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T: hard dental, is pronounced by raifing the fore part of the tongue, and placing it hard against the root of the upper. teeth, fo as to ftop the breath in its attempt to pass out. By this means the upper part of the tongue forms a line leaning forward, defcending from right to left, which is its proper character.' And fo of the reft.

Their next object is to fhew, that the characters, as above applied, are convenient for ufe, in due proportion to the fre quency of their occurrence in the English language. For this purpose they afcertain the comparative frequency of every letter. in common writing by means of a letter-founder's bill, and furnish a table containing the feveral proportions; from the inspection of which it appears, that thofe recur most frequently which are the most easily written, and the more complex the more rarely.

This alphabet thus determined, is particularly commended for its beauty as well as for its convenience. They observe, that in each clafs a beautiful analogy is maintained among the characters-that the afcending and defcending lines, occuring with equal frequency, muft preferve the writing linealthat many of the characters being of a curvilinear form, will render it the more beautiful.' Befide all thefe advantages, our Authors add, that fince the vowels, as well as the confonants, are marked by lines, there is no occafion for taking off the pen in the writing of any word, except for the fake of fome advantageous contraction.'

Ufe, however, it is natural to remark, is in this connection far fuperior to elegance and beauty. Circles, ellipfes and the various fegments of thefe curves, are of all lines the most unfit for expedition. The direction of the pen must be altered in every part of the fmalleft arc; and this change of direction is equally inconvenient with the actual removal of the pen; to which it may be added, that circles and ellipfes, where celerity of writing is the main object, are with great difficulty preferved diftinct. Thefe are material objections to the fimplicity of their plan; for though they have rejected arbitrary characters, and introduced the ufe of thofe to which in their opinion nature directs, the characters they have fubftituted in the room of these, are very far from fubferving the defireable purposes of eafe and difpatch. We must therefore be excufed if we fay, that we can by no means fubfcribe the declaration, that enough has been faid to fhew how natural, fhort, fimple, rational and convenient the alphabet itself is.'

The objections already fuggefted, may be urged with, ftill greater force against the expreffions which they have adopted for the most usual compound founds. The length of lines, and

the fize of femicircles, are very indeterminate representations of fuch founds.

For their method of contraction, rules of writing, and fpecimens, we must refer to the work itself.

The appendix to this work contains what the Authors apprehend to be the moft natural, convenient and expeditious character for inarticulate founds, as expreffed in mufic. The feven letters by which the notes are named in the gamut, are fignified by their correfpondent characters in the fhort-hand alphabet. And directions are given for expreffing the diftinction of these feven notes in different octaves-the time of founding each note, and the other fymbols which occur in mufic.

The curious will be entertained by the perufal of this work, and will have reason to commend the ingenuity and industry of the Authors.

But, upon the whole, we cannot help remarking, that the performance is more ingenious than ufeful-that it is better calculated for amufement than profit-that though the method of ftenography here proposed be more natural than many others, it is not entirely what we could with in point of cafe and expedition.

MONTHLY CATALOGUE,
For JANUARY, 1771.

M SCELLANEOUS.

Art. 17. The Spirit of Liberty: or, Junius's Loyal Addrefs. Being a Key to the English Cabinet: or, an humble Differtation upon the Rights and Liberties of the ancient Britons. With a political Tale upon the Characters of an arbitrary Miniftry both in Church and State, and the Unhappiness that flows therefrom to us and to our Children, as to the Strength of the Conftitution, the Spirit of the Laws, the Lives and Liberties of the People, Humbly addreffed to his Majefty. By Junius, Junior. To which is added, A Polemical Tale; or, The Chriftian's Winter Piece : wherein the great Contention among the Chriftians is decided, refpecting the Privileges of the Magna Charta of that ancient City of Salem; in which the Spirit, Liberties, Laws, and Dignities of that ancient City are again revived and fet forth in their primitive Life, Beauty, and Order. The Whole being an Enigmatical Key to the original Rife, Hiftory, Progrefs, Poffeffion, and facred Treasures of thofe ancient People who were firft called Chriftians at Antioch. 8vo. 3 s. fewed. Wheble.

I'

1770.

R

F from the perufal of this long and fingular title, the Reader fhould fufpect the Author to be fome wrangling Fanatic, he will, very poffibly, not be much out in his conjecture. We have feldom met with a more egregious rhapfody; fuch an odd medley of politics and religion. The Author fets out with lamenting our injured · rights of election, and warmly expatiates on illegal representation,

minifterial violations of the conftitution, &c. but he foon quits this melancholy walk, and fets out for the holy city of Salem; where being arrived, down he fits, to give us the history of the people called, or, as he will have it, miscalled, Anabaptifts: for whom he is a zealous tickler. He derives this fect from John the Baptift; he contends that the Baptifts are the only Chriftians; and he totally condemns the other denominations among profeffed believers, as grofsly erroneous, and utterly ignorant of the truths of the Gospel. He has a great deal to say to most of the fectaries, and among others of their leaders on whom he beftows a fpriritual drubbing, are Meffrs. Whitefield and Wesley. Part of what he fays of these Gentlemen may serve as a specimen of his manner.

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Theophilus afks Philagathus (for this work is written by way of dialogue) what he thinks of Mr. Wh-d's zeal? Philagathus anfwers: That Mr. Wh- -d has been a man remarkable zealous for God, and I believe a good man, yet I think little of all his zeal and ftir-because it is mixed with fo much art, and with so much ignorance; mixt with fo much art, (which is too natural to him) to raise the paffions of the people by his rhapsodies, feeming raptures and extafies-and the poor people are carried away with him, as tho' they were drinking the wine of the kingdom, thinking it is all heavenly rapture in the dear man, when there is often no more fire of love in his heart than there is in a millftone, for it is what is natural to him, and he much improves it; for if he fails by attitudes of body and feeming raptures of mind-then he tells his people fuch a train of pretty flories, what Paul calls old wives fables, many of them very moving to the paffions, fome of them very tragical; what is this but a zealous art to move upon the paffions of the people, while their understanding in the Gospel is exceeding dark, as is too evident by converfing with them.

And what is it but zealous art, to be conformable as a diffenter at one end of the town,-and conformable as a churchman at the other; tho' by the way let him remember that as a diffenter he got his Tottenham Court liberty, but if the Lord be God let him follow him, and if Baal be God then follow him, for it is a fhame for a teacher in Ifrael to halt thus between two opinions.

Tho' I believe that there is fome good thing in Mr. Wh―d to the Lord God of Ifrael, yet how often has he afflicted my foul by fo ignorantly (bare with the expreffion, for there is nothing like plainnefs and honesty) I fay fo ignorantly, for is it not Ignorance in the highest degree for him to fay to the people, "Here I offer you Chrift, here take him, take him now, take him to-night, or elfe you may be damned before the morning?"

Of Mr. Wesley, Philagathus thinks very honourably, as a gentleman and a scholar: That he is a man of furprizing parts, a great hiftorian, and is as enterprizing as he is great; his natural temper is warm, and his genius taking a turn for religion, he has been like the Pharifees of old, very zealous, being in labours more abundant; compaffing, like them, both Sea and land to make profelytes, and much good I believe he has done by way of order and economy. among the people; that he has civilized many hundreds, if not thousands in the kingdom, and brought them into a very orderly

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and regularly way of living, in which refpect they are become better fubjects, better mafters, better neighbours, and better fervants :-in this refpect I believe Mr. Wefley has done a great deal of good,but as to Mr. Wefley being a Chriftian, I dare not, Theophilus, attempt to deceive him or you in thinking so.

Theoph. O Sir! What, Mr. Wefley not a Chriftian? What, a man of fuch labour and fuch univerfal love not a Chriftian? O! Sir.

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Phila. Dear Theophilus, let not your zeal, like the zeal of many, carry you to an extreme; for do you not know, that that charity that is not grounded upon truth is not charity, but a delufion, and therefore mistake me not; here I do not fay but that there are many well meaning weak preachers under Mr. Wefley's care, and many weak, dark and ignorant Christians among his focieties,but as to Mr. Wefley, by all the fermons he has preached, and by all the writings he has wrote, if we compare one part with the other faithfully, I fee no fcripture ground to believe that he is a real Christian, or a true lover of Chrift, and falvation alone in his name.-I don't say that Mr. Wesley may not be faved,-God only knows what turn of heart his grace may give him; but this I fay, I will affirm and maintain it from the word of God (and let him deny it if he dares) that if the Scriptures be true, it is impoffible for him to be faved in the ftate he is in, or upon all he has done, or upon the faith he has confeffed to the world.

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Theoph. O Sir! what! a man that has done fo much good, and many great things in CHRIST's name, not faved?

Phila. Dear Theophilus, his doing many great things in CHRIST's name, is no real evidence at all of his being in a faved ftate; Lord! Lord! have we not prophefied in thy name, and in thy name done many wondrous works, and yet not in a safe ftate? Were not the Pharifees of old as religious as Mr. Wefley? Were they not for faftings and praying as well as him? Were they not as honeft men as Mr. Wefley? Did they not pay tithe of all they poffeffed? Were they not as zealous as Mr. Welley; for did they not like him, compass fea and land to make profelytes? And what does Paul fay of them with all their zeal, but as ftrangers to God, and unacquainted with the true way of falvation? Rom. x. 3. I bare them record that they have zeal for God, but not according to knowledge, going about to establish a righteousness of their own. Having not fubmitted themselves to the righteousness of God, and therefore what was all their pharifaical religion but a pious way to hell? And what is Mr. Wesley's more than theirs of whom Chrift says, I know you (notwithstanding all their zeal) that ye have not the love of God in you.'

The Author employs many pages in fupport of what he has thus fo roundly intimated against Mr. W. but we have had enough of this fubject, and we doubt not but our Readers are satisfied too.

This Junius the younger is fo far from refembling Junius the elder, in his manner of writing, that he feldom is able to exprefs himself in common grammatical English; but he fays a number of fhrewd things, and fometimes he is really diverting, especially wherehe feems to be most serious, and aims at being pathetic.

Art.

Art. 18. A Journey into Siberia, made by Order of the King of France: By the Abbé Chappe D'Auteroche, of the Royal Academy of Sciences at Paris, &c. Containing an Account of the Manners and Cuftoms of the Ruffians, &c. Illuftrated with Cuts. Tranflated from the French. 4to. 11. 1 s. Jefferys.

1770.

Our readers will find a very full account and character given of the original of this work, on confulting the 40th and 41ft volumes of our Review *. Little more therefore remains to be faid concerning the prefent publication, than to give a short view of the defign and execution of the anonymous tranflator. The original work was published in two large volumes in folio; the first of which was divided into two parts. The second volume, which related folely to the hiftory of Kamtfchatka, was formerly tranflated into our language by Dr. Grieve t. The prefent article is a tranflation of the firft of thefe volumes, with fome alterations in the arrangement of the different parts of the work, and fome omiffions. The tranflator, in particular, has very judicioufly omitted the numerous processes and calculations of the Author, relative to his laborious enterprize of taking an exact level of the furface of the earth, throughout the course of his extenfive rout; of the drynefs of which we were very fenfible during our perufal of the original: but he has given the conclufions deduced from them. He has left out likewife, perhaps with equal propriety, the particular aftronomical obfervations contained in the original work: but we do not fo cordially approve of his omiflion of the Abbe's electrological obfervations; as they relate to a matter pretty generally intereiting, and would not much have increased the bulk of the volume. There are likewife a few other omiflions of less importance.

With regard to the tranflation, it appears to us, as far as we are enabled to judge from the fole perufal of it, (the original being now out of our hands) to be tolerably juft to the fenfe of the Author. It is in general, however, too fervile, and the phrafeology, confequently, in many places, inelegant, at leaft, if not aukward. Neverthelefs, this publication may be confidered, upon the whole, as an ufeful and cheap abridgment of an expenfive work. We should add, that of the nu merous maps and plates which enhance the price of the original, eight of the latter are here given, reprefenting the figures and habits of the Ruffians, Tartars, Wotiacs, and Samoyedes, accompanied with a general map of the Ruffian empire.

B-Y.

Art. 19. The Academy Keeper; or, Variety of useful Directions concerning the Management of an Academy, the Terms, Diet, Lodging, Recreation, Difcipline, and Inftruction of Young Gentlemen. With the proper Methods of addreffing Parents and Guardians, of all Ranks and Conditions. Alfo, neceffary Rules for the proper Choice and Treatment of Academy Wives, Ufhers, and other menial Servants: with the Reasons of making them public. 8vo. 1 S. Peat. 1770.

See Appendix to vol. xl. page 585; and vol. xli. December 1769, page 431.

† See vol. xxx. page 282.

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