5. De Igne, &c. i. e. Philofophical Thefes concerning the Nature of Fire. Dedicated to Pius VI. By Count CHARLES RESTA, Patrician of Milan. 4to. Rome. 1786.-Those who are acquainted with the recent and multiplied experiments of the Doctors Prieftley, Black, Crawford, Bergman, Scheele, Abbé Fontana, and other learned men, relative to the subject here announced, will meet with nothing very new in this performance. They will, however, find in it the heads of an elementary treatife upon Fire, judiciously propofed, and elegantly arranged; and in this point of view the work before us has a confiderable degree of merit. In the noble Author's plan for the compofition of fuch a treatise, the thefes, or propofitions, announced in the title of his work, are distributed into three claffes; the ift, containing all that relates to the nature of the igneous fluid in general;-the 2d, all the intimate combinations of this fluid, confidered as principle ;-the 3d, the freer union of fire with other bodies in a ftate of mixture only, and aggregation. Under the three heads of this divifion, the Author, without profeffing to give a complete treatise on the subject, furnishes, nevertheless, by reasonings upon the facts which experiments have difcovered, very good materials for fuch a treatise. Under the first he proves that fire is not a modification of other bodies, but a fubftance fui generis, fimple, peculiar, elementary, and not compofed, as fome learned men have imagined, of phlogifton intimately combined with pure air. He confiders it, moreover, as the univerfal diffolvent, the caufe of all fluidity, and the principle, by whofe influence, air, water, and all other menftrua exercife activity. He looks upon it as the principle of feveral cryftallizations, as the caufe of the aeriform appearances, of which many fubftances are fufceptible, and the great agent from whose presence and quantity, the prefervation or deftruction, both of vegetative and fenfitive life, are equally derived. After having unfolded the nature and general properties of the igneous fluid, M. RESTA, in the fecond Part of his work, confiders this Auid in its combinations; and here he goes over the fame ground that has been trod, before him, by the Priestleys, the Fontanas, the Sennebiers, and other eminent men. In the third Part, already announced, he follows and illuftrates the theory of Dr. Crawford. 6. Memorie Iftoriche, &c. i. e. Hiftorical Memoirs concerning Cerignola. By M. THEODORE KIRIATTI, M. D.-The Author thews that Cerignola is the ancient Gerionum (which is no new difcovery), and that it was founded by the Aufonians; which may have been the cafe. His account of the flourishing state of Apulia, when Hannibal made himself mafter of that country, and of its prefent state with refpe&t to population, agriculture, commerce, induftry, towns, and public edifices, is more intereft ing. His work is terminated by an effay on the natural history of this fertile region, and an enumeration of the experiments he made to ascertain the non exiftence of the venom attributed to the Tarantula. 7. L'Iliade, &c. i. e. Italian tranflations of the Iliad of Homer. Vol. I. By the Abbé CESAROTTI. Padua. 1785.-We announce this tranflation, on account of the treasure of hiftorical and critical erudition with which it is accompanied. We have, here, indeed two tranflations; the one literal, in profe, which is to fupply the place of the original text;-the other poetical, and made with a certain freedom, into which our Author has endea voured to transfufe the fpirit of the Grecian bard. The profe tranflation is accompanied with a multitude of mythological, hiftorical, critical, philofophical, and grammatical obfervations, which conftitute the most inftructive part of the work. Many volumes, ancient and modern, have been laid under contribution to furnish thefe obfervations, to which the Abbé has added a certain number of his own. Thefe are followed by whole differta tions, borrowed from eminent critics and philologifts, and de figned to illuftrate a variety of fubjects relative to the Iliad. But this is not all: for, to render this work useful to the lovers of Grecian literature, M. CESAROTTI has placed at the end of the volume, the moft confiderable various readings of the Greek fcholiafts, which are in the library of St. Mark at Venice, and are to be published in the edition of Homer, promifed by the learned M. Villoifon.-There is alfo prefixed to the tranflation before us a Preliminary Difcourfe, containing an ample account of Homer's life and writings. M_e. **Since writing the above, we have, by accident, met with the 3d edition of Abbé Cefarotti's Italian tranflation of the works of Offian; and we purpofe to give an account of it in our Appendix-which will be published next month, as usual. MONTHLY CATALOGUE, For DECEMBER, 1786. POLITICA L. Art. 11. The Treaty of Navigation and Commerce between his Britannic Majefty and the moft Chriftian King. Signed at Versailles Sept. 26, 1786. In French and English. 4to. 2s. 6d. Harrison. WITH refpect to this article, the Public are all critics, to a man; W1 it would be, therefore, impertinence in us, were we to pretend to give a review of it. Art. 12. The two Treaties between Great Britain and France. The former in the Reign of Queen Anne, the latter in the Year 1786, compared, Article by Article, in oppofite Columns. Together with the Subitance of 46 Petitions prefented against the former Treaty, by the Manufacturing Interefts of Great Britain, faithfully tranfcribed from the Journals of the House of Commons. Likewife a Narrative of the Reception of the fame Treaty by the Public, and the final Decifion upon it in Parliament. 4to. Is. Debrett. 1786. The defign of this publication is to fhew the great fimilarity of Mr. Eden's commercial Treaty, with that of Utrecht, in the year 1713, which was ftrongly objected against by manufacturers and tradefmen of various defcriptions, under the apprehenfion of the bad effects it would have on the commerce and manufactures of the kingdom; and which was rejected by the House of Commons. Mr. Eden's Treaty is, in fubftance, and generally in words, an exact copy of the former; the compiler of the prefent comparative performance, feems to think that there is the fame caufe for apprehenfion now that there was in 1713; and he wishes to have this plain queftion determined, viz. Why the very Treaty, which, in 1713, was, with one voice, fcouted through the kingdom, fhould, in 1786, be quietly acquiefced in, as a matter of national honour and advantage ?' R-m Art. 13. A Collation of Letters on interefting Subjects; in which the Benefits of Whiggifm are pointed out, and the Origin of the Revolution is inveftigated; that the Public may know to whom they are indebted for this wonderful Change in our political Hemifphere. 12mo. IS. Bramwell. 1785. King William, a Papift! the Pope, chief inftrument in bringing about the Revolution! The Whigs, a pack of knaves! &c. &c. is the language of this anonymous politician. What generous mind can refufe to rejoice when truth emergeth from obfcurity, when facts which have been fo long the theme for eulogiums are ftripped of their varnish, and appear in the odious and deteftable light which they deserve ?' Preface, p. iv. What pity that we are left ignorant of the fagacious discoverer, who thus brings forth the truth, and proclaims thefe great tidings!efpecially as we are not favoured with references to any other authority for the paradoxical facts here advanced, befide the mere ipfe dixit of Mr. Anybody, or Mr. Nobody. GEOGRAPHY, &c. ༧༠ Art. 14. Cary's Actual Survey of the Country Fifteen Miles round દ In our Review for April laft, we made mention of Mr. Cary's Actual Survey of Middlefex, and recommended it to the notice of the Public, as being peculiarly convenient for occafional confultationboth as a county-map, and as a road-directory." And the fame REV. Dec. 1786. Hh degree degree of commendation may be honeftly due to the prefent publica tions, only that they do not come under the denomination of Countymaps. Mr. Cary's Surveys are, without question, the most accurate and elegant of any that have appeared fince the days of Roque. His maps too, are poffeffed of this very peculiar excellence, that when cut, and pafted on canvas for the pocket, the names of the feveral places are no way mangled or injured by it, but remain whole and entire :this gives clearness and diftin&nefs to the various parts of the dif fected map, and adds confiderably to the beauty of the whole, B. HISTORICAL. Art. 16. The Hiftory of the War with America, France, Spain, and Holland, commencing in 1775, and ending in 1783. By John Andrews, LL. D. 8vo. 4 Vols. l. 10s. Boards. Fielding. 1786. This Hiftory is chiefly compiled from the public prints, and the proceedings of the Houfe of Commons; and is frequently interfperfed with pertinent political remarks. The facts in general are well recorded; in fome circumstances we think the Author has not been fully informed, but thefe are few. Impartiality, the greatest recommendation of an hiftorian, efpecially the hiftorian of his own times, feems to have been much attended to by the Author; and though, on the whole, he has placed things in a proper light, and apparently attributed them to their true caufes, yet we are doubtful that TIME has not yet fufficiently detected the hidden motives that AGRICULTURE, C. -m actuated the contending powers in their various operations.R-Art. 17. National Improvements upon Agriculture, in Twentyfeven Eflays, by David Young, Perth. 8vo. 5s. Boards. Edinburgh, Bell. 1785. We have feldom read a performance that affumes a more uninviting appearance than that now before us. The language is vulgar, and abounding in Scotticifms, fo as to be fcarcely intelligible; the style prolix, and embarraffed, full of digreffions that have no connection with the fubject, and repetitions without end. The Author is evidently unacquainted with the first principles of philofophy; yet the greatest part of his performance confifts of attempts to account for the various phenomena of nature; and he talks in a decifive manner on the most intricate fubjects. The formation of the univerfe, the internal structure of the earth, the changes that have been produced on the earth's furface, &c. &c. are favourite subjects with our Author, to which he recurs in almost every page of his book. He is likewife particularly fond of treating of the fingular fubftance called pear, or, as he ftyles it, mofs; though it is very evident to an intelligent reader that he knows little of its nature and qualities, and that he recommends it, for many ufes for which it is altogether unfit. In fhort, there is fuch a jumble of nonfenfe to be met with in almost every page of the book, as will probably disgust most readers, and prompt them to throw it afide before they have perused one half of it. Notwithstanding this fevere cenfure, which juftice obliges us to pass upon this work, the fame juftice obliges us to own, that an intelli 6 gent gent reader, who can pafs over its imperfections, will difcover that fome fundamental principles of agriculture are laid down in this work, and frequently inculcated with great and laudable zeal; fuch as, that ground fhould be, at any rate, made perfectly clean, and before any other improvement fhould be attempted that it is of importance to lay ground into grafs when perfectly clean, and fully enriched by manures that it is a great improvement to keep a large proportion of ground, thus cleaned and enriched, in grafs with feveral other general axioms of the fame kind, that are not fufficiently adverted to: but, while we approve of thefe fundamental principles, as advanced by our Author, we must condemn, as abfurd and im practicable, the greatest part of the measures he recommends, for bringing the ground into that good order which he withes. The object that he is defirous to attain is good, but the means he prescribes for that purpofe are altogether inadequate, and many of them are fo exceedingly whimfical, as to excite compation for the man who could feriously recommend them. An-n EDUCATION. Art. 18. A Chart, fhewing the Gender of every Noun in the French Language, included in two Tables of Mafculine and Feminine Terminations. A Sheet in large Folio. 1s. Law. French grammarians have found great difficulty in making rules for the genders of nouns. This chart, fhewing the rules in one view, may have fome advantages over a grammar, where the rules are not placed together. A. B. ECCLESIASTICAL LAW. Art. 19. The Arguments of Caunfel, in the Ecclefiaftical Court, in the Caufe of Inglefield. With the Speech of Dr. Calvert, July 22, 1786, at giving Judgment. 8vo. 28. Murray. Thefe fpeeches were printed from Mr. Gurney's fhort-hand notes; and are curious fpecimens of the abilities of the learned Civilians. As to the nature of this extraordinary caufe, delicacy commands our filence. POETRY. Art. 20. Poems, and other Pieces, by Henry Headley. 8vo. 1s. 6d. Robfon. 1786. Mr. Headley, we understand, was a Member of Trinity College, Oxford, and now refides at Norwich. The greater part of thefe poems, or, as he himself quaintly fays, the. majority,' have been before made public. They are dedicated to Doctor Parr, as a mark of the gratitude and refpect, which an ingenuous fcholar thought due to his able and faithful mafter. The application of the paffage from Laurent. Valla, does credit to the judgment of Mr. Headley, and expreffes, very justly and fully, the merits of Dr. Parr. In the Poems themfelves there is much tafte, and fome poetry; many nervous expreffions, fome harmonious verfes, a few fentiments that have traces of originality, and a general felicity in the choice of fubjects. The character of Lothario is well drawn; and we were much pleased with the Invocation to Melancholy, which feems to mark, not merely the powers of the writer, but the peculiarities of his character.-A young man, educated under Dr. Parr, cannot but reflect, with pity and re Hh 2 verence, |