black man or woman of the fame age; or in other words, upon every tithable of 28lb. or one quarter of a hundred of clean, welf dreffed, merchantable hemp or flax.' Our author very modeftly proposes the cultivation of hemp and flax, which is practicable among the Americans, as the best fuccedaneum to money.

20. The Juftice and Neceffity of taxing the American Colonies, demonftrated. Together with a Findication of the Authority of Parliament. 8va. Pr. 1 Almon.

This writer feems a mere gleaner of knowledge in American affairs. His information is flight and fuperñcial; and though he affects a tenderness for the colonists, thinks it very praticable to reduce them to their duty.

21. An Examination of the Rights of the Colonies, upon Principles of Law. By a Gentleman at the Bar, 8vo. Pr. is. Dymott.

This is but a fiimfy performance, and feems to have been the production of fome lawyer's clerk. The author talks of Magna Charta, to fhew that taxes cannot be imposed in England without the confent of parliament; and revives the ftale argument of the cafe of the counties-palatine of Durham and Chefer, before they fent reprefentatives to the English parliament. He proceeds to condemn the oppofition of the Ameri. cans to the stamp-act, and after a deal of pettyfogging reafon-ing, he concludes by telling us, that a great empire is in im, minent danger, when the executive power is exercised by the people.

22. The General Oppofition of the Colonies to the Payment of the Stamp Duty; and the Confequence of enforcing Obedience by military MeaJures; impartially confidered. 4to. Pr. 15. Payne,.

This letter-writer is among the beft advocates for the colo nies we have seen. He writes with temper and candor; but prefumes that ten thousand of our regular troops would not be a match for fixty or seventy thousand able-bodied Americans, enthufiaftically mis-led to imagine, that they are fighting for liberty. He thinks that the argument maintaining the governments of Maffachufett's Bay, Connecticut, &c. to be English property within the county of Kent, and therefore liable to fuch taxes as the parliament of England think proper, may be common law, but that it will be very difficult to reconcile it to common fenfe. He lays down a plan, which is pretty much the fame with that established among the boroughs of Scotland by the articles of the union, that the prefent houfes

of

And as the feveral members that

of affembly may remain. conftitute these houses of affembly are elected in the several di-. ftrias of the colony, the whole body may then elect, from among themselves, fuch reprefentatives, as the majority of fuch houfes of affembly fhall think moft proper to represent the colony in the parliament of England.'

23. An Account of a late Conference on the Occurrences in America. In a Letter to a Friend. 8vo. Pr. 15. Almon.

The interlocutors in this conference are Mr. Leicester, Mr. Corkish, Mr. Fergus, Mr. Conner, and Mr. Penn. Mr. Penn and Mr. Conner (by whom we are to understand an American* and an Irishman) are advocates for the doctrine, that none but the people of Great Britain have reprefentatives in the Bri. tish parliament. Mr. Penn feems to be the hero of the dialague, and lays down a plan of reprefentation for all British fubjects, whom he confiders as forming a great commonwealth. He proposes each province to fend as many deputies as fhould: correspond with a propor.ional fhare of the general public expence, which on all occafions they must pay. That this should he in the place of that commonly called the privy-council, and fhould be always fitting to advise the crown in all the public concerns of the commonwealth, of peace and war, and the fums of money proper to be raised. That the boards of treasury, admiralty, and trade, should be executed by committees of this council, and that the office of lord-conftable fhould be revived, but the execution thereof lodged in the hands of a fourth committee, which fhould have the fame power over the army, as the Admiralty has over the fleet, That the acts of this great council, with the king's affent, fhall be binding over the whole commonwealth; but that they fhall meddle with nothing that can be confidered as the peculiar bufinefs of any one province in particular; that after it has decreed what fums fhall be raised, each province fhall be left to find fuch ways and means for raifing their quota, as they fhall think moft proper for their pwn condition.'

2

After explaining this project, by which all dependance of the colonies upon the mother country is abolished, he fays, The probable number of perfons in the whole dominion, at this time, is 16,760,000, which being divided by 20,000, will make 838 parts or fhares, in the whole; and fuppofing the several provinces able and willing to fend, for each fuch fhare, one member, and in confideration thereof to contribute 10,0001. to the general fund (more or lefs, according to the annual neceffity) the whole would make a revenue of 8,580,000l.' The

author

author concludes with a table, containing four columns; the first specifying the names of provinces; the fecond the fuppofed number of people; the third, the number of shares, which is also the number of representatives; the fourth, the fums of money contributed to the general fund, or public revenue.

The reader, we conceive, has enough of this wild chimerical plan; the fuperficial author of which, like all of the fame ftamp, is perpetually quoting Montefquieu and the Romans, though the former is grofly ignorant of the British constitution (however juft he may be in his general notions of government) and the Roman and British empires are far from refembling one another, in any one principle either of policy or government.

24. Some Strictures on the late Occurrences in North-America. 8vo. Pr. 6d. Owen.

This flight performance takes part with the mother country in the American difpute, and with fome juftice impeaches the conduct of our colonial brethren. The author, however, thinks that, the stamp-act may admit of alterations; nor is he apprehenfive of any bad confequences to England, should the Americans ftill remain refractory.

25. Conftitutional Confiderations on the Power of Parliament to levy Taxes on the North-American Colonies. 4to. Pr. 6d. Wilkie. We really know not how the trade of our haberdashers in politics could go on, without the words conftitutional, and about half a dozen others of the like import: ftrike them out of our language, and a total bankruptcy of the fraternity must ensue. With regard to the performance before us, all we can fay is, that the author thinks the North-Americans ought not to be exempted from taxes impofed by the British parliament.

26. The Crifis. Or, a full Defence of the Colonies. 8vo. Is. Griffin.

The Crifis! another excellent word, and a proper title for a pamphlet published the very day appointed by parliament for refuming the North-American debate. As to the contents, they are at best a trite collection of American arguments against the stamp-act.

27. The Legislative Authority of the British Parliament, with respect to North-America, and the Privileges of the Affemblies there, briefly confidered. By J. M. of the Inner-Temple. 8vo. Pr. 6d, Nicoll.

This writer gives us a general view of the governments and police of our North-American colonies. He thinks

that

that the present ftamp-act is oppreffive, and contains several claufes that bear hard upon the Americans; but he is for maintaining inviolate the power of the British parliament to tax their colonies.

28. An Ordinary Answer to a very Extraordinary North-Briton; published on Monday laft, in the Public Advertiser. 8vo. Pr. 6d. Wilkie.

This catch-penny performance is intended as an encomium upon the late miniftry; but it is of a compofition too rotten to be handled, and almost too despicable to be mentioned.

29. Political Epifiles on various Subjects of the prefent Times. 8vo. Pr. 15. Nicoll.

An aukward fulfome compliment, conveyed through a dark unintelligible string of rhymes, to the moft amiable prince that. ever filled the English, or any other, throne. How well the author is qualified to write Political Epiftles, we may judge from his gravely telling us in a note, that the commons of Great Britain are the legislative power,'

30. A Letter to the Rev. Dr. Lowth, occafioned by bis late Letter to the Right Rev. Author of the Divine Legation of Mofes. By the Author of Elays on the Characteristics. 8vo. 8vo. Pr. 6d. Davis and Reymers.

If the reader should expect to find, in this Letter, any learned or ingenious obfervations on the subject of the controversy now fubfifting between the Bishop of Gloucester and Dr. Lowth, he will be difappointed. This performance is a mere vindication of the author's fentiments and conduct in regard to his friend, the Bishop.

The Profeffor, in his Letter to the Right Rev. Author, &c. having confeffed himself obliged to his lordship for the diftinguished honour he had done him, in making him the subject of an Appendix to his great work, proceeds in this manner:

• I did not imagine either that the subject, on which we differed, was fo important in itfelf, or the perfon who differed from you fo confiderable in your estimation, as to merit fo for mal a process, and fo folemn a chastisement. I thought you might poffibly whip me at the cart's tail, in a note to Divine Legation; the ordinary place of your literary executions: or pillory me in the Dunciad, another engine, which, as legal proprietor, you have very ingeniously and judiciously applied to the fame purpose: or perhaps have ordered me a kind of Bride well correction by one of your beadles, in a pamphlet.' In

another

another place, the Profeffor complains, that his lordship drew him into a conference, a pretended treaty of peace; while he knew that his Cherokees and Iroquois were falling, at that very time, upon his back.' Speaking of the author of the Divine Legation, he fays, the demonftrator puts me mightily in mind of king Picrochole, when he had taken the caftle of Clermand; by affault indeed, and in all the forms, but without refiftance; for the place was open and defenceless. Upon this foundation he fets up for universal monarchy; he makes an imaginary expedition through Europe, Africa, and Afia; his three minifters, the duc de Menüail, count Spadaffin, and captain Merdaille, persuade him that he is the most puissant and chivalrous prince that ever appeared fince Alexander the Great, and that he has actually conquered all the world, &c.'

Our author, apprehending that he was ridiculed under fome of thefe ludicrous characters, endeavours to convince the world, that he is no fawning fycophant, no obfequious follower of the author of the Divine Legation; that he had often differed in opinion from that learned writer; that, in literary matters, he had always preferved an independency of mind (for the truth of which he produces several of his own private letters to particular friends) and that the profeffor's infinuations are groundJefs and injurious afperfions on his moral character.' We fhall take it for granted, though it may certainly admit of a doubt, that the profeffor really alludes to the Author of the Effays on the Characteristics, in some of thofe paffages which exhibit the humble admirers of Dr. W. in' a ludicrous view; yet it must be confeffed, that the Eftimator of the Manners and Principles of the Times, bears fome refemblance to one of the minifters of king Picrochole, when he beftows the following extravagant encomium on the author of the Divine Legation.

• True it is, that amidst this general defect of taste and learn. ing, there is a writer, whofe force of genius and extent of knowledge might almoft redeem the character of the times. But that fuperiority which attracts the reverence of the few, excites the envy and hatred of the many; and while his works are translated and admired abroad; and patronized at honie, by those who are most distinguished in genius, tafte, and learning; himself is abufed, and his friends infulted for his fake, by those who never read his writings; or if they did, could neither tafte, nor comprehend them.' Eftimate of the Manners, &c. p. 43.

Suppofing (which is a very queftionable fuppofition) that this writer's force of genius and extent of knowledge might almoft

Rabelais, 1.i. c. 33.

redeem