* The field of blood!" Oh! no fuch thing!-It is the field of joy! "The beautiful City, that lifts her fair head in the valley, and fays, I am, and there is none befide me!"-Who fays the is vain? - Julia will not fay fo-nor yet Honora-and least of all their devo ed J. ANDRE. Field of blood-Here is a fmall mistake-Lichfield is not the field of blood, but "the field of dead-bod es," alluding to a battle fought between the Romans and the British Chriftians in the Dioclefian Perfecution, when the latter were maffacred Three flain Kings, with their burying place, now Barrowcop-hill, and the Cathedral in miniature, form the City arms. Lich is fill a word in ufe. The church-yard gates, through which funerals pass, are often called Lich-gates, C.t.t. ART. X. Political Conferences between feveral Great Men in the H JAVING already given our opinion of the first Edition of this agreeable and entertaining work (See Rev. for June laft, p. 453), we have only to add, that the fecond contains three conferences more, between perfons of the highcft political characler, and on fubjects extremely interefting to the lovers of English hiftory. The conference held at Whittington in Derbyshire, between Lord Danby, Lord Devonshire, and Lord Delamere, immediately before the Revolution in 1688, relates to the most important events in the annals of England. The conference held in St. James's Park, April 25th, 1657, between Cromwell, Fleetwood, and Defborough, exhibits, in ftriking and faithful colours, three of the moft fingular characters to be met with in the annals of mankind. The third additional conference is between the Duke of Shrewsbury, and Lord Somers, held the firft week of January, 1705. Befide thefe additions to the text, the commentary is alfo confiderably augmented. The author fhall fpeak for himself: The Commentary is become as large as the Text, and the pamphlet is fwelled into a volume. A candid critic, in a Monthly Publication, feemed to hint, that more anecdotes would be acceptable: this has produced fo large a harvest of them. The fenfible author alluded to, is mistaken, if he fuppofes, that the Editor does not abhor tyranny and corruption as much as any of his readers. He cannot but be an advocate, with hand, heart, and voice, whilft in his fenfes, for public Liberty, for he is one of the People. The perfonages, in these ferious political fcenes, hold their own language, on liberty, arbitrary power, anarchy, monarchy, fanaticism, a republic, and military ufurpation. The reader feems to be as much an auditor, as the interlocutor, and to have the converfation almost contrived for his amufement. Some readers have pronounced, that the diction of thefe great men is fometimes Lovenly and ungrammatical. A proof, if wanted, wanted, that it was not fabricated, but the genuine effufions of those times. But which of the mott usembarraffed spokesmen of either House, even in these times, though possessed of all imaginable elocution, pretends to speak with correct eloquence? The debates in the Senate of Lilliput, compofed for them by cur great Philologer, in his younger days, difplay the arguments of thofe deceafed orators to the best advantage, and adorn them with the best flowers of rhetoric. But every body nou acknowledges thofe fpeeches to be made for them. and not by them. If the following dialogues had been of elaborate compofition, and fuffered to fell of the lamp, might not another Bentley, who found out the factitious epiftles of Phalaris, by the affay of Thericlean cups and Sicilian talents, have difcovered their fpuriouf nefs, and expofed the Sophiit ?-But to be more ferious, and to have done. A number of characters pafs in folemn review before the Editor: but it is hoped, he has not wantonly, in his annotations. dipped his pen into fulfome praife or defamatory petulance. He means neither to cffund the living, nor belie the dead. To take advantage of thofe who have been fatched away before us, and to purfue their reputations with feigned or falfe accufations before the tribunal of the Public, for the entertainment of the Writer or the Reader, would demand fevere reprehenfion. Anthony Wood's charge of corruption, in his laborious Biography, against Lord Clarendon, at the distance of more than thirty years, occafioned the burning of his book, by a sentence of the University; who took that method of vindicating their chancellor.-Ere memory's foft figures melt away, the Editor tries to look back on fome acts and actors who attracted contemporary notice, and to bring forward fome perfons who have had their day upon the flage; and who, according to the light in which they are placed, will be varioufly talked of by the prefent and by future generations.' We are glad that Mr. Tyers has taken the hint given in our journal, and confirmed the most doubtful paffages of his work, by citations from contemporary authors. We rejoice also that the fufpicion glanced at in that criticifm, has given him an opportunity of juftifying his intentions, and of making a profeffion of his political creed, which might otherwife have been mistaken by feveral readers as well as ourtelves. G-11,8 ART. XI. First Frinciples of Philejophy. For the Ufe of Students By John Bruce, A. M. Profellor of Philofophy in the University of Edinburgh. 8vo. 2s. 6d. Bound. Cadell. 1789. HOUGH this work is chiefly intended for the use of thofe ftudents in the Univerfity of Edinburgh, who attend the Author's Lectures, and contains only the outlines of thofe Lectures, yet the philofophical reader may perufe it with confiderable advantage, as it may direct his attention to fome important fubjects, which may poffibly have efcaped his notice, and point out the proper method of profecuting his enquiries Concerning them, As As far as we are able to judge from fuch a fpecimen; Mr. Bruce appears to have an enlarged and liberal turn of mind, and to be very capable of explaining and illuftrating, with no small degree of accuracy and precifion, the many curious and interefting points, which are the fubjects of his lectures. The first philofophy or logic clafs in the University of Edinburgh, is placed, in the academical courfe, immediately after the ftudy of the languages. Now logic, our Author justly obferves, was originally formed, and in a great degree has continued, an art without fcience. The treatifes on this subject, (Lord Bacon's excepted) have been limited to commentaries on the antient fyftems, or to detached effays on metaphyfics and criticism. Hence the prefent imperfect ftate of this art, compared with the other branches of knowledge. To remedy this defect, fays Mr. Bruce, The method of obferving and applying the laws of nature is to be explained, as forming a fcience of logic, which may ferve as the rudiments, or first principles of all philofophy.' The object of philofophy, we are told, is to examine the properties and relations of the works of nature, and to discover the laws which they follow. The general departments of philofophy are, logic, or general philofophy; which treats of the method of obferving and applying the laws of nature; phyfics, which treat of the laws of material objects; ethics, which treat of the actions of mankind. The fubdivifions in thefe departments, are termed fciences. The knowledge of the laws of nature, in any general or particular department, conftitutes a fcience. The end of fcience is to create, and to improve the arts. An art is the application of the laws of nature to fome ufeful purpose in life. The object of the first principles of philofophy, is to explain the method of difcovering the laws of nature, by obfervation of phenomena, and of applying thefe laws to the useful and elegant arts. The firft principles of philofophy divide themselves into two parts: 1. The method of obferving and studying nature 2 The application of this method to the proper fubjects of philofophical knowledge. The first part comprehends the following fciences; pneumatology, or the hiftory of the powers and faculties of the human mind; logic, or the method of directing our faculties in obferving and applying the laws of nature; metaphyfics, or an analyfis of the foundations of the other fciences and arts. The fecond part comprehends the following articles: 1. Application of the first principles of philofophy to the study of nature: 2. The hiftory of philofophy. We are informed that Part I. which treats of the method of ftudying nature, is given as an elementary courie of philofophy in the University of Edinburgh. And that Part II. is the fubject of a feparate courfe, to more advanced ftudents. 1 In this course, the method of obfervation and experiment is applied to the hiftory of nature; the fciences which explain that hiftory, and the arts which thefe fciences create and improve, and next to the history of philosophy, divided into the periods in which the sciences and arts affume new forms.-The tables for both are plain, and fimply arranged, and, with proper explanations, feem calculated to give the ftudent a view of the future articles of his purfuit, and to enable his genius and tafte to make their selection. But we must now refer our readers to the work itself, where they will find the heads of Mr. Bruce's Lectures, together with fome accurate definitions, and very pertinent general obfervations. R. MONTHLY CATALOGUE, POLITICAL. ART. 12. The Patriotic Mirror; or, the Salvation of Great A Violent invective against the Oppofition,-the diabolical Congrefs, the Republicans,-the Economifts,-the Yorkshire Committee,-American Commanders,-Lee-shore Admirals, &c. &c. all in the ufual low, intemperate ftyle of our common run of pamphleteers, or news-paper politicians; who feldom fail to manifeft more zeal and promptitude, than knowledge or good manners. The Oppofition,' fays this Mirror of political knighthood, "shall as foon perfuade me a fhadow can be converted into a real fubitance, as that they are not meditating the fubversion of the state, and the ruin of old England.' Can our readers require a ftronger proof of this gentleman's candor ? Art. 13. A Petition, written with an Intention that it fhould Cadell. 1781. B...k. 8vo. 6 d. These remarks though brief, are pertinent. Brief because the prefent conduct and profeffions of our old friends the Dutch, require no more than a direct comparison with their former obligations and engagements; and pertinent, because the loofe juftification they lately offered in their counter manifeito, is pointed out to be obviously equivocal and fallacious. But it is with bodies of men as with indi viduals; when a people are wholly devoted to the purfuit of gain, no no confideration whatever, foreign to the immediate object, is fur fered to check the eagernefs of their profecution of a profitable ex-, pectation. N. Art. 15. Confiderations on the Propriety and Expediency of the Clergy ading in the Commiffion of the Peace. Svo. cd. Johnion. 1781. This gentleman, who confeffs himself to be both a clergyman and a magidrate, is an able advocate for the eligibility of his everend brethren to the judicial bench, in every point of view, excepting that which appears even to himself as the ftrongest objection, namely, the incompatibility of civil offices with the prieilly character. We understand their peculiar province to be prayer, exhortation, and perfuafion; and how far it may become perfons of this mild defcription to wish to be armed with magisterial power to punith the difcbedient, will require fome ingenuity to determine! It is indeed urged that the interests of civil government affect them equally with other men; and a perfon whofe acquirements, behaviour, and conduct, give him refpect in his neighbourhood, and are the grounds of his authority in it, can very ellentially extend his ufefulness by the additional character of the magillrate. It is not pleaded that the clergy fhould follow the vain puriuits of pleasure and diffipation, become familiar to the world at large, but increase their ufefulness toward mankind in the ferious departments and relationship of active life, and the cultivation of fcience and knowledge, all which tend to civilize the human mind, and make it more ready to receive the awful impreffions, and fanctions of religion. This is however a retrograde mode of reafoning; the operation of religion on the mind having hitherto been underflood as necellary to fit us for active duties; and not active duties to prepare us for the reception of religious impreffions. The more a perfon is entangled in worldly af fairs, the more his paflions are awakened and fimulated; and the more we are actuated by our paffions, the lefs we are influenced by reafon or why is the priesthood releafed from worldly attentions, and funds fet apart for their fupport? A confcientious diligence in parochial duty, which, in North Britain, leads a paltor, not merely into his pulpit at ftated times, but into the private houfes of his neighbours on many interesting and benevolent occafions, will leave him little room to wifh for an enlargement of his fphere of activity, were fuch a line of utility fashionable in the South. But it may be fairly prefumed that there are few clergymen in the commiffion of the peace, who do not difburden themfelves of the troublefome duties of their order, by delegation on eafy terms; to qualify themfelves for, perhaps, more defireable fociety, and different objects of purfuit. Another motive is urged for feating divines on the bench of juftice, but we honestly confefs, not to our conviction. An active fpirit must be employed to preferve itself from deviations from the paths of innocence and virtue, and the peculiar duties, offices, and ftudies of the clergy, do not require of them the confinement of the cloister, or that they should lead the ignoble, debafing, and ufelefs lives of monks. In order that they may be as burning and fhining lights among men, they must keep up an intercourfe with them, and amidit the variety of temptations prefented to them in the courfe of their warfare, |