to MILTON proceeds; and whence their caution of naming him as any other writer than a poet. MILTON combated fuperftition and tyranny of every form, and in every degree. Against them he employed his mighty ftrength, and, like a Battering Ram, beat down all before him. But notwithstanding thefe mean arts either to hide or difparage him, a little time will make him better known; and the more he is known the more he will be admired. His works are not like the fugitive fhort-lived things of this age, few of which furvive their authors: they are fubftantial, durable, eternal writings; which will never die, never perifh whilft Reason, Truth, and Liberty have a being in these nations. Thus much I thought proper to fay on occafion of this publication, wherein I have no relentment to gratify, no private intereft to ferve all my aim is to ftrengthen and fupport that good old Caufe which in my youth I embraced, and the principles whereof I will af fert and maintain whilft I live.' And, accordingly, Mr. Baron did fo, with uniform ardour and zeal, to the laft; but, as we have already seen, did not live to publish what he was fo eagerly folicitous to print.-He was an honeft man, was well acquainted with the literature of this country in the laft age, and had many friends, whofe regard, however, he generally loft, through the ungoverned warmth and inequality of his temper. Art. 26. A new Hiftorical Biographical and Claffical Dictionary. Containing a concife and alphabetical Account of the most remarkable Events recorded in Ancient Hiftory. Extracted from the most celebrated Claffical Writers: Alfo the Lives and Characters of the moft illuftrious Perfonages among the Greeks, Romans, Egyp tians, Carthaginians, and other diftinguished Nations. Comprehending Heathen Deities, Patriots, Priefts, Philofophers, Kings, Princes, Legiflators, Statefmen, Generals, celebrated Ladies, Orators, Poets, Hiftorians, Painters, Phyficians, Lawyers, Players, Artificers, and, in fhort, all who have fignalized themselves by their Virtue, Courage, Learning, or Abilities. Calculated for the Ufe of Schools, and for fuch Gentlemen and Ladies, who not having had the Happiness of a Claffical Education, are defirous of being acquainted with the Heathen Mythology, and the mot ftriking Circumstances of Ancient Hiftory. 12mo. 3 s. 6d. bound. Kearfly. 1771. The defign of this compendium is thus expreffed by the Author To the Reader,' viz. In the following fheets the Editor has endeavoured to lay before his Readers whatever he found most valuable in the bett claffic writers. They contain a fhort, but he flatters himself not an uninterefting account of the most remarkable events recorded by the Greek and Roman hiftorians; with the lives and characters of the illuftrious heroes of antiquity, and, where they could with propriety be introduced, tranflations of many of the celebrated paffages that are to be met with in the ancient poets. The work was not only undertaken for the USE of SCHOOLS, where the want of fuch a performance has long been complained of, but for the fervice of fuch gentlemen as wish to become acquainted with the most material occurrences of profane hiftory, in the concifeft and easiest manner. In short, the Editor has attempted to render the whole both pleafing and useful, by blending delight with inftruction, and know ledge with entertainment. Queen's College, Oxford, Dec. 10, 1770.' We have only to obferve, that this little work is extremely defi cient, from the great number of perfons and things omitted; which, indeed, is not much to be wondered at, confidering the narrow compass to which it is confined. If the Author would add to it a fecond volume, for which there are ample materials, even on his own plan of brevity, we apprehend his Dictionary would be more generally acceptable to the public.-We have feen a work bearing a very fimilar title to this, but it is merely biographical: it was published by Millar, about 17 years ago, in 2 Vols. 12mo. A 27. Obfervations upon feveral Paffages extracted from a Work lately published, entitled, A Review of the Characters of the principal Nations of Europe. 8vo. 1 s. 6 d. Almon. There are very few of these observations that are in the leaft degree interefting many of the extracts are produced only to commend them, and to echo the Author's fentiments; while it is difficult to know for what purpose others are produced. What, for inftance, is to be learned from the following article: By this perpetual concomitance of the women," &c.-Page 73. The Author, no doubt, means, by the perpetual concomitance of the French women, their strong propensity to affemble together in large bodies.-Would not association, therefore, be a properer word than concomitance?" Concomitance [from concomitor, Lat.] Subfiftence together with another thing."-Johnfon's Dict. However, on re-confidering the word, I acquit the Author of impropriety; for concomitor, in Littleton's Dictionary, is “to accompany, to follow, to attend." "Their general negligence of books (fpeaking of the Spaniards) reduces individuals to the neceffity of drawing most of their knowledge from their own fund of experience and obfervation; which, notwithstanding they are excellent fources, and far exceed, in purity of truth and certitude, the lucubrations of the closet alone, can- not compare with that fuperior extent and profoundness of acute and thorough difcernment, which reading and meditation give those who are adequately converfant with the world."-Page 255. OBSERVATION S. Much knowledge may, doubtlefs, be acquired by experience and obfervation; and we frequently meet with men, who, with hardly any affiftance from books, make no contemptible figure in the world. But those who are naturally acute and difcerning, will find their acutenefs and difcernment confiderably increased, by a * For an account of this work, fee Review, vol. xliii. p. 329. careful perufal of books, the Authors of which were remarkable for their fhrewdness and acumen. Many of the Readers, however, of the above extract, will probably wish to know why there is more certitude, why there is more purity of truth in experience and obfervar tion, than in the lucubrations of the clofet alone. OBSERVATION upon this OBSERVATION. Does this Obferver need to be told that a man of experience, though he cannot read, will act with more propriety in the world, than a raw reclufe ftudent, until his ftudies are corrected and matured by an experimental knowledge of mankind; but that when this knowledge is once attained, cæteris paribus, the latter will have greatly the advantage of the former ? After all we are perhaps mistaken in our eftimate of the merit of thefe Obfervations, for in the lift of Tracts fold by the publisher, ftitched up at the end, we are given to understand that this pamphlet was out of print at the time it was upon fale! N. Art. 28. Sketches and Characters of the most eminent and most fin gular Perfons now living. Vol. I. 12mo. 2 s. 6d. fewed. Briftol printed, and fold by Wheble in London. 1770. A good hint for a taking touch on the times; but the flippant Wri ter has not made the most of his thought. If he will revife, improve, and give more folidity and fubftance to this work, we doubt not but it will be highly acceptable to fuch Readers as are fond of anecdotes, repartees, and bons mots, of the Duke of This, and my Lady That, and Mr. T'other the noted wit, &c. &c. &c. Art. 29. The Coterie recommended; or, the Pleasures of the Beau Monde vindicated: In an Oration made before that honourable and truly laudable Society, on the 4th of April, being the Anniverfary of its Inftitution. By the Hon. Mr. Shame'em. 8vo. Gardner, &c. Taking up the vulgar notion that the fociety lately formed among our people of fashion, and known by the name of the Coterie, is calculated for the accommodation and encouragement of vicious pleafures, this pretended Apologist abufes the affociation, in a style that will fufficiently clear the Writer from all suspicion of his being himfelf a member. Art. 30. The Trial of William Wemms, and seven others, Soldiers in his Majesty's 29th Regiment, for the Murder of Crifpus Attucks and four others, Mar. 5, 1770, at the fuperior Court of Judicature, Affize, &c. at Bofton, Nov. 27 following, &c. before the Hon. Benjamin Lynde, John Cushing, Peter Oliver, and Ed. Trowbridge, Efqrs. Juftices of the faid Court. Published by Permiffion of the Court. 8vo. 3 s. fewed. Boston printed, London reprinted. Evans. As the unfortunate accident which gave birth to thefe proceedings hath been taken up on party ground, and the circumftances have been variously represented, thofe who are defirous of knowing the real ftate of the cafe, will here meet with fatisfaction. Art. 31. The Vegetable Syftem. By Dr. Hill. Vol. XVII. Folio. Royal Paper. 11. 11 s. 6d. Baldwin. See Review, vol. xliii. p, 164, RELIGIOUS RELIGIOUS and CONTROVERSIAL. Art. 32. A Propofal for the Advancement of Christianity into a polite and elegant Syftem, adapted to the Tafte and Freedom of the prefent Age, with refpect to our general Manners and Maxims of Government. In a Letter to a Friend. By Thomas Bedford, M. A. Chaplain to the Earl Granville. 4to. I S. Wilkie. 177!. Swift's ironical manner is here affumed, with pretty good fuccefs; but whether much good effect is to be expected from any attempt to ridicule vice or irreligion, is a point of fome doubt with us. People may, poffibly, be laughed out of fome follies; but to encounter wickednefs and depravity with the delicate weapons of raillery, feems (to repeat a keen comparison of the witty Dean's) to be like endeavouring to hew blocks with a razor. MATHEMATICA L. Art. 33. An Explanation of the affirmative and negative Signs in Algebra. 8vo. 6d. Cambridge printed, and fold by Beecroft, &c. London. The title of this pamphlet would lead one to expect undoubted evidence and fatisfaction on the fubject of which it profeffes to treat. The Algebrait, however, after a careful perufal of it, may be difpofed to fuggeft an amendment, and to entitle it' An Attempt to explain, &c.' The fubject, it must be confeffed, is intricate and abftracted, and it is difficult for a fpeaker or writer to exprefs his ideas with that precifion and clearness he could wifh, and without defcending from the ftrictness of mathematical demonftration, in a fcience whofe object is abstract numbers, to the more familiar and popular illustrations by fenfible objects. The Author confiders all quantity as exifting either abfolutely or in a certain mode. And he obferves, that as the mind has a power of contemplating either of thefe exiflences, and of reafoning concerning them, the figns of algebra, which are fubftituted in the place of ordinary language, may certainly be made ufe of to exprefs this reafoning in either view. The application of this remark, in the fequel, is ingenious, and amounts briefly to this,that with regard to quantity, abfolutely confidered, the fign (plus) is the language whereby the algebraift affirms it to exift, and the fign (minus) that whereby he denies its existence. But with regard to quantity, having only modal existence, plus and minus may alternately either affirm or deny. There are two or three paragraphs in this treatise fo very inaccurately expreffed, that it is impofible to understand their meaning. We shall only produce one as a fpecimen- By the imaginary exiftence, of quantity as oppofed to real, is meant, fuch as, being no exiftence in nature, is conceived against nature, for fome particular ufe. This is a fpecies of definition, from which we can form no idea of what the Author meant to fay. We have laid the blame on the prefswe have left out, altered and transposed one word and another to no purpose. We shall conclude this article with the following general remark: If mathematicians would fix their attention primarily on the relations of quantities, and confider the figns (+) and (-) as expreffive of thefe relations, they would be lefs fubject to perplexity and confufion them 2 felves felves, and to the charge of ufing unintelligible and myfterious language, than they really are.-Some of the best writers on algebra have purfued this method, and hereby rendered the feveral fpecies of multiplication, in apprehending the rationale of which the main difficulty confifts, intelligible and obvious. R-S LAW. Art. 34. Liberty vindicated against Slavery, fhewing that Imprifonment for Debt, refufing to answer Interrogatories, long Imprifonment, though for juft Causes, &c. are all deftructive to the fundamental Laws and common Freedom of the People of England. By a Lover of his Country. First published in the Year 1646. δνο. Is. Wilkie. 1771. The efforts of Mr. Stephen, in behalf of himself, and of the other debtors confined in the King's-bench prifon, have probably occationed the republication of the treatife before us. The Author of it seems to have been well informed with regard to the fpirit and tendency of our laws, and pleads ftrongly the cause of humanity and freedom. St Art. 35. Lord Camden's genuine Argument in giving Judgment on the ejectment between Hindfon and others against Kerfey. Wherein Lord Mansfield's Opinion delivered in Wyndman contra Chetwynd, is learnedly confidered. To which is prefixed, The Argument of Lord Mansfield. 4to. 4 s. fewed. Wilkie. 1771. The opinion, which was given by Lord Mansfield upon a devise of land in the cafe of Wyndham contra Chetwynd, he fupported with much legal erudition; and a fimilar question having been fubmitted to the Court of Common Pleas, Lord Camden delivered his judgment upon it. The fentiments of thefe judges were oppofite; and, it must be allowed, that the point of law in difpute was of nice and difficult difcuffion. Lord Mansfield contends, that the atteftation of three witnesses to devifes of land is mere form; that, in the ftatute of frauds, which gives this direction, the word credible as applied to witneffes is nugatory or ufed improperly; that the ftatute being deprived of the word credible, the word witness must be expounded by common law; that a release or payment will remove the difability of a witness from interet; and that fuch a witnefs may even without a release be competent enough to prove the will for every perfon except himself. Thefe conclufions appeared to Lord Camden to be erroneous. He conceived, and attempted to prove in oppofition to them, That the credibility alluded to in the ftatute, ought to be confidered as a neceffary and fubftantial qualification of the witness at the time of atteftation; that if the witnefs is incompetent at that time, he cannot purge himfelf afterwards, either by releafe or payment, fo as to fet up the will; and that he cannot, in that cafe, be a witness to establish any part of the will. In the reasoning and arguments employed by Lord Mansfield, there is much fubtlety and precifion; but perhaps he is inclined to allow to judges too great a latitude in the interpretation of laws. Lord Camden is more diffufe and lefs profound; but his opinion, notwithftanding, abounds with many folid obfervations. He argues, in particular, with great force against the difcretionary power of Judges. The difcretion,' fays he, of a judge is the law of tyrants; it is al ways |