convictions which must have been produced of their exift ence. When this treatife was first published, we had confidence in its estimates of depredation on the public, though to fome perfons the author might feem to have exaggerated the evils he pointed out. This opinion must have proceeded from inattention to the fources of mifchief recapitulated in a subsequent paffage of the preface.

The enlarged flate of fociety, the vaft extent of moving property, and the unexampled wealth of the metropolis, joined to the depraved habits and loofe conduct of a great proportion of the lower claffes of the people; and, above all, the want of an appropriate police, applicable to the object of prevention, will, after a' careful perufal of this work, reconcile the attentive mind to a belief of the actual existence of evils which could not otherwife have been credited. Let it be remembered alfo, that this metropolis is unqueftionably not only the greatest manufacturing and commercial city in the world, but alfo the general receptacle for the idle and de-' praved of almoft every country; particularly from every quarter of the dominions of the crown-where the temptations and refources for criminal pleasures-gambling, fraud, and depredation, almost exceed imagination; fince, befides being the feat of government, it is the centre of fashion, amulenents, dilipation, and folly.

Under fuch peculiar circuittances, while immorality, licentioufnefs, and crimes, are known to advance in proportion to the excelfive accumulation of wealth, it cannot fail to be a matter of deep regret, that in the progrefive increase of the latter the means of checking the rapid ftrides of the former have not been fooner difcovered and effectually applied.

• It is, however, earneftly to be hoped that it is not yet too late. Patriots and philanthropists who love their country, and glory in its profperity, will rejoice with the author in the profpect, that the great leading features of improvement fuggefted and matured in the prefent edition of this work will ultimately receive the fanction of the legiẞature.

May the author be allowed to exprefs his conviction that the former editions of this book tended, in no fmall degree, to remove various mifconceptions on the subject of police, and, at the fame time, evidently excited in the public mind a defire to see such remedies applied as fhould contribute to the improvement of the morals of the people, and to the removal of the danger and infecurity which were univerfully felt to exift.

An impreflion it is to be hoped is generally felt from the exam, ple of the Roman government, when enveloped in riches and luxury, that national profperity must be of fhort duration when public morals are too long neglected, and no effectual meafures adopted for the purpofe cither of checking the alarming growth of depravity, or of guarding the rifing generation against evil examples,

It is by the general influence of good laws, aided by the regu lations of an energetic police, that the bleffings of true liberty, and the undisturbed enjoyment of property, are fecured.

The fole object of the author in pointing out the accumulated wrongs which have tended in fo great a degice to abridge this li berty, is to pave the way for the adoption of those practical remedies which he has fuggefted, in conformity with the spirit of the laws, and the conftitution of the country, for the purpose of bettering the state of fociety, and improving the condition of human

life.'

We look forward with anxiety to the period when the police of this country, fhall occupy the ferious and vigorous attention of its legislature. The wealth, the civilitation, the unrivalled political conflitution of Great-Britain, the excel lence of the general fpirit of its laws, loudly demand the purfuit of an object fo effentially connected with the vital principles of focial intercourfe, that without it all other civil advantages would be inferior to the protection of a vigilant defpotifm.

MONTHLY CATALOGUE.

POLITICS.

The Report of the Select Committee appointed by the House of Commons, to enquire into the Establishment of the Courts of Justice in Westminster-hall; the Courts of Affize; the Civil Law Courts; and the different fubordinate Offices attached to each Court, with the Fees, Duties, Appointments, and Duration of Intereft of each Officer belonging to them. Agreeable to the Returns made by themfelves to the Committee. 8vo. 25. 6d. Clarke and Son.

THIS is a part of a publication which we have already commendand to which we cannot too often call the attention of the public. In whatever shape the Reports of the Select Committee are published, whether collectively or feparately, we shall be happy to find that they have an extenfive circulation. This is the first step towards cleansing the Augean ftable; and much may be done by patience and perfeverance. It is only to be feared that the gentlemen who drew up the reports will fleep over their labours, and leave to others, the difficult task of correcting the evils, which they have very faithfally, and with great judgement, pointed out. This report gives an account, yet we must add but a fmall account, of our courts of

law. Enough, however, is faid to fhow the neceffity of a more ftrict inquiry. Nothing, indeed, calls more loudly for reform than the falary of different officers. A judge, an office which ought to be of the greateft refpectability, receives lefs than fome clerks. We may add, that in many cafes the amount of fees are not, and cannot be, afcertained. If a reform should ever take place in this department, we may be permitted to hope that the patronage of certain perfons may be changed; and thus that no appearance of profit to a judge from a prifoner may affect the bandage on the eyes of juftice. A fimple principle pervades the reform in this and every other branch on which the committee has reported. The country does not refuse ample rewards to thofe who do the duties of any office; but every farthing lavifhed on finecures is a caufe of proportionable disgust.

The Story of an injured Gentleman, in a Letter from John Bull to a Perfon in the North. 8vo. IS. C. Chapple.

Ireland is represented as a most deteftable proftitute, whom John Bull, though he is already married, determines, without any fear of the Old Bailey before his eyes, to take as his fecond wife. The story has no attraction for a reader of taste.

RELIGION.

Curfory Remarks on a Work entitled Apeleutherus; or, an Effort te attain Intellectual Freedom: in a Letter to a Friend. Svo. Conder. 1800.

Apeleutherus deferved the caftigation which, in this pamphlet, he has received. Both writers indulge in the fame ftyle of writing, and do not aim at the greatest degree of accuracy in their reafonings. If the one too-highly values the philofophers of the ancient world, the other detracts from their merits. In fpeaking of the an. cients, he quotes their vices only, and feems not to recollect, that the verfatility and levity of Erafmus, the meanness of Bacon, the intolerance, bigotry, arrogance, and defpondency, of Johnson, if we confider their fuperior advantages from the light of Revelation, bring them nearly to a level with the fages of antiquity. Even Newton and Locke, whom, in this illuftrious hoft, he brings forward with great appearance of respect to their names, maintained opinions of the Chriftian religion, which, from various parts of their works, muft in his eftimation place them in, or very near to, the clafs of the infidels. Chriftianity does not require fuch a comparifon; and the beft under this difpenfation will be the first to make allowances for the defects of others, and the last to claim any thing on their own merits. At the crofs of Chrift all these distinctions vanish; and in the glory of the Redeemer's character the excellence of his religion is manifeft,

Apeleutherus, our readers will recollect (or more probably they have forgotten it), would abolish public worship and the priesthood; and, clearing the Chriftian religion from every mark of divine character, reduce it to a mere fyftem of dry morality. His antagonist follows him clofely, and expofes the weakness of his arguments, often with great ingenuity. The contempt in which he holds Apeleutherus and others is expreffed in rather too strong language; and the author would have employed himself to greater advantage if, as Apeleutherus dwells conftantly on the abufes of various inftitutions, he had drawn a line between their ufes and abuses; and, in candidly allowing the validity of fome of the objections, had pointed out the means of rectifying them, with the facility of rendering the inftitution still more favourable to its original purpose.

If any one has really been fhaken, which we can hardly believe. to have been the cafe, by the infinuations of Apeleutherus, he will, we are perfuaded, either find in this work a remedy to his doubts; or, by balancing the weight of the refpective affertions on each fide, be enabled to purfue his Christian courfe without interruption. The zeal of the writer, though it is not fufficiently tempered with charity, we admire; and our readers must receive a very favourable impreffion of the work from a fimile which does him great honour.

• A near friend of mine when at Rome, a few years fince, was often prompted by curiofity to wander among the fplendid ruins of that once famous city. One morning, in climbing over the Collifeum, he fat himself down, for a few moments, on the highest archway, to contemplate the scene before him; when he could not help lamenting, to his attendant, the ravages which had been committed on that magnificent building. "Alas," returned the man, with looks of expreffive fenfibility, "the Vandals, who could not difcern its beauty, at first greatly defaced it: fince then, it has been cruelly used by various popes and princes, who have, at different times, robbed it, to build or to embellish their palaces; and laftly, its materials have been more than once employed in repairing the walls of the city; walls, whofe feebleness ferves only more to display the weakness of the place; and yet, Sir," he cried with rapture," the mighty fabric ftands, majeftic and firm." Apply this fimile to Christianity. This alfo has been, by Gothic and barbarous hands, oftentimes defaced; by its falfe friends it has been not unfrequently applied to unworthy purposes; and yet, my friend, it ftands!

There is one point, however, wherein my fimile gloriously fails. The Collifeum is, at beft, but a fplendid ruin! Not fo with Chrif tianity; for that building will furvive the ruins even of time itfelf.' P. 43.

A Sermon preached in the Parish Church of Clare, in Suffolk, at the Prefentation of the Colours to the Military Affociation of that Place, on Wednesday, June 26, 1799. By C. Hayward, Vicar of Haverhill, Suffolk. Svc. IJ. Robinfons.

That, for a confiderable time before, and uniformly fince, the French revolution, infidelity has, by means of French writers and French principles, been gaining ground in this country, with great and rapid ftrides, is a fact which is hardly denied by any, except thofe who exult in the truth of it, and only wait for a riper opportu nity of avowing their exultation.' P. 15.

We are among thofe who deny that infidelity has been gaining ground in this country; and we lament that fo many preachers can. indulge themselves in fuch unwarranted allertions, or, in confequence of their delutions, in fuch ftrange language as the following:

God forbid that religious opinions of any kind fhould ever again be propagated by the fword; but, fooner than the glorious. fabric of the Gospel shall even totter in our land-fooner than the batteries of foreign illuminati, aided by the phrenzy of a mifguided multitude, fhall play againft it-let every man, in the literal fenfe of our Saviour's words, "who has no fword, fell his coat and buy one;" and let us confider it as an honourable diftinction, if we are. allowed to be the loweft agents in the fulfilment of the grand promife of our Lord refpecting his Gofpel" the gates of hell fhall not prevail against it." P. 17.

We advife this preacher to purchase the armour defcribed by St. Paul; and, with the fword of the fpirit, he will do more execution on the minds of the wicked than he can poffibly expect to effect with a carnal fword at the head of his volunteers.`

On the Meafure and the Manner of Difivibuting-A Sermon preached at St. Mary's Church, Nottingham, on Tuesday, September 4, 1798,› before the Governors of the General Hospital. By Edward Pearfon, B. D. &c. 8vo. 15. Rivingtons.

This difcourfe contains many excellent remarks on the disposal of wealth. It is written with greater clearness than is usual in ́the compofition of this writer; and we are happy in the opportunity afforded us of recommending it to the particular attention of the Tiberal and the ferious reader. The pallage relative to the expectations of the rich and poor, arifing out of the inequality of wealth, and the tempers formed by it, is a fufficient fpecimen of the found difcrimination which diftinguifhes the difcourfe.

That this intention of Providence, in the unequal diftribution. of property, is not fulfilled in fo great a degree as might reasonably be expected, arifes, in part, from the want of preparation in both rich and poor to make due allowance for each other's failures. It