jesty's Court of Common Pleas at Westminster, on the 10th and the 11th of May 1786, before Lord Lougborough, and the rest of the Judges of Common Pleas. 8vo. 45. fewed. Debrett. 1786. In the 73d volume of our Review, p. 395, we mentioned a former trial between these contending heireffes, in which a verdict was given in favour of Mifs Mellish. On this fecond investigation of the pretenfions of the rival ladies, Mifs Rankin was victorious. Another trial by bill of ejectment hath fince been had, in the King's Bench, Westminster, in which Mifs Mellish, the plaintiff, fuffered a nonfuit. The public attention hath been very much excited by this extraordinary caufe; which, we fuppofe, is not yet brought to a final iffue.

Art. 37. An Alphabetical Index of the Registered Entails in Scotland, from the paffing of an Act of Parliament in the Year 1685, to February 4, 1784. Containing the Number of the Entail as it fands on Record, the Volume, the Folio, Date of the Entail, Date of Registration, Entailers Names, &c. By Samuel Shaw. 4to. 7s. 6d. Edinburgh printed, and fold by Robinfons, in London.

Every perfon muft, at one time or other, have had occafion to remark the utility of Indexes; and the importance of them rifes with that of the fubject: this, with the credit of the accuracy advanced to the avowed compiler, is all the notice that a publication of fuch a nature calls for.

N. Art. 38. The Speech delivered by Sir Peter Calvert, LL. D. preparatory to adjudging a Decree in favour of Mrs. Inglefield. Taken in Short-hand by W. Blanchard. 8vo. 1s. Logographic Prefs. This was a cafe of alledged adultery, the circumstances of which have been abundantly detailed in the newspapers. The learned Civilian, in the fpeech before us, infifted, and concluded, not only ⚫ that there were no pofitive acts of adultery proved,' but that there was not that fituation of the parties proved,' from which adultery might be implied. He therefore exhorted Capt. Inglefield to take his wife home, and treat her with matrimonial affection: not doubting that, as both the husband and the wife bear excellent characters,' they may ftill render the conjugal ftate very happy. The decree was a monition' to the fame effect.

Art. 39. A compendious Syftem of the Bankrupt Laws. By Wm. Cook, of Lincoln's Inn, Efq. Barrister at Law. 8vo. 8s. Boards.' Brooke. 1786.

We have in this valuable publication all the feparate acts concerning bankrupts reduced and brought into one point of view ; an undertaking that must prove ufeful, because all the acts relative. to this fubject make but one fyftem of law, the whole of which being regularly digefted will be of real fervice to the perfons concerned in the practice, as it will enable them with little trouble to become acquainted with the contents of all the acts that have been paffed, and with every regulation that has been made respecting bankrupts. The Appendix, containing the neceffary inftructions for procuring and carrying on the bufinefs of a commiffion, and also a great variety of precedents, is a performance that will be highly acceptable to thofe readers for whofe ufe this compendium is intended.

. Art.

Art. 40. The prefent Practice of the Court of King's Bench; containing ample and complete Inftructions for commencing and defending Suits, Actions, &c. By John Sheridan, Efq. of the Inner Temple. 8vo. 7s. Boards. Walker, &c.

As the Court of King's Bench is the cuftos morum of the realm, and may punish any offence contrary to the first principles of juftice;' its jurifdiction is, confequently, very extenfive; it keeps all other jurifdictions, within the bounds of their authority; it compels magiftrates and others to perform with diligence the duty of their refpective offices; it protects the liberty of the fubject in a fummary manner. From the wide grafp of its jurifdiction, its practice muft of neceffity be extensive.

The prefent performance is calculated to guide the attorney, and, by pointing out the various proceedings, to enable him to conduct properly fuch matters as may occur in the course of his practice. The Author has interfperfed his work with feveral precedents of the various writs, pleadings, entries, declarations, &c. which may be m.

ufeful to the younger readers of books in this class. R

MEDICA L.

Art. 4. A new Syftem of Midwifery, in four Parts, founded on practical Obfervations. The whole illuftrated with Copper-plates. By Robert Wallace Johnson, M. D. The 2d Edition, with Additions. 4to. 11. is. Johnfon. 1786.

In our account of the first edition of this work, in the Review for August 1769, we obferved, that it contained much useful inftruction, and might be perufed with advantage by that clafs of readers to whom it peculiarly belongs.

Dr. Johnfon hath not been able to difcover any real improvements either in the theory or practice of the art fince the first publi cation of his fyftem, but hath had the fatisfaction of being confirmed in his former opinions by the teft of experience; the additions with which this impreffion is enriched, being either elucidations of what he had before written, or practical proofs of the merit of his theory.

The letters of the late Dr. Redman, of Philadelphia, which our Author has given us in the Appendix, contain very juft commendations of Dr. J.'s well-contrived inftruments. We fincerely wish practitioners, efpecially the younger ones, to be peculiarly attentive to the Author's prudent maxims relative to the cautious ufe of inftruments in general; a strict obfervance of them would effectually reprefs that impetuofity, which, to the great detriment of the patient, is too often obfervable in juvenile operators. Di Art. 42. Medical Reports of the Effect of Arfenic in the Cure of Agues, Remitting Fevers, and periodic Head-aches. By Thomas Fowler, M. D. 8vo. 3s. Johnson. 1786.

Dr. Fowler, who has here published 86 cafes of agues, &c. cured by arfenic, feems to confider the administration of that dangerous mineral poifon as a new difcovery. Had he looked into old writers, a ftudy too much neglected by many modern practitioners, he might have collected from them as many, and as demonstrative, proofs of

the febrifuge qualities of arfenic, as he himself has here prefented to the Public.

As to the propriety of the practice recommended by the Doctor, we have long fince given our opinion about it. The dreadful effects of this very corrofive poifon have deterred rational phyficians from adopting it as a remedy in any cafe whatever; and the curing any difeafe by fo fiery a medicine, we formerly obferved, was driving out one devil by means of another *. R-m Art. 43 An EJuy on Preternatural Labours. By Thomas Denman, M. D. Licentiate in Midwifery of the College of Phyficians. 8vo. zs. Johnson. 1786.

This Effay contains ufeful directions and rules for fuch cases as belong to the clafs of labours here mentioned. We approve them the more, as they tend, in a great measure, to caution the practitioner against that impetuofity which we have just cenfured in Art. 41.

By fome accident this performance was miflaid; otherwise it ought to have been noticed before Article 33 in our Catalogue for July laft, that being the fourth, and this the third clafs of Dr. Denman's divifion.

POETRY.

Do

Art. 44. Saint Peter's Lodge, a Serio-comi legendary Tale, in Hudibraftic Verfe. By the Author of the Register Office. 8vo. Is. Davis. 1786.

Mr. Reed has thought proper to refume the task fo happily executed a century ago by Butler; though we do not readily conceive what outward call there is for flogging the faints in these free and eafy times, when they are not numerous enough to be troublesome. The argument of the tale is thus prefixed:

Saint PETER in his eafy chair

Sits dozing to his Lodge repair
Souls made immortal: He inspects

Their Paffports: af their feveral Sects;
And, after fome confabulation,

Shows each where lies his heavenly station.'

After a fufficient fample of different religious perfuafions, St. Peter is applied to by the fpirit of one, who, contenting himself with a general profeffion of the leading tenets of natural religion, dif- › claimed a connexion with any exclufive pious brotherhood whats

1

All mental flavery difdaining,
Purfuing Good, from Ill abitaining,
Range wherefoever you're inclin'd,

To no one spot of bliss confin'd:

Range thro' thefe Realms, whofe space immenfe is,
And view, in rapture loft your fenfes,

The countless wonders Heaven has wrought,

So far furpaffing human thought.

When you've a leisure hour to spend

In focial converfe with a Friend,

Think of my lodge, and hither come:

You'll find me conftantly at home.

You may even stake your Soul to meet here
A friendly welcome from Saint Peter.

If I had judg'd like you, my fate

Had ne'er confin'd me to this Gate.'

The reader may now form his own judgment of the plan of St. Peter's Lodge, and eftimate the merit of this verfification of an old jeft. N. Art. 45. A Defcription of the various Scenes of the Summer Season, a Poem. 8vo. 1s. 6d. Dilly. 1786.

In four introductory ftanzas, the Author propofes his fubject, and invokes the affistance of his guardian angels:

Sweet fummer, through creation's realm,
With lavish bounty, has difplay'd
The charms that forrow overwhelm,
Imparadizing all the mead.

I would refound in kindred strains,
Illuftrious honours here reveal'd;
And borrow notes from heav'nly plains,
T'attune the theme by cherubs peal'd.
But what fhall favour me inclin'd
T'extol, of water gems bereft?
What penetrative thought can find
Conceal'd and scatter'd jewels left?
Good angels, who attendant wait
To ferve and guard me, lend your aid;
Arriv'd from the celeftial gate,

You'll not our Sov'reign's works degrade.'

Thefe good angels muft certainly have had fome other earnest bufi. nefs in hand at the time the Author called them; for we perceive no marks of their affiftance throughout the whole poem. The next tanza will fhew that he was obliged to proceed alone;

Morning, with folitary gloom,

Lies drowly in cool Nature's lap :
Faint are the gleams that yet prefume;
No gentle breezes pinions flap.'

Pinions flap! That is, the angels were not come; and furely no an-
gel, unless he had been as drowfy as the morning is here defcribed to
be, could have fuffered fuch a degrading line to ftand; but would
rather have fubftituted,

To interrupt the focial nap.
Cc 4

That

That is the nap of Nature, who like an old nurse, fat nodding over drowfy Morning dozing in her cool lap. We would cheerfully affift our Author farther, in the absence of his truant angels, but other bufinefs obliges us to give him the flip alfo: we cannot leave him however, without advising him not to think of defcribing the other feafons, till a fecond impreffion of Summer is called for. N. Art. 46. The Grave; by Robert Blair. To which is added. Gray's Elegy in a Country Church-yard. With Notes, by George Wright, Efq. 8vo. 1s. Fielding. 1786.

There is fome propriety in publishing, together, an edition of thefe two celebrated, and, in fome refpects, fimilar poems. Blair's very popular production has been, for fome time, fcarce: though it hath, no doubt, undergone many impreffions fince the firft in 1743.-The Editor is miftaken in referring its original publication to the year 1747.-With refpect to Mr. Wright's notes, they chiefly confist of parallel paffages from Hervey, Young, &c.

Art. 47. The Religion of a Lawyer, a Crazy Tale. 8vo. 1s. 6d. Walker. 1786.

The moft miferable ballad that was ever ftrung against a wall, is a claffic compofition in comparison with this execrable mefs of uniform ftupidity; in which we cannot find one couplet good enough to afford us the confolation of knocking down a blockhead with fome of his own nonfenfe.

N.

Art. 48. The Vindication of Fame; an Ode in Honour of John Howard, Efq. Infcribed to the Howardian Committee. 4to. Is. Dilly. 1786.

A well-meant encomium on the philanthropy and benevolence of the age; with particular reference to the promoters of the scheme for a monument in honour of the excellent JOHN HOWARD. Art. 49. The Triumph of Benevolence; a Poem. Occafioned by the national Defign of erecting a Monument to John Howard, Efq. A new Edition corrected and enlarged. To which are added, Stanzes on the Death of Jonas Hanway, Esq. 4to. Is. 6d. Nichols, &c. 1786.

We gave an accouut of this poem, on the appearance of the first edition: See Rev. for Sept. p. 223. Confiderable additions are now made, by the very ingenious, but unknown*, Author. We obferve not fewer than 22 new ftanzas. The verfes in commemoration of Mr. Hanway appear to come from the fame pen: and they are not unworthy of either the writer or the fubject. Art. 50. The Vale of Innocence. A Vifion. Daughter, and Sonnets on feveral Subjects. 4to. 1s. Johnson. 1785.

Verfes to an Infant By the Rev. J. Black,

A beauteous NYMPH before the Queen appear'd
Whom to behold, her eyes fhe gently rear'd:

To us, at leaft, totally unknown. The Editor's advertisement fpeaks of the Triumph of Benevolence as a prefent from an anonymous author to the Howardian Committee; who commiffioned their Printer to publish it for the benefit of the HOWARDIAN FUND,'