not, make ample returns to those who may be induced, from motives of religion or of learning, to throw their all into the treafury of the poor, and make the ignorant rich in the poffeffion of the true infpirations of God, and the genuine difpenfations of his Anointed.' As a fpecimen, we will prefent our readers with the common tranflation of the difputed text in Ifaiah, and in the oppofite column we will place our Author's verfion, that a comparison may be made of both with the leaft trouble poffible. COMMON TRANSLATION. Ver. 18. All the kings of the nations, even all of them, lie in glory, every one in his own houfe. 19. But thou art caft out of thy grave like an abominable branch; and as the raiment of thofe that are flain, thrust through with a fword, that go down to the ftones of the pit, as a carcafe trodden under feet. 20. Thou shalt not be joined with them in burial. MR. WESTON'S TRANSLATION. All the kings of the nations, all of them lie in glory, every one in his own house. But thou art caft out of thy grave like an abominable branch; Covering of the flain, thrust through with the fword, That go down to the ftones of the pit, like a trodden carcase under feet. Thou shalt not be joined with them in burial. The learned Critic remarks, that the expreffion, "Thou art caft out of thy grave," may, with great propriety, be altered to," Thou art deprived," &c. &c. < But the great rock of offence is the paffage immediately following; and this, fays Mr. Wefton, hath made both Jew and Christian to stumble;' viz. Covering, or raiment, of the flain. After fhewing that the common interpretations of this paffage difturb the fenfe, and even reverse the meaning, of the prophet, our Author gives the plain fenfe of the following fhort paraphrase: As if the prophet had faid, "Thou art excluded from thy grave, like a useless branch that is left to perifh on the furface of the earth. Thou shalt cover those who are fallen in battle-who are trodden under foot into the pit: but thou shalt not be joined with them in burial." We have here an instance of a bold metaphor (if we understand it aright), though neither entirely new or uncommon, in which the mighty Monarch is made to perform the office of covering the dead, as the earth or the tomb covers them; in a word, to be the fepulchre of the flain. Thus the tomb, or fepulchre, of the Greeks has been called the fone garment of the deceased, and earth the † raiment of the dead.' The reflections that follow are of a moral and religious nature, and are adapted to the fituation of thofe who, as the preacher obferves, live under the temperate zone of Christianity. * Hom. Il. r v. 57. † Efch. Agam. v. 880. II. Preached II. Preached at the Vifitation of the Bishop of Exeter, held at Barnftaple, July 28, 1786. By Samuel Wefton, B. D. Rector of Marwood. 4to. Is. Rivington. Confifts of many judicious obfervations, well expreffed, on the nature and defign of the clerical office; and vindicates the clergy from thofe indifcriminate charges which have been thrown on their profeffion by ignorance, prejudice, and partiality. The text is taken from Gal. vi. 9. Let us not be weary in welldoing; though almost any other text would have fuited the di course full as well. The Author appears to poffefs a well-cultivated understanding, and a ferious mind: but though his fermon doth not, in reality, want method and fyftem, yet the appearance of it is too much obfcured to make it, in general, either pleafing or useful. By avoiding the FORM, we too frequently weaken the POWER; and are thought diffufe, becaufe not methodical. III. Preached at St. Lawrence Jewry, April 21, and at Charlotte Chapel, May 21, 1786, for the Benefit of the Humane Society, inftituted for the Recovery of Perfons apparently dead by drowning. By Servington Savery, Rector of Hickham, Lincolnshire. 8vo. Is. DodЛley. We have already paid a tribute of refpect to this elegant and animated preacher; and the prefent difcourfe juftifies our approba tion. The text is from Acts xx. 12. They brought the young man alive, and were not a little comforted. The application of this circumftance in the facred story, to the inftitution of the Humane Society, was ob. vious; and the preacher hath made it ftriking and pathetic. The gofpel (fays he) was originally established by the difplays of miraculous power; but when it was once confirmed by fupernatural means, its prefervation and future fuccefs depended on humbler inAruments, and the common methods of divine grace. Such means as thefe, though lefs fplendid and astonishing than the miracles which were wrought at the first preaching of the gospel, are of more general ufe, and of more permanent duration. They are ever in our power; and when properly applied, and induftriously performed, will always, in fome degree, be fuccefsful. For although his miraculous aid hath been long fufpended, yet the common influences of the Holy Spirit will never be withdrawn. We cannot indeed fay to the fick man," Be thou healed;" nor to the lame, "Take up thy bed and walk :" but we can adminifter help to the diseased; we can vifit the fick, and take the ftranger in; we can foften the pillow where infirmity reclines its languid head; and if pains and diforders depart not at our command; if we cannot reanimate the cold and lifeless body, by falling on it, as St. Paul did on Eutychus, and recal life, by embracing it, and praying over it with the efficacious faith of an apoftle; yet we may apply thofe reliefs that fall within the fphere of human fkill, and thus make the common offices of humanity fupply the place of a miraculous power." IV. Preached IV. Preached before an Affembly of Proteftant Difenting Ministers in Exeter, May 10, 1786. By Jofeph Bretland. 8vo. IS. Printed for the Author, in Exeter. The point laboured through this difcourfe is fimply the following, as ftated by the preacher himself, viz. That it is the indifpenfable duty of Chriftian minifters, after the example of the apostle, to de clare to their people, according to the best of their judgment and abilities, the whole counfel of God.' As a general pofition, no one will difpute it: all the difficulty lies in its application; and, for aught we fee to the contrary, there is still as much room for cavil and debate, as there was before Mr. Bretland published his fermon. V. Before the Houfe of Lords, Weftminster, Jan. 30, 1787, being the Anniverfary of the Martyrdom of King Charles I. By John Lord Bishop of Oxford. Evo. 15. Cadell. When Bishops preach on the anniversary of the death of Charles the First, we muft, generally, expect to see the Royal Martyr dreffed in the immaculate robes of INNOCENCE; and to hear the whole blame of thofe civil commotions, which brought that unhappy prince to the scaffold, caft on the people. Thus, on the prefent occafion, it is afferted, that the character of Charles was excellent;' and that we have no legal evidence of his having ANY guilt.' If this be a true representation of the cafe, what monsters of iniquity were thofe forefathers of ours, to whom fome of our beft writers have taught us to look up, as having been, under God, the authors of all the political bleffings which their thanklefs pofterity now enjoy? VI. The Piety, Wisdom, and Policy of promoting Sunday Schools. Preached in the Parish Church of Painfwick, in the County of Glocefter, on Sunday the 24th of September 1786; by Samuel Glaffe, D.D. F. R. S. Rector of Wanftead in Effex, and Chaplain in Ordinary to his Majefty. Published by the Defire of the Minister and Parishioners. 4to. Is. Rivington. 1786. This difcourfe recommends, by folid arguments, and in animated language, an establishment, which promifes to contribute very effentially toward reforming the lower claffes of people, by early intill ing into their minds that best guard of virtue, RELIGIOUS PRIN CIPLE. CORRESPONDENCE. To the AUTHORS of the MONTHLY REVIEW. GENTLEMEN, AS1 delivered to Dr. Lettfom the account of the diffection of the Introfufceptio, inferted in the laft volume of the Philofophical Tranfactions, and had the correction of the plates, I think it incumbent upon me to clear up the difficulties which occurred to you in the review of that article in your laft Number. I must candidly acknowledge that had I not actually feen the cafe, I might with others have been led to doubt the poffibility of its taking place; but, fetting afide my own authority, I have the pleafure to inform you, that Mr. Chriftopher Pegge of Chrift's Church, Oxon, and Mr. Steel of Tower-Atreet, were with me when I opened the body, and faw the difeafe difeafe exactly as reprefented in Fig. 1. And Dr. John Sims, Dr. Dennison, and Mr. Robinfon, Surgeon, of Earl-ftreet, were alfo prefent when I diffected the parts, leisurely, that Mr. Pole might take the drawings. On diffecting children, I have more than once feen the caput coli fo loosely connected by its peritoneal ligaments, that it might be removed with ease almoft to the oppofite fide of the abdomen; and this obfervation I mentioned in a note, for the fole purpose of conveying an idea of the poffibility of fuch an inversion. The figures are undoubtedly faithful copies of nature; but the mefocolon and mefentery were fo collapfed and hid, by the pofition and increafed fize of the inteftines, as to prevent their being reprefented; yet they are certainly in the fubject, as may be proved by the preparation now in my poffeffion; and a bundle of enlarged mefenteric glands are defcribed in both the account and drawings, which of courfe must belong to that part of the mefentery connected to the ilion in the inverted colon. OLD JEWRY, 16th March 1787. GENTLEMEN, I am, Gentlemen, with much respect, Your obliged humble Servant, To the REVIEWERS. IN your Review of the American Philofophical Tranfactions, laft month *, the word Frefhets occurs, as not within your knowledge. It is a typographical error in the American book, and fhould be Freshes, i. e. annual inundations, from the rivers being fwollen by the melted fnows, and other fresh waters from the uplands; as is the Nile, &c. from periodical or tropical rains. As a failor's term, it is opposed to marine or falt-water floodings, tides, &c. These freshes afford another benefit, in regard to many rivers in America, viz. in equalizing the furface of the ftream (where Rapids, and falls, or caf cades obftruct the navigation), fo that rafts of timber, and other grofs produce, are then floated down to the fea-ports, in great quantities. Your most humble Servant, ACADEMICUS. N. B. We fa'pected that Freshes was the word meant in the book; but it did not occur to us, that Frefhets must certainly have been an error of the prefs. We are obliged to ACADEMICUS; who, we hope, will excufe the liberty we have taken, in leaving out a very few words in his friendly letter. Feb. p. 139. AMERICANUS is entitled to our thanks, and is defired to accept them. II William Matthews, in answer to G. B. came too late for this month; but fhall appear in our next. ERRATA in Review for laft Month. P. 111, 1.7 from bottom, for capable,' r. able. -115, 1. 16, for founds,' r. found. THE MONTHLY REVIEW, For APRIL, 1787. ART. I. The Works of Samuel Johnson, L. D. with his Life, and Notes on his Lives of the Poets, by Sir John Hawkins, Knt. 8vo. 1 Vols. 1. 6s. Boards. Buckland, Rivington, Payne, Cadell, &c. &c. 1787. STB F IR John Hawkins informs us, that, at the request of fome of Dr. Johnfon's friends, he has taken upon himself the office of his Editor; and, accordingly, he prefents to the Public as complete a collection as he was able to form, with the affiftance of directions left, for that purpofe, by the Author. The work is dedicated to his Majefty, but, we think, without feeling or fentiment. Left any one fhould imagine that either of the two former Princes of his Majefty's illuftrious name is here intended, we are told, that it is George the Third, and for our further information, it is added, that he is king of Great Britain. Of this king it is faid, that his royal bounty raifed the Author from a State of indigence to the enjoyment of learned leisure, and an exemption from worldly folicitude. Johnson was one of the highest literary ornaments of his Majefty's reign in the year 1762, when the penfion was granted, he had finished his Dictionary, the Rambler, the Idler, Raffelas, and the best of his works: he had enriched the world with his Jabours, but had made no provifion for himself. If at that period, when he was advanced in years, with a mind fatigued, and a conftitution vifibly declining, the royal munificence fought fo valuable an author in his obfcure retreat in the Inner Temple Lane, the bounty, fo conferred, is at once an honour to the King that granted, and to the Man that deferved it. Ideas of this kind might have kindled in the Dedication a spark of fire; but at prefent we must remain content with a meagre account, implying no more than that his Majefty relieved diftrefs, and maintained a beggar. Through every period, in which letters Aurifhed, it is the glory of the reigning prince, that he was the friend and protector of men of genius: Auguftus Cæfar, and Louis XIV. are, for their attention to the arts, respected at this day: Virgil and Horace reflect a luftre on the former; Racine and Boileau do honour to the laft; and Johnfon will VOL. LXXVI, U repay |