Dowling's.

Art. 16. Moral Tales. By Mr. Marmontel.

Tranflated from

the French. Vol. III. 8vo. 3s. Becket.

As we have already given an account of the genius and manner of this Writer, in our review of the two firft volumes of these tales, (fee Rev. Vol. XXX. p. 59) we fhall only observe that, in the volume now before us, there is the fame merit of fentiment, vivacity, and imagination,-the fame deviations from nature and probability in the original, and the fame want of eafe and elegance in the tranflation.

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Art. 17. The History and Antiquities of St. Saviour's, Southwark; containing Annals from the firft Founding to the prefent Time; Lift of the Priors and Benefactors; Defcription of the Building, Ornaments, Monuments, remarkable Places, &c. with Notes. By Arthur Tiler. 8vo. IS. Wilkie.

Collected from Linfted, Stow, Brown Willis, Wever, &c. &c. with a few additions. There is nothing here that can admit or deferve an extract, unless we except the following quaint epitaph on a Grocer: Garret fome call him, bnt that was too high, His name is Gerrard, who now here doth lie; He in his youth was tofs'd with many a wave, But now, at pert arriv'd, rests in his grave; The church he did frequent whilst he had breath, And wifh'd to lie therein after his death.

Weep not for him, fince he is gone before

To Heaven, where Grocers there are many more.

Art. 18. The Manner of fecuring all Sorts of Brick-buildings from Fire; or a Treatise on the Conftruction of Arches made with Bricks and Plaifler, called Flat-arches, and of a Roof without Timber, called a Bricked-roof: with the Addition of fome Letters that have paffed between the Count of Efpie, and Peter Wyche, Efq; on this Subject. Adorned with Copper-plates, ferving to illuftrate the whole Work. Written in French by Monfieur le Compte D'Espie; and tranflated by L. Dutens. 8vo. 2 S. Piers. There is no date to the title-page of this treatife, which appears to have been in print thefe five or fix years; and therefore may not properly come under our cognizance, as a new publication: yet, as it hath been very lately advertised, and relates to a fubject of great importance, we thought fit to afford it a place in our Catalogue. It seems Mr. W. Beckford, who, a few years ago, fuffered fo much by fire, was defirous of rebuilding his houfe, on the plan laid down by the Count D'Espie; and this pamphlet contains the correspondence which enfued on that fubject, between our Author and Mr. Wyche, who wrote to the Count, at Mr. B.'s defire, for inftructions, and for workmen who had

been

been used to conftruct fuch buildings. Whether Mr. B. did actually put this scheme in execution; and how far it might answer his expectations, we are not informed; but the defign appears to be very curious; and to have been fuccessfully tried in France.

Art. 19. The Hiftory and Antiquities of the City of Dublin, from the earliest Accounts; compiled from authentic Memoirs, Offices of Record, Manufcript Collections, and other unexceptionable Vouchers. By the late Walter Harris, Efq; with an Appendix containing an Hiftory of the Cathedrals of Chrift-church and St. Patrick, the Univerfity, the Hofpitals, and other public Buildings. Alfo Twe Plans, one of the City, as it was in the Year 1610, the other as it is at prefent, from the accurate Survey of the late Mr. Rocque ; with feveral other Embellishments. 8vo. 6s. Knox.

The anonymous Editor of this account of Dublin affures us, that it is compiled from the materials collected by the late Mr. Harris, whose indefatigable induftry, and opportunities for information, on this fubject, are well known. The public, however, are here only to expect what was intended as part of a more extenfive defign, in which Mr. H. had engaged, with two other gentlemen, of known abilities in the re

fpective departments which they had undertaken. The whole was to have been entitled, The ancient and prefent State of the City and County of Dublin, Ecclefiaftical as well as Civil; and alfo the Natural Hiftory of the fame County. The civil hiftory and antiquities alone, of the city, are here prefented; and the Editor is unable to say, to what accident or cause the disappointment, with regard to the remainder, is to be charged. -Imperfect, however, and crude as this publication is, it will doubtless be acceptable to the lovers of Ireland in general, and to the natives of its CAPITAL in particular: but to others it will afford no great entertainment; as it contains but a meagre defcription of the city, and the hiftorical details are not of a very interefting nature. The prints, too, which are mentioned in the title, as embellishments of the work, are, in truth, fo poorly done, that they are rather a difgrace to it. It muft however be obferved, that the modelt Editor, for fuch he really appears to be, does not prefume to recommend what is here offered to the reader as an unexceptionable production; on the contrary, he him elf mentions it as never having received the Author's left hand and he acknowledges that much more might have been faid on fo fruitful an occafion.' But, adds he, as that gentleman has furnished the contour, this publication may be productive of this happy effect, (befides the pleasure afforded to every lover of Irish antiquities) to prove an incitement to some able writer, to fet about the completion of a piece on fo entertaining and ufeful a fubject.'

It is propable that one of these gentlemen was the late ingenious Dr. Smith, who published the hiftories of the counties of Cork, Waterford, and Kerry.

Art. 20. The Life of William Auguftus Duke of Cumberland. Containing a circumftantial and historical Account of the Times for the

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