four prefbyterian, whofe imagination broods upon objects of mifery and horror; or the production of a venal pen hired to keep up the clamour of the populace, against the scape-goat of the my.

Art. 27. The Robin Hood Society: a Satire. With Notes Variorum. By Peter Pounce, Efq; 8vo. Pr. 2 s. Withers.

This is a middling performance, dedicated to the celebrated Mr. Romaine, for whom the author profeffes a profound efteem. The fame of the fociety which has furnished this writer with a fubject is already well known; as we do not pretend to have been at any time members thereof, we shall neither plead for nor against it; yet as, by report, it is open to every body, as whoever enters the room for his money is a member for the night; and we are told that it has been vifited by fome men of the greatest taste in the kingdom, as well as of diftinguished quality, we think it too harsh to fay with Mr. Pounce, that it is compofed of a parcel of MEAN, IMPIOUS, and ILLITERATE FELLOWS.

That this fociety is not fo infamous as he endeavours to reprefent it, appears from a defence which the ftanding members thereof difperfe in their juftification, and which by chance fell into our hands. How far this paper defends them in reality, we leave thofe who are acquainted with their method of proceeding to determine. To exhibit fome ridiculous pictures is a failing wherein the RobinHood fhares in common with all other focieties or mixed affemblies. As a fample of the whole, we fhall present the reader with part of a speech made by one of the perfons which Mr. Pounce introduces in this extraordinary fatire.

When I confider, Mr. Prefident, the wiles

Of priests, the carnage by their dictates caus'd,
'Tis then I dread their barbarous civility,

• And wish Mankind wou'd with their Optics fee;
• See for themselves, and fcorn their blund'ring guide.
E contra, when I backward trace the rolls
Of deep antiquity, what charming fcenes
Beam on my foul, and rapture ev'ry fenfe!

• The folio of Omnifcience wide difplay'd,
In ev'ry creature call'd from nothing's womb,
• Leads up to Nature's Law, and Nature's GOD,'

Art.

It is a thrice notable remark I have fomewhere met with, that a man who hath habituated himself to any practice, cannot but with the greateft difficulty conquer it. The wifeft of men alfo gives his fuffrage to this opinion, by faying, Train up a child in the way wherein be fhould go, and when he is old be will not depart from it. A fentence worthy to be wrote in gold! This obfervation is well verified by the man characterized under the name of MACBROAD; for this Oratar never maketh any speech or preachment, but that he beginneth such speech or preachment with, When I confider, &c. He talketh alfo about PRIEST CRAFT, & and rails against it vehemently. The PRIESTHOOD he also treateth with contempt, but he fpeaketh the most unfeemly against REVEALED RELIGION. This me-feemeth is owing to the having accustomed himself to this practice; and from the fame caufe arifes his peculiar idiotisms of the aforefaid, When I é confider;

confider; è contra; in futuro; ab origine, &c. &c. all which he introduces into his fpeeches, be the fubjects what they will. As the obfervation which hath ⚫ caused this note is founded on truth, and, in MACBROAD's language, In the • nature and reafon of things,' I would humbly propofe, that instead of acting in the manner of the ROBINHOODIANS, as they are denominated, we should act virtuously and piously, that fo we being accustomed to walk in fo good path, we should have no reason to defire to quit it.

'HEARNE."

Art. 28. A fermon preached at Chrift Church in Newgate-street, on Tuesday the 21st of September, 1756. Before the right honourable the Lord Mayor, the Aldermen, and Governors of the feveral hofpitals in this city. By the reverend James Penn, under grammar master of Christ Hospital. 4to. Pr. 6d. Say.

4

This fermon (improperly fo call'd) is a political harangue written ad captandum vulgus by a young divine who had a mind to fhew his talents and his patriotifm by a touch on the times, from these words, When Abitbophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he faddled his afs, and arofe, and gat him home to his house, to his city, and put bis boufbold in order, and hanged himself. A text fo uncommon was well calculated to raise the attention of an audience, tho' for any connection with the discourse that follows, Mr. Penn might as well have preached on Abraham begat Ifaac,-In the beginning was the word, or any other fentence in the Old or New Testament: for the author, having juft obferved that no king was ever more unfor tunate in a minister than David, is (he affures us) naturally led from the danger of the Jewish ftate, to confider our own. It is at all times (fays be) neceffary to procure the divine favour, but efpecially in times of danger and diftrefs. In no time more than the prefent, when we have an enemy too powerful, to be contemptible; too formidable, not to require the utmost exertion of our native courage and refolution; too much ftrengthened in himself and al⚫liances, not to court the affiftance of Heaven: especially when it 'is confidered, what little aid we receive from foreign powers in alliance with us, and how dear the purchase of that little; when our principal dependance under providence for fafety and fecurity, is upon natives; and natives, a few excepted, unarmed and undif⚫ciplined. It seems to be improper and impertinent to pray for fuc'cefs, when we are not permitted the ufe of arms, and have no other weapons to defend ourselves, or annoy the enemy, than what nature has given us. Can we reasonably expect, that our prayers will be heard, when we do not make use of the means, which providence and the nature of our conftitution have put into our power? whom can we better truft, than our own people? In whofe hands can we with more fafety and lefs danger repofe our lives, our fortunes, our liberties and religion, than in those, whose happiness and prefervation will entirely depend upon the af 'fistance and protection they shall afford us?

A militia can be of no prejudice to a free ftate. It is the only fecurity of the people's rights and liberties against the weakness • and inability, the treachery and cowardice, the arts and defigns of

' wicked

wicked great men and neither is it injurious to the regal power, • or intereft.'

Mr. Penn proceeds to declaim with great fervency against luxury 'and intemperance, cites Alexander, Hannibal, Cyrus, Cræfus, AfJyrians, Perfians, Græcians, Romans, &c. to prove that foftness and delicacy may fuit well in kings courts, but are not adapted to the fleet nor the army. He then obferves, (which is certainly true) that to be an happy, we must be a religious, people.

Few ages (fays he can boaft of fuch a fpirit, as now reigns a mongst the people: fuch a general defire of carrying on the war with vigour and refolution. This would be a terror to the enemy, provided, that the head was not fick, the heart faint, and the knees feeble. They know, that luxury and effeminacy have within these few years greatly fpread amongst us; that our morals are corrupted, and our conftitutions debauched too visible in our weak and fickly offspring. They dread nothing fo much as a return to our ancient temperance and frugality; their own annals acquainting them what they are then to expect from us. But alas ! what have they to fear from perfons worn out in the fervice of lu'xury and debauchery? More fit to be the keepers of women, than the guardians of men!"

There's fpirit and antithefis for you. The difcourfe concludes with, may honefty and integrity reign amongst the great, loyalty and religion amongst the people; zeal and unanimity in all-May we undertake with fpirit, and execute with vigour-May the Lord of Hofts grant fuccefs, and the end be an honourable and lafting peace. And as a reward for all these may's, may Mr. Penn foon get a a city lectureship, and may he in time be made chaplain to my Lord Mayor!

The authors of the Critical Review hope that A. M. will favour them with a continuance of his remarks and corrections.

They will thankfully receive the proffered hints of correfpondence from Dr. D

As the paper fubfcribed libertas rationaliter, cannot be inserted in the REVIEW confiftently with the plan of their work, they will recommend it to one of the magazines according to the author's defire: And in the next number they will confider the anatomical figures published by Mr. Jenty, at the request of that gentleman's friend A. B. who has written to them on the fubject.

:

THE

CRITICAL REVIEW.

For the Month of November, 1756.

ARTICLE I.

A Compleat Body of Husbandry. Containing rules for performing in the most profitable manner, the whole bufinefs of the farmer, and country gentleman, in cultivating, planting, and stocking of land; in judging of the feveral kinds of feeds, and of manures; and in the management of arable and pasture grounds : together with the most approved methods of practice in the feve-1 ral branches of husbandry, from fowing the feed, to getting in the crop; and in breeding and preferving cattle, and curing their difeafes. To which is annexed, the whole management of the orchard, the brewhoufe, and the dairy. Compiled from the original papers of the late Thomas Hale, Efq; and enlarged by many new and useful communications on practical fubjects, from the collections of Col. Stevenfon, Mr. Randolph, Mr. Hawkins, Mr. Storey, Mr. Ofborne, the Rev. Mr. Turner, and others. A work founded on experience; and calcu→ lated for general benefit; confifting chiefly of improvements made by modern practitioners in farming; and containing many valuable and useful discoveries, never before published. Illustrated with a great number of cuts, containing figures of the infiruments of husbandry; of useful and poisonous plants, aud various other fubjects, engraved from original drawings. Published by his Majefly's royal licence and authority. Folie. Pr. xl. 16s. Ofborne and Shipton.

APLAN of the WORK, as published by the Proprietors.

HE occafion of this work arofe from certain materials,

TH

very confiderable in quantity, and, as we are informed, much more in value; which came into our hands by purchase.

VOL. II.

They were collected by a Gentleman lately deceased, whose name will hereafter be no secret, and were intended by him for the prefs. They contain, as he obferves in an introduction prefixed to thofe papers, what he had found of value relating to the fubject in authors, what he had learnt by converfing with the most intelligent farmers, and all he had difcovered by an active experience of more than thirty years.

The account we received of these papers from fome undoubted judges, into whofe Hands we first put them, confirmed us in the opinion that they might be ferviceable to the public, as well as advantageous to ourselves. The methods we have taken to improve, illuftrate, and compleat the plan, the public have seen by our advertisements; and we hope they have appeared to them as proper, as they feem to us to have been fuccefsful.

In confequence of thofe advertisements, we have received many additions in the different branches, and have been offered the affiftance of feveral perfons of knowledge and experience in the fubject, to methodize and put the finishing hand to every part.

Being determined to fpare no expence or pains toward the rendering fo useful an undertaking as compleat as poffible, we have purchased every paper of value brought to us, and have engaged fo many hands offered to our affiftance, that every separate branch will be under the care of a diftinct perfon, who is a master of that fubject.

These are the fteps which we have hitherto taken, and which we fhall clofe, on our part, by the publication of this plan, the intent whereof is, to lay before the public the general defign of the work, that, if there appear in it any errors or defects, they may be rectified and fupplied in time; to thank thofe gentlemen, from whom we have received obfervations relative to the fubject in the counties where they live, and whofe names, with their permiffion fhall be printed at the end of the work; and, lastly, to folicit whatever farther affiftance any private perfon may be enabled to give, which we fhall receive with gratitude, or be ready to purchase.

The first thing that appeared upon the perufal of these papers, was the great infufficiency of all other books written

on