ART. 43. State of the Country in the Autumn of 1798. 8vo. 32 pp. IS. Wright.

During a conteft fo arduous and fo unprecedented as that in which Great Britain is engaged, thofe writers have a juft claim to praise, who, prompted by patriotic motives, have occafionally taken a view of our fituation, awakened gratitude for dangers efcaped, and infpired courage to meet those which yet are to be encountered. Of this clafs is the writer before us; who is faid to be a nobleman well known for fome political writings of a fimilar kind.

The prefent work is a rapid sketch, and, if it contain no great novelty, has its ufe; as, in political as well as religious topics, we more frequently need to be reminded than informed of our duty. The following paffages will afford a good specimen of the author's style and manner:

Unanswerable as the question must be, there are some who will not fail to afk us again and again, When fhall we have peace ?—Let thefe perfons afk themfelves feriously, Whether they believe we have any choice? and, even if v we had, let them look at fuch of the neighbours of France, as are actually at peace with her, and ask themselves, Whether they think their fituation is much to be envied ?That our CAUSE will finally triumph; that Religion will fubdue Atheifm ; Virtue, Vice; and Order, Anarchy; we may confider as certain. but how long the conflict may laft, it is not in the power of MAN tọ determine.

"We should confider how great are the means which Providence has placed in our hands:-We have a powerful and triumphant Navy, a gallant and fpirited Army, an unparalleled Commerce, and a flourishing Revenue. It is our duty to ufe thefe advantages with wifdom and firmnefs, and to fupport any difficulties which may arise in the contest, with conftancy and patience.

"As often as France has fhewn the leaft difpofition to return to a SYSTEM OF MODERATION, the Government of this country have endeavoured to avail themselves of it, and to lay a foundation for peace. Hitherto their efforts have proved ineffectual; but the fame policy will be adopted whenever THE DISPOSITION and CONDUCT OF THE ENEMY will admit of it.

"As long, however, as it shall appear to be the system of France Spread deftruction over every part of the civilized world, to crush every government that difputes her will, and to measure her rights only by her power, it is a duty we owe to God, to ourselves, and to the world at large, to employ our whole ftrength in oppofing her defigns, and to affift and fupport every ftate which is defirous, however late, of taking up arms in the common defence. We hope it will not be our fate to contend alone; but whatever be the conduct of other countries, our determination is taken. They may crouch.--They may temporize They may fubmit. We know our duty.-We feel as Chriftians and as Men. In the iffue of the prefent conteft, the existence of all Religion and all Government, and the Rights of Human Nature, are involved. We truft We have the fpirit, We know We have the power to defend them," P. z9.

ART.

ART. 44. Afhort Account of the principal Proceedings of Congress in the late Seffion, and a Sketch of the State of Affairs between the United States and France in July 1798. In a Letter from Robert Gadlove Harper, Efq. of South Carolina, to One of his Conflituents. 8vo. 24 PP. 1S. Philadelphia printed; London reprinted, for Wright, Piccadilly. 1798.

Mr. Harper, fo well known for his *Obfervations on the Difpute be tween the United States of America and France, relates in this letter the measures taken by the American Congrefs in confequence of the infolent treatment of their envoys, and the rejection of every overture of accommodation, by France. The military preparations of America are detailed, with her plans of finance and refources. Towards the end of his letter Mr. H. takes a view of the fituation of Europe, thinks the power of France "likely to fall as rapidly as it has risen," and in spirited terms animates his countrymen to refist it.

ART. 45. The Fall of Underwald. By an Eye-witness. Tranflated from the German. 8vo. 20 PP. 6d. (or 4s. 6d. the Dozen) Wright, Piccadilly. 1798.

We should scarcely have thought it poffible, after the many inftances that have already occurred, proving the unjuft conduct of the French rulers in their treatment of foreign nations, that a new cafe could arife, difplaying in a more ftriking point of view their perfidy and injuftice, their cruelty and oppreffion. Yet fuch a cafe is exhibited by The Fall of Underwald. Our readers may have seen, in the public papers, the account given by the French General, Schauenbourgh, of his conqueft of this fmall Canton, and its neighbour the Canton of Schwitz; but few are acquainted with the treachery which led the way to, or the devastation which followed this total extinction of Helvetic liberty. It is here related, as we are affured by an eyewitness, in a brief and affecting narrative. We cannot better ftate the utility of fuch publications, than by expreffing (in the words of the Preface) our hope" that every Englishman who reads it, while be execrates the oppreffers, and makes the caufe of the victims his own, will remember, that, if there is now a Swiss Directory at Araw, there has recently exified an Irish Directory at Dublin, and that there are fill amongst us men who are labauring to establish an English Directory in Londen."

ART. 46. Conduite du Gouvernement François envers la République dé Genève. 8vo. 18 pp. 6d. Londres. No Publisher's Name.

1798.

This little tract contains a statement of thofe treacherous and oppreffive measures which have been purfued by France towards their feeble and unoffending neighbour the Republic of Geneva. Thefe

had been fully defcribed, in their early ftages, by the able pen of Sir Francis D'Ivernois. But when he clofed his narrative, Geneva, though oppreffed and nearly ruined by fanguinary revolutions, was ftill (at least in name and form) an independent fta e. This account, by Mr. Chauvet, after tracing briefly the conduct and defigns of France in effecting those revolutions, purfues the fad ftory to its clofe; when la grande nation, finding it convenient to incorporate Geneva with her own territory, and failing in the intrigues by which the hoped to induce the Genevefe to folicit an union, blockaded and reduced them to the utmost extremity, and, when that mone feemed alfo likely to fail, feized on the city by their troops (who had been admitted as friends) and procured a timid and reluctant vote under the terror of military execution.

ART. 47. Obfervations on the Political Conduct of the Proteftant Dif fenters; including a retrospective View of their Hiftory from the Time of Queen Elizabeth; in Five Letters to a Friend. By the Rev. David Rivers, late Preacher to a Congregation of Diffenters at Highgate. Svo. 42 pp. 15. Rivingtons. 1798.

The hiftory of England affords abundant proof, that the precautions taken by the itate to guard the established church against unfair attacks, were not devised without neceffity. The unfortunate reign of Charles I. exhibited, in the ftrongest point of view, the degree of · fancour and malice to which the moft tolerant church in the world may be expofed when her enemies prevail against her. Mr. D. Rivers, who appears, by the title-page, to have left the Diffenters for the Eftablishment, difplays fome fymptoms of the violence of a convert ; but, at the fame time utters many home truths, and places them in a ftrong light. The hiftorical view given by Mr. Rivers is rapid, but full of matter: and even in the fifth letter, all of which are short, he arrives at very recent facts. The Poftfcript ftates one which we think important to be either verified or refuted. It is this: " In addition to what I have ftated, I cannot help adverting to the conduct of the Diffenters as to the Voluntary Contributions. To their eternal difgrace be it faid, that at a crifis the most important the annals of this country afford; when threatened with an invafion, though called upon by the chief magiftrate of the city (though circular letters were fent to their minifters to exhort them to contribute) neither minifters nor people stirred one step in the business, but treated the letter and the contributions with the moft fovereign contempt. Will they after this conduct dare to ftyle themfelves " loyal fubjects?" Oh shame, where is thy blush!"

It may be faid, and probably will, that urging thefe points is inAaming matters, and that the perfons alluded to would be loyal if they met with indulgence. But we reply, without hesitation, that they have met with indulgence, and that the way to obtain more certainly is not to fhow that it merited lefs.

ART.

ART. 48. A Letter to Lady Loughborough, from the Earl of Abingdon, in Confequence of her Prefentation of the Colours to the Bloomsbury and Inns of Court Aociation. Eighth Edition, with Corrections. 8vo. 7.3 pp. IS. Barnes, No. 9, Piccadilly. 1798.

Lord Abingdon teaching a political creed to Lady L. because be prefented the colours above-mentioned, and because he was formerly her brother's proxy in Parliament! It might be thought that if the Jady in question wifhed to ftudy politics, he had a fufficiently able inftructor much nearer to her. But, no!--the fagacity of Lord A. has discovered that no man not born on the foil of England, can poffibly understand the English conflitution. What portion of that knowledge is infufed by the foil itfelf, at the time of birth, he does not inform us. This inftructive leffon, after all, confifts only of a ferap from a newspaper, a fragment of a fermon, and fome original decla mation from Lord A. on the power of parliament! We may thank heaven, the aristocracy fuffers yet no fymptom of neglect: for, had not this tract been publifhed by an Earl, and addreffed to a Lady, could it ever have seen an eighth edition?

ART. 49. The Family Tale; or, the Story of Pitt, Fox, and O'Connore 8vo. 32 PP. 15. Hatchard. 1798.

The concerns of the nation, and the conduct of the different parties, are here represented under the common veil of an allegory, likening it to a private family; of which Mr. George is the mafter, Pittman is the faithful Reward, Foxtan, Greyling, &c. very turbulent and mischievous domestics; and the Jacobins, a set of defperate fellows, who have feized on theeftate of a neighbouring gentleman (having murdered him) and now endeavour to deftroy the peace of Mr. George's family. The author feems to aim at an imitation of Swift's manner; though his ftory is nearly copied from a paper in The World, containing a Letter from George Meanwell, and written, if we recollect rightly, by the late Earl of Orford. This, however, is a feeble, thoug will-meant performance.

ART. 50. Evidence to Character, or the Innocent Impoffure; being a Portrait of a Traitor, by his Friends and by Himfelf, 8vo. 20 pp. 3d. Wright. 1798.

The evidence given by Meffrs. Fox, Sheridan, Erskine, &c. to the character of Arthur O'Connor is here extracted from the well known trial at Maidstone, and contrafted with his own confeffions, upon oath, to the Secret Committee of the Irish Houfe of Commons, a few months fubfequent to that trial. This is done without any comment, except what is contained in a very short Introduction. The true comment muft indeed occur fpontaneously to every thinking mind. That fo many perfons of rank and education, and fome of them dif tinguished for talents and difcernment, fhould, through a long and confidential intercourfe, (chiefly on political fubjects,) have judged that man to be loyal and conftitutional in his principles, who was actively

engaged

engaged in a plot for the introduction of a French army, and the ruin of the conftitution, would appear incredible, were not the fact attested on the oaths of the parties themfelves. What mutt the party fpirit and temper be, that could darken understandings in general fo enlightened, and blunt a penetration on all other fubjects to acute? that could render defirable as a companion, nay, as a political riend, the man who had fled from a charge of fedition in his own country, and feared the vengeance of the law even here? Thefe extracts therefore are worth a thousand arguments. They fet before us facts which cannot be controverted, and lead to conclusions which cannot be done away.

ART. 51. A Letter to the Honourable Charles James Fox; fbering how Appearances may deceive, and Friendship be abused. 8vo. 27 pp. 6d. Wright. 1798.

This writer arraigns the conduct of Mr. Fox in many inftances, but particularly in giving evidence to the character of A. O'Connor. On this fubject we have intimated our opinion in our account of the preceding article. He is alfo very fevere on feveral other members of what is (or rather was) called the oppofition. His topics are, however, better chofen than his language.

ART. 52. Memoirs of the Revolution; or an Apology for my Conduct in the Public Employments which I have held. By D. J. Garat, late Minifter of Justice, Minifter for the Home Department, Commiary of Public Inftruction, Sc. &c. in the Service of the French Republic. Tranflated from the French, by R. Heron. 8vo. 5s. Edinburgh.

1797.

Garat was made Minifter by the Briffotins, and was violently fufpected of having favoured the horrid and never to be forgotten maffacre of the 2nd and 3d of September. He labours very hard in this publication to exculpate himself, which whether he does or not to the fatisfaction of his countrymen and readers, his book will be found to contain fome curious anecdotes and illuftrations of important facts. Yet most of his Dramatis Perfonæ are passed away, and remembered only by their crimes.

MISCELLANIES.

ART. 53. A Letter to the Right Hon. Lord Chief Justice Kenyon, complaining of Injuftice, and painting out the Danger to Society from Perjury, and the Facility with which the loofe and equivocal Teftimony of Servants may deftroy the Peace of private Families. By A. Hook, Efq. " 4to. 25. Murray. 1798.

Mr. Hook, notwithstanding the repeated decifions of the Courts, perfeveres in afferting his own innocence, and that of his unfortunate niece. We fear that he will obtain but little advantage from the prefent publication; and it is certain that the character of Lord Kenyon, Bbb

BRIT. CRIT. VOL. XII, DEC. 1798.