:

.

As to the general plan of this piece, in addition to what has already been quoted concerning the degeneracy of the British breed, the Author proceeds to fay, That unless this degeneracy be admitted, there is no accounting for the rejection of the Militia-Bill latt feffion; the declaration of a certain noble and learned Lord upon it, {That our national difpofition was to Commerce, not to Arms; and that Manufactures and Militias were inconfistent;] the advancing perfons to military Honours and Commands, who thought it no part of their duty to fight: the permitting the Officers of the garrifon at Minorca to be abfent from their pofts, when the place was in danger, &c. And, that on the contrary, when admitted, we not only need no other clue to the conduct of our Minifters, but by the help of it alfo discover an extent of penetration and fagacity through the whole course of it, (as in the Naturalization-Bill, the Jew-Bill, and laftly the importation of fixteen thousand vigorous Germans) of which before they were not fupposed to be capable. He then proceeds to applaud and illuftrete the peculiar propriety of having recourfe to Germany for this redintegrating principle; and Specifies many of the good effects to be expected from it: to prove alfo, that both Ministry and Parliament came into this measure for the purpofe above explained, he observes, that the parliamentary provifion for the Foundling Hofpital, went hand in hand with it, that the new breed might be maintained as well as got. He then fuggefts feveral thoughts of his own, for enlarging and improving fo beneficial a plan; among which, the tranfporting all our own troops into Germany, to be ufed in the Pruffian adventure now depending, and the replacing them with a like number of Electoral troops, feems to be moft worth attending to; and lastly, he calls on those worthy and loyal corporations, traduced by fome as the rotten part of the conftitution, but which are, indeed, the main-pillars of the State, to fend up, by way of countermeasure to the inftructions now walking round about the kingdom, Addreffes to the first L- of the Tas the Mr, who, by his office, is most connected with them, affuring him, and his Colleagues, "That far from being influ"enced by the cries of Faction, circulated, at prefent, through "the kingdom, they remain faithful to those who are in power, " and ready to give the most fatisfying proofs of their attachment to government, by choofing, whenever vacancies shall happen, fuch Representatives as fhall come with the proper re"commendation from the Treafury: to exprefs their entire acquiefcence in every thing that hath been done, or not been "done, in the management of the war; perfectly convinced "that Minorca could not be worth keeping, or that there were "wife, fecret reasons for not keeping it, otherwise it would not "have been loft, as it was: to declare, that they make no "doubt, that the fame wifdom which provided fo early and fo "effectually for the peace and tranquility of Germany, by fub

"fidios

"fidies paid to Ruffians, Heffians, and Pruffians, could, were it "neceffary, give fufficient reafons for not having provided effectually for the fecurity of North-America. And lastly, to proclaim their gratitude for the introduction of foreign armies; a measure which, tho' it may be cenfured by those who igno"rantly fuppofe that the Heflians and Hanoverians were intend"ed to protect Britain from Invasions, must be esteemed as a mafter-piece of profound policy, by thofe who know that they "were intended to Mend the Breed."

VIII. His Majesty's Royal Bounty: or a Scheme for keep-ing in his Majesty's Service fuch a Number of Seamen, that, upon the breaking out of a War, or when required for any particular Service, upon three Months Notice, 24,000 able Seamen may be ready to embark on board fuch of his Majesty's Ships as fhall pe required. 4to. 6d. Dodfley.

The very great number of fchemes of this kind, which have been published, from time to time, is alone fufficient to fhew the neceffity of fome new regulations, in order to the more speedy and effectual manning of the royal navy. And that none of them have as yet been adopted, muft argue, either, that none of them are fatisfactory, or that there is fome adverfe principle in power, which can never be brought to be fatisfied with them. The evil of preffing has been fo managed as to become more an evil than ever the hardships impofed, and the mifchiefs brought upon the men by it, greater, and the fervice confequently lefs, This fcheme now published, (which is of the Regifter kind) was calculated for time of peace; and the annual expence is stated at 90,000l. per annum: which may be very eafily faved on the prefent expenditure, and would be very well beftowed, in procuring fo great an advantage to the community. The Author, Mr. Bouchier Cleeve, tells us, he should not have prefumed to lay his thoughts before the public, but in compliance with the intreaties of feve ral worthy Gentlemen converfant in naval affairs, and Merchants, to whom he had fhewn it. We are to infer, therefore, that they thought well of it. But as it is fcarce to be fuppofed, that any thing of this comprehenfive nature should be brought forth perfect, we need not wonder, if, upon examination, room should be found for alterations and amendments.

IX. A Differtation on the following Subject: What Causes principally contribute to render a Nation Populous? And what Effect has the Populousness of a Nation on its Trade? Being one of those to which were adjudged the Prizes given by the Right Hon. the Lord Viscount Townsend, to the Univerfity of Cambridge, in the Year 1756, and read there in the public Schools, on Friday, July 2. By William Bell,

Author of a Scheme for preventing a further Increase of the National Debt. See Review, vol. XIV. p. 454. X 3

M. A.

M. A. Fellow of Magdalen College, Cambridge. 4to. Is

Rivington.

This is one of the firft-fruits of a new inflitution for the trial of wits, and has certainly ingenuity and merit enough to excite a perfuafion that the noble Founder will not be difhonoured by it. There is no country, perhaps, where thefe, fubjects deferve more to be confidered, and where they are confidered lefs. The British dominions were never populous enough; and never were liable to fuch drains as at prefent. But whatever our defects are, we are afraid, fpeculations, unaffifted by power, will hardly furnish fuitable remedies. In what manner our Author has treated his fubject, may be gathered from the following fhort specimens, viz. from page 8. Thefe, therefore, appear to be ⚫ certain and effectual methods of rendering a nation populous: The procuring a great plenty of every thing requifite for their • fupport. The diminishing the number of their imaginary wants. The univerfal encouragement and increase of industry and the reftraining debauchery, and preferving a due regard to the principles of modefty and virtue.' And in this manner he concludes, From the whole of what has been fuggefled, may be clearly feen, a perfect harmony between the true interest of commerce, and the most effectual means of augmenting a people. For as in the first part of this enquiry it was fhewn, That no nation can in the end become as populous, as it is capable of being, unless commerce and refinement are avoided, till the more neceffary arts alone have well filled it with inhabitants; fo it has, in the next place, appeared, that trade can no where be brought to fo flourishing and permanent a flate, as where it has, from the firft, been cultivated by an exceeding numerous people.'

X. The Difpute between the King and Senate of Sweden, in regard to the Regal Power, and the Liberties of the People, To which is prefixed, a fhort Account of the Swedish Conftitution. 8vo. Is. Scott.

This pamphlet is precisely what its title indicates it to be: that is to fay, a mere collection of the public papers which have paffed on both fides.

XI. German Cruelty: A fair Warning to the People of Great Britain. 8vo. 6d. Scott.

The defign of this, is merely inflammatory; as the title plainly indicates.

XII. A modeft Addrefs to the Commons of Great Britain, and in particular to the free Citizens of London; occafioned by the ill Succefs of our prefent Naval War with France, and the want of a Militia Bill. 8vo. 6d, Scott

The Author warmly inveighs against the late measures of the Adminiftration, and feems to be of opinion, that nothing is fo likely to fet us to rights again, as a proper Militia-Law. He is pot a first-rate writer, but he is as violent as the beft of them.

XIII. A fhort Epistle from a Country Gentleman to his Grace the Duke of Newcastle, on the prefent Conjuncture of Affairs. 4to. 4d. T. Payne.

This Politician affects the character of a Joker, in the out-fet of his Epiftie; which, however, ends in a fober propofal relating to the method of establishing a proper Conftitutional Militia. But here, where the Author lealt intended it, lies, we apprehend, the greatest Joke his performance can boat: for, fhould he not have bottled up his fcheme as to the manner of raising a Militia, till it became known whether, or not, we are to have a Militia at all? Let but that fundamental point be fettled, and then, no fear of Ways and Means.

MISCELLANEOUS.

XIV. Bower Vindicated from the falfe Infinuations and Accufations of the Papifts. With a fhort Account of his Character. In Anfwer to the Pamphlet intitled, "Six Letters from A-d B-r to Father Sheldon, &c. By a Country Neighbour. 8vo. 6d. Doughty.

What Mr.Bower himself has to offer in anfwer to the heavy accufations urged against him by his opponents, is yet unknown to the public; but as to what is advanced by his Country Neighbour, it is extremely trifling, and fcarce worth taking notice of. The whole pamphlet is not equal in quantity to five pages of our Review; and we learn little more from it, than that Bower is very conflant at his parish church, efteemed a good hufband, an enemy to no man, and well refpected by all his neighbourhood. In regard to the Six Letters, this Country Neighbour tells us, that they are nonfenfical forgeries, and that Bower's fecond affidavit before John Fielding, Efq; is fufficient to convince any person that they are fo: This, to be fure, is very fatisfactory evidence. As to the money-tranfaction, we are told, that about the year 1741, Bower had a fum of money by him, which he went to lend to the Trustees for building Aldgate church, but was too late; that in returning from thence,, he accidentally met with Father Hill, to whom he told his disappointment; and that Hill immediately offered to take his money on the fame terms he was disappointed of with the Trustees, which Bower, through hafte, inadvertently accepted; but when he began his Hiftory of the Popes, thought it prudent to defire back his money, which request Hill complied with. Our Author refers to Bower for every particular of this tranfaction, and advises him, as a friend, to publish the whole of it to the world, in his own vindication. He allows this tranfaction with Father Hill to have been an indifcretion; but obferves that the like has been practifed, for many years paft, by Proteftants as well as Roman-Catholics. As to the charge against Bower, of his being met by an acquaintance, coming out of a house of civil-reception in Covent Garden, this Author tells us, that he has heard Bower fay, he went to that houfe on a laudable oc

X 4

cafion,

cafion, viz. to fetch a young Gentleman from thence as from houfe of ill-fame, and that all the relations of that young Gentleman are at this time in great friendship with him. This is the fubftance of what is advanced by Bower's Country Neighbour; and we shall leave our Readers to their own reflections upon it. XV. Geographical, Hiftorical, Political, Philofophical, and Mechanical Effays. No. II. By Lewis Evans. 4to. Is. 6d. Dodfley.

In the Review, vol. XIV. p. 29, feq. we gave fome account of the fift part of Mr. Evans's ingenious, public fpirited, and ufeful work; which we are truly forry he did not live to compleat. This fecond part is employed in refuting a Letter published in the New-York Mercury of January 5, 1756; containing objections to thofe parts of Evans's General Map and Analyfis, which relate to the French title to the country on the north-weft fide of St. Laurence river, between Fort-Frontenac and Montreal, &c. and reprefenting, alfo, the impropriety of fending forces to Virginia; the importance of taking Frontenac ; and that the prefervation of Ofwego was owing to General Shirley's proceeding thither. To all thefe particulars our Author replies, with the appearance of much folidity of argument, as well as honesty of intention. He was, certainly, a fenfible man, a good geographer, (fo far, at least, as concerns that part of the world he treats of) and a true friend to his country; fo that his death may justly be deemed a public lofs.

XVI. Reasons for Building Barracks; Difincumbering the Inn-keepers and Publicans; reftoring Discipline to the Army; and a right Understanding between the Soldiers and the People; with fome cafual Remarks on the Nature, Genius, and Aptitude of a British Milita, 8vo. Is. Cooper.

It is very well known, that, in this land of liberty, foldiers as well as other fubjects, when not on military fervice, have no other obligation to good behaviour than the fear of incurring the penalties affixed to any, and every, infringement of the laws of their country. It is equally true, that they are always deemed inconvenient, and expensive to the public-houfes; where, from the neceffity of their being in fome manner provided for, they are quartered. The prevention of future offence, the removal of fome just complaints, and a proposal to render these disciplined gentlemen of fomewhat more ufe to the community, are the reafons affigned for this publication: the author of which feems not inadequately acquainted with his fubject.

XVII. The Sham-fight; or Political Humbug. A State Farce, in two Acts; as it was acted by fome Perfons of Diftinction in the M-d-n, and elfewhere. 8vo. is. Sold at Hogarth's Head, Fleetstreet.

This Political Humbug is comprized in several miferable buffoon dialogues; and is, on the whole, a more wretched catch,

5

penny