does not specify, fome well-chofen extracts from Young, Thomfon, Dr. Beattie, Mifs Bowdler, and other poetical writers on pious fubjects. Indeed the first volume is entirely poetical, and the fecond profe. They are well printed, and may be called a cheap purchase.

ART. 30. Euy on Religion; being an Attempt to point out the unrivalled Beauty and Excellence of the Chriftian Doctrine; and the Neceffity of paying it an early Attention. Addressed to young Perfons. By John Fullagar. 8vo. 63 pp. 6d. Rivingtons. 1801.

Very plain, but ferious and affectionate advice to young perfons, "from one who, like themselves, is (as it were) but juft farting in life". "Though bred to bufinefs, he always had an eye to the miniftry; and all the hours which commerce spared from her fangs, he devoted to philofophical and theological purfuits. He has now relinquifhed the toils of commerce, they not fuiting his ferious mind; and he fhould have been happy to have engaged in the Chriftian miniftry, could he have prevailed upon a near connection to have given him confent". P. iii. It is not faid exprefsly, in what fociety of Chriftians his minifterial labours would have been bestowed; but certainly not in the Church of England. For he fays, even the established religion in this our land, though entitled the Chriftian, has many formularies, and creeds, and ceremonies, unknown in the facred writings, un ufed by the Apoftles; forms and ceremonies, which an illuftrious fet of worthies refufed fome years ago to adopt, confidering what they heard, under the shape of doctrine, merely to be the commands of men. the religion which is formed by fcripture rule, and which I would prefs upon your attention, has none of thefe corruptions." P. 33. "Our religion has no painful or trouble fome ceremonies; baptifm, and the Lord's fupper being, with the fabbath, the only ordinances appointed. Even the two firit of thefe inftitutions are deemed, by fome wife men, as not binding on Chriftians now, being limited to the apoftolic age." P. 35. We are not accustomed to find leffons of this kind circulated throughout the kingdom by our bookfellers. The date will show that it has been hitherto overlooked.

POLITICS.

But

ART. 31. The Reply of a Near Observer to fome of the Anfwerers of the Curfory Remarks. 8vo. 102. pp. 38. Hatchard. 1804.·

The changes which have taken place, and indeed the events which are ftill paffing, in the political world, have rendered the controverfy to which this Pamphlet relates, comparatively, of little intereft-yet we cannot take our leave (as we fhortly shall do) of this fubject, with out doing justice to a writer, who, though we objected to fome of his arguments, and disapproved fome of his expreffions, maintained with confiderable ability, and (fo far as we know) from no unworthy motive, the cause of an honourable man and truly upright Minifter.

Although the writer before us profeffes to notice" more than one of he numerous publications which have appeared as anfwers to the .. Curfery

of Mr. Ward, the learned writer of a work on the Law of Nations") the author reviews the conduct of the Minifters who acted with Mr. Addington, and ftates his motives for withdrawing that fupport which he originally gave them. These motives are, of course, founded on tranfactions already canvafled in the fulleft manner, and placed almost in every point of view. Their fuppofed inferiority in debate to their opponen's, is ftrongly infifted up n; as if it was abfolutely neceffary that Minifters fhould be the most fluent fpeakers, or the most practifed debaters in Parliament. The author feems not to recollect that elo quence is not always wifdom, nor dexterity in debate foundness of ar. gument. It is, in truth, fo much easier to arraign than to defend pub. lic meafures, that (excepting the period of Lord Chatham's administration, and that of his no lefs illuftrious fon) however able the minifter, the greateft eloquence has generally been found in the ranks of oppofition. Some very frivolous objections to the late Minifter's parliamentary language and conduct are added, and his modefty, when fpeaking of himself, feems particularly offenfive to this writer. Several of the affer.ions and reatonings in the "Curfory Remarks" are more justly cenfured; the conduct of Mr. Pitt is well defended; and this tract, upon the whole, breathes a spirit of candeur and moderation. With the ftyle and language of this author (as they appear in the work before us) we are by no means pleafed. He is verbofe and prolix. All that is material to his chief object, the defence of Mr. Pitt, might have been brought within a much narrower compafs. But we were pleafed with the general temper of this pamphlet, and efpecially com. mend the author for the candid, and we believe perfectly juft, ad. miffion, that Mr. Addington neither encouraged the publication of the "Curfory Remarks", nor was previously acquainted with the contents of that work.

ART. 33. A Letter to Robert Ward, Efq. M. P. occafioned by his Pam phlet, intituled a View of the relative Situations of Mr. Pitt and Mr. Addington. 8vo. 94 pp. 35. Ginger. 1804.

The pamphlet of Mr. Ward, noticed above, is here attacked by an anonymous author, who controverts many of the facts, and replies to most of the arguments contained in that work. We shall not enter at large on a topic already fo amply difcufied. In general, the writer before us attacks Mr. W. with too much afperity, and throws out infinuations against his veracity, which we cannot believe him to deferve; though he may have been deceived as to fome facts, and have adopted fome reports with too easy a credulity. As, for inftance, two affertions which were very generally credited for a time, namely, that the Curfory Remarks" were circulated officially by fome members of adminiftration, and that the author of that work was penfioned by the treafury. Both thefe reports have fince been folemnly contradicted by the beft authority. The author of this Letter, however, though too

* Reviewed, Brit. Crit. vol. viil p. 47.

fevere,

fevere, upon the whole, on the gentleman whom he anfwers, is right in many of his affertions, and makes feveral juft remarks, particularly where he ftates the great facrifices which Mr. Addington made when he accepted the fituation of Prime Minifter, and fhows that, in his fubfequent conduct, he adhered to the fyftem of his predeceffor, and only varied the mode as the change of circumstances appeared to require. On the whole, this pamphlet, though it may not display talents equal to thofe which fome writers on the fame fubject have manifested, will by no means be found unworthy of notice, by those perfons who fill intereft themselves in the controverfy which gave occafion to it.

...1

ART. 34 The Letters of Valerius, on the State of Parties, the War, the Volunteer Syftem, and most of the political Topics which have been lately under public Difcuffion. Originally published in "The Times." 8vo. 98 pp. 2s. 6d. Hatchard. 1804.

Thefe Letters, in general, appear to have been written in defence of the late adminiftration against the attacks of their parliamentary opponents. The arguments ufed cannot now require to be recapitulated, as the author unavoidably treads a confiderable part of the fame ground the Near Obferver in his Curfory Remarks. He, however, thinks that "no politician that ever exifted could poffibly have forefeen that the peace of Amiens would not prove a lafting peace;" in which opinion he goes to the extreme, in a contrary direction from the Near Obe

as

ferver. The Letters on topics lefs connected with party are most deferving of attention, particularly the 5th, in reply to the obfervations of the French government on his Majefty's Declaration; the 6th, ig defence of the Property Tax; the 7th, addreffed to the people at large, and the 10th and 14th, which contain fome fpirited exhor tations and ufeful fuggeftions to the Volunteers... Upon the whole, thefe Letters did much credit to the journal in which they appeared, and are by no means unworthy of a fecond perufal,

ART. 35. Outlines of Rational Patriotifm, and a Plea for Loyalty. Intended to promote the Love of our Country, with a concluding Addrefs to Young Volunteers. By J.F. Hatfield. 8vo. 87 pp. 2s. 6d. Hatchard. 1804.

The author of this work, (who appears to be guided by the best intentions, and animated by truly patriotic fentiments) has divided it into four unequal parts; in the firft of which, we find many juft, though rather defultory, observations on the ancient state of this ifland, and the effect of the Roman, Saxon, and Danish invafions, compared with the prefent condition of France and the countries which the has overrun fince her late revolution. The writer takes occafion here to extol the mode of education prevalent in England, and especially the religious part of it; which, he thinks, has been our best guarantee against the evils and miferies experienced by our neighbours. The fecond part confifts of remarks on the History of England from the ૦ ૧

BRIT. CRIT. VOL. XXIII. MAY, 1804.

Norman

Norman Conqueft to the Revolution in 1688. A fketch of the confti. tution, as established at the laft-mentioned period, occupies the third part; and the fourth contains a statement of" fome of our principal rights," with obfervations upon them. The Concluding Addrefs to Young Volunteers" confifts of very juft and well-meant exhortations; and they are truly told that, although feveral other motives of their exertion are highly laudable, "their grand fupport is religion, fincere piety to God. This (fays the author) is the confummation of all their virtues, and will crown their efforts with honour, if not with fuccefs."

It is almost needlefs to add that the fentiments expreffed by this writer, though not new, are such as cannot be too often inculcated.

ART. 36. The Independence of Great Britain, as the firft of Maritime Powers, effential to, and the Existence of France, in its prefent State, incompatible with, the Profperity and Prefervation of all European Nations. 8vo. 42 PP. 25. Hatchard. 1804.

So important are the truths announced in the title-page of this tract, that abilities of the firft clafs, and a very ample difcuffion, ap pear requifite, in order to do fuch a fubject entire juftice. This talk has been in part performed moft ably and judicioufly by Mr. Gentz; and the public will, no doubt, be ftill more gratified when his plan fhall be completed. The author before us takes a more confined view of the fubject, and founds his argument chiefly upon the confideration, that no nation is fo well fitted to affift others without injuring them, as one that poffeffes a powerful navy, but a population not formidable. On this ground, he fays, "the navy of Great Britain can never be dangerous to the continental powers of Europe; it has been fucceffively employed in the prefervation of them all, and its deftruction would fpeedily be followed by their complete ruin." P. 12.

He then repels the futile arguments which have been used to justify the jealoufy of this country, entertained by fome of the continental powers, fhowing that "the principal fources of the envied fuperiority of Great Britain are the effects of moral caufes," and not owing to any natural advantage of foil or climate, and pointedly asking if all the advantages now poffeffed by Great Britain were transferred to France, what poffible advantage could refult from the change to the furrounding governments?" The truth,' (adds this author) is, the fuperiority of Great Britaim is neceffary to most of the neighbouring nations; they are indebted to it for their exiftente as independent states, and, instead of beholding it with a jealous eye, it is their intereft to fupport and maintain it."

The author afterwards fhows (as indeed had been fhewn by other writers) that the retention of Malta by Great Britain is not to be confidered as a breach of faith;" "that the danger from France to her neighbours is infinitely greater now than it was under the monarchy," that there is no hope of fafety for the continental ftates of Europe but in a firm union and well-concerted alliance, and that even

fuch

fuch an alliance would not avail, were the navy of Great Britain in the poffeffion of France."

Some fpirited exhortations to the feveral ftates of Europe conclude this tract, which deferves praise for the best intentions, and in the execution of thofe intentions does no difcredit to the talents of its aathor

INVASION.

ART. 37. A Letter to a Roman Catholic Gentleman of Ireland, on the Chief Conful Buonaparte's projected Invafion. By Charles Butler, Efq. 8vo. 16 pp. 3d. White. 1803.

The Roman Catholic Gentleman had expreffed to Mr. B. a wish, "to know from him, the opinion of the well-informed in thefe parts, of the probability of an invafion, its confequences if it fhould fucceed, and the conduct he and his friends fhould purfue, in the prefent cir cumftances." P. 5. Mr. B. fhows, ft. that Bonaparte is urged to the invafion by his feelings, his intereft, and the circumftances of the times. The answer to the 2nd question fhall be placed entire before our readers: "Some feem to think, that it would only be a change of government; fo that, after the country fhall have fubmitted, and the common precautions shall have been taken to insure its quiet, the inhabitants will be left to purfue their ordinary occupations. I hope you and your friends do not fall into this fatal error;—an error which has ferved the French revolution more than all her armies. Believe me, my dear friend, it is not the government of the country, it is the coun¬ try itfelf, it is its very foil, which is the ultimate object of the invafion. Till Buonaparte poffeffes that, he will think nothing of his victories; and every engine of deftruction will be at work to wreft it from you. Then only will he sheath the fword, when he thinks further refiftance to him in the field, impoffible; and then only he will think fuch refift-' ance impoffible, when an officer and two privates cannot be found to gether, and when all, who might attract adherents by their birth, their wealth, or their talents, are levelled to the duft. Nothing then will remain to alarm him, but the number of the conquered: and this caufe of alarm will hourly decreafe; he will let loofe upon them every form and combination of oppreffion, that minds long verfed in the theory and practice of deftruction can devife; and then, pafs but a few generations, and the ways of Ireland will mourn, that they are no longer trodden by Irish feet." P. 9. In refpect (3dly) to the conduct to be pursued, it is that of facrificing every other confideration to the imperious neceffity of the occafion. Having fhown that there is a call on every Briton, and every Irishman, Mr. B. then fets forth the motives which should influence Roman Catholics in particular. To them, and to all our fellow subjects, we recommend the ferious confideration of this excellent little tract.