ART. 39. Common Senfe; or, the plain Man's Anfwer to the Queftion, whether Chriftianity be a Religion worthy of our Choice in this Age of Reason? In Tove Letters to a deistical Friend. By Philalethes. Crown 8vo. 30 pp. 64, Knott, Lombard-Street.

If Philalethes truly tells his age (and his affumed name implies veracity in all relpects) his little tract is a production not only of merit but curiofity. In the 88th year of life, men are feldom equal to the talk of arranging arguments, and forming them into a compofition. His previous affumptions indeed are numerous, and fuch as could not altogether be granted by a Deiit not already converted; but there is clearness in his deductions, and, except an unneceflary fneer about priefts and creed-makers, his Letters are not ill-calculated to produce a good effect upon minds capable of fober reflection. We are told, even by a fenfible heathen, that "* qui bonâ fide Deas colit, amat et facerdotes* ;” and, as to creeds, fince this writer feems to acquiefce in their main articles, he ought not to attack them. The vice of the prefent day is not making but denying them; and this habit leads directly to the very Deifm which Philalethes would willingly convert. if he con verts his deitical friend, it must be to fomething; and that fomething is his creed.

ART. 40. A Letter to William Wilberforce, Efq. on the Subject of his late Publication. By Gilbert Wakefield, B. A. late Fellow of Jefus College, Cambridge. The Second Edition, enlarged and corrected. 8vo. 80 pp. 25. Cuthell. 1797.

We are weary of attempting to diftinguifh and characterize the theologico-political rhapfodies of this moft arrogant and violent man. They are all fet to the fame ftrain. Rancorous abufe of Mr. Pitt, as a man of blood; with afpirations in favour of Buonaparte, doublefs as an innocent lamb ;—a Christianity, with no Chrift in it, but the man of Nazareth;-a fupercilious contempt of all opinions that do not coincide with his own fantaftical, and abfolutely and perfonally fingular fyftem; a hatred of all establishments, with eager prophecies and anticipations of the complete and entire deftruction of them and their abettors (p. 54, &c.); tempered occafionally with an inconfiftent, if not hypocritical, pretence of not wifhing a hair of their heads to be touched (p. 60); thefe form the general character and texture of all bis publications. The prefent is, if poffible, more violent than any we have feen. We have claffed it with Divinity, because written on the fubject of a book which really belonged to that divifion; but it is chiefly political; an abufe of Mr. Wilberforce for fupporting Mr. Pitt; attempting to prove, that therefore he must be either a fool or a hypocrite. By the groffeft mifreprefentation of fome paffages of Scripture, the author alfo endeavours to demonstrate some of his own favourite dogmas; and, among others, that human perfectibility and

abfolute equality are the doctrines of that Gofpel, which teaches, in fact, humility to man, and dutiful fubmiffion to legal ordinances. To fay that fuch a man is mad (as he foretels in p. 74) would be to make the only complete apology that his conduct admits.

ART. 41. A Word of gentle Admonition to Mr. Gilbert Wakefield; seca fioned by his Letter to William Wilberforce, Efq. on the Subject of his late Publication. By J. Watkins, LL. D. Cawthorn.

1797.

8vo.

49 PP.

IS.

A truly Chriftian and temperate remonstrance against the extrava gant and indecent rant above-mentioned. The fentiments, in general, are correct, and the language good. The following paffage, near the clofe, is fo truly defcriptive of the perfon addreffed, that we cannot forbear inferting it. In anfwer to a bold affertion of Mr. W. сопcerning the refpect due to his own opinions, this author fays; "a man may have facrificed more than hecatombs, and may have laboured for many years in the investigation of facred truth, and all the time have been acting under the influence of a wrong fpirit, a perturbed imagination, and with strong prejudices. He is therefore very far from being entitled to refpect. I will not fay that you are this man. But the extreme violence of your temper, the peremptoriness of your language, your dogmatical mode of argument, the haughty compla cence with which you speak of yourself, and the uncharitable cenfures which you liberally pafs upon others, whether living or dead, render your opinions of little value, and your affertions of no authority." P. 47.

This, and more to the fame purpose, is well and justly faid, and deferves to be feriously weighed by the perfon addreffed. But this, and all that can be faid, will be urged in vain, for the very reasons implied in that statement.

POLITICS.

ART. 42. Remarks on the Conduct of Oppofition during the prefent Par liament.

By Geoffrey Mowbray, Efq.

Wright, Piccadilly. 1798.

8vo. 117 pp. 25. 6d.

We conceive that this writer, in ftyling himself Geoffrey Mowbray, a name unknown, has condefcended to imitate Jafper Wilson and others, who concealed their true defignation under an appellation which might pafs for real. He cannot, however, have the same reason. They wrote what it might be neither prudent or creditable to avow; this pamphlet is altogether honourable to the head and heart from which it proceeds. It is not calculated to depress the fpirits, and depreciate the refources of the country; to contradict the prevalent difpofitions, and flander the intentions of the nation; but to argue folidly on a point which feems to him important; and, if poffible, to teach individuals to prefer their country to their paffions. The point on which he principally reasons, is the feceffion of the late leaders of Oppofition

Oppofition from their duty in the Houfe of Commons. We know not how the following arguments can be repelled. These members profeffedly retire because a reform of parliament cannot be obtained. "Let us grant," fays he of this measure, but only for the fake of argument, that it contains every poffible bleffing which an upright and able ftatefman can devife for the empire. Still the Houfe of Commons reject it. Is a Member of Parliament to neglect the interefts of his country altogether, because he cannot pay her every poffible fervice? It is the boaft of Mr. Fox, that he oppofed our war with the Colonies, and that his labours were finally crowned with fuccefs. Whether the part which he took in that unhappy bufinefs furnishes an honeft fource for exultation, is a question which history muft folve. But if the oppofition of Mr. Fox was of fuch fervice in the war with America, why fhould he refufe it in the conteft with France ?

"The praife of rectifying the minifter's financial miflakes is claimed by Mr. Sheridan. If he has done this, the glory devolved on him, but the advantage redounded to his country. It may feem a poor and vulgar bleffing in contraft with the imperial gift of a regenerate conftitution. But ftill it is a bleffing, and upon what principle are we called upon to make a lumping bargain, and told that if one is above our price, we fhall not be permitted to acquire the other? If the miftakes of adminiftration were to fall on minifters alone, they might be left to reap the fruits of their own folly. But the errors of govern ment are misfortunes to the people. It is the duty of our conftitutional guardians utterly to avert, where they can, all measures injurious to our profperity: but an unfuccefsful ftraggle to do so, does not difpenfe with what is not lefs their duty; to correct and foften those mifchiefs which they find it impoffible to remove altogether. They are retainers of the people, pledged and fworn to watch over their interefts both day and night. While they continue upon the honourable poft, nothing can exempt them from the fatigues of duty. When they are once chofen into the Commons Houfe of Parliament, they are reprefentatives, not of a particular district, but of the whole British people; and it is beyond the power of a borough, or county, to dif-. penfe with fervice that is due to the nation at large." P. 12.

The statements concerning Ireland have been unfortunately but too fully proved, and much more than proved, fince the publication of this tract. There are other political topics handled in it, all with judg ment and fpirit, and in a ftyle by no means level with the powers of ordinary writers.

ART. 43. The Whole Official Correfpondence between the Envoys of the American States and Monf. Talleyrand, Minifter for Foreign Affairs in France, on the Subject of the Disputes between the Two Countries; and alfo the Purport of fome private Converfations between the American Commiffioners and an unaccredited Agent of the French Government, rubo was employed to make fuch Propofitions, all tending to plunder the United States, as even M. Talleyrand could not dare to avow in the firft Infiance. 12mo. 6d. Stockdale. 1798.

The circumftantial title-page of this little work fuperfedes the neceffity of any critical remarks on its contents. We fhall therefore be

content

content with wishing it, what it will doubtless enjoy, a most extensive circula ion.

ART. 44. Obfervations on the Emigration of Dr. Jofeph Priestley, and on the feveral Addresses delivered to him on his Arrival at New York. With Additions; containing many curious Facts on the Subject, not known when the former Editions were published: together with a com prehenfive Story of a Farmer's Bull. By Peter Porcupine. The Fourth Edition. 8vo. 73 PP. Is. 6d. Philadelphia. Reprinted

by Wright, oppofite Old Bond-Street, Piccadilly. 1798.

Our acquaintance with the acute and humourous Peter Porcupine commenced with this tract, which was noticed much at large in our fourth volume, p. 498. We have never repented the just distinction we then gave to it, by making it a principal article; nor the attention it led us to pay to the other publications of the fame author, whom ere long we difcovered to be Mr. Cobbet of Philadelphia. In every thing produced by this felf-taught writer, there is a force, a truth, and a natural wit, the effects of which have been most beneficial in America; and, we truft, not a little fo in England. We mention the prefent edition only to notice that, from p. 49, it confiits of new matter, not inferior to the original tract in point and spirit. We shall very foon give an account of his "Republican Judge."

ART. 45. Some Obfervations on a late Addrefs to the Citizens of Dublin, with Thoughts on the prefent Criftis. The Fourth Edition, corrected by the Author. To which is added, Vindicator's Remarks on Sarsfield's Letters, which appeared in the Dublin Evening Poft. Svo. 70 pp. 1s. 6d. Debrett. 1797.

This pamphlet is written with much ability. The reafonings are temperate and found; the ftyle animated and energetic; and the animadverfions fuch as appear to have been deferved by the respective publications against which they are directed.

MISCELLANIES.

ART. 46. An Appendix to Obfervations on Hamlet; being an Attempt to prove that Shakspeare defigned that Tragedy as an indirect Cenfure on Mary Queen of Scots. Containing, 1. Some Obfervations on Dramas which profefedly allude to Occurrences and Characters of the Time in which they were Written, and an Answer to Objections brought against the Hypothefis. 2. Some farther Arguments in Support of it. 3. An Anfwer to the Objections brought against Dr. Warburton's Hypothefis, refpecting an Allufion to Mary Queen of Scots, in the celebrated Paffage in the Midfummer Night's Dream. By James Plumptre, M. A. Svo. 85 PP. 2s. 6d. Cambridge printed; fold by Robinfons, Rivingtons, &c. &c. London. 1797..

The palm of fair, candid, and ingenious criticifm, cannot with juftice be denied to Mr. Plumptre. His firft obfervations on this,

fubject

fubje&t (noticed Brit. Crit. vol. viii, p. 202) did not convince us that his hypothefis was right; on perufing this Appendix, we are ready to admit that he has rendered it, at least, not improbable; which perhaps is as much as ought, in fuch a cafe, to be expected. A part of his prefent tract, which has confiderable weight with us, is his reference to other dramas, in which defigned allufions to temporary circumftances are known to exit. Thefe inftances though few are frong, and to his purpofe. From thefe confiderations, and the corroborating proofs brought forward in the next fection, we allow it to be very poffible, that Shakspeare had fome idea of alluding to the ftory of Mary in this tragedy. With respect to the hypothefis of Dr. Warburton, which Mr. P. defends in his third fection, we have always thought that it contained too many convincing marks of truth to be overthrown by any cavils. The Mermaid borne up by the Dolphin, the Vestal throned in the weft, the maiden meditations, the ftars drawn from their fpheres by the feductions of the mermaid;-all these, and others, are coincidences too ftrong to be united accidentally in one paffage; and we give full credit to Mr. P. for his judgment in detending the application.

ART. 47 The Speeches (at length) of the Honourable T. Erskine and S. Kyd, Efq. at the Court of King's Bench, Westminster, on Saturday, June 24, 1797, on the Trial of T. Williams, for publishing Paine's Age of Reafon; with Lord Kenyon's Charge to the Jury. Second Edition, corrected. Svo. 30 PP. 6d. Jordan, Fleet-Street; Chapple, Pall-Mall, &c.

When the fpeech of Mr. Erkine was recent, the moft ftriking parts of it, and thofe of most importance to the caufe of religion, were very properly given in moft of the periodical and daily publications. We have lately found reafon to fuppofe that many perfons have seen no more of it than was contained in those extracts; and that many are uninformed of the existence of complete editions of the whole. It appears, there fore, to be an act of public utility to recall to notice, after fome interval, a fpeech which ought by no means to be forgotten, and to point it out to thofe who may not yet have feen it. Few pleadings of more excellence, more clearness of language, more folidity of argument, more judicious and eloquent illuftrations of thofe arguments, have been committed to the prefs; and the fame of the pleader will, with many perfons, appear to give new weight to arguments in themfelves conclufive. Lord Kenyon's Charge contains alfo very valuable statements, and deferves to be read with attention. Mr. Kyd's Speech does fome credit to his ingenuity as an advocate, but tends in no degree to invalidate the moft momentous doctrines of his opponent.

ART. 48. A Letter to the Honourable Thomas Erskine, on the Profecution of Thomas Williams, for publishing the Age of Reafon. By Thomas Paine, Author of Common Senfe, Rights of Man, Agrarian Juftice, &c. &c. Paris, printed for the Author. 8vo. 31 PP. 1797Very little is addreffed to Mr. Erskine in this letter, which is rather a third part of the Age of Reason, than any proper difcuffion of the S condu&