In a fhort preface, we are alfo told, that "the very principles which (according to this writer) are now hailed with univerfal acclamation, are precifely the fame as thofe which, but a few years ago, brought Meffrs. Tooke and Hardy to the bar of the Old Bailey, configned Muir and Margarot to a fourteen years tranfportation to Botany Bay, and Joseph Gerald to a premature and carly grave." Thus far the Citizen Gale Jones.

Now, in the first place, the faid citizen must be well aware that the principles thrown out at the meetings alluded to, are not precifely the fame as thofe of himself, and his brethren of the Correfponding Society; fince not one, we believe, of thofe Meetings has declared in favour of " Univerfal Suffrage and Annual Parliaments," the fine qua non of Citizens Jones, Hardy, and their affociates; nor, if their principles were the fame, have they purfued the fame courfe to carry them into effect, namely, by affembling a Convention, on the profeffed model of that in France, in order to overawe the legislature, if not to overthrow the conftitution. Had they been profecuted for a misdemeanor, no reasonable man could have doubted of their conviction. But clear as their intentions were, the profecution failed, because the Overt Acts of treason were not fufficiently proved. As to the black infinuation, (in a note) refpecting the unfortunate Gerald, fince it refts on no proof, and is in the highest degree improbable, it enly shows the bitterness and malevolence of the writer.

Little need be faid refpecting the Oration itself, except that it contains all the common-place invectives against the prefent ftate of reprefentation, without propofing any other plan than that of Univerfal Suffrage; which every man of common sense must see would produce univerfal confufion. The impudence of republish ing a panegyric on the French Revolution, which began in maf facre, and has fince ended in the moft rigid and oppreffive defpotifm, can only be equalled by the malignity fhown to the revered memory of Mr. Pitt; the difingenuity of representing him* as having participated in the mifchievous defigns of the author and his affociates, and the defpicable cowardice of fpitting venom on the tomb of that truly excellent minifter; a tomb which was raifed by the gratitude, and, bedewed by the tears of his country.

* It is not poffible for two plans to differ more effentially than Mr. Pitt's fcheme of Reform, and that of the Corresponding Society: nor could any thing be farther from his intention than to effect his object by means of a felf-elected and dictatorial Convention. When, however, the danger of any innovation became manifeft from the example of the French Revolution, he wifely and patriotically facrificed his early opinions to the pub lic fafety.

ART.

MEDICAL.

ART. 21.. Analysis of the Carbonated Chalybeate lately difcovered near Stow; with Obfervations on the Effects of Carbonic Acid and Nitrogen Gas, on the Animal Economy, &c.; and Extracts from fome of the beft Authorities we have, relative to the Ufe of Chalybeates To which is fubjoined a Gloffary of the Technical Words neceffarily made use of in the Work. By R. Farmer. 8vo. pp. 68. 2s. fewed. Lackington, Ailen, and Co. 1808.

The carbonated chalybeate, which is the fubject of the following analyfis, is fituated in the parish of Lower Sweli, three quarters of a mile from Stow. "The water, when firft taken from the fpring, is beautifully tranfparent and colourless; the tafte inky, but not very unpleafant, and the fmell feruginous. A quart of the water yields, by evaporation, about eight grains of folid contents, which the author's analyfis proves to confist of

Grains.

- 1.75

Neutral Salts, not ascertained 1.

100 inches of the water yielded gafeous contents in the fol lowing proportions. Carbonic acid gas, abforbed by lime water 9. Oxygen gas, abforbed by a folution of lime and fulphur 9. Nitrogen gas 32. Total cubic inches 50. This, the author obferves, is a greater proportion of nitrogen gas than has been found in any water yet analyzed. We have no doubt that this fpring will prove beneficial to invalids whofe cafes require chalybeates. Mr. Farmer does not appear to be a medical man, but he has fubjoined extracts from various writers, on the use of mineral waters, to indicate the complaints in which they may be taken with advantage.

ART. 22.

Practical Obfervations on the Nature and Cure of Strictures in the Urethra. By William Wadd, Member of the Royal College of Surgeons, London. 8vo. pp. 88. 3s. J. Callow. 1809.

After the perufal of every book which comes under our ob. fervation, we naturally afk ourselves, what good purpose it ap

pears

pears calculated to fulfil. We wish it were equally natural for an author to make the fame enquiry previously to writing, or at leaft previously to committing the fruits of his labours to the prefs we fhould not then have to wade through fuch a mafs of useless matter, nor would so much stale material, dreffed up ina variety of forms, be daily laid before the fatiated public. Mr. Wadd, in his Obfervations upon the nature and cure of Strictures in the Urethra, endeavours to prove the fuperior efficacy of the ufe of common bougies, over the application of thofe which are armed with cauftic; conceiving himself fully qualified to do fo from his having hitherto never committed (himself) as advocate for either mode of practice, and having had great opportunities of feeing the effects of each." Notwithstanding thefe great opportunities, however, Mr. Wadd has certainly at length committed himself, for his obfervations contain nothing new, either in fact or idea, upon the fubject; we therefore feel very much inclined to clafs him among thofe inconfiderate authors to whom we have already alluded.

an

Mr. Wadd objects with horror to the ufe of the armed bougie, becaufe, under its application," the furgeon is not the only party made fenfible of its action,"-regards with aftonishment equal to that of Mr. Whately, "The coolnefs with which a furgeon views a chamber-pot full of blood, and the eafe with which he calls for another;" and once actually got fuch a fright by being "covered with blood, which came out with a jet, nearly equal to the flow of urine," that he joins the ingenious author of the firft lines of the practice of furgery, in agreeing, that even could we imagine that the cauftic would remove the obstruction, our judgment and common fenfe would revolt at the doctrine of this being the proper plan to be purfued."

At the clofe of his Obfervations, Mr. Wadd has placed the de- tail of fome of the cafes which have led him to judge of the fuperior advantages of the common bougie. How far they may be allowed weight in determining this point, may perhaps be judged, by our giving one of them, which we have felected as a fpecimen.. We queftion much whether the Major, who is the fubject of it, felt fo much alarm in the whole courfe of his cam paigns, as he did during the period of thofe feven eventful weeks, in which his furgeon was probing his urethra, in fearch of a stric ture, which many, probably, will be inclined to think the product of an imaginary impreffion.

CASE IV.

"Major about thirty-five years of age, applied to me to examine whether he had ftrictures. He faid he could make water very well, but that he was living with a friend who was fuffering dreadfully; that his mind was fo affected by it, that he could not reft fatisfied till he was jure he was free from any fymptom of the complaint; particularly as his courfe

,of

of life, for years, had been fuch as to warrant the expectation of it. I paffed a full-fized bougie as far as the bulb of the urethra, but could not get it further; it was therefore withdrawn, and I could not then perfuade him to let me try a fmaller fize. His diftrefs was very great, though he confeffed he did not feel the leaft pain on its introduction, yet the fenfation at taking it out, he faid, was horrible. In a few days he confented to another trial; a moderate-fized bougie paffed through without pain, and in feven weeks, a full-fized bougie paffed the ftricture."

P. 75

ART. 23.

BIOGRAPHY.

Memoirs of the Life and Writings of Victor Alfieri. Written by Himself. Tranflated from the Italian. 2 Vols. 8vo. 15s. Colburn. 1810.

The author of this whimsical performance is known as a dra matic writer, and, among his countrymen, of no fmall celebrity. His calibre, according to our John Bull's eftimate of literary ta lent, is of no confiderable weight. Yet his life, thus written by himself, is far from being deftitute of intereft or entertainment. It exhibits a memorable fpecimen of the wretched mode of education adopted among individuals of noble birth in Italy, the thraldom in which they were held by their confeffors and priefts, and the little pains which were taken to enlighten and improve the understandings of youth. The Count reprefents himself as a wayward, but certainly not an unamiable character; and his adventures, at leaft many of them, are amufing enough. His good fenfe feems, on moft occafions to have induced him to give a decided preference to the English character. The Penelope, whofe name is introduced in Alfieri's adventures in this country, can have been no other than the celebrated Lady Ligonier.

EDUCATION.

ART. 24. The Principle of the Syftem of Education in the Public Schools of England, as it refpects Morality and Religion, favourably, but impartially, confidered. 8vo. 80 p. Hatchard. 1809.

The difpute, which arofe fome years ago, refpecting the fyftem of religious education at our principal fchools, was, we conceive, terminated by the able and fpirited work of the Dean of West

* See Brit, Crit. Vol. xviii. p. 657.
G

BRIT. CRIT. VOL. XXXV. JAN. 181 0.

minfter.

minfter. The author before us treads, in a great measure, over the fame ground, and defends our public fchools from the twofold charge of neglecting the ftudy of Chriftianity, and of devoting fo much time to the ftudy of Pagan writers as to caufe, the youths educated there to imbibe falfe principles and feelings. To thefe imputations the author replies, rit. That as much is done in the study of Chriftianity as can be with fafety in a public fchool, and that what is done is fufficient. 2dly. That the ftudy of Pagan writers is not injurious to the interefts of Christianity. On the first of thefe topics he prefents us with an account of the religious ftudies and exercifes at Eton and Westminfter, which he profeffes to tranfcribe from the work of the Dean of Westminster, and thefe he deems fufficient, without making theology a diftinct branch of study; which, in his opinion would, to youths, at fuch an early period of life, be lefs likely to afford inftruction than to produce difguft.

The author proceeds to argue, that "the ftudy of the Pagan writers is not injurious to the interefts of Chriftianity." This point has been already fo fatisfactorily proved (and indeed the objection itfelf is fo futile), that we deem it unneceffary to fay more, than that the prefent author has not added any material argument to thofe of his predeceffors; nor has he placed the fubject in a very ftriking point of view.

The third propofition, laid down by this author, is, "that though the difcipline" (at our Public Schools) is lax, yet on that laxity is founded a peculiar utility, and the evils naturally arifing from it may be guarded against by proper care." This Jeads him into a long difquifition, which our limits will not permit us to accompany; nor indeed is it neceffary, as we agree with him on the principal points. The circumftances of a public fchool not admitting of attention to the different characters of boys, or of that clofe confinement which would preclude all irregularities of conduct, are yet accompanied with thefe advan tages, that they produce a knowledge of the world, and habits of felf-poffeffion, which a private education cannot confer. Thefs are, in the author's opinion, the advantages of that laxity of difcipline (as he terms it) which is unavoidable in a public fchool. On the other hand, the danger of vicious habits being acquired, may, he thinks, be greatly counteracted by the judi cious attention of parents, who ought to make it their bufinefs to gain an afcendency over the mind of their child before they fend him to fchool, and afterwards, fo far, as circumftances will permit, to "fuperintend his conduct, enquire into his purfuits, obferve his inclinations, and feize every opportunity to direct his judgment, ftrengthen his principles, and fix his habits." Upon the whole, this work, though prolix, appears well intended, and contains fome fuggeftions not unworthy of attention.

ART,