Shravifh'thá is given, in all the dictionaries of the Sanferit language, as another name of D'hanishťhá; and is used for it, in more than one paffage of the Védas. This is the conftellation which is facred to the Vafus; as Aslèbá is, to the ferpents. The deities, prefiding over the twenty-feven conftellations, are enumerated in three other verfes of the Jyotish belonging to Yajush, and in feveral places of the Védas. The Jyotib of the Rich differs in tranfpofing two of them; but the commentator corrects this as a faulty reading. "In feveral paffages of the Jyotish, these names of deities are ufed for the conftellations over which they prefide; especially one which ftates the fituation of the moon, when the fun reaches the tropick, in years other than the firft of the cycle. Every where thefe terms are explained, as indicating the conftellations, which that enumeration allots to them *. Texts, contained in the Védas themselves, confirm the correspondence; and the connexion of Al'avini and the Aswins is indeed decifive. "Hence it is clear, that D'hanifht’hà and Aslésbá are the conftellations meant; and that when this Hindu calendar was regulated, the folftitial points were reckoned to be at the beginning of the one and in the middle of the other: and fuch was the fituation of those cardinal points, in the fourteenth century before the Chriftian era. I formerly + had occafion to fhow, from another paffage of the Védas, that the correfpondence of feafons with months, as there ftated, and as alfo fuggefted in the passage now quoted from the Jyotish, agrees with fuch a fitua tion of the cardinal points." P. 471. With respect to their philofophical notions, their fentiments regarding the cofmogony, are remarked by Mr. Colebrook, as bearing a diftant refemblance to thofe of Hefiod and the earliest Greek philofophers, and poets; and even the words mentioned in an account of Creation, at page 393, are very fimilar to the CHAOS and EROS of the former writer. There is fomething fo very fublime in other paffages relating to that grand event, that we can fcarcely believe the author was ignorant of the Mofaic records: thus, where it is faid, "The Deity THOUGHT, I will create worlds;" and they burst into existence. 66 He THOUGHT again;" then were which I do not well understand; as the rule for its construction is obfcure, and involves fome difficulties, which remain yet un. folved." "I think it needlefs to quote the original of this enumeration." "Afiatic Researches, Vol. VII. p. 283." A a BRIT. CRIT. VOL. XXXV. APRIL, 1810. created created guardians of the worlds, beatified fpirits, and good men. We are the more inclined to this opinion on account of the grofs and puerile conceptions that are blended with and follow this defcription: p. 409, &c. The Hindus, we are told, believe that the foul, or confcious life, enters the body through the fagittal future, takes up its abode in the human brain, and contemplates, through that fame opening, the divine perfections. Our limits will not permit us to enter more at large upon the fciences inculcated in the Vedas, of which, in fact, but a few glimmerings appear in this abftract of their contents. Mr. Colebrooke's general opinion of these books may be collected from his concluding paragraph, with which our ftrictures on this volume muli alfo terminate. "The preceding defcription may ferve to convey fome notion of the Vedas. They are too voluminous for a complete tranflation of the whole and what they contain, would hardly reward the labour of the reader; much lefs, that of the tranflator. 'The ancient dialect, in which they are compofed, and efpecially that of the three first Védas, is extremely difficult and obfcure and, thongh curious, as the parent of a more polished and refined language (the claffical Sanferit), its difficulties muft long continue to prevent fuch an examination of the whole Védas, as would be requifite for extracting all that is remarkable and important in thofe voluminous works. But they well deserve to be occafionally confulted by the oriental scholar." ART. V. A Treatife of the Law of Tithes: compiled in Part from fame Notes of Richard Wooddefen, Efq. D. C. L. By Samuel Toller, Efq. of Lincoln's Inn, Barrister at Law. 8vo. 512 p. 10s. 6d. Butterworth. 1808. E feel WE great fatisfaction in contemplating a claffical and well-digefted Treatife on the Law of Tithes: one which may be cited as authority in all future difcuflions on the fubject. That the prefent work is fuch will readily be conceived, by thofe who know the perfons concerned in it, from the following statement of Mr. Toller. "Dr. Wooddefon having collected a variety of notes, with a view to extend and to prepare them for a publication upon the fubject, was compelled by an ill ftate ef health to reinquith his purpofe, before it was much more than half accom plished, plished, and he did me the honour of communicating to me his papers, with a request that I would revife them; and complete the work. Encouraged by the confidence repofed in me by my learned friend, I ventured to comply with his application, and beg leave to fubmit to the public, the result of our joint labours.” P. v. What is added, refpecting the imperfections of the exe cution, is rather calculated to fatisfy the modefty of the wri ter, than to excite in the feader any fufpicion of material defects. The Treatife contains ten chapters, the titles of which will give the readieft fynopfis of the plan, and contents of the book, * Chap. 1. Hiftorical Introduction. 2. Of Tithes, to whom due; and their legal nature and properties. 3. Divisions of tithes, and matters between Rector and Vicar. 4. Things tithable of common right, and the manner of tithing them refpectively. 5 Things tithable by fpecial cuftom. 6. Things not tithable. 7. Exemptions general. 8. Exemptions partial. 9. Tithes in London. 10. Remedies for the recovery of tithes, or their value.” This work refers the legal right to tithes in England, though not their origin, to a decretal epiftle of Pope Innocent III, about the year 1200; that is, about 20 years after the general council of Leteran in 1180. To this decretal epiftle, addreffed to the Archbishop of Canterbury, and received here as law, by general confent, may in great meafure be referred the ftable and final establishment and fecurity of the parochial clergy's right to their tithes. They are reprefented, indeed, in feveral of our old law books, to be originally and fundamentally due jure divino. But it is foreign to the fcope and object of this treatife to confider the validity of that antiquated principle as the basis of a legal right. In point of natural Juftice, it is clear that the clergy have a claim to fome public provifion, and tithes are the fpecies of fuch provifion prefcribed by the municipal law; and thefe foundations are fufficia ently folid on which to reft their title." P. 10. A claim fixed by public law fix centuries ago, and prevailing long before by cuftom, is furely a foundation fuffi ciently firm for any legal right. But though the question of right to tithes is generally confidered as chiefly affecting the clergy, we believe that we are well warranted in fav ing, as we fpeak from the information of a very careful enquirer, that more than one half of the tithes accruing at this A a 2 hour hour in England are in the hands of lay impropriators; fo extensively would temporal as well as ecclefiaftical property be affected by any fudden change in that ancient law. The following exceptions to the general rules of tithing are worthy of notice. "It muft not be inferred from the terms of the definition in the beginning of the fecond chapter, that tithes are the tenth part of the increase yearly arifing from the profits of lands,' &c. that this neceffity of annual renewal is ftrictly and univerfally, true of all fpecies, even of predial tithes. To mixed and perfonal tithes, that part of the defcription does not at all apply. In deed, if land hath once borne this annual burden, the principle is, that it ought not to be again charged in the course of the fame year. But lands fown with clover t, which has a more frequent increase than once a year, ought, it feems to pay tithe as often as the product was renewed. So tithe has been decreed to be paid for a fecond crop of turnips, though it was infifted that they were fown for meliorating the foil against the next years crop. On the other hand, it was very early confidered as no objection against the tithable capacity of fylva cadua, or wood ufed to be cut, or lopped, that it was not renewed annually. In like manner, faffron is tithable |, though generally gathered but once in three years." P. 62. Subjoined to this valuable work are two ufeful appendixes, the firft being a catalogue of monafteries of the yearly value of two hundred pounds or upwards, diffolved by the ftatute of 31 Hen. Eighth, and by fuch means capable of being difcharged of tithes; extracted from Tanner's Notitia Monaftica. The fecond, a lift of the parifhes in London fettled by the ftatute 22 and 73 Car. 2. ufually called the Fire A&. But we do not obferve any notice of the late augmentations granted to the minifters of thofe parishes, on account of the great depreciation in the value of money, fince + " 3 Harris." 2 Vin. Lect. 97." Burn, eccl. 1. 377, Gwill. 584. Witherington v. "Gwill. 606. Hall v. Fitz.” "Gwill. 9. A. D. 1812 7. R. 2. fated renewal, like the cafe of jaffron. Becaufe it is an ordinary Gwill. 838. in Walton v. Tryon, but as to the entry 7 R. 2. fee its authenticity quef. tioned, ibid 831. 2." Wood. Inft. 1. Engl. 172. ed. 1763." * Qu. 1384? Rev. they ་ they were fettled. The book, however, may unequivocally be recommended to all who have any concern with the law of tithes, whether clergy, laity, civil or common lawyers, as a work the clearness of which makes it very convenient to confult while its foundness authorizes a full reliance upon its information. ART. VI. Travels of the Duke de Chatelet, in Portugal, Comprehending interefting Particulars relative to the Colonies: the Earthquake of Lifbon; the Marquis de Pombal, and the Court. The Manuscript revifed, corrected, and enlarged, with Notes, on the prefent State of the Kingdom and Colonies of Portugal, by J. Fr. Burgoing, late Minifter Plenipotentiary, from the French Republic, in Spain, Member of the National Inftitute, and Author of the Modern State of Spain. Tranf lated from the French, by John Jofeph Stockdale. Illuftrated with a Map of Portugal, and View of the Bay of Lisbon. 2 Vols. 8vo. 17s. Stockdale. 1809. NOTWITHSTANDING the intereft which Portugal has of late years excited, and fill continues to excite among us, we have no complete work defcriptive of that country. Link's Travels were in many inftances exceptionable, and Portugal formed but a final portion of his work, "Murphy's State of Portugal, though a curious performance, was principally employed on architectural fubjects. The Picture of Lisbon, as far as it goes, has much merit, but though a great many years have paffed fince the ci-devant Duke de Châtelet vifited Portugal, allowing for the prejudices and mifreprefentations of a Frenchman, particularly as directed against this country, this work altogether is entitled to fuperior attention. The Duke had great advantages from his rank, character, and profeffion of the fame religion, which procured him eafy accels, where national jealousy excluded ftrangers generally, and proteftants in particular. He was well known to the M. de Pombal, one of the greatest characters which Portugal ever produced. The work is comprifed in two volumes, which have been arranged, fyftematized, and commented upon in additional notes, by M. Bourgoing, who was Miniffer in Spain from the French Republic, and author of the Modern State of Spain, Aas The |