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ficularly to diffuade him from the indulgence of his paffion for Laura, to which he was as much a flave after her death, as he had been during her life, the holy father makes ufe of every argument that can be drawn both from religion and morality. Would he have omitted the ftrongest of all arguments; would he have forgot to urge that Laura was the wife of another, and confequently that his paffion was a crime in the fight of God and man?

5to. Convinced, as we must be, that the love of Petrarch was a virtuous paffion; we fhall find, from the works of the poet, that he ardently defired to be united to Laura in marriage, and was even in the near prospect of that happiness.

• Amor con quanto sforzo oggi mi vinci :
E fe non ch'al defio crefce la fpeme
I' cadrei morto, ove piu viver bramo.
Già incomminciava a prender fecurtade
La mia cara nemica à poco à poco
De fuoi fofpetti; e rivolgeva in gioco
Mie pene acerbe, fua dolce honeftade :
Prejo era 'l tempo dov'amor fi fcontra
Con caftitate; e a gli amanti e dato
Sederfi infieme e dir che lor incontra.
Tranquillo porto havea moftrato amore
A la mia lunga e torbida tempesta.
Tempo era omai da trovar pace."

Son. 65.

Son. 275

Son. 277.

Son. 276.

The tranflated fonnet with which we were beft pleased is

the third of the tranflator, on the Prospect of Valchiusa.

Thou lonely vale, where in the fleeting years
Of tender youth I breath'd my am'rous pain;

Thou brook, whofe filver ftreams receiv'd my tears,
Thy murmurs joining to my forrowing ftrain,
I come, to vifit all my former haunts again!

O green-clad hills, familiar to my fight!
O well-known paths, where oft I wont to rove,
Mufing the tender accents of my love!

Long ufe and fad remembrance now invite,

Again to view the scenes which once could give delight.
Yes, ye are ftill the fame. -To me alone

Your charms decay; for fhe, who to these

Gave nature beauty, now for ever gone,

eyes

Deep in the filent grave a mould'ring victim lies !'

This is a kind of poetry, the production of which requires fome of the qualities of a man of fenfe, but not one of those we denominate imagination, fenfibility, vigour, and enthufiafm.

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ART. VII. Efays on the following Subjects; Wealth and Force of Nations; Authenticity of Offian; Accompanyment; Existence of Body; Fortification; Battle. By Charles M'Kinnon, Efq. 8vo. 5s. boards. Creech, Edinburgh, 1785.

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IN N thefe Effays, which are written in loose and unconnected fentences, as if they were fo many aphorifms, and which appear to be the memorandums of a ftudent, taken down + from the mouth of his preceptor, we have not been able to discover one fentiment that is new, except in the dedication and preface; quotations from which, by way of fpecimens of our author's abilities, we fhall lay before our readers. Upon · page 133 the word DEDICATION is printed, and stands folus upon that leaf. On page 135 Mr. M'Kinnon proceeds: The opinions in the following fheets were formed long before they were put into writing. I kept them by me for fome time, and I print them now much againft my will, merely because of an accident which left me answerable for their errors, and would have transferred any merit they had. The first treatise stood originally in less than a page, and had no figures; but, having feen that no reputation or capacity could fecure a man from being charged with the most vulgar errors, I found myself forced to fpread it: I added, too, fome applications of its principles. The fecond was, from the fame reason, made from the firft, much longer than I could have wifhed. In these circumftances, it is furely very unpleasant to me, who have never ferved, to print on military fubjects; but, at least, I am not obliged to inquire whether heaven is defended by infinite artillery, or whether the devil charged in column.'

The following forms part of the author's preface to his Obfervations on Fortifications.

The progrefs of the civil fciences has always been whimsical: that of the military sciences has been at least as whimfical; I think rather more fo. The military sciences have been cultivated by men of great abilities. No doubt, there were heroes and inventors, when men fought with ftones and clubs, and defended themselves in huts, dens, or trees. But then, from the time of Guftavus Adolphus (and we might go further back) there is a lift of foldiers, whofe names are not mentioned but with veneration in the others, there is a very long lift of names which are mentioned with equal regard: Within that period, Rapin has been held a great hiftorian, and Petty a great financier, and, on this fo called fcience, no difcovery has ever been made by a great general, nor by one who fhewed genius on any other fubject.

In this collection of obfervations, wholly taken from the writings of other men, we have one of the most palpable inftances of the cacoethes fcribendi, that has ever been exhibited to the world.

ART.

ART. IX. Letters on exceffive Taxation. From a Philanthropist, to bis Royal Highness George Prince of Wales; the Right Honourable William Pitt, firft Lord of the Treasury, and Chancellor of his Majefty's Exchequer; and several other Noblemen of the first Distinction: with an Addrefs to the People of Great Britain. 8vo. 2s. 6d. Printed for the Author, and fold by Fryer, London, 1785.

THIS appears to be the production of an inventive but an

eccentric and ill-regulated mind. It feems, the author has written feveral letters to Mr. Pitt, and offered feveral hints on the fubject of finance and taxation; fome of which letters and hints have been favoured with a flight degree of attention from that young minifter, whom he accufes of pride, arrogance, felf-fufficiency, &c.

I only value men for their fuperior worth, virtue, and abilities, not for their titles, exalted ftations, wealth, or family-blood; no further than the laws of fubordination require, which are effential to good government.

• Divested of all vain ideas, I must beg leave to draw a line refpecting fuperiority. Suppose you are immaculate; are you fure there is but one? I cannot think your fupernatural ability gives you any confirmation you are the only one. Should you inherit infinite wisdom ; could you prefume you are the infinite Father, Son, and Holy-Ghost? Would you engrofs the omnipotence of the unity in trinity and trinity in unity, and center the infinite wisdom of the whole Godhead in your fingle breast? You must concur with me, so vain a prefumption could not be admitted of. Since it is allowed there are three in heaven, what authority have you to circumfcribe them to one on earth? Solomon fays, there is wifdom in many; I wish to do justice to your extraordinary abilities, therefore fhall fuppofe you Solomon the fecond. Can you expect to fee the queen of the east come to pay her adoration to you, for stripping your people of the means of exiftence? Will she admire complaining in your ftreets, and your houses filled with mourning? as heaven, earth, and Solomon, the first admitted of the plural, I cannot fee how you are juftified in your contempt of me; which naturally muft lead me to fome further comparative obfervations. Firft, refpecting the infatuation of the other fide of the Tweed-high-blood-your's in elevation far exceed, yet may not be more pure-your predeceffors had an opportunity of enjoying eafe and intemperance, which occafions difeafe-mine were laborious and abftemious, which is inftrumental to purity-so that, in a physical sense, you have little cause for exultation, I for envy-you have the advantage of education-I experience you theory-I practice-you have studied languages and books-I books and men-you have been upwards of twenty years on the theatre of the world - I more than forty-you was born to fortune and friends-I to indigence, and by induftry muft acquire what I get.

You, by fortune, friends, and fituation, are fought after, flattered, and idolized-1, from fcanty circumftances, an vlified, traduced, and

M 4

mifrepresented

mifreprefented-reflect which has the advantage in acquiring wisdom we need not, like Saul, resort to Endor, or raise the body of Samuel, to folve that.

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You, like the fplendid fun-flower, with the appendages of ftate, may look down with fcorn and indignation on a poor violet, that can fcarcely raife its head above the furface of the earth, and drouping, bent by a load of bitter effence, extracted from that preponderous flower, which has much the advantage as to external appearance and magnitude, but as to its fuperiority, in fragrance or efficacy, to the disease in question, will admit of a doubt I cannot think but that there is fome juftice in the metaphor, and bears fome analogy to your conduct as a minister'.

Our author proceeds to give a sketch of those viciffitudes of life, which tend to render the understanding more perfect by the experience of misfortune, of which, it seems, he has had his full fhare.

Having thus given our readers a general view of this writer, as a man, we go on to lay before them fome fpecimens of his abilities as a financier. His general maxims, that the collection of taxes should be fimplified as much as poffible, that taxes fhould not be compulfive, if poffible, but voluntary, and therefore laid, not on the neceffaries, but the luxuries of life, are just. He proposes a plan for an annual lottery, by which government will have the whole ufe of the money, from year to year, without one farthing of expence, or any funded debt.

Admitting the tickets are iffued on Lady Day 1784, and the laft inftalment paid in by the latter end of October 1784, the lottery to finish drawing January 1785, the prizes to be paid the beginning of November 1785; the lottery being annually, government will receive the last instalment for the second lottery before it will have occafion to pay the prizes for the firft; so that it will have the use and interest of the money for three quarters of a year or more; and, great part of the time, will have the money of two lotteries in poffeffion before it pays the prizes of one; which will be confiderably more than the whole fum of one lottery being given to government.

Comment Though I am no advocate for lotteries, it is by far more conftitutional than partial taxation, and less ruinous than the Commutation Bill or Shop Tax will be, which was enforced to enrich a mercantile company, at the expence of beggaring a whole kingdom, or at least the most valuable part of it. This brings to my mind an obfervation of a celebrated politician, "Merchants may grow rich while a nation grows poor."

The metropolis being fupplied with malt liquor cheaper than the major part of the kingdom, the most indigent part, as our author juftly obferves, already pay after the rate of fourpence per pot, by the pennyworths, the farthing on the pint being added. He therefore proposes a tax on porter, which he thinks will be less oppreffive, and more conftitutional, as it is by no means compulsive or partial.

But

But our author has yet in reserve a plan, by which, if he is patronized by his countrymen, he will bind himself, under the fevereft penalties, even of limb and life, for it would appear that he could not fuffer effentially by the forfeiture of goods, to find refources that fhall remove every obnoxious tax, diminish the enormous public debt, and establish a system that will prevent, in future, its accumulation, even in war. This he declares in the ftrongest and greateft variety of phrafeology, in his addrefs to the people of Great Britain; in a letter to the Prince of Wales; in fundry letters to Mr. Pitt; in one to the Duke of Marlborough; in one to the Duke of Bedford; in one to the Duke of Devonshire; in one to the Earl of Egremont; and in one to the Earl of Lonsdale.

This plan the minister requested to have in writing. But it is neceffary, the author tells us, for very particular reasons, that it fhould at prefent remain a fecret. As a change of miniftry might affect his fyftem, he wishes to place it in the hands of the people: and for this purpose, that a patriotic affociation may be formed among his countrymen, for the confideration of it, he advifes them to felect one man out of every county, of the greatest honour and property, in whom they can place confidence: This affociation being formed, he will lay his plan before them, and convince them of its practicability, as well as its being equal to the great ends proposed.

In all this project of an affociation there is the greatest extravagance; yet, it is poffible, that the projector may have conceived fome ideas not unworthy of attention.

ART. X. The Whole Proceedings of the Meeting held at the Theatre in Calcutta, on the 25th of July, 1785, to take into Confideration An A&t for the Better Regulation of the Affairs of the Eaft-India-Company, and of the British Dominions in India, &c. Together with the Refolutions of the faid Meeting, and the Speeches of Me. Dallas and Purling. To which are annexed the Refolutions agreed on by the Officers of the Third Brigade, Rationed at Cawnpore. Calcutta printed, London reprinted, 8vo. 1s. 6d. Richardson, THE act of the 24th of his prefent Majefty, commonly called Mr. Pitt's Eaft-India-Bill, for the better regulation and management of the affairs of the Eaft-India Company, and of the British poffeffions in India, and for establishing a court of judicature for the more speedy and effectual trial of perfons accused of offences committed in the Eaft-Indies, excited, among the British inhabitants of that country, that general alarm which was to be expected from a law, which compelled the fervants of the company, on their return to Great Britain, to deliver in, upon oath, an inventory of their whole property,

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