mentary inveftigation, was much too harshly treated by the perfons who fupported that inquiry, and that fome of thofe who have fince, at public meetings, fo zealously applauded that profe cution, were actuated, not by a love of justice and hatred of corruption, but by motives of a very different nature.

He particularly condemns the proceedings at the Common Hall of the City of London, where, he obferves, the facred maxim of "Audi Alteram Partem," was trampled under foot. But what elfe could be expected from the tumultuary mafs of people affembled on thofe occafions, and mifcalled the Livery of London? Since no means have ever been adopted for excluding the common rabble from those affemblies, and except in the choice of magiftrates and other officers (when the fhow of hands is often negatived by the poll) no criterion is established for afcertaining the real fenfe of the citizens. Moft properly therefore has his Ma jefty, for many years paft, declined to receive Addresses from fuch affemblies on his throne; and has reftricted that ceremony to addreffes from the corporate body of the city of London. The author of this pamphlet very justly alfo warns his countrymen against the dangers lurking under the fpecious pretext of reform, and holds out the example of France, where that pretext was the forerunner of a total fubverfion of government.

ART. 17. A Curfory View of Pruffia, from the Death of Frederick II. to the Peace of Tilfit; containing an authentic Account of the Battles of Jena, Auerftadt, Eylau, and Friedland; as aljo other Important Events during that Interefting Period. In a Series of Letters from a Gentleman in Berlin to his Friend in London. 8vo. 176 pp. 5s. Robinfon. 1809.

Among the memorable but melancholy events of the prefent age is the fall of the Pruffian Monarchy. A fall fo rapid, and from fo towering a height, aftonished us at the time, and even now is contemplated by many rather with terror and difmay than as a fubject of philofophic and ufeful meditation.

To trace the caufes of this difaftrous event is the author's purpose, in the letters before us; which, though not diftinguished by very deep refearches or profound remarks, appear to afford a fatisfactory account of the fituation of Pruffia during the period referred to. It cannot be doubted that the well-digefted and energetic fyftem, both civil and military, eftablifhed by Frederick the Second, was rapidly enfeebled by the indolence, and corrupted by the vices, of his immediate fucceffor; and that the prefent unfortunate fovereign (if he may be fo termed) of that difmembered kingdom, poffeffed neither fufficient wifdom to anticipate, nor vigour to avert, the ruin of his country. Even the fyftem of the

great

great Frederick himself, though established and upheld by his ge nius, was not built on folid and permanent foundations, and it was predicted during his life, that the factitious power of Pruffia would crumble to pieces, in the hands of a degenerate fucceffor. The profligate manners of Frederick William in private life, and his infatuated as well as bafe conduct in public tranfactions, are here diftinctly, and we believe juftly reprefented; and the amiable character given of the prefent monarch excites our regret for his almost (we cannot fay wholly) unmerited misfortunes.

The author's relation of the feveral battles, by which the fate of Pruffia was decided, confirms what we had before heard of the previous corrupt ftate of the Pruflian army, and the imbecility or infatuation of its Generals. The following ftate of the two hoftile armies immediately before the battles of Jena and Auerstadt will fully account for the decifive refult of that unfortunate day.

"In the field, the Pruffians, together with the Saxon troops, had about 110,000 men ;--but the Saxons had in general been treated with fuch difregard, that they had no inclination for the fervice; and the Duke's indifference to them, and total want of attention to fee the army provided with at least the neceffary food and ammunition, difgufted all the troops, who, befides, had fcarcely any remains of the old Pruffian character; nor were the officers in general, attached either to their commander or the caufe. The commander seemed to have no decided plan, the generals of courfe iffued no decided orders, and therefore there was no one could abfolutely determine what was to be done. The army thus appeared more like a crowd collected without purpose than a regular body of troops, in array to protect every thing that should be moft dear to them. Against fuch difunited and fomewhat difmayed people, imagine you fee oppofed about 160,000 troops accustomed to conqueft, led on by brave veteran officers, with the active Bonaparte at their head to direct the whole; you will then find the refult not very difficult to deter mine; nor will even the recital afford any great difplay of defcription, as the day was won before the commander in chief of the Jena divifion, Prince Hohenlohe, or his ftaff, then at Kappellendorff, had left their beds!"

The author's accounts of the fubfequent battles of Pultuk, Eylau, and Friedland, are lefs minute; and, we think, fufficient credit is not given to General Bennigfen for his gallant and effectual refiftance at Eylau: by which (though the Ruffian army first quitted the field) the important town of Koningsberg was faved. Had the Ruffian army been afterwards equally reinforced and equally well provifioned with that of Buonaparte, it seems not im probable that he would have experienced a ferious and perhaps ir recoverable reverfe of fortune.

Upon

Upon the whole thefe letters are well worthy of attention, as containing an interefting and apparently impartial detail of events not fully known, and of a very important period in modern. warfare.

ART. 18. A View of the Political Situation of the Province of Upper Canada, in North America; in which her Phyfical Capacity is ftated, the Means of diminishing her Burden, encreafing her Value, and fecuring her Connection to Great Britain, are fully confidered. With Notes and an Appendix. 8vo. 79 PP. 38. Earle 1809.

By an act of parliament paffed in 1791, the Province of Canada was divided into two governments that of Upper and that of Lower Canada; the former of which (confifting principally of wafte and unoccupied lands) was deftined to be the principal afylum for American loyalifts; and by the fame ftatute, a conftitution fimilar to that of Great Britain was conferred on this infant colony. Many other wife and beneficial regulations were adopted, and the government was conferred on an officer not lefs distinguished by military and civil abilities, than by a high fenfe of honour, and an indefatigable zeal in his country's fervice.--Yet (trange to tell!) thefe well-digefted regulations, and this beneficial fyftem of government have (according to the author be fore us) been fince perverted, the affections of the colonists to Great Britain greatly weakened, and the advantages which might be derived from that territory almoft wholly thrown away. Acquainted, as we were thoroughly with the character of the first Lt. Gov. and of one of the carlicft, if not the firft + Chief Justice of that province, we cannot believe that fuch abuses as are here enumerated exifted, (or at leaft grew to any height) during their political and judicial adminiftration. Great partiality is faid to have been shown in the grants and appropriations of lands, and great extortion practifed on fome of the perfons applying for them: nor (according to this writer) have the intentions of the act of parliament in giving the British conftitution to the Canadas been fulfilled; as many internal duties, penalties and forfeitures are "not appropriated by the provincial affembly, but drawn and applied by the executive." Many and flagrant abufes in the administration of juftice are alfo alledged by this author, and much oppreffive conduct toward meritorious individuals. In our tran factions with the Indian nations this author reprefents them as ill treated by the colonial government of Upper Canada; and he de

The late amiable and excellent General Simcoe. + Mr. Ofgoode

fcribe's

fcribes in ftrong (we believe in juft) terms the very confiderable refources which might, by proper management, be drawn from that colony. It should be obferved, that this author has authen. ticated his feveral allegations by affixing h`s name *, and + place of abode to this pamphlet.-Such allegations, fo particular as to the facts, and authenticated by a name, which, we prefume, is refpectable, undoubtedly deferve ferious confideration.

ART. 19. Obfervations on the Political Tendency of the late Public Meetings, for returning Thanks to G. L. Wardle, Efq. with Remarks on Mr. Cobbet's Addrefs to the People of Hamphire, and on the Proceedings and Refolutions which afterwards took place in that County and in Wiltshire. By A South Briton. 8vo. 37 PP. 2s. 6d. J. Stockdale. 1809.

That the public meetings arifing from the late parliamentary enquiry, in fome inftances, proceded to meafures by no means warranted by the occafion, and adopted fome refolutions of a very mifchievous tendency, is now, we believe, felt by many of those with whom thofe meetings originated; and the conduct of the houfe of commons, in withholding belief from witneffes whofe motives were even then fufpicious, and whofe practices have fince been developed in a court of justice, appears now, to all impartial perfons, in its true light. The author of thefe "Obfervations," (which appear to have been published before the trials at law) admits, perhaps too hastily, the propriety of returning thanks to Mr. Wardle, but contends, with great energy and ftrength of argument, against thofe general refolutions, which, at most of the metings in queftion, were ingrafted upon them. His principal object, however, is to hold up to public indignation the conduct of Mr. Cobbet upon this occafion, and expofe the evil tendency of thofe propofitions, to which he procured the fanction of a meeting of freeholders in the county of Hants. He particularly objects to the refolve, that in the Bill of Rights it is declared, "that the violating of the freedom of elections of members to ferve in parliament, was one of the crimes of King James the Second, and one of the grounds upon which he was driven from the throne of this kingdom." This, the prefent author declares, (and cites the act itself to prove it) a grofs mifreprefentation. Undoubtedly the act only recites the violating of the freedom of election as one of the unconftitutional acts of that monarch, to guard against the recurrence of which was the object of the Bill of Rights,

John Mills Jackfon.

+ Southampton.

not

not as a crime for which he was "driven from the government." The vacancy of the throne, afterwards flated, we are exprefsly told in the fame Bill of Rights, arofe from the king having abdi cated the government. Blackftone, however, and other eminent writers explain this abdication as having been inferred not merely from the circumftance of James having deferted the kingdom, but from the various illegal acts enumerated, followed by that defer. tion. At all events, the framer of the Hampshire refolutions ftands convicted of either an inaccuracy, culpable on fuch an occafion, or a still more culpable fallacy.

Many general obfervations occur in this work which are wor. thy of attention; efpecially as to the proceedings refpecting the Duke of York; whofe voluntary retirement, after an acquittal by the houfe of commons, fhould (in the candid and jutt opinion of this writer) have fully fatisfied the people.

ART. 20. Speech delivered at the Westminster Forum, on the 30th of December, 1794; including Notes critical and explanatory, and a Vindication of the Principles and Conduct of the various Societies inflituted for the Purpofe of obtaining a parliamentary Reform. By John Gale Jones. Second Edition 48 pp. 25.63. Maxwell and Wilfon. 1809.

Ecce iterum Crifpinus! The late political meetings in honour of the new democratic idol, Wardle, have revived the topic of Parliamentary Reform, and confequently reanimated our old friend Citizen Jolin Gale Jones; who has republished one of his candid and fapient orations, delivered more than fifteen years ago, before an affembly of philofophers and legiflators, convened at the Westminster Forum. Like the terpent in Virgil, having been buried in the ground, not one, but many winters, he has at length caft off his flough, raifed his creft to the fun, and darts out his forked tongue with as much venom as ever.

This publication is very properly dedicated to the author's "Fellow-citizen" and quondam affociate, Tho.nas Hardy; whom he congratulates on his acquittal in 1794, and declaring that "every clafs of the community, from the highest to the lowest, now acknowledge the abfolute and indifpenfible neceffity of a Parliamentary Reform," and claiming for faid Thomas Hardy (the pureft patriot that ever breathed !!!) a thare of thofe "laurelled trophies," which, it feems, are to crown the exertions of a Burdett, a Folkftone, a Romilly, and a Wardle !"

* See Brit. Crit. Vol. x111, p. 675, in which the difiage. uity and hypocrify of this man were pointed out in an account of his "Farewell Oration,"

In