MONTHLY CATALOGUE,

For

MARCH,

1774.

MISCELLANEOUS.

Art. 14. Rational Self-Love; or, a philosophical and moral Essay on the natural Principles of Happiness and Virtue : With Reflections on the various Syftems of Philofophers, ancient and modern, on this Subject. By L N. 8vo. 2 s. Griffin. 1773.

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ELF-LOVE, as our Author has defined it, is an internal spring of action, which puts all human nature in motion, and, according to the different direction it receives from the free determinations of our will, becomes occafionally the inftrument of good and evil, and of what we truly call virtue and vice. Of virtue, when directed to the attainment of all the good which, in fuch circumstances, may be attained; and of vice, when diverted from the profecution of that greater good, to purfuits of a meaner fort, and Subverfive of that better end. This is the true philofophical idea of self-love.' He traces this principle to its origin in that fenfibility, or capacity of pain and pleasure, with which human nature is evidently endued; and illuftrates the nature and extent of its operation on individuals, on the practice of focial virtue, and on all the natural and adventitious relations of life; and he then vindicates this reafoning from the reflections of Shaftesbury and others of the modern Platonifis,

The Writer's digreffions, in difplaying the wifdom and goodness of Providence, and manifesting the importance of virtue to both our prefent and future welfare, with his remarks on the fentiments of modern writers, in refpect to the introduction and prevalence of evil, and on the various fyftems of infidelity that have been adopted either in former or later times,-are pertinent and judicious. This effay may be confidered as a kind of commentary on those lines of Mr. Pope, which our Author has adopted for his motto, and which are literally the text or ground-work of his performance:

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Self-love and Reafon to one end afpire;

Pain their averfion, Pleasure their defire: But greedy That its object would devour.; This tafte the honey, and not wound the flower: Pleafure, or wrong, or rightly understood, Our greatest evil, or our greatest good." Efay on Man. Art. 15. Introduction to the School of Shakespeare; held on Wednefday Evenings, in the Apollo, at the Devil Tavern, Temple-bar, To which is added, a Retort Courteous on the Critics, as delivered at the fecond and third Lectures. 8vo. 1 s. Sold by all the Bookfellers, &c.

We cannot better explain the defign of Dr. Kenrick's Lectures, or of this introduction to them, than by inferting part of his advertifement:

Dr. Kenrick having advifedly deferred the printing of his edition of Shakespeare tili that of Mr. Steevens' appeared, the expediency of carrying his work into immediate execution is fo much abated, by the labours of that Commentator, and the contributions of his cor

refpondents,

refpondents, that its intended publication is, for the prefent, laid afide. The appearance, however, of a mutilated play-boufe copy, under the auspices of the MANAGERS, from whofe affected veneration for Shakespeare better things might have been expected, has not only alarmed the poet's admirers in general, but fuggefted that fome pertinent obfervations on his writings might be now opportunely communicated to the Public in a more entertaining method. Dr. K. defirous of returning, by the earliest means, the obligations he lies under to his fubfcribers, has therefore adopted the fuggefted expedient of delivering fome part of his comment, with the correspondent parts of the text, in public Lectures.

He has entered, indeed, the more readily into this defign, as there are a number of paffages in dramatic writers, particularly in Shakespeare, which cannot be fuccefsfully elucidated without the aid of declamation. As to the title, which he has (too quaintly perhaps) prefumed to give this attempt; the Public may remember they were promifed, inany years ago, the speedy publication of a work, to be entitled A SCHOOL OF SHAKESPEARE; but, as that performance has not yet appeared, and will now probably never make its appearance, the Lecturer thinks no farther apology neceffary, for affuming a title fo well adapted to his defign.'

The Introduction is written in the general manner of the Author; fpirited and ingenious. The Retort courteous on the Critics, may be very properly peppered and falted for those who feed only on newspapers; but we are very fure it will not fuit the taste of those to whom Dr. Kenrick would with principally to recommend himself, either at his lectures, or by his writings.

Art. 16, The French Tutor; or, the Theory and Practice of the French Language. By Means of which, and without any, or very little Help, thofe that defire to read, write, and fpeak French correctly, may, in a fhort Time, perfect themselves in the Knowledge thereof. Inriched with a Variety of curious and useful Tables, to aflift the Memory, and expedite the Learner's Progress, viz. I. A Table fhewing the French Pronunciation, by an Affemblage of Letters, denoting fimilar Sounds in English. II. A Table exhibiting at one View the different Articles, and their Ufe. IlI. A Table of the Genders of Subftantives and Adjectives. IV. A Table of the Formation of the Plurals of Suftantives and Adjectives. V. Tables for finding, in a Moment, all the Moods, Tenfes, Perfons, Participles and Gerunds of all regular Verbs. VI. A Table to know and find all the irregular Verbs. And more plain and eafy Rules than any French Grammar hitherto published. To which is added, familiar Phrafes and Dialogues reduced to the English Pronunciation, for the Eafe and Practice of the Learner. By V. J. Peyton, Author of the Elements of the English Language. 12mo. 4s. Johnson, &c. 1773.

Mr. Peyton's method of teaching the French pronunciation by the combination of letters expreffing fimilar founds in English, may be of confiderable ufe to the ear of the learner, but it makes the language appear very aukward to the eye: it looks like Cherokee, or Kamichackan,

Art.

Art. 17. A New Chronological Table of remarkable Events, Dif coveries, and Inventions; alfo, the Era, the Country, and Wri tings of learned Men: the Whole comprehending, in one View, ..the Analysis or Outlines of general History, from the Creation to the prefent Time. Folio. 1 s. Knox. 1774

This Table being printed on a broad fide, is fit for framing, in order to hang up in ftudies and fchools. It is alfo fold bound up with the last edition of Guthrie's Geographical Grammar."

Art. 18. Maxims for playing the Game of Whift; with all neceffary Calculations, and Laws of the Game. 12mo. 2 s. Payne.

1773.

Very useful for learners of the game, with the help of a good memory; without which no one fhould attempt to play at whift. Art. 19. The Art of Joking; or, an Effay on Witticifm; in the Manner of Mr. Pope's Effay on Criticifm: With proper Examples to the rifible Rules. To which is added, the Laws of Laughing, &c. 12mo. 1's. Devruelle.

In closely following the Effay on Criticifm, this Comas's 'fquire frequently falls into grofs improprieties, for want of daring to venture a step without his guide. Thus where Pope fays,

"Whoever thinks a faultlefs piece to fee-"

the 'fquire of Comus fails not to tell us that

⚫ Whoever thinks a faultlefs jeft to hear,

Thinks what ne'er was, nor is, nor shall appear."

Which is abfurd enough, and full in the teeth of his own remark, but two or three pages before, on a jeft of King John's, which he praises for its good fenfe, politenefs, humanity, and delicacy; which all combine to make it EXCELLENT-If all thefe good properties are really to be found in the royal bon mot, wherein does its imperfection confift?

Subjoined to the parody on Mr. Pope's excellent poem, are the Laws of Laughing; together with fome very fober verses on joking: to all which (we include the whole performance) one of the Author's own lines may be justly applied:

The jefter is the greatest jeft of all.' Art. 20. Opinions concerning the University of Oxford, and Subfcription to the Thirty-nine Articles. By a Clergyman. 4to. Evans. 1774.

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As this clergman writes with a kind of plausibility, and has fomewhat agreeable in his ftyle and manner, there may be danger left his readers fhould be mifled. Those who enter into the fubject will per ceive that his reafoning is vague and infufficient; he fometimes has recourse to raillery; but though he appears very confident in the ftrength of his argument, he cannot furely imagine that in point of truth, whatever may be the cafe as to intereft, he is on the right fide of the queftion. He does not, as might be expected in a Christian divine, take any great notice of the fcriptures,-the rules of the Church of England, as by law established, feem to be with him as higher authority. A love for the Oxford univerfity he apprehends to be a very momentous principle: it may be queftioned whether the Jaws and ftatutes of that university are not, in his view at least, equally rationa!

rational and important with thofe of the New Teftament. When this polite Oxford gentleman fpeaks of the modeft request, as he terms it, of the Affociation, he adds, that their scheme is nothing less than direct attempt to introduce Popery; only they difguife Lord Peter in Jack's coat, thinking by this manoeuvre to gain him the favour of the rabble.' The Diffenters from our established church have likewife the honour of a few ftrictures from this Author's pen: for my own part, fays he, I must confess that fomething of turbulence always goes to the making up my idea of a Diffenter. Our fagacious cler. gyman forgets that the church of Rome in fomewhat of the fame manner make up their idea of a Protestant reformer.

Though this pamphlet is of no great weight in point of argument, and may, on fome accounts, deserve the retort courteous of ridicule, it is not wholly deftitute of ingenuity.

Art. 21. The Polite Preceptor; or, improving Moralift: Confifting of a choice Collection of Relations, Visions, Allegories, and moral Effays, felected from the most eminent English Authors. -Compiled at the Request of a noble Lady, and defigned for the Ufe of Schools. 12mo. 35. Snagg. 1774

Collections of this kind are become very common, and may have their ufes. The papers here chosen appear, on the whole, very well fitted for the entertainment and improvement of youth. They confift of profe and poetry, and are selected from the Spectator, Guardian, Female Spectator, World, Prater, Oeconomy of Human Life, Cunningham's and Thomfon's Works, and several of the magazines. Art. 22. A Letter from a Father to his Daughter, at a BoardingSchool. 12mo. 2 s. Robinfon. 1774

It is so easy a matter for old people to give advice to young ones, that we do not wonder to fee books of this kind continually multiplying; and ir each fucceeding treatife were an improvement upon thofe which preceded it, the public would have no reason to complain of the increafe. This, however, is not, in all refpects, the cafe, with regard to the Letter before us. Lord Hallifax, Cambray, the Marquis de la Chetardie, the Marchionefs de Lambert, Olhorn, Wettenhall Wilks, Mrs. Chapone, and others, have treated this fubject in a manner fuperior to that of the prefent writer; particularly with respect to the article of Ayle. There are many good, and pious, and prudential maxims and precepts in this little volume, but the Author's language is not fufficiently engaging to recommend his counfels to young readers, and feduce them to become his willing difciples. Nor is his ftyle merely defective because it is uninviting; his dic

• We do not rank in this lift Dr. Fordyce's Sermons to Young Women, because his plan is fo different from that of the other writers; but, in respect to utility, if we are not mistaken, his performance includes every thing that is material in all the others, unless we except Mrs. Chapone's Letters: our recommendation of which may be feen in the Review for July laft, p. 70.-We have not taken the liberty of introducing the famous Con. Phillips into the above mentioned good company; but there are very pretty things in her Letter to Lord Chesterfield, on Female Education.

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tion is, in fome places, much debased, partly through the prevalence of northern idioms, and partly through the want of power, or tafle, to elevate his expreffion, fuitably to the dignity of his fubject. Thus, p. 7. A habit of confinement is the belt mean of curing young people of that rambling, gadding difpofition which is fo satural to them.' P. 18, Reading, no doubt, is a good mean of acquiring knowledge; but living examples, &c. P. 3z.. A virtuous pride, or a due refpect for ourselves, is often a happy mean of preferving us from doing any thing that is unworthy. P. 43. Communication with the Deity has been firangely perplexed by fome, and mifreprefented, or totally denied by others. Though, from all the evidence of which it is capable, the thing appears to be abundantly: clear, yet, &c.' P.62. They complain, with a very bad grace, if the want of truth, public virtue, and good order among us, who difcover, by their own practice, an habitual contempt of the moft effe&tual means of promoting thefe,' This laft is a provincial mode of expreflion from which only the most elegant of the Scotch writers are free: an Englishman would have said, "these virtues," or " these good ends," &c. He would never have suffered the plural these, to terminate the period.

But it would be injuftice to this Writer were we to take notice only of his defects in point of language. If we attend rather to his fentiments, his work will appear to greater advantage, The following paffage will give our Readers a favourable opinion of his, underftanding:

It is good, in all cafes, to think foberly, but especially in religious matters; because our zeal here is apt to be intemperate. Your fex very often err in this point; and therefore ought never to indulge a zealous concern for inftitutions merely human; left they should come, at length, to fubilitate them in the place of religion itself, and make them of equal importance with it, Hence the rigid attachment of many to forms and ufages, and other ordinances of man; not aware that blind zeal begets keennefs, hatred, and an uncharitable difpofition; which, in a bigotted mind, may encrease into fierceness and cruelty. But how oppofite are all these to that mildnefs and forbearance which ought invariably to poffefs a female, breast!

In order to encourage a moderate temper, confider that there is no fuch thing as a perfect church in this world; that, while men are men, an uniformity in opinion is impoffible; that there are valuable perfons, perfons of great understanding and integrity, of every Chrif tian denomination; and that, as to the matter in hand, you yourself may be wrong; for one time or other all of us are wrong in fome things. Befides, is it not repugnant to common fenfe, as well as to good manners, to judge harthly of others, and reprobate whole focieties, nay whole itates and kingdoms, on account of fome trifling differences merely about the adjuncts, as they are called, of religion; feeing, in thefe, they have as good a title to differ from you, as you have to differ from them; and perhaps an equal chance of being in the right? And pray what is it that makes fome people of one perfuafion, and fome of another? Mere accident, juft their having been born and bred in the communion of this or the other church; for very few are of any persuasion from deliberate choice only. For my

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