Wherein the difcou Art. 15. A Letter to the Mayor of ragements of the Seamen employed in his Majesty's navy, and the merits of the bill brought into Parliament in the last feffion, for their relief, are impartially examined. By a Member of Parliament. 8vo. Is. Baldwin. This Letter is a very candid and judicious analyfis of the bill brought into Parliament in the laft feffion, for the relief of Seamen. A bill which was but too fuccefsfully oppofed by the moft unjuft and inhuman arguments. It is proper to obferve,' fays our Author, that although vaft 'fums are annually granted by the Legislature for the fervice of the navy, according to the estimates delivered, yet extraordinary expences are liable to arife in fome articles beyond these estimates, whereby a failure of payment muft fomewhere be lodged; on which ⚫ occafion, the ministerial policy hath been, to fupply the demands of ⚫ the other branches of this department, and to let the weight of the deficiency chiefly fall on the head of feamens wages, as the branch the most popular, and certain to be provided for, without objection in future grants; this policy hath been the rather indulged, as feve⚫ral articles in this depattment, for which Navy-bills are iffued, bear intereft, and are liable, by delays of payment, to be raised in their prices: whereas feamen's wages bear no intereft, and continue fixed, notwithstanding any delays of payment; fo that this branch of the • department of the navy, hath, by an unusual reverse of effects, continually been the most oppreffed, because the most favoured, by the Legislature and the Public." He proceeds to abstract the several claufes of the bill, and -his remarks on each are in general acute, juft, and folid. Nevertheless, we cannot entirely affent to his reafoning on the 12th claufe, which is calculated for enabling feamen abroad to remit any part of their wages to their wives at home. * It hath been objected to this claufe,' fays the Author, that it is a frequent practice for one of these seamen to pass through the cere mony of marriage with two or three different women, all living at the fame time; each of whom will be able to produce a regular cer⚫tificate of her marriage, and thereby be entitled to claim his wages. -In anfwer to which, it is to be obferved, that by the method pre⚫ fcribed in this claufe, every perplexity and doubt concerning the perfon duly intitled to receive fuch wages, is clearly avoided; for, according to this method, the wages of every fuch feaman remitted home, will not be liable to be claimed by different perfona, producing ⚫ certificates of their marriage, but by fuch one peifon, whofe name ⚫ and place of abode shall be inferted by him, as his wife, in the pay⚫ books of fuch fhip; to whom only a bill for fuch wages will be tranfmitted, and upon her producing a certificate of her marriage, become payable." But we cannot agree with the Writer, that the method preferibed in this clause obviates the doubt concerning the perion duly intitled. The perfon to whom the failor, through affection or caprice, may give the preference, may not be duly entitled, as his wife. eo nomine. It is the due only of the firft wife; She alone is duly, and legally entitled as his wife; as the alone is his wife, in the eye of the law. The feamen therefore ought not to be allowed to remit his wages to a woman by the name of his wife, whom the law does not confider in that relation: and it is of dangerous precedent to authorize a proceeding under the fanction of an act of parliament, which may be contrary to the fundamental laws of the land. If the wisdom of the Legislature would exert itself to prevent failors from making remittances to any women but their lawful wives, such a regulation might probably put a check to their polygamy, which many of them perhaps do not know to be illegal. The judicious Author has clearly refuted the fenfelefs and inhuman objection, that the fpeedy payment of feamens wages, will expofe the fervice to a general defertion. An argument, fays he, which does not deny the cruelty of with-holding their wages from them, but avers it to be a neceffary cruelty. He has demonftrated, by an accurate calculation, that upon an aggregate in the duennium of quick payment, when the debt for feamen's wages was fmall, defertion was at the rate of two out of two hundred and thirty fix men per month; whereas, in the duennium of flow payment, it was at the rate of two out of one hundred and eighty-feven men. -That is, as many deferted out of a small number under slow payment, as did out of a greater number under quick payment. This treatise fhews the Author to be a perfect mafter of his fubject. and his reflections not only prove him to be a man of difcernment, but at the fame time do honour to his humanity. MISCELLANEOUS. R-d Art. 16: The New Highland Military Difcipline, or, Afhort manual Exercife explained, with the words of command; in which is laid down the duty of the officer and foldier through the feveral branches of that concife fervice. Most humbly dedicated to the Hon. Francis Grant, Lieutenant-Colonel of Lord John Murray's Highlanders. Illuftrated with twelve Copper-plates, reprefenting fome of the motions. By George Grant. Price 35. plain, 6s. coloured. Bickham. Art. 17. An Abridgment of the English and Prussian Military Exercife of the Foot. Very useful for the Army and the Militia. By a Gentleman of the Army. 8vo. Is. Wilkie. Art. 18. An historical Account of Dunwich, antiently a city, now a borough; Blithburgh, formerly a town of note, now a village; Southwold, once a village, now a town-corporate; with remarks on fome places contiguous thereto, principally extracted from feveral antient records, manuscripts, &c. which were never before made made public. By Thomas Gardner. Illuftrated with copperplates. 4to. 123. in fheets. Faden. Thefe Suffolk antiquities may afford matter fufficient to gratify the curiofity of Suffolk readers; but we have obferved very little in the book that can recommend it to the public in general: extracts from parish regifters, church-wardens accounts, and transcripts from old grave-flones, and church donation-tables, making up the chief part of Mr. Gardner's collections. Nevertheless, a true Antiquarian will find some things to admire in this performance: and to speak the truth, upon the whole, this is not the meanest work of the kind that we have met with. Such compilations are not intended as works of tafte; and there is no doubt but they have their use, which, perhaps is faying more in their behalf than can be faid for many of thofe modern productions which come under the modifh Gallic denomination of Les Belles Lettres, and which are ranked among the favourite amufsements of the age. Art. 19. A Letter to the Right Rev. the Lord B-p of N—k. 8vo. 6d. Bizet. The intent of this letter is to let the worthy Prelate, to whom it is addreffed, into the private hiftory of a certain clergyman in his Lordfhip's diocefe. The facts alleged against the party accused, are fuch as mult, if true, give every unprejudiced person a very mean opinion of him, to fay the leaft we can. As the Author apologizes for the manner in which the above is wrote, by alleging, that he was not bred to letters, we think it unneceffary to point out the various inaccuracies and folecifms wherewith it abounds. P. Art. 20. An Account of the care taken in moft civilized nations for the relief of the Poor, more particularly in times of fearcity and difrefs. By the Reverend Mr. Richard Onely, late of Chrift College, Cambridge. 4to. Is. Hawkins. The prefent high price of corn, and the complaints and disturbances arifing therefrom, amongst the poorer fort of people, gave occafion (we are told) to this pamphlet; the defign of which is to fhew, in a fhort but general view, the methods that have been used by the law-givers and magiftrates of old, to prevent dearths and oppreffions; and the manner of relieving the fubject, when fuch calamities have unavoidably happened. In doing this Mr. Onely has given a fuccinct account, with the proper authorities annexed, of the moft material regulations for this purpofe, in the Jewish theocracy; in the first ages of Chriftianity; in the Ægyptian ftate; in the Grecian polity; in the Roman commonwealth; and laftly, in the English government, down from the time of Edw. III. to our own. But after all, he does not pretend to point out what amendments of the old laws may be neceffary: he only recites fa&s: leaving the reflections and ufes to be drawn from them, to the difcernment of his Readers. The end of his writing, however, will be fully anfwered (he fays) if any hint or ex example should here occur, that may tend to produce any fort of method for the speedier relief of the Poor, from the hand of the Extortioner and Oppreffor. This defirable end, in our own opinion, will fcarce ever be fully accomplished, while the prefent enormous multitude of badgers and mealmen is fuffered in the nation ;-the greatest part of their profit in trade, being a heavy and unneceffary tax levied upon the Public. Whereas, if a ftop were once put to the vile practices of these locufts, who eat up the plenty of the land, and transform it into an artificial dearth; the grower of corn would then be glad to fell it to the confumer :-a method that would of course be attended with great benefit to the latter, and no real lofs or detriment to the former, who would ftill be fure to receive a market-price for his commodity. P Art. 21. Arms of all the English Baronets, with a plate of Baronets atchievements. To which is added, by a Gentleman, a fuller account of this honourable English order than has hitherto been published. Containing the origin and antiquity of the name of Baronet, laws of admiffion, and honours and privileges belonging to the Baronetage of this kingdom, the rank and precedency of Baroneteffes, and of their fons, fons wives, and daughters of Baronets. With a fhort memorial of feveral royal and princely proceffions, wherein Baronets have had their place; taken from the records in the college of arms, and other authentic evidences. Inter fperfed with other obfervations relative to the Gentry, &c. and biftorical and genealogical notes. Also exact tables of precedency of men and women, with a comment, illuftrating the dignity and State of the precedence of Baronets and Baroneteffes, as refpecting all thofe who have no established right to place. The whole from good authorities, to which the Reader is referred. 8vo. price, with the arms coloured, 11. Is. Henry and Cave. After fo very ample a title-page, wherein too the nature of the work is fo fully explained, it will be needlefs for us to lay more of the above, than that it was originally published, at various times, in the Gentleman's Magazine; from whence it is now collected toge. ther, and re-published, without any alteration or addition whatever; except a Supplement of twenty-five pages, wherein a fomewhat fuller account of the Order is given than before, together with fome useful Notes, extracted from Authors of credit who have wrote upon the fubject. The Supplement also contains a more exact table of precedency (properly authenticated) than any we remember to have elfewhere met with-Upon the whole, we think this piece may afford an agreeable amusement to the lovers of heraldry, aud fuch as delight in (what others may think) the dry ftudy of family history. P Art. 22. Travels through Egypt, Turkey, Syria, and the Holy Turkey, 1 Turkey, and of its provinces and islands. 3. Of Syria, the ruins of Palmyra, the Defarts of Arabia, &c. 4. Of the Holy Land, particularly of Jerufalem, and the Holy Places; of Jericho, Fordan, Bethlehem, the Dead-fea, &c. 5. The manners, customs, government, and trade of the Egyptians, Turks, Tartars, and Arabs. 6. Their religions, genius, tempers, perfons, habits, diverfions, exercifes, buildings, curiofities, &c. Interfperfed with many judicious obfervations. By an English Merchant. With explanatory, theological, biftorical, geographical, and miscellaneous notes, by a Gentleman of Oxford. 12mo. 3s. Reeve. All this for only three fhillings! fure this must be a special bargain to the purchasers ! If the materials prove but half as good as the editor, in his titlepage, affures us they are, he had, indeed, fome reafon for afferting, as he does in his preface, that this work is certainly the cheapest performance of the kind ever yet published. But, notwithstanding all this parade and profeffion, the discerning Reader will readily, without our affiftance, perceive, from this very title-page alone, that the book is a mere bundle of scraps, gleaned from former books, and we may add, even from former gleaners: as the well known Mr. Salmon, and He who affumes the name of Thomfon, with other originals of that fort. To this, if we add, that the hotch-potch before us is as miferably printed, as it is egregiously puffed, we apprehend nothing more needs be added to this article. Art. 23. The Bear-Leaders: or, Modern Travelling stated in a proper Light. 8vo. 6d. Hooper. The intent of this flimfey performance is to ridicule our young travellers, and their governors; and to prove, that the clergy are, of all people, the most unfit for that office. The Author takes great pains to be witty; but perhaps wit is the only quality not to be attained by industry. R-d Art. 24. Henrietta. By the Author of the Female Quixote. 12mo. 2 vols. 6s. Millar. We look upon this to be the best novel that has appeared fince Pompey the Little. The incidents are probable and interefting; the characters duly varied, and well fupported; the dialogue and conversation-fcenes, fpirited and natural, both in genteel and low life; the fatire generally juft; and the moral exemplary and important. REV. March, 1758. T Art. 25. |