ART. 29. A Sermon on the Death of the Right Honourable Earl and Viscount Howe, preached in the Garrison Chapel, Portsmouth, Auguf 11, 1799. By the Rev. John Davies. 4to. 17 pp. Mottley, Portsmouth. 1800.

A train of reflections on mortality, not so trite as the nature of that topic might lead us to apprehend, ferve for an introduction to fome very jaft encomiums on the late Lord Howe. A few important paffages of his life are mentioned in the Sermon, or fubjoined in the notes, and the whole forms an honourable tribute of respect to a commander, whofe name the country will ever view with reverence and gratitude.

ART. 30. A Sermon preached before John Sayer, Efq. Commissary for the Parts of Surrey, and the Clergy of the Deaneries of Southwark and Ewell, in Surrey, at the annual Vifitation, holden at Kingston upon Thames, on the 29th of May, 1800; and published by their Defire. By William Fofter, D. D. Fillow of Eton College, Vicar of Kew and Peterham, and Chaplain in Ordinary to his Majefty. 4to. 2s. Payne,

1800.

This is a plain, manly, and dignified difcourfe, from 1 Pet. ii, 17, in which the four precepts, namely, "honour all men, love the brotherhood, fear God, honour the king," are feparately and diftinctly enforced. We should be glad to give a larger extract, but the following fentiment is too much in unifon with our own to be omitted. "You may reftrain on any occafion the active principles of motion in the body, but you cannot reftrain by any human power the natural and impaffive freedom of the mind. It follows, therefore, that as we can foffer no violence in this refpect, fo we can have no just reason of complaint. For though our private judgment is, and must be free, yet the open avowal and public exercife of it is not, and certainly ought not to be, equally unreftrained. Though we cannot be prevented from forming this or that opinion in certain points, yet we may be prohibited and ought to be fo, even by ourselves, from attempting to make that the univerfal ftandard of right and wrong to other men. A private opinion, while confined to the man himself who entertains it, has it is allowed, and must have the most complete liberty; but when it proceeds to affect others, it then becomes a public act, confequently like other actions touching the public, is then as it fhould feem, fubject to public autho rity, to inhibition and restraint,”

The whole difcourfe is in the fame ftyle of manly argument; and the circumftance of the King's prefervation from an affaffin, is pertipently introduced at the conclufion.

ART. 31. A Difcourfe delivered in the Church of Almondbury, in the WA Riding of the County of York, May 16, 1799, at the Conftitution and Deication of the All-Manns Lodge of Free and Accepted Mafons. By the Rev. Richard Munkhouse, D. D. 8vo. IS. Hurst. 1799. A very fuitable and fenfible Difcourfe, from Matt. v, 16, Let your. light fo fhine before men. The concluding part is more immediately addreffed

addreffed to the Society of Mafons, who are earneftly enjoined to examine ftrictly into the moral characters of thofe whom they admit among them, and are zealously recommended, " cordially to fupport the rea fonings, and ftrengthen, as much as poffible, the hands of government,

ART. 32. Additional Evidences of the Truth of Chriftianity; in Ta Vifitation Sermons. By George Law, M. A. Prebendary of Carlisle, 4to. 25. Faulder. 1798.

We regret fincerely that two Sermons, which are fo importantly cal culated to promote the caufe of order and religion, fhould have been accidentally miflaid. We have been exceedingly pleafed with the fpirit and argument of thefe compofitions; and trust that it is not too late for our recommendation to promote their more extensive circulation.

MILITARY,

ART. 33. A Treatise on the Duty of Infantry Officers, and the present Syftem of British Military Difcipline; with an Appendix. By Thomas Reide, Efq. Captain in the Loyal Effex Regiment of Fencible Infantry. 35. Egerton. 1799.

ART. 34. The Regimental Companion, containing the relative Duties of every Officer in the British Army, and rendering the Principles of Syftem and Refponfibility familiar. By Charles Jones, of the 60th Regiment of Foat, late Captain in the North York Militia. 55. Egerton.

$799..

In a former review of publications on fimilar fubjects, we fuggefted a wifh, that Symes's Military Inftructions, which we have always confidered as one of the most perfect and most comprehenfive books of the kind, might be revised and adapted to the prefent fyftem. In the two treatifes which are now before us, we find the plan pursued which Captain Symes originally adopted, though in a more compreffed and lefs expenfive form; and we therefore recommend them, as containing a fuller and clearer body of inftructions than most of the books on thofe fubjects which we have lately perused. We cannot however but regret, that the ftamp of authority is not given to them by the approbation of the Commander in Chief, or the Adjutant General. The first of thefe treatifes relates only to the infantry, and contains very ample and clear regulations for the conduct of that fervice. Mr. Jones's treatife is on a more comprehenfive foale, and exhibits the whole of the prefent fyftem of arrangement and management of the British army. The author's profeffed object is, " to lay the groundwork of an annual Repofitory of fuch materials, as every officer will find it his intereft to know; and without which, even General Dundas's fyftem cannot be wholly accomplished."

We

We cannot coincide with Mr. Jones, in the opinion he has given re lating to the formation of meffes for the officers. The familiarity among the different ranks which a mefs introduces, is highly detrimental to the difcipline of the army; and the encouragement which is given to ebriety and diffiparion, by the affemblage of a great number of young men, whofe vivacity and convivial talents render them an eafy prey to thofe vices, has been found to be a very ferious and ruinous evil. We believe the fyftem of meffing has been difcouraged in most, and absolutely profcribed in many of the armies of Europe. It did not exist under the old government of France, and was strictly forbidden in the Auftrian fervice, in which the different degrees of officers affociate very little together.

ART. 35. Inftructions for Hussars, and Light Cavalry acting as such, in Time of War. A Tranflation. 2s. 6d. Egerton. 1798.

The author informs us, that these Inftructions came into his hands in manufcript; but he does not tell us by whom, or in what language they were written. The book however will be found to be a very ufeful companion for officers who command detached bodies of huffars, or light cavalry on service, as the Inftructions are comprised in a fmall compafs, and digefted under heads applicable to most fituationt which may occur in a fervice of this nature. It must be allowed that they are not very novel, as the greater part, if not the whole, may be found in a book, entitled the Partizan, or the King of Pruffia's Military Inftructions.

POLITICS.

ART. 36. Subftance of the Speeches of Lord Auckland, in the House of Lords, May the 16th and 23d, 1800, in fupport of the Bill for the Punishment, and more effectual Prevention, of the Crime of Adultery, Svo. 38 pp. 15. Wright. 1800,

To pronounce on public meafures, and political queftions, is not certainly the regular province of critics: yet when fuch topics are offered to our notice, it is natural to form, and allowable to deliver, an opinion. On the fubject now before us, we will only fay, that the bill which thefe Speeches profefs to defend, appears to have had a great and beneficial object in view, and to have been adopted in the House of Peers by a majority; in which were included many highly refpectable and venerable characters. Thefe Speeches of Lord Auckland (which for convenience are moulded into one) contain an able defence of the bill propofed, and (to us at least) a fatisfactory refuta tion of fome of the principal arguments urged against it.

"The leading and principal objection," fays the noble Lord, feems to be, that, by reftraining the intermarriage of the offending parties, the woman is put out of the protection of the only man to whom the can look up to preferve her from degradation and infamy;

and

and that he is placed in the alternative between celibacy and libertine ifm. Some Noble Lords have been pleafed to add, that he is thereby. forced into a state of prostitution.

"Is it then a conclufion to be avowed, admitted, tolerated, and fanctioned, in plain and coarfe English, that whenever a woman fhall think proper to prefer another man to her husband, your Lordships, the hereditary guardians of the welfare and well-being of the people, are to contaminate the truft repofed in you, and to fay to fuch a wo man, "Your plea is, or at least such is the plea of your officious de fenders, that if you may not be permitted to form a fecond contract with the man by whofe feduction you have broken your first contract, you muft naturally and neceffarily abandon yourself to prostitution. Your plea is moft unprincipled; your paffions are moft depraved; bus you fhall be gratified. You have broken a facred and folemn vow, made in the prefence of your family and friends; but we will enable you, by a legislative act of ours, to go back unblushingly to the altar, which you ought to approach with agony and horror. Come again to us as foon as you fhall feel difpofed to quit this fecond husband, and to take a third: we fhall be ready toties quoties to authorize you to change the partners of your iniquity." My Lords, if the claim may not fairly be carried to this extent, it is falfe and good for nothing. The mere statement is fo difgufting in every point of view, and is fo degrading to the fex which ought to be the object of our just pride and affectionate protection, that I fhall quit it without farther femark." P. 22.

The reft of the Speech is equally argumentative and energetic, and does credit to the talents, as well as principles, of the noble Peer by whom it is faid to have been delivered.

ART. 37. Subftance of the Bishop of Rochester's Speech, in the House of Peers, Friday, July 5, 1799, in the Debate upon the fecond Reading of the Bill to prohibit the trading in Slaves, on the Coast of Africa, within certain Limits. 8vo. Is. Robfon. 1799.

This very fpirited Speech, as it cannot be perufed without great impreffion, muft neceffarily have produced a fenfible effect upon its illuftrious hearers, It is full of found and convincing argument; bat, unfortunately, the question remains as it was; and the unhappy Negroes continue in that condition of fubjection, to which man cannot without injuftice be degraded."

ART. 38. Forethoughts on the general Pacification of Europe. 8vo. 104 pp. 25. Wright. 1800.

It is the misfortune of thofe authors who fpeculate on the profpect of peace, that, even while they are writing, a change of circumftances may place the fubject in fome point of view wholly different from that in which they regarded it. General principles may indeed be laid down; but the modification of those principles muft, in fome degree, be fubfervient to events, which may render a ftrict adherence to them. impracticable

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The writer before us lays down, as a felf-evident propofition, “ that no real advantage can arife from any negotiation, to the great and de Grable object of general peace, until it thall diftin&tly appear that those caufes have ceafed to operate, which originally produced the war, and by which it has fince been protracted."

The general peace, which is to terminate the prefent conflict, mußt, he thinks, conftitute a crifis at least equally important with the famous peace of Weftphalia; and "the fabric of Europe must be relaid on its bafe." The true caufe of the convulfions which it is propofed to allay. is, he declares, no other than "the conflict occafioned by the action of the new principles of diffolution, contending against the ancient principle of cohesion." He therefore recommends a revifion of the law of nations, for the purpose of coercing those principles by fome grand federal act.

After enlarging on the idea thus thrown out, and pursuing it through its general confequences, he next adverts to the terms that should be required; the principal of which he states to be, the abandonment of the Netherlands by France; as the poffeffion of that territory by the French Republic, is pregnant with danger to the liberties of Europe,

In order to preferve, as long as the nature of man will permit, the peace which he fuppofes to be thus effected, and prevent the occurrence of future wars, the author proposes, that, "in fome convenient and central part of Europe a public minifter from every state should refide, conftituting a permanent congress, and furnishing a common centre and public organ to the great fociety of nations." This fuggeftion is enforced by fome ftrong arguments, "As a middle term between the fecret intrigues of cabinets and open rupture of war, the author thinks it would be of particular importance, and have the most falutary tendency to prolong the duration of peace, by accumulating difficulties against the recurrence of war."

It is not our bufinefs, efpecially under the prefent circumstances, to decide on the practicability or utility of this writer's fuggeftions; but we may fafely recommend his work as well intended, and certainly not ill written,

ART. 39. Thoughts on the Letter of Buonaparte, on the Pacific Princi ples and laft Speech of Mr. Fox. By a Suffolk Freeholder, 8vo, 31 pp. IS. Bickerstaff. 1800.

The Suffolk Freeholder (whofe political writings we have before had occafion to notice, and to praife) attacks Mr. Fox, on many parts of his conduct, with neat farcafms, and occafionally with forcible remonftrances. His congratulations on the harmony of fentiment between the Great Conful and the Great Leader of Oppofition, on the origin of the war (contrary to the exprefs confeffions of all the former rulers of France) are a proof of the former. We will give a fhort inftance of the latter. Atter reprobating Mr. Fox's denial, that " previous to the commencement of hoftilities any ground, had been held out upon which peace could be preferved," and reciting the pre

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