given with more accuracy of circumftance, and are connected by a regular narrative, fo as to exhibit, in its true colours, the fyftem by which the French extend their power, recruit their finances, and fubvert the independence of other nations. The author fpeaks the language of irritation; and perhaps there may be exaggeration in fome particulars; but the principal ftatements appear to be true. In the appendix, is given a note tranfmitted to the minifter of foreign affairs, by citizen Zeltner, a democrat, and the prefent Helvetic plenipotentiary at Paris.' It tends to the corfirmation of various points detailed by the author, whofe account (we ought to add), as far as it refpects the canton of Zurich, agrees with that of Lavater.

An Addrefs to the People of the British Empire on the prefent Pofture and future Profpect of Public Affairs; with an Appendix in Defenfe of the fourth Volume of the Reign of George the Third. By its Author Robert Macfarlan. 8vo. Is. 6d. Richardfon.

1797.

The justice of the war is here enforced with a zeal which will not be unacceptable at a time when it is proposed to renew it with more than the original vigour. The author endeavours to prove that we have not been lefs fuccefsful on land than by fea, and that our resources are yet fufficient for the greatest exertions. The appendix relates to the opinions given by certain reviewers of the fourth volume of the Hiftory of the Reign of George the Third; and our opinion* is honoured with a confiderable thare of Mr. Macfarlan's abufe. Of this we should have taken no notice, if it did not afford a curious proof of the state of his mind, and the prevalence of felf-conceit over patriotifim. Twenty-four pages

of his pamphlet are employed in a defence of the nation, and fortyeight in a defence of his book! The nation, however, is not in want of fuch a defence; and his hiftory derives no real fapport from his vindication.

The Family Tale: or, the Story of Pitt, Fox, and O'Connor. 8vo. Hatchard. 1798.

head of it is repreunfortunate in his though he found fet all to rights,

This tale is a sketch of political hiftory. The British nation is the family to which the writer alludes; and the fented as a very worthy gentleman,' but ftewards,' till he made choice of Pitman, who, his master's affairs in a fad ftate of confufion, and managed the family with great judgment.' Foxton thwarted this manager with all his power; and, when the Jacobins commenced their intrigues, he (fays the narrator) countenanced many of the party. The Irish confpiracy is particularly introduced in the tale; and the pamphlet concludes with a speech from Mr.

* See Vol. XX. New Arr. p. 419. CRIT. REV. VOL. XXIV. Nov. 1798.

A a

George, fating his reafons, drawn from the conduct of Foxton, for not admitting fuch a man to the ftewardship of his eftate.

In point of compofition, this performance is defpicable; but it is adapted to the capacities of the perfons to whom it is addreffed. By an old Acquaintance of the Public. 8vo. Is. 6d. Faulder. 1798. This author affects the popular style; but he is rather whimsical than interefting. His three warnings are three points of advice; 1. unanimoufly to fupport government; 2, to evince a juft and manly regard for our established religion; and, 3. to make an immediate amendment in our manners. To fupport government, is, in his fenfe, to support the present adminiftration; and this, it feems, cannot be done without entertaining contempt and abhorrence for the oppofition. Why do not fuch writers propofe at once to render the offices of state hereditary in the families of the prefent minifters ?

Three Warnings to John Bull before he dies.

Every Man's Friend; or, Britons' Monitor. In Two Parts. which is added, a Short Appeal to Mothers, Widows, Wives, Sifters, and Daughters, upon the Brutality of the French Armies. Addreffed to all Ranks. 12mo. 2s. 6d. Richardfon.

1798.

The first part of this compilation will be useless to all those who have a history of England in their poffeffion; and, that most of those who are attached to reading have fuch a work either en détail or en abrégé, we may reafonably fuppofe. Of the fecond divifion of the work, a great part is borrowed from Peter Porcupine; and the volume concludes with an addrefs to the female fex.

It is peculiarly your duty' (fays the writer to his fair countrywomen) to reprobate the doctrines of the French. For, were ever their diabolical principles to prevail in Britain, you might bid an eternal adieu to that facred inviolability of your perfons, upon which alone your true felicity depends; and, indeed, the morals, the freedom, and even the happinefs of the empire at large. In the well-authenticated cruelties which you have already perufed in this ufeful work, you must have perceived, that no respect was paid, by the French, to the fair fex. On the contrary, it is one part of the republican fyftem of France, to render the women as ferocious and abandoned as the men; for, there, alas! female delicacy, modefty, and virtue are almost extinguished! and that unhappy country is now as one immenfe brothel, where nothing is heard but the most grofs obfcenity! and where nothing is feen but the most abandoned proftitution!' P. 201.

In the beginning of this addrefs, the author injures the cause for which he is fo zealous; for he hates a point in which the men are certainly as much interested as the other fex, to be a duty peculiar to the latter,

6

The wealthy proprietors of the country' are requested to pur

chafe this work for the purpofe of diftributing it among the lower claffes, that the people may be warned of the ill effects of democracy, and be prepared for a refolute defence of their country against presumptuous and cruel invaders.

An Hiftory of the Jaquerie in France in the Year 1358; with an Account of their horrid Cruelties and final Extirpation: taken from Barnes's History of the most victorious Monarch Edward III. to Show, that the Character of the French Peafantry, when unreftrained by Law, has ever been brutally ferocious. 8vo. 3d. Stockdale. 1798.

In the reign of king John of France, one Jaques, of Clermont in the Beauvoifin, put himself at the head of a fet of ruffians, and profecuted an infamous career of depredation, outrage, and murder. From him (fays Barnes) the whole tribe obtained the appellation of the Jaquerie; but M. de Charron, whofe hiftory lies before us, affirms, that the denomination arofe from the jacques de maille (coats or jackets of mail) which thefe villains wore. A great body of them having entered Meaux, a party of nobles and gentry attacked them with fuch fpirit, that they were quickly routed with great flaughter; and their leader, being taken alive, was hanged. The refemblance between the Jaquerie and the Jacobin faction is pointed out by the editor, who, from his manner of writing, exemplified in the preface, feems to be a clergyman. Evidence to Character; or, the Innocent Impofture: being a Portrait of a Traitor by his Friends and by Himfelf. 8vo. Wright. 1798.

3d.

This pamphlet merely confifts of extracts from Gurney's account of the trial of O'Connor, and from the late report of the committee of the Irish houfe of commons. In the former, the character of O'Connor is given by Mr. Fox and his friends; and, in the latter, his treafonable connexions and intrigues are difclofed by himfelf. The object of the publication is to ruin the popularity of the leaders of oppofition.

The Crimes of Democracy. 8vo. 15. 6d. Faulder. 1798.

In this pamphlet, the author maintains the justice and neceffity of the war, by a flight recapitulation of trite arguments. He difplays no novelty either in matter or manner.

Interefting Suggeftions to Proprietors and Trustees of Eftates, refpecting the Land-Tax Sale and Redemption Act. By Simeon Pope. Svo. IS. Richardfon. 1798.

The proprietors of land are earneftly entreated to take immediate advantage of the act for the redemption of the land-tax. The advice comes, we prefume, from the environs of the flock-exchange.

Unfortunately, the arguments used for purchafing fome time ago, no longer fubfift; and the landholder who, according to this author, was highly imprudent in not redeeming when the ftocks were as low as 481. 1os. for the hundred, would be guilty of a higher degree of imprudence, if he fhould now purchafe with a view to redemp

tion.

For let him keep this point steadily in his view, that if the three per cents. fhould rife but a very few pounds only above their prefent price, he will be utterly difabled from redeeming at all, or aileast to any advantage—and he may then remember with regret, the very emphatical and admonitory expreffion of the Roman poet, the motto of the title page: Carpe Diem." P. 15.

66

In times of fluctuation like the present, it is difficult for an individual to see his way clearly; and we lament that so much encouragement is given, by the late act of the legislature, to the baneful fpirit of stock-jobbing.

A Letter to the Right Hon. the Chancellor of the Exchequer, on his propofed Sale of the Land-Tax. By John Scott. Svo. 6d. Jordan. 1798.

John Scott is very plain in his language to the financier.

The French government' (he fays)' had as much right to confifcate, as you have to mortgage, private eftates. But land, either in France or England had better be made common property, than the property of governments, and to mortgage, prefuppofes a property in the foil. Befides,

Suppofe a landholder buys the annihilation of his own landtax, he does not buy a property. He only purchafes a parliamentary promife, of parliamentary forbearance, which, if one parliament can legiflate for another, inay, perhaps properly, be called parliamentary, but certainly it is not land fecurity. It would be perfectly ridiculous to talk of giving a man fecurity upon his own eftate. His rightful poffeffion is his beft fecurity, and this he already enjoys, without your gift; the land is his own. You can only promise that you will not difpoffefs him; and until you officiously tendered this promife, he had no idea you entertained the defign; because he knew you had no right.' . 9.

1

He afterwards affirms, that the plan is wretchedly bad, and totally impracticable;' but, in the latter point, we do not agree with him. We fhall only add, that his fcheme for bringing ther profits of the note-iffuing bankers' into the public purse, deserves confideration.

A Letter on Finance, and on National Defence; addressed to thofe who are inclined to defpond at the prefent Pofture of Public Affairs. By John Charnock, Jun. Svo. Is. 6d. Faulder. 1798.

Late events have rendered the declamation of this writer on na

tional defence fuperfluous: but we thank him for the agreeable news, that the property of this country, fairly brought to the hammer, is worth four thousand millions. Who then can defpond at a debt of four hundred millions? Though we do not estimate fo highly the national property, we are not induced to give way to defpondency; and we are convinced that a judicious system of taxation will confiderably alleviate the prefent difficulties, arifing from the fyftem of funding.

A Plan for raifing the Taxes impartially and almoft free of Expence in War; and in Peace for paying off the National Debt, at the fame Time that the Wealthy hall receive Intereft for their Money, and the Poor be eafed of Taxes. By Francis Adams, Efq. &c. 8vo. 15. 6d. Richardfon. 1798.

The plan was formed last spring, on what I believed to have been a declaration made by Mr. Pitt, I therefore thought it a proper respect to that gentleman to fubmit it to his confideration before I published it; indeed that attention was due to his abilities and high station. When my papers were returned, I was flattered on receiving his thanks for the pains I had taken in fo meritorious and praife-worthy an attempt; it is true he gave it as his opinion, that it could not be carried into execution with effect, which is the reafon I did not then publish it: but from the circumftances that have fince arifen, I hope fome beneficial confequences may result to the public from the perufal of these sheets.' P. 47.

Mr. Pitt, without doubt, would thank an author who feems to dread that too little, rather than too much, fhould be taken out of our pockets,

Let us not defpair, let us draw together; let us cheerfully contribute not seven and a half per cent. only, but even fifty per cent. on our incomes, to fupport the conftitution, if neceflary. I agree with the learned bishop of Landaff, "No man, relatively fpeaking, will be either richer or poorer by this payment being generally made; provided we fall uniformly in our riches, the comparative fituation in the scale of fociety will be the fame." p. 43.

With fo many advisers as the minifter has, we may suppose that his ways and means will be very productive; and, as the profits of this pamphlet are intended for the Briftol infirmary, we fhall be happy to hear of its extenfive circulation.

LA W..

An Abridgment of Cafes argued and determined in the Courts of Law, during the Reign of his prefent Majefty, King George the Third. With Tables of the Names of Cafes and principal Matters. By Thomas Walter Williams, Efq. &c. Vel. I. 8vo. 155. Boards. Robinsons. 1798.

Mr. Williams, to whom the profeffors and ftudents of the law