cation of the fame liberal principle to the duties ftill fubfifting upon various branches of the manufactures and commerce of Great Britain." The principle of the commutation tax may certainly be applied with great fuccefs to various other articles befides tea; and the beneficial operation of it in one inftance or experiment, will no doubt lead to others. Many vexatious taxes might be annhilated in the revival of hearth-money. ART. VIII. The new Aftrology; or, the Art of predicting or foretelling future Events, by the Afpects, Pofitions, and Influences, of the Heavenly Bodies; founded on Scripture, Experience, and Reafon: the Whole be ing a Refult of many Years intenfe Study and Labour; now first made familiar and easy to any Perfon of ordinary Talents. In to Parts. By C. Heydon, jun. Afro-Philo. 12mo. 25. Lovewell, London, 1786. THE HE profeffors of aftrology, in former ages of the world, have published treatifes on this celeftial fcience. Most of them, however, are written in fo myfterious a manner, and fo learned a ftile, as to tranfcend the capacity of ordinary readers; so that dangerous mistakes prevail concerning the nature of this fublime fcience; the vulgar reckoning the whole an impofture, and the learned attributing the knowledge of futurity, which it reveals, to a compact with the devil. In this age of improvement in all the arts and sciences, the celebrated Mr. Heydon, well known in the firmament, and an intimate friend of the stars, attempts to restore the true aftrology of the ancients, to vindicate it from the falfe afperfions of the moderns, and to bring the whole of this occult philofophy within the compafs of a neat pocket volume. The fcience of aftrology, which is nothing more than the ftudy of nature, and the knowledge of the fecret virtues of the heavens, is founded on fcripture, and confirmed by reafon and experience. Accordingly Mofes tells us, that the fun, moon, and stars, were placed in the firmament, to be for figns as well as for seasons. In like manner he introduces the Deity, thus addreffing Job, "Can'ft thou bind the fweet influences of the Pleiades, or loofe the bands of Orion." To the fame purpose we are taught in the book of Judges, "They fought from Heaven, the ftars in their courses fought against Sifera." The ancient philofophers were unanimous in the fame opinion, as well as Lord Bacon among the moderns. Hear how fublimely the learned Milton talks, Of planetary motions and afpects In fextile, fquare, and trine and opposite, It is well known that inferior animals, and even birds, and reptiles, have a fore-knowledge of futurity. And can we think that Nature has withheld from man thofe favours which the hath fo liberally bestowed on the raven, the cat, and the fow? No, the aches in your limbs, and the fhootings of your corns before a tempeft or a fhower, will tell you the contrary. Man, who is a microcofm, or world in miniature, unites in himself all those powers and qualities which are fcattered throughout nature, difcerns from certain figns the future contingencies of his being; and, finding his way through the palpable obfcure to the vifible diurnal and nocturnal Sphere, marks the prefages and predictions of his happiness or mifery. The myfterious and recondite doctrine of fympathies in nature, is admirably illuftrated from the fympathy between the moon and the sea, by which the waters of the ocean are, in a certain though inconceivable manner, drawn after that luminary. In thefe celeftial and terreftrial fympathies, there can be no doubt but that the vegetative foul of the world transfers a fpecific virtue from the heavens to the elements, to animals and man. If the moon alone rules the world of waters, what effects must the combination of folar, ftellar, and lunar influences operate upon the land? Q. E. D. It is univerfally confeffed, that aftrology is the mother of aftronomy; and though the daughter hath rebelled against the mother, like our colonies in America, it hath been long predicted and expected, that the venerable authority of the parent will prevail in the end. Aftronomy for fome time paft hath been on the decline; the fecretary of the Royal Society hath formally renounced fome of the fundamental principles of the Newtonian philofophy +; but aftrology ftill keeps its ground, and gains converts. Founded on a rock which cannot fail, the ignorance, curiofity, and credulity of mankind, it bids defiance to the blafts of pretended knowledge, and the malignant mift of fcepticifm. Profane perfons, indeed, in all ages, have derided these heavenly myfteries, but babes and nurses have still believed; and among the lift of real or pretended infidels, there are multitudes who have only exchanged one kind of faith for another. Has not Count Caglioftro, the famous an tediluvian patriarch, who inftructs his pupils in the mysteries of Hermes Trifmegiftus, believers and followers without number, and among other celebrated names the Cardinal de Rohan? Has not Baron Swedenbourgh, who was accustomed to converse with the dead, and to vifit paradife, purgatory, and hell, made thousands of profelytes and converts? or did any perfon + Vid. Ancient Metaphyfics, Voll. II. ever difbelieve the doctrines of aftrology, who did not believe fomething fully as marvellous and miraculous? Buffon be. lieves that the earth, and all the planets of the folar fyftems were produced by the percuffion of the tail of a comet on the fun ; David Hume believed, that though no person can affent to the truth of Chriftianity, without having all the principle, of his understanding fubverted, yet, it is highly probable that the heathen religion may be true; Dr. Beattie believes that the philofophers in Aberdeen have common sense, and the dogs infpiration; Dr. Robertfon believes that it was a great mark of policy and humanity in the Spanish court to improve and civilize America by exterminating the Americans, and that it was very youthful and imprudent in Las Cafas, to diffuade the foldiers of Cortes from cutting the throats of twelve Americans every day, in honour of the twelve apoftles; Lord Monbodda believes in mermaids, and men with tails, and that there are deposited in the French King's cabinet the bones of a giant, who was ninety-fix feet in height; Mr. Gibbon believes, that in the fourth century, (the era of Offian's poems) the common food of the Scotch highlanders was the buttocks of men, and the bubbies of women. From these, and other articles as myfterious in the philofophical creed of the eighteenth. century, authors fhould learn to speak with extreme modesty of other centuries, and never to call the prefent age an age of unbelief. ART. IX. A Circumftancial Narrative of the Lofs of the Halefwell (East-Indiaman) Captain Richard Pierce, which was unfortunately wrecked at Seacombe in the Isle of Purbeck, on the coaft of Dorsetshire, on the Morning of Friday the 6th of January, 1786. Compiled from the Communications and under the Authorities of Mr. Henry Meriton," and Mr. John Rogers, the two chief Officers, who happily escaped the dreadful Cataftrophe. 12mo. 1s. Lane, London, 1786. TH HE lofs of the Halfewell, and the miserable catastrophe of Captain Pierce and the passengers on board, have already excited the general compaffion, and melted the bofom of humanity. This narrative of that difafter is circumftantial and exact, but disfigured with rhetorical embellishments, and all the artifices of the falfe pathetic. The ftory needs only to be told to intereft the heart of fenfibility; turgid declamation and frigid reflections interrupt our sympathy, and make us pity the writer. Hear how the catastrophe is unfolded. They, i. e. Mr. Rogers and Mr. Brimer, now found that a very confiderable number of the crew, feamen, foldiers, and fome petty officers were in the fame fituation with themselves, though many who ENG. REV. Vol. VI. Feb, 1786. H had had reached the rocks below had perished, in attempting to afcend what that fituation was, they were still to learn; at prefent they had efcaped immediate death, but they were yet to encounter cold, nakednefs, wind, rain, and the perpetual beating of the fpray of the fea, for a difficult, precarious, and doubtful chance of efcape. They could yet difcern fome part of the ship, and folaced themfelves, in their dreary ftations, with the hope of its remaining entire till day break; for, in the midft of their own misfortunes, the fufferings of the females affected them with the moft acute anguish, and every fea that broke brought with it terror, for the fate of those amiable, and helpless beings. But, alas! their apprehenfions were too foon realized. In a very few. minutes after Mr. Rogers had gained the rock, an universal fhriek, which ftill vibrates in their ears, and in which the voice of female distress was lamentably diftinguishable, announced the dreadful cataftrophe; in a few moments all was hushed, except the warfing winds, and beating waves; the wreck was buried in the remorfeless deep, and not an atom of her was ever after difcoverable. Thus perifhed the Halfewell, and with her worth, honour, fkill, beauty, amiability, and bright accomplishments; never did the angry elements combat with more elegance; never was a watery grave filled with fuch precious remains. Great God, how infcrutable are thy judgments! yet we know them to be just; nor will we arraign thy mercy, who haft transferred virtue and purity, from imperfect, and mutable happiness, to blifs eternal !' To tell us at the close of this tremendous fcene that the cr angry elements never combated with more elegance," betrays fuch infenfibility and affectation as fills us with difguft. While we lament the fate of the unhappy fufferers, we are delighted with the zealous and active humanity of the inhabitants of Eaftington to refcue thofe who efcaped from the wreck, from the new dangers to which they were expofed. One circumftance contained in this narrative, and generally believed, is truly furprifing. That, the lofs of the Halfewell was very much owing to the inattention, remiffnefs and obftinacy of the failors; who, during great part of the ftorm, deferted their duty, fkulked in their hammocks, and were only roused to a fenfe of their danger, when their endeavours could be of no avail. It is to be feared, that the trial of fome late commanders for enforcing duty, by neceffary difcipline, has encouraged the turbulent and refractory spirit of failors, and weakened the hands of authority. ART. X. Difcourfes on various Subjects, Evangelical and Practical, by the Rev. Hugh Worthington, A. M. of Leicester. 8vo. gs. Buck land, London, 1785. THE modeft and worthy author of thefe fermons tells us, in the preface, that he has published them at the defire of a refpectable fociety, to whom he has statedly miniftered above forty forty years, and by whom he was often folicited to leave behind him fome fruits of his labours. As they were compofed for an ordinary audience, and without any intention of publication, he makes an apology for their want of thofe graces and embellishments, which are to be found in fome modern fermons. But, in reality, they ftand in need of no apology whatever. In other departments of literature, the entreaty of friends has often been ridiculously urged as a plea for publication, but the folicitation of a refpectable fociety to have fome memorials of a venerable paftor, by which, though dead, he may speak to them, is too ftrong to be denied, and too ferious to be ridiculed. The fubjects of thefe difcourfes are of the moft interefting and ufeful kind; and the ferious unaffected manner in which they are treated, will recommend them to every pious reader. Not influenced by the fpirit of party, nor attentive to popular applaufe, the author endeavours to eftablish revealed religion on the bafis of natural, and to represent the peculiar doctrines of the gospel, in a light confonant to reafon, and worthy of the moral attributes of the Deity. On fubjects that have been controverted, he writes from an unfeigned love of the truth, and a regard to the best interefts of men; and to every doctrine of the gospel which he explains, he gives a practical and moral turn. If he does not affect novelty or ornament, he appears to have thought on what he wrote, and to have felt what he fpoke; and the plain language of a serious mind, and a feeling heart, is of more avail to turn many to righteousness, than all the refinements of philofophy and embellishments of eloquence. The couclufion of the firft fermon, (a vindication of divine providence) gives a very favourabie idea of the author. • These confiderations abundantly juftify the providence of God, respecting the sufferings of righteous men, and the profperity of fome that are ungodly-refpecting likewife the early death of fome good perfons, and the wicked man's fometimes prolonging his life in his wickedness. It also appears from what has been faid, that the caufe of righte oufnefs is not injured by any of these events :-but that goodness and piety have in general greatly the advantage over wickedness even in this life. • In the courfe of nature and providence, there is evidently fuch a prevalence of enjoyment, when compared with mifery amongft mankind, as affords an inconteftable proof of the perfect wisdom and goodness of the great Creator and Ruler of the world.-And in the general state of mankind, the balance of enjoyment is fo much in favour of the righteous, rather than of the wicked, as fully to vindicate the moral attributes of the Deity, and at the fame time the caufe of righteousness and religion, as far preferable to that of fin and impiety, although we confine our views to the prefent life. |