charitable inftitution; and it contains fome hints, at the fame time, that are by no means unworthy the attention of its governors and medical officers. It intimates a with that more regularity was, or at least could be, obferved by the physicians and furgeons in their vifits; as much time is, in confequence of their calling at uncertain hours, idly spent by pupils eager to obtain a competent knowledge of their profeffion.' And it propofes the following queries, which we fhall take the liberty of tranfcribing. 1. Would it not be eligible to erect a dial on the north house, and facing the fouth? If want of uniformity fhould be objected against this suggestion, another dial might be placed immediately oppofite. 2. Does not the staircase in all the wings require white-washing, as well as the wards? White-washing is not only defirable for its clean and decent appearance, but has been found in fimilar institutions to act as a preventative to the fpreading of a contagious diftemper. 3. Would not the abolition of one of the grand dinners be a defirable measure, especially in times of fcarcity and general want? 4. Would it not be adviseable to augment the falaries of the physicians, fo as to render it worth their while to attend half an hour longer than they are accustomed to do every time they visit. heir patients at the hofpital? P. 18. The Rife and Diffolution of the Infidel Societies in this Metropolis: including the Origin of modern Deifm and Atheism; the Genius and Conduct of thofe Affociations; their Lecture-Rooms, FieldMeetings, and Deputations; from the Publication of Paine's Age of Reafon till the prefent Period. With general Confiderations on the Influence of Infidelity upon Society; anfwering the va rious Objections of Deifts and Atheifts; and a Poftfcript upon the prefent State of Democratical Politics; Remarks upon Profeffor Robifon's late Work, &c. &c. By William Hamilton Reid. 8vo. 35. Sewed. Hatchard. 1800. On reading the preface to this work, the first impreffion made on our minds was, that the author intended to ridicule the writings of Barruel and Robifon: but, on perusing a few pages of the work, we found him to be in earnest, and with fober fadnefs relating the rife and fall of several infidel focieties which met at the Golden Key, near Moor-lane, Moorfields; at the Green Dragon, near Bunhill-row; at a hair-dreffer's, in the High-ftreet, Shoreditch; at the Angel, in Cecil-court, St. Martin's-lane, &c. Thefe conventicles were frequently vifited by juftices of the peace and conftables; and the infidels being driven from poft to pillar, were obliged to fhut up fhop, or rather to betake themfelves to their fhops, and to mind their business. Our readers had no idea that infidelity had been fo organifed in this metropolis; that it had" raifed its banners, and occupied fuch exalted stations in the city. The number of the infidel hoft is not recorded in thefe pages. The author, it feems, wrote currente calamo; and it appears that 2 B 2 he is ready to prove every thing he has ftated, if he should be called upon; for he boldly fays, Quod fcripfi, fcripfi. This work, thus written currente calamo, is of fuch importance in the eyes of the vain writer, that he is not afraid of concluding with the exulting strains of the Roman poet, Jam... opus exegi, quod nec Jovis ira, nec ignis, Alas! what neither Jove, nor fire, nor fword, nor age can do, thofe impious grocers will perform, by making this fublime mo nument a vehicle for their vile thus et odores. : It is probable that focieties of this kind may have been formed. In this great metropolis, in which exift fo many fects, it would be very extraordinary if there were not fome partifans of infidelity. An attempt was made fome years ago to eftablifh a chapel for deifin the attempt excited no alarm; it fell by itself. It is probable that if the focieties here mentioned had been decorous in their meetings, they would have received no more interruption from the magiftrates than the gaming-houfes in St. James's parish; but it seems that they were noify, and the neighbourhood found them a nuisance, not for their infidelity, but their unfeemly conduct. Many infidel writings have been difperfed within these few years; and from their nature they were not likely to make con verts. Political difputes gave a celebrity to the name of Thomas Paine: he made it a vehicle for the diffufion of his deistical opinions; and his work foon fell into deserved contempt. But our author does not confine himself to infidels: he is very fevere upon methodist preachers, and, with the anonymous clergymen of the diocefe of Lincoln, attributes the decline of religion to their exertions. Swedenburg alfo has his fhare of rebuke; and by the introduction of Bonaparte, Voltaire, the Corresponding Society, Whig Club, &c. this everlasting monument of the writer's fame is extended to 117 pages, of which the rife and fall of the infidel focieties in this metropolis, a fubject on which our curiofity was excited, forms a very small proportion. Lettre Latine de plufieurs Evêques de France au Pape Pie VI. et Réponse du Souverain Pontife; traduites en François par un Prêtre, exilé pour la Foi. là A Latin Epifle from fome French Bishops to Pope Pius VI. with the Anfwer of the Sovereign Pontiff; tranflated into French by a Priet exiled for his adherence to the Catholic Faith. Svo. 15. Dulau. The misfortunes of the late pope excited the commiferation of every feeling heart, but more particularly of thofe who were at tached to that religious fyftem of which he was the chief director. After his expulfion from his territories, and his flight into the Tufcan dominions, fome French ex-bishops addreffed to him a letter of condolence, to which he fent an anfwer of confiderable length. The prelates, after referring to the calamitous state of the catholic church, exprefs their hopes, founded on fcriptural and prophetic declarations, that it may at length recover its influence and its privileges. The compliment which they take occafion to pay to the pontiff we will transcrive, as a specimen of their epiftle. Romam jufto et leni imperio gubernâffe, legibus temperâffe, beneficiis devinxiffe, tum veteribus tum novis artium monumentis decoraffe, quod eft magni principis; ecclefiam doctrinâ fimul et pietate et prudentiâ et imperterritâ animi magnitudine, inter difficiliimas rerum auguftias, fulcire, folari, et regere, quod eft optimi paftoris; hæc, beatiffime pater, hæc veftra laus eft, hoc pontificatûs veftri decus et ornamentum.' The paffage above quoted may be thus tranflated:-To have governed Rome, like a great prince, by a jult yet merciful fway; to have extended over the whole territory the efficacy of laws; to have conciliated the people by benefits; to have repaired ancient works of art, to have erected new monuments of taste and magnificence; to comfort, fupport, and govern the church, like an ex-. emplary paftor, in times of extraordinary difficulty and danger, by learning, piety, prudence, and undaunted fortitude and greatnefs of mind; thefe, moft holy father, are the foundations of your praife, thefe are the honours and ornaments of your pontificate. In the answer to this complimentary addrefs and pious communication, the pope applauds the devotion of the bishops to the holy fee, and their firmnefs in maintaining the catholic faith; defires them not to be grieved at his misfortunes, or to defpair of the fafety of a church which cannot be overthrown; and represents the bold attacks upon that establishment as ferving only to render its triumphs more glorious. In the true catholic cant he thus exclaims: Since we have seen our church flourish, and even augment its influence, amidst the age of perfecution, what may we not expect when a time of tranquillity fall arrive, when the church, winnowed by the fan of God, tried by the fire of tribulation, ennobled by your brilliant triumphs and thofe of our venerable brethren the cardinals, dignified by the faith, conftancy, and piety of fo many bifhops, fo many holy virgins, fo many monks, and fo many general votaries of Chriftianity, fhall fignalife the glory of the Almighty?' Near the clofe of the letter an elegant compliment is paid to the king of Great Britain for his humanity to the emigrant clergy. The epiftles are written with perfpicuity rather than with elegance. They are well clothed in a French drefs; and the tranflator we understand is M. Hamel, a refpectable emigrant, whofe former publications have been noticed in our review. Remarks on fome Paffages in Mr. Bryant's Publications respecting the War of Troy, by the Editor of the Voyage of Hanno. Svo. 2s. 6d. Cadell and Davies. Mr. Falconer's obfervations merit confiderable attention, in oppofition to a system which he contends is calculated to lay the foundation of fcepticifm in the nurfery. This may perhaps be confidering the queftion too deeply. He follows, however, Mr. Bryant clofely in the original authors, and proves him to be guilty of great unfairness in his argument, by mutilating and even interpolating his quotations. To these proofs, were it neceffary, we could add many others; and even in the boasted Analysis there are many inftances in which this author has either left a sentence, pretended to be cited, unfinished, or has omitted to look at the very next line. The rape of Helen was undoubtedly a prædatory expedition, and the war of Troy only a fimilar retaliation. Fable is indubitably mixed with the different events, but these are perfectly confiftent with every thing known refpecting the ftate of fociety at that period. An Expoftulation, addressed to the British Critic. By Jacob Bryant. 4to. 55. ferved. Payne. We have engaged at length in this queftion as the fucceffive works appeared, and therefore feel little inclination to step out of our way either to affift or oppofe the fraterna acies. Mr. Bryant's Expoftulation' is in general calm, and he has with great dexterity feized fome little pofts which the rapid demands of a monthly publication may, from hafte, or a venial inattention, have left unfupported :-petimus damusque viciffim. On the whole, however, we do not think he has added greatly to his former evidence; though, if his object were to vindicate the exiftence and veracity of Homer, as well as the events of the Iliad, by the controverfy thus excited, it has been completely obtained. Irish Purfuits of Literature, in A. D. 1798, and 1799, confifling of 1. Translations, &. Second Thoughts, 3, Rival Tranflations, 4. the Monftrous Republic, 5. Indexes. Svo. 75. 6d. Boards. Wright. The obferver iffues forth from his tower near the weftern ocean another effufion of his learned, though ill-digefted and ill-arranged, conceptions. With great zeal for the facred caufe in which he is engaged, he attacks the follies which in this age of reafon have fhot forth on all fides their widely extended roots. His guide is the anonymous author of the Pursuits of Literature, whofe inalignity, however, he does not always exhibit. If the French republic or popery fall in his way, he can no longer be kept within bounds; and he then emulates the jacobin and the anti-jacobin in the afperity of his rhapfodical cenfures. The dedication will give our readers the best idea of the author's style, and in every line brings Martin Van Butchel and his advertisements to our recollection. To Erin, Britannia, and the Reading World; throughout the wide extended reign and fpreading fway of the English language; worthy fucceffor of the primeval Hebrew and imperial Greek: thefe mifcellaneous purfuits of literature, claffical, philofophical, and political, exhibiting a concife fketch, and faithful register of the curious, various, motley learning, opinions, and practices of the age of reafon; "to all that have ears to hear, and eyes to fee, and hearts to understand," the awful and impending figns of the times foretold in holy writ, fpeedily to precede "the days of ven geance," on rebellious Jews and apoftate Chriftians; ushering in the fign of the fon of man; or, the fecond appearance of Jefus of Nazareth the crucified, in power and great glory, at "the ultimate æra of Sibylline prophecy," and alfo of evangelical, to establish a new and grand order of things," in his fiduciary kingdom upon earth, for a thousand generations during the age of faith: are moft humbly, charitably, piously prefented, dedicated, bequeathed, by an Irish theophilanthrope. P. v. The tranflations are in general bald; and indeed the writer does not feem at any time to aim fo much at an elegant as a faithful translation of his original. His cenfures are not directed entirely against the common enemy; the advocates for the good old caufe fometimes feel the lafh; and the premier himself, though loaded with encomiums, is for one folly defervedly ftigmatifed: for he, at this eventful crifis, forgetting his hardihood, has had the weakness, the rafhnefs, the impolicy, and the anti-christian fpirit, to fight a duel.' The French are reprobated for every thing; and the writer feems to forget that, in fome inftances, they might quote the example of his own empire in favour of their excelles. Not fatisfied with the plunder of the western world, the great nation invades the eastern too, to fupport the profufion of expence, the domineering inequality of their proud and unprincipled ufurpers.' The invafion of Great Britain in the eastern world are not lefs notorious than thofe of the French. The morality of our archdeacon Paley, though it certainly deferves cenfure on fome occafions, is too strongly reprobated, when his chapter on religious eftablishments and toleration is termed, by this writer, crude, inconfiftent, antifcriptural, and anti-contitutional.' But our obferver knows no bounds to his praise or cenfure and we frequently hope that feveral of his affertions are Ill founded. Thus we can fcarcely believe that Buonaparte fold his Auftrian prifoners of war to the Spaniards to work in the mines of America,' as the example was fraught with mischief to the contriver of the plot; and he who fells the natives of one country to another in thefe times of civilifation, deferves to be ftigmatised as a wretch unworthy to breathe even the foul air of a fubterrane. But, amiḍft much virulence, we find interfperfed fome proofs of our author's proficiency in learning and fcience, ancient and modern: we lament only that he cannot chaftife the pruriencies of imagination, or check the ebullitions of zeal. The State of the Hop Plantations, including a candid Review of the Difputes between the old and new Hop Merchants with a corret Table, exhibiting the prime Coft and Sale of the Hops. To which are added, Strictures on Monopoly; together with Hints on the prefent Scarcity and high Price of Provifions. By W. Randall, Nurferyman, Maidstone, Kent. 8vo, 2s. 6d. Symonds. 1800. We perceive in this State' a too ftudied eulogy on fome late tranfactions, which, perhaps, might have been more flightly noticed with greater effect; and a too anxious wish to depreciate the late growths of hops. The whole may have been as the author reprefents; bit a detail of facts is feldom fo ftudioufly guarded. The fubftitutes for hops are alfo too much reprobated. Why |