MONTHLY CATALOGUE. [For JANUARY, 1786, ] MISCELLANEOUS. ART. 15. The Adventures of George Maitland, Efq. 3 vols. 12mo. 98. fewed. Murray. 1786. THIS is a republication of a novel of confiderable merit, which appeared about thirty years ago, under the title of The Adventures of James Ramble; and which, though it deferved a better fate, foon after its appearance was totally forgotten. The editor has much improved this work, by retouching the language throughout; and the public are obliged to him for thus prefenting them with a more innocent and interefting amusement than they will find in nine-tenths of our modern novels. In this work there is great variety of character; the author is not deficient in humour, and knows how to call forth the tear of fenfibility. While he endeavours to excite surprise, or keep the attention awake, he never lofes fight of nature and probability. To this we may add, that he inftructs while he amufes, and through his various tale is a teacher of virtue. ART. 16. A Tour to Ermenonville; containing, befides an Account of the Palace, Gardens, and Curiofities of Chantilly, and of the Marquis de Girardin's beautiful Seat of Ermenonville, a particular Defcription of the Tomb of J.J. Roufjeau: with Anecdotes, never before published, of that celebrated and fingular Man. 12mo. 2s. Becket. 1785. Whether or no the pamphlet before us was intended for a catchpenny, we are unable to decide. The author affects the air of a man of independence and eafe. The evidence, however, of his title is in favour of the hypothefis we have stated It has alfo an evidence much flronger to fupport it; the namby-pamby, unmeaning ftile of the compofition. Thofe, in the mean time, whofe curiofity is excited for the meanest and most trivial circumftance relative to Rouffeau, will not neglect even the tour to Ermenonville As a fpecimen of what they are to expect, we will felect the inftance of a pyramid, which Rouffeau is faid to have erected to the paftoral poets And though this immortal genius had a very flender skill, either in the Greek or the English languages, we esteem the names to be happily felected. The pyramid is infcribed to Theocritus, Virgil, Geiner, and Thompson; and at the foot of the pyramid lies a tone facred to the memory of Shenftone. Among a variety of other infcriptions in the gardens of Ermenonville, the following effufion of Rouffeau, in confequence of the fhelter he received from a fudden storm in a grotto, is characteristic of the fingularity of his difpofition. "Vois tu, paffant, cette roche ecrafee? Elle merite ton refpect: Elle a fervi, toute brute qu'elle eft, ART. ART. 17. An Essay on Agriculture, with a view to inform Gentlemen Landed Property, whether their Eftates are managed to the greatest Advantage By Thomas Stone. 8vo. 6s. boards. Robertfon, 1785. The effayift informs us that his pretenfions to a work of this importance are founded on many years experience in the management of large tracts of land, in different parts of England, both as a farmer and land-steward; and expatiates on the injury that may be done to land by injudicious, or by poor tenants, who are eager to make the most of it in a short time. A land furveyor or land fteward who is a land furveyor, he obferves, fhould be well fkilled in agriculture; he fhould examine whether a mode of husbandry beft fuited to the foil be adopted; whether there are any advantages to be derived from the bowels of the earth, with respect to clay, marl, limeftone, or chalk, &c. the covenant the tenant holds by, and how far it is in his power to impoverish the land; whether the ftock of every kind on fuch farm is the best that might be had, and whether the liberty is fufficient, or too great. He then proceeds to deliver obfervations and rules concerning foils, ploughing, the cultivation of feeds, cattle and horfes. He difcourfes on ancient and modern husbandry, the use and abuse of leafes, building on farms, and the management of fen lands. Many of our author's maxims appear to be folid, as being drawn from actual experience. But he would officiously encroach, in the character of land steward, on the liberty of the farmer. ART. 18. A Claffical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue. 8vo. 4s. boards. Hooper, 1785. The compiler of this extraordinary performance profeffes to have employed much learning and induftry to bring it to perfection. As we pretend not to be judges of his merits, and as we are willing, whenever it is poffible, to fuffer every man to plead his own cause at the bar of criticism, we will prefent our readers with fome fpecimens of our author's performance. "HOP-O-MY-THUMB, a diminitive perfon, man or woman; she was fuch a hop-o-my-thumb, that a pigeon, fitting on her shoulder, might pick a pea out of her a-e. MEDLAR, vulgarly called an open a-e, of which it is more truly than delicately faid, that unless it is as rotten as a t-d, it is not worth a f-t. "RUFFIN the devil; may the ruffin nab the cuffin queer, and let the barmanbeck thrine with his kinchins about his colquarron; may the devil take the juftice, and let the conftable be hanged with his children about his neck. 66 STOw, you have faid enough; flow your widds and plant 'em for the cove of the ken can cant 'em; you have faid enough, the man of the house understands you. "BABES IN THE WOOD, rogues in the ftocks or pillory. "AIR AND EXERCISE, he has had air and exercife; i. e. he has been whipped at the cart's tail. "P--ss, he will p--fs when he can't whistle, i. e. he will be hanged'. Gentle reader, if thou art minded to be a learned man, the volumė before us, with proper application, will probably make thee complete matter mafter of that polite and harmonious language which, it feems, is fometimes called pedlars French, and sometimes St. Giles's Greek. ART. 19. The Cafe of Mr. Sutherland, late Judge of the Vice Admiralty Court of Minorca, flated in a Memorial to the King. 4to. Is. Kearfly, 1785. It appears that Mr. Pitt has treated the author with an extreme ne glect and infult, on the subject of matters in which the public is concerned. Mr. Sutherland retaliates with more fpirit than prudence. His cafe is a hard one; but though his remonstrances may procure to him the fympathy of a few individuals, it is not probable that they will operate to his actual advantage. ART. 20. The Will which the Law makes; or how it difpofes of a perfon's eftate, in cafe he dies without will or teftament. Shewing in a plain, eafy, and comprehenfive manner, how a man's family or relations will be intitled to his real and personal eftate, and how the Jame is fubject to the discharge of his debts: Likewife how the debts are to be paid by the Adminiftrator, and to whom the furplus of the perfonal eftate is to be distributed, pursuant to the ftat. 22 & 23 Car. II the 1. Jac. II, and the Customs of the City of London, and Province of York. By Peter Lovelafs of the Inner Temple, Gent. 8vo. 2s. 6d. Uriel, London, 1785. This treatife is founded in utility, and the author appears to have been diligent in the fabrication of it. He is intitled, notwithstanding, to no literary praife. He is a laborious drudge, and neither a great lawyer, nor a man of letters. ART. 21. A Collection of Acts or Laws passed in the State of Massachusetts Bay, relative to the American Loyalifts and their Property. 8vo. Stockdale, London, 1785. It is fufficient with regard to this publication to obferve, that it has the appearance of being genuine. ART. 22. The Univerfal Calculator; or the Merchant's, Tradefman's and Family Affiftant. Being an entire, new, and complete fet of Tables adopted for dealers in every branch of trade, by wholesale or retail, and all families. Sherwing, at one view, the amount or value of any number or quantity of goods or merchandise, from one to ten thousand, at all the various prices, from one farthing, in regular progreffion, to thirty fhillings; in 28 different tables. Alfo, at the foot of each table is thrown the divifion of the pound, yard, &c. There are alfo added twenty-feven tables, fhewing the exchange of bills, commiffion or brokerage on goods, &c. And tables, fhewing the amount of any falary, income, expence, &c.by the day, week, month, or year. By John Thompson, Accomptant in Edinburgh, Author of the tables of intereft, and tables for calculating the price of all kinds of ↑ grain. 8vo. 5s. Creech, Edinburgh. Dilly, London, 1785. This talkative title-page fufficiently explains the contents of the prefent performance : And we have to remark to its advantage, that it is printed with uncommon accuracy, ART. ART. 23. Love in a Village: A Novel, written by B. Walwyn, Author of the Errors of Nature. 2 vols. 12mo. 5s. fewed. Shepperton and Reynolds. London, 1785. To encourage fidelity in love and the uniform exercise of benevo lence are the intentions of this performance. It breathes a happy fpirit of virtue; and may have its ufe in a diffolute age. It is above mediocrity, and is written in a tolerable ftile. We conceive, however, that the incidents are too few, and fometimes too romantic. ART. 24. The Quaker. A Novel, in a Series of Letters, by a Lady. 3 vols. 12mo. 7s. 6d. Sewed. Lane, London, 1785. An infipid mediocrity characterizes these volumes, It is a task to read them. There are three perfonages without characters; incidents devoid of intereft; and an endless hoftility against taste and nature. ART. 25. A Pocket Vade-mecum through Monmouthshire, and part of South Wales; containing a particular defcription of the views, and an account of the antiquities, curiofities, &c. in the counties of Monmouth, Glamorgan, Carmarthen, and Brecknock, in the year 1785. By a Gentleman. 12mo. Is. 6d. Bew, London, 1785. This gentleman is neither well informed nor entertaining. His narrative is flimfy throughout; and he cannot boaft of the fmallest degree of merit. ART. 26. A Letter to the Rev. S. Badcock, the Monthly Reviewer. In which bis Uncharitableness, Ignorance, and Abuse of Dr. Priestley, are expofed. By Edward Harwood, D. D. 8vo. is. Bent, 1785. The garrulity of a fuperannuated pedant. ART. 27. Abelard to Eloifa; an Epiftle. With a new Account of their Lives, and references to their original correfpondence. 12mo. [No printer's name] The account of Abelard and Eloifa, which is now before us, has little to recommend it. The author had no new materials from which to compile; and his ftile and manner are cold and unaffecting. His epiftle from Abelard to Eloita is fuperior to his narrative. It contains fome expreffive lines; but it deferves not to be confidered as a finished or happy poem. ART. 28. The Beauties of the Brinfleiad: or, a Sketch of the Oppofition: a Poem; interfperfed with Notes. No. 1. 8vo. 1s. Stockdale, 1785. If we were partial and prejudiced enough to decide upon the me. rit of adminiftration and the oppofition, by the literary productions of the respective parties, and particularly, as in the prefent inftance, by the criticifm on the Rolliad and the Beauties of Brinf leiad, we fhould fay that the Foxites were intitled to honour and immortality, and that Mr. Pitt and his friends were the most arrant bunglers and pretenders, that ever impofed themselves upon the world for men of abilities and genius. ART. 29. The Romp: a mufical Entertainment, in two Acts; altered from Love in the City; by Mr. Bickerstaff; as it has been acted at the Theatres Royal in Dublin and York, and now performed at the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane. 8vo. is. Lowndes. London, 1786. We We can discover no merit in this mufical entertainment. In point both of plot and compofition it is truly despicable. We are willing to afcribe the run it has had, not so much to the bad taste of the town, as to the incomparable comic powers of Mrs. Jordan: it is to be wished, however, that they were employed on more ref pectable materials. ART. 30. The Power of Friendship, a poetical Epifle. 8vo. 1s. Bew, London, 1785. The author of this Epiftle profeffes to entertain a platonic friendfhip for the beauteous Eliza The purity of this attachment will appear from the warmth with which it is expreffed. The goddess, pleas'd, with partial eye furvey'd. The heart that early had her call obey'd: "Twas then Eliza felt a mutual flame; Her beauteous bofom throbb'd at friendship's name: grove The grove once facred to Eliza's love. Let her my warmth with equal warmth return; Let her pure eyes difplay thy power divine, Friendships with the fair, although they may begin in the Spirit, generally end in the flesh. DIVINITY. ART. 31. The Advantages of Sunday Schools, a Sermon, by the Rev. John Bennet. Cadell, London. The corruption and profligacy of the lower ranks in England have been long notorious, and are equally fhocking to us as men and as Chriftians. That the want of inftruction in the principles of religion and virtue is at the bottom of these disorders, cannot be called in queftion. The amiable Mr. Howard, the friend of man, has the following remark, There are few criminals or prifoners in Switzerland, because care is taken to give the children a religious education. He makes the fame obfervation on Scotland, and affigns the following reafons; partly the fhame and difgrace annexed to imprifonment; partly the folemnity with which oaths are administered, and trials conducted; but chiefly the general fobriety of manners, pro. duced by the care which parents and minifters take to inftru&t the rifing generation.' To extend thefe advantages to England, Sunday fchools have been inftituted in various parts of the country, and attended with remarkable fuccefs. The Sermon before us, which recommends this inftitution, is fenfible and fpirited. ART. 32. An Expofition of Ifaiah's Vision, Chap. VI. wherein is pointed out a ftrong fimilitude betwixt what is faid in it, and of the Infliction of Punishments on the Papifts, by the Witneffes. Rev. XI. 6. By Robert Ingram, A. M. Vicar of Wormingford and Boxted in Effex. 8vo. 6d. Rivington, London, 1784. It is not to be wondered at, confidering how numerous are the clergy of this kingdom, that they fhould diftribute themselves into |