Time ought to be held more precious by us than all the gold in the world; and yet we fee it moft fhamefully fquandered, in endeavours to amafs a little dirty pelf. We muft kill time! cry the children of the world; and, alas! it is time that kills us: for our life is compofed of days, hours, and minutes, every one of which is continually flying away with fome portion of it; infomuch, that the very inftant I am now writing is gone beyond all hopes of a • return. Therefore one fhould think, that a man of the leaft re← Alcction, could not hear the clock strike without a sensible emotion.

It would be fome excufe if this destroying of time brought any real pleasure with it; but it rather begets an uneafinefs. We gape, we ftretch, we figh, we laugh, we fing, turn a card, fondle a dog, 6 go abroad to fee and to be feen, long for the next hour, and when the next hour comes, are not pleased with it, because it is prefent; ⚫ then we return to reft, with an intention of beginning the fame round the following day, and so on, till the inftant in which we cease to live; and then we may afk ourselves, What have I been doing all the time I have been upon earth? My life has neither been of fervice to myfelf nor others; so that I might as well have • been born a ftock or a stone.

What pencil can paint! what pen can defcribe to youth, the value of that time which they wafte in the purfuit of trifles, and which of itself flies with fuch an amazing rapidity? Young peo⚫ple fondly imagine, that there is no life without the enjoyment of pleafare, when at the fame time it is pleasure that shortens life. How many inftances have we of young men of quality, who wast⚫ed by debauch, fee themselves reduced to broths and jellies at five and twenty? Pleafure is to be found only in the inftant before enjoyment, and not while we are enjoying it; fo that it is impoffible ⚫ for us ever to attain to it.'

Art. 2. A new Vocabulary or Grammar of the true Pronunciation of the English, in form of a Dictionary; by which Foreigners may at once be inftructed to pronounce plainly, and with Eafe, all the difficult Words in that Language; ranged according to the Order of the Parts of Speech, explained in all their different Significations, accented with their proper Accents, and of which the Pronunciation is marked by fimilar Sounds in French; with the necessary Principles to learn by one's self, and in a very short Time, the English Language. By V. J. Peyton, Author of the true Principles of the English Language. 12mo. 3s. Davey and Law, &c.

Mr. Peyton appears to have taken a great deal of pains to render this work ufeful to foreigners, to which purpose it feems, indeed, to be extremely well adapted.

Art. 3. A plain and eafy Treatife of Vulgar Arithmetic: Containing all the Rules that commonly go under that Title, with the shortest and most exact Methods of working the Examples

in each Rule. To which are added, variety of necessary and ufeful Questions unwrought, with their Anfwers annexed; being chiefly defigned to exercife the Learner's Genius, and make him fill more ready at Computation. The whole calculated for the Ufe of Merchants, Tradefmen, Retailing Shopkeepers, &c. and of others who having neglected this Branch of Learning in their Youth, are deftrous of gaining a competent Knowlege of Numbers in a foort Time. By R. Shepherd, Writing-Mafter and Accomptant in Preston. 12mo. 2s. 6d. Stuart.

This Author is modeft enough to fay, in his Preface, that the Reader will, perhaps, here find as useful and fatisfactory a Treatife of Vulgar Arithmetic offered to him, as he will any where meet with, or can reasonably wish or defire.' But we can reasonably wish and defire something more, when new Treatifes appear upon old fubjects; and if as good fyftems of Arithmetic have appeared before, which is the truth, and, perhaps, not all the truth; Mr. Shepherd acknowleges that he has taken great pains to little purpose.

Art. 4. The Auction: A modern Novel. 12mo. 2 vols. 6s. Lownds.

Whether the title of this modern Novel was written for the book, or the book for the title, we know not: but, by the little share which the business of an Auction has in the ftory, we fhould be apt to imagine, that without fome particular reafon, fo inconfiderable a portion of it would hardly have given appellation to the whole.

It has, indeed, been hinted to us, that the Author is indebted, for this part of the work, to the pen of a Writer eminent in the literary world. We do not, however, readily enter into its literary merit: but, it appears to bear a different ftamp from the reft of the performance, and to have been written with a view to expofe the tricks and impofitions too often practifed at Auctions.

As to the reft of the work, tho' the ftory be frequently interefting, and the characters not ill fupported, the file is generally so very poor, and the narrative fo deftitute of humour or fentiment, that we can recommend it only to fuch as read merely to país away their time, rather than for inftruction or profitable amusement.

Art. 5. A genuine Account of the Life and Trial of William Andrew Horne, Efq; of Butterley-Hall in the County of Derby; who was convicted at Nottingham Affixes, August 10, 1759, for the Murder of a Child in the Year 1724, and executed there December 11, 1759. 8vo. 6d. Nottingham

printed, and fold by Briftow in London.

We have here an account of one of the vileft wretches we have ever heard or read of as the murder of his child, for which he was fo defervedly executed, (after fo long an interval of time between the commiffion of the fact, and his legal punishment) appears to have been

been by no means the moft cruel, or the most unnatural of his

crimes.

Art. 6. Some Letters from the Marshal Duke de Belleifle to the Marshal de Contades; with Extracts from a few of the Marfhal de Contades's Letters to the Marshal Duke de Belleisle, in 1758. 4to. IS. 4to. Is. Owen, the Gazette Printer.

In our Review for November laft, we gave fome account of a series of these Letters, the trophies of our happy victory over the French at the Battle of Minden. The Letters contained in the prefent publication, are of fubfequent date to the former; and much of the fame import.

POLITICAL.

Art. 7. Some Confiderations on the prefent Methods used for the Relief and Employment of the Poor. In a Letter to a Member of Parliament. 4to. Is. Waugh.

The many schemes which have been lately offered for the better fettlement and relief of the Poor, may be numbered among the various inftances of public benevolence, which do honour to the prefent age. Their miferable condition in this free and opulent kingdom, has long fince remained a difgrace to our Police. While fome vile impoftors have abufed Charity, and raifed contributions by counterfeiting calamities, other wretched objects, of lefs invention, or more honefty, have fuffered all the extremities of indigence and diftrefs, often aggravated by the inhumanity of Parish Officers. To fee our fellow creatures hunted from parish to parish, like noxious animals, for no other crime than that of beggary, must fill every compaffionate breaft with the deepest concern.

To remedy thefe inconveniences, is the profeffed defign of the prefent treatise and it must be owned, that the Author enters upon the examination of the Poor Laws, now in being, with great method and judgment. The firft confideration is, (fays he) whether the principles on which they are built, are true or falfe; for if they fhall be found falfe in their principles, they are incapable of being amended, fo as to be made ufeful; and the only remedy is framing ⚫ a new Law on true principles.'

That

He then gives it as his opinion, that the principles are falfe on which the Poor Laws are founded: particularly the first principle"That it is reasonable that every place in this kingdom should main"tain and employ its own Poor." In the end, he propofes, all the Poor be relieved where they want, and employed where they < may be most useful; that the fund to fupport them, be as equal as may be, national; not local or parochial; that the care of the Poor be entrusted to the Nobility and Gentry of the feveral counties, and that they fhould form one great body politic to regulate the affairs of the whole kingdom; that the Poor be divided into proper claffes, and their feveral wants fupplied in fuch manner as ⚫ is most convenient for each feveral county, either in proper Hofpi

6

<tals

tals or Work-houses, or relief to be given them at their own houses, ⚫ in fuch manner as may best suit their neceffities.'

In a fecond Letter, the Writer propofes, that the Hofpitals, Workhoufes, &c. which are at prefent fubfifting, fhould be ingrafted into one general plan for the relief of the Poor, and the feveral members united into one corporate body, to adopt Sir Jofiah Child's name, and be ftiled FATHERS OF THE POOR.

Upon the whole, though our Author's proposals are too general to be of immediate utility, and fome of them, perhaps, abfolutely inexpedient, yet they may ferve as a foundation for a well regulated fyftem.

Art. 8. Confiderations on the Laws relating to the Poor. By the Author of Confiderations on feveral Proposals for the bet- · ter Maintenance of the Poor. 4to. Is. Davis.

This Writer, who differs in opinion from the foregoing one, is against the abolition of the old fyftem. He hints, that he has had fome share of experience in the operation of the Poor Laws, and, under this confidence, he makes fome very free ftrictures on the Refolutions of the Houfe of Commons of May 1759. We cannot fay, however, that he discovers any great decency, or good fenfe, in his comment. On the contrary, he animadverts on the fecond Refolution of the House of Commons, in the following familiar ftrain.

If this Refolution,' fays he, was a little more intelligible, it would be a great deal easier either to agree with it, or contradict it. Had this Writer been commenting on an individual of his own rank, this would not have been the moft genteel mode of animadverfion; but to criticize in fuch forward terms upon the Legislature, is fomething more than rude. Where there is fo much petulance, there is feldom any great fhare of judgment; as is exemplified in our Author: for his reflections are fuch as might be expected from the foregoing fpecimen; arrogant, trifling, and fuperficial. In fhort, whatever exceptions may be made to the Refolutions of the Houfe of Commons, we will venture to fay, that there is little or no weight in this Writer's objections.

Art. 9. The Number of Alehoufes fhewn to be extremely pernicious to the Public. In a Letter to a Member of Parliament. By the V. of S. in Kent. 8vo. 6d. Baldwin.

An attempt to reftrain the number of Alchoufes, is extremely laudable; as the multiplicity of them is acknowleged, by the Statute Law, to be a grievance, and, as fuch, is fufficiently felt in fociety. The Author, however, of this well-intended pamphlet, has not enumerated half the inconveniencies attending the too great number of these houses: he contents himself with obferving, in general, that they are nufances; and concludes, that the restraining them is an obvious and natural expedient towards speedily checking and leffening the charge of the Poor, fo long and fo much complained of by the whole nation. He has likewife very industriously extracted the Statute Law

for

for the regulation of fuch houfes, and for the prevention of tippling and drunkenness.

He has, however, omitted to obferve, that for drunkenness a man may be punished by the Ecclefiaftical Court, as well as by Juftices of the Peace, according to the Statutes. We could with, that in these cafes, there was lefs difcretionary power lodged in the Juftices; and we hope, that a reformation will speedily be fet on foot, as it is extremely wanting, about town especially for in many parts, parti cularly in Cheljea, every houfe, comparatively speaking, is an Alehoufe.

Art. 10. Reafons for a general Peace. Addreffed to the Legiflature. By a private Gentleman. 8vo. 6d. Kearfly.

This Gentleman's reafons for a Peace, are drawn from the humane confideration, that war is deftructive to the human species. In this propofition we heartily concur with him; tho' we can neither recommend him as a Writer nor as a Politician.

RELIGIO u s.

Art. 11. The Doctrine and Practice of Christianity, inconfiftent with the Happiness of Mankind. 8vo. 1s. 6d. Kearfly.

An imitation of an ironical pamphlet, entitled, The Sure Guide of Hell: fee Review, Vol. II. p. 370. The Author makes the Devil write the pamphlet, in the form of a Letter to his Grace of Canterbury, whom Satan politely addreffes, in the character of a Brother Archbishop. The fcope of this curious Epiftle, is to remonftrate against the doctrines and practice of Chriftianity, as repugnant to the interefts of the diabolical Court: and to which his infernal Highnefs oppofes (and ftrongly recommends) the writings of Hobbs, Mandeville, Bolinbroke, and other Free-thinkers. He expreffes much averfion to the Church of England, as his worst enemy; at the fame time fignifying his approbation of The Mohammedan Scheme, on account of its fenfuality; and of Popery, for the fake of its cruelty. The Defign of the work, in the main, is not amifs; but the execution is very indifferent. The Sure Guide, before mentioned, was not a masterly compofition, and this is ftill inferior. Art. 12. A Difcourfe upon the Intermediate State. Shewing, that all righteous Souls, or true Believers, are immediately, upon putting off their Bodies, with Chrift in Joy and Felicity. And on the other hand, that the Sadducean, and uncharitable Doctrine of the Souls of all Men, dying, or perishing with their Bodies, is inconfiftent with all Religion, both natural and revealed; and tends as much to the Deftruction of Souls, as moft Errors the Grand Deceiver ever inftilled into the Hearts of Men, and that no Man can propagate it, unless blinded aua ruled by Satan. 8vo. 6 d. Fox.

This little piece contains nothing that can recommend it to the perufal of any judicious Reader.

3

Article