under the two lines of Eurypon and Agis, till it fell under the power of tyrants, from whom it was at laft freed by Philopæmen, who joined it to the Achæan league. Next comes the fucceffion of the kings of Athens from Cecrops, by whom it was erected in the year 1556, before Chrift, down to Codrus, after whofe death the regal government was abolished, and perpetual prefidents, or archons, introduced, who were liable to give an account of their adminiftration. The year 1044 is remarkable for the colonies fettled in Ionia and Æolia, when all Afia-Minor was filled with Grecian cities. In the year 776, when the Olympic games, inftituted by Hercules, were revived, the times called fabulous are supposed to end, and the historical times begin, wherein the affairs of the world are related by more faithful and authentic narratives. In 754, the power of the archons was, by the Athenians, rendered decen nial, inftead of perpetual; and in 684, it was farther reduced, and rendered annual. In 560, the fovereign power was ufurped at Athens by the tyrant Pififtratus. After Athens had recovered her liberty, a long war enfued between that republic and the Perfians, in which the former gained several confiderable victories over the latter, and a peace at length was concluded between the two powers, highly honourable to the Athenians. No fooner were the Athenians and Spartans freed from the common enemy, than they began to quarrel with each other, and this brought on the Peloponnefian war in 431, which ended in 405, by Lyfander's defeating the Athenian fleet of 180 fhips at Egos-Potamos, and afterwards taking the city of Athens. In the year 400 the Athenian democracy was diffolved, and the people obliged to fubmit to the government of the thirty tyrants; but the focial war afterwards breaking out, they recovered their freedom and independency. To this fucceeded the Phocian or facred war, which was ended by Philip, king of Macedon, who defeated the Athenians and Thebans at the battle of Cheronæa, and became mafter of all Greece. Athens, attempting to recover her liberty, was again reduced by Alexander the Great, in 335. In 281 the Achæan league was formed, which was a kind of republic, compofed of feveral Grecian cities, united together for their mutual defence.-Thus we have the outlines of the Grecian history, down to the year 246, when Corinth being deftroyed by the Romans under the conful Memmius, the Achæan league perished with it, and Greece became a part of the Roman empire. To this compendium of the Grecian history is added a lift of the perfons eminent for learning or genius among that

nation.

Our

Mr. Stackhoufe then proceeds to give a sketch of the Roman History, which he traces from its first foundation by Romulus, in the year before Chrift 753, through the early ages, when it was under the regal and confular government, down to the Roman or fourth monarchy: this began with Julius Cæfar in the year 48 before Chrift, and ended in the year of our Lord 474, when Odoacer, king of the Goths, confined the laft emperor Auguftulus in a caftle, and put that prince's father, Oreftes, to death. The weftern empire being thus diffolved, our author gives a lift of the most remarkable of the eastern emperors, with a concife account of their principal exploits, down to the laft of them, Conftantine Palæologus, under whom Conftantinople being befieged and taken by the Turks, the eastern empire was utterly destroyed. With this memorable event the abridgment of the hiftory of the fourth monarchy concludes, and is followed by a lift of the perfons most eminent for their learning or genius amongst the Romans.

Upon the whole it must be acknowledged, that this hiftorical compendium is well calculated to aid the memory, and direct the refearches of thofe, who are defirous of making a proficiency in ancient history; and it is rendered ftill more fo, by technical lines for retaining and imprinting on the memory, the fucceffion of the kings of the several monarchies, and the centuries in which they reigned. At the fame time we readily do juftice to the merit of the author, who, in this elementary piece, has given equal proof of his learning and fagacity we can by no means approve of his deviating from the common chronology, and adopting that of Mr. Kennedy, who fixes the first of Chrift to the year of the world 4008. There are about a hundred different opinions of chronologers upon this very article, and they all pretend to ground their fystems on the authority of the fcripture. Now the common chronology, which is that of the great primate Usher, and fixes the birth of Chrift to the year 4004, is grounded on the Hebrew computation; and as it is better known, more univerfally received, and liable to no greater difficulties than the Samaritan, Septuagint, or other calculations, it ought to have a preference in a work defigned for the ufe of youth, whofe heads are not to be perplexed with the intricacies of chronology. The account of ancient geography is much too dry and jejune, and for want of maps must be almost uselefs to say that the latter would increafe the price of the book is no excufe, fince it would be lefs expence to have a map or two annexed to this abridgment, than to buy Danville's maps, or those of Dr. Blair. Befides, most readers are defirous of having a work complete within itself, and not

to

to be referred to other performances. We could likewife have wished that the author had given us the modern as well as the ancient names of places, which would have rendered this part of the work more useful and inftructive to young pupils. Another circumftance which appears to us fomewhat extraor dinary, is that Mr. Stackhouse should take no notice of the Jewish history before their kings; furely the tranfactions of that people, as contained in the books of Mofes, must be allowed to. conftitute a part of ancient hiftory? Perhaps the Mofaical accounts did not fall within his plan of the four great mo-narchies; yet it might have been prefixed to the work by way of introduction: not to mention that the plan of dividing ancient history by the four great monarchics, is now almost generally exploded. However, it must be acknowledged, that the work before us juftly deferves the attention of fuch as are concerned in the inftruction of youth, being drawn up, as the author himfelf informs us, with a view of promoting the great and important business of education.

XI. An Appeal to the Public on Behalf of Samuel Vaughan, Eq. in a full and impartial Narrative of bis Negotiation with the Duke of Grafton, &c. 8vo. Pr. 25. Dilly.

THE part Mr. Vaughan has taken with regard to political

affairs, feems to render this appeal fomewhat interefting; fince the public naturally expects that men, who set up for patriots, and exclaim fo loudly against bribery and corruption, fhould approach the facred altar of liberty with unpolluted hands, and be patterns of difinterestedness and integrity themfelves. It has been this gentleman's misfortune, however, that at the very time he was acting as a champion on the fide of the Bill of Rights, an atrocious crime was alledged against him, no less than an attempt to corrupt a prime minister. This charge has been long echoed through all the papers, and Mr. Vaughan's filence has been conftrued by both parties, as a prefumption of guilt. But it was reasonable to expect, that so zealous a patriot fhould have fome defence to make against an accusation of so pernicious a 'nature. At length he hath thought proper to publish his apology, which had been hitherto delayed, only becaufe as the affair was to be agitated in a court of law, he was willing to avoid the charge of a defign to bias the jury; but as there was no notice or suggestion of trial the laft term, the obstruction of appealing to the public is now removed; and Mr. Vaughan is happy in bringing his cause before that impartial tribunal. This is the avowed motive of publishing the piece now before us, in which he feems to express great confidence in his innocence, and to rely VOL. XXIX. March, 1770.

од

on the juftice of his caufe and the uprightness of his heart. It is proper therefore we should give him a fair hearing.

The complaint of the duke of Grafton against Mr. Vaughan was, for an attempt to corrupt his Grace, by the offer of a fum of money to obtain for himself, or his fon, an office in the colonies. The office was, that of clerk of the fupreme court in the island of Jamaica. Upon the acceffion of king George I. this office was granted by letters patent in 1716, to one John Page, who held it for his life, but was only a trustee for one Woodhouse. The latter died infolvent in England, and by a decree of the court of chancery this office was fold for the benefit of his creditors. Under that decree Mr. Lawton purchased the office for the fum of 1350 1. for his own benefit, and that of Mr. Nicholas Paxton. Mr. Lawton and Mr. Paxton applied in 1735, for a new grant of the office, which was granted to them in that fame year, and to Abraham Farley, for their joint lives, and the life of the longeft liver. Farley executed a deed, declaring himself to be a truf'tee, and Lawton and Paxton executed a deed to bar the furvivorship amongst themselves. Mr. Lawton died, and devised his moiety to his widow, (who is now the wife of the reverend Mr. Whittington) for her life, and two perfons in remainder after her death. The other moiety of Paxton's was fold by his executors, and purchased by Mr. Richardson and Mr. Tuff nel Mr. Richardfon devised his fourth part to Mr. John Richardfon; Mr. Tuffnel's fourth part came to his fon, captain Tuffnel. The right of the office ftands thus at present: Mr. + Farley, the laft life in the patent is ftill living; the office belongs beneficially to Mrs. Whittington for her life, for one moiety, and to Mr. Tufnel and Mr. Richardson, for the other moiety. An office fo fituated, could not be very punctually executed; and this occafioned many complaints in Jamaica. The duty of the office is to feal processes, to fign writs, to enter up judgments, and keep the records of the court. Mr. Vaughan had refided many years as a merchant in Jamaica, and after his return to England in 1762, he applied to the proprietors for a leafe of the office, (the old leafe being then expired) not for himself, but for one Mr. Evans, whom he appointed his attorney, and for whom he became furety, and obtained it. Upon the death of Evans, Mr. Vaughan took the lease in his own name, in March 1765, which was granted by all the proprietors for seven years, determinable in cafe of the death of the patentee, or that of Mr. Vaughan. After taking this step Mr. Vaughan went over to Jamaica, in order to put the office upon a right footing, the fecurity of his own property and that of others depending upon its being properly executed.

Having made feveral useful regulations in this office, with the applaufe of the inhabitants of Jamaica, he determined to make an application for the grant of it in his own name, upon the expiration of the right of the proprietors. Accordingly he made his application in 1766 to the duke of Grafton, and general Conway, by means of Mr. Newcome, of Hackney, who was intimate with the duke. It did not fucceed; his grace declaring, that he had heard Mr. Vaughan had been making application to the marquis of Rockingham (which was a mistake) and he never chofe to interfere out of his own department. Mr. Vaughan remained in the execution of the office, and nothing else remarkable happened till the year 1769, when, about the month of February or March, Mr. Richardson came to him, and told him, he had been applied to, to difpofe of his interest in that office; and that the perfon who applied to him had agreed with Mr. Tuffnell and Mr. Whittington, and only wanted Mr. Richardfon's confent. Mr. Vaughan enquired who this perfon was; and Mr. Richardson told him, it was one Mr. Howel, formerly a furgeon to the hofpital in Germany. This Mr. Howel acquainted the proprietors that he fhould be glad to give them a good price, but that they must fell out; for, it feems, Mr. Howel had fuch intereft that there was no refifting it. Mr. Vaughan was naturally, alarmed at this; as in cafe of a furrender, and a new title, his leafe, of which three years were unexpired, would of course, he thought, have been determined. After fome interviews with the proprietors, as well as with Mr. Howel, Mr. Vaughan difcovered that the intereft of the latter was his money, and therefore concluded, that the only way of counteracting this intereft was to make use of the fame weapon. He therefore waited again on Mr. Newcome, and told him, that if the office was to be disposed of in that manner, he was ready to give more for it than any other perfon: but as he was fenfible of his being obnoxious on account of his principles, and that it might be therefore fufpected he had proposed this as a trap, he offered to take an oath of fecrecy, in order to remove that fufpicion. Accordingly, he made an affidavit, and upon Mr. Newcome's declining to be concerned in the affair, he inclosed it in the following letter to the duke.

" My Lord Duke.

Mr. Henry Newcome's ftri&t honour, as well as his very fincere regard for your grace, rendered him, in my opinion, the propereft person to intrust with a propofition that required the utmost secrecy; but his delicacy preventing, I am by the mature of it precluded from every other method, but by imme

diate