PHILOSOPHY.

10s. 6d.

ART. 24. Practical and deferiptive Essays on the Economy of Fael's and Management of Heat. Efay I. In three Parts. Part I On the Effects of Heat, Means of measuring it, Fuel, c. Part II. On heating Mills, Dwelling-houses, and Public Buildings, by Steam. Part III. On Drying and Heating by Steam. By Robertfon Buchanan, Civil Engineer &vo. 278 pp. Glasgow, printed; London, Longman & Co. 1810. It is fufficient to obferve the topics enumerated in the title of this book, to be convinced of the importance of the difcuffion which it announces. The book is the extenfion of a tract publifhed in 1807, and entitled," an Effay on the Warming of Mille and other Buildings by Steam." Since that time, the author having collected much larger materials on other practical applications of heat, determined, rightly in our opinion, to extend his plan to a series of effays, fuch as is here commenced. The following paffage of his preface will fhow ftill more trongly the importance of his defign, to those who may not at first perceive its whole bearing.

"The advantages which this ifland enjoys over other countries, from the abundance of coal, are too well known to require to be here enumerated. But in many other things we labour under much difadvantage, which fhould ftimulate us to cherish this fuperiority which we enjoy over the nations on the Continent of Europe. The economy of fuel becomes a fubject of increafing importance, from the increafing price of labour, which would require exertion to counteract its effects on our commerce and manufactures. Every attempt, therefore, to fave fuel merits attention; and the fubject opens a wide and important field for investigation.

"It is not the fawing only of fuel which merits attention, but its fafe, eafy, and healthful application to the various purposes of life..

"The recent deftruction by fire, of St. James's Palace, and of the two largest theatres in the kingdom, has directed much of the public attention to the rendering of buildings lefs fubject to fo dreadful a calamity. In this important refpect, no means of heating buildings has yet been devised, fo good as that by fteam, and from its novelty, none is yet fo partially known or underflood. I have, therefore, been induced to make it the principal fubject of this Effay. P. vi.

In another place the author fays, that he has attempted, in a finall compafs, to bring into view all the practical knowledge which he could find on thefe fubjects; and that he has endeavoured to give a concife view of the late important discoveries

of

of Profeffor Leslie, and others, refpecting heat. These must be univerfally allowed to be ufeful defigns, and the execution of them appears to us to be good, but as fuch a work admits not of abridgement, we muft refer the reader to the book itself for further fatisfaction.

ECCLESIASTICAL.

ART. 25. The State of the Established Church; in a Series of Letters to the Right Hon. Spencer Perceval, Chancellor of the Exchequer, &c. &c. &c. 8vo. 88 pp. 2s. 6d. Richard. fon. 1809.

Till we had read this tract, we thought it rather wrong at we had fo long delayed to examine it; after the perufal, we remain perfectly convinced, that by paffing it over entirely we fhould have done neither injuftice to the author, nor injury to the public. When we fay, that it appears to be well-meant, we grant the utmost that we can in favour of the author; and we fay even that with fome doubt whether we do not, in so saying, allow too much. The writer very rafhly takes for granted what he calls the decline" of our Eftablished Religion, and having fo done, undertakes to point out the caufes, and to give his notions of the proper remedies, with a view, he fays, of "lending his feeble aid to the fupport of an Establishment in which he is publicly and individually interested." His aid is indeed a feeble one; and what is worfe, it is joined with affertions which tend to injure the Church in a greater degree, than any thing which he propofes is likely to affift it. How will the Clergy thank him for fuch falfe and fcandalous affertions as the following?

I fear, Sir, that I am but too well juftified in afferting, that the majority of our Clergy are a fet of men wrapt up in fecular pursuits, with a total indifference to the fpiritual duties of their calling." P. 24. The majority! That fome will deferve this defcription, among fo numerous a body, might be expected, and will not be denied; but that one out of an hundred throughout the whole deferves fuch a character is more than we have ever feen reafon to believe. "Call you this backing your friends?"

Another affertion of equal rafhnefs, though not equal odioufnefs, is this: "Sorry am I to declare, that as far as my in. quiries have extended, I find that ecclefiaftical vifitations are mere forms, productive of very little good, but of much pofitive mifchief. I believe that they often confift but of three things: fee-paying, perjury, and feafting." P. 37. Very candid and elegant! For tithes the author fpeaks fenfibly and justly; but why? his connection with the Church is, if we have not mif taken his words, being a lay-impropriater of tithes. Hence he can Ttz

fee

fee, what all ought to fee, that there can be no greater injuftice than the thought of feizing fuch property.

On the whole, it is clear to us, that the Church has had few greater enemies than this pretended or ill-judging friend, whofe work ftrongly reminds us of an old adage: "Heaven defend me from my friends, I will take care of my enemies!"

MEDICAL.

ART. 26. A Letter on the Study of Medicine, and on the Medical Character, addreffed to a Student, By Peter Reid, M.D. 12mo. 59 pp. 25. Murray, &c.

This is a fenfible well-written letter; and merits an attentive perufal, not by ftudents only, but by practitioners of every rank. The first part treats of the mode in which medical study should be purfued, while in the latter pages the faults of the medical cha racter are expofed. As a fpecimen of the first, the subjoined exfuffice.

tract

may

f

"There are many who think themselves entitled to the claims of a liberal education, from having read a great many books, and punctually attended all the claffes, without ever confidering that, while the mind remains paffive, nothing valuable can be attained. They, therefore, often find when it is too late, that going over a certain quantity of print with their eyes, hearing lectures, and feeing cafes, have impofed on them with a fpecious fhew of activity; that all thefe are only the means of collecting the materials of knowledge, which, without being weighed and fifted by their judgment, only ferve to opprefs the memory, without enlightening the understanding. The mind must be early opened, frequently exercifed, gradually habituated to enlarge its views, and to examine things in all their bearings, or it never will acquire that freedom and range, that readinefs and dexterity, which alone can qualify it to form a found judgment on whatever is fubmitted to its decifion, and to profecute the ftudy of fcience with fuccefs. It is this character of mind which alone gives a liberal ftamp to our purfuits, and makes the diftinction between a man of real science, and him who blindly follows the routine practices of his art." P. 18.

Although we have spoken thus favourably of Dr. Reid's publication, we do not concur in many of the obfervations in the latter part of the work, in which we think he has facrificed his judg ment and his tafte, to a fatirical humor which is not warranted by facts. Ridicule, ill-timed and mifplaced, fhould cover the au thor, not the objects, with fhame. How are we to reconcile fuch puerile ftuff as the following, with the found fenfe, and judi. cious advice contained in the first part of the book? On the sub. ject of medical practitioners, the author remarks, "There are

fome whom nature has favored with fuch a phyfical afpect; that you cannot look upon them without thinking of tartar-emetic, thefe men have only to whiftle on patients."

"There are certain gefticulations of the body which make a strong impreffion on many beholders, and are even fufpected to be connected with fome kind of incantation, by which a fecret potency is communicated to every drug; and, I know a man who, by fucking his cheeks, made his patients believe that he was deeply immerfed in cogitation, when, to my certain knowledge, he had walked about the earth in a continued state of Somnambulifm from his birth, his brain being as little worn with reflection as a new born infant's; but nature had given him a moft picturesque coun tenance. We were very near lofing this worthy man about twenty years ago, as he was then threatened with a confumption, having a conftant pain in his breaft; this, however, was relieved by a copious expectoration of putrid matter, which was fuppofed to be his heart diffolved into fanies, as he never has had any pulfation in his breaft fince." P. 46.

POLITICS.

ART. 27. A Concife View of the Conftitution of England. By George Cuftance. Dedicated by Permiffion to William Wilberforce, Efq. M. P. for the County of York. 12mo. 474 PP. Kidderminster, printed; London, Longman & Co. 1809.

65.

The author of this book evidently intends it as an introduction for young perfons, to lead them towards an accurate knowledge of the conftitution. The books principally employed by him in this compilation, are Blackftone's Commentaries, De Lolme on the English Conftitution, Burke on the French Revolution, and Hume's Hiftory of England, with Smollet's continu ation. He profeffes his obligations alfo to Burn's Ecclefiaftical Law, Gibfon's Code, Furneaux's Letters to Blackstone, and other authors, whofe names he does not mention.

We are happy to fay, in favour of the author, that he feems to have made a judicious and patriotic ufe of very found authorities, and we have no hefitation in recommending his book to the ufe of fuch schools as enter into ftudies of this kind; ufeful undoubtedly to every Briton. The good fenfe with which he ridicules the abfurdity of a reprefentative being inftructed by his conftituents how to vote, gives a very favourable fpecimen of his judgment and principles. He fuppofes a member, fo fettered, after hearing a difficult queftion difcuffed, thus to addrefs the chair...

"Mr. Speaker, I highly approve of the meafure now under confideration, having been convinced by the learned arguments

Tt3

I have

I have just heard, that it will be very falutary to the whole king, dom, and in particular to my own conftituents; I am forry, therefore, that I have their pofitive inftructions to vote against it; the more fo, as I have no doubt that, had they been here, and heard the debate, they would have directed me to fupport the motion." P. 74.

ART. 28. 4 Review of the Conduct of the Allies, with Obfervations on a Peace with France. 8vo. Richardfon, as 6d,

1810.

It is

The reafoning of this political writer is fufficiently calm and temperate, but he affumes premises which cannot be allowed, It is useless at this period again to discuss the treaties of Pavia and Pilnitz, on which fubjects we think very differently from this author. The immediate question is, whether a fecure and honour. able peace can be attained with the prefent ruler of France. the object of this pamphlet to affert the affirmative, but with what claim to attention can it be faid, that "Buonaparte's views are not directed to these kingdoms; he looks only at the Continent. His commercial enmity is but a temporary measure, and never intended to be acted upon a permanent policy," These, indeed, are faid to have been the fentiments of Mr. Fox, but would Mr. Fox, if alive, make the fame affirmative now, or if he did, would any man of common fenfe believe him?

DIVINITY.

ART. 29. A Chriftian's Survey of all the Primary Events and Periods of the World, from the Commencement of Hiftory, to the Cons clufion of Prophecy. 12mo. 226 pp. 7s. 6d. Miller. 1811.

It is quite impoffible for us to give a fufficient commendation of this little work, which, though anonymous, well deferves to obtain a diftinguished name for its author. The clearness of its views, the diftinctness of its statements, the judicious and admirable ufe of various and most found learning, the total abfence of all folly and fanaticifm, which have been fo frequently united with fpeculations on prophetical fubjects, all unite to place it, fhort as it is, very high above many modern efforts to interpret the of paft and prefent times.

The author fees in the prefent French empire, not a fifth power, but the little horn arifing out of the fourth or Roman empire, "France," he fays, "was always comprehended in, and conftituted an integral part of that IMPERIAL body. The power of France, therefore, which has now fo fuddenly rifen up into fupreme dominion, in the Chriftian church, although it affumes the title of EMPIRE, can only be regarded as a prominent part of the

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