merically. But though we can say but little in favour of the dialogue, there is the fame peculiar fpirit in the dedication to Lord Mansfield which diftinguiflied the former publication. See Review for January last, page 35. Ն.

Art. 23. The political and commercial Works of that celebrated Wri ter Charles Davenant, LL. D. relating to the Trade and Revenue of England, the Plantation Trade, the Eaft-India Trade, and the African Trade. Collected and revised by Sir Charles Whitworth, Member of Parliament. To which is annexed, a copious Index.

8vo. 5 Vols. 11. s. Boards. Horsfield, &c. 1771.

The public-fpirited Editor justly obferves that the fubjects treated of, in this collection, are fuch as every nobleman and gentleman in this country ought to be well acquainted with; that the times in which Davenant wrote the principal part of thefe valuable tracts were foon after that happy ara of our English conftitution, by the acceffion of King William and Queen Mary; and that his difcourfes may properly be called the foundation of our political establishment, as feveral public regulations have taken place from the hints which he threw out. It is certain that the political and commercial pieces of this able and eminent Writer have long been held in the highest efteem, and deemed as valuable as they were fcarce. He published them at different periods, from the year 1695 to 1712; and, in fo many detached treatifes, that to collect them in an entire and uniform edition, was, undoubtedly, a very defirable work.-The account of the life and writings of the Author, here prefixed, is extracted from the Biographia Britannica.

TRADE and COMMERCE. Art. 24. Confiderations on the prefent State of the Trade to Africa; 'with fome Account of the British Settlements in that Country, and the Intrigues of the Natives fince the Peace: In a Letter addreffed to the People in Power, &c. By a Gentleman who refided upwards of fifteen Years in that Country. 8vo. Is. 6 d. Robinfon and Roberts.' 1771.

Recites the feveral inconveniences and grofs abuses which have crept into our African trade. The Author feems to have written from unquestionable experience, and his obfervations appear to be fo important as to merit the ferious regard of all who are interested in the fubject.

N. Art. 25. An Anglo Lufitanic Difcourfe, concerning the Complaints of the British Factors, refident in the City of Lisbon. By a Serious and Impartial Wellwisher to the Prosperity of both Nations. 8vo. 1 s. 6 d. Wilkie. 1771.

In the Review, vol. xxxvi. p. 68, we gave an account of a pamphlet containing Memorials of the British Conful and Factory at Lifben, relating to commercial grievances therein complained of. The prefent Difcourfe is a difcuffion of thofe complaints; the origin of which is afcribed to the machinations of the Jefuits, who are reprefented as having, by various arts, endeavoured to calumniate his Portuguefe majefty ever fince the commencement of his reign; and no lefs to irritate the Portuguese nation against the English, than the Eng-lish against the Portuguefe. We are now told that our commerce

has

has fuftained no injury by any internal regulations of his Portuguese majefty; and the Writer gives the amount of the fpecie remitted from Portugal by various conveyances to Britain for four years, fubfequent to the above-mentioned Memorials; as under:

The names fubfcribed to thofe Memorials this Writer affirms to confift of book-keepers, clerks, and even of individuals of a lower clafs; the merchants of any confequence refufing all concurrence therein. Such oppofite allegations must be left to the reviewal of gentlemen engaged in the Portuguese trade, who only know the particular facts; and of which we can say nothing pofitively. We fhall therefore only remark, that what he advances feems plaufible; and that, if the king of Portugal labours to introduce industry among his people, this alone may render fome of the mercantile profeflion there difcontented; though fo far, there can be no justifiable complaint against him by foreigners.

MEDICA L.

N.

Art. 26. The Female Phyfician; or, every Woman her own Do&refs. Wherein is fummarily comprized, all that is necessary to be known in the Cure of the several Disorders to which the Fair Sex are liable; together with Prescriptions in English of the respective Medicines proper to be given in each Cafe. By John Ball, M.D. Author of the Modern Practice of Phyfic, &c.

L. Davis. 1770.

I 2mo. 2 S.

Dr. Ball, or his bookfeller, will probably be more benefited by this publication than the good ladies of Great Britain.

We should be extremely forry to see those females, who are not fo happy as to be mothers, making free with Dr. Ball's prolific tincture. Here it is:

• Take of Peruvian bark in powder, an ounce and a half; cinnamon, gum guaiacum, rhubarb, each half an ounce; Virginia fnakeroot, three drams; Peruvian balfam, two drams; saffron, one dram; best French brandy, two pints.

Infuse them together in a bottle or decanter well ftopt, for a fortnight, often fhaking the veffel, then ftrain off the clear tincture for use.

Of this beautiful cordial tincture the patient may take four large spoonfuls, or a wine glass two or three times a day.'

Twelve large fpoonfuls of French brandy, independent of the fiery ingredients with which they are loaded, are much too large a daily allowance for any fair lady, be her conftitution ever fo phlegmatic. Whatever Dr. Ball may think, this is downright dram-drinking.

Kk 4

D.

Art.

Art. 27. Proposals for Publishing by Subfcription, a Synopfis of the General Practice of Phyfic: Explaining, in a full and concife Manner, the Nature of Difeafes, internal and external, with the proper Method of treating them. Tranflated from the Latin of Jofeph Lieutaud, Chief Phyfician to the Royal Family of France. By T. Tomlinfon. 8vo, 6 d. 6 d. Birmingham printed, by Baskerville, and fold in London by Nicoll.

Thefe Propofals are accompanied with a fpecimen of the tranflation; from which it appears that Mr. Tomlinfon is well qualified for the work which he has undertaken, and we wish him fuccefs in his labours.

It feems however that,' Many difficulties occur to the Editor of Lieutaud's Synopfis either in carrying on, or difcontinuing this tranflation. To the former a more numerous fubfcription than what at prefent is raifed, is neceffary, and in refpect to the latter, after the pains and expence already bestowed, and the trouble given to the fubfcribers, he feels himself at a lofs how to make an apology.'-He adds, As to the present attempt the Editor can only fay, that he ftands acquitted to himself in his intentions, and humbly hopes that the subfcribers will excufe him from profecuting it to his own lofs, as the proposals have been in the particular mode in which they were dispersed, unfuccefsful. In refpect to the public, he fubmits with that deference due to it, the propofals and fpecimen here annexed, being ftill defirous either of continuing the work by fubfcription, or of refigning the property into the hands of any bookfellers who choose to engage in it.

N. B. Gentlemen who choose to encourage this undertaking are requested to give in their names to the Editor in Birmingham. (Letters poft-paid) or to William Nicoll, No. 51, St. Paul's Churchyard, London.'

D,

Art. 28. An Effay on the Ufe of the Ganglions of the Nerves. By James Johnstone, M. D. Svo. 2 S. Shrewsbury printed, and

fold in London by Becket and Co. 1771J The fubflance of this Effay has

phical Tranfactions.

already appeared in the Philofo

The doctrine advanced by our ingenious Author, and which he here further illuftrates and fupports, is briefly this ;-that the ganglions are the immediate fources of all the involuntary motions; the inftruments by which the motions of the heart and intestines are, from the earliest to the lateit periods of animal life, uniformly kept up. The ganglions, refpecting their ftructure, may july be confidered as little brains, or germes, of the nerves detached from them, confifting of a mixture of cortical, and nervous medullary substance, nourished by feveral fmall blood veffels, in which various nervous filaments are collected, and in them lofe their rectilinear parallel direction, fo that a new nervous organization probably takes place in them.

Refpecting their ufes, ganglions feem the fources, or immediate origins of the nerves, fent to organs moved involuntarily; and,

Volume liv. and lvii.

probably,

probably, the check or caufe which hinders our volitions from extending to them.

Ganglions fem analogous to the brain in their office: fubordinate fprings, and refervoirs of nervous power, they feem capable of difpenfing it, long after all communication with the brain is cut off. And though they ultimately depend upon the brain for its emanations, it appears from facts, that that dependance is far from being immediate and inflantaneous.

From the ganglions ferving as fubordinate brains, it is, that the vital organs derive their nervous power, and continue to move during fleep and to the fame caufe, as well as to its greater irritability, we may refer the continuance of the motion of the heart fo much longer than that of the voluntary mufcles, in perfect apoplexies. From thence too the motions of the heart receive for fome time fupport, even after the fpinal marrow and the intercoftals in their defcent along the neck, are cut through: fo that animals furvive this experiment iometimes thirty hours, which however proves at length certainly fatal, by cutting off all communication with the prime fountain of nervous emanation.'

1 he ganglions confidered in this point of view, have a very fingular and uteful office; they controul the powers of the foul, and limit its authority in the animal machine;-hence we cannot, when under the unhappy influence of fome moody or froward fit, arreft the motions of the heart by a meer volition; and thus, in one capricious moment, for ever lock up the fprings of life.

NOVEL S.

D.

Art. 29. The Favourite; a moral Tale. Written by a Lady of Quality. 12mo. 2 Vols. 5 s. fewed. Baldwin.

The favourite here exhibited, is not the favourite of a king, as in these times many perfons might fuppofe, from the title; but the favourite daughter of a termagant mother, who leads an eafy hufband, and another daughter, a good tempered fenfible girl, moft uneafy lives, while the cherishes the bad qualities of her darling child. The event is anfwerable; and fimilar to what we meet with in many other novels:-unhappiness and difgrace on the one fide, and permanent felicity on the other There is another story interwoven, which, in feveral particulars, is fomewhat exceptionable; but though the whole has a moral tendency, and is written with eafe and freedom, we cannot think it merits a more particular examination. If one of thefe compofitions will afford an afternoon's amusement to a novel-reader, and do her no harm, it is as much good as can be expected from it.

N. Art. 30. The Divorce. In a Series of Letters to and from Perfons of high Rank. 12mo. 2 Vols. 5 s. fewed. Baldwin. From the title of this performance, and the dedication prefixed to it, the Writer means to have it understood as founded on a late adventure in high life. He reprefents the husband in an amiable point of view; but if the manners of our great people are so abandoned as they are here reprefented, if high life confifts in being fuperior to all the restraints of virtue, honour, and honesty, no good can be done by recording and embellishing their profligate tranfactions, which can only tend to contaminate the bulk of the people in lower

stations,

ftations, where the fmall remains of thefe virtues are principally to be found.

Whatever may be faid in favour of fome characters here introduced, or of the catastrophe of the ftory, we are firmly convinced of the bad tendency of putting fuch decorated pictures of vice into the hands of young perfons, whofe paffions are more mature than their powers of reflection, and whofe difpofitions are pliable to the moft alluring bias. N.

Art. 31. The Generous Inconflant; a Novel. By a Lady. 12mo. 2 Vols. 5 s. fewed. Nicoll.

Sophiftical reasonings put into the mouth of an avowed libertine, may but too readily be adopted by fimilar difpofitions; and where the other parts of a licentious character are favourably reprefented, vice is but too much recommended to those light minds which refort to novels, in order to fill up the vacancies of time. We are, therefore, perfuaded that such productions are rather calculated to confirm bad difpofitions than to reform them; as the proper inferences will feldom be drawn or fubfcribed to but by those who ftand in no need of these equivocal monitors. This obfervation, applied to the prefent performance, will comprehend all the praife we can beftow upon it.

Art. 32. Rofara; or, the Adventures of an Actress: A Story from real Life. Tranflated from the Italian of Pietro Chiari. 12mo. Vols. 7 s. 6d. fewed. Baldwin.

this work, though we have inferted it in the clafs of novels, is given to the public, not as a matter of fiction, but matter of fact. It pretends to recite the real adventures of a young Italian damsel, faid to have been well known at Naples, Palermo, &c. first as a rope-dancer, and afterwards as an actress. Laftly, the here introduces herself (for fhe is her own biographer) to her readers, in the character of Lady B, wife to the Count of B

nobleman.

an Italian

If the narrative be true, it is curious, from that circumftance; if it be a mere fiction, it has little merit, although it appears to be not ill written, in the original: for it wants that power of invention, as well as variety and importance of incident, which are necessary to render it acceptable as a work of imagination. It abounds, however, with fenfible reflections; but the tranflation is not extremely elegant, as will appear from the following, out of many, inftances of vulgarity, which might be produced:

"I revealed my fufpicion to the Count and Don Cirillo:-they were fit to die of laughing :" vol. ii. p. 203.-" It would [fays the Lady] be a ticklish matter to truft Lady A- with my fecret :" ib. p. 205.-"I know," fays a Gentleman (Major-domo to the Marchionefs of B-)" that I am hurting the apple of my mafter's eye:" vol. iii. p. 31. But a ticklish doubt still remained:" ib. p. 190.-Signora's affairs are, indeed, of fo ticklish a nature, that we defire to have nothing more to fay to them.

66

Art. 33. Memoirs of Lady Woodford. Written by herself, and addreffed to a Friend. 12mo. 2 Vols. 5 s. fewed. Noble. Tenderness and fimplicity are the principal characteristics of this innocent novel.

Art

N.