NOVEL S, &c. Selina, a Novel, founded on Facts. By a Lady. 3 Vols. 12mea 10s. 6d. fewed. Law. 1800. In a preface of much modefty and feeling, the authorefs of this novel difclofes her hopes and fears relative to its fuccefs, juftly obferving that To aim at excellence, which few who read are able to appreciate, and fewer willing to admit ;-to talk the imagination to fupply incidents, and character, and fentiment, and the judgment to form from thefe a work, to be read perhaps with liftlefs apathy, and thrown afide with mortifying indifference, are not the least among the difcouraging circumftances that a novel-writer, unaided and unknown, muft encounter,' We wish that the writers of novels would more frequently confider thefe obftacles, and refrain from publication, when they are confcious of not producing to the public either ftrength of character, or originality of fentiment. The prefent performance is not entirely free from thefe deficiencies, but will, upon the whole, be found fufficiently interefting to recompenfe the attention of the reader. The Neighbourhood, a Tale. 2. Vols. 12mo. 75. Jewed. Black and Parry. 1800. In this work we have rather a collection of characters than a regular narrative, or a tale abounding with incidents. The most prominent character is that of Purfling, a vulgar and illiterate, but opu lent tradesman, who retires from business, and becomes a provincial magiftrate. Some of the features of this and other characters in the work are sketched in Smollett's manner, but not with the ability which that writer ufually displayed. Under the ludicrous name of Spavin, a clerical jockey is represented, who at length renounces his follies, and ably fuperintends a school which had been kept for fome years by an ignorant adventurer, called Dr. Syllabus. The family of the Tonics are humorously characterised, though the in delicacy of mifs Tonic may difguft fome readers. Captain Canvafs has no original or ftriking traits alligned to him: he is merely a refpectable seaman. We do not fee the neceffity of giving him for a wife the girl who had been feduced under a promise of marriage by Purfling, or of making him adopt her illegitimate child as his fon it was not neceffary fo far to degrade the captain, though, perhaps, it may be argued that he evinces his humanity as well as judgement in refcuing a worthy woman from a ftate of difhonour into which the had unguardedly fallen. Upon the whole, this is an amufing, but not an interefting novel. We smile at various parts of it; but our hearts are not influenced, our feelings are not roufed. The ftyle, we may add, is fometimes affected, and frequently inaccurate. The work feems to have been fabricated in hafte; but this, we apprehend, is a very common cafe with regard to novels, which are too often written currentl calamo, and fent to the prefs without revifion. The Force of Prejudice, a Moral Tale. 2 Vols. 12mo. 750 Boards. Sold by the Author, N° 18, Weft-ftreet, Soho. Many of the readers of this novel may be inclined to difpute the applicability of the term moral, as a defignation of the tale. They will not perhaps allow that a tale is ftrictly moral, which feems to give encouragement to illicit love, by holding out a feduced female as worthy of general respect and esteem. The lofs of chastity, indeed, is not the lofs of every virtue; and a woman who, in an unguarded moment, has yielded to the force of paffion, may fincerely repent of her weakness, and become a refpectable and virtuous member of fociety. But it is not prudent to propagate fuch a doctrine, as it may render the fair lefs cautious in their conduct, and lefs ftrenuous in repelling the attacks of dishonourable lovers. The narrative does not abound with ftriking incidents; nor is it couched in pure or accurate diction: but, with the exception before stated, it inculcates virtuous fentiments and correct manners; and, as it was written in the hope of augmenting the provifion for the fupport of an aged and diftreffed mother, we recommend it to the notice of our charitable readers. De Valcourt. 2 Vols. 12mo. 75. Jewed. Dutton. This production is a mixture of history and romance, which may be palatable to the taste of subscription readers, but which is not Tufficiently ftimulant to overcome the critic's disgust at so illegitimate a fpecies of compofition. MISCELLANEOUS LIST. Hints for Hiftory, respecting the Attempt on the King's Life, 15th May, 1800. Published in the Hopes of increafing the Fund for the Erection of the Naval Pillar. By the Rev. Sir Herbert Croft, Bart. 8vo. 15. 6d. Wright. 1800. < The merit of fuch a publication as this (for nothing can be more impudent than to appear before the public without fome idea of merit) depends on what is of more confequence than the number of words it contains.' So fays our author; but we wish he had told us in what the merit of this publication confifts. Every thing that he fays of the king has been better said already; and the feelings of the nation would not, if they required any incitement, be moved by fo feeble a pen. We are at a lofs to difcover the intent of this publication, whether it be really to tell the people what they knew before on the attempt against the king's life, or what they did not know, and perhaps did not defire to know, that the king of Sweden made the author a prefent of a medal, that Sir W. Scott was his tutor at the university; that lord Eldon, though the manner of conferring the title is affuredly a bad omen for his lordship, is to be a great man; and to conclude, after a wretched fpecimen of verfification, that This friend to marriage-I'll fpeak out, in fpite Spawn'd in the jakes and vomited from jails The marriage-friend I mean is Britain's prince of Wales.' P. 31. Not having been able to find out the merits of this publication, we are forry to remark that the words, for their number, are unreasonably expenfive. Thirty-two pages, in which the title and a blank page are included, are prefumed to be worth one filling and fixpence. Selections from the Correfpondence of General Washington and James Anderfon, LL. D. &c. in which the Caufes of the prefent Scarcity are fully inveftigated. 8vo. 25. Cumming. 1800. Whatever may be the fentiments of pofterity refpecting the po litical and military character of general Washington, in private life he must be pronounced unexceptionable: and his calm dignified retirement proves that his mind was truly great and good. In these felections one letter only is of the general's writing, and relates to the conduct of the French republicans in America, which is reprobated in a manner which no good or well-informed man can difapprove. Dr. Anderfon's reply is, in part, political, and, on the whole, judicious; but he adds to it, what is of much more importance, fome excellent and valuable remarks on the present system of agriculture, and the too great neglect of arable hufbandry. This is truly alarming, efpecially when we are told from the highest authority, that more than four millions are spent annually in the purchafe of foreign corn. A Letter to the Right Hon. Lord Somerville, one of the Lords of his Majefty's Bedchamber, and late Prefident of the Board of Agriculture, with a View to fhew the Inutility of the Plans and Refearches of that Inftitution, and how it might be employed in others more beneficial. With Remarks on the recent Communications of the Board, and a Review of the Pamphlets of Arthur Young and William Brooke, Efqrs. upon the prefent high Price of Provifions By a Society of Practical Farmers. 8vo. 3s. Cawthorn. 1800. • Were these things fo, fo were they uttered.' The 'practical farmers,' who we at firft fufpected were ironical critics in difguife, really deserve the name, and many of their remarks are truly judicious. We particularly approve of their obfervations on the management of crown lands, the high price of provifions, and various fancied improvements of the new husbandry; but their spirit of oppofition occafionally carries them too far, and they fall into the fault of which they accufe fome of the objects of their criticism, viz. refting too much on local obfervation and experience. On the whole, we would recommend this letter to the difpaffionate attention of the prefident and the board, who might profit by fome of their advice. On the other hand, we cannot affociate the writers with ourselves, in their review of the communications of agriculture. Their criticism is too obviously partial, and too plainly ran corous. Recreations in Agriculture, Natural Hiftory, Arts, and Mifcellaneous Literature. By James Anderjon, LL. D. &c. Vol. I. 800. 95. Boards. Wallis. Dr. Anderfon's former periodical work, The Bee,' has enjoyed a very favourable reception from the judicious and intelligent reader, It feems to be continued in the prefent volume; and, though a regularly returning journal is fcarcely the object of our review, we cannot refuse that attention to Dr. Anderfon, which we have freely paid to Dr. Duncan, Mr. Nicholson, and other editors of medical and philofophical obfervations. Indeed, where the works are original, the form of publication can be no objection. Thefe amoenitates (for Recreations is only a tranflation of the foreign term fo often employed as the title of fimilar collections) are both fcientific and mifcellaneous. In each department we are inftructed and informed. The introductions to agriculture and natu ral history, continued through the greater part of this volume, judiciously difplay the views and objects of each science; and the dif ferent papers on the latter fubject, for the introduction to agricul ture is concluded only in the fixth number, the last of the volume, are well calculated to relieve our necellities, and add to our com forts. Economical regulations are particularly attended to; and the methods of cooling the apartments in hot climates are useful. We read with pleafure the account of Mr. Forfyth's plan of renovating the active fpirit of trees, when decayed in confequence of wounds and old age; the investigation of the causes of staggers in horfes; the method of extirpating fome kinds of caterpillars; and the essay on the varieties of animals. While we mention these particularly, we mean not to exclude many others, which equally mérit our attention and praise. The miscellaneous parts are elegant and humorous. We perceived, or we thought that we perceived, a fimilarity of style through the whole, with two or three exceptions. It feemed to be the licn playing with the kid, rather than roaming the foreft with folemn diş – nity. If we mistake, the error is of no confequence; and Dr. Anderfon cannot confider as a difgrace what Addifon has often con feffedly done. On the whole, we are highly pleafed with this col lection, and mean to continue our account of its progrefs, when we CRIT. REV. VOL. XXX. Gober, 1800. R may occafionally enlarge on fome parts, as the author, from his extenfive connections, will be enabled to render them more interefting. We have forborne to give a fuller statement, as our object is to excite curiofity, not to gratify it; and we have little hesitation in saying, that, in the perufal of this collection, the intelligent reader will not be disappointed. Reflections on the relative Situations of Mafter and Servant, hiftori cally and politically confidered; the Irregularities of Servants; the Employment of Foreigners; and the general Inconveniences refulting from the Want of proper Regulations. 8vo. 1s. 6d. Miller. 1800. It is faid of an old and very refpectable prelate, that he was afraid to go home after any vifit from the conftant uneafinefs to which he was fubjected in endeavouring to put an end to the quarrels between his old butler and his old housekeeper. The remedy indeed was eafy. He might have difmifled one or both; but he had not the courage to fend either away. With regard to the mutual complaints of mafters and fervants, it may be faid, that there are good and bad of both parties; and the attempts of the legiflature to correct the evils may in fome inftances do more injury than good! The connexion is a civil contract; and the breach of it can be punished only as in other cafes. The mafter has as much power as ought to be allowed to him. He can difmifs his fervant at pleasure; and, when fervants have really behaved ill, the want of a character is a fufficient punishment for the crime. In another point we do not agree with the author. He fays that it is a fcandal for ladies who have great affemblies to be under the neceflity of engaging conftables to attend at their doors: but the real scandal is in permitting thefe ladies to have fuch affemblies, which in fact tend to corrupt fervants, and injure the morals, tafte, and domeftic happinels of the country. A few Obfervations on the Syftem of Tadicks, laid down in the Regulations for the Formations, &c. of his Majefiy's Forces. Sco. 6d. Bell. 1. The art of war has undergone a confiderable change in the courfe of the prefent (the eighteenth) century; and the rapidity of the movements, as well as the extenfive line on which they are conducted towards its clofe, form a ftriking contraft to the precifion and regularity which in the early part of the century distinguished the campaigns of the duke of Marlborough. The great Frederic brought the old fyftem to its utmost perfection; the Auftrians adopted it, and have been compelled to change it by the French, wi.o have made as great a revolution in their art of war as in their politics. The English are not very eafily perfuaded to adopt any improvement; but, when it is once adopted, they carry it forward in gene-" ral to greater perfection. The writer of thefe obfervations wishes to accelerate their motions. He pays due refpect to the regulations of |