tion relates to the repeal of the teft and corporation acts; the arguments for and against which are recited with apparent impartiality. The abolition of the flave-trade, which forms the fubject of the next fection, is confidered by the author in the fame manner, and with the fame difinterefted judgment. The laft fection is on the regency; from which, as it will best show the author's political fentiments, we shall lay before our readers an extract. During the debates which the various provifions and reftrictions of the regency bill occafioned, which lafted till the middle of February, the public watched with a degree of interest and anx iety proportioned to the importance and nature of the fubject, the opinions of individuals, and the movements of party. They had fometimes to regret the violence of the one, and the intemperance of the other, fo ill according with that folemn and awful impref fion which the confideration of their sovereign's afflictive state, and of the probable fituation of public affairs, was calculated to produce. They heard expreffions applied to the first, by men whofe talents and whofe characters they wished to refpect, equally devoid of dignity, of delicacy, and of feeling. They faw that party whom it was fuppofed the establishment of the regency would introduce into administration, forget, in the inordinate defire, in the voracity of power, the intereits of their country and the rights of their king. They looked with the regrets of affection, on the conduct of the illuftrious and amiable perfonage who was understood to be the Support of that party. It was the first time they had heard the name of a prince of the House of Brunswick jar with those principles of freedom and of the conftitution by which (the proudeft of all titles) his family had afcended the throne. They lamented his being, as they conceived, misled by defigning men, who, bending. his inte refts in fubfervience to their own, endangered their feparation from thofe of the country; and they looked with a gloomy prefage to the elevation of fuch men into power, which they had anticipated with fo little regard to the welfare or the feelings of the people. The meafures of that party they contrafted with those of their opponents, with a partiality to the latter, which perhaps their mafter's fituation tended to excite. Covered with the fhade of his affiction, his minifters challenged the refpect and favour of his people; who, with an equal zeal of patriotifm, and a fympathetic affection of loyalty, faw them prepare, with a calm and confcious dignity, for a difmiffion from place and power, regardless of them felves, and only tenacious of the rights of their fellow-citizens and of their fovereign. But the virtue which the people fuppofed in the one, or the ambition which they imputed to the other, were equally stopped in their exertion by the happy event of his majefty's recovery, which took place about the middle, and was communicated to parliament before the end of February. The joy of the nation was as unbounded as it was fincere, and the king had the peculiar felicity to find himself reftored to health, of which the enjoyment was rendered doubly a bleffing by the moft fignal proofs of the fidelity and affection of his fubjects. It was a fituation new, as it was interefting, in the fate of a king, who can feldom have the good fortune to experience, after fuch a viciffitude, the pure affections of his people, unbribed by the hopes of favour, or undazzled by the glare of victory. To hear that voice (as the apotheofis of poets have feigned of kings after their death) which had certainly arifen undebased by the fears of the weak, the expectations of the selfish, or the flattery of the mean. The people, by a combination not lefs unusual, while they enjoyed the restoration of their monarch, felt the energy of the conftitution, and triumphed in the virtue of the parliament. They refted with peculiar fatisfaction on the late recognition of this great conftitutional principle, that in parliament alone, as their reprefentative, refides the power of regulating every emergency not already provided for by the exprefs law, or by the known established custom of the realm." In the conclufion of the pamphlet, there are fome general temarks on adminiftration and oppofition, which, we believe, will be admitted to be judicious and just by the friends of each party. It alfo details the proceedings of a parliament, perhaps the moft memorable, for the importance of its tranfactions, of any that has occurred in the prefent century; and the author is, doubtlefs, ftrongly fupported in his opinions by the authority of other political writers, who have laid before the public their fentiments on the feveral fubjects of which he delivers an account. He feems to tread much in the footsteps of the writer who lately produced a fhort Sketch of the laft ten Years of the Reign of George the Third.' MONTHLY CATALOGUE. 4 Letter to the Right Rev. the Lord Bishop of Landaff, containing THE 15. 'HE bishop's Charge has been the fubje&t of much animadverfion. We found it generally innocent, though fometimes blameable, but worded with so much caution, that we suspected it might have been a little altered; an infinuation hinted pretty plainly by the Country Curate,' but which it would have been improper for us, without authority, to have.noticed. The bishop's corref ..pondent 7 pondent fees much danger in his lordship's caution, and thinks that the Charge has in many respects an esoteric, as an exoteric meaning; an imputation which certainly fhould not be rafhly thrown out, for if no improper confequences can be fairly drawn from what he has faid, they certainly fhould not be deduced from what he has omitted. A great part of the Letter relates, however, to the fup pofed opinions of his lordship, which are either concealed, or only covertly hinted at. Many objections are made to the new ecclefiaftical establishment in France, which Dr. Watson feems to approve. One of thefe is the want of fecurity for the property which they have been allow. ed to keep. This is, however, an objection, the force of which, when the government is established, will vanifh; and, if it is overthrown, will no longer be made. But, if high dignities and the emoluments of the hierarchy are to be the reward of distinguished learning and cultivated abilities, the bishop's calculation of the remaining riches of the French church is groundless, for the prizes fhould be numerous in proportion to the numbers, to excite emulation. The reply to his lordship's remarks on the test and corporation acts is very judicious; and the connection between the church and state, as it is influenced by the political opinions of fectarists, very clearly pointed out. The Country Curate feems eager to fhow, that the conduct of the Diffenters, at the Revolu tion and in the Rebellion, was selfish and interested, fince, in either cafe, the government would be lefs tolerant than that which they fupported. But, to feek for motives in order to form the accufation, is an invidious task: they did the state some service;' and every reward which government can bestow, confiftent with its own fafety, they should receive. On the whole, our author reafons with great force and ability; yet we think he sometimes dif plays prejudices too deeply rooted, and is eager, but perhaps he has well founded reafons, to condemn Dr, Watfon for what he has omitted, as well as for what he has faid. Reflections on the controverfial Writings of Dr. Priestley, relative to Religious Opinions, Establishments, and Tefts. Part I. 80. Is. 6d. Rivingtons. 1791. The author of thefe Reflections examines the different writings of the adventurous polemic with great skill and propriety. But, refting on different foundations, and reasoning with almoft oppofite views, the combatants draw conclufions far as the poles afunder.' In fome few instances, Dr. Priestley's antagonist purfues his own principles farther than expedience or the temper of this æra will admit; farther than we, who wish for a regulated liberty both civil and religious, can follow him; yet, on the whole, this is a work which we have read with pleasure. It relates chiefly to the test and corporation acts, and the charge fo freely and unequivocally made of perfeqution by the church. A Defence A Defence of Public or Social Worship; in a Letter to G. Wakefield, B. A. By J. Wilson, M. A. 8vo. IS. Brown. 1792. In reviewing Mr. Wakefield's work, we contented ourselves with ftating his arguments, for reafons that we may probably give in the course of this controversy, for a controverfy we even then expected: we mult at prefent do little more. Mr. Wilfon contends, that the paffages adduced by Mr. Wakefield relate undoubtedly to private prayer, which was a duty strictly inculcated by our Saviour; but that he went up into the Temple frequently, where prayers were public and focial. He dwells a little too much on an argument taken from the common language of the present time, and does not fufficiently fhow, that the prayers in the Temple were facial. His arguments, relating to the practice of the apostles, are not directed with fufficient care to this latter point. Curfory Remarks on an Enquiry into the Expediency and Propriety of Public or Social Worship. Refpe&fully infcribed to G. Wakefield, B. A. By Eufebia. 8vo. 6d. Knott. 1792. Rational religion appears with peculiar beauty in a female mind, for it is generally animated with a warmth of devotion, and rendered interefting by the feminine weakness, which requires fupport. Eufebia's Remarks, independent of this recommendation, are truly judicious, and fhe has felected fome paffages which, require Mr. Wakefield's attentive confideration in the progrefs of this Enquiry. We shall only fuggeft, that the prayers mentioned were probably regulated by the Jewish ritual and cuftoms. The following paffage is expreffed with peculiar beauty and force. And though fuch devout afpirations can give no information to an Omniscient Being, nor alter his plans, originally designed for the greatest general and individual good; yet it is poffible, that they may be links in the great chain of caufes and effects, and by giving rife to pure and pious fentiments, be ultimately productive of confequences the most beneficial. Far as the world has advanced to maturity, and enlightened as is the prefent age, compared with former obfcurity; yet are the generality of mankind by no means fufficiently fpiritualifed, as to be capable of rifing into first principles, and regulating their practice from the reafon and moral fitnefs of things; and where through inattention or incapacity, this is not to be expected, even a mechanical devotion, a mere performance of external duties (and private prayer may frequently be no more) may have a restraining effect upon the conduct; as it is a general obfervation, that youth, who have received a religious education, though the precepts may not have reached the heart, are yet incapable of rufhing into vice and diffipation, with the fame callous inconfideration as others, whofe early affociations have been of a different nature: when through the medium of the fenfes, re peated impreffions have been made on the brain, good or evil ha. bits acquire an afcendancy not eafily to be eradicated; words muft first be taught, and ideas will afterwards cling to them. If, to avoid the appearance of a vain difplay, all outward acts and expreffions of devotion are to be difcouraged, piety will want the prevailing recommendation of example, or religion be reduced to a mere fyftem of morals, which unaffifted reafon might have dif covered, without needing a divine interference.' Notes on Mr. Paine's Rights of Man. 8vo. 2s. 6d. Debrett. 1792. Thefe Notes are comprized in fix Numbers, and are written with fpirit and ability. We cannot but think, indeed, that the author has mifemployed his time; for those who admire the defpicable work on which he comments, must be blinded either by ignorance or the prejudice of party: it is equally difficult to inform the first clafs, and to remove the veil from the eyes of the fe cond. Strictures on a Pamphlet entitled I boughts on the late Riots at Birmingham. By a Welsh Freeholder. 8vo. 1s. Johnson. 1792. We have often had occafion to commend the abilities of the Welsh Freeholder, and the force of his reafoning. In the prefent Strictures, though we differ a little from him in opinion refpecting Dr. Priestley's equanimity, his mild forgiving difpofition, as well as the original intentions of those who propofed the commemoration on its first very extensive scale, he has fully fupported his former character. The author of the Thoughts' was much too eager and violent in his abuse, unsupported by any facts: the Freeholder may perhaps be excufed therefore, if, in his correction of thefe faults, he errs a little in the oppofite extreme. A Letter from Timothy Sober fides, Extinguisher-Maker at Wolver hampton, to J. Blaft, Bellows-Maker, at Birmingham. 8vo. 6d. Johnfon. 1792. Timothy is a fly dog. He begins with profeffing his attachment to church and flate, and is all on fire against those wicked rogues the Prefbyterians, who were to blow ap the Church and murder all the bishops. This he finds, however, to be the violent calumnies of party, and that truly the Diffenters have done no harm; nay, that they are a very good fort of people-In truth, Timothy, you are a wag, but you do not want abilities, and we hould have no objection to meet you on better ground. A Letter to the Rev. E. Holder, on the brief and fufficient Answer to the Philofophy of the Mafons. 12mo. 2d. Routh, Bristol. 1792. This little ephemera was formed and animated in twenty-four hours, and lived but twice that time. In other words, it was written, |