highly improbable, even at that period, (when, though reafon was lefs enlightened, maternal feelings were probably as ftrong as at prefent) as to be a fubject highly improper for the drama. But for what moral purpose could a story so horrible have been contrived by any writer of the times in which we live? Is there any danger of our relapfing into the fuperftition of the thirteenth century? Will a mistaken fenfe of religion inftigate even a female of the prefent age to inhumanity? Is this the danger to be guarded againft; the rock on which we are likely to fplit? Alas! the writer of this drama must have known the reverfe of this to be the prefent state of mankind. Why then are the crimes of monks, and the fuperftition of women, in the thirteenth, feduloufly difplayed and exaggerated at the clofe of the eighteenth century? We fear, with a fimilar defign to that of Voltaire and his cabal, whom many of the illuminized German writers appear defirous to emulate; with the pernicious defign of directing the horrors excited at prieftcraft and barbarous fuperftition, againft religion itfelf. Such being therefore the improbability of this horrid drama, and fuch its tendency and probable effect, at least on weak and inconfiderate minds, we cannot but reprobate it, however vigorous and pathetic, as a difplay of genius ill-directed, and talents mifapplied. The translation appears to be executed with spirit.

ART. 25. The Count of Burgundy, a Play, in Four Acts. By Auguftur van Kotzebue, Poet Laureat and Director of the Imperial Theatre at Vienna. Tranflated from the genuine German Edition, by Anne Plumptree, Tranflator of Kazebue's Natural Son. 8vo. 77 PP.

Symonds. 1798.

2s. 6d.

This Play of Kotzebue (which cannot be properly called either a Tragedy or a Comedy) has been reprefented, under the fame title, for a benefit, at one of our theatres; but, whether from its being haftily got up, or, for want of a fkilful adaptation of the dialogue to the tafte of an English audience, was not, we understand, fo received as to encourage a repetition. Yet the ftory is interesting.

Albert, Count of Burgundy, having been, together with all bis other children, murdered by the emiffaries of his brother Ulric, one infant fon, Henry, has been fecretly preferved by a faithful friend of the Count, and is educated as the fon of his preferver, who refides, as a hermit, at the foot of the Alps. In this retirement, the young Count falls in love with Elizabeth, the daughter of a Knight reduced in circumftances, poffeffor of a neighbouring caftle; who has defigned her to be wedded to a more opulent and very refpectable Knight, but of an age unfuitable to her. On the death of his tyrant uncle, Henry (though till ignorant of his birth) is drawn from his retirement, and being produced at Arles to the Burgundians, is acknowledged by them as their fovereign. Mindful of the engagements entered into with his beloved Elizabeth, who had also plighted her faith to him at his departure) he commiffions an ambaffador to demand her, under his new title, in marriage, and, to try her fidelity, accompanies the embaffy in the difguife of a page. Elizabeth, in the meanwhile, having for fome time refifted the folicitations of her father in behalf of his

friend,

friend, at length, moved by his grief at her refufal, confents, and is betrothed accordingly. Immediately afterwards the embally arrives, and the despair of the young Count of Burgundy at finding his miftrefs engaged to another, brings on a difcovery upon which, the intended bridegroom relinquithes his claim, and the two lovers are made happy.

This outline, had it been properly filled up by the person who endeavoured to adapt it to our ftage, might have formed a pleafing drama. But fuch a skilful management requires a confiderable degree of tafte, and some experience in ftage effect. The best Ger.nan writers dwell on circumstances too minute, abound in expreffions too coarsely familiar, and often conclude their scenes too abruptly, to accord with English, or, we may fay, with good tafte. Thofe German dramas which have been moft fuccefsful on our ftage, have, before their appearance, been greatly modified and polished: and, we may venture to fay, where this is not done, they will feldom be highly applauded, or long endured, by a British audience.

ART. 26. The Forrefter; or, The Royal Seat, A Drama; in Five Ads. Written by John Bayley. 8vo. 111 PP. IS. 6d. Lee and Hurt. 1798.

To give an intelligible account of this Drama (as the author calls it) is far beyond our abilities. The fublime genius of Nonfenfe prefides in almost every part. We have a Duke of Arcadia; a banished Lord, of the fame country; four Students, of fome. Univerfity in Laconia; Generals, Muficians, Huntfmen, Keepers, Robbers, Spirits, Sylvan and other Heathen Gods, &c. &c. together with feveral love-fick Princeffes and Shepherdeffes. Thefe good folks talk a great deal, in a tyle which is little more intelligible than the lines which diftinguish the words and figures in logic; but what they do, or mean to do, it is difficult to guefs. Take, as a fpecimen, the two firft fpeeches.

Brothers in ftudy; let not we who have youth and nerve,
Let old time beguile us to eternity:

Let not the remnant we haye on our fide

Be pafs'd away unheeded of, bending t'wards eternity.
For, let us think we have been school'd enough;

And that we are at an age to wear the badge
Of an honourable distinction,

To this Laorde anfwers,

We four, whom fortune hath made friends,
Will fet apart a corner of time,

(Or the which we will fteal from dry study)
And carry an invention worthy our judgments,
That shall be applauded to the ecclfo of the act

The

The author of Hurlothrumbo (which is generally confidered as a burlefque) is faid to have defigned it as a ferious tragedy. If vice verfa, the drama before us was intended as a burlesque, the writer has certainly miffed his aim; for there feems not to be one ingenious allufion or happy parody. Their nonfenfe can only be configned to the grocer or paftry-cook" In vicum vendentem thus," &c."

NOVELS.

ART. 27. The Jefuit; or, the Hiflory of Anthony Babington, Efq. An Hiftorical Novel. By the Author of More Ghafts, the Irish Heiress, Sca In Three Volumes. 12mo. 9s. Dilly. 1799.

This is a very fingular, but by no means uninterefting production, The name of Babington is neceffarily familiar to all who are converfant in the hiftory of the reign of Elizabeth. This Novel undertakes to relate a methodical history of the life, education, and adventures of Babington, till the time when he engaged in the fervice of Mary, Queen of Scots, and forfeited his life for treafonable practices. There is much ingenuity and skilful contrivance in this performance, which will afford a few hours of agreeable amufement, however incredible and extravagant fome parts of the narrative may appear.

ART. 28. The Spirit of the Elbe: a Romance. In Three Volumes, 8vo. 9s. Longman. 1799.

A tale of wretchedness and horror, united to the greateft abfurdity and improbability; containing not a fingle character that is not moft ridiculously in caricatura. We think it fortunate for the anthor, that it is prefented to the public without his name; and we think he will be wife, not to subject himself to a discovery by any future attempt.

MEDICINE.

ART. 29. Further Obfervations on the Variola Vaccine, or Conv-Pox. By Edward Jenner, M. D. F. R. S. &c. 4to. 64 pp. 2s. 6d. Murray and Highley. 1799.

Dr. Jenner does not entirely relinquish his opinion, that the cow-pox is originally produced by the accidental application of the difcharge from greafy heels in horfes, to the teats of the cow. But numerous experiments made by Mr. Simmons, and Dr. Woodville, by inoculating the teats of cows with the matter of the greafe, without producing the difeafe, must be confidered as decifive againft that opinion. The other, and more material point, attempted to be established, that perfons inoculated with cow-pox matter, or taking the difeafe cafually by milking infected cows, are thence rendered incapable of undergoing the fall-pox, receives much additional fupport, from the inquiries and experiments the author has made ince his first publication on the subject; and indeed ieems completely established by the experiments of Dr. Woodville, whofe work, on the subject, we shall notice in the next number of our Review.

This author again warns practitioners to be careful not to mistake a fpurious difeafe affecting the nipples of cows, for the genuine cow-pox, and gives the difcriminating marks, by which they may be diftinguish ed; or from taking the matter of the true cow-pox, at too late a period of the difeafe. In either cafe, he fays, puftules, on the parts inoculated, pain in the axilla, with fever, may be produced, but the patients will not be fecured from the infection of the fmall-pox. The variolous matter, he fays, fometimes fails, under fimilar circumftances. In fupport of this opinion, he relates the cafes of feveral perfons who had been inoculated with variolous matter, taken when the puftules were beginning to fcab, in whom the inoculation feemed to have taken complete effect, excepting that the puftules did not come to maturity, who were afterwards fubjected to the difeafe, The following is a part of a letter from Mr. Earl, furgeon, of Frampton, having inoculated feveral perfons with active (crude) variolous matter, with fuccefs, his stock of matter being exhaufted, he was induced to take fome from a puftule, "which experience has fince proved," he fays," was advanced too far." Five perfons were inoculated with this matter. Inflammation in the arms took place in all of them, followed by pain in the axilla, fever, and, on the ninth day, eruptions. The eruptions died away earlier, he fays, than ufual, and without coming to maturity. Four of thefe perfons took the fmall-pox afterwards, and one of them died of the difeafe. If these cafes are told correctly, that is, if the inflammation of the arms proceeded regularly, followed by pain in the axilla, fever, and puftular eruptions, and yet left the patients fufceptible of the variolous contagion, it will be difficult to decide when they may be declared to be completely guaranteed from it.

Inoculators have not generally decided at what period of the disease the matter for inoculation fhould be taken, fome preferring it in its crude, others in its digefted and mature ftate. Crude matter has been fuppofed to be more active, and thence more certain in its effect, and is, we believe, now moft frequently used; but thousands of perfons have been inoculated with perfectly digefted matter, with intíre fecurity from future infection.

The author gives fome obfervations on the effects of efcarotics, applied to the inoculated puftule, after the conftitution is infected, in mitigating the violence of fecondary symptoms. He has ufed them with faccefs, and thinks the practice may be introduced with advantage. The work concludes with cafes and obfervations from various cor. refpondents, and affords altogether much fatisfactory evidence, on this new and very curious fubject.

ART. 30. A Detection of the Fallacy of Dr. Hull's Defence of the Cæfarean Operation. By W. Simmons, Member of the Corporation of Surgeons in London, and Senior Surgeon to the Manchester Infirmary, 8vo. 103 pp. 25. 6d. Vernor and Hood. "1799.

This is a fpirited defence of the author's former publication, entitled, "Reflections on the Propriety of performing the Cæfarcan Ope

See Brit. Crit, vol, xiii, p. 111.

ration,"

ration," which had been rudely attacked by Dr. Hull*, whofe animad, verfions are, we think, fairly and fully answered. We are forry, however, to find this author retorting the farcaftic and perfonal reflections which Dr. Hull condefcended to mix with his arguments. The quef. tion whether, and under what circumstances, the Cæfarean section may be proper, is loft, in what feems more nearly to intereft the author; a vindication of his literary and profeffional character, and a defire to avenge the affront he conceives himself to have received. This has produced from Dr. Hull a rejoinder, ftill more bitter and acrimonious than his former work.

ART. 31. Obfervations on Mr. Simmons's Detection, &c. &c. with a Defence of the Cæfarean Operation, derived from Authorities, &c. &c, a Defcription of the Female Pelvis, an Examination of Dr. Ofborn's Opinions relative to Embryulcia, and an Account of the Method of delivery by Embryotomy.

The author fees nothing in the Detection, but "ignorance, ribaldry, hypocrify, vain-glory, nonfenfe," &c. For the honour of the profeffion, to which both of the gentlemen may juftly be confidered as ornaments, we hope this will be the laft publication on the fubject ; or, at the leaft, that they will abftain from writing upon it, until they have brought their minds to a more fedate and even temperament.

ART. 32. Hints on the Ventilation of Army Hofpitals and Barrack. Rooms, with Obfervations on regimental Practice, &c. By W. H. Williams, of Gonville, and Caius College, Cambridge, Fellow of the Linnean Society, and Surgeon of the Eastern Regiment of Norfolk Militia. 12mo. 69 pp. 2s. Longman. 1798.

This author communicates his hints in a series of letters, The first, is on a mode of ventilating hospitals and barracks. The ventilator he propofes is extremely fimple. It confifts of a fquare tube, about five inches in diameter, to be let in at a window, with apertures in different parts, covered with valves or flides, to admit or exclude the air, as may be required, and constructed in such a manner as to be raised or depreffed at difcretion, fo that a ftream of air may be made to circulate through the whole room, or directed to any particular part, as may be thought convenient. The author does not fay that he has tried fuch a ventilator, but feems to think it would be useful, and that fomething of the kind is wanted, he fays, will be acknowledged by every one whofe office obliges him to vifit fuch places.

Great mischief, he fays, accrues from placing men indifcriminately in the hofpitals, Men fent in with trifling complaints, often contract ferious difeafes from being lodged near perfons ill with fevers. In one inftance, he seems to attribute the death of a patient, ill with fever, ta his being placed near a perfon who had an ulcer in his leg.

See Brit. Crit. vol. xiii, p. 610.

Sufficient