paper of The World. The author warmly reprobates the idea that the truth of a libel is an aggravation of the offence; and maintains, that the confining of all profecutions for libels. to civil actions for damages, has a moral tendency to benefit the public. On thefe points he reafons with much force of argument, and his principles are obvioufly liberal; but we should have been better fatisfied with the liberality of his conduct, had he treated with more respect and with lefs afperity the character of a venerable judge, who, in regard to libels, had entertained fentiments different from thofe which it is the object of the prefent Letters to propagate.

An Attempt to explain the terms Democracy, Ariftocracy, Oligarchy, Monarchy, and Defpotifm. By James Edward Hamilton, Efg. Evo. 6d. Debrett.

It might be conjectured from this Attempt, that the terms which the author explains have hitherto been very imperfectly understood being all of them of Greek etymology, their fignification, indeed, can only be intuitively known by an acquaintance with that language: but the lexicographers would be extremely ignorant who could ever give an erroneous interpretation of thofe terms. The prefent author delivers the sense of them faithfully; though we cannot, on that account, admit that there is the least claim to novelty in fuch a performance.

A Letter to the People of England, upon the prefent Crifis. By James Edward Hamilton, Efq. 8vo. od. Debrett.

The writer of this Letter, who is the fame with the author of the preceding pamphlet, maintains the animating opinion, that the refources of this country are far from being exhaulled; to which he adds, that it was never yet capable of fuch vigorous exertions as it actually is.' Whatever may be the cafe with regard to the latter of these propofitions, the former, we hope, is unquestionable. But we cannot fo readily agree with the author that thofe refources can be increafed with the greatest public advantage, by removing taxes from the luxuries, and impofing them upon the neceflaries of life. This, indeed, is a novelty, which the arguments he advances, however plaufible, are totally infufficient to establish.

Second Letter to the People of England, upon the prefent Crifis. By James Edward Hamilton, Efq. 8vo. 6d. Debrett.

This author measures out his addreffes to the public in fuch equal portions, that each of them is comprifed in the bounds of a fingle heet. The Letter now before us relates chiefly to the mode introduced by the minifter for discharging the national debt. The author difapproves of the plan; but in his obferva tions concerning its effects, we meet not with any thing either new or interelling.

A Speech

A Speech delivered on the 19th of February, 1789, in the House of Lords of Ireland, upon the Addrefs to his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales. By the Right Hon. Lord Mountmorres. 80. 15. Jeffery.

In this Speech, which was delivered upon an interesting occation, lord Mountmorres argues ftrenuously against the principles maintained by Mr. Fox in the British houfe of commons on the fubject of the regency. In fupport of his own doctrine he has recourse to the history of England; and fhews, from a list of all the regents fince the Norman Conquest, that the idea of any inherent claim to the enjoyment of that high office, is totally deftitute of foundation. His lordship difcovers manly and independent fentiments in politics, and appears to have been actuated with a laudable zeal for the dignity of the legislature and the interests of the nation, at the critical period which exifted in the beginning of the year 1789.

A Narrative of the Difinterment of Milton's Coffin, in the ParishChurch of St. Giles's Cripplegate, on Wednesday, 4th of August, 1790. 800. is. Egertons.

It is generally believed, upon the authority of tradition, that Milton was interred in the parish-church of St. Giles, Cripplegate; but that his remains were actually depofited in the coffin mentioned in this Narrative, is very far from being afcertained to the fatisfaction of a judicious enquirer. Indeed feveral circumstances seem ftrongly to invalidate fuch an opinion. Admitting, however, that the fuppofed fact had been undeniably established by an explicit infcription upon the coffin, it is diffi cult to conceive for what other purpofe than that of mercenary depredation, the parifh officers prefumed to violate the facred sepofitory of the dead. Curiofity, conducted by liberal and rational motives, is a laudable principle; but we meet with nothing in this narrative that has any the leaft claim to fuch di ftinction; and the enquiry in the prefent cafe feems to have been profecuted without either decency or judgment.

The Speech of Major Scott in the Houfe of Commons, on Friday, May 21, 1790, on the complaint of General Burgoyne for a Breach of Privilege. 8vo. Is. Stockdale.

General Burgoyne having complained to the house of commons of a breach of privilege by major Scott, the latter endeavours to defend himself in the prefent Speech against that imputation. He enters fully, and with a variety of obfervations, into the fubject which had proved the means of involving him in the charge abovementioned. It is fufficient to fay, that the major argues with much ingenuity in extenuation of his conduct. A vote of cenfure was, however, paffed against him, which was not a little alleviated by the liberal and candid manner in which it was delivered by the fpeaker of the house, Mr. Addington.

COR.

OUR Article on Mr. Frank's Obfervations on Animal Life,' was painted before the receipt of his letter; but we find, from a careful comparifon, that the errors of the prefs have not led us into any mistake respecting his fentiments. If he looks carefully over the work, he will find more errors of this kind, and we think one or two more important ones.

OUR Correfpondent N. N. writes tolerably correct, but not idiomatical English: he will allow us, we hope, to give his information in our own words, and a more concile form.

English travellers, he tells us, are received with great refpect in Italy, and treated with the greatelt attention and familiarity. A literary fociety is established in Tufany, and, to be admitted a member, fome Italian poetical work must be previously tranfmitted. M. Buccarelli of this metropolis, who is a candidaie for a feat, purposes to write a poem in imitation of Aiotto, in which he means to celebrate the moft diftinguished of our countrywomen. Each lady, celebrated in this poem, is to have a copy fent gra is, and a medal ornamented with the emblems of the academy, of which, if the pleafes, the may become a member. The academy have refolved to print this poem with great elegance, and to illuftrate it with copper-plates.

OUR Correfpondent Candidus' thinks we purfue Dr. D. Monro with unrelenting feverity. We can only reply, that, by republishing his remarks on our Journal, in the fourth yolume of the Supplement, he again renewed the conteit. And this conduct was not lefs impolitic than improper; for every page of that volume juftified our charge of imperfection, and by adding chemical confiderations, not connected with pharmacy, he forfook the ground which he had chofen for his defence. We have not the least objection to drop the subject if he does not renew it; but our Correfpondent must allow that it was injudicious to challenge minute enquiry, when he must be confcious that fo many errors and defects remained.

·

MR. Nisbett's warm reproaches are mifapplied, for we never flighted his labours. When we promised to return to the fubject of his Illustrations of different Paffages of Scripture,' we could not mean in another edition, because, unless very confiderably enlarged and improved, we can never notice a fecond edition. We were not aware of any improvement, for we are not in the habit of truffing to the language of advertisements, fince there is great reason to fuppofe that the work never reach. The Obfervations on the Miraculous Conception were fome time fince received. If Mr. Nifbett will reflect for a moment, he would find that it is impoffible to review every book in the order of its appearance; and, if it were poffible, it would certainly be inexpedient.

M. Curioni's publications, noticed in our Review for June, are fold by Brookes, Coventry-street, Hay-market, Price 2s. 6d. each.

THE

CRITICAL REVIEW.

For OCTOBER, 1790.

A Voyage round the World: but more particularly to the NorthWeft Coast of America: performed in 1785, 1786, 1787, and 1788, in the King George and Queen Charlotte, Captains Portlock and Dixon. By Capt. Nathaniel Portlock. 11. 55. Boards. Stockdale.

AS

410.

S captain Dixon's narrative of this voyage was the subject of our attention in the LXVIIth volume of our Journal, p. 183, we must refer to that article for the general defign, and the most important discoveries made in this route. In the parts of the narrative, which we have compared, we find no very material difference in the accounts: captain Portlock's is more minutely and accurately nautical; captain Dixon's author, for the captain feems only to have written the introduction, is more full of familiar and entertaining obfervations. Of the vast bay, which we defcribed as comprehended in the former chart, our prefent navigator has not given the whole: his chart extends from 135° to 155° weft longitude, and the coaft is laid down nearly at 57° of north latitude, both on the east and on the west.

The fur trade, which was the great object of this voyage, is now become a fubject of importance, from its being the principal oftenfible cause of the quarrel between England and Spain, and may become the fource of a war. The gains have certainly not been, as captain Portlock obferves, enviously great,' yet the merchants have, he thinks, found the trade lucrative: it has been discovered, as we formerly obferved, that it must be carried on, if carried on with advantage, from an establishment on the western coast of America, and this establishment probably was the object of jealoufy to Spain, and might be no lefs the fource of uneafinefs to Ruffia, who is eafily vulnerable in her eastern settlements of Afia. Our author gives a fhort hiftory of the fur trade, and of the object of his own voyage. He next proceeds to the general narrative of the events which occurred; but as we have already given the outline of the track, and noticed fome particular circumftances, we fhall only take up capt. Vol. LXX. 08, 1790.

B b

Portlock

Portlock in different places, where we find fomething new or interefling.

At Falkland Islands, islands in which it is the interest of Great Britain to form a permanent fettlement, and which ought to be fecured in the prefent negotiation, we find fome fubjects worthy of remark. Our author defcribes the harbour particularly, and he found here fome remains of the wreck of a Spanifh fhip which failed from Buenos Ayres, and was never afterwards heard of. Several pieces of white wax, an indestructible fubftance, at least indeftructible by water, were found on the fhore. At this place our author met fome American veffels collecting blubber, not from whales, but fea-elephants, whofe blubber is fo free as to feparate without boiling; and he tells us that the animals which they faw at Kerguelen's Ifland were of this kind, and not fea-lions, as they then fuppofed. The feaelephants alfo feem to be very numerous, from captain Cook's account, at New Georgia, the fouthern Thule. Our author does not point out the difference except in their manners, for the one is fierce, the other tame: the fea-elephant yields without the leaft refiftance. The defcription of the different harbours we cannot extract with advantage: it must be read in the work itfelf.

In the run from Falkland Islands to the Sandwich Islands, the track in which the fcurvy is almost always found, we meet, for the first time, with an inftance of the disease being cured at fea. Our author, bred in the school of captain Cook, feems to have paid the greateft attention to his feamen; to fpeak of them with the moft lively regard and gratitude for their uniform good conduct; and to have guarded their healths with the ftrictest care. We fhall therefore tranfcribe the method by which his boatswain was recovered.

During this interval, we had light variable winds and calms by turns, with clofe fultry weather and frequent heavy rains. Notwithstanding every precaution, the fcurvy made its appear ance amongst us; and the boatswain in particular was fo bad for fome days, that I almoft defpaired of his recovery; but it fortunately happened that fome fmall fallad, fuch as mustard and creffes, which I had fewn in feveral cafks of mould procured at Falkland's Iflands, was now in great perfection. I planted fome horse-radish in a cafk before we left England, which was in an improving ftate, and fome potatoes, planted fince we left Falkland's Iflands, began to fprout very finely. These things were given to the boatfwain, and they had every good effect that could be wifhed; they checked the diforder, and he began to recover his health daily.'..

Befides the affilauce he received from Mr. Hogan, my fur

3

geon,