Inland Commerce, Agriculture, &c, By Thomas Gordon, Efq; 8vo. Evans.

In this work the public fpirit of the author is confpicuous. We pretend not however to be deeply verfant in his fubject. To us, it appears that his obfervations are fuch, that they ought to have drawn fome attention to him. But though he addreffes himself with great modesty and deference to Lord Sandwich, he procured no notice from that nobleman. This neglect was fupercilious and illiberal; and statesmen and noblemen should recollect that they lose infinitely their dignity, when they forget the politenefs of gentlemen. Art. 32. The Frolics of Fancy, a familiar Epiftle, characteristic of Tristram Shandy, to a Friend, by Rowley Thomas. Third Edition, with large Additions. To which is added the Portrait of the Modern-fashionable Deift, contrasted with the Orthodox Divine. Printed for the Author, fold by Eddowes, Wood: and Sandford, Shrewsbury, and T. Longman, London. 4to. 1785.

We have never had the mortification of perufing any former edition of Mr. Rowley's performance: and are apt to fufpect the veracity of the title page with regard to the third edition. We have only to add that we have feldom, perhaps never laboured through thirty-five pages of fuch execrable trash as "The Frolics of Fancy, by Rowley ! Thomas." Had the poor man not a fingle friend poffeffed of common fenfe, to advise with; or was his rage for publication unconquerable?

Art. 33. The Elements of English Grammar, Methodically arranged for the Ufe of thofe who ftudy English Grammatically without a previous Knowledge of the learned Languages: and illuftrated by Rules and Leffons of parfing adapted to the Capacities of young Beginners. Defigned particularly for the Ufe of Ladies' Boarding Schools, Gloucefter, printed by E. Raikes. Evans, London. Evans and Hazell, Gloucester, 12mo. Is. 64. 1785.

The title page will inform the reader fufficiently with regard to the nature and defign of this performance; and all that is neceffary · to be added by the Reviewer, is, that the author appears to be well acquainted with his fubject, and to have treated it with accuracy and judgement.

Art. 34. A Collection of Gaelic Proverbs, and Familiar Phrafes; accompanied with an English Tranflation, intended to facilitate the Study of the Language; illuftrated with Notes, To which. is added, the Way to Wealth, by Dr. Franklyn, Tranflated into Gaelic, by Donald MacIntosh. 12mo. 2s, Edinburgh, 1785. The Editor's defign in making this collection, as he informs us in an advertisement, was, " to preferve the language, and a few remains of the ancient cuftoms of Scotland, by bringing fo many of the proverbial fayings of the people into one point of view."

It is certain that the proverbs of any country by alluding to cuf toms, objects, and manners that are univerfal and familiar, do ferve, in fome measure, to preferve and to illuftrate the hiftory of the people. Things taken feparately and in a folitary state furnish not in

U 4

1truction

ftruction of any kind: but when compared, or combined by various affociations with others, they afford both inftruction and amusement. It may happen that one of thefe Gaelic proverbs of the ancient Scots may ferve to explain fome paffage in the history or writings of thofe tribes of Celtic origin, which are to be found in different parts of the world. For this reafon, although many of the proverbs collected by Donald MacIntosh appear fimple and trifling, we commend him for not rejecting them.

Art. 35. Original Papers, confifting of a Letter from the late Earl of Hardwicke to a near Relation on the Subject of a Minifterial Negociation in the year 1763, and alfo a Letter from the Honourable Charles Yorke, to the Reverend Doctor Birch. 8vo. Is. Jarvis, 1785.

This publication, which is brought forward with all the dignity of materials for the future hiftorian, does by no means appear to us to contain information fufficient to excite the curiosity of the collector or to reward the pains that must be bestowed in its perufal, Art. 36. Eugenius; or, Anecdotes of the Golden Vale, an embellifhed Narrative of real Facts. 1-2mo. 2 vols. 58. Dodfley, 1785.

The performance, though not immediately proceeding from the hot-bed of a circulating library, may in our apprehenfion without any difparagement. be ranked with the majority of the works which are ufhered to the world under that venerable fanction.

Art. 37. The Life of Cervantes, together with Remarks on his Writings, by M. de Florian. Tranflated from the French by William Wallbeck. 12me. 7s. Bew, 1785.

A piece of nambypamby oftentatious flourish, promifing much and producing nothing.

Art. 38. Plantagenet: a Poem. Being a fhort Sketch of the

Civil wars between the Houies of York and Lancaster: wherein the Horrors of thofe Times are endeavoured to be defcribed. With explanatory Notes. 4to. 1s. Almon,. 1785.

Long have we regretted the infipidity of modern poetry, often have we exclaimed that we could find in it nothing to blame, and nothing to commend. This is by no means the cafe with the prefent performance.

Now Edward of York, and gentle Glo'fter come,
Who fuffer'd by the cruel Richard's hideous crime:
O heart whofe rage no bounds could know,
But fent to the grave alike the friend and foe.
The dark now pervades the hollow deep,
And night keeps watch on the untroubled fleep;
The wild inhabitants of hell ftand still,
And filence bewilders the enchanted hill;
Creation hufh'd, the world inclines to lay
In foft repofe, the hurry of the day:
Now drowsy mortals fink in worlds below,
And rife again in worlds of myftic show.
Then, in each other's arms, the gentle Princes lay,
While Sleep on their tender limbs extend his fway

In vain for them the nightly vigils wept ;
By hireling ruffians of their lives berett:
Thefe, as they crept up by the pale-burnt lamp,
Set on the unguarded bed the bloody ftampt;
The downy pillows where they lay reclin'd,
But ferv'd to join them their unfortunate kind :
Thus to their fate in horrid filence led,

Afleep, unknowing, and without hearing bled.'

We profets our unfeigned veneration for every thing that is perfect in its kind, and as we conceive our author, particularly in the above extract, completely to have anfwered that defcription, we fhould have deemed ourselves inexcufeable if we had omitted the opportunity of contributing what was in our power to perpetuate it to pofterity. We are fully perfuaded that the poem is the production of no common pen, and, if our opinion be of any weight, would earnestly recommend to the author not to fuffer his talent to be overwhelmed by the temporary frowns of fortune, or the interefted cabals of malignity and envy.

Art. 39. A Treatise upon Aeroftatic Machines. Containing Rules for calculating their Powers of Afcenfion, a demonftration of the Forces which have a tendency to diftend or burst them: and an extenfive Table by which the Power and Weight of any one from ten to one hundred Feet Diameter may readily be found." Alfo an expeditious Method of conftructing them of any Form, fuch as a Globe, a Vafe, or an Urn: with Directions for filling them, and making inflammable Air, &c. Baldwin, 1785.

This treatife is addreffed to thofe who, "prompted by the defire improving science, by curiofity, or by the love of fame, are endeavouring to make balloons ufeful, but may not be thoroughly in: itructed in the methods of calculating the powers of ascension and other properties of balloons."

John Southern appears to us to be no bad balloon builder. But: whether the perfons to whom his inftructions are addreffed ought to attempt any aerial excurfions on the strength of this pamphlet, with, out ferving a regular apprenticeship to the art, we leave to their own difcretion to determine.

Art. 40. Obfervations on the Properties and Effect of Coffee. By Benjamin Mofely, M. D. 8vo, 1s. 6d. Stockdale.

The author of this pamphlet is a judicious obferver; and he had ample opportunities for obfervation. His compofition, at the fame time, is correct, and, upon the whole, the prefent publication ought to attract the attention of phyficians. It may amufe our readers to have before them a few of our author's remarks.

• Imitations of coffee have been procured from roafted beans, peas, wheat, and rye, with almonds; but the delicacy of the oil in coffee, which the fire in roafting converts into its peculiar empyreu ma, is not to be equalled.

.

The roafting of the berry to a proper degree, requires great nicety: Du Four remarks, that its virtue and agreeableness depend on it, and that both are often injured in the ordinary method. Bor nier fays, when he was at Cairo, where it is fo much drank, he was

affured

affured by the beft jndges, that there were only two people in that great city, in the public way, who understood the preparing it in perfection.

• If it is under-done, its virtues will not be imparted; and in use it will load and oppress the stomach :-If it is over-done, it will yield a flat, burnt, and bitter taste; its virtues will be destroyed; and in ufe it will heat the body and act as an aftringent.

The clofer it is confined at the time of roafting, and till used, the better will its volatile pungency, flavour, and virtues be preferved.

"Fourteen pounds weight of raw coffee, is generally reduced at the public roafting houfes to eleven pounds by the roafting; for which the dealer pays feven pence half-penny; at the rate of five filling for every hundred weight. But the roatting ought to be regulated by the age, and quality of the coffee, and by nicer rules than the ap pearance of the fumes, and fuch as are ufually practifed: therefore the reduction muft confequently vary, and no exact standard can be afcertained. Befides, by mixing different forts of coffee together, that require different degrees of heat and roafting, Coffee has feldom all the advantages it is capable of receiving, to make it delicate, grateful, and pleafant. This indeed can be effected no way fo well, as by people who have it roafted in their own houses, to their own tafte, and fresh as they want it for use.

The extraordinary influence that coffee, judicioufly prepared, imparts to the ftomach, from its tonic and invigorating qualities, is frongly exemplified by the immediate effect produced on taking it, when the ftomach is overloaded with food, or naufeated with furfeit, or debilitated by intemperance.

To conftitutionally weak ftomachs, it affords a pleafing sensation; it accelerates the procefs of digeftion, corrects crudities, and removes the cholic a d flatulencies.

6

Befides its effect in keeping up the harmony of the gastric powers, it diffufes a genial warmth that cherishes the animal spirits, and takes away the liftleffnefs and languor, which fo greatly embitter the hours of nervous people, after any deviation to exceís, fatigue or irregularity.

The foundation of all the mifchiefs of intemperance is laid in the ftomach; when that is injured, instead of preparing the food, that the leactcals may carry into the conftitution, fweet and wholesome juices to the fupport of health, it becomes the fource of disease, and difper, fes through the whole frame the caufe of decay.

From the warmth and efficacy of coffee in attenuating the vifcid fluids, and increafing the vigour of the circulation, it has been used with great fuccefs in the fluor albus, in the dropfy, and in worm complaints; and in thofe camatofe, anafarcous, and fuch other difeafes as arife from unwholefome food, want of exercife, weak fibres, and obftructed perfpiration."

In vertigo, lethargy, catarrh, and all diforders of the head, from obftruction in the capillaries, long experience has proved it to be a powerful medicine; and in certain cafes of apoplexy, it has been found ferviceable even when given in glyfters, where it has not been

"

Convenient

Convenient to convey its effects by the ftomach. Monf. Male branche restored a perfon from an apoplexy, by repeated glyfters of coffee.

'There are but few people who are not informed of its utility for the head ach; the team is fometimes very useful to mitigate the pains of the head in the Weft-Indies, where the violent fpecies of headach, fuch as cephalea, hemicrania, and clavus, are more frequent, and more fevere than in Europe, Coffee is the only medicine that gives relief. Opiates are fome times ufed, but coffee has an advantage that opium doesnot poffefs; it may be taken in all conditions of the ftomach; and at all times by women, who are most subject to thefe complaints; as it diffipates thofe congeflions and obftructions, that are frequently the caufe of the difcate, and which opium is known to increase, when its temporary relief is past.

From the stimulant and detergent properties of Coffee, it is ufedin all obftructions of the vifcera; it affifts the fecretions; powerfully promotes the menfes, and mitigates the pains attendant on the fparing difcharge of that evacuation. In the Weft-Indies, the chlorofis and obftructed menfes are common among laborious females, expofed to the effects of their own care leffnefs, and the rigorous tranfitions of the climate: there ftrong Coffee drank warm in a morning, faft ing, and good exercife after it, has been productive of innumerable

cures.'

Art. 41. The Practice of Medicine made easy. Being a fhort but comprehenfive Treatife, neceffary for every Family. In which are exhibited the Symptoms of almost every Disease to which Men are fubject, the Method of diftinguishing any Difeafe from others which it refembles, where fuch Distinction is neccflary, &c. &c. &c. By J. Fisher, M. D. Graduate of the University of Leyden, Honorary Fellow of the Phyfical Society in Edinburgh, and Author of the Review of Dr. Priestley's Doctrine of Philofophical Neceffity, &c. For the Author, and fold by all the Bookfellers in Great Britain and Ireland. 12mo. 28. 1785.

This is a very cheap performance as to quantity, confifting of near two hundred pages, clofely and moft abominably printed, the paper, if poffible, worse than the print, Dr. Fisher follows the plan of Dr. Buchan, and except a few novelties of later phyficians, we do not fee that he has improved greatly on the plan. He speaks, indeed, of the use of diluents in dropfies, but he ought to be very cautious in the mention of fuch a remedy, as he must know, that where there can be produced an inftance of a dropfy cured by diluent drinks, there may be an hundred quoted where the difeafe was brought on, and promoted by them, The Doctor gives advice gratis to the poor at Rogerion's quay, Dublin.

Art. 42. The Coalitional Rencontre Anticipated. A Poetical Dialogue. Scene St. James's Park. Time, the Morning before the Meeting of Parliament, after the long Recefs. Dramatis Perfonæ ; Northelia, Carlo-Khan, Ornamented with a Frontispiece, Second Edition with Additions. Stockdale, 1785. Carlo Khan meets Northelia, (Lord North, in womens cloaths, as reprfented by a wooden engraving which forms the frontispiece)

and