Atupid effufions of his malignity" are juftly, though rather coarsely, reprobated. But why this author, who himself adopts fuch language, and who juftifies the ftrong cenfures paffed in our journals on the conduct of the (then) Firft Conful, fhould fo vehemently condemn the fpeeches of Mr. Windham and others in parliament for fcurrility, without giving a fingle inftance to juftify his affertions, or fhowing that any remarks were made by them not warranted by the subject in debate. Why alfo the charges brought against Bonaparte by Sir Robert Wilfon (which have been fo amply confirmed by other writers) fhould be termed "a romance" by this author, we are at a lofs to conceive. The illiberal manner in which Sir James Mackintosh is treated, in a note (p. 21) is alfo highly cenfurable; but we need not wonder at this, in a writer, who expreffes his unqualified contempt for Grotius, Puffendorf, and Vattel. In the reft of this pamphlet we fee nothing to cenfure, except the unconnected style, and frequently coarse language, in which it is written. The apparent object (which is to fhow the neceffity of the prefent war, and to animate our exertions in the defence of our country) deferves, and has our praise.

ART. 35. Confiderations on the twofold Mode of Election adopted by the French. By the Rev. Christopher Wyvill. 8vo. 40 pp. IS. Johnfon. 1804.

The intermediate, or (as this author terms it) twofold election eftablished by the vifionary reformers of France, has been, if we mistake not, irrefragably fhown to be futile, and inefficacious to any good purpofe, in the mafterly treatifes of Mr. Burke on the French Revolu tion. It is here alfo combated on ftrong and juft grounds by Mr. Wyvill, though himself a zealous and determined advocate for parliamentary reform. Whoever, therefore, wishes to fee the subject treated more at large, and the objections to this pernicious innovation more fully fet forth than they have been by that illuftrious writer, may derive fatisfaction from the perufal of this work; although they may (as we certainly do) differ from fome of the opinions incidentally thrown out by the author. We are indeed concerned to fee a gentleman, who argues fo well and fo conftitutionally, on the chief fubject of his pamphlet, fo tenacious of his favourite meafure (a measure at all times of very doubtful, and in the prefent ftate of things, probably of the most dangerous confequence) as to confider parliament as almoft ufelefs, and the minds of the people as degraded and fervile, becaufe it has not been judged expedient to adopt it. But with this writer Earl Stanhope is the wifeft of politicians, and the ingenious fpecula tions of Sir James Mackintosh, in his juvenile days, are preferred to the conclufions of his founder and more experienced judgment. Both the above writers are, however, oppofed in the opinion they have advanced in favour of the "twofold election", and oppofed with great reafoning and effect.

ART. 36. An Answer to Mr. Pitt's Attack upon Earl St. Vincent and the Admiralty, in his Motion for an Enquiry into the State of the Naval Defence of the Country, on the 15th of March, 1804. Svo. 58 pp. Is. 6d. Ebers. 1804.

ART. 37. Audi alteram Partem: or the real Situation of the Navy of Great Britain at the Period of Lord St. Vincent's Refignation; being a Reply to the Miftatements of " an Anfwer to Mr. Pitt's Attack upon Earl St. Vincent and the Admiralty"; alfo containing the Subflance of a fuppreffed Pamphlet on the fame Subject. By an Officer of his Majefly's Navy. 8vo. 68 pp. 25. Budd. 1804.

It will not be expected that reviewers fhould decide betwixt contending parties, concerning the best modes of constructing and providing for the British navy: "Non noftrum elt, tantas componere lites". Leaving, therefore, thefe queftions to more competent judges, we fhall only exprefs our hope and conviction, that whether the threatened invafion be refitted by large fhips only, or by fmall veffels in conjunction with them, fuch is the kill of our commanders and the bravery of our failors, that either the threat will not be executed, or deftruction will await every one who fhall attempt to land an invading foe upon any of the shores of our united kingdom.

ART. 38. A candid and difpoffionate Addrefs to Sir Francis Burdett, Bart. pointing out the Causes of his D-feat at the late Election of a Member to reprefent the County of Middlefex. By an independent Freeholder. 29 PP. IS. Rivingtons. 1804.

If the ears of the gentleman here addreffed be not feared to all wholesome admonition, he may derive benefit from the reproof of this temperate opponent. The writer points out to him (juftly we have no doubt) the true caufes why fo many independent freeholders ("independent of the frowns or fmiles of any man") refolved to oppofe him. These are ftated to be, in the firit place, his conduct before he became a candidate for Middlefex, in efpoufing the principles of the French Revolution,-in affociating with men (fuch as the Correfponding Society) who would have dethroned the King, fubverted the Conftitution, and reared a Republic on its ruins,-and in countenancing, by his fpeeches, the mutiny in the fleets and the Irish rebellion. Here alfo the nature and object of the Baronet's vifits to the prifon in Cold-Bath-Fields (where he is faid to have noticed no prifoners but mutineers and traitors, and, instead of admonishing, to have inflamed them to riot and outrage) are contrafted with the benevolent and charitable vifits to prifons by the philanthropic Howard; nor are the fupport given to O'Connor, and the intimacy with Defpard, left unnoticed. Next, his conduct in ac cepting the invitation of a number of perfons of very fufpicious characters to become a candidate for Middlesex, and the fyftem of defamation and outrage reforted to in order to obtain fuccefs. This conduct also the writer confiders as calling for the oppofition of all independent men. But the last and most fatal blow to the Baronet's popularity was given (fays the writer) by his Speech at the Crown and

Anchor,

Anchor, confirmed at the meeting at Hackney. Having thus far dwelt on the political errors of the gentleman addreffed, the writer recommends a condut more confiftent with that veneration for the Conttirution which he has very lately thought proper to profefs. This profeffion he warmly approves. We fhould be happy to learn that thefe admonitions, delivered in the language of good fenfe and can dour, had produced a correfponding effect.

ART. 39. An Afwer to Lord Sheffield's Pamphlet, on the Subject of the Navigation Syftem; proving, that the Acts deviating therefrom, which his Lordfhip cenfures, were beneficial to our Trade and Navy in the last War, and ought to be renewed in the prefent. By S. Cock, Commercial and Public Agent to the Corporation of Liverpool. Svo. 74 PP. 2s. 6d. Richard fons. 1904.

cifm.

To decide on commercial questions of confiderable importance and intricacy belongs, we conceive, to another tribunal than that of criti In cur account*, therefore, of the able pamphlet on this fubject by Lord Sheffield, we did not venture to pronounce his reafonings incontrovertible, or his opinion to be established beyond difpute; though they appeared to us, and still appear, well worthy of attention. In the work how before us, the author contends that the temporary relaxations of the navigation fyftem, which took place during the late war, were not only rendered neceffary by the then exifting circumftances, but proved fo beneficial to our commerce during the war, that they ought now to be renewed to their full extent. His arguments (which go to prove that the Navigation Acts should be almoft entirely fufpended during war) are fupported by public documents, howing, that during the three last years of the late war, our foreign trade in general, and even the tonnage of our fhipping, and number of feamen employed in it (allowing, however, in this laft cafe, for the ftoppage of intercourfe with the countries at war with us) exceeded the amount of the same trade, &c, in the three last years of the preceding peace. This increafe, Lord S. fhould he reply to this Antwer, will probably afcribe to other caufes than the fufpenfion of the Navigation Acts: yet it certainly tends to fhow that the fufpenfion cannot have been fo deprimental to commerce as his Lordship concluded. With regard to the permition given to import to the Weft India islands the produce of the American States, in American bottoms, it is juftified by the writer before us, on the ground that the benefit derived from thence to our colonies greatly outweighs the difadvantage to our fhipping intereit, and the difcouragement to our feamen, fuppofed to arife from that measure. On this point, however, Mr. Cock chiefly refers to a pamphlet written by Mr. Jordan, which has not yet come under our

notice.

The great and most forcible argument of this writer for throwing open the carrying trade, during war, to neutral veffels, or veffels na vigated chiefly by neutral feamen, is, that at fuch periods the greater part of our own fhipping, and moft of our own feamen, are required

*See Brit, Crit. for June, 1804, page 688.

for

for the fervice of government, and that we are confequently enabled by this measure to fupport, and even increase, during war, our various and extensive commerce, and, at the fame time, to maintain a navy fuperior, beyond the example of all former times, to the fleets of our enemies. He also fenfibly and liberally argues, that we are not to forego a manifeft profit to ourselves, becaufe others may, even in a greater degree, participate in the benefits refulting from it. He conceives alfo that the Americans, though rapidly increafing in commercial opulence, are not likely, from their diftance and other circumftances, to become dangerous rivals to our naval power.

We have thus exhibited a few of the leading arguments of this well-informed and industrious opponent of Lord Sheffield. It is not, as we have intimated, our province to decide on this controversy. The noble Lord's statement, by which fo rapid a decrease appeared in the tonnage of Britifh fhipping, employed in the American trade, within thefe few years, ftruck us, we confefs, at the time, as affording almoft a conclufive argument against the measures which he opposed. The difficulty of recovering the carrying trade on a peace, or finding, in that cafe, employment for our feamen, appeared to us to be alfo an important confideration. We ftill think thefe topics fhould have weight in the determination of this controverfy; which, we have no doubt, the prefent Government and Parliament will decide, in a manner the most conducive to the real interefts of the country.

ART. 40. Subflance of the Bishop of St. Afaph's Speech, in the Houfe of Peers, on Monday, July 23, 1804, upon the Motion for the third Reading of the Bill entitled an Act for the Relief of certain Incumbents of Livings in the City of London. Svo. Is. 6d. Hatchard.

1804.

This is a very luminous and fatisfactory difcuffion of a queftion which has long agitated the inhabitants of the city of London. The legal claim of the city clergymen to 2s. 98. a pound, according to the rents, feems now unequivocally established, though this demand has never been received. When the Bill, which it was the object of this able Speech to vindicate, fhall be carried into effect, the greater part of the livings will ftill be under 300l. per annum, and nineteen of them will not exceed zool: and what, as the learned prelate justly and forcibly observed, what is even 300l. per annum for the maintenance of an in cumbent of a London living, in the prefent times?

TRAVELS.

ART. 41. Travels from Berlin through Switzerland to Paris, in the Year 1804. By Auguftus Von Kotzebue, Author of the Stranger, Lovers' Vows, Pizarro, &c. tranflated from the German. In Three Volumes. 12mo. 125. Phillips. 1804.

We took up this performance with fome degree of intereft, expecting, from the celebrity and peculiar circumftances of the author, that, although

Ꮓ

BRIT. CRIT. VOL. XXIV. SEPT. 1804.

although his fubject was pretty well exhaufted, we should be entertained with fome originality, or at leaft vivacity of remark. But we have been difappointed; feveral of our own countrymen have told us a great deal more, in quite as pleafant a manner. Indeed it fhould feem, except in the very laft paffage of his laft volume, that the traveller was afraid, or did not choose to speak out; and it appears to us at least very certain, that his vanity was cajoled by the affability of the new Emperor of France, or his fears alarmed by the apprehenfions of the Sovereign of Pruffia. His journey to Siberia was probably not forgotten, and he well knew that fome modern fovereigns have long hands, as well as thofe of more ancient times. We are told, in one place, of its being thought expedient to make a man (doubtlefs an impoftor) who perfonated the Dauphin, disappear; but it excites no indignation from Kotzebue. Madame Recamier is extolled as a pattern of all female excellence, and the most interesting anecdote in the work is related of her. In his very last paragraph, he tells us that Religion and the Scriptures may be abufed with impunity; but whoever shall dare to write a fingle line againft Bonaparte, may expect a voyage to Cayenne. He fhould have been fatisfied with calling his work Remarks on Paris, to call it Travels is abfurd. The most entertaining part is the milcellaneous collection of notes at the conclufion of the third volume, where fome pleasant anecdotes are detailed; but no profound remarks, nor any political animadverfions will be found, and probably for the reafons we have already mentioned.

ART. 42. Obfervations on a short Tour, made in the Summer of 1803, to the Western Highlands of Scotland; interfperfed with original Pieces of deferiptive and epiftolary Poetry. 12mo. 4s. Sael. 1804.

Tours to Paris, to Wales, to the Highlands, have of late multiplied ■pon us beyond all ordinary limits. This is a very good humoured traveller; and his verfes, many of them, indicate a feeling heart and an improved tafte; but the volume will hardly be fought beyond the circle of the author's friends. At p. 74, the author gives a grave defcription of a flying fish, having never seen one before," there are two very long fins near the head", &c. &c. For paying the small fur of one fhilling to Mr. Parkinfon, of Blackfriar's Road, he may fee this and a great many more wonderful things; and, probably, in his mext travels will have his aftonishment less excited.

MISCELLANIES.

ART. 43. Cowper illuftrated, by a Series of Views in or near the Park of Weflon Underwood, Bucks. 8vo. Ios. 6d. Vernor and Hood. 1803.

This is an elegant tribute to the genius and memory of Cowper; and the Views are accompanied with defcriptions of the fcenes they reprefent, and a brief sketch of the poet's life. The scenes are necef