looks, as may provoke a man of the world, not checked by principle or influenced by religion, to require what he calls satisfaction;—were you to give the sort of provocation I have mentioned, you would be the aggressor of course, and the culpable person. If you have given any man offence, even unintentionally, let not the haughtiness of your after-conduct prevent a reconciliation.-Remember that your soul, as well as your life, may be at stake upon the event. Remember, likewise, that the trifles which men in general quarrel about are, in reality, no kind of excuse for risking the terrible consequences that very often follow the destructive practice I am reprobating. That an angry look-a petulant word-even a blow — cannot be set in competition with them:-justice refuses to place them in her scales - but she cries aloud for PUBLIC ATTENTION to a sub. ject of such PUBLIC IMPORTANCE. I will conclude by solemnly assuring you, that, though your honour is as precious to me as your life, 1 would rather you should risk the scorn of the ill judging world, than that you should meet its smiles by letting any thing urge you to give or receive a challenge. -For, by doing even the latter, though you were determined not to fire at your adversary, you still give your sanction to his taking away Your life, and thus become a willing accessary to murder. No man ought to be slighted who, upon principle, refuses a challenge-such ill-judged contempt is the principal cause which tends to increase and establish the barbarous custom; a man ought sooner to be distinguished for his attention to rectitude, who has courage enough to dare the unjust contempt of the world, but does not dare to set religion, law, and humanity, at defiance, I must again urge you to consider the unequal stake;-for, what offence can be put in comparison with the sudden loss of life?— wretchedness to your surviving family and friends-and, probably, as I have said before, and for any thing you can know to the contrary, future condemnation from an offended GOD.' The subjects next considered are-Female ConnectionsSeduction-Attachment-Swearing and Falsehood-SocietyTrifles-On Time-Behaviour to Inferiors-Dress-Conver sation-Accomplishments-Drawing-Diversions-Marriage. On some of these points we recognize the advice of Lord Chesterfield to his son; which, as it here presents itself, uncontaminated with the dangerous principles of that author, is very judicious and good. Our extracts and remarks have probably already enabled our readers to form an opinion of what they are to expect in this volume; and therefore, without entering into the detail of each of the remaining letters, we shall confine ourselves to one short extract from the remarks on Time :' Though you may think I have already said enough on the sub. ject of idleness and mispent time, I cannot quit it without again calling calling your attention to the insignificance of those idlers, who, after slumbering away many hours of the morning in bed, are seen in St. James's Street, or Bond-street, the places they generally frequent, sauntering up and down, and talking over their real, or often only pretended, intrigues;-or sitting at some fashionable shop, spending that money in fruit or ice, which by many of them should be appropriated to the payment of their bills.-When I see such human beings so idle, 30 indolent, so contemptible, yet so vain, so arrogant, so selfsufficient, my head and heart revolt against them ;-instead of adding to that knowledge which was early in life forced upon them, they scem trying to forget it all. Instead of becoming rational and respectable men, they seem geing post haste that idle career which is the road to all the vices of dissipation, and commonly ends in rendering them completely unhappy, in the ruin of their fortunes, and in the shorten ing of their ill spent lives. Fly, my Son, from such companions." If we could believe that this passage would fall into the hands of some of the idle personages here described, we should indulge a hope that we might contribute somewhat to that reformation and improvement of youth, which are so ably undertaken at large in these maternal lessons. Mans With other Poems. By ART. V. Society, a Poem in two Parts. IT T was a maxim with a critic of antient times, and a critic to whose authority we bow with profound respect, that, where many beauties shine forth in a poem, a few blemishes may be forgiven. Influenced by this rule, we are disposed to make a commendatory report of Mr. Kenney's performances. With regard to the poem on Society,' although it is of a mixed nature, and assumes the form of prose and poetry by turns, yet on the whole the balance is in its favour. The descriptions are natural and striking, the sentiments are just and rational, and the reader is agreeably roused from the chearless path of solitude, and animated with the prospect of social endearments. Some inaccuracies of expression, and a want of rhythm in certain lines, we should recommend to the author's revision. We extract first the picture of those evils which wait on the studious recluse: Dire and of horrid aspect, and the once Mocking with grimly laugh poor Reason's power, And there alone, amid those trifling cares The phantoms fly, and reason reigns again.' This passage is rather an instance of sound sense and reason than of good poetry. We make a second quotation, in which the social endearments are pourtrayed at a gloomy mo ment: 'Go, seek the dismal chamber where Disease Reclines with pallid cheek, and wasted form ; Perhaps the reader will be better pleased with the first part of the Ode on the return of peace, which displays some degree of strength and beauty: Britons! raise the song of gladness; Fill the air with notes of joy! The trumpet's roar Is heard no more; No more the deep-mouth'd thunders roll, That rais'd its energies to madness, And kindled savage longing to destroy! Culture now shall smile again: REV. MAY, 1804. D Where Where of late grim Carnage stalk'd, Demons that view with fierce exulting eye, • At length dread War thy horrors cease; • Mark now the cottage guest, Late robb'd of pleasure, robb'd of rest- Of battles fought, of soldiers dead, Oft o'er the journal'd tale she cast her eye, In silent sorrow ponder'd o'er the page, And many a tear she shed, and heav'd with many a sigh. The miscellaneous poems are in general pleasing, and display much naïveté and tenderness of feeling: but we except the Sonnet to a Pig, which is not in the writer's happiest manner; and we must also condemn a passage (p. 155.) in the fable of the discontented Rabbit,' in which the conduct of the Prodigal Son in holy writ is introduced to illustrate a ludicrous story. The author, being in a sportive mood, forgets the serious nature of that parable, and treats with improper levity a most affecting lesson of penitence and remorse. This is, however, the only instance of the kind; and we doubt not that Mr. Kenney will excuse our pointing it out, as the general tendency of his reflections convinces us of his candour, and his love of truth and virtue. Mans ART. ART. VI. Recreations in Mathematics and Natural Philosophy: containing amusing Dissertations and Enquiries concerning a Variety of Subjects the most remarkable and proper to excite Curiosity and Attention to the whole Range of the Mathematical and Philosophical Sciences: the Whole treated in a pleasing and easy Manner, and adapted to the Comprehension of all who are the least initiated in those Sciences; viz. Arithmetic, Geometry, Trigonometry, Mechanics, Optics, Acoustics, Music, Astronomy, Geography, Chronology, Dialling, Navigation, Architecture, Pyrotechny, Pneumatics, Hydrostatics, Hydraulics, Magnetism, Electricity, Chemistry, Palingenesy, &c. First composed by M. Ozanam, of the Royal Academy of Sciences, &c. Lately recomposed, and greatly enlarged, in a new Edition, by the celebrated M. Montucla, and now translated into English, and improved with many Additions and Observations, by Charles Hutton, LL.D. and F.R.S., and Professor of Mathematics in the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich. In Four Volumes; with near One Hundred Quarto Plates. 8vo. 31. 38. Boards. Kearsley. MATHEMATICAL truth, naked and unadorned, possesses charms in the eyes of only the select: to allure many votaries, it must be decked out with embellishments, must inflame curiosity by half veiling and half exposing its mysteries and secrets, and must rouse ambition and vanity by the promise of knowlege and power. For this end, few books are better calculated than the volumes before us: the ample title-page of which sufficiently announces their contents, and not unfairly indicates their merit. They teach much with little trouble, and little formality: they require no continued strain of attention and study; and they endeavour to arrange even the most simple truths under the most pleasing forms. To those who are acquainted with Ozanam's original work, the present will appear more like a new production than a new edition of an old one ;-so many purifications, excisions, and augmentations, have the "Récréations mathématiques et physiques" experienced. We cannot give a better account of these alterations, and of the contents of the reformed work in French, than by quoting some passages from Montucla's preface: The first volume comprehends arithmetic and geometry; those two branches of the mathematics, which Plato so justly called the two wings of the Mathematician. In the former, the nature of the different kinds of arithmetic is explained; a great many singular •properties of numbers, with several of which Ozanam it is probable was not at all acquainted; also those of right-angled triangles in numbers, and of polygonal numbers; but confined to such as are most interesting and easiest to be understood. The principles of the doctrine of combinations are then given in a clear and comprehensive manner, with a great variety of curious problems relating to games D 2 and |