-Or why, in the fame chapter, does he treat fo very unfcientifically, or indeed at all, of vifion; and betray his total ignorance of the first elements of optics, by affuring his pupil that the general received opinion, that objects are reverfed in the reprefentation on the retinal of the eye, is a mistake;' and that he hopes hereafter to fet the world right on the subject of this notable difcovery, in which however he may fee, in our 48th volume, that he has been anticipated by another vifionary?—Or to mention only one matter relative to the practical part.-Why fhould he exclude fo excellent, fafe, and even neceffary a medicine as the bark from his marine medicine cheft; not allowing the poor feaman a few ounces to relieve him even in an ague; and giving him, for that purpofe, only a quantity of rufly iron' fteeped in vinegar, which he affures him is medicine, fuperior both in virtue, and by far more fafe in the application 'The bark is a rank peifen,' he pretends, in injudicious hands.-What!-ranker than laudanum and calomel, with which he truits his pupil? On the contrary, no one medicine in the whole materia medica, of equal power to do good, is fo little qualified to do mischief. We fhall only further add, with refpect to this work, that from the nature of it; it neceffarily contains many matters, the knowledge of which must undoubtedly be of ufe to a feaman, deprived of all other affiftance ;-and this is nearly the utmost praise we can bestow upon it. B-Y.

MISCELLANEOUS. Art.:27. The Life of Dr. Oliver Goldsmith, written from Perfonal Knowledge, &c. 8vo. 1 s. 6d. Swan. 1774.

Dr. Goldsmith's life affords but fcanty materials for the biographer, but his writings have amply made up the deficiency to his prefent historian; who, from his adroitnefs at making extracts must certainly have been, or is, a reviewer.

Whether the Dr's biographer; and warm panegyrift, who profeffes to write from períonal knowledge, is right or wrong in his account of our poet's adventures, in his travels abroad, we know not; but we are authorised to say that he is very much mistaken in his affer tion, that Dr. G. was once employed to fuperintend the Monthly Review. The Dr. had his merit, as a man of letters; but alas! thofe who knew him muft fmile at the idea of fuch a fuperintendent of a concern which most obviously required fome degree of prudence, as well as a competent acquaintance with the world. It is, however, true that he had, for awhile, a feat at our board; and that, fo far as his knowledge of books extended, he was not an unufeful affiftant.

Art. 28. The Peruvian Letters, tranflated from the French, With an Additional Volume. By R. Roberts, Tranflator of Select Tales from Marmontel, Author of Sermons by a Lady, and Tranflator of the History of France, from the Abbé Millot. 12mo. 2 Vols. 6s. Cadell. 1774.

To this new tranflation of the well known Peruvian Letters, Mifs Roberts has added a continuation of the ftory comprehended in the original; for which the affigns the follow reafons:

I found, fays he, an elegant fimplicity in the manner in which the flory was told, in the language in which it was originally written, REV. Aug. 1774.

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that

that I much admired, and could not help thinking the Peruvian cha racter pleasingly delineated. I was not, indeed, altogether fatisfied with the conclufion, being defirous the Indian princess should become a convert to chriftianity, through conviction; and that fo generous a friend as Deterville might be as happy as his virtues deferved This thought determined me to add a fecond volume.'

Mifs R.'s tranflation is, in moft refpe&ts, greatly fuperior to the old one; but we think the ftyle is fomewhat enfeebled by her almost perpetual fubftitution of you, for thon, in the Peruvian lady's pathetic addreffes to her lover: how poor is you are the fun of my days— you enlighten them you prolong them-and they are yours'-compared with thou art the fun of my days-thou enlighteneft them-thow prolongeft them-and they are thine:" old tranflation.

The defign of converting the Indian princess to the Christian religion, through conviction, was commendable in Mifs Roberts; and we were curious to fee the arguments adduced on this occafion; but we fought for them in vain: we are only told that the illuftrious convert was referred to the New Teftament; that the read; and became a devout Chriftian.

For the reft, there is very confiderable merit in the Feruvian Lesrers; and we shall not, in any probability, ever have a better tranflation of them, than the prefent. We have obferved fome inaccurajes, but they are fuch as will, in courfe, be corrected in a fecond edition.

Art. 29. Indices tres Vocum fere omnium quæ otcurrunt.~ ~1. In Dionyfii Longini Commentario de Sublimitate, et in ejufdem Fragmentis. 2. In Eunapii Libello De Fitis Philofophorum et Sophiftarum. 3. Im Hieroclis Commentario in Pythagora Aurea Carmina, Concinnavit Robertus Robinson. 8vo; 3s. 6d, bound. Typ. Clar. Payne. 1773

Three indexes, to Longinus on the Sublime, Eunapius on the Lives of the Philofophers, and Hierocles on the Aurea Carmina. All these things are exceedingly useful, as every scholar knows by experience.

Art. 30. Mifcellaneous and Fugitive Pieces. Vol. III. Svo 3s. 6d. fewed. Davies. 1774.

In our review for February, we gave an account of the two former volumes of this collection. The prefent fupplement comes recommended to us under the names of Johnson, Thornton, Cradock, Goldfmith, &c. But we obferve two or three pieces, in the group of which we can only fay, as Pope faid of the hairs and ftraws in the amber, that they are neither rich nor rare," and that

"We wonder how the devil they got there."

The volume, however, contains fome very valuable tracts; the Critique on Blackwell's Court of Auguftus is in every refpect, worthy the Author of the Rambler; as is the Review of the Inquiry into the Origin of oar Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful. The lives of Bolingbroks and Parnel are the productions of Goldfmith's pen.-The poem entitled Faction Displayed, which is here given to William Shippen Efq; is a curious fpecimen of jacobitical fatire and virulence; and Mr. Usher's Entroduction to the Theory of the Human Mind is undoubtedly worthy of prefervation in a repofitory of this fort.

If the Collector fhould proceed in this undertaking, we would beg leave to remind him, that, as caterer for the public, he cannot be too nice in his selection. One difagreeable difh at the table, may turn a man's ftomach against the whole entertainment.. Art. 31. Free and Impartial Remarks on the Letters written by the Right Hon. the Earl of Cheflerfield, &c. By a Man of the World. 4to. 1 s. 6d. Bew. 1774.

Our man of the world would be a tolerable reviewer, if he did not, like fome others eke out too freely with extracts; yet the latter, in this infance, undoubtedly conftitute the best as well as by much the largest part of the publication.-Here we are, poffibly, expofed to the retort.courteous; and we are honeftly prepared for it. Art. 32. Excurfion into Normandy and Britanny, up the Loire to Orleans and Paris; from thence to Dijon, Befancon, and Baile, through Switzerland, Geneva and Lyons, to Paris, Calais, and Dieppe. 8vo. 2-5. Richard on and Urquhart. 4774.

This is a kind of journal, and there is fomething amusing in the very brief account of the objects prefented to the traveller in his journey; but this pamphlet is rather to be confidered as a directory for perfons who propofe to make the above mentioned tour. They are here provided with a variety of useful hints by an attention to which their journey may perhaps be rendered more entertaining, and be -performed to greater advantage. As to the rates of customs, pofthorfes, chaifes, &c. no notice is taken of them. The Reader is farther directed to procure Ducarrel's history of Normandy, and a Trip to Paris lately published,

Art. 33. A Tour to Spa, through the Auftrian Netherlands, and Flanders; and from Spa to Duffeldorf, up the Rhine to Frankfort; and through Manheim, Strafburg, Nancy, and Rheims, to St. Omer, and Calais. 8vo. 2 s. Richardfon and Urquhart, &c. 1774.

Much the fame idea is to be formed of this excurfion, as of that mentioned in the former article. Art. 34. The Hiftory of Wales. Written originally in British, by Caradoc of Lhancarvan, englished by Dr. Powel, and augmented by W. Wynn, Fellow of Jefus College, Oxon. To which is added, a Description of Wales, by Sir John Price. A new Edition, greatly improved and enlarged, with Pedigrees of Families. 8vo. 6 s. Evans. 1774.

Of this republication it will be fufficient to remark that it is well printed, and will be an acceptable book to Ancient Britons and Antiquaries, whatever true barn Englishmen, in general, may think of it.

Ar 35. An Effay for the Construction of Rouds on Mechanical and Phylical Principles. 8vo. Is. Davies. 1774.

This effay is offered with fo much becoming modefty, that it were to be wished as much could be faid in favour of the execution, as the evident intention of the Writer merits. When physical and mechanical principles are explained for the inftruction of others, they have an appropriated language in which clearness and brevity are -united: nothing is fuperfluously introduced, nothing is circumlocusery, and nothing is defective. It is with fome degree of reluctance

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N.

we find ourselves reduced to declare that this Writer understands more than he can render fufficiently intelligible; that his effay is neither happily conceived nor clearly expreffed; and that he evidently becomes obfcure by labouring to avoid obfcurity. N. Art. 36. An Account of the Rife, Progrefs, and prefent State of the Society for the Difcharge and Relief of Perfons imprisoned for Small Debts. Containing the original Sermon by Dr. Dodd; the Rules and Orders of the Society; Exhortation to the Debtor releafed; Miscellaneous Pieces; Forms of Bufinefs; General Lift of the Benefactions, &c. 12mo. 2s. 6d. Leacroft, &c. 1774.

Dr. Dodd farther confiders and recommends this Charity in the Introduction and Poftfcript which he has placed before the Sermon he preached in its favour, of which we have here the fecond edition. His arguments in its behalf are weighty and convincing: The inftitution of this laudable fociety appears to have arifen from Dr. Dodd's endeavours. But as we have already faid fomewhat of its nature, and expreffed our approbation of its defign in the account of Dr. Franklin's fermon, it is unneceffary for us to take farther notice of this publication. The mifcellaneous pieces at the end are chiefly an Ode by Dr. Dodd, and an Epilogue written by R. Cumberland, Efq; and spoken at the conclufion of a Comedy acted for the benefit of this Charity.

HUSBANDRY.

Hi. Arts 37. The Cattle Keeper's Affiftant, or Genuine Directions for Country Gentlemen, Sportfmen, Farmers, Grafiers, Farriers, &c. Being a very curious Collection of well authenticated Obfervations and Receipts (made by Perfons of Note and Experience) for the Cure of the most common Distempers incident to Horfes, Oxen, Cows, Calves, Sheep, Lambs, Hogs, and Dogs. Digefted under their proper Heads. By Jofiah Ringsted, Efq. 8vo. 1 s. 6d. Dixwell. 1774

Jofiah Ringsted, Efquire, has brought together a number of popuJar recipes, without juftifying them by that kind of medical or anatomical reafoning that an intelligent Reader would wish to be affifted with to understand the principles of their application: and it is a juft though a loose obfervation, that cattle in general, and horfes in particular, are fubjected, in many inftances, to very ftrange and cruel management. But farriers and cow leeches have no notion of deviating from arbitrary prefcriptions; and it is an act of no fmall condefcenfion when any of these are taken from a book, to extend their practice. We must confefs our want of experience in the disorders of cows and dogs, and will only add, with refpect to the latter, that a man must have odd maggots in bis own head, before he will think of fearching for worms under their tongues!

POETICAL.

N. Art. 38. A Monody on the Death of Dr. Oliver Goldfmith. 4to.

I s. 6 d. Davies. 1774.

The Author gives this poem as a firft production; and it is a very promifing fpecimen. It abounds with poetry, and fentiment; and its beauties far out-number thofe defects for which the Writer has modeftly apologized. But we muft blame this young Poet for condefcending to adopt the ftale nonsense of those who, from time im

memorial

memorial, have unmeaningly and abfurdly talked of sheltering their works behind the awful name of their patron, in order to guard against the attacks of criticifm. What Critic was ever deterred from noticing the blemishes of a literary performance, through a fear of offending my Lord or my Lady to whom it was dedicated? Or, in deed, when did my Lord or my Lady ever give themselves the trouble to interfere in the bufinefs?

Art. 39. The Naval Review; a Poem. By the Rev. Robert English, late Chaplain to his Majefty's Ship the Royal George, and to the 24th Regiment of Foot. The Second Edition. 4to. I s. 6 d. Becket. 1774.

Our notice of the first edition of this poem was accompanied with a glance at the fubject, rather than at the Author; for we really thought the panegyric, to fay the least for it, was worthy the occafion which produced it.

This fecond edition is confiderably altered and improved. The following lines will ferve as a fpecimen of the ease and harmony of Mr. English's versification :

Let Egypt boaft her fumptuous fcene of old,
Her flutes melodious, and her flowing gold,
When the Great Roman Nile's proud stream survey'd,
With Afric's Queen in Tyrian pomp array'd;
And though He foremost fhone in war's alarms,
An empire loft for conq'ring beauty's charms :
The trophied field he view'd with cold difdain,
And Mars fubmits to Venus' fofter reign.

A Greater Briton here gives Ocean laws,
A Brighter Queen protects fair Virtue's caufe;
There pageant gallies vain parade difplay,
The tranfient pride of a luxurious day;
Here gallant fleets in awful order lie,
Whofe waving flags the world combin'd defy;
Example ill, and faithlefs love were there;

Here ev'ry grace adorns the facred pair.'

Although the foregoing compliment may feem an high-ftrained one, yet, as we obferve the piece is infcribed to Sir Charles Saunders, who is not confidered as a minifterial Admiral, we must acquit our ingenious Author of the charge of adulation, upon interested views.

Art, 40. A Specimen of Perfian Poetry; or, Odes of Hafez; with an English Tranflation and Paraphrafe. Chiefly from the Specimen Poefeos Perfice of Baron Revifky, Envoy from the Emperor of Germany to the Court of Poland, with hiftorical and grammatical Illuftrations, and a complete Analyfis, for the Affiitance of those who wish to study the Perfian Language. By John Richardfon, Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries. 4to. 5 s. 3 d. Boards. Sold at No. 76, Fleet-ftreet. 1774.

Befide the gratification of that curiofity we naturally find for the discovery of what is impenetrable to our own refearches, this little publication has another ufeful and agreeable tendency; while it feems by a pleafant and easy invitation to introduce the Reader to fome acquaintance with a language, which, though little understood,

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