be thought by every one (the Author of the performance in question not excepted) that we have faid enough. Art. 38. Genuine and authentic Memoirs of a well-known Woman of Intrigue. Written by Herself. 12mo. 2 Vols. 5 s. fewed. Ridgway. 1787. The fign fufficiently intimates the entertainment within. EDUCATION, &c. Art. 39. Advice to Mothers, Wives, and Hufbands; with Admonitions to others, in various Situations of Life. By a Lady. 12mo. 2s. 6d. Bell. 1787. Many of the common follies of private life are here ftrongly `marked in an ironical address to fathers and mothers, hufbands and wives, young men and young women. The piece bears fome refemblance to Swift's Advice to Servants; and, though it falls fhort of that original production in wit and humour, it conveys much useful inftruction, in an agreeable and lively manner. MEDICA L. Art. 40. Obfervations on the Circulation of the Blood, and on the Ef fects of Bleeding. By John Hunt, a Member of the Corporation of Surgeons. 8vo. 2s. Johnfon. 1787. Mr. Hunt here gives an account of the prefent ftate of that part of phyfiology which relates to the circulation, and fhews the use and abuse of mechanical illuftrations. We muft differ with him in fome particulars; for instance, where he fays, the microscope has never much enlightened this fubject [the circulation]; but, on the contrary, it has given fome authors a fine opportunity of defcribing whatever their imaginations painted, and what no eyes but their own have ever fince been able to difcover.' The coincidence or agreement of the obfervations of Lewenhoek and others formerly, and Fontana of the present day, are fufficient refutations of this remark. Mr. H. then proceeds to confider the form of the arteries, the nature of their diastole and fyftole, and the motion of the blood through the vessels during the diaftole of the heart. To refute the opinions of a Boerhaave, a Freind, and other celebrated phyfiologifts, will, we apprehend, require greater abilities than are difplayed in this pamphlet; which, however, though apparently the produc tion of a young man, contains, on the whole, many ufeful remarks, and fhews that the Author has not been an unprofitable hearer of Mr. Elfe's Lectures. The latter part of the performance, treating of the effects of bleeding, indicates a prepoffeffion in favour of an opinion which the best practitioners have seldom adopted without numerous exceptions. Mr. Hunt is averse to topical bleedings; but they are certainly advantageous in many partial affections. Art. 41. An Account of the Effects of Swinging, employed as a Remedy in the Pulmonary Confumptions, and Hectic Fever. By James Carmichael Smyth, M. D. F. R. S. Phyfician extraordi nary to his Majefty. 8vo. 2s. Johnfon. 1787. This pamphlet confifts chiefly of cafes in which the operation (or amusement, if you pleafe) of fwinging, had been attended with success in confumptive complaints. They were written, the Author informs us, laft winter, and intended to be laid before the Royal Society. Accordingly they were tranfmitted to the Prefident, with letter, which here accompanies them. The account was however thought, by the Prefident and fome other gentlemen, to contain more of medical detail than was conformable to the plan of that inftitution; the defign was therefore relinquifhed; and the cafes are now laid before the Public, with fome obfervations on exercife and motion. The cafes, in number 14, are all of them, except the laft, extraordinary cures but as in most of them, other remedies were used at the fame time, they are not therefore quite fo convincing as if fwinging had been the only means employed. In many of them, the difeafe had advanced to a very great height; "as in the firft, where the patient expectorated a pint of purulent matter in a day, and the pulfe was 134 in a minute. Some readers may, here, perhaps, be ready to cry out, credat Judæus! We do not; though we are at a lofs to account for the ftoppage of fo great a difcharge; or how the motion of fwinging could produce fuch a change. The rational physician, in recommending a new remedy, ought furely to accompany his cafes with fuch reafening as tends either to explain the phenomena, or to evince the propriety of the practice ;-otherwife it is mere empiricifm. MISCELLANEO U S. Art. 42. The Romance of real Life. By Charlotte Smith. 12mo. 3 Vols. 9 s. Boards. Cadell. 1787. A literary friend, whofe opinion I greatly value, fuggefted to me the poffibility of producing a few little volumes, that might prove as attractive as the most romantic fiction, and yet convey all the folid inftruction of genuine hiftory. He affirmed, that the voluminous and ill-written French work, intitled Caufes celebres, &c. might furnish me with very ample materials for fo defirable a purpose.' My ambition will be fatisfied, if a number of candid readers allow, that, by dint of fome irksome labour, I have produced a little compilation, not inelegant in its ftyle; and in the matter it contains, both interefting and inftructive.' CHARLOTTE SMITH. Such is the Editor's account of her undertaking; and it must be acknowledged, that he has fucceeded according to her wishes, the Romance of real Life' being a collection of interefting and wellauthenticated facts. On looking into the original work, which confifts of upwards of twenty volumes, we find that many of these stories,' as the translator calls them, are Trials, and Cafes in law, and confequently they are not the objects of criticism. The few which are here felected, however, being ftripped of the judicial forms of proceedings, will no doubt meet with the approbation of those perfons who are fond of tracing the errors and wanderings of the human heart. Some of the circumftances recorded in them are really fhocking and difgraceful to our nature; and as the paffions of men, in every age and in every country, are nearly the fame, it is to be hoped that the volumes now before us may ferve as beacons to warn the reader of his danger; and to hinder him from striking on the rocks which others have been unable to fhun. Art. Art. 43. Obfervations on fome Parts of Natural History, to which is prefixed an Account of feveral remarkable Veftiges of an ancient Date, which have been discovered in different Parts of North America. Part I. By Benj. Smith Barton, Member of the Royal Medical Society of Edinburgh. 8vo. 2s. Dilly. 1787. A prefixed advertisement to this treatise informs us, that it is the production of a very young man, written chiefly as a recreation from the laborious ftudies of medicine.' It is however a curious tract; we have here only the firft part; the other three, which will complete the work, are to be published in a few months. * . The Author apologizes for calling this part Obfervations on Natu ral Hiftory, fince it relates entirely to antiquities, the ancient cuftoms of the inhabitants, &c. &c. Mr. Barton has given an accurate defcription and a plan of fome ruins which have been discovered on the banks of the Mufkingham, about a mile above its junction with the Ohio (i. e. according to the latest maps we have, in Lat. 40° N. and Long. 82 E. nearly). The town, as it is called, is in a large plain, and the walls which encompass it form a quadrilateral figure whofe fides are from 530 to 480 yards long; they are about 10 feet high above the level on which they stand, and about 20 feet thick at their bafe. Within the walls feveral elevations and buildings are obfervable, but the whole is overgrown with plants of various kinds, and trees,' fays the Author, feveral feet diameter.' Mr. Barton adds fome remarks on the firft peopling of America ; he does not however throw much light on this dark and difficult subject. The Author concludes with fome confiderations on the state of civilization of the Mexicans, as given by Abbé Clavigero, in his hiftory of that empire; which work we noticed in our last Appendix, page 633. Art. 44. An accurate and defcriptive Catalogue of the feveral Paintings in the King of Spain's Palace at Madrid; with fome Account of the Pictures in the Buen-Retiro. By Richard Cumberland. 12mo. 2s. 6d. Dilly. 1787. By a prefixed advertisement to this publication we learn that the Catalogue was made, at Mr. Cumberland's requeft, by the gentleman who has the fuperintendance of the Royal Collection in the Palace of Madrid; it was tranfinitted to the Author after his return from Spain, but came too late to be inferted in his Anecdotes † of Spanish Painters. t Art. 45. A Collection of all the Papers relating to the Proposal for uniting the King's and the Marifchal Colleges of Aberdeen, which have been published by Authority of the Colleges. 4to. 2s. 6d. Evans. 1787. It is impoffible perhaps to agitate the moft falutary measure in any body of men, without dividing them into parties. To have two rival * Similar ruins have been found in other parts of N. America, for an account of which see our 60th volume, p. 281, from Capt. Carver's Travels. For an account of which see Rev. vol. Ixyii. p. 50. feminaries feminaries in fo remote a city as Aberdeen, when, by a union of plan and of means, the articles of education might be extended, and rendered more competent for the purposes of the country, feems to be a matter eafily decided. Yet, as it was a treaty between A and Co. and B and Co. it has proved far otherwise; and altercation has fomented animofities to fuch a height, that what was first an amicable propofition among themselves, from a conviction of expediency, may become abfolutely neceffary to be done for them, to prevent worse confequences to both. Their counter-remonftrances are very long, and may be extremely important at Aberdeen, but the pro and con. is fo like a quarrel between man and wife, that we hold it prudent not to interfere. Art. 46. Effays on various Subjects, critical and moral: containing Remarks on Butler's Analogy; a Review of Locke's Philofophy; Grammatical Strictures; Letters on Wit and Humour: in which various Obfervations are made on the most celebrated Writers on the Subjects of Logic, Morals, and Metaphyfics. By William Belchier, Efq. Kent. Crown octavo. 2 Vols. 5s. Jamefon. There are writers who bid defiance to all the powers of criticism, fome by rifing above, and others by finking below, the level of common fenfe. To one or other of these claffes the Author of these Effays certainly belongs; but to which, it is impoffible for us to determine for after labouring through his tedious pages of unconnected matter, expreffed in inelegant and often coarse language, we are at a lofs to difcover his meaning. If we do not therefore attempt to extract any articles of information, or amusement, from these volumes, our apology must be, that where there is no light, a reflector can be of no use. Art. 47. Some Reafons for thinking that the Greek Language was borrowed from the Chinese: in Notes on the Grammatica Sinica of Monf. Fourmont. By Mr. Webb. 8vo. 2 s. fewed. Dodsley. 1787. The learned Lipfius obferved a ftriking affinity between the old Perfic and the German language. Mr. Webb has remarked the fame between the Greek language and the Chinese; and has ingeniously collected a variety of resemblances in fupport of his opinion, that the former is derived from the latter. Whether his arguments are as fatisfactory as ingenious, muft be left to the determination of those who are better acquainted with the Chinese tongue, than we can pretend to be. Art. 48. Select Paffages from various Authors. Defigned to form the Minds and Manners of Young Perfons; and at the fame Time to afford an agreeable Mifcellany for those of riper Years. 12mo. 3 s. 6d. Boards. Richardfon. 1787. These felections are from fome of the best and most admired authors of our own country, and from a few of those of France. They are collected by a fenfible, and by no means unlearned lady *, and the choice does not difgrace either her judgment or her tafte; but We fay lady, because fome paffages in the Preface, &c. lead us fo to conclude, with tolerable certainty. fhe she has not done justice to the beautiful and well-known lines made by the late excellent Dr. Doddridge on his family motto, Dum vivimus vivamus, as she has neither faid whence they are taken, on what occafion they were written, nor has fhe given the motto entire, fo that the point and meaning cannot be fully understood. These moral and inftructive collections are generally useful, and we recommend the prefent publication as proper to be added to thofe of the fame fort already given to the world; but we were forry to fee so very numerous a lift of Errata, which few will take the trouble to mark; we muft, however, especially as coming from a fair lady, accept the apology here made (great distance from the press), and we with others may be equally inclined to mark them as Errata, and to overlook them as defects. Art. 49. A Treatise on the Wines of Portugal; and what can be gathered on the Subject fince the Establishment of the English Factory at Oporto, Anno 1727: alfo a Differtation on the Nature and Use of Wines in general, as pertaining to Luxury and Diet. By John Croft, S. A. S. 8vo. Is. York printed; fold by Baldwin, London. 1787. This work gives a very circumftantial detail of the Portugal winetrade. The Author, who feems well acquainted with his fubject, enters minutely into a defcription of the feveral methods of making the wine, and the various ways of adulterating it, as practifed both in Portugal and in England. In the fecond part of this performance he defcribes the different kinds of wines, ufually imported in this country; enumerates the excellencies of each, and fhews how to diftinguish the good from the bad extending his obfervations to the Rhenifh, Hungarian, French, Madeira, Canary, Spanish, Italian, &c. We could have wifhed Mr. Croft had clothed his ufeful informa tion in better language; or given his readers an exhilarating glass, to fuftain them under the fatigue of perusing a useful but dull pamphlet. THEOLOGY, &c. Art. 50. A Charge and Sermon delivered at the Ordination of the This Ordination fervice, which was performed in a fociety of Baptifts of the Calvinistic perfuafion, is drawn up in a plain and ferious ftyle; and, notwithstanding the general character of Puritanism which runs through it, contains many hints not undeserving attention from young divines, of all profeffions. Art. 51. A Defence of the Doctrine of the Trinity, and eternal Sonship of our Lord Jefus Chrift, as revealed in the Scriptures; in Oppofition to a late Scheme of temporal Sonship. By a Baptift. 8vo. I s. 6d. Buckland. A difpute in a fociety of Baptifts, at Edinburgh, concerning the eternal Sonship of Jefus Chrift, gave occafion to this piece of pole ! |