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fore humbly afk, whether, inftead of difpatching malefactors as ufual, the end of punishment might not be better anfwered by making them living, ftanding, vifible examples, as the wifdom of the legiflature fhall judge proper? Not putting them out of fight by fending them abroad, or hiding them in gaols or Bridewells at home; but expofing them to public view, confining them to hard labour, in mending the roads, clearing wood, heath, or furze-lands for tillage, making navigable canals, &c. &c. all under fuch inspection and management, as on due confideration fhall be judged requifite and neceffary. And whereas the difficulty of keeping them to their work, and preventing their doing further mifchief may be objected:fuppofe a finger were cut off, not only as a part of their punishment, but a mark to facilitate their difcovery in cafe of defertion.-Suppofe too they were informed, that they are on their good behaviour;

that if they conduct themselves as they ought-are quiet, obedient, diligent ;-they may expect favour, and in time their liberty may be granted them. And may not the hope of this have a happy influence, and make fome good impreffion upon them? or their prefent difagreeable fituation difpofe them to bethink themfelves, and make penitent reflections on their past condu&t?'

of

One part of the pamphlet fpeaks of a certain writer who tells us, that he was much affected with the execution of a youth of fifteen years age, for robbery, which, he fays, is an age that our laws do not confider as of maturity in acting in other affairs for ourselves; he thinks fuch an offender might have reformed in the plantations fo as to have become a useful member of fociety, and therefore withes, that at fuch an age, they were confidered accordingly, and indeed the Church of England feems in general not to think perfons arrived to years of difcretion 'till they are of the age of fixteen years.'

There muft doubtlefs have been fome very extraordinary circumftances attending the cafe, which occafioned the paffing and executit may be questioned ing fo fevere a fentence at that tender age; yet

whether tranfportation at that time of life is likely to reform the criminal, or whether, confidering with what affociates they are to be united, there is not great danger of their being rendered utterly hardened and abandoned.

The reflections here offered are not indeed new, but they are important; the arguments are collected into one view, and they fufficiently fhew that it is greatly defirable that the point should be maturely confidered by thofe who have it in their power to effect fome alteration in the prefent method. If the writer's style and manner are not always the most accurate and judicious, every one muft be pleafed with the apparent goodness of his heart, and the benevolence of his prefent defign. Muft not all fober perfons affent to fuch obfervations as the following? It were highly to be wished that legislative power would direct the law rather to reformation than feverity: that it would appear convinced that the work of eradicating crimes is not by making punishments familiar, but formidable, Instead of our prefent prifons which find or make men guilty, which inclofe wretches for the commiffion of one crime, and return them, if returned alive, fitted for the perpetration of thoufands; it were to be wifhed we had, as in other parts of Europe, places of penitence

and

and folitude, where the accufed might be attended by fuch as could give them repentance if guilty, or new motives to virtue if innocent. And this, not the increafing punishments, is the way to mend a ftate: nor can I avoid even questioning the validity of that right which focial combinations have affumed of capitally punishing offences of a flight nature.- -Whether is it from the number of our penal laws, or the licentioufnefs of our people, that this country fhould fhew more convicts in a year, than half the dominions in Europe united? Perhaps it is owing to both; for they mutually produce each other. When by indifcriminate penal laws a nation beholds the fame punishment affixed to diffimilar degrees of guilt, from perceiving no diftinction in the penalty, the people are led to lofe all fense of distinction in the crime, and this distinction is the bulwark of all morality:-it were to be wished then that power, instead of contriving new laws to punish vice,-instead of cutting away wretches as useless, before we have tried their utility, inftead of converting correction into vengeance,-would try the reftrictive arts of government, and make law the protector, but not the tyrant of the people. We should then find that creatures, whose fouls are held as drofs, only wanted the hand of a refiner; we should then find that wretches now stuck up for long tortures, left luxury fhould feel a momentary pang, might, if properly treated, ferve to finew the state in times of danger; that, as their faces are like ours, their hearts are fo too; that few minds are fo bafe as that perfeverance cannot amend; that a man may fee his laft crime without dying for it; and that very little blood will ferve to cement our fecurity."

Should it be thought that these fentiments are in any particular extended rather too far, it must also be allowed that they contain much truth, humanity, and equity. Hi. Art. 37. The Key to Abfurdities; containing the Author's private Thoughts of fome late Proceedings. 8vo. 1 s. Davenhill. The Author profeffes himself to be a small freeholder of Effex, and his profeffion is probably true. He appears to be a plain, unlettered man, of a good natural understanding, of a laudable public fpirit, and, in political matters, zealous, for government, in oppofition to the adherents of Mr. Wilkes, the Gentlemen who ftyle themfelves Supporters of the Bill of Rights, and all the outs in general, whom he confiders as a set of wicked factious people, who have only their own private interefts and party-ends in view. The avowed prin ciples of these fons of fedition, as he deems them, and the arguments that have been brought in fupport of their proceedings, are what he means by abfurdities; and his own ftri&tures upon those principles and arguments are the Key which is to unlock or lay open the faid abfurdities, and expofe them to public view, contempt, and abhorrence. He talks like an honest man, though his language is not elegant, nor always grammatical; nor is there any thing new in his remarks. At the end of his pamphlet we find an account of the oppofition that has been made by the wicked fpirit of party, to a very good scheme, as he ftates it, for rebuilding the jail at Chelmfford, on a more convenient and more wholefome fpot of ground than that on which the prefent old building ftands. If the cafe be really as he reprefents it, and we fee no reafon to question the vera

G4

city

city of his report, the Effexians who oppofed, and frustrated, fa laudable a fcheme, must have been Effex Calves indeed!

Art. 38. Schemes fubmitted to the Confideration of the Public, more efpecially to Members of Parliament, and the Inhabitants of the Metropolis. 8vo. I s. Browne. 1770.

Although this fchemer is a very bad writer, he appears to be a fenfible obferver of what paffes in the world, and to have thrown out fome hints that might be highly ufeful to the public, if duly attended to, and improved upon. His fchemes are I. For removing the public executions of criminals for the county of Middlefex, from Tyburn; and for feveral ufeful regulations of the fame. II. A general act of parliament for making openings, and rendering more commodious the different streets, lanes, alleys, &c. in London, Westminster, and Southwark, &c. to fave the expence of fo many Separate acts, for every trivial improvement. III. An act for regu lating and prefcribing the rates of land-carriage, and porterage of goods from the Inns; and for preventing provifions, game, and other commodities from being fpoiled or loft, for want of being speedily and duly delivered. The Author fays, he is informed that not lefs than 20 tons of provifions are annually fpoiled at the different inns in this metropolis. IV. A new road from the bridge, near Clapton, to the Oxford road, between Shepherd's Bush and Acton. V. A new regulation of militia, chiefly with a view to the fecurity of London, in cafe of an invafion. VI. An enlargement of Billingfgate fish-market: this feems a very proper scheme, and the execution of it may be highly expedient. VII. The removal of Smithfield market out of the city: equally neceffary. VIII. A new regulation of St. James's Haymarket. IX. Improvements relating to St. James's Park, with a plan for opening certain communications through it, to accommodate the inhabitants of the environs of the Park. X A new regulation of the nightly watch, in the capital; in order to leffen the frequency of houfe-breaking and ftreet-robberies. XI. A fcheme for putting a stop to the tranfportation of convicts, and for employing them on the public roads of this kingdom. Art. 39. A Collection of the Protefis of the Lords of Ireland, from 1634 to 1770. 8vo. 2 s. 6 d. fewed. Almon. 1771.

The Editor affures his Readers that the prefent feries of thefe protests commences with the firft upon record. Suppofing the collection to be complete, there is no occafion to fay any thing more in its recommendation.-Mr. Almon has also published a Supplement to the protefts of the English Lords, price 1 s. which brings that collection down to June 1770.

Art. 40. Some Proposals for firengthening our Naval Inflitutions. In a Letter to the Right Honourable Lord Anfon. By a Sea Officer. Written in the Year 1759. 8vo. Becket. 1771.

The propofals in this letter are highly chimerical and romantic. It is, furely, very neceffary, that thofe, who enter into the navy, fhould be properly inftructed in every branch of knowledge, which has a reference to the marine. But, for this purpote, we must not

In 2 volumes 8vo. 12 s.

erect

erect universities on board our fhips of war. The fpeculations of philofophy do not fuit with the din of arms; and lectures on aftronomy and optics will not fupport our naval fuperiority. St. Art. 41. The Squire and the Parfon, with the Interlude of the Poulterer. 12mo. I S. Wheble.

A mere collection from the News-papers, of the proceedings, relative to the general meeting of the Westminster electors, in October laft, the Remonftrance, the Inftructions, and the fquabble with Edridge the poulterer. The title feems to be purely of the catchpenny ftamp.

POETICA L.

Art. 42. Grace triumphant. A facred Poem, in Nine Dialogues, wherein the utmoft Power of Nature, Reafon, Virtue, and the Liberty of the Human Will, to administer Comfort to the awakened Sinner, are impartially weighed and confidered; and the whole fubmitted to the ferious and candid Perufal of the Rev. Dr. Nowell of Oxford, the Rev. Dr. Adams of Shrewsbury, and the Author of Pietas Oxonienfis. By Philanthropos. 8vo. 2 S. Birmingham, printed for the Author, and fold by Johnson in London. 1770.

Philanthropos fays, he was once a ftrenuous advocate for the dignity, and purity of human nature; and expected to obtain the Divine Favour, by a conformity to the rules of natural religion; but being brought under fome long and very fevere exercifes of the mind, and being in a wonderful, and gracious manner brought to the knowledge of Chrift, and the joys of his falvation; he thinks it his duty to give fome account of these things, and to bear his teftimony to the glorious truths of that Gofpel, which once was his averfion; but now the delight and joy of his foul. As he delights in popical productions, he hath attempted the fubject in rhime: and beg advifed to publish it by fome perfons of knowledge and experience in the ways of God; he fends it into the world, not wholly without hopes, that it may be made useful to perfons of fimilar experiences with his own and be a means of adminiftering comfort to the dejected foul.'

The foregoing paffage may ferve to give an idea of the Author's principles; thofe that follow may be taken as fpecimens of his poetry. Speaking of the Redeemer, he ftyles him

A God

With wrath he drives them, or with love he draws,
But gives not haughty man to know the cause.'

P. 116.

Many, no doubt, among the followers of the Author's late friend the learned and pious Mr. Hervey, who approved the plan, and corrected part of this work,' will be greatly edified by thefe Dialogues; while others, ftrangers to fuch convictions, experiences, and feelings, will find themselves, on perufal of them, in a fituation fomewhat fimilar to that of rather a better poet than Philanthropos, when he fays

To laugh, were want of goodnefs and of grace;
But to be grave, exceeds all power of face."

Art. 43. A Monody on the Death of the Reverend Mr. George
Whitefield. 4to. 6d. Miller.

Expecting nothing but trash on this fubject, these few pages very agreeably disappointed us. The monody is indeed unequal, but it is in many places truly poetical.

And grief fincere inftructs the fhell

In accents fad and flow to fwell:
Not with Allegro's frolic fhrill,
That fuits the weeping mind but ill :
The bafe's burial voice alone

With mifery is in unifon.

The ftrong expression in the last line but one must be obvious to every ear.

I love thee, maid of folemn eye;

Thy cheek with briny forrows worn,

To me is amiably forlorn,

Though there no tints of purple lie.

There is a fingular elegance and happiness in the amiably forlorn; but then the following stanza has more faults, than the preceding one has beauties:

Thy leaden lid, thy fober brow,

Thy treffes darkly brown,

That in difhevel fqualid flow

Thy ivory neck adown.

In leaden lid there is too great a jingle of the fame found. Squalid difbevel conveys an inelegant idea, ill adapted to the mufe of melancholy; and the laft word of the laft line enfeebles it too much.

Thee in the filent tomb impal'd.

The word impal'd is here wrefted from its common fenfe and ac-. ceptation; nor will every reader easily discover what the Author means by it. He defcribes the archangel's trumpet in a manner which cannot perhaps be exceeded, when he fays

-the clangors loud and long

Mock the foft thunder's puny tongue.

L.

Art. 44. An Elegiac Poem on the Death of the Rev. Mr. George

Whitefield. 4to. 6 d. Wills.

The Author of this poem profeffes that he does not care a pin for the Reviewers; and the Reviewers, for their part, are under no little concern that they do not ftand in a more refpectable light with fo