not yet met with the defired fuccefs: having attempted to break up two towns, but having been twice repulfed: but that he still hoped to procure the number of flaves. In this defign he perfifted, till he met his enemies in the field. A battle was fought, which lafted three days. And the engagement was fo bloody, that four thousand five hundred men were flain upon the fpot." Such is the manner wherein the negroes are procured! Thus the Chriftians preach the gofpel to the Heathens !'

While the negro merchants at London, Briftol, and Liverpool, thus raife ample fortunes with honour and reputation, the horror of the means is hid from us by the remoteness of the scenes of action; as particulars feldom reach us except by accident. But with what indignant fmiles ought we to receive the narration of internal wars in Africa, when urged to excufe our purchafing the prifoners; who we are told would otherwise be all killed! It may be charitably hoped that none of the fubfcriptions fo liberally offered for the fupport of the Bill of Rights, have been taken from purses filled by fupporting the wrongs of flavery.

Mr. Wefley gives us a very affecting account of the miferies these poor wretches undergo in their paffage from Africa to the Weft Indies (during which great numbers often perifn) as well as after they are landed, in what is termed feasoning. The treatment of the furvivors on the plantations they are employed to cultivate, is well known to be bad enough at the best, and really fhocking when wanton feverity is under no other check than intereft, which would fuffer by the incapacity or death of a wretch that cost a few pounds! They will certainly fare better or worfe according to the natural dif pofition of their matters, which is of itfelf a poor dependence to yeft upon and it is from this circumftance that we have fuch different accounts of the fituation of negroes in our islands; particularly by Mr. Wefley in this pamphlet, and by the author of the Hiftory of Jamaica lately published. But as they have defcribed with different intentions, they probably copied, the one from the fairest, and the other from the fouleft originals. Mr. Welley is however fupported by our knowledge of human nature, which is never backward in the full ufe of exceffive power. The murder of flaves, is by our plantation laws punished only by a pecuniary fine, and Mr. Welley, who is no ftranger to America, tells us of one gentleman who thought proper to reaft his flave alive!

While the cruel treatment to which the negroes are subjected, is a known fact, beyond all poffibility of denial, the best of ufage muft, in an impartial view, be pronounced a very imperfect reparation for the crime of ravishing them from their dearest connexions, their property, and their country; unless, indeed, we kindly take upon us to determine for them, in defiance of their own feelings, that it is better for them to labour in our grounds, under the lath of the whip, than to live quietly at home, according to their natural inclinations,

This pamphlet contains many facts on good authority, or as good as could be found; for we are lefs acquainted with the interior of Africa, than of any other quarter of the globe; and the Writer has made many pertinent obfervations, into which we cannot enter, but

which

which do honour to his humanity: the more fo, as the fubject is treated in a liberal manner, without being debafed by any peculiar tincture, which was perhaps to be apprehended. N. Art. 14. A Supplement to Mr. Wefley's Pamphlet, intitled, Thoughts upon Slavery. 8vo. 2s. Reynell. 1774.

Wit and humour are fadly proflituted when employed to glofs over a bad caufe; and they must have callous hearts indeed who can turn the fufferings of the injured into a jeft. We have, it is true, an arch commentator on Mr. Welley before us; but though the argumentum ad hominem may be fuccessfully used in fome cafes, yet on a ferious fubject it is both impertinent and ungenerous to go beyond the premises to attack a man where he did not offend. This officious wag ought to have confidered that Mr. Welley was treating on the equity of converting the human fpecies into an article of trade; all he had to fay on the fubject was fully before him in the pamphlet ; the author was not dictating to us from his roftrum in the Foundery; nor had his commentator any right to drag him to it. But Mr. Welley having quoted two exaggerated accounts of Africa, which, whether true or falfe, cannot jullify the negro traders; our commentator is fo eager in teafing him on his religious principles, that he totally overlooks the only queftion he ought to have difcuffed: nor is this done without defign; for his principal aim is to lead his readers totally away from it, by feducing them to laugh at a Methodist, Had we been fo enfnared, we should fummarily have pronounced this commentator an able antagonist, who had laid Mr. Wesley sprawling; "but rifum teneatis amici, our Author may be a very clever fellow, Mr. W. may be an enthufiaft in his religious principles, he may be accufed of contradictions, the negroes may be as tupid as he pleases; but all this will not prove that the tyrannic dominion we affume over them is either confiftent with religion or humanity. His reductio ad abfurdum, at the end, of abandoning all our plantations, is unworthy of notice.

Art. 15. An Appeal to the Public; ftating and confidering the Objections to the Quebec Bill. Infcribed and dedicated to the patriotic Society of the Bill of Rights. 8vo. Is. Payne. 1774. This Appeal to the Public appears in the form of an intended par liamentary speech, which the Writer tells his patrons, in an ironical dedication, he only wanted a feat in the House of Commons to qualify him to deliver. The Quebec act is well defended, though on principles to which thofe who have attended to the difputed inerits of it, are already no strangers.

NOVEL S.

N. Art. 16. The Hiftory of Arfaces, Prince of Betlis. By the Elitor of Chryfal. 12mo. 2 Vols. 6s. bound. Becket. 1774. A romance, rather than a novel. It is a kind of political fiction, fubjected to the feverelt laws of morality. It affords not one fort fcene of love; one fentiment of loofe defire; outrageous virtue is never gratified with anecdotes of private scandal; nor licentioufnefs Aattered with the facred name of liberty.'-We may still farcner justly characterize this piece in the words of the ingenious writer's preface: Arfaces is not a mere moralift, or held up as a pattern of perfection a

R 3

perfection, a monfter which nature never formed. He is drawn ubject to the power, but not the flave of paffion; and speaks with freedom the fentiments fuggefted by the occafion, whether gay or grave, or reprehenfion or applaufe.'-To wipe off the falfe colourings of prejudice, and fhew truth in her native purity, is the Writer's aim:and we think he has fucceeded, in an eminent degree.

Here are many leffons which it would be happy for mankind if all Princes would learn; viz. "Injudicious MERCY encourages CRIMES, by difarming JUSTICE of her terrors."-Good magiftrates ought particularly to be on their guard against the foft and plaufible feductions of their own humanity; and ever to bear in mind, that one great end of their exaltation is, that they be a terror to evil doers: by which means they will moft effectually prevent evil from being done.

Among other fabled truths, we meet with a very pathetic difplay of the miferies brought on the unhappy natives of thofe parts of the Eaft Indies where the Europeans have fettled, by the avarice and tyranny of the rapacious intruders. Humanity will read the particulars with horror, and endeavour, we fear, in vain, to comfort herfelf with the hope that they have not their foundation in Facs.— Let our Nabobs look to this!

We have here, alfo, fome ftriking intimations, of the utmost national importance, with refpect to over-grown empire, and colony connexions. Our Author prophecies much, but it is all melancholy; nothing but denunciations of woes;-from which, however, it is hoped, the goodness of Heaven will long preferve this hitherto highly favoured country; and not involve the innocent with the guilty, in one promifcuous public ruin.

There are many fingularities in this work; but it abounds with excellent morality. The Author's invention is extremely fruitful; his language is nervous, his narratives are both entertaining and inftructive; and, on the whole, his performance is much fuperior to the ordinary novels of the times.

Art. 17. The fatal Effects of Inconftancy; or, Letters of the Marchionefs de Syrcé, the Count de Mirbelle, and others. Translated from the French. Izmo. z Vols. 5 s. fewed. Bew. 1774

The fatal effects of criminal indulgences in amorous purfuits, are here difplayed, in a ftriking and exemplary light. The Author has ability, and the Tranflate judgment; though, perhaps, the latter is fomewhat deficient in tafte. An eafy and elegant writer of Englith would not talk of framing letters and novels;' nor would have made a lover, who is a man of family and education, complain that his miftrefs almoft fets him mad.'-But there are not very many flips of this kind, in the prefent work.

The alarming increase of highwaymen, houfebreakers, &c. furely calls for the utmost exertion of the magiftrates vigilance, and the ftr.deft execution of the laws: without which the evil will inevitably grow upon us, till the lower people of this country become little better than a nation of banditti. The example of Pope Sixtus the Fifth, with his wholesome severities, cannot be too much recommended to crowned heads,

X Mr Griffith.

Art.

Art. 18. The Pleafures of Retirement, preferable to the Joys of Diffipation; exemplified in the Life and Adventures of the Count de B. Written by himself, in Letters to a Friend. Now firft tranflated from the Original French. By a Lady. 12mo. 3 s. Wilkie.

1774.

Not now firft tranflated from the original French.' A former English translation appeared about 30 years ago, under the title of 'The Confeffion of Count de Harcourt.'

MEDICA L.

Art. 19. Advice to People afflicted with the Gout, &c. By J. Williams, M. D. 8vo. 1 s. 6d. Becket. 1774.

Notwithstanding the labours of the many writers, who have lately thought proper to addrefs the Public on the fubject of this effay, Dr. Williams has not confidered the matter as exhaufted, but has thought proper to give us his opinions likewife concerning the nature of the gout, the treatment of patients in the different flages of it, and the means of preventing and fhortening the paroxyfms. He finds fault with fome parts of the prefent practice; fpeaks largely of the good effects of mufk, exhibited to the quantity of a fcruple or half a drachm every fix hours, and even of caftor, in order to promote the expulfion of the gouty matter while it is fluctuating in the habit; and recommends cold bathing, as a practice well adapted to prevent a return of the fit.

Late as it is in the featon, the Author accompanies Dr. Cadogan through many parts of his pamphlet. But thofe who have any appetite left for this ftale fubject, or who may think it of confequence to know in what points Dr. Williams diffents from Dr. Cadogan's betrine, or to what parts of it he gives his affent, we must refer to the effay itself. For our parts, we are heartily fick of the subject, and shall continue very fqueamish upon it, till fome man of genius ftarts up, and really throws fome new light upon the matter. B. Art. 20. Obfervations on Dr. Williams's Treatife upon the Gout: By Mr. Daniel Smith, &c. 8vo. I S. Carnan. 1774 Scribimus indotti do&ique,and on no art fo copiously and inceffantly as on phyfic, the moft obfcure, perhaps, of all the arts. When the most learned and beft informed members of the faculty talk of the folids and the fluids, and theorife on the modus operandi of medicines on these two grand divifions of the human frame, they contribute very little to the illumination of their readers, and frequently bring their art into difgrace by their contradictory hypothefes. The reader will therefore easily judge what kind and degree of information he is to expect on thefe dark points from the prefent writer, who is not of the faculty, and feems to have no other requifites or just pretenfions to commence Author and Theorist on thefe obfcure fubjects, than a strong inclination to benefit the Public by his culations, and the having had feveral fmart fits of the gout. He ftoutly contraverts Dr. Williams's opinion, declared in the preceding pamphlet, that the gout owes its origin to the lids a notion which rendered it neceffary' for him, it feems, in order to corroborate his former opinion on this head, to make fome obfervations on the Doctor's publication. In reference to this opinion,

R 4

he

he endeavours to fet the Doctor right with refpect to his mistaken notions concerning the effects of cold bathing; and proves that the advantages derived from it are not produced by its bracing the folids, as the Doctor fuppofes, but by the influence of the cold water on the fluids. This, the Author, with great felf-complacency, at once evinces by a very familiar and obvious experiment on the thermometer:' for plunge this inftrument into a cold bath, says he, and it will fhew by the defcent of the mercury that the cold principally affects the fluid contained in it; without producing the leaft vifible alteration in the glass tube ;'-that is, in the folids of the machine, which doubtless happily and aptly reprefent the folids in the human fyftem.--What can Dr. Williams or any other Doctor fay to this home proof? An experiment fo much in point!

Leaving thefe fublime conundrums about the folids and the fluids, and the juices, and all that, we shall obferve that we entertained hopes that the Author would at length have favoured the Public with the recipe of the excellent anodyne application announced in his former publication; the extraordinary virtues of which piqued our curiofity, and fill more our humanity, fo far as to induce us fomewhat earnestly to urge the Author to a speedy publication of a remedy, that had repeatedly given him inftant and never failing relief. We here however meet with nothing concerning it, except it is hinted at in the following declaration, made in the concluding fentence of this pamphlet; that in compliance with the warm folicitations of his friends,' he intends foon to publish the remedies and method of treatment, which have done him fuch inconceivable service in this moft excruciating difeafe.-One fuch remedy for the disease, as the Author formerly reprefented this to be, is worth all the theoretical jargon that has ever been written concerning it. B. Art. 21. Cafes in the Acute Rheumatism and the Gout; with Curfory Remarks, and the Method of Treatment. By Thomas Dawfon, M. D. late Phyfician to the Middlefex, and the London Hofpital, 8vo. 2 s. Johnfon. 1774•

Though we cannot particularly enter into the contents of this pamphlet, which has accidentally been too long overlooked by us, we fhall fo far explain the defigu of it, as to obferve that it contains an account of the effectual and speedy relief which has been given in feveral cafes of the acute rheumatifin and gout, by the exhibition of large dofes, to the amount of half an ounce each, of the Volatile Tincture of Guaiacum. Several of these cafes are here minutely related, each accompanied with a particular commentary, and with judicious remarks relating both to the general treatment of these diforders, and the proper feafons of exhibiting the medicine here recommended. On the whole, the refults of these cafes feem in a great measure to justify the good opinion which the Author entertains concerning its efficacy, when administered with a proper regard to time and other circumftances.

* See M. Review, Vol. xlvii. December, 1772, page 483.