facred literature.

To the latter, which we confider as more ap. propriate to the ordinary fervice of the Church, we would on the attention." prefent occafion folicit your

P. 8.

The attempt is certainly laudable, nor have we any thing to object to the manner of profecuting it, except the general nature of the charge which he brings, of forfaking the divine fountain “ la of living waters for the broken cifterns of worldly vanity. there," fays he, “fo much as one among us whofe confcience docs not tell him, thou art the man?" P. 13.-Yes, furely; many! or religion is in a worse state there than any where else, and even the preacher himself is not the man we took him for; a man having a little too much bias, perhaps, to certain opinions, but certainly not one of those who forfake" the living waters, for the broken cif terns." This exaggeration does no good, it is mere extravagance. But we rejoice at the following intimation, and much approve of the advice contained in the concluding fentence.

"All ranks and orders among you are beginning to show a Jaudable attention to the theory of religion: O that you might begin to fhow it to the practice alfo ! You are not backward to manifeft your approbation of that zeal which directs you to the evidences of religion; be ye not therefore offended with that which folicits your attention to its effects."

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ART. 29. Evangelical and Pharifait Righteousness compared. Sermon preached before the University of Cambridge, on Sunday, November 26, 1809. By the Rev. Charles Simeon, M. A. Fellow 8vo. 25 PP. 15. Cadell and Co. 1809. of King's College. 8vo.

This Sermon would be unexceptionable, if it were not connected with the particular circumftances in which the author is fuppofed to ftand. He is confidered as the leader of a party in the Univerfity, whom he feems to addrefs in the latter part of his discourse as those who profess to have attained the fuperior righteoufnefs fpoken of in the text;" that is, a righteoufnefs fuperior to that of the Scribes and Pharifees. Addreffing those perfons, he fays, alluding to the conduct and temper of the Pha rifees," the fame difapprobation of real piety ftill lurks in the hearts of thofe who occupy the feat of Mofes; and you must not wonder if your contrition be called gloom; your faith in Chrift prefumption; your delight in his ways, enthufiafm; and your devotion to his fervice, precifenefs or hypocrify." P. 23.Now here appears to be a moft atrocious accufation against thofe who occupy, the feat of Mofes," which we understand to mean those who are rulers and teachers in the place. This is offenfive, and in fact pharifaical. Befides, the picture of thofe who have attained" fuperior righteoufnefs" is perfectly inconfiftent with the affertion in the former Sermon, that all had forfaken the fountain of living waters."

In other respects the difcourfe is good and ufeful. The view of pharifaical merits and faults is, in the main, correct and clear, except that the author does not fufficiently mark their infincerity; -their being, what our Saviour fo often calls them, hypocrites.

ART. 30. Cautions to the Hearers and Readers of the Reverend Mr. Simeon's Sermon, entitled " Evangelical and Pharifaical Rightconfuefs compared." By Edward Pearfon, D. D. Mafter of Sidney College, Cambridge, and Chriftian Advocate in that University. 8vo. 8vo. 14 pp. 6d. Hatchard, &c.

1810.

Dr. Pearfon points out the following faults in the Sermon above noticed. That the preacher declares too abfolutely upon the condemnation of all the Scribes and Pharifees; that he finks their hypocrify, and raises their character in other refpects, in order to comprehend a larger clafs in the comparison with them; which Dr. P. (who knows and efteems Mr. S.) fuppofes him to direct against the Clergy in general. We imagined he might mean only those in authority where he preached. In either cafe, the innuation is extremely reprehenfible, and the artifice used for introducing it not very ingenuous.

MISCELLANIES.

ART.-31. Claffical Defcriptions of Love from the most celebrated Epic Poets. Homer, Ariofto, Taffo, Milton, Virgil and Ca. moens. By M. P. Grandmaifon. Tranflated from the French. I 2mo. Price 6s. 6d. Blacklock. 1809.

We have here in Poetic profe the Stories of Hector and Andromache from Homer; of Rinaldo and Armida from Taffo; Medor and Angelica from Ariofto; Adam and Eve from Milton; Eneas and Dido from Virgil; and laftly, the very luxuriant description of the Ifland of Love from Camoens. Now they may be all very well in the French, very fuitable to French tafte and French manners; but they will, we should think, hardly affimilate with English palates. But the moft whimsical thing of all is, we were almoft tempted to fay ridiculous, the book is infcribed to the grave and fage Hiftorian of India. Once more inviting him

To fport with Amaryllis in the fhade,

Or with the tangles of Nezra's hair.

It is, however, but mere juftice to add, that thefe Defcriptions of Love, though warm, never exceed the limits of deli cacy, and though they can hardly be fuppofed to amufe ancient kifterians and ancient critics, it will be fure of meeting with readers and advocates too, with the youth of both fexes.

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ART. 32. The New Family Receipt-Book, containing seven hundred truly valuable Receipts, in various Branches of domeftic Economy; feleted from the Works of British and Foreign Writers, of unqueftionable Experience and Authority, and from the attefied Communications of fcientific Friends. Crown 8vo. 419 pp. 73. 6d. Murray. 1810.

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To affert as much as a title-page, might, not improperly, be made a proverb, as the French have to lie like an epitaph;" but though we will not fay, with the writer of this epigraph, that all thefe feven hundred receipts are truly valuable, yet we have no fcruple to affert that many of them are fo, and perhaps as large a proportion as any book of the fame kind ever contained. few are foolish enough. The book is a proper, and almost an indispensable companion for the " New Syftem of domeftic Cookery *,” now known to be the production of Mrs. Rundle: nor fhould we have hesitated to attribute this volume to the fame skilful compiler, had not the editor in the preface been fpoken of in the mafculine gender. Thefe are fymptoms too of his being a North Briton.

Out of fuch a mafs of matter it is not eafy to felect a fpecimen, but perhaps the following fuggeftion may be of as extenfive ufe as any, being of importance to health, and, we should conceive, en. tirely efficacious. To detect dampnefs in a bed, it should be called, instead of the title which is prefixed, where it profeffes to "prevent the effects of fleeping in a damp bed," which it has nothing to do with.

"Let your bed be first warmed, and immediately as the warming-pan is taken out, introduce between the fheets, in an inverted direction, a clean glafs goblet; after it has remained in that fituation a few minutes, examine it; if found dry, and not tarnished with fteam, the bed is perfectly fafe, but if drops of wet or damp adhere to the infide of the glafs, it is a certain fign of a damp bed." P. 89.

That fome of the receipts are trifling, and a few erroneous, is no great detraction from a compilation fo extenfive, but the following judicious fuggeftion of the editor will we hope be attended

to.

"The editor and publifher cannot relinquish a hope that ingenious perfons may be inclined to affift its improvement, by cor. recting any article which may be found to fail, or by fuggesting a better one, or by the communication of new receipts of real value." P. vii.

As it is, there are few things which the reader can seek, for domeftic ufe, on which he will not find fome useful intimation.

*See Br. Cr. vol xxx. p. 457, where, though we played upon the fubject, as not thinking cookery within the reach of our ferious criticism, we by no means meant to cry down the book.

The

The fubjects are claffed in the table of contents; in the book there is no arrangement. They amount to 36 heads, beginning with "Agriculture," and ending with "Wines."

ART. 33. Liber Facetiarum, being a Collection of curious and interefting Anecdotes. 12mo. 344 pp. 6s. Akenhead, Newcale-upon-Tyne. 1809.

A country book, like a country bank note, ought to have the name of fome London houfe upon it. The prefent is deficient. in that refpect; but, as we believe it has been a good deal advertifed, our readers will probably be able to difcover it for themfelves. It is by no means an injudicious compilation. From modern books (chiefly) of travels, and other works containing anecdotes, ferious or lively, the author has brought together a very extenfive collection, few of which appear to have been anticipated by other collectors of the fame kind. Dutenfiana, Dibdin's Mufical Tour, and feveral English ana, are of course laid under frequent contribution. From the fecond of these the following anecdote may be given as a fpeci nen.

A poet was noticing how fometimes the most trivial and unfore feen accident overturns an author's hopes. "A thing, faid he, once happened to me, which was enough to make a man forfwear ever taking a pen in hand. I had a tragedy-Garrick performed in it. I must confefs the principal incident was a little fimilar to Lear's abdication of the throne in favour of his daughters. Mine were two daughters; and the king, after giving them a leffon fraught with legislative advantages, that might have done honour to Solon or Lycurgus,-finished his harangue by faying, and now I divide this crown between you.' Sir, a malicious fcoun. drel, peeping over the fpikes of the orchestra, and staring Gar rick full in the face, cried out, Ah, that's just half-a-crown a piece.' Sir, an inceffant laugh immediately prevailed, and, if it had been to fave your foul, another fyllable could not be heard." P. 6.

The French have fimilar theatrical anecdotes, as that of "la Reine boit," &c. and we recollect the complete coup-de-grace given to the nonfenfe of Vortigern, by the very grave repetition of one fatal line;

"When will this folemn mockery be o'er ?''

ot a word could be heard after, and the queftion was anfwered by the fhouts of laughter, which shook the fullest house that ever was affembled.

ART. 34. Lockie's Topography of London, giving a concife local Defeription of, and accurate Direction to, every Square, Street, Lane, Court, Dock, Wharf, Inn, Public Office, &c. in the Metropolis and its Environs, including the new Buildings to the pre

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fent Time, upon a Plan never before attempted. The whole al. phabetically arranged, and comprising the Defcription of more than three thousand Places, the Names of which are not to be found upon any of the Maps of the prefent Year. Taken from the ac tual Survey of John Lockie, Inspector of Buildings to the Phenix Fire Office. 8vo. Nicol. 8s. 1810.

We never faw a more useful book of the kind than this Topo. graphy of London. It must be a moft acceptable manual not only to ftrangers, but to refidents in the metropolis. It appears alfo to deferve the greatest commendation for its accuracy, as no error of any importance has occurred in our examination of it. It is alfo temarkably cheap, confidering the variety of its con tents. We have no doubt that it will effectually answer Mr. Lockie's purpofe. A good map of London would be a material improvement, and justify a correfpondent advance of price.

ART. 35. The Expofé, or Napoleon Buonaparte Unmasked, in a condenfed Statement of his Career and Atrocities. Accompanied with Notes, &c. 8vo. 240 pp. 6s. Miller. 1809.

This Expofé (as the author terms it) contains a brief state. ment of the principal events in the life of Buonaparte. We find in it fcarcely any fact which is not already generally known or publicly reported, and few obfervations worthy of any peculiar notice. The author appears to be deeply impreffed with a fenfe of the crimes and atrocities of this revolutionary hero, to whom he juftly denies the character of great. The littleness indeed of his mind, in many refpects, and the total want of that generofity and elevation of foul, which have generally appeared in civilized conquerors, degrade him far below the rank of an Alexander and a Cæfar, however equal to theirs, or even more furprifing, may be his military talents and fuccefs. To thofe who wish to fee a brief compendium of his crimes, and a short history of his extra. ordinary career, the volume before us may be an useful manual. If a few of the imputations laid to his charge remain in fome degree obfcure and doubtful, there is quite enough in the facts that are undoubted and acknowledged to ftamp him remorfelefs and unprin cipled. How long, and for what myfterious ends, he will be permitted to lord it over the greatest portion of the civilized world, is hitherto involved in impenetrable darknefs. We may, however, reft affured that fome great purpofes are now fulfilling, which, through whatever calamities we may previously pafs, will prove ultimately and fignally beneficial to mankind.

ART. 36. Bibliofophia: or Book-Wifdom. Containing fome Account of that glorious Vocation Book-collecting. By an Afpirant.