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They fat at his table, accompanied him in his progress: they were his guard in peace, his protection in war. To fupport the expence of entertaining these conftant attendants of his prefence he received from the people a voluntary and free gift of cattle and corn, and he alfo derived a kind of revenue from the fines impofed upon petty offenders. The prince and his af feffors formed the leffer affembly; and differences between individuals were heard and determined before them.

• Traitors against the ftate, and deferters to an enemy, were tried among the old Germans before the general affembly of the people, and, upon conviction, hanged. Cowards and men of infamous lives were drowned under hurdles, in ftagnant and muddy pools. The laws of the ancient Saxons on the continent were particularly fevere against incontinence and adultery. Should a virgin in her father's house, or a married woman in that of her husband, be guilty of incontinence, fhe was either ftrangled by her relations in private, and her body burnt, or fhe was delivered over to a fpecies of public punishment the moft ignominious and cruel. Cut fhort of her clothing by the waift, fhe was whipped from village to village by ancient matrons, who, at the fame time, pricked her body with knives till the expired under their hands. Virtue, in this cafe, degenerated into unpardonable barbarity.-They animadverted upon petty offenders with flighter punishments: a fine in cattle, proportioned to the degree of the offence, was levied by the authority of the king and his affeffors upon the delinquent; even homicide itself was expiated by a certain mulct payable to the prince and the relations of the perfon flain. Such were the rude elements which time has improved into the prefent conftitution of English government.'

Throughout the whole of his Introduction, our Author has discovered no lefs judgment than erudition. He has not given into bold and vague conjectures, but has grounded his opinions on the teftimony of the ancients; and the general remarks he has made on religion and policy, are a proof that he is well acquainted with the hiftory of mankind. The language in which he expreffes himself has energy and elegance; and we perceive in his performance, a force of mind, which never marks the productions of thofe who purchase a temporary reputation by retailing the difcoveries and the fentiments of other

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CATALOGU E,

MAY, 1771.

MEDICA L.

Art. 10. Virtues of British Herbs. With the Hiftory, Defcription, and Figures of the feveral Kinds; an Account of the Difeafes they will cure; the Method of giving them; and Management of the Patients in each Difeafe: Containing Cures-Of the Gravel by a Tea of Golden Rod: of fcorbutic Blemishes by a Decoction of Eupatorium; and of the Piles by Yarrow. An Account of the eminent Virtues of Butterburr in peftilential Fevers, and the Plague itfelf. And of the Excellence of Flowers of Tanzy for the Cure of Worms. The Power of Confound as a vulnerary; and the original Receipt for Arquebujade-water; with an Inftance of an inveterate Stomach complaint cured by a Tea of the Flowers of weet Fever-fer. The Whole illuftrating that important Truth, that the Plants of our own Country will cure all its Difcafes. To which is added, the Manner of raifing Farrow, for increafing the Quantity of wholefore Pafurage in Grafs Grounds. A Work intended to be ufeful to the Sick, and to their Friends; to private Families; and to the charitable, who would help their Neighbours. Number II. To be continued occafionally, as new Virtues are discovered in Plants; or neglected or doubtful ones afcertained by Experience. By John Hill, M. D. 8vo. 1 s. 6 d. Baldwin, &c. 1770.

HIS loquacious title-page has fo great an appearance of puffing and quackery, that it may prejudice fome Readers against the work which it defcribes. We are periuaded, nevertheless, that the defign of the publication is very commendable. It were to be wished that the qualities and effects of the herbs defcribed, had been all attefted from the Doctor's own experience and knowledge; but there are fome inftances in which he feems chiefly to depend on what he has learned from other perfons. Of the firft number of this work we took notice fome months ago: this fecond, like the former, befide a particular defcription of the different herbs, is attended with a print of each. In defcribing the matricaria fuaveolens, or fweet fever-few, we are told of a fingular and friking inflance he had of its virtues fome years ago, when he was, we are informed, defired by the late Dutchets of Richmond to vifit a farmer's wife, who was perishing from mere want of nourishment.' An averfion, fays he, to all food had poffeffed her for many months, not to be accounted for by any means, or equalled by all that has been written in medicine. It was fea ce poffible to get her to taste any thing whatever; and a few minutes after the leait morfel was down, fhe always threw it up again. I found her in the ufe of a tea made from this plant; and as her friends thought it promised good, I recommended the continuance of it. The tea was made only from the yellow disks of the flowers clipped into boiling water. A clergyman in the neighbourhood had taught her the method, and fhewed her the plant. The infufion was the moft grateful bitter that could be tafted. Her ftomach, that abhorred

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abhorred gentian and the like, bore this; and by a conftant perfeverance in it fhe was cured.'

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After defcribing the achillea, or yarrow, it is obferved, that greater care is neceffary than men commonly ufe, to fhew what plants are and what are not valuable; because the yarrow is a plant left ftanding always in fed paitures, therefore it has been thought unferviceable; but yarrow, fays our Author, ftill is ufeful. I fowed fome in a barren patch of grafs ground; and all the while the leaves were tender the cows and horfes eat them heartily; and it proved wholefome, and doubled the natural produce. On cutting down the ftalks as they rofe, it ftill kept in leaf and freshnefs, growing as it was eaten.' He proceeds afterwards to speak of its medicinal qualities and use.

The fenecio farrenicus, or faracens confound, is, we are told, the great ingredient of the Swifs arquebufade-water. Among the many receipts for making this famous water, the beft, the Doctor fays, which he has feen, he obtained by purchase from a perfon of veracity and knowledge, and is happy in this opportunity of giving it to the public, becaufe every one who has an alembic may make it with the greateft eafe.' The recipe follows, but for the particulars we must refer our Readers to the pamphlet.

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The petafites ovatus, or common butterburr, receives great praises from this Author. "Tis, fays he, one of thofe innumerable inftances that the providence of God, ever attentive to the good of man, has placed thofe things about us in great plenty, that can be of great ufe. This is an admirable medicine in fevers of the worst kind; and taken early it prevents the mifchiefs that often rife naturally in the difeafe; and oftener from the errors of phyficians. When a disease of the putrid kind prevailed, it is faid, in England about twenty years ago, the fame fever raged at the fame time in Germany; and while we died by bleedings, and by chemical medicines, they lived by butterburr.' He proceeds to fpeak very seriously of a heavier vifitation, with which a while ago it was imagined we were threatened; and adds, if that greatest of all calamities fhould come, there are few things from which we may expect fo great relief as from this herb. 'Tis no new or hafty obfervation. The Greeks ufed it with the greatest fuccefs; and the very name of the plant among the Germans, is peftilence-wort.'

He goes on to acquaint us in what method the root of butterbury is to be used, whether for this or for a lefs calamity; for putrid fevers, or for what is called the fore throat with ulcers, which is indeed, fays he, only one fymptom of a putrid fever, however otherwife it has been spoken of.' The account of this herb is closed by producing fome great authorities in its favour, and then he asks, Shall we go on?-But it were needless to prove the fun gives light; 'tis fcarce less certain, or lefs obvious, that this root, beyond all things elfe, cures pestilential fevers.'

Under one article he laments the great confufion that has arifen about the names of plants, particularly of fome, of whofe ufe Diofcorides had experience. 'We have, fays he, been falling into the fame mischief now; and all knowledge faded before it. I hope this publication may have its ufe in topping the progrefs of a custom,

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which must in time deftroy every attempt to help mankind. The greatest forrow is, that the most refpected names have given too much countenance to the practice. Linnæus, worthy of all praise, yet not without his faults, has given the names of Diofcorides's plants to new kinds found lately in America.' The paragraph is oddly concluded with faying, If fuch a method be not stopped, good night to all.'-Good night to you, Doctor.

POLITICAL.

Art. 11. A Refutation of a Pamphlet, called, Thoughts on the late Franfactions refpecting Falkland's Ifland. In a Letter addreffed to the Author, and dedicated to Dr. Samuel Johnson. 8vo. I S. Evans. 1771.

This publication fully refutes the fallacious reafonings employed in Dr. J.'s pamphlet *, and exposes the difingenuity of its Author. Art. 12. The original Power of the collective Body of the People of England examined and aferted. Addreffed to the King, Lords, and Commons. Neceffary to be read at this alarming Crifis. 8vo. 1 s. Williams 1771.

This appears to us to be an old tract; and it has evidently been indebted for its republication to its title, and not to its merit.

DRAMATIC.

Art. 13. He would if he could; or, an old Fool worse than any z A Burletta, as it is performed at the Theatre Royal in Drurylane. The Mafic by Mr. Dibdin. 8vo. 1 S. Griffin. 1771. Goes an eafy hand-gallop with the right foot foremost, in that kind of titupping burleique rhyme which feems ridiculously enough, and, therefore, well enough adapted to subjects of this kind.-The old Fool ma ries his maid.

8vo.

Art. 14 The Fair Orphan: A comic Opera of Three Acts, as performed at the Theatre at Lynn, by Mr. G. A. Stevens's Company of Comedians. 1 s. 6d. Nicoll. 1771. The plot inartificial, the dialogue unnatural, the characters ill diftinguifhed, the underplot impertinent, and the whole a heap of abfurdities.

POETICAL.

Art. 15. The Triumph of Fashion; a Vifion. 4to. Is. 6d.

Griffin. 1771.

Wit and Senfe are here reprefented as foolish enough to go to war with Fathion, and their campaign is, of course, unfuccessful. Dulnefs is made one of Fashion's generals, in which appointment we do not fee much propriety; but poffibly the Author's connection with the Goddefs might induce him to give her that preferment. Art. 16. An Elegy written in Covent Garden.

ley. 177!.

4to. 1 s. Rid

The progrefs of a thief to Tyburn, in a parody on the Elegy written in a Country Church-yard. Here and there the Parodist affords us a droll stanza; but, upon the whole, it is a dull performance.

See Review for April, p. 33°

Art. 17.

Art. 17. Penferofo; or, the penfive Philofopher in his Solitudes; a Poem in fix Books. By the Rev. James Foot. 8vo. 45. Boards. Bathurst.

1771.

Mr. Foot, in this poem, introduces an imaginary perfon of the name of Penferofo, reflecting upon the ftate of the moral and natural, the religious and civil world. He means very well, but he writes unhappily. His poem affords innumerable inftances of the Bathos; and had it been publifhed before the treatife on that fubject was written, it would have saved the Authors the trouble of coining. The Macedonian Prince, with glory drunk.

And fooping gods attentive hear his tale.
In him the direful work was but begun
For others bleed by droves.

Give me to pass within this facred dome,
Where death is to be feen in highest tafte.

A warrior frowns in ftone, bis legs acrofs.

The grinders loft,

Or leffen'd, the digestive power declines. Such is the mifery of being toothless, and-tastelefs! Art. 18. The Prostitute; a Poem. The Author J. H. Wynne. 4to. 2 s. Wheble. 1771.

The old idea of a country parfon's daughter, debauched by a man of fortune, revived, and the story told in a very unequal manner; in fome places quite below mediocrity, trite and tedious; in others fpirited and picturefque.

How chang'd the fad Meliffa now appears!

How counts her fighs, and drinks her falling tears!
Tears vainly fhed for many a fecret crime
That ftains the rolls of her departed time!
Her waning form keen hunger's power betrays,
And fcorching thirst, which on her entrails preys;
Deep marks of grief her faded vifage plough,
And gloomy care fits heavy on her brow.
Sorrow, remorse, and fhame, a hideous train,
Sicknefs and want, and heart-diftracting pain,
With confcious guilt that fharpeft anguish breeds,
And fell defpair, that prompts to blackest deeds;
All these within her tortur'd bofom fwell,
Rage, and diftra& her with the pains of hell,
Banish fweet fleep, or to her clofing eye

Ten thousand dreadful dreams of woe supply.

The critical Reader will perceive, in this fhort fpecimen, the inequalities we have mentioned; and the fair Reader will see a true picture of ruined virtue,

NOVELS.

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