fort of valetudinarians that ought to bathe in this faline water, the method of guarding against the bad confequences attending baths, and rules to be obferved after bathing. Thefe directions are minutely circumftantial, and well adapted to the purposes for which they are intended.

Book III begins with a phyfical and hiftorical account of the fulphureous water at Llandrindod, commonly called the black finking water. He obferves this has the following characteristics of fulphureous water: it emits a smell like that of the washings of a foul gun; near the fpring head it lines the fides of all the passage with a white flimy mucus; it flinks moft in rainy weather; after a drought, juft before rainy weather, the fpring rifes with greater impetuofity than at other times; it inftantaneously stops fermentation; it precipitates a black fludge in it's paffage; it turns filver and other white metals, firft yellow, then black; it kills vermin, worms, cater- pillars, &c.

In page 246, he affirms that these ftinking fulphur waters have their exiftence from the vapours of a mineral ferment, to which the coal damps and the brine alkali are joined; and that without these last no flinking fulphureous waters can naturally be expected. In the rock from whence the fpring iflues, he conjectures that there is a confused mass of minerals in a conftant ferment, with which the bituminous matter of brine and the briny alkaline earth mixes, and thus being join'd by the coal damps, conftitutes the ftinking or fulphur water of Llandrindod. In this fuppofed ferment, (fays he, page 253) we may conclude the mondic, or fulphureous marcafites, to be one of the principal and chief agents; because there is very little in the bowels of the earth, but mondic or fulpureous marcafites, that can produce it.

A pure fulphur alfo enters the compofition of this water; which precipitates itself into the black fediment; and out of the white mucus, that lines the fides, a perfect fulphur 'may be separated.'

Left the reader fhould boggle at this mineral ferment, he thus explains himself in page 256; We have often here ⚫ made mention of a mineral ferment; which word, however, we do not make ufe of in the ftrict fenfe, that fermentation

is generally understood in. I grant there are but three kinds of fermentation, the fpirituous, acidulous, and putrid. But • what I here mean by the term ferment, is an inteftine commotion of feveral minerals, caufed by a diffimilitude of their compontent parts. From this inteftine motion the unctuous matter, we are here speaking of, refults: which, as it fo 'much resembles fermentation, we have ventur'd to apply to it the name of ferment; and hope we fhall not be cenfured ⚫ for the application.

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< This inward motion will exift amongst these feveral minerals, even when they are separated from their roots, or dug out of their matrix. For example, in many mineral coun❝ tries the marcafites, of all kinds, being promifcuoufly thrown in one heap together (tho' above ground) fuch an inward ⚫ motion will be excited, that sometimes it will break out into a flame by which means, an alum, and vitriol is produced; which being all extracted, and the remaining rub'bish thrown into a heap again, a new motion or ferment arises; which, as before, produces alum and vitriol; and fo ad infinitum,

The coal damps, which we have mentioned, as one of the causes of this fulphur-water, and to which we attribute the quality of deftroying vermin, may perhaps convey alarming ideas to our readers, and give them occafion to fufpect it to be of a coarse rough nature; but we can af• fure them of the contrary.

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It is perfectly mild, and agreeable to the human conftitution: for what is poifon to one animal is a medicine to another. For example, a dog lives upon the fame food as

the human species; yet as much crocus metallorum as will 'poifon ten men, will perfectly agree with a dog and again, one man may fafely take as much nux vomica, as will • kill feveral dogs.

'As to the coal damps; they are no more than fulphureous. They are deftitute of arfenical, or other noxious contents; "with which other minerals are so much loaded: so that they are by no means detrimental to health; as experience confirms. For fmiths, and other artificers, that are constantly in the fumes of coal, have an uncommon fhare of health. • And

And where is there, in all the world, a more healthy place, • than that opulent, but finoaky metropolis London; where, • notwithstanding the uncommon multitude of people, but • few physicians have practice enough to fupport themselves in any tolerable dignity.

Before I conclude this chapter, I cannot help obferving, that I look upon this fulphur more beneficial, and far preferable, to cleanfe and purify a fhip, and its crew, that come from places infected with the plague, than the fumigation with brimstone (of which lately an ingenious method • is published by Dr. Hales) and at the fame time the operation * would be more eafily and conveniently performed, than by the troublesome method, that is laid down, with fumiga• tion.'

From the experiments recapitulated in the fecond chapter, our author concludes that this fœtid or ftinking water contains æthereal volatile mineral fpirits, a fmall quantity of vitriolic acid, a mineral unctuous mucus, a fine mineral oil, a fubtle crocus of marcafites foluble in fpirit of wine, a perfect fulphur, and a neutral falt, whose texture is a briny alkali. From these confiderations, he recommends it in the way of a warm bath, for benumbed, wafted, or contracted limbs; in the hypochondriac diftemper; in the relicks of venereal diforders, old fores, tetters, leprofy, and fcurvy; in the hydrophobia and madness; in the ftone and gravel; in the gout and rheumatism. The internal and external use of it combined, will cure the fcrophula, hypochondriacy; edulcorate the acrimonious humours; reftore the functions of the ftomach and other vifcera, when clogged or debilitated; cleanfe the prima viæ; remove obftructions of the liver; diffolve schirrous tumours; ftop the dyfentery; defpel the caufe of the lyentery; banish an habitual tenefmus if injected as a clyfter; put a stop to the vertigo; attenuate, divide, and evacuate the humours of the catarrh; and, above all other remedies, check the progrefs of the confumption; it is moreover beneficial in nervous convulfions, and hysteric colics.

The laft chapter contains directions for drinking, bathing, and all other medical ufes of the fulphur-water at Llandrindod. Thefe inftruct us how to make an artificial bath, and how to

guard

guard against all confequences which fometimes enfue upon bathing; how to use a bath made with this water; how to foment with this water; how to cleanse and wash old fores with this water; how to dress them with the black flimy preci pitate; and how this water may be drank in conjunction with bathing; and how it must be taken when bathing is omitted.

What follows is a poftcript defcribing the benefit that might be received by perfous afflicted with intermitting fevers, from the ufe of the faline pump-water of Llandrindod, or its falts when exported..

The appendix, containing a fhort and fummary account of feveral other fprings of the mineral waters in Wales, &c. feems to be a meagre expedient to fill up the volume, which is eked out with many needlefs digreffions, quotations and repe

titions.

If we may credit the experiments and remarks of this highgerman doctor, there is hardly a diftemper incident to the human frame, that may not be effectually cured by the medicinal waters of Llandrindod: those general and fanguine encomiums favour fo ftrongly of empiricifin, that while we recommend this work to the perufal of our readers, we think it our duty to propose that they should perufe it with caution.

ART.II. A free and candid Examination of the Principles advanced in the Rt. Rev. the Lord Bishop of London's very elegant Sexmons lately published; and in his very ingenious Difcourfes on Prophecy. Wherein the commonly received System, concerning the Natures of the Jewish and Chriftian Difpenfations, is particularly confidered: with occafional Obfervations, on fome late Explanations of the Doctrines therein contained. By the Author of The Critical Enquiry into the Opinions and Practice of the Ancient Philofophers, &c. 8vo. Pr. 5. Davis, and Reymers.

T must give a fenfible fatisfaction to the few friends of

I piety and learning, yet remaining amongst us, to find that

amidst all the difficulties, difappointments and difcouragements to which men of genius and abilities are every day more and more fubjected, there are ftill fome left who want not the allurement

lurement of temporal advantages to animate them in their fearch after truth, or to infpirit their zeal in the cause of religion and virtue: fuch as have courage enough to withstand the force of prejudice, and oppose the formidable strength of authority: who, without a fervile fubmiffion to great names or distinguish'd characters, dare to defend the word of God against mifrepresentation, and confcientioufly refufe that deference to human wisdom which is only due to the divine. Such we may venture to pronounce is the conceal'd author of the excellent and fpirited performance before us, where our readers will meet with great force of reafoning join'd with uncommon candour and ingenuity, a ftile lively and vigorous, and a manner throughout the whole which cannot fail to engage his attention, and to fecure his applause.

The preface, which is mafterly, begins thus:

Reafon (fays our author) in religious matters stands but an ill chance of being heard, when one part of the public at• tention is engaged in the gratifications of sense; another bufi‹ed in the vifionary pursuits of an over-heated fancy; and the reft is fecurely repofing in the cool and venerable shade of au⚫thority.

In the tumultuous fcenes of life the voice of reafon is too weak to be heard, or too difficult to be understood: In the indulgent anarchy of fancy, her language is too fimple or too • severe to persuade; but where authority bears sway, she is enjoined compliance, or reduced to filence.

Thus we fee, in one quarter fhe is stared at as a stranger; in another, the alarms as an enemy; and in the third, the is "treated as a flave. Here indeed, her cafe is at the worst. She may familiarize herself to the fenfual man; fhe may be "reconciled to the vifionary; but, with authority, the can come to no compofition; tho' fhe be unable to withstand its 'power. And yet it is againft this laft foe to reafon that the following theets are chicity directed.'

In pursuance of this refolution, our author fets out by endea vouring to fhew, in oppofition to the bifhop of London, Dr. Sykes, Dr. Law, and ather, that the commonly received Syftem concerning the natures of the two difpenfations, as far as respects a

future