caufe, they do not find any neceffity for making a stop, which, when the action is compounded enough to become difficult, they readily do of themselves.' The author very fenfibly prevents the frivolous criticism of those who may object to his work, on account of his being a young, and no regular bred foldier; and proceeds to encourage the gentlemen of the militia, by affurances founded on experience, that so much of the military art, as is neceffary for them to know, may be acquired in half a year, as well as in half a century. He laughs at thofe military pedants, who represent this art as impoffible to be attained without a regular apprenticeship, and juftly compares them to the illiterate monks of old, who difcouraged learning, left their own ignorance should be discovered; but, he does not conclude without acknowleging his acquaintance with many gentlemen of the army of very different character, to several of whom, he gratefully confeffes himself obliged for their open and communicative difpofition.-Thus far the introduction. The author begins with the manual exercife, as the bafis of the military art; in which, as he differs confiderably from the prefent practice of the army, and, that we may be perfectly understood in our enquiry into his reasons for so doing, it is neceffary to transcribe his words of command, in the order in which he has given them. The firing, as front, center, and rear, and the fubfequent motions, till the whole are shouldered, are alfo the fame as thofe established by authority for the army. The military reader will obferve that, in this exercife, the principal motions are chiefly begun from the shoulder, whereas, in the exercife of the regular troops, they are gene A a 4 rally rally taken from the reft. This author has indeed entirely The author has alfo, in imitation of the Pruffians, re- The next alteration we find, is in the grounding and taking up the firelock, in which the firft and fourth motions, in the exercife of the army, are left out. To this deviation we can have no objection, as the motions which are omitted are uneffential. We come now to the author's manner of clubbing the firelock, which is likewife begun from the fhoulder, and performed in three motions, by feizing the piece with the right hand on the infide, at the height of your chin, turning the thumb downwards, and the back of the hand towards you, raifing it perpendicular from your fhoulder; fecond, turn the piece brifkly with your right hand, bringing the butt uppermoft, and the lock outward, &c.' It must be confeffed, that this method of clubbing, is fhorter than that practifed by the army, provided they were both begun from the fhoulder; but in coming from the order, as in the manual exercife, it will be found to consist of one motion more. Befides, in propofing this alteration, the author feems not to have confidered, that throughout the whole fervice, the men are never ordered to club, but on being relieved from 1 from a guard, and that this word of command immediately fucceeds the reft; from which the new guard shoulders, and the old clubs. For this reafon, it is indifpenfibly neceffary that the club fhould proceed from the reft, rather than from the fhoulder. In a note upon this motion, we find the following words: As the pofition of being fhouldered, though eafy and graceful, becomes tiresome if long continued; when the men are to march to a confiderable distance, or are difmiffed, they are ordered to club: they then are suppofed free from conftraint, and may carry their arms in the manner they find moft convenient; carrying a piece club-. bed, being one of the eafieft manners of doing it. We think, that the ease and fhortness of our method of clubbing, from the fhoulder, which may be done marching, mult firike every body with the difference between it, and the manner in which the regular troops perform it.'-Whether it may ftrike every body, we know not; but, whoever attempts it on a march, will in all probability Strike his neighbour with the butt of his firelock. Befides, thofe who chufe to make the experiment, will find that it requires more ftrength, than the generality of our center-rank are poffeffed of. If the author had been accustomed to march with a body of troops, he would have known that the men are never ordered to club in a regular manner upon the march; but that having paffed through a town, and entered upon the road, they have a fignal from the drum, not to club, but to carry their firelocks as they pleafe. There can, therefore, be no use in teaching them to club upon the march. They are never ordered to club, but on being relieved from a guard, and in the manual exercife, and in both these the words, club your firelocks, naturally follow the rest. We are entirely of the author's opinion, with regard to his method of fecuring from the shoulder. Thefe are his directions for performing it: Seize your firelock with your right hand below the lock, raifing it about a hand's breadth from the fhoulder, not turning it, but keeping the barrel outwards. Second, Throw up your left hand, and feize the firelock at the fwell below the tail-pipe, keeping your left thumb up, and your arm clofe along the outfide of the firelock. Third, Throw down your left hand brifkly along with the firelock, bringing the lock under your left ' arm, &c.' This is much fhorter than the method practifed by the army. The ufe of fecuring being to cover the lock in rainy weather, it is very obvious that it fhould proceed from the fhoulder, Shoulder, and that there is an advantage in performing it in a regular manner, without halting. In this exercise the fixing of the bayonets is reduced to three motions, whereas in the exercise of the army, no less than ten are required, beginning from the fhoulder but the invention of this method is not due to our Author; it is of German extraction, and now generally practifed in the army, when the ranks are closed. Carrying the firelock on the right arm, instead of the left, is likewife taken from the Pruffians. We cannot entirely approve of this alteration, as it is much more fatiguing to the men, if they are obliged to continue it for any time. The Author's method of charging the bayonet is much preferable to that in the exercise established by authority. It is copied from the Pruffians, and now generally practised by our regular troops. We find no other material difference, except, that in opening the ranks, the center and rear ftep off both together, the first counting five, and the other ten paces: they halt with their feet proper, and come to the right about. We must observe, that throughout this whole exercise the men never come to the left, but always to the right about. This general rule, without any exception, renders the exercife eafier to be remembered, and will certainly prevent miftakes in that particular. < To the manual exercife fucceeds that of the Officers, and the manner of faluting. The Author has thought fit to arm them with fufees, rather than efpontoons for tho' he allows the latter to be an excellent weapon in a pitched battle, yet it muft be confidered,' fays he, that in all probability, if at any time the Militia fhould be called out into actual fervice, the greatest part of their duty would confift in escorts, detachments, parties for difcovery, or to harrafs the enemy, and fuch kind of fervice, which would render the fusee a weapon much more eligible for the officers than the efpontoon. They are to carry their fufee on their right arms, in the fame manner as the grenadier officers of the army when they march with close ranks. His falute differs from theirs, chiefly in the fecond motion, in which, instead of finking the bayonet to the ground with the piece held in the right hand only, he fupports it with the left, as in the common falute with the efpontoon.-To this fucceeds the halbert halbert exercise, which differs in nothing from that of the army. The fecond part of this work confifts of directions to the officers about the method of teaching the exercise; rules and directions for marching; rules and directions for wheeling; directions for marching and wheeling by platoons, or divifions; and directions for the days of exercise by fingle companies. All these feveral directions are illuftrated by references to proper plates at the end of the book. Every attitude in the manual exercise, is also perfectly well represented by forty-four sketches done from the life, which have been defigned by a skilful hand. Tho' the Author of this military performance was not bred a foldier, his genius and application have evidently rendered him perfectly well acquainted with his fubject. His introduction fhews him to have ftudied the best authors both ancient and modern, and the work itself convinces us, he has affiduously practised what he recommends to others.-The third part, (not yet published) will contain the exercise and difcipline of a battalion. MONTHLY B-t CATALOGUE. For OCTOBER, 1759. POLITICAL. Art. 1. The Lamentations of the People of France; found under the King's Cover at Verfailles. Tranflated into English, by a Gentleman juft arrived from France. 8vo. 6d. Rivington and Fletcher. I T does not appear upon what authority the original of this piece is faid to have been found under the cover of his moft Chrif tian Majefty we rather apprehend it to be a pamphlet, conceived and brought forth, juft as the generality of our own pamphlets are, -for the accommodation of their Authors.-This is a Remonftrance to the King, in the name of the people; fetting forth the errors of his government, and the diftreffes of the kingdom; and interlarded with many anecdotes relating to his Majefty's Miftrefs and Ministers: to render the piece the more entertaining and palatable to its Readers. From the defects of the printing, and the badnefs of the letter, we infer it to have iffued from fome obfcure country-prefs, where no Corrector is employed and fome of the faults, indeed, are fo grofs, that we can only account for them, by fuppofing the Gentie man |