Mr. Whately, therefore, without knowing it, has been only employing mechanical dilatation in the treatment of ftrictures: and we hope we deserve the fame anfwer which was given by the Bourgeois Gentilhomme, on receiving a fimilar piece of information. ma foi il y a plus de quarante ans que je dis de la profe fans que j'en fcuffe rien; et je vous fuis le plus obligé du monde de m'avoir appris cela." "Par ART. 24. A Treatife on the Lues Bovilla, or Cow-Pox. By Benjamin Mofely, M. D. Author of a Treatife on Tropical Difeafes, of a Treatife on Coffee, and of Medical Tracts, Phyfician to the Royal Military Hofpital at Chelsea, Member of the College of Phyficians, London, &c. 8vo. 100 pp. 49. Longman and Co. 1804. ART. 25. Some recent Cafes of Small-Pox, fubfequent to Vaccination ; to which are added, Experiments to ascertain the Effect of vaccinating in the Hand, in Imitation of the casual Difeafe; with Facts and Obfervations on the Effect of eruptive Difeafes in removing the Security derived from Cow Pox. By William Goldfen, Member of the Royal College of Surgeons in London. 8vo. 134 PP. 35. Highley. 1805. ART. 26. Obfervations addreffed to the Public in General, on the CowPox, fhewing that it originates in Scrophula; illuftrated with Cafes to prove that it is no Security againft the Small Pox, alfo pointing out the dreadful Confequences of this new Difeafe, fo recently and rafbly introduced into the Human Conftitution; with Obfervations on the SmallPox Inoculation, proving it to be more beneficial to Society than the Vaccine. By R. Squirrell, M. D. formerly Refident Apothecary to the SmallPox Hofpital. 8vo. 75 pp. 1s. 6d. Highley. 1805. While thefe, and other writers, are collecting accounts of all the cafes, and ftating all the arguments they are able to fuggeft, to fhow that the cow-pox is not likely to prove a permanent fecurity against the infection of the fmall-pox, fortunately for the public, the practice of vaccination ftill goes on, not only in this country, but in every part of Europe. By this means thousands of newly vaccinated fubjects are almost daily added, affording the only true, and genuine teft, by which the value of the practice may be eftimated. If, as we observed, when reviewing Mr. Goldfon's former pamphlet, the cow-pox fhould not prove a complete guarantee against the fmall-pox, there will be no occafion to hunt after a few anomalous, and irregular cafes, to show its inutility. Such cafes having been known alfo to occur, among perfons inoculated with variolous matter. Whenever fmall-pox fhall become epidemic, and fhall find its way into any narrow, and thickly inhabited districts, if the cow-pox is not, as thefe gentlemen wish to prove, a complete fecurity against the infection, hundreds of vaccinated patients will take the complaint. Nothing of this kind has yet happened; and as vaccination is on all fides acknowledged to be a fafe practice, neither endangering the lives of the perfons who undergo the operation, nor fubjecting thofe in their neighbourhood to the lealt inconvenience, no friend to humanity can, we fhould think, with to fee it difcontinued. In refpect to the cow-pox being a fçrofulous complaint, or leaving leaving fome peculiar taint, or venom in the conftitution, it has been repeatedly fhown, that fewer inftances of fuch accidents are found to have occurred after vaccination, than after inoculating with variolous matter. In the three books, conftituting the fubject of this article, we fee nothing new, or requiring particular notice. The authors, we dare fay, mean well, and they have certainly exerted confiderable ingenuity in maintaining their pofition; but a failure in one cafe out of more than ten thoufand, though ever fo well fubftantiated, will hardly be confidered, by a difcerning public, in any other light, than as a cafual irregularity, upon which no folid determination can, or ought to be grounded. DIVINITY. ART. 27. The Charge of the moft Reverend the Lord Bishop of Meath, to the Clergy of his Diocefe, at his annual Vifitation. Published at their Defire. 8vo. 62 pp. Watfon and Archer, Dublin; Cadell and Co. London. 1805. careful eye, This Charge is manifeftly the work of a prelate truly anxious for the fpiritual welfare of his diocefe. The Bishop examines, with a the state of the laity as well as clergy, with refpect to their religious difpofitions; and with great forrow we obferve, that he draws a melancholy picture of the former, with the exception of little more than the venerable remnant of better times. My thoughts have been more peculiarly turned to thefe melancholy confiderations, and they are at this moment more prefent to my mind, from the duty in which I have been of late engaged, and much of which remains to be difcharged by me. Wherever I have yet been in my progrefs of confirmation, the teftimony of thofe of my brethren who, knowing the faithfulness required of them, as fterwards of the myfteries of God, speak the truth in Chrift, has, with few exceptions, been, that a moft alarming defection from the fpirit, and temper, and feeling, of the established church, is becoming more and more obvious every day among its member. They difcover a coolness, an apathy, in not a few inftances an hoftility, to every thing connected with it. They have to lament, beyond all tradition of former days, beyond the patt experience of the most aged amongst them, the Sabbaths profaned, the public fervice neglected, the churches deferted, the ministry flighted. Where they remonftrate against these examples of the encreafing abuses, and discharge the moft obligatory duty of the parochial clergy, they are not merely treated with difregard; their remonftrances are received as unwarrantable liberties, as an obtrufion of impertinent zeal, to which the terrors of a degrading fuperftition, or the fanaticism of low enthufiafts and ignorant fectaries, can alone fubmit." P. 7. When to thefe particulars is added, that of the falfe liberality, the alarming diftemper of the prefent age, "proceeding not from the fpirit of Chriftian charity and benevolence", but "from a fyftematic indifference to their own or any other rule of faith, or mode of wor hip", we have the whole picture of the wealthier claffes which have been fubject to the Bishop's obfervation or enquiry. "Such", "Such", the Bishop adds, " in too many inftauces, is the repre fentation I have received of the state of religion among our wealthier claffes. Such is the fpirit that is too obviously beginning to diffuse itfelf among them, with all the terrible confequences of a fimilar fpirit among the fame claffes, in the land lately defolated by atheism and infidelity, ftill fresh in their recollection, and with all the wounds inflicted by thefe inftruments of deftruction, on their own land, ftill open, and bleeding before them. "But an equally lamentable feature of the times for which they have been referved, they difcover in an equally visible defection from the religious temper and character of former days, among the middling and lower claffes." P. 8. Such a reprefentation cannot fail to excite the most poignant regret in every pious mind; and, though much confolation may be derived from the reflection, that it is by no means generally applicable to the United Kingdom, it cannot but be regarded as a fubject of ftrong and ferious apprehenfion. The exhortations of the Bishop of M. to his clergy are earneft, animated, and fully appropriated to the exigencies of the time; to the improvement of which, the annual vifitations of fo zealous and obfervant a fhepherd will, we trust, very powerfully contribute. Instead of making further extracts from a Charge fo highly important, we earneftly recommend the whole, not only to the perufal, but to the deep and anxious confideration of clergy and laity in every part of the United Kingdom, ART. 28. A Funeral Sermon, on the Death of the Reverend Richard De Courcy, late Vicar of St. Alkmond's Church, Shrewsbury. Preached at the fame, on Sunday, November 13, 1803, and published at the Requeft of the Congregation. by Bryan Hill, M. A. 8vo. 30 pp. IS. Wood, Shrewbury; Matthews, London. The orator, on this occafion, seems to be a perfon very different from him who is the fubject of the oration. The former is very plain, and (we muft fay) not a little dull; his oratory confifting chiefly in apoftrophes and interrogations. The other appears, from proofs here produced, to have been not a little enthufiaftic. At p. 20, Mr. H. fays: In the very admirable queftions propofed for felf-examination, he writes: [Queftion 15] Am I watchful against human applaufe, and dread it as the very smoke of hell?" Why will perfons of unquestionable piety injure the cause which they are pleading, by fuch extravagancies as this? ART. 29. The unhappy Effects of Enthufiafm and Superftition. A Sermon, preached, Wednesday, May 23, 1804, at the Annual Meeting, beld in Church Street, Deptford. By J. Evans, A. M. Second Edition. To which are added, the Sentiments of the late William Cowper, Efq. and of the late Earl of Chatham, on the Subject of true Religion. 8vo. 50 PP. is. 6d. Symonds, &c. A calm and difpaffionate harangue; not diftinguished by vigour of argument, or by any graces of ftyle. Excepting what is faid at p. zo, concerning "fome articles of faith, and fome modes of ritual wor hip"; and, at p. 31, concerning "the ground of bitterness in the Established Church"; we might probably have heard, as we have read this Sermon, with much acquiefcence, and with little or no emotion. ART. 30. Mr. Reeves, who feems to pay a conftant attention to the means of inducing his countrymen to read and ftudy the Scriptures, has here furnished thofe who have made fome progrefs in the knowledge of Hebrew, with a book which will enable them in the eafieft manner to increase that knowledge. We cannot, however, better explain his defign than he has himself. "From the circumftance of the Pfalms in the Liturgy being divided into verses that do not correspond with the verses of the Pfalms in the Bible, it is not eafy to compare them with the Hebrew; and thus one great fatisfaction in knowing the original language of Scripture is loft; which is more efpecially to be regretted, with respect to these compofitions, as they make part of our daily fervice, and might afford, more frequently than any other, opportunities of ftudy and practices that could not fail of leading in time to a complete knowledge of the language. For these reasons, I have long thought that a great defideratum in facred literature is, an edition of the Hebrew Pfalms adapted to the Pfalms in the Liturgy; and I have endeavoured to furnish such a book, in the prefent publication." Preface. We do not conceive that any apology can be required, either for adopting the modern punctuation in this edition, or for giving the titles and other illuftrations in English. Both will be accommodations to the convenience of the reader; but if more reasons should be thought neceffary, the Preface of the editor will abundantly fupply them. There is no doubt that it would have been an advantage alfo to have printed the Keri, the true reading, instead of the Ketib, an acknowledged erTor. But the idea of doing it was an after thought, and Mr. R. has made the best amends in his power, by the list of these variations at the end. POLITICS. ART. 31. An Enquiry into the Manner in which the different Wars in Europe have commenced, during the laft Two Centuries; to which are added, the Authorities upon the Nature of a modern Declaration. By the Author of the Hiftory and Foundation of the Law of Nations in Europe. 8vo. 72 pp. 2s. 6d. Butterworth, and Stockdale. 1805. So few are the political declaimers who condefcend to read before they venture to write, that it is with fingular fatisfaction we find, in a tract fuggefted by recent public events, complete information on the fubject, combined with calm and temperate difcuffion. The learned author author of this work does not indeed apply either the hiftorical detail which he has given, or the legal principles which he has fupported, directly to the prefent controverfy; but his treatife is manifeftly written to inform and affift our judgment in examining and deciding it. He remarks justly, in the outfet, that "it is feldom that hoftilities commence without animadverfion on the manner of their commencement". Had the fcope of this obfervation included only our foreign enemies, and their profeffed advocates (if any such persons remain) in this kingdom, it would not have required particular notice. But, alas! the expoftulation et tu Brute! may be well applied to fome of the prefent defenders of our foes, and detractors of our government. To their glaring perverfions of facts, a full refutation is given, by the documents laid before Parliament; and the learned author of this treatise has shown their doctrines on the law of the cafe to be contrary to the best authorities; and, what we think has ftill greater weight, negatived by the practice of two centuries. The two leading objec tions to the feizure or detention of the Spanish frigates were, that it took place before a declaration of war on either fide, and that it was ordered while Ambaffadors or Minifters refided at the respective Courts. But in the work before us, a series of inftances are given, in which war was begun without any previous Declaration; and fome in which Ambaffadors continued at the refpective Courts long after hoftilities had commenced. The most memorable of these wars were, that between England and Spain, which was marked by the celebrated expedition of the Armada; the invafion of Germany, by Guftavus Adolphus; the war of Cromwell with the Dutch; the Dutch war, in 1664; the war which immediately followed the death of Philip the Fourth of Spain; the war for the fucceffion to the Spanish crown; the invafion of Sardinia and Sicily by Spain, and the confequent deftruction of the Spanish fleet by Admiral Byng (which laft transaction the author properly confiders as juftifiable). The fubfequent hostilities with Spain, when Admiral Hofier had blocked up the Spanish galleons; the difputes with Spain on the right of fearch, and confequent war with France (during which the battle of Dettingen was fought, while both nations continued under all the forms of peace, with Minifters refident in the respective countries); the invafion of Silefia by the King of Pruffia, in 1740; the war between England and France, which began in 1756; that in Germany at the fame period, commonly called the feven years' war; and, laftly, the American war. All the foregoing wars were, he shows, begun without any public and formal Declaration. The author then goes into the practice of ordering reprisals, and taking fecurities; marking the difference between these two methods of proceeding; and fhowing, that reprisals are short of abfolute war, and fecurities fhort of reprifals. The nature of fuch fecurity (the very name and notion of which has been indecently ridiculed) is here rationally explained. From all these inftances it appears, that by the ufage of modern Europe, as well as the reafon of the cafe, no formal and public Declaration of war is required previously to an act of hoftility, provided juftice has been denied, or unreafonably delayed, to the party aggrieved; and that the offending party has been |