charged", he juftly reprefents as a moment of great anxiety," of fearful and perplexing doubt"; and infers," that no man, who had not fome firmness of mind, nay a confiderable portion of it, would, at fuch a moment, have undertaken the management of public affairs". After other observations of the same kind, the author states the circumftances which occafioned the refignation of the late Minifters (which we will not here repeat); and fhows the advantage it was to them to be fucceeded by men who had approved, and would fupport, the measures of their administration: thence he infers, "that the promife of fupport must have been broad, and cordial, and unqualified". The queftions, what fuch a promise muft, at all events, have Fineant? and whether the claim had been forfeited at the time when it was withdrawn? are alfo fully difcufled. Here we observe a remark fimilar to one which we have before made during this controverfy, on the inconfitency of those who "affign the treaty of Amiens as a juft caufe of violent oppofition to Mr. Addington, and yet confider it as no bar to an union with Mr. Pitt." The author next proceeds to the negociation (or, as fome term it, overtures) for the return of Mr. Pitt to office, and enters at large into the circumftances of that tranfaction, representing it in somewhat a different light from that in which it appeared to the "More Accurate Obferver". We will not cite the remarks in this part of the work, although they appear to us to be, in general, warranted by the facts admitted. The laft topic difcuffed is the parliamentary conduct of the ftatef men in queftion; upon which it is not our business to animadvert. The author before us admits, that excepting" the line which was taken upon Mr. Patten's motion”, the manner rather than the conduc of Mr. Pitt has been unfriendly to Mr. Addington. This is a point which can hardly be deemed a fit fubject of public difcuffion. It muft be left, in a great degree, to the feelings of the parties themselves. On the conduct of the late Minifter upon Mr. Patten's motion, opinions will vary, according to the political connections and prejudices of those who are to judge. The author of this tract is of opinion, that without giving an unqualified approbation to Ministers, Mr. Pitt might have joined in putting a negative on the motion. We are inclined to think, that moving the order of the day was a fufficient declaration against the motion of cenfure, or at least, was such a neutral conduct as did not neceffarily indicate future hoftility. Thus far as to the imputations on the late Minifters. The charges against the prefent administration are answered in this pamphlet with ability; and most of them, in our opinion, with perfect juftice. Upon the whole, this political tract deferves much attention, as being written, not only with ingenuity, but candour; and maintaining the cause of the minifters, not only with more temperate, but with more judicious arguments, than have been used by their former advocate, the writes of the " Curfory Remarks”. ART. ART. 36. The falutary Effects of Vigour exemplified in the Operation of the Nottingham Act, paffed in the laft Seffion of Parliament: being a Sequel to "Thoughts on the late General Election, as demonftrative of the Progrefs of Jacobinifm". By John Bowles, Efq. 8vo. 9 pp. 6d. Rivingtons, &c. 1804. This little tract is fo trially confidered by the author as a fequel to the former, that its pages are numbered from it. It contrafts the prefent ftate of Nottingham with that which fubfifted before the paffing of the Act. It informs the reader, that the county magiftrates, in exercise of their new jurifdiction, have appointed peace-officers, who are active in keeping the peace": and that by these legal means, this once turbulent and licentious town is become tranquil and orderly. Mr. Bowles concludes, by reflections on the neceffity of an efficient police, and a quotation from Hooker in praife of law. PHILOSOPHY. ÁRT. 37. Thoughts on the Formation of the Earth. By a Farmer 4to. 28 pp. Shrewsbury. 1802. A fhort Preface, full of apologies, is prefixed to the four chapters into which this fmall work is divided. Acknowledging himself igno rant of the theories which have been offered to the public by other writers on the fame vast and abstruse subject, this author fays, that an abridged tranflation of Buffon's work was the only book of the kind he had perufed when the prefent tract was nearly completed: fenfible; therefore, of the numerous imperfections with which his work is likely to be replete, he apologizes for intruding on the public his crude ideas relative to the formation of the earth. The reader, indeed, will easily perceive, that his ideas are crude and indeed indigestible; but, after a full and modeft acknowledgment of the probability of its numerous imperfections, it would be ungenerous to examine the work with peculiar minuteness and feverity; we shall therefore only endeavour to give our readers fome idea of this author's attempt at theory, by a concife ftatement of its moft relevant parts. In the commencement of the first chapter, he says: "To the appearance of the high ground called Whitcliff, near the town of Ludlow, in Shropshire, the following ideas owe their exifty ence. These extensive hills chiefly confilt of a hard grey fand-ftone, abounding with the wreck of fishes: among those of the cruftaceous and teftaceous kinds, I found lobsters, cockles, razor-fhells, barnacles, and oytters; alfo a number of broken ftones, apparently petrified; fishes of the finny tribe, are confufedly fcattered over the face of the country. From the depofition of thefe phænomena, I have endeavoured to reason back to the formation of the earth, and have drawn therefrom the fubfequent conclufions." Hha The The hypothefis which he has formed on the tottering foundation of thefe partial obfervations is, that the terraqueous globe always contained the fame quantity of water as it does at prefent; but that once, the folid mafs of matter was folt, and fmoothly globular, not full of inequalities, as it is at prefent; and that then it occupied the parts nearest to the centre of the whole; confequently the water furrounded it every where. In this ftate of things, the only living inhabitants of the globe were those whofe exuviæ, or shells, &c. are now found upon hills and plains, in different parts of the world. This author further fuppofes, that afterwards, by the agitation and blending of its different parts, "a general fixation of the rocky matter took place; and did (as falt made one of its principal conftituent parts) in its tranfmutation from fluidity to ftony firmness, give itself another figure. Thus it contracted in moft places now covered by the fea, and pushed itfelf forward where it appears above is furface; and the water, rolling off from the projecting parts, found itfelf a relting place on the indented fides; and thus again restored the fpherical form of the planet, fo far as its quantity would allow." The land thus emerged from the fea, was naturally mixed with those marine fhells, petrifactions, &c. which are now to be found upon hills and plains. The creation of the human fpecies, and other land animals, as alfo of plants, must have taken place subsequent to the abovementioned emerfion. The title of the fecond chapter is, On the Probability of the Land's being again fubmerged in the Ocean. That this event is likely to take place at fome future pericd, this author is led to believe, from the conftant falling of earthy matter from the mountains to the plains, and thence to the fea; by which means at last, the whole of the land, which now projects above the level of the fea, will be carried to the bottom of the latter; and, of course, the water will again cover all the surface of the globe. The third chapter contains a recapitulation of the contents of the two preceding chapters. In the fourth chapter, the author endeavours to reconcile to his hypothefts a few phænomena, which might be urged against it. The principal of thofe facts is, that in certain places, trees and other vegetable parts are found beneath the layers of marine productions; but this ftrange arrangement", he fays, " of ftratified matter may, in fome places, owe its pofition to land flips; it has often happened, that the fides of hills have flid down into the plain, and covered all the fubjacent furface." P. 24. He alfo attributes the above-mentioned conformation to the action of earthquakes, and other convulsions of the globe. A rough sketch or map of the world is, by way of illustration, prefixed to the titlepage of the tract. AGRICULTURE. AGRICULTURE. ART. 38. An Inquiry into the Rot in Sheep; and other Animals; in which a Connection is pointed out between it, and fome obfcure and important Disorders, in the Human Conftitution. By Edward Harrison, M. D. F. R. A.S. Ed. Member of the Royal Med. and Royal Phyf. Soc. Ed. of the Med. Soc. London, &c. 8vo. 56 pp. 25. Bickerftaff. 1804. The In Part I. Dr. H. enquires "into the nature of the foil, and the circumftances which induce and prevent the rot; and attempts to prove, that marsh miafmata are equally the caufe of agues, remitting fevers, &c. in the human fubject, and of the rot in animals". disease here treated of, obtains its name from the ftate of the liver; which remains foft and flaccid after death, and is not made hard or compact by boiling. It is faid to affect "fheep, cows, horfes, affes, hogs, deer, hares, rabbits, geefe, pigeons, turkies, poultry", and even dogs; but the author's obfervations are chiefly confined to beep: becaufe "the phenomena and progrefs of the diforder have been more carefully obferved in them, than in other animals"." Poor clayey and loomy lands are most fubject to rot. On them, without great care, water stagnates; and can only be removed by evaporation; for they are too compact and tenacious to permit much of it to fink down, and efcape below the furface. By judicious drainage, and conveying away the moisture as it falls, fuch lands become found; and then theep may feed securely upon them, in all feafons of the year. Grounds that are always dry, or always under water, and such as are wet enough to preferve a continual run and circulation, were never known to fuffer from the rot"." In the Holland Divifion of Lincolnshire, it may be fafely affirmed, that, from the improved drainage in that fertile diftrict, agues have declined very confiderably both in frequency and violence". We conclude, that much remains to be done in the way of drainage within that fertile diftrict; from the strong effects of ague which have been feen, during the laft winter, in the tremulous hands of fome of its inhabitants; for whofe fake we are inclined to with, that the able projectors would proceed with all poffible dispatch, in the annihilation of "marfh miafmata"; by completing two " plans of great magnitude in drainage". Dr. H. then enquires into the "caufes of rot"; premifing fome notice of the various theories and hypothefes on this fubject; which are thefe: "the diforder has been imputed, ift, to a vitiated dew. 2dly, to a gruft, which adheres to the grafs after wet weather, or the overflow of running water. 3dly, to the luxuriant and quick growth of plants, in hot, moift feafons. 4thly, to grazing upon certain herbs. 5thly, to fafciole hepaticæ, or their ova, being introduced into the ftomachs of animals, by feeding on fwampy and low grounds, in moift weather. 6thly, it has been called the theep-pox, by Profeffor Vibourgh, of the Veterinary College at Copenhagen. 7thly, it is afcribed by Daubenton to poor diet, and drinking too much water." The Doctor affigns reafons, apparently valid, for setting afide these causes of rot; and then says, "it feems to be occafioned by poisonous poisonous effluvia; which, under certain circumftances, are emitted from marthy foils". This opinion is fupported by a statement of feveral cafes, which feem to justify the author in attributing the rot in fheep, and other animals, to "paludal effluvia"; before named "marth miafmata"; or, "miafmara paludum". For "prevention of the rot", the grand means must be drainage, Part II. on the "History of the Rot in Sheep", is very brief; and the title of it (we think) should rather have been, an account of the fymptoms and the progrefs of the rot in sheep. In the Notes (p. 52) Dr. H. is "inclined to impute the ophthalmia in Egypt, to noxious vapours, rather than to particles of floating fand, to folar reflection, or the intrufion of unfeen infects". We hope this author will profecute his enquiries (which at prefent are confeffedly incomplete) on a fubject highly interefting to the hufbandry, and therefore to the general profperity, of the kingdom. His future efforts in this way will be regarded by us with a friendly difpofition and in the fame difpofition we now admonish him; to abftain from talking of the "envious, or malevolent, and their misreprefentations"; (p. iii.) words ill calculated to renew peace where it is loft, and to reconcile very refpectable, though unhappily conflicting neighbours, MISCELLANIES. ART. 39. The profeffional Life of Mr. Dildin, written by Himself. With the Words of Six Hundred Songs felected from his Works, and Sixty fmall Prints taken from the Subjects of the Sangs, and invented, etched, and prepared for the Aqua-Tinta, by Mifs Dibdin. Embellished alfo with an elegant Engraving by Mr. Smith, from a Portrait of Mr. Dibdin, a ftriking Likeness, and an admirable Picture painted by Mr. Dervis. Four Volumes. 8vo. Published by the Author; fold by Longman and Recs. 1803. In the lives of eminent aftors the public naturally takes an intereft, they are public perfonages; and to that claim Mr, Dibdin adds thofe of an author, in mufic and poetry, to a very confiderable extent. The lift of his productions as a writer of comic and ballad operas is very large; and, among them feveral, as Damon and Phillida, the Wedding-Ring, the Deferter, the Waterman, the Quaker, were long in favour. The fertility of his imagination, and the readiness of his pen in producing ballads, is beyond example; of which the fix hundred collected in this book afford no flight proof; nor is it a small praife to fay of fuch a writer, that his tongs, though frequently enlivened with humour and wit, have had an uniform tendency to fupport virtue and good principles. The Theatrical Remembrancer has twenty-five. Mr. D.'s own account includes many minor pieces, not known to the principal theatres. 5 Το |