and valuable purposes are comprised under two heads: the first (which we prefume is the good purpose) respects the gratification of the curious antiquary, and particularly of perfons who live near the fcite of thofe old religious houfes. The fecond (which muft, doubtless, be the valuable purpose) refers to the ancient privileges and immunities of thofe houfes, which were afterwards transferred to lay-patentees (fuch as the abbey of Taviftoke to the Earl of Bedford) by virtue of the ftatutes of the 27th and 31ft of Hen. VIII. at the diffolution of the monafteries, and the alienation of the lands that, by various royal grants, and other free devifees, had been annexed to them.

But we beg leave to obferve to Mr. Jones, that time, more than royal prerogative, is the criterion of right of poffeffion, and the best fecurity, under the prefent conftitution, to the inheritors of the abbey lands. If the constitution should be changed, and Popery fhould fo far gain on the indulgence which hath been lately fhewn to it, through the fingular lenity of our wife and gracious rulers, as to recover its former establishment— (and ftranger revolutions have been effected by folly in league with wickedness)-it will be in vain for the poffeffors of the lands of the Church to urge their claims from time or prerogative. Nothing in the opinion of the Romish Church can fanctify facrilege! Affaffinations, confpiracies, violations of treaties are, in comparison with church-robbery, venial crimes. Touch her intereft in this tender point, and fhe would esteem even forgiveness a fin. She will cry aloud and fpare not. The enormous rent-roll-the records of her former poffeffions in England, will be drawn from the archives of the college of Doway; and the mother of harlots"-even the "fcarlet whore, who rideth upon the beast with seven heads and ten horns," will, by the laws of her own chancery, enter on the premises, nor will the quit them till fhe is paid the uttermoft farthing."

We cannot conclude this Article without remarking that the Editor, whether from great modefty or great ignorance we pretend not to determine, hath tranfcribed the orthographical errors of the various authors from whom he profefleth to have taken his accounts. He may plead the ancient method of spelling the names of perfons and places. But, as his Complete History is defigned for the moderns, he fhould have adopted their mode of orthography to render it intelligible. Who, unverfed in the topographical antiquities of Devon and Cornwall, would have readily discovered that Dunheved means Launcefton, the county town of Cornwall; Hertitone, Harton, near Hartland-point in Devonshire; Kadele, Cadley; Boddele, Budleigh; Lowpitte, Luppit; Rughburgh, Roborough? Thus alfo by a fcrupulous adherence to his old accounts, of which he gives no fort of ex

planation,

planation, and which are frequently too obfcure to explain themselves, he introduceth obfolete law-terms of Saxon original; fuch as Sacc-toll and Theam, Infanginthef and Utfangenthef. As to the fituation of the abbies, &c. a common reader is frequently left in the dark: for unless they take their denomination from the names of diftinguifhed places, fuch as Totnefs, Barnstaple, Tavistock, &c. he would in vain confult this Complete History for the fituation of many others that are denomi nated from obfcure villages. Hundreds, even in Devonshire, are totally ignorant whether the abbies of Ford, Newnham, Dunkefwell, Buckfaft or Bockland, lie in the northern or fouthern, the caftern or western part of the county and the Rev. Mr. Jones's "Extracts from the most original and authentic Records" will give them no fort of information.

ART. VI. Letters supposed to have been written by Yorick and Eliza. 2 Vols. 12mo. 6 s. bound. Bew. 1779.

THE

HE Editor of thefe Letters informs us that the Author wrote them merely for the amufement of himself and a few friends but as a copy of them had got abroad, he was apprehenfive they might be published as the genuine Letters of the late ingenious and celebrated Mr. Sterne; for a trick of that kind had, we are informed, been very fuccefsfully played off before with a few of the Author's letters; and, while his confcience fhuddered at the impofition, his vanity, we doubt not, was highly gratified in feeing the ingenious cheat so easily and unfufpectingly fwallowed. Whether the Letter-writer's motive in making a discovery of this petty fraud arose from a fcrupu lous confcience, or the vanity of a felf-complacent mind, it would be too prefuming for us to decide. But we cannot avoid afking, Whether the Author fuppofed Mr. Sterne was injured or honoured by fuffering thofe fictitious letters to pafs under his name? If the former, it was a point of honour to undeceive the Public. If the latter-Now, here, if our philofophy of the human heart deceives us not, the truth will come out. Authors have not fuch a profufion of generofity as to tear the laurels from their own brows to place them on another's; or if they should, it is feldom with a defign to let them continue there. It is only done (as the Editor fays) by way of experiment.' It is only to fee how they will fuit a diftinguifhed head: and when they have been wore long enough to be admired, it would be a piece of extraordinary and almoft unheard-of felf-denial for the original proprietor not to claim his own.

We will affift our Author (as his heart appears to be fo much fet on it) in letting the world know that the 4th, 5th, 6th, and so on to the 10th (inclufive) of a fmall Collection REV. Oct. 1779.

U

of

of Letters, in one volume, publifhed as the late Mr. Sterne's, were (as the Editor affures us) the offspring of that pen which wrote the contents of the volumes' now before us.

We must acknowledge that thefe little volumes bear a strong refemblance of Mr. Sterne's epiftolary ftyle: particularly that which his whim or his weaknefs led him to adopt when he wrote his amorofo-fentimental letters to Mrs. Draper. His manner in thofe letters might be cafily imitated by a man of very moderate genius with a little fancy and feeling, who would find the fuperior excellencies of his other writings quite beyond his reach. In vain fhall we fearch thefe volumes for the enchanting wildness the original wit and humour-the vivid defcriptions-the exquifite pathos, or the acute reflections of Triftram Shandy and the Sentimental Journey. The fpirit is fled:what is left is mawkish and infipid! The Writer of these Letters hath caught little of Yorick, except the whine and cant of

we know not what to call that fpecies of love with which he addrefied Mrs. Draper. It was in truth a fniveling paffion;

-it was love ftruck with a palfy: and we never read letters written in this ftyle, but we recal to mind a paffage in the Apocrypha concerning "the eunuch who embraceth a virgin-and -figheth," &c.

Our Letter-writer fuppofes Yorick to have written to Eliza the following tender things, which we fhall tranfcribe as a specimen of his exquifite knack at fentimental imitation. How happy fhould I be, Eliza, if I were permitted to take thee by the hand and lead thee through this beautiful temple [viz. York-minfter -the Beauty of Holinefs (as he calls it), which was preferved from the deltroying hand of that anti-cathedral monfler, Oliver Cromwell], and while you leaned upon my arm to hear you make your own fweet remarks upon it!-Having done this, I would conduct thee to the tomb of my anceftor-and then, Eliza, to my own-I mean, my dear, to that fpot where I fhall defire fome kindred spirit to depofit my afhes.'-Very kind undoubtedly in Yorick to explain his deep meaning, left his poor, dear Eliza fhould think her poor dear Yorick was dead and buried all the while! Here it is that I purpofe my marble bufto fhall be placed as a memorial of me-with two lines telling to whom it belongs, and the kind hand which performed this laft office of affection. In this place, Eliza, we would ftand together; and while I vaticinated my deftiny, you would gently draw your arm from beneath mine-and ftealing your handkerchief from your pocket, would wipe away the tears which trickled down your cheeks and when you had done it you would defire, if it was your fate to furvive me, that thou mighteft add a little tablet of thine own to be infcribed with thy name.—And so thou fhalt, my affectionate girl!—and I will give thee fome lines

to

to engrave upon it, which fhall tell of thy tendernefs and my friendship.

Adieu!In the beginning of this letter you must have laughed and at the close of it I well know that you will weep; -fo it is with me,—and the tears are now upon my check. As I wipe them off-I pray the angel of Pity to ftretch forth his hand and wipe thine away for ever.'

We fhall take our leave of this fictitious Yorick, after we have given a fpecimen of his wit. It is not the number of leaves or words which conftitute the real bulk of the volumebut the matter it contains: and there may be many a book which a man may carry in his breeches-IVhat the deuce am I writing?—in his waistcoat pocket, or a lady in her workbag, which when measured by this juft rule of dimenfion, would be found of a larger fize than many a cumbrous folio which fleeps and may all fuch for ever fleep on the shelf of fome college library.'-O ye fons of learned toil, on whofe elaborate page the midnight taper fo often wafted its glimmering light, fee-fee what ye are come to! Ye ancient and ye modern fages - ye who studied before ye wrote, and preferred the cool judgment of the head to the wild and childish fallies of the heart, wipe your dim fpectacles, and behold the fate of all your Jabours! See to what dull obfcurity ye are configned. Your judge hath paffed your doom. "Duft to duft:-afhes to afhes:" -nor can a refurrection be now your hope.

Hic, qui fi crepidas Graïorum ludere geftit.

multum gaudere paratus

Si Cynico barbam petulans Nonaria vellat.

PERS.

ART. VII. A Plan of Leatures on the Principles of Nonconformity, for the Inftruction of Gatecumens. By R. Robinion. Small 8vo. 1 s. 6 d. Buckland. 1778.

T the first rife of a fect, its grounds and principles are

A more carefully ftudied, and confequently better under

ftood by its profeffors, than when it hath gained a quiet eftablishment, and is grown familiar by cuftom. When the heat of controverfy hath fubfided, and oppofition hath weakened itfelf by its own ftruggles, zeal generally gives way to indiffer ence and that which is not deemed worth contention, is fcarcely judged to be worthy of study.

Hence arifes the general ignorance of the Diffenters, with respect to the original grounds and reafons for nonconformity. They are at too great a remove from the caufe, to feel themfelves much interested in the effect. They were born to their profeffion; and on that account they paffively acquiefce in it: but their forefathers were born to another profeffion; and when they left it, they were ftimulated by a pofitive principle. They

U 2

became

became actors in the great fcene of reformation. Their paffions were unkindled; their interest took a part in the contention. Oppofition fet them on their guard, and their whole fouls were alive to the best methods of attack and defence: but when nonconformity loft the allurement of novelty, it drew lefs attention, and became, in confequence, lefs the topic either of cenfure, or of vindication.

The great zealots on both fides of the controverfy, who long kept up the flame of contention, being removed, the fire gradually decayed, and those who fuccecded were not much inclined to rekindle it. Diffenters, as they mingled with the world, loft the edge of their forefathers' fpirit. They had not their feelings, and could not intereft themfelves in all their motives. This circumftance feems to be a matter of lamentation with Mr. Robinfon; and to remedy it, appears to be the grand defign of his lectures. He wishes to collect the weak and feattered rays of zeal,-for at prefent they are at fuch a distance from the focus, that they have no power to act: they neither enflame nor warm!

The prefent publication is an analyfis of twelve lectures which the Author read to his catecumens, on the principles of nonconformity. His original defign was to trace out their nature, influence, and progrefs, by a deduction of arguments, and an investigation of fuch facts as were judged neceflary to illuftrate and confirm them. He wishes his brethren to purfue the fame courfe; and as a guide to thofe who may want abilities to begin of carry on a fcheme of this fort without fome directions and afftance, he humbly prefents (he tells us) the following analyfis, hoping it may facilitate the diffemination of their own principles among the youth in their affemblies.'

As we are the avowed friends of liberty and free inquiry, we heartily with well to every scheme that tends to enlarge their influence, and promote their good effects; but we do not think Mr. Robinfon's plan, if ftrictly adhered to, the best calculated to anfwer thefe beneficial purpofes: on the contrary, we are of opinion, that it directly tends to fupport a narrow and illiberal fyftem both of fpeculation and conduct,-notwithstanding that the Author talks fo pompously about liberty and free inquiry, and declaims fo frequently, and fo fiercely, against bigotry, intolerance, and defpotifm. The books he recommends-fo far as the hiftory of the Nonconformifts is concerned-are wholly confined to one fide of the controverfy. Oldmixon is his poleftar!

Mr. Robinfon is a writer of fome ingenuity and acuteness. We have already paid a compliment to his abilities; but, in justice to our impartiality as public critics, we must acknowledge that both h's ingenuity and his acutenefs almoft shrink into

nothing