prefs this character. Nevertheless, it is an ancient word in our language, and used in the fame fenfe by Corneille in feveral of his comedies.-The word partie is alfo to be found in the comedies of Corneille inftead of Efprit. Such a one a des parties. This is what the English call parts. This is an excellent word. We affign, we appoint a time, a rendezvous. The person who punctually keeps his appointment, not finding the perfon he expected, is defappointé. We have no word at present to exprefs this fituation.- --A road, a ftreet, which has no outlet on one end was perfectly fignified by the words non-passe, impaffe, which the English have imitated, whilft we are reduced. to the impertinent and low expreffion of cul-de-fac, which fo frequently occurs to the difgrace of the French language.'

We now turn to letter the fourth, addreffed to Lord Lyttleton, the author of the ingenious Dialogues of the Dead; in which, fays M. Voltaire, I find, that I am exiled, and that I am guilty of fome exceffes in my writings.' From the first of these afperfions, M. Voltaire found it very eafy to clear his reputation; and with regard to the fecond, he expreffes himself with equal spirit and modefty. But we need mention nothing farther concerning fo unimportant a fubject; especially as this very letter has already appeared in an English drefs; together with Lord Lyttleton's anfwer and were printed in the Gentleman's Magazine, about four years ago.

To the above letter the commentator has thought fit to add the following note, than which nothing can be a ftronger proof both of his impertinence, and his ignorance of the real character of this nation.

Lord Lyttleton hath ingenioufly confeffed his error with regard to M. Voltaire, in a letter which was made public. Though the English in general are daily writing againft every thing both good and bad which is done in France; though they cordially hate all the French, not because they are their rivals, but because they are not Englishmen, and because these pretended Albion philofophers believe themselves fuperior to every people upon earth; there are nevertheless among thefe iflanders fome men who are true philofophers and friends to foreign merit.' What infolence! what falfehood!

We now proceed to letter XI. written by M. Voltaire in the name of Charles Gouju to his brethren the Jefuits. Thus it begins. I conjure not only my dear countrymen, but also all my dear brethren of Germany, of England, and even of Italy, to confider well with me, for their edification, the affairs which are now tranfacting relative to the reverend fathers the Jefuits, thofe doers and preachers of good things. I am coufin to M.

Cazot,

Cazot, and attached to M. Lionci, whom the right reverend father La Valette, apoftolical prefect of commerce, hath totally ruined. God be merciful to his prefect! But I afk every man who is capable of reafoning, whether it be poffible that the reverend father La Valette, profeffing divinity for the pace of two years, could poffibly believe in the Chriftian religion, when after making a vow of poverty, and knowing the gofpel, he traded for above fix millions? Is it in human nature for a priest who believes in his religion, to proceed in the gaiety of his heart to work his own damnation, by doing that which his religion condemns as highly criminal? That a believer, hurried along by violent paffion, may commit a crime, and repent, is confiftent with human nature; but when our lords in Ifrael rob us whilst they are preaching to us and confeffing us; when they persist in this manoeuvre for years together, I afk you my dear brethren, whether it be poffible they fhould ftill believe and still cheat? whether they can believe they hold their God in their hands at mafs, and yet can pillage their neighbours the moment they have quitted the holy table? It is proved by the confeffion of the confpirators at Lisbon, that the Jefuits, their confessors, had affured them, they might with a fafe confcience affaffinate the king. Now I ask this fimple queftion, whether it be poffible that those who use a facrament to infpire parricide, could believe in that facrament?' A man may believe in God, yet murder his father; but is it poffible he can believe in God, yet pass his whole life in a feries of premeditated crimes, an uninterrupted chain of frauds and impofture? At least he will repent upon his death-bed; but I defy you to produce a fingle inftance, from any hiftory, of a priest who confeffed his crimes in his last moments. We have frequent examples among the laiety of public confeffion and repentance; but I will engage to forfeit ten thousand crowns (which is all that father La Valette hath left me) if you can fhew me one inftance of a penitent ecclefiaftic.'

Letter XXII. To M. Rouffeau of Thoulouse.

You wrote to me, Sir, fome time ago concerning a letter, as abfurd as criminal, printed in the Monthly Review for June. I have already fignified to you my indignation and contempt for this low impofition; but as names the most refpectable are comprehended in that letter, it is of importance to know its author, for the discovery therefore of whom, I do engage to pay the fum of 50 Louis.'

As the foregoing letter to our brother journalist of Thoulouse is printed without a date, we cannot difcover in what year the month of June, to which the letter-writer refers, belongs; nor

* Conductor of the Journal Encyclopédique.

can

can we fo much as guess at the very criminal paper about which he is fo mighty angry: although he does not so much as vouchfafe to hint at the fubject of it. On the whole, we are fomewhat inclined to doubt whether fuch letter was ever inserted in any number of the Monthly Review whatever. We shall not, therefore hesitate, in imitation of M. Voltaire, to offer a reward-of fifty farthings (a great deal of money, out of the pockets of poor authors!) to any perfon who fhall discover what paper it is, to which M. Voltaire refers, and in what volume or month of our Journal, it was inferted.

The foregoing extracts, we apprehend, will fuffice to give our Readers an idea of the nature and importance of thefe letters. With regard to their authenticity, we must confess ourselves by no means fatisfied. There are, indeed, circumstances which might induce one to believe fome of them genuine; but on the other hand, there are many reasons, with regard to a confiderable number of them, which incline us to a contrary opinion: particularly in respect of the language and ftyle, which are in general much inferior to that terfe, correct, and fpirited manner which usually characterises the writings of M. de Voltaire. B-t.

MONTHLY CATALOGUE,
For APRIL, 1766.

MISCELLANEOUS.

Art. 14. The Effufions of Friendship and Fancy. In feveral Letters
to and from select Friends. The fecond Edition; with large
Additions and Improvements. Small 8vo.
Small 8vo. 2 Vols. 6s.

'Becket.

ROM the many alterations which thefe letters have undergone, in

the

Reviewers. We gave an account of the first edition, in our Twentyeighth Vol. p. 481; where the Reader will find a fpecimen taken from the ludicrous part of thefe Epiftles. Thofe lighter and gayer effufions of the Author's fancy, however, are all rejected in this fecond edition; and, in their stead, we now find a proportionate number of more ferious papers, on more important fubje&s: fo that, in this refpect, thefe elegant little volumes have in reality received much improvement, as their title-pages juftly profefs; and the whole may indeed be confidered, in no fmall degree, as a new work.

As in our former article we made what we thought a diverting extract, we shall now felect a fpecimen of the Writer's more ferious manner, in a fhort letter, on, indeed, a very serious subject :—it is taken from the new, additional epiftles.

'Religion has always fuffered much from the folly or the treachery of her own profeffors; but furely a more daring, or a more infamous fet REV. April, 1766.

Y.

of wretches than at prefent appear upon her lifts, never difgraced or difhonoured her interefts.- -You will not require a moment to reflect that I mean thofe venal and fhameless ecclefiaftics, who have of late, in fuch numbers, and with fuch uncovered countenances, prostituted the facred writings, openly and avowedly retailing them for profit in periodical publications.Avowedly, I fay; for their advertisements plainly prove it. One recommends his Bible for its CHEAPNESS; another for the Elegance of the Print, the Excellence of the Engravings, or the Beauty of the Paper. A third follicits your custom by a Royal, or Imperial Title, or from dedicating, by Permiffion, to a Prince in Pettycoats. A fourth affects a difplay of learning, and, to prove it, gives you a string of Dutch and German commentators, from whofe ingenious labours he propofes to furnish you with improvement and delight. A fifth, modeftly and wifely fparing a difplay of his own learning, would engage your attention by collecting the MS, fcraps of men who had acquired confiderable reputation in different provinces of literature, but who, like the immortal Newton, when they commenced divines, only proved that they had the weakness of men.A fixth, or poffibly a fixteenth, for indeed the number is not eafy to be ascertained, after having been palpably guilty of one pious fraud, as palpably engages in another; and having acquired fome popularity among ft poor fanatics, feeks an additional contribution from them, by loading the facred writings with the mifinterpretations of ignorance, and the cant of enthufiafm.

I am no advocate for the interpofition of the civil power in fuch matters, but as it has been called in to the affiftance of religion, in cafes where it was much lefs liable to fuffer, I am astonished to fee this proftitution of every thing that is moft facred allowed without cenfure or reftraint. I am aftonished even to fee the public fo patient under the grofs impofitions which thefe compilers exercife upon them:-for their honefty, in general, keeps pace with their abilities; and when they have drawn in the unwary to fubfcribe to their wretched publications, by repeated affurances that they fhall not exceed fuch a number, they are determined to bring the word of God to the best market, and fcruple not to extend it to twice the number proposed.

It is with the utmost indignation I have long beheld this fcandalous practice, and I am convinced, that, for the honour and intereft of religion, you will do every thing in your power to discountenance it.'

There is no occafion for any comment on the foregoing letter; nor is this the first complaint we have heard, on the fubject: fee Review, Vol. XXX. p. 44.

Art. 15. Proceedings of a Court-martial, on the Trial of Lieut. Gov. Philip Thicknele; held at the Judge-advocate-general's Office at the Horje-guards, July 3d, 1765; and continued by Adjourn ments, to the 9th of the fame Month, &c. 4to. 1s. Williams. Of eight charges exhibited againft Mr. Thickneffe, at this trial, he was acquitted of fix. The two of which he was found guilty, are, 1. Supporting and countenancing the foldiers of the company of InvaJids doing duty within the garrifon of Landguard Fort, in difobeying their commiffioned officers, and depriving fuch officers of their neceffary command and authority.' · 2. Enjoining the commiffioned officers do ing duty in the faid garrison, not to countenance or fhew any favour to

cach

each other;-in violation of an exprefs order for promoting harmony among the officers of the faid garrifon.'

In refpect of the above articles, whereof the defendant was convicted, the court adjudged, That he be publicly and feverely reprimanded, in fuch manner as his Majefty fhall be pleased to direct.'

Art. 16. Obfervations on the Growth and Culture of Vines and Olives: the Production of Silk: the Prefervation of Fruits. Written at the Request of the Earl of Shaftesbury, to whom it is infcribed, by Mr. John Locke. Now firft printed from the original Manufcript, in the Poffeffion of the prefent Earl of Shaftesbury. Small 8vo, elegantly printed, by Richardfon and Clark, for W. Sandby. Pr. Is. 6d.

Every production of a pen fo truly refpectable, as that of our most excellent Lock E, cannot fail of proving highly acceptable to the public. The value of this little tract, however, will depend less on its Author's great reputation as a philofopher, than on the general usefulnefs of the fubjects to which it relates. The culture of vines, olives, &c. will, indeed, appear to those who do not confider thofe articles in a commercial view, to be of fmall benefit to this country; but if we reflect on the advantages which may poffibly be drawn from them, to our American colonies, and confequently to ou felves, we fhall then behold them in a very different light :-towards which the Editor of these ob fervations hath directed our attention, in a fhort but very fenfible preface. No union, as he justly remarks, is fo firm and lafting, as that which is founded on the folid bafis of a mutual intereft.'-' However populous and great,' continues he, however industrious and rich, the fettlements in the vaft continent of America may hereafter become, this, the mother country, may for ever be connected with it more intimately than with the fouthern nations, by encouraging the growth and produce of vines and olives, filk and fruits, which cannot advantageously be raifed in England and found policy will always engage the fubjects in England and America not to be rivals in trade, by fetting up fuch ma nufactures in one country, as muft neceffarily diftrefs the other."

As to the inftructions given, by Mr. Locke, for the culture of vines and olives, the production of filk, and the prefervation of fuch fruits as are dried by the fun, or in ovens, we do not think it necessary to enter into particulars: thofe whom curiofity or intereft may induce to enquire farther into thefe fubjects, will readily have recourfe to the Obfervations themselves.

Art. 17. The Midnight Spy; or, a View of the Transactions of London and Westminster, from the Hours of Ten in the Evening, till Five in the Morning; exhibiting a great Variety of Scenes in high and low Life, with the Characters of fome well-known nocturnal Adventurers, of both Sexes, &c. &c. 12mo. 2s. Cooke. The public have been often edified and entertained with a variety of thefe Spies, who pretend to fpy out and discover who and who's together, in every dark and fecret corner. This fon or grandfon of Ned Ward, undertakes to conduct his readers to all the round houses, night-houses, bagnios, gaming tables, routs, and other places of midnight refort-a molt ufeful guide! and of almoft as much confequence to fociety as an Italian Cicerone.

Y 2

Art. 18.