ART. 20. Theodore and Blanche, or the Victims of Love. A Novel, in 2 Vols. From the French of Madame Cotin. I 2mo. 9s. Tipper. 1809.

The French are certainly our mafters in productions of this kind. Their ideas are fo uncircumfcribed, for when a poor Englithman, as Sterne has obferved for us, would be fatisfied with plunging his wig in a pail of water, to determine whether the buckle would ftand, a Frenchman would be for immersing it in the

ocean.

Madame Cotin has obtained fome celebrity as a writer of thefe fort of things in her own country, to which limits we heartily wish it were confined. It is fo well tranflated, that we wish the tranflator had been otherwise and better employed.

A

ART. 21. Black Rock Houfe, or Dear-bought Experience. Novel. By the Author of a Winter in Bath, Evansfield Abbey, the Corinna of England, &c. c. &c. In 3 Vols. 120. 15s. Crosby. 1810.

Here we have a veteran in his profeffion, and what is not a little fingular, there is no inconfiderable mixture of pious fentiments and expreffions, without any fanatical canting. Indeed the moral of the whole is perfectly confiftent with the fcheme of the Gofpel. The heroine dies an untimely death, though amiable and virtuous. Her reward is left to another and better world. The guilty are left to remorfe and felf-punishment here, which are of themselves bitter enough. Good and bad characters in the different ranks of life are fairly contrafted, fo as not to admit of the remark that on one fide there is a contempt of rank, on the other too much adulation,—a due equipoife is obferved.

ART. 22. Summer Excurfions through Parts of Oxfordshire, Glouceft rfbire, Warwickshire, Herefordshire, Derbyshire, and South Wales. By Elizabeth Ijabella Spence, Author of "The Nability of the Heart," and the "Wedding Day." 2 vols. 12mo. 10s. 6d. Longman and Co.

This agreeable sketch is more calculated to inform the ignorant than to increase the ftore of those who know much already. To perfons who, from being accuftomed to light reading only, would tremble at a work of more formidable extent and deeper refearch, it is peculiarly fuited; to thefe it will afford all the knowledge they would defire, recommended by all the amuse. ment they can expect..

The authorefs gives an account of her route in three tours through

through fome of the most interefting parts of England and Wales. She obferves with tafte, and defcribes with elegance. She dwells, on every fubject long enough to give requifite information, but not to weary the attention. Whatever the had been unable from her own knowledge to fupply, is illuftrated by extracts from other authors; not tedious, nor unfeasonably introduced. Her ftyle is cafy, and her language neither pompous nor vulgar, and untainted by that fault fo common and fo difficult to thun in works of this kind, affectation. That it should be entirely free from blemishes is not to be expected. Some paffages are to be found in the work, marked by flight inaccuracies, which, although they would be unnoticed in converfation, do not pafs unobferved in writing.

Two etchings, executed with great taste and spirit, accompany thefe volumes. The author acquaints us that, "fhould thefe letters meet with fufficient approbation, it is her intention to illustrate them with a sketch of Haddon-Hall, and five other additional views."

The following is a fair fpecimen of the merits of the work:"We left Stratford bridge in fufficient time to visit Warwickcaftle before dinner. The country as we advanced ftill improved in luxuriance, and I must confider Warwickshire one of the pleafanteft parts of England; the landfcapes are fo diverfified and rich, the foil fo dry, the air fo pure, yet foft, with fuch a happy combination of objects to pleafe the eye and a climate fo genial to health. The approach to Warwick is pretty: the noble fteeple of St. Mary's Church is feen at fome diftance, and the main street, terminated at each extremity by a wide arched gateway, is fpacious and regular; but the pavement is remarkably bad.

"We loft no time in going to the Caftle. I was pleafed by the Gothic antiquity of Sherborne, and furprifed at the grandeur of Blenheim, but there is a bold magnificence about Warwick Caftle (which) I am inadequate to defcribe. Of fuch castles we often read in romance, but they feldom meet the eye. The approach is between fractured rocks, projecting in gloomy majefty on each fide, overhung with rich woods, the pendant foliage of which sheds a fombre afpect on all around. The edifice, with its painted roofs, antique folemnity, embattled and "ivy mantled towers," is feated on a rock forty feet in height, with a clear and sparkling river at its bafe, which, falling in a cafcade flows -through a beartiful park."

In this aning work, Mifs Spence has not diminished, as a traveller, the good opinion we formed of her as a novelift.

AGRICULTURE.

ART. 24 On the Advantages which have refulted from the sagt at he Board of Agriculture: being the Substance of a Lecture

a Lecture read to that Inftitution, May 26, 1809. By the Secre sary to the Board. 8vo. 70 pp. 3s. 6d. Philips. 1809.

In the title-page, the printer has (undoubtedly) put lecture for panegyric. But furely the fecretary is very unfortunate, in putting his panegyric upon certain perfons into the mouth of Mr. PITT, as pp. 7, 8, 9; the concluding words of which last page furpafs all the agricultural extravagance we have met with;the establishment of a Board of Agriculture, the only good Exertion of Mr. Pitt's adminiftration." P. 9.

The author appears (in feveral of his pages) to be very fore; under the correction of critics. Probably, we had our full fhare. in adminiftering this correction to the Board, and to the fe cretary in particular; not one ftroke of which we have found reafon for retracting. We did, at firft, exprefs high expecta. tions from the fervices of the Board; as may be seen, on refering to our 8th vol. pp. 317. 439. 440. But in the laft of thefe

pages, we found occafion for admonition.

Our difapprobation, on particular fubjects, will be found rongly expreffed, in vol. xi, 307; xiv, 267, 375; xvi, 147; xvii, 230, 232, 233; xviii, 466. 469, 470; xix, 131; xxiii, 211, 212; XXX, 416; xxxiii, 506.

That the Board of Agriculture has rendered useful fervices to the public, we have acknowledged; and we now repeat our acknowledgment. That it has also promoted many mischievous and dangerous fpeculations, we truft will be proved by a reference to our volumes and pages as above pointed out. In short; if there was no wrong intention any where, there has been at leaft very wretchedly wrong management.

ART. 24. A Brief Enquiry into the prefent State of Agriculture in the Southern Part of Ireland, and its Influence on the Manners and Condition of the lower Claffes of the People: with fome Confiderations upon the Ecclefiaftical Establishment of that Country. By Fofbua Kirby Trimmer, 8vo. 80 pp. 3s. 6d. Rivingtons, &c. 1809.

The author was led to the confideration of this subject by vifiting, on bufinefs, the fifter ifland. He went there (thither) with his mind "prejudiced with the prevalent idea, that the manners of the lower order of people were radically and incorri. gibly depraved; and that it did not rife from any exterior causes, by the gradual removal of which their condition might be ameliorated, and their manners improved." In confequence of a short refidence among them, he changed his opinion, and formed (as we think) a truer eftimate of their character. The agricul ture of the country is divided into three claffes, beginning with the moft fimple: but farms in the hands of opulent prorietors, being few in number, are not taken into confideration. The de. fects, and neceflary improvements in agriculture, are pointed out;

and

and a picture, very ftriking indeed, of the ftate of the poor is prefented to us. Obfervations are made on the condition of the churches of the establishment; and the refidence of the clergy, and fome improvements fuggefted; remarks being added on the manner of fupporting the poor. On each of these points, we meet with useful obfervations; and with abundant occafion for remarking, that the real friends of Ireland may find, in the fad ftate of its peafantry, moft ample employment for their exertions; without diftracting the United Kingdom, at this arduous juncture, by political diffentions and animofities; and particularly by rafh and improper requests.

ART. 25.

POLITICS.

A Letter to the Right Honourable Lord Henry Petty. By a Member of the University of Cambridge 8vo. 48 pp. 28. Richardfon. 1809.

So rapid has been the fucceffion of public events, fince the date of this Letter, (Feb. 9, 1809,) that the chief, or rather the fole profeffed object of it, an enquiry into the circumftances of the Convention of Cintra, has long ceafed to be a fubect of political difcuffion, and of courfe has given way to newer topics of parliamentary debate. It were therefore perhaps needlefs, at fo late a period, to notice this work. We cannot, however, but condemn the illiberal party fpirit, and rancorous temper, which it breathes throughout. Every measure of the Fox and Grenville adminiftration was wife and patriotic; the whole con duct of their fucceffors feeble and impotent, felf-interested and corrupt, or rafh and cruel. Among other things, the Copenhagen Expedition, fo clearly juftified by the principle of felfprefervation, and fo decifively defended, both in and out of Parliament, is here branded with every opprobrious epithet; and attacked with all the virulence of party fpirit. With the writer's appeal to the noble Lord, addreffed whether he has expreffed more than the current opinion," we readily join iffue, and confdently maintain, that the meafure, when well underflood, was fanctioned by the applaufe of a great majority throughout the

nation.

The Orders in Council, retaliating on the enemy for his atrocious decrees, are next attacked, with very fuperficial reasoning, or rather declamation. The prefent flate of our commerce has fully juftified the policy of that meafure; which the reader will find moft amply and fatisfactorily defended in the excellent fpeech of Mr. Stephen; a publication which we thall foon have occafion to notice.

The laft attack on minifters is for fending a large force to the affiftance of the late king of Sweden; which returned without engaging in any enterprife for his defence. The obvious anfwer

to

to this stupid objection is, that it notoriously returned, not by any defign or error of Minifters, but in confequence of a mifunderstanding between that fovereign and the commander of our troops, the late Sir John Moore; the circumstances of which have never been made public, probably out of respect to our unfortunate ally. It is impoffible, therefore, for the author to wound the Adminiftration, but through the fides of that general, whom he af terwards (when it fuits his views,) fo warmly panegyrizes, and fo feelingly laments.

The reft of this pamphlet confifts chiefly of empty declamations against Minifters; whom the author accufes of being "Poets, Pleaders, and Dotards ;" as if no man of genius, or of legal education, (with which, by the way, Mr. Pitt, and feveral other Minifters, commenced their carcer) could be qualified to direct the political concerns of this country.

ART. 26. British Liberty and Philanthropy: a Work intended to place the Liberty of the Prefs in a true Point of View; to maintain Good Order, and to protect Bookfellers and Printers from Unjuft Profecutions. Also pointing out, in ferv Words, the most practical Method to render all Nations free, united, peaceable, and happy. By a Philanthropift. 8vo. 41 pp. is. Hughes. 1808. The familiar fentence of Partariunt montes, &c. was never (as the reader may anticipate) more completely illuftrated than by the pamphlet before us; which confifts principally of a Speech at one of the Debating Societies, on a queftion refpecting the Liberty of the Prefs. Such an affembly is a fit arena for every wild and abfurd, and every democratic and mifchievous orator. This writer, or fpeaker, however, undoubtedly belongs to the former, not the latter clafs: for his reveries, though fantastic enough, feem well-intentioned and harmless. The greater part of this curious Speech confifts of loofe and defultory remarks on former fpeakers, expreffed in vulgar language, and here and there inter larded with an oath. The fcheme, however, which is to "render all nations free, peaceable, and happy," is neither more nor lefs than to fet on foot a newspaper, to be intitled The Philan thropift; a name, the charm of which alone is to fecure it's being always conducted with perfect impartiality and diftinguished abi lity. Indeed this cannot be doubted; as we learn that the author himself will condefcend to be a large contributor to its contents. The profits of this publication (which is, of courfe, to have an immenfe fale and circolation,) are to conftitute a Philanthropic Fund, and to be applied to the fupport of bookfellers or printers unjustly profecuted; a meafure which, could it be carried into effect, would, (we think), be liable to grofs abufe, and probably produce very mifchievous confequences.

The author's name is not in the title page; but, in the con

BRIT. CRIT. VOL. XXXV. FEB. 1810.

tents