A figh (my neighbours fay) to glee But there is fomething fweet, good me! They ask me, for what cause so oft "Is it, because your heart is foft ?" Yet father fays he knows full well- Mr. Polwhele has much merit as a writer in feveral different lines; and, as a poet, we doubt not he will always be improving, fince, in feveral inftances, he has shown that he has the good fenfe to adopt judicious advice. ART. VIII. Difcourfes on different Subjects. By George Ifaac Huntingford, D. D. Warden of St. Mary's College, Winchester. Volume the Second. 8vo. 527 PP. Cadell and Davies. 1797. THE 6s. HE general ftyle of Dr. Huntingford's Difcourfes we characterized on a former occafion*. The appearance of a fecond volume affords a ftrong prefumption that the first was received as it deserved; and that the character of the author, joined to the merit of his compofitions, obtained that attention from the public which could not eafily be better placed. To labour affiduoufly at the prefent period, in the cause of virtue, and the defence of religion, is among the highest claims. to commendation: to labour with fuccefs is a felicity, which does not wait on all of those who deferve the praife of the intention. The fubjects of the prefent Difcourfes are in general highly important, and fuch as it is particularly neceffary at this time to enforce with zeal and judgment. As, 2. The Pre-emimence of the Son of God, and that Chrift is that Son of God; 3. The Perfonality of the Holy Spirit, and the Gifts imparted by Infpiration; 5. The Confequences of Actions; 6. Caufos In reviewing his former volume, Brit, Crit, vol, vii, p. 293. which make Men dislike Truth; 12. On Propitiation, Jewish and Chriftian, &c. But one that, perhaps, more particularly than any other fuits the prefent times, is the 8th, on Falle Philofophy. So many dangers arife from this fertile fource, that cautions cannot be multiplied too much. The fubject is introduced by these appropriate remarks. "On men of ingenuous, but inexperienced minds, there is nothing fo impofing as a fpecious name. To fuch perfons, under the disguife of an affumed appellation, vices recommend themfelves with fo much fuccefs, as to deceive the unwary into a confident opinion* that their conduct is proper, although to judicious obfervers it appears palpably wrong. And this delufion continues to beguile them, till fome un happy confequence begins to create in them fufpicions of error, and at length convinces them that they have been too long mistaken. In private life; fome are brought into great diftrefs, from having acted under an idea that inattention to pecuniary concerns was a mark of generofity. Others fall into vicious practices, because easy compliance with every propofal of a companion appears to them a proof of good temper. Others commit irregularities, through a perfuafion that to defpife the uniformity of rules is an indication of high fpirit. Others violate the decencies of politeness, conceiving difregard to forms a fign of fuperior ability. Then again in public life; many do in reality serve the cause of licentioufnefs, whilft with the pureft intentions they mean only to extend liberty: and many give encou ragement to indifference for all religion, whilft they imagine themfelves to be promoting only liberality of fentiment. Now in the one safe, admirable are generosity, good temper, high fpirit, and fuperior ability: but furely no man in his right fenfes can fay it is admirable, either to bring on himself indigence through imprudent neglect of his property; or to become depraved through weakness in yielding to folicitations; or to injure fociety by bad example; or to infult eftablished ufages of behaviour by an affected impertinence, So in the other cafe, liberty is precious as life itfelf; and liberality in think. ing and judging is part of Chriftian charity, than which nothing is more lovely but furely no man of mature judgment can with genuine liberty to be converted into a cloak for every fpecies of enormity; nor liberality of fentiment be made the occafion of propagating direct atheifm. Yet in thefe points of view are to be feen many measures, which upright but mifguided men frequently purfue, merely becaufe they do not fully apprehend the tendencies of their actions." P. 202. The application then follows, that philofophy alfo is a name abufed, and therefore a proper fubject for caution. The learned author then adduces upwards of twenty inftances in "* Cùm fint vicina virtutibus vitia, etiam qui vitiis utuntur, vit. futis tamen his nomen imponunt. QUINTIL. 1. viii. c. iii. f. 1. This remark is equally true in a moral, as in a critical sense.” which which the prevalent philofophy of the times is ufed to proceed upon falfe principles: and the inftances are in general chofen with fagacity, and illuftrated with judgment. We fhall felect one from the number, to explain the mode in which the rest are treated. 16. It is falfe, in diffembling the difficulties which attend infidelity. "In natural religion, it is much more difficult to believe, that the world, formed as it is with defign and governed with regularity, hould be made and preferved by chance, i.e. by nothing, than it is to believe that it was made and governed by an Intelligent Being competent to the effecting of fo ftupendous a work. "In revealed religion, it is much more difficult to believe, that Christianity arose from no certain ground, than it is to believe that Chrift really and actually exifted. For to what adequate caufe but fuch exiftence can it be afcribed, that his life is recorded by four hiftories, for the country and æra of which we have ftrong prefumptive proof from their ftyle and correfpondence with the circumftances of their time; and for the writers of which we have teftimonies from the age immediately fubfequent to them: to what other caufe can it it be afcribed that his doctrines should be the fubject of many epiftles, which by ftriking coincidences of time and place, and minute particulars, bear fingular characters of authenticity; and that paffages fhould be cited from thofe hiftories and epiftles, and ailufions made to them by many authors, who are known to have written at the diftance of at Jeaft fixteen hundred years from the prefent date: to what other caufe can it be afcribed, that in a vaft empire idolatry fhould have yielded to the establishment of his religion; that many nations have made his principles the basis of their legiflation; that for seventeen centuries there has been a fucceffion of men profeffing themfelves his difciples, and that at this day in feveral countries, civilized and enlightened, is øbferved a folemn ceremony in commemoration of his death: to what other caufe can all these effects be afcribed, but to the fole cause which is adequate to account for them, viz. the real and actual existence of Chrift? Surely it is beyond comparifon more difficult to believe that thofe notorious and extraordinary facts fhould reft on no other foundation but fiction, than it is to believe that Chrift lived, died, and rofe again, in the manner related of Him by the Evangelifts and Apoftles." P. 231. The conclufion is thus ably drawn up. "It might have been conceived, that philofophy, fo prejudicial as well as falfe, would every where have been holden in the deteftation it deferves, did not experience unhappily fhew, that it hath influence much too extenfive. For the reception it hath found, is to be affigned this caufe, viz. that it immediately and in the moft flattering manner applies to the appetites, which it indulges without reftraint; whereas detection of its fallacies, and the cultivation of true philofophy require controul of fenfual affections and vigorous exercife of reafon. But then on the other hand it is to be remembered, that in the very circumftance of applying itself to the lower faculties of human nature, and and indeed commonly to the moft ignorant part of mankind, it betrays a confcioufness of its own inferiority to that wifdom, which claims the attention of intellect and thought. Groveling therefore as it is, let it be rejected with high difdain by every mind, that feels a commendable pride in being endued with powers not merely brutal, but rational, And those who have not yet perceived by reflection the faculties of their own mind, nor have attained to a due fenfe of the capacity for improvement with which they are born; fuch perfons will do well, to truft the experience of others, until their own judgment is mature; they will do well, to rely on the veracity of the ferious and inquifitive, who after patient refearch affure them of a truth, that all the paradoxes of falfe philofophy are but fnares of fophiftry, calculated to feduce them from maxims of approved excellence, and from principles which have been known and feen to be moft falutary, in their tendency to enfure the fafety, advance the dignity, and promote the rational hap piness of man!" P. 257. We very highly approve the manner in which this elegant fcholar, as well as found divine, illuftrates his Difcourfes in the notes, by appofite quotations from authors, facred and profane. This is fo performed as to give delight and amusement to the scholar, while it forms not the flighteft interruption to the unlearned reader, who in the text finds nothing to impede his progrefs, or confound his intellect. Some of the Difcourfes would from the pulpit appear long, but in the leifure of the clo fet, few judicious readers would wish to have them shortened, ART. IX. Mentha Britannica: a new Botannical Arrangement of the British Mints. Illuftrated with Twenty-four Copper Plates. By W. Sale. 4to. 56 PP. il. Is. Bath printed; White, London. 1798. MR. Sole is an eminent medical practitioner at Bath, and has been long well known as an adept in English botany, and as a diligent cultivator of rare and indigenous plants, for practical, botanical, and medical obfervation. We do not recollect that he has published any thing before; but the Monograph now under confideration is an advanta geous fpecimen of his fedulous and accurate research, and does him confiderable credit. It includes all the Mints enumerated by Ray and Hudfon, together with feveral new fpeties hitherto unnoticed. The letter-prefs is elegantly exe cuted by Cruttwell of Bath; and the plates are extremely we!! engraved by Hibbert, from drawings by feveral hands. After After a judicious criticifm upon the figures which former authors have given of Mints, and which in truth are generally bad enough, Mr Sole very juftly remarks, that an entire new fet of good plates of the Mints was much wanted; and as he has always been of opinion that good plates are injured by colouring, he has endeavoured to procure fuch plates as need no colouring. We apprehend that the world in general will not agree with Mr. S. ie in this opinion, coloured plates being now fo much in fathion. Much might be faid on this fubject with good reafon on both fides, if we were difpofed to enter into the controverfy. M Sole, however, has fucceeded completely in his choice of artists: the fpecies cannot be mistaken in his reprefentations; his plates would certainly be fpoiled by colouring; and the Mints would receive as little advantage from it as any genus of plants whatever. Mr. Sole obferves, that Linnæus has allowed England but ten Mints, whereas Ray has defcribed fixteen; adding, that our island is very fertile in Mints, Merrett having mentioned four befides thofe which he had given; and both Buddle and Rand having found feveral others, which, not being accurately fettled, Ray judicioufly leaves to further inveftigation. Our late eminent English botanift, Mr. Hudfon, continues this author, obferving that Linnæus had totally left unnoticed many of Ray's Mints, and unwilling to have them remain in obfcurity, has introduced them as varieties, fome in one place, and fome in another. The attempt was certainly laudable, but it was not fuccefsful (in Mr. Sole's opinion) having tended only to increase the entanglement. Mr. Sole has adopted the fubdivifion of the genus into three feries, from Linnæus. 1. Spiked Mints, containing eight fpecies. 2. Round-headed, containing four. And, 3. Whorled, containing twelve fpecies. There is one more Spiked Mint in the Addenda, making up the whole number twenty-four. And, befides thefe, there is a defcription of another Round-headed Mint, which, not being figured, is not reckoned among the number. Mr. Sole concludes his Preface with a wifh, that his humble attempt to illuftrate the Mints, may ftimulate fome abler botanift to pursue the fubject, and render it more complete. Having no coadjutor to affift me," fays he, "it is very probable there may be many errors and mistakes; and I fhall be very thankful for any communications, pointing them out; that, in cafe a future edition fhall be called for, I may be enabled to make it more perfect; unless an abler hand should take up the subject.” |