ART. 22. Macbeth: a Tragedy. Written by William Shakspeare. 2s. 6d. 8vo. 112 pp. Whether Mr. Rowe be the real commentator in this edition of Macbeth, or whether fome anonymous wag has made free with his name, not having the honour of the gentleman's acquaintance, we cannot prefume to judge. His ftyle of commenting is, in general, that of altering the text of the author, according to his ideas of what would be better or more intelligible, which, with fubmiffion to fome great authorities among editors of the Claflics, is the worst mode imaginable. On the puzzling word aroint thee, Mr. R. has, however, made a plaufible conjecture. It feems that the rown-tree (a northern appellation for the mountain afh) has been fuppofed to be particularly pernicious to witches; which he proves by a paffage from a Scotch ballad, Crying that witches have no power, Where there is rown-tree wood. He propofes therefore to read, A rown-tree, witch! the rump-fed ronyon cries. Thus, we prefume, as the witch has juft faid "give me--", the failor's wife replies, "give thee a rawn-tree!" Give thee that which is most pernicious to thy fpecies. His remarks on rump fed are certainly right; it means only fat-rump d. The remarks of the annotator, fuch as they are, amount to no great number. ART. 23. The Farmer, in Tewa Ats. Performed at the Theatre Royal in Covent-Garden. By John O'Keefe, Efq. 8vo. IS. Longman and Rees. 1800. We are furprised to fee the Farmer, as now first published. Its character has long been known. We shall not therefore expatiate upon it. ART. 24. The Tournament, a Tragedy; imitated from the celebrated German Drama, entilled Agnes Bernauer, which was written by a Nobleman of high Rank, and founded on a Fact that occurred in Bavaria, about the Year 1435. By Mariana Starke, Author of the Widow of Malabar, of Letters from Italy between the Years 1792 and 1798. 8vo. 25. Phillips. 1800. Blank verfe of no very inferior conftruction forms the dialogue of this Tragedy, which, with fome attention, might have been fitted for the English ftage. The abrupt and violent tranfitions of the German drama are very prevalent in it, nor is there any attempt at skilful difcrimination of character; but Agnes is a beautiful picture of confummate excellence, and we feel interested in her fate, amidst all her rapid and wonderful changes of fituation. ART. ART. 25. The Orphans; or, Generous Lovers. An Opera, in Three Acts. Publifhed for the Benefit of the Widows and Orphans of the Soldiers who fell in Holland. By Henry Shepherd, Efq. Captain in the 49th Regiment. 8vo. 94 PP. 35. Egerton. 1800. The changes of fortune, in this little drama, are fomewhat fudden and furprifing; and the language, in the ferious parts, approaches frequently too near to verfe, without being fo. Yet it is by no means void of merit. Some features in the character of Williams are touched with skill, and a few of the fongs are written with poetical taste. The author is not equally intelligible in his Preface. Speaking of the imitations of Metaftafio, he fays, "I have endeavoured to bring the celebrated Italian dramatift down from courts, and camps, and palaces, to the humbler walks of private life. I have imped the bufkined ftep without the accompaniment of the bloody dagger or poifoned bowl; and to checquer the fcene, affumed the walk of the humbler fock, without fearamouching it in buffoonery and farce." Yet the piece is not an imitation of Metaftafio. What the word imped means in this fentence is very doubtful. NOVELS. ART. 26. Memoirs of Modern Philofophers. In Three Volumes. Crown 8vo. 15s. Cruttwell, Bath; Robinfons, London. 1800. The Vagabond, written by Mr. Walker, and formerly commended by us (Brit. Crit. vol. xv, p. 432) and this Novel of the Modern Philofophers, are formed upon the fame defign; that of ridiculing the extravagancies of feveral preténders to wifdom in the prefent times, particularly of Mr.Godwin. The wild and almost incredible abfurdities of that author's Political Juftice (expofed by us with fome care in our first volume, p. 307, &c ) afford fo fair and open a fubject for ridicule, that no man poffeffing any share of humour could fail to raife a laugh, if fo difpofed, at the expence of the fantastical fpeculator. In this refpect, both thefe publications are abundantly fuccefsful; though we cannot but think the humour of the Vagabond the more delicate and refined. Bridgetina, in the prefent Novel, is fuch a caricature as exceeds all probability, and almost all patience; and Mr. Glib talks only the cropped cant of the Road to Ruin, and foch ftuff; the pleafantry of which confifts in leaving out articles and pronouns. Mr. Myope greatly refembles the fublime Stupeo, but is drawn with lefs vigour. On the other hand, the villainy of Vallaton is well defigned, and highly finished. As a regular novel, the prefent has much more plot and more interest than the Vagabond. The good characters are given with admirable skill, and form a useful and a ftriking_contraft to the bad. Many of the serious parts are of high merit. The catastrophe of Julia in particular is tremendous, but touched with a moft judicious hand. Yet the triumph of the amiable girl over the fuperficial philo. fopher, in the Vagabond, gave us more pleafure, and has in our opi rion more probability, than the ftrange and unaccountable lapfe of Julia. We have heard it furmifed, probably from its being printed at Bath, that the prefent Novel proceeds from the pen of the venerable Mr. Graves, author of the Spiritual Quixote, Euphrofyne, &c. Some pallages fem to us a little to contradict that opinion, but we would not be too pofitive. Much of the work is certainly worthy of that able author. The Modern Philofophers appear to us to have attracted the public attention more than the Vagabond; we have therefore been careful to compare them. Were we to add another feature to the com parison, we fhould fay that Mr. Walker more completely expofes the authors he attacks, than the prefent writer. His account of emigra tion to America is ufeful, becaufe touched with truth; and his ima ginary fociety of philofophers is managed with a vein of high humour, Both novels however will be read, and both deserve it. ART. 27. The Hiftory of Rinaldo Rinaldini, Captain of Banditti. Tranflated from the German of Vulvius. By T. Hinckley, Efq. In Three Volumes. 12mo. 125. Longman. 1800. There is matter enough in these volumes to have made them, with a moderate share of dexterity, an interefting performance; nor does the author appear to have been deficient in the neceffary qualifications. But in compliance we suppose with the vitiated tafte of his time and country, he has introduced the contemptible machinery and jargon of phi lofophy, magic, ghofts, and one knows not what, The fyftematic repentance of the principal perfonage, appears to entitle him to a tran quil termination of his life; but at the moment when he is arrived safe at the haven where his readers with him, he is ftabbed by a man, of whofe real character, fituation, and motives, we are finally left in the dark. The tranflator has performed his office fufficiently well to entitle him to the commendation of eafy, if not elegant writing. MEDICINE. ART. 28. Reflections on the Cow-Pox, illuftrated by Cafes to prove is an abfolute Security against the Small-Pox. Addreffed to the Public, in a Letter to Dr. Jenner, from William Fermor, Efq. 8vo. 47 pp. IS. Robinfons. 1800. The author, who is a private gentleman, and not engaged in the practice of phyfic, has collected a confiderable body of oblervations, confirming the opinion of Drs. Jenner, Woodville, Pearfon, &c. that the cow-pox completely guarantees, and fecures the conftitution from the infection of the fmall-pox, and that it is a much milder and fafer disease than the inoculated fmall-pox. He feems to think the cowpox originates in the matter of the greafy heels of horses, but does not tell the grounds of that nearly exploded opinion. He relates the cafes of eight perfons, who having been infected with the cow-pox, from milking cows, at various times, from five to fourteen or fifteen years back, who have been inoculated, under his direction, with the matter of of the fmall-pox, and were found to be incapable of being infected. He then gives a lift of 326 perfons, who have been fuccefsfully inoculated with cow-pox matter. 66 During the course of these experiments," he fays, "upon fo confiderable a number of patients, of all ages, from eleven days to feventy-five years, no puftule appeared on any of them, but on the inoculated part, except in two inftances; a fingle puftule on the forehead of one, and one upon the arm of another. No ficknefs of any confequence enfued, nor any lofs of time from ordinary avocations. The diforder was not communicated by contagion to any who refused to be inoculated. The symptoms which generally occurred, were a pain in the axilla, or in the head, fometimes in both; but no nausea, or any other conftitutional illness. An efflorefcence generally appeared about the punctured part, and fometimes extended, though without pain, down the fore arm, and up to the shoulder. No medicine of any fort was administered, nor had any of them any inflammation on their arms, that could create any uneafinefs." P. 29. 173 of these patients were afterwards inoculated with fmall-pox matter, but without producing the disease in any one of them. The author was affifted in his experiments, he fays, by many of the most learned profeffors of the University of Oxford. By Dr. Wall, Sir Chriftopher Pegge, Dr. Williams; by Mr. Grosvenor, Mr. Davis, Mr. Braine, Mr. Oley, and Mr. Watfon, furgeons; and by the Rev. Mr. Jenner. We cannot help confidering the teftimony here adduced, as nearly complete in favour of the cow-pox. It produces no puftules, except on the part inoculated; is not infectious, and is much milder and fafer than the fmall-pox, against the infection of which it is a perfect guard and fecurity. ART. 29. Obfervations on Mr. Simmons's Detection, &c. Part II. By John Hull, M. D. 8vo. 483 pp. The Two Parts, 9s. Bickerstaff, London. 1800. We are concerned at finding the cafe of Elizabeth Thompson, which has been fo largely difcuffed, again brought before the public, and made the principal subject of a large octavo volume. Nothing further, we prefume, can be now neceffary, nor indeed feems poffible to be brought forward, to fhow the propriety of performing the Cæfarean fection, in that unfortunate cafe, and confequently to fubstantiate the neceflity of fometimes having recourfe to that operation. The author has shown in this, as well as in former publications, that be is poffeffed of talents which might be more ufefully employed than in perpetuating a difpute, in which the public are no longer interefted, and in difcuffing a fubject by which their feelings are unneceffarily violated. He cannot be fo Quixotic as to fuppofe, that by any argu ments he will be able to gain the fuffrages of every individual; he should be content with that of the most eminent profeffors, which he has already obtained. If Mr. Simmons, and a very few others, ftill continue to maintain a different opinion, he may fafely trust to time, and further experience, which we have no doubt will make converts of them, them likewife. The author has added defcriptions of various female pelvifes, with fome ingenious obfervations on their forms and dimenfions. Thefe are accompanied with delineations, and would not be easily underflood without referring to them. Separated from the former, and largelt part of the volume, they would make a ufeful publication. ART. 30. A Difcourle, delivered at Rotherhithe Church, May 26, 1799, for the Benefit of the Royal Humane Society, inftituted for the Recovery of Persons apparently dead, great Numbers of whom were prefent on the Occafion. By the Rev. T. Harweis, LL. D. and M. D. Chaplain to the late Countess of Huntingdon, and Rector of All Saints, Aldwinkle, Northamptonshire. 8vo. 40 PP. IS. Chapman. 1799. The very occafion on which thefe difcourfes are periodically pronounced, fhould alone be fufficient to conciliate the favour of the moft rigid cenfor. Two thoufand three hundred and nineteen perfons, refcued within a few years from apparent diffolution, by the bieffing of Providence upon the endeavours of this Royal and truly Humane Society! But the prefent preacher, on Pf. cxxxix, 14, (or we might rather fay the orator) requires no fuch indulgence. Sentiments like the following recommend his difcourfe: "The time will admit only of a rapid glance over a fubjećt nearly connected with our inftitution: in which we propofe among our nobiet objects, not merely to refcue the body from the grave, and to revive the vital flame, but if Divine Grace profper our endeavours, to fnatch the fouls of many from the bitter pains of eternal death -to afford them a moment fo precious to recover themselves before they go hence, and are no more feen-and to urge the propriety, the necefty, the bleffed nefs of devoting to Divine Glory the lives fo eminently preferved by his providential interpofition." P. 14. In addreffing the perfons restored to life, Dr. Haweis fays, It is not the poor addition of a few days, or months, or years, which is the object: one nobler, Higher, is in view, a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory: you must shortly return to the fate of infenfibility from whence you have been refcued, go down to the grave and fee corruption; but the Gofpel of our great God and Saviour, Jefus Chrift, opens the gates of life and immortality. If we know, believe in, and love him, who died for us and rofe again, then," though we be dead, yet fhall we live; and whosoever liveth and believeth in him, fhall never die." P. 20. The following addrefs must be read with concern, not unmixed however with a hope, that it may call forth other benefactors: "Ye fons and daughters of compaffion, whofe bofoms fwell with the milk of human kindness, behold this delightful fcene, and whilft the tear of joy glittens in your eye, indulge the facred pleasure of doing good, and receive the intant reward from the exercife itfelf of divine charity. We need your help, your liberal help. Our funds are nearly exhauited, our claims encreauing. Shall I fay, I am afhamed to observe laft year, |