ses. On a appris depuis qu'en effet il THE "Il paroit que depuis ce Chevalier toujours refte à Londres, jufqu'à la mort du Roi, lui fervoit d'Efpion moins des Anglois que de fon Ambassadeur, cirConftance qu'un autre auroit mieux fait concourir aux grandes vues de la politique, et dont il ne tira partie que pour s'amufer, que pour rire aux depens de fes Miniftres. "Louis XV. dans la crainte que fon Miniftre prit trop d'empire fur lui, lui oppofoit quelquesfo's d'autres Miniftres ou courtifans, qui fe prevalant de ce moment du faveus, prouvoient au Miniftre que la fienne n'etoit pas toujours inébranhole. C'eft ce parti que Louis XV. avoit pris de s'ifoler en quelque forte de fon royaume, de diftinguer en lui deux hommes prefque toujours oppofés, la Monarche et le particulier qui donne la clef de plufieurs traits de fa vie.' THE Proprietors of Ranelagh, deeply impreffed with the hardship of the Chevaliere D'Eon's cafe, with great liberality having given her the profits of a night, the following advertisement appeared in the newspapers: THANKS OF THE CHEVALIERE D'EON TO THE PRITISH NATION. No. 38, Brewer's Street, Golden Square, Saturday Morning, June 25, 1791. THE Chevaliere D'Eon, highly touched with the intereft that is taken respecting her in England, is bound in duty to her own character, and from her efteem for the British nation, to fhew herfelf highly fenfible of it, by accepting of what has been done for her, and grateful for it, in employing the whole pecuniary emoluof the nation in the payment of fome ments arifing to her from the munificence debts fhe has been fo unhappy as to contract with fome individuals of it. The Proprietors of Ranelagh have oflents that adorn this capital, to give the fered an opportunity to the different taChevaliere the marks of the moft flattering diftinction; and they have offered the Public, of all ranks, an opportunity of proving to her the kind and generous intereft they are fo good as to take in what concerns her. cured her a very great public favour: this, A very great private injuftice has proindeed, fhe would not deferve, were the not highly proud of the honour of it, and did the not in fome degree confole herself for her lofs, when the confiders the means that have been employed to repair it to her, and the dignity of the great nation that with fuch extreme kindnefs has been fo very active in making use of LA CHEVALIERE D'EON. them. THE LONDON REVIEW AND LITERARY JOURNAL, For JULY 1791. Quid fit turpe, quid utile, quid dulce, quid non. An Eftimate of the Religion of the Fashionable World. By one of the Laity. Second 3s. 6d. Cadell. Edition. 12mo. AMIDST the variety of publications which are continually iffuing from the prefs with no other tendency than to pervert the understanding or to corrupt the heart, we are happy in obferving fome strongly directed against the fashionable evils of infidelity and immorality. Irreligion, under the mask of free-en quiry, quiry, and licentioufnefs under that of liberty have gained of late years, and it is to be feared are still gaining, a wonderful prevalence in every rank of Society. An humble faith in the myfteries of revealed religion is too generally made the fubject of ridicule, and an obedience to civil authority is artfully oppugned. Whither this will lead us, as a people, is, at prefent, not very cafy to be conjectured; but this we may be certain of, that a continuance in fuch a courfe cannot ultimately end in good. Happy, very happy are they, and much more happy will they be who fave themselves from fuch an untoward generation, by not adding their own conduct to the aggregate of the national difgrace! In the honourable number of thefe real patriots may be reckoned the anonymous author of the little volume be fore us. Great, indeed, has been our fatisfaction in the perufal of it, an we truft that our improvement will be proportionate. No reader's judgement, wa hould think, can remain unconvinced by its reafoning, nor his heart be unaffected by its piety. A language elegant'y plain, arguments perfpicuoufly ftrong, and an addrefs unaffectedly pathetic, are the leading characteristics of this truly excellent work. "The general defign of thete pages,' fays the author in the Introduction, "is to offer fome curfory remarks on the prefent ftate of religion among a great part of the polite and the fathionable; not only among that defcription of perfons who, whether from difbelief, or whatever other caufe, avowedly neglect the duties of chriftianity; but among that more decent clafs alfo, who, while they acknowledge their belief of its truth by a public profeffion, and are not inattentive to any of its forms, yet exhibit little of its fpirit in their general temper and conduct: to fhew that chriftianity, like its divine Author, is not only denied by those who in words difown their fubmiffion to its authority; but betrayed by ftill more treacherous difciples, even while they fay, Hail Mafler ! "That religion is, at prent, in a very unflourishing ftate among thofe whofe example guides and governs the rest of mankind," is the author's gencral pofition, and in our opinion cannot pofiibly be controverted. In the Firit Chapter we have a comparative view of the religion of the great in the preceding ages. This is very judiciously drawn up, and the contraft which it exhibits is ftrongly coloured: but though strong and unpleating, it is no caricature; every lineament and fhade ftrikes us with a conviction of its likeneft. What the author fays of the irreligious prefumption of the prefent generation, fe different from the pious humility of their ancestors, is fo juft that we shall take the liberty of making an extract. "Inftead of abiding by the falutary precept of judging no man, it is the fashion to exceed our commiffion, and to fancy every body to be in a fafe ftate. But, in forming our notions, we have to choose between the bible and the world, between the rule and the practice. Where thefe do not agree, it is left to the judgment, of believers at least, by which we are to decide. But we never act in religious concerns by the fame rule of common fenfe and equitable judgment which governs us on other occafions. In weighing any commodity, its weight is determined by fome generally-allowed standard; and if the commodity be heavier or lighter than the ftandard weight, we add to or take from it: but we never break, or clip, or reduce the weight to fuit the thing we are weighing; becaufe the common confent of mankind has agreed that the one shall be confidered as the standard to afcertain the value of the other. But, in weighing our principles by the ftandard of the golpel, we do just the reverfe Inttead of bringing our opinions and actions to the balance of the fanctuary, to determine and rectify their comparative deficiencies, we lower and reduce the standard of the fcripture doctrines till we have accommodated themt to our own purposes; fo that, milead of trying others and ourselves by God's unerring rule, we try the truth of God's rule by its conformity or non-conformity to our own depraved notions and corrupt practices." To the plea that this is an age of benevolence," the author in the next Chap ter yidds a cheerful aflent, but at the fame time contends beautifully for that lovely species of benevolence which is not the characteristic of the age, Chrifian charity. "Of charity," fays the author, "piety is the fire from heaven, which can alone kindle the facrifice, and make it ac ceptable." In Chapter the Third the author confi. ders the "neglect of religious education, as both a cause and confequence of this decline of christianity." Here the proofs of the melancholy fact are clearly adduced, and the reafoning clole and convincing. The next Chapter ftates "other fymp toms of the decline of chriftianity-viz. No family religion-Corrupt or negligent example of fuperiors.-The felf-denying and evangelical virtues, held in contempt -neglect of encouraging and promoting religion among fervants." The corrupt example of fuperiors, and its ill confequences, are thus ftrikingly exemplified: "When a poor youth is tranfplanted from one of thofe excellent inftitutions which do honour to the prefert age, and give fome hope of reforming the next, into the family, perhaps, of his noble benefactor who has provided liberally for his inftruction; what muft be his aftonishment at finding the manBref life towhich he is introduced, diametrically oppofite to that life, to which he has been taught falvation is alone annexed! He has been trained in a wholesome terror of gaming; but now his interests and paffions are forcibly engaged on the fide of play, fince the very profits of his place are made fyftematically to depend on the cardtable. He has been taught that it was his bounden duty to be devoutly thankful for his own fcanty meal, perhaps of barleybread, yet he fees his noble Lord fit down every day, not to a dinner, but a becatomb; to a repaft for which every element is plundered, and every climate impoverished; for which nature is ranfacked, and art is exhausted; without even the formal ceremony of a flight acknowledgement. It will be lucky for the mafter, if his fervant does not happen to know that even the pagans never fat down to a repast without making a libation to their deities; and that the Jews did not eat a little fruit, or drink a cup of water, without an expreffion of thankfulness. Next to the law of God, he has been taught to reverence the law of the land, and to refpect an Act of Parliament next to a text of fcripture: yet be fees his honourable protector publicly in his own houte engaged in the evening in playing at a game exprefsly prohibited by the laws, and again which, perhaps, be himself had affifted in the day to país an A&t." Chapter the Fifth proves that "the neg. ligent conduct of Chriftians is no real ohjection against chriftianity."-Here while the author difproves effectually the pitiful cavils of the infidel on the one hand, on the other he warmly and very powerfully prees upon the chriftian profeffor the neceflity of a walk and converfation agreeable to that honourable profeflion. Against a careless conduct in the chriftian profeffor be produces ftrong reafoning and pathetic remonftrances. "There is fomething terrible," fays he," in the idea of this fort of indefinite evil, that the careless christian can never know the extent of the conta gion he spreads, nor the multiplied infec tion which they may communicate in their turn, whom his diforders first corrupted." Some weak perfons are fond of exclaim ing against an excess of piety, and an over-much righteousness, little thinking that by fo doing they encourage irreligion in young perfons, and do the work mis chief to the cause of chriftianity; but, as our author juftly obferves, "There may be an imprudent, but there cannot be afu perabundant goodness. An ardent ima gination may mislead a rightly-turned heart; and a weak intellect may incline the best-intentioned to afcribe too much value to things of comparatively small importance." In the Sixth Chapter fome readers may perhaps confider the author as too fevere; but we know that he is juft; and the cafe he defcribes is arrived at too melancholy a pitch to be treated lightly. He thews that "a ftranger, from obferving the fashion. able mode of life, would not take this to be a chriftian country." Of the various excellent remarks with which this chapter abounds, we were par ticularly well pleased with what the author fays upon the present fashionable mode of preaching. "It commonly abounds," fays the author, “with high encomiums on the dignity of human nature; the good effects of virtue on health, fortune, and reputa tion; the dangers of a blind zeal, the mischiefs of enthufiafin, and the folly of being " righteous overmuch;" with ́va. rious other kindred fentiments, which, if they do not fall in of themselves with the corruptions of our nature, may, by a little warping, be easily accommodated to them. These are the too fuccessful prac tices of lukewarm and temporizing Divines, who have become popular by blunting the edge of that heavenly-tempered weapon, whofe falutary keennefs, but for their "deceitful handling," would oftener "pierce to the dividing afunder of foul and fpirit." But those feverer preachers of righteoufnels, who difguft by applying too closely to the confcience; who probe the inmoft heart, and lay open all its latent peccancies; who treat of principles as the only certain fource of manners; *We use the mafculine pronoun when speaking of the author, thougi, if Fame fay true, and our conje&ure be right, this valuable little work comes from the worthy and ingenious MIS HANNAH MORE. VOL. XX. F whe muft tacitly believe them, whatever objections he may find it for his interest to alledge against them. "If God," fays our author, has thought fit to make the Gospel an inftrument of falvation, we must own the neceffity of receiving it as a divine inftitution, before it is likely to operate very effectually on the conduct. The great Creator, if we may judge by analogy from natural things, is fo wife an œconomift, that he always adapts, with the most accurate precition, the intrument to the work; and never lavishes more means than are neceffary to accomplish the propofed end. If, therefore, Chriftianity had been intended for nothing more than a mere fyftem of ethics, fuch a fyftem furely might have been produced at an infinitely lefs expence. The long chain of prophecy, the labours of Apottles, the blood of Saints, to fay nothing of the great and coftly facrifice which the Gofpel records, might furely have been fpared. Leffens of mere human virtue might have been delivered by fome fuitable inftrument of human widom, strengthened by the visible authority of human power. A bare fyf. tem of morals might have been communicated to mankind with a more reasonable profpect of advantage, by means not fo repugnant to human pride. A mere fcheme of conduct might have been delivered, with far greater probability of fuccefs, by Antoninus the Emperor, or Plato the Philofopher, than by Paul the tent-maker, or Peter the fisherman." After what we have faid, and the copious extracts we have made, no further recommendation of this little volume is neceffary.. All that we have left to fay is, to exprefs our warmeft with that it may be effectual in making at least fome change for the better in the appearance of the fashionable world. W. who lay the axe to the root oftener than the pruning knife to the branch; who infilt much and often on the great leading truths, that man is a fallen creature, who must be restored, if he be restored at all, by means very little flattering to human pride;-fuch as thefe will feldom find accefs to the houses and hearts of the more modish Chriftians; unless they happen to owe their admiffion to fome fubordinate quality of ftyle; unless they can captivate, with the feducing graces of language, thofe well-bred readers, who are childishly amusing themfelves with the garnish, when they are perifhing for want of food; who are fearching for polifhed periods, when they should be in queft of alarming truths; who are looking for elegance of compofition, when they thould be anxious for eternal life." Thefe obfervations are perfectly coincident with the learned Bishop Horley's in his late Charge to his Clergy, and we are happy in feeing fuch writers afferting the : peculiar branches of Chriftianity, at a period when it is too fashionable for authors and preachers to be afraid of acknowledging, or at least flow in defending them. Now, however, we felicitate ourfelves with the hope, that thofe inestimable truths which have been too long regarded as obfolete, will be more generally known, and confequently valued." The Laft Chapter is an important and an excellent one; it is entitled, " A View of those who acknowledge Chriftianity as a perfect System of Morals, but deny its divine Authority"--and proves that Morality is not the whole of Religion.-That a pure Chriftian faith is the only fure foundation of an acceptable obedience, however an unfashionable doctrine, is here afferted and vindicated with a ftrength and perfpicuity that cannot but carry conviction to every ingenuous and feeling heart. Whoever reads the arguments Review of the Conftitution of Great Britain; being the Subftance of a Speech delivered in a numerous Affembly on the following Queftion: Is the Petition of Horne Tooke a Libel on the House of Commons, or a juft Statement of public Grievances arifing from an unfair Representation of the People?" To which is added an Appendix, containing the Petition of Mr. Horne Tooke, together with his two Addreffes to the Electors of Westminster. By a Friend to the People. Second Edition. Price 2s. Ridgway. IN this pamphlet (faid to be the production of Horne Tooke) the Author attacks the Conftitution of Great Britain with a hardihood hitherto unexampled. After examining the feveral branches of the Legiflative and Executive Authority, and raigning with great feverity the vices of the British Government, he concludes thus: "To this Conution, therefore, what hinders us from faying in the words of the inspired Writer, "THOU ART WEIGHED IN THE BALANCE, AND ART FOUND WANTING." We ple (which are every where the fame) fhall foon ceafe to be facrificed to the domineering lufts of a few, and the LAW, which is the voice of the people,-and all other authority is not law, but ufurpation and tyranny-the LAW fhall ettablish peace and good-will among men. Such, O thou Soul of Benevolence! now united to the eternal fource of UNIVERSAL GOOD; fuch, O PRICE was the pious end to which were devoted the labours of thy life; fuch were the heart-cheering hopes that fupported thy meek spirit under the cruel calumny of thofe who hated thee, because they feared the light, and were enemies to the truth!" of Parliament undertook to investigate the merits of Mr. F.'s compofition. The Report of this Committee being laid before his Majefty, he was graciously pleased to order a reward to be given to the Author, for making known to the public the materials of the compofition, with the mẻthod of preparing it, and the mode of its application, as follows: Compofition for curing Diseases and Injuries in Trees. One bushel of fresh cow-dung; half a bufhel of lime rubbish from old buildings (that from the ceilings of old rooms is preferable); half a bufhel of wood-afhes; and one fixteenth of a bufhel of pit or river fand the three laft articles are to be fifted fine before they are mixed, then worked together well with a fpade, and afterwards with a wooden beater, until the ftuff is very fmooth, like fine plaifter ufed for the ceiling of rooms. : We are as far from agreeing to the principles of this Writer, as we are from concurring in his conclufion; but we cannot deny him the praise of energy and eloquence. As a fpecimen of his ftyle, let the reader take the following apoftrophe to the manes of Dr. Price. "Thanks to the glorious Revolution of France! thanks to the enlightened labours of the National Affembly! we may now hope to fee the day when neither the intrigues of a Court Parafite, the electioneering interefts of a Minifter, nor the vile machinations of Contractors, Brokers, Jews, shall prevail to arm brother against brother, and to render man the greatest enemy of man. The interefts of the peo Obfervations on the Diseases, Defects and Injuries in all Kinds of Fruit and Foreft Trees, with an Account of a particular Method of Cure invented and practised by Mr. William Forfyth, Gardener to his Majefty at Kenfington. 8vo. 25. Nicol. THE health and fecurity of trees being an object of very great and extenfive importance, and the Author of this fenfible pamphlet being a perfon of confiderable knowledge and experience in gardening and planting, we fhall notice it with more attention than we usually bestow on these fmailer productions of the prefs. The Author in his Introduction, after paying a well-deserved compliment to the Society of Arts, &c. for their patriotic exertions in the advancement of Agriculture, &c. alerts, that the growth of timber, with the culture and management of plantations, has not received that improvement which it merits. He then proceeds to rei te how, from confidering the difcafes and injuries to which trees are subject, he was led to find out a remedy, and at length to communicate that remedy to the public. His experiments, it feenus, in the Royal Gardens at Kensington, attracted the notice of many perfons of high rank, as well philofophical eminence. Among early Equirers were the Commiffioners appointed by Parliament to examine into the State of the Woods, Foreits, and Land Kevenues of the Crown. Thefe Gentlemen examined Mr. Forfyth's procefs, and the effects of his remedy; and, being fatis. Sed of its utility, made a reprefentation of it to the Lords of his Majesty's Treafay, under whofe fanction it was fubmited to the confideration of the Houfe of Commons. They prefented an Addrefs to his Majefty, in confequence of which Committee of Members of both Houses Directions for preparing the Trees, and laying on the Compofition. All the dead, decayed, and injured part of the tree muit be cut away to the fresh, found wood, leaving the furface very imooth, and rounding off the edges of the bark with a draw-knife. Lay on the plaister about one-eighth of an inch thick, all over the part fo cut away; finishing off the edges as thin as poffible. Take a quantity of dry powder of wood-ashes, with one-fixth of the afhes of burnt bones; put it into a tin-box, with holes in the top, and take the powder on the furface F 2 |