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fered any people to remain in a ftate of freedom, where they had any poffeffions to be coveted: the ftern decree of bondage, along with the inclemencies of life, and its variety of wants and miferies, inform us in the language of the Almighty, that we are ruined, guilty, and condemned; confequently, that our pride and oppofition to fubjection, are prefumption, rebellion, and fin. The heathen religion, which allowed the reality of human rectitude and virtue, and appropriated the enthufiaftic views to this life, gave room to genius to work miracles in free ftates, where the grandeur of human nature became a principle of action. But Chriftianity turns our fublime views from this world to their proper fcene, to a future life, and confines the flight and heroifm of the mind to devotion, fortitude in fuffering, patience, and to a noble conquest of the paffions.'

Thefe reflections are certainly both very proper and very pious; but we are afraid that the author has taken fome premifes for granted, that remain to be proved. He fuppofes, for inftance, that in ftatuary and painting Chriftians have no profpect of equalling the heathens; and he thinks that tragedy will never appear in fplendor, where men's ideas of human worth and merit are formed from genuine Christianity.

These are propofitions that we are afraid will not be readily admitted by the admirers of Raphael, Pouffin, Michael Angelo, and other great mafters of the pencil and chiffel. Why ought paffion and pride to be excluded from Chriftian paintings? Can heathen mythology, in its fublimeft conceptions, furnish a fubject like the Transfiguration; or what discovery in Greek or Roman hiftory is equal to that of Jofeph and his brethren? Not to mention many French tragedies written upon Chriftian plans, has not our own Shakespeare, in many places, ennobled his drama from the Chriftian religion?

29. A Soldier's Journal, containing a particular Defcription of the feveral Defeents on the Coaft of France laft War; with an entertaining Account of the Islands of Guadaloupe, Dominique, &c. And aljo of the Ifles of Wight and Jerfey. To which are annexed, Obfervations on the prefent State of the Army of Great Britain. 12mo. Pr. 25. Dilly.

This publication bears ftrong evidences of its being written by a common foldier, who by his great merit and fervices abroad and at home, had the honour of being railed to the degree of a corporal. Like other great heroes, he appears to be well acquainted with tactics, the difpofition and encampment of an army, and the military manoeuvres both offenfive and defenfive. In fhort, that part of his performance is extremely

well

well adapted to the perufal of every common foldier, who, to fpeak in ferjeant Kite's language, hopes fome time or other to purchase by his fervices a general's baton.

His defcriptions of the iflands he vifited, agree extremely well with the most authentic accounts that were published during the last war; and we believe that they are more faithful than those of fome who affect a far higher degree both in the literary and military world. His defcription of the produce of Guadaloupe, fo far as we can judge, are not only genuine, but curious and inftru&tive to a British American, or Weft-India planter.

The cocoa-tree alfo flourishes here. It is much like our Birch tree; and I was informed by fome of the French planters, that on the first fettling of the island, this tree was brought from Cayenne, but after they had been here fome time, the fettlers found fome native cocoa-trees, which produced a larger and fuller fruit, and are much fuperior to thofe brought from the island of Cayenne.

• The cocoa fruit grows on the trunk of the tree, and the largest branches; it is in fhape like a fmall melon; upon opening it you frequently find forty or fifty nuts, much like a large almond, both in fhape and colour.

This cocoa is gathered from November till June; when brought home, they lay it abroad on boards, and put fome large plantain or banana leaves, both under and over the fruit: then fome boards are put upon it, with a heavy weight over all, which preffes from it a watry fubftance, which is given to the hogs. After thoroughly preffed, it is laid abroad on bricks before the house, where it is often turned, and afterwards put over a fire in an iron pot, which feparates the shell then it is again put over a fire, and foon grows foft, when it is taken out, made into any form they think proper, and baked.

;

• Thus by such a simple operation is made that valuable commodity chocolate, generally fold there at fix-pence per pound. The fhell which comes off the fmall fruit is called cocoa, and is of fome ufe and value.

• Near Marigotte, in the quarter of Cabes- terre, I found fome fmall plantations of cinnamon. The most confiderable one, was about one hundred and fifty yards fquare, and which belonged to one monfieur Dabrois; he informed me, that he had the plant from the island of Ceylon in the Eaft-Indies; and that which I faw growing was of three years growth; that he had raised it all from a few fcore plants; and from ftripping fome few branches, he thought it no ways inferior to what is brought from the East-Indies. It flourished extremely well, and as the gentleman had been many years in the Eaft

Indies,

He faid, he would

Indies, he knew well how to manage it. fend a fample of the cinnamon to Europe the next year, and hoped that the growth of it would be encouraged. What pity! to give up an island to France, which, by all appearance, had it been kept in our poffeffion, and the growth of cinnamon encouraged, in a few years, without a doubt, this iЯand alone would have produced a fufficiency for Great Britain and her colonies; and by that means have prevented large fums from going annually to the Dutch. But fome ftatefmen care nothing for their own country.'

Our corporal writes in the character not only of a traveller and a foldier, but of a politician. He condemns the late peacemakers for giving up Guadaloupe and Martinico. Surely (fays he) farmers, coblers, and private foldiers, would not have acted fo weakly and fo unworthily, or fo void either of knowledge or of fhame, as did our noble peace-making politicians.' His history of the fame, and other islands, is extremely entertaining; and as they seem to be genuine, they may be of no small fervice to future naturalists.

This foldier's obfervations upon the army of Great Britain, and the hardships which the common foldiers lie under at prefent from the fmallness of their pay, claim the attention of every humane and benevolent member of our government and legislature.

To conclude: we recommend our foldier's journal to the notice of the public; and own that upon perusing it, we met both with amusement and information.

30. A Chronological Series of Engravers, from the Invention of the Art to the Beginning of the prefent Century. 8vo. Pr. 35. Cadell.

This publication is intended to affift the collector of prints in his arrangement of them, and to trace the art of engraving from its fource. It contains three large plates, exhibiting the different marks of engravers, to the number of 727, prince Rupert, the inventor of mezzotinto, being the laft. The collection carries with it evident marks of hurry and confusion, but may be useful to the lovers of that species of virtu.

31. Oratio Anniversaria a Gulielmo Harveio inftituta in Theatro
Collegii Medicorum Londinenfium, Habita Fefto San&tæ Lucæ,
White.
O&. 18, A. D. 1769. 410. Pr. 15.

So many members of the College of Physicians have attempted to display their abilities in compofing the anniversary oration, that nothing new or interesting can be expected on the fubject. The ftile and language of this performance, however,

4.

are

are abundantly claffical, and the orator's obfervations in many places fenfible and juft; though we cannot admit his account of the facility of procuring degrees in other universities, if by alienas academias, page 10, he means all other universities except those of Oxford and Cambridge. It is well known that some of the greatest ornaments of the profeffion have been bred at other feminaries of learning; and it is no less certain that feveral have been received into the College of Physicians at London in particular, who can claim no great pre-eminence in point of knowledge; and therefore if the author has not borrowed the subject of his fatire from the too great lenity of the learned body last mentioned, we know not from what other quarter he could be fupplied with matter for his fplenetic defcription.

Alia jam nunc res agitur: apud alienas academias brevius fit ad medicinam iter; fervi iterum in medicorum numerum fefe infinuant, non qui apud Athenas feptem annos ftudiis dedere, fed qui ex tabernis funt & ex officinis effufi. Jam patet janua pharmacopolarum tironibus, chirurgis maritimis, & mafculis obftetricibus, eis plerumque qui ne fando auditi, nedum ullius profefforis oculis unquam confpe&ti fuerint. Indignum facinus! Quid enim inhoneftius? quid audacius, quid injuriofius reipublicæ concipi poffit, quam imperitos & illiteratos homines medicinæ gradibus per tabellarios ornari, & in eam profeffionem furtim intrudi, quibus concredendæ funt populi falus civiumque vitæ ? Sed, proh dolor! ad eam temporum infelicitatem nos refervari videmur, quibus omnia complananda funt & coæquanda, omnes modeftiæ limites tranfiliendi, propter fpeciofos pro libertate clamores, a libertate veruntamen alieniffimos.'

However juftly the author here inveighs against the admiffion of fervants and apothecaries' apprentices into the London College, (for we cannot conceive fuch a fact to have taken place in any other) it is certainly injurious to mingle gentlemen, fuch as furgeons and men-midwives of regular education, with fuch a motly group.

The defcription of the late fquabbles in the College is far from being void of claffical elegance.

• Inter hos mobilium quiritium tumultus, huic noftro inermi domicilio bellum indicitur. Audite college-quæ neque taceri, neque pro dignitate rei dici poffunt. Ex Vulcani adytis in Apollinis caftra irrumpendum eft. Afpicite-præeft Faber Ferrarius, uncum dextrâ vibrans durumque malleum; domus hæc oppugnatur, fores peffundantur, clauftra evelluntur, repagula perfringuntur, feneftræ conquaffantur. Hoftes introeunt, accumbunt, cavillantur, rixantur, criminantur, elabun

tur.

tur. O præclaram victoriam de poftibus, de foribus, de pesfulis, de feneftris reportatam! Ipfi mehercule fuis victoriis funt victi.'

To this Oration is fubjoined, by the fame author, a fhort Latin poem, intitled, Meadus, wrote in commemoration of Dr. Mead, which fhews the poetical talents of the author to be not inconfiderable, as will appear from the following quotation.

Ufque adeone premunt ingrata filentia vates?
Clauditur obfcuro Meadus fine laude fepulchro,
Delicia, patriæque decus, columenque Britannæ ?
Si mihi Mufa daret locupletem in carmina venam,
Urbanos mores, generofaque pectora, & artes,
Famamque ingentis medici fuper æthera ferrem.
Sed tamen aggredior cantare, utcunque minuto
Pectine follicitans citharam, timidifque fecutus
Paffibus errantem fauftis regionibus umbram.

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Te teftem, O Hygieîa, voco; tu nempe videbas,
Tu-quoties Morbum proftraverat ille rebellem ;
Seu celer infultu ægrotos, tardufve petivit

Infidiis: Timor huic, Pallorque, & nubila Cura
Addunt fe comites, qui vix traxiffe videntur
Languidulos artus; quin, Meadus ut arduus inftat,
Præcipitant, fedefque fuas, Erebumque revifunt.

Heu perit ante alios dile&us Apolline natos,
Herbarumque potens, ægrotique arbiter orbis !
Cui Deus ipfe fuas lætus donaverat artes,
Eloquium, auguriumque fagax, ufumque medendi.
Hujus erat morbos meminiffe fideliter, hujus
Percurriffe animo veterum monumenta virorum,
Et medicæ complecti armamentaria gentis.
Ecquis erit pofthæc, qui pellat acerba venena,
Qui peftem avertat, folis lunæque dolores
Qui regat imperio, morborum temperet æftus,
Et fpoliet fævis invifum dentibus Orcum?
Non magis Alcides, odiis Junonis iniquæ
Preffus, terrores infernis incutit oris ;
Horrefcit refugitque nigrantis janitor aulæ
Cerberus, & triplici trepidans obmutuit ore:
Pluto tartareas mortalem invadere fedes
Vidit, & ex imo tremefecit lurida regna.

Hunc gemit Eridanus, qui flumina vortice torquet,
Sequana amica luto, & Thamefis pater omnibus undis:
Ifis adeft fundens lacrymas, fociafque querelas,
Numinaque obducto Batavûm fquallentia cæno.

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