A Panegyrical Elay on the Times, &c. 4to. Is. Payne. This Effayift's profeffed defign is to prove that the present times are of all times, that ever were, the moft heroic, wife, and virtuous. He profeffes alfo to prove this by ferious arguinents. His mode of argumentation, however, is fo comical, that we should rather think him in jeft than earneft. A Sermon preached before the House of Lords, on Thursday, Jan. By John Lord Bishop of Bangor. 4to. is. 30, 1777. Robfon. A proper difcourfe for the day, being the anniversary of the death of Charles I.-Preached from Peter II. v. i7. Fear God, honour the King. The Hard Cafe of a Country Vicar, in Respect to Small Tythes. 8vo. 1s. Newbury. A hard cafe, indeed! and yet but too common with the inferior clergy, whofe provifion by the mode of fmall tythes is at once fo penurious and precarious, that it is earneftly to be wifhed a lefs troublesome and invidious method of fubfiftence might take place: the prefent not only fubje&ting them to vexation and lofs, but rendering their perfons and characters obnoxious, instead of refpectable, to their parishioners. Illuftratio Syftematis Sexualis Linnai; or, An Illuftration of the Sexual Syftem of Linnæus. By John Miller. 2 Vols. Folio. 21. Miller. A very capital work, which has for fome time been publifhing in numbers, and is now completed. It contains upwards of one hundred pates coloured an uncoloured, with as many fheets of letter-prefs, in which the botanical references are printed both in Latin and English. An Appendix to the Impartial Account of the Life and Writings of Dr. Dodd. 8vo. 6d. Hingefton. "Nothing in his life "Became him, like the leaving it: He dy'd, SHAKESPEARE. In our Review for June laft, we gave an account, with our fuffrage, of the pamphlet to which the prefent ferves as an Appendix. As an advertisement, however, has appeared in the new papers, affuring the public that no genuine Life of Dr. Dodd has or will be publifhed without the authority of his brother and the Rev. Mr. Butler, we think it necessary to justify our opinion of the authenticity of the former pamphlet, by inferting the first paragraph of the prefent fupplement. "As foon as the fentence was pronounced on Dr. Dodd, and indeed fome time before, his friends began to exert their endeavours to obtain a remiffion, or at least a mitigation of it. Amongst other means which were fuggefted, it was imagined that a fair Account of his Life and Writings, neither adopting the extravagant praifes of his partial panegyrifts, nor concealing his failings, might be productive of fome advantage to him; as it would fhew, in oppofition to many groundless ftories, that his life had not been wholly spent in idleness and diffipation; but much of it employed in acts which the most inveterate malice could not afcribe to any other motives, than fuch as muft intitle a man to the approbation of his own confcience, and to the applause of the world. With this view the foregoing theets were compiled, and would have been published, without any communication to the perfon for whofe benefit they were defigned. But he (at that time buoyed up with the most flattering expectations of a pardon, by the ill-judged confidence of fome of his friends) was alarmed at hearing of a publi cation, undertaken without any concert with thofe on whofe judgement he most relied. A meffage, therefore, came to the perfon who had the management of the publication, defiring a fight of the Manufcript; and, in confequence of the request, all that was then printed was lent for Dr. Dodd's perufal; who, by the advice of his counsellors, defired that the publication might be fufpended, as they were unanimoufly of opinion, that no Account of his Life, which contained any cenfure on his conduct, could poffibly operate but to his disadvantage: an opinion which occationed numberlefs paragraphs in the daily papers, productive only of the repetition of circumstances little redounding to his credit, and manifeftly calculated to injure him in the opinion of thote by whom his fate was to be determined *." The advertisement abovementioned reflects indeed very little credit on the Doctor's brother or Mr. Butler. For though * In confirmation of the facts contained in the foregoing Account, we muft add, that the truth of them was acknowledged by Dr. Dodd himfelf; who confelled they were well-founded, though he was unable to give a probable conjecture concerning the Writer. their their principal motive might be to prevent the publication of falfehoods refpecting the unhappy delinquent, it was a weapon that cut with two edges, and feemed to fuggeft an unwillingnefs in the advertifers that anybody fhould make a penny by publishing the Doctor's life but themfelves: an illiberal and fcandalous fuggeftion. Be this as it may, the author, whoever he be, of the Account and Appendix before us, appears to have written with a fpirit of great impartiality, and to be fully poffeffed of the knowledge of all fuch facts respecting the Doctor and his Writings as the public curiofity might feek to know, or at least in which it ought to be gratified. Obfervations on the Cafe of Dr. Dodd. 8vo. 1s. Bew. This pamphlet contains a number of judicious, though obvious, reflections on the life, character, and behaviour, of the Jate unhappy clergyman abovementioned. We shall extract the concluding remarks on the inconfiftency of the Doctor's two fpeeches to the court, viz. that at his trial, and that at his condemnation. "A ftriking change appears in the Doctor's fentiments between the time of his trial and that of his condemnation. At the former, he thus addreffed the Court: Your Lordships cannot think that life is "now the object of my care. Loaded with imputed infamy, funk in "diftrefs, overwhelmed with every fort of anguish, no one can ima"gine that I wish to live. No: I folemnly proteft that death would "be now the greatest bleffing to me. But I have other ties; which "if I were permitted to defcribe-which I feel fo tenderly affixed to 66 my heart-which I know, from the fympathy of humanity, you "will feel with me-I have a wife! For twenty-feven years he has "lived with me, and bleffed me! the brightest pattern of unparalleled "attachment and fidelity! and in this mott trying fituation her pecu"liar tenderness and anxiety of attachment would draw tears of appro"bation even from the molt inhuman.” "This affected apoftrophe, befides that it makes the knowing* reader fmile, and recal to remembrance fome particulars not much to the advantage of the lady before her marriage, but ill agrees with the language of the Doctor when about to receive fentence: for then, inttead of accounting death the greatest bieffing, but for the fake of his wife, we faw her totally banished from his idea, and himself imploring life, from far different motives, with the mott earneft fupplications a dread of death could infpire.-After a lively reprefentation of his former profperity, and the mife y of his then fituation, he proceeded as follows: "It may feem strange, that, remembering what I have lately been, "I should ftill with to continue what I am. But contempt of death, Who will not fcruple to accufe the Doctor of infidelity, in more than one inftance, to the lady fo hyperbolically extolled. "how how fpecioufly foever it might mingle with heathen virtues, has no thing fuitable to chriftian penitence. Many motives impel me earn"eftly to beg for life. I feel the natural horror of a violent death, " and the universal dread of untimely diffolution. I am defirous to "recompence the injury I have done to the clergy, to the world, and 66 to religion; and to efface the fcandal of my crime by the example. "of my repentance. But, above all, I wish to die with thoughts more compofed, and calmer preparation. The gloom and confu "hon of a prifon; the anxiety of a trial; and the inevitable viciffi tudes of paffion, leave not the mind in a due difpofition to the holy "exercifes of prayer and felf-examination. Let not a little life be de"nied me, in which I may, by meditation and contrition, prepare "myfelf to ftand at the tribunal of Omnipotence; and fupport the "prefence of that Judge, who fhall diftribute to all according to their "works; who will receive to pardon the repenting finner; and from "whom the merciful shall obtain mercy.-For these reasons, amidst "fhame and mifery, I yet with to live." "It is to be hoped that thefe were the Doctor's real sentiments, as being infinitely more becoming him than the rhapfody above quoted; they do not, however, befpeak the feelings of a man the preceding 30 years of whofe life had "been paffed in exciting and exercising cha rity; in relieving fuch diftreffes as he then felt; and in administer"ing those confolations which he then wanted." Such exercise of charity, fuch relief of distresses, and fuch an administration of confolation, as are here reprefented, had the fame been the fruits, not of Vanity, but of genuine Chriftianity, would, doubtlefs, have diminished his dread of untimely diffolution," and not have left his mind, even amidit "the gloom and confufion of a prifon," and the other circumftances lamented by the Doctor, in fo unapt a 66 difpofition to the holy "exercises of prayer and self-examination." Had this writer been apprifed of what is now generally known, that the latter fpeech was compofed by a friend, he would not have wondered at the change. The difference, indeed, between the Doctor's profeffed compofitions under confinement and his other writings is fo glaringly manifeft, that it is almost impoffible to attribute fuch compofitions to him under circumstances which cannot reafonably be fuppofed to have left him fufficient compofure of mind for fuch a task. ** An Account of the Life and Writings of the Rev. William Dodd, LL. D. in which is included the original and prefent State of the Magdalen Charity, &c. &c. 15. Wenman. An occafional catchpenny; containing, however, a tolerably good account of the life of the unhappy object, who is the fubject of it, and a better of the feveral public charities, in whofe fervice he was engaged as a preacher. Obfervations Obfervations on Popular Antiquities: including the Whole of Mr. Bourne's Antiquitates Vulgares, with Addenda to every Chapter of that Work: as also an Appendix. By John Brand, A.B. 8vo. 5s. fewed. Johnson. The Antiquitates Vulgares of Mr. Bourne were published in a fmall volume in the year 1725; and are here republished without variation. Mr. Brand's additional remarks ftamp a value on the book, it had not before; his explication, however, of popular notions and vulgar errors, is in itself freBe that as it quently very doubtful, and probably erroneous. may, the work is on the whole an amusing and curious, though not very important, performance. An Elegy on the Death of Sir Charles Saunders. By Robert English, Chaplain to the 12th Regiment of Foct, and to Edward Lord Hawke. Dedicated to Lord Hawke. 4to. 1s. Becket. A poetical and animated eulogium on the death of Sir Charles Saunders, which an officer of fuch eminent gallantry, and public fpirit, well deferved. The author has occafionally paid a handfome compliment to the late Lord Anfon, to Lord Hawke, and Admiral Keppel, in a ftile worthy the great characters he celebrates. A Father's Inftrutions to his Children: confifting of Tales, Fables, and Reflections*. Part II. Small 8vo. 2s. 6d. fewed. Johnson. An account of the firft part of this ingenious and entertaining work, to which the prefent is a fuitable fequel, was given in the third volume of our Review, page 331. By Dr. Percival of Manchester. *This Supplement to be continued in our Review for Auguft. ALPHA |