For, when a perfon, prefuming upon the reputation he has obtained in the world, endea vours, by an uncandid behaviour, to draw the curtain over truth, this conduct will, in the end, counterbalance all his labours. I throw down the gauntlet, as Dr. Harrington has done; and if none takes it up, it must be for fear of being foiled: or, to drop the metaphor, I openly avow my chemical principles, and challenge a fair difcuffion of them. But, fhould Dr. Harrington theory, and thefe my well-meant attempts in favour of it, eontinue ftill to be paffed over with a contemptuous filence; and fhould time, which does juftice to philofophers and their principles, fhew ours to be right; in this cafe, to avoid difcuffion, which leads to truth, is worthy of blame, and posterity will, in this inftance, undoubtedly condemn their conduct. I might mark fuch behaviour with its proper ftigma. This, however, I will not do, but leave the reader to make his own reflexions.

"This age is, with great propriety, called enlightened it is the age of fcience; and the many difcoveries made in it have been hap pily applied to the purposes of human life. Nay more, it is the age of truth; and philofophers, both natural and moral, profefs to have only truth in view in all their inveftigations. Hence to me it is matter of fur prize that no old chemift has, before me, paid a proper attention to Dr. Harrington's princi. ples; for if a theory, which accounts for, and proves by folid reafoning, all the chemical phænomena in oppofition to principles contrary to Nature and Reason, and which account for none of the phænomena, should be attended to and adopted, that gentleman's is the one and if any chemift is not difpofed to adopt it, let him, at least, treat it with the candour it deferves. Dr. Prieftley is anxious

to know what he breathes before he ceases to breathe. When this is told him, he will

not, I hope, think it below him to accept of

information.

"Dr. Harrington clearly proved, as long ago as the year 1780, that an acid and water are neutralised with fire, and aerialifed into atmospheric air; that in refpiration this fixed fire is attracted by the blood from the acid and water; that the acid is left in the ftate of fixed air, and a great quantity of the water is condenfed in the process; that, in putrefaction, the air undergoes a fimilar decompofition, and the fixed fire is attracted by the putrid body, fo as to become putrid, or alkalefcent; that, in combuftion, the fixed fire (as we have proved) is fet loufe. Thele difcoveries were only a prelude to thofe of

the first principles of animal and vegetable

life, the phænomenon of animal heat, with

other fecondary phænomena. He publifhed, in 1785, a full hiftory of the different airs, clearly thewing the formation of each. That the air is again renewed after being injured, he proves from its levity; owing to which,

I

it is taken up into the higher regions of the atmosphere, where the fixed air and water are again faturated with fixed fire; by which, becoming more fpecifically heavy, it defcends again; that phlogifton is fixed fire chemically attracted, and that it is capable of being fet loose again by various proceffes in nature.

"Now, I fcruple not to declare, that all the principal and leading difcoveries respect, ing atmospherical air, its formation and compofition, with the manner in which it fupports animal and vegetable life, and the life of combustion; I fay, that all these are fully fhewn by Dr. H. The only thing that appeared to me rather obfcure was, the life of combuftion; but this I hope I have, conformable to Dr. Harrington's principles, fully demonftrated in this treatife. I fhould be forry to endeavour, like fome chemifts, to take away any part of his merit. However, I venture to predict, that the time is faft advancing, when every thing relating to this chemistry will be properly understood, and fettled upon a right foundation. Dr. Har rington has, in his Letter (printed in 1788), very fully detected the errors of his opponents, concluding it with this pointed lan guage, but as yet he has received no answer: "I hope I have made it appear in this Let "ter, and in the rest of my writings, that "the prefent hypothefes of philofophers ac "count for none of the phænomena we have "confidered, and that mine give an expla "nation of them all, both confiftent and fa"tisfactory. Therefore, gentlemen, I thus "publicly call upon you, either to vindicate "your opinions, or to renounce them. "ence and the publick claim it of you."

Sci

But we have already exceeded our ufual bounds; we must therefore, unwillingly, defer an investigation of the many other cogent reafons till another opportunity. (To be continued.) ***

87. Poems. Namely, The English Orator; an Addrefs to Thomas Pennant, Efq.; an Ode on the Sufceptibility of the Poetical Charafler; Twenty Sonnets; an Epiftle to a College Friend's and the Lock transformed. With Notes on the English Orator. By Mr. Polwhele. 4. TO those who love the daughters of Mnemofyné, and are pleafed to fee their infpiration applied to its best and genuine purpote, that of inftructing and delighting, whilft it tends to invigorate the heart, this elegant volume will be and call forth the finer susceptibilities of didactic poem, we have already had the an acceptable prefent. As a beautiful pleafure to recommend "The English "Orator," and are pleased to see our opinion of it ratified by the best judges.. Of the fmaller pieces in this collection we fhall, at leaft for the prefent, only

obferve,

obferve, that we have read them with confiderable pleasure, and (which we deem no mean praife) think them in every respect worthy of their ingenious author. His no es on the principal poem evince much felect and various reading, with great correctness of judgement, and refinement of tafte. Our readers, we prefume, will not be difpleafed to fee his fentiments refpe&ting the comparative oratorical merits of the follow. ing confpicuous members of the lower houfe of parliament: "Mr. Burke has "a rich fancy, and is fometimes great: "but, upon the whole, he is not to be "compared to Mr. Pitt, or Mr. Fox, "for fluency of language, force of ar"gument, and effect of speaking. And "of these, Mr. Pitt has much the ad"vantage, in an incomparably full, "mellow, and manly voice-in an ealy "command of words, and perfpicuous "arrangement of his arguments. Mr. "Fox, when he speaks with vehemence "(as he generally does), hath a harth, “broken voice, and is lefs clear in his arrangement; but he has exceedingly "ftrong argument, and the art of placing "it in the most ftriking points of view. "Mr. Sheridan is at least next in rank, as an orator. His forte is poignant "wit, as well as strong argument."

88. Salmagundi; a Mifcellaneous Combination of Original Poetry. 4:0.

WHAT the Olla Podrida was in profe is here prefented to us in verfe (and indeed their appellations are fyn. onymous), a Mifcellany of Amatory, Elegiac, Lyrical, and Epigrammatical Poems. We have fome little objection to the word Amatory, which looks like affectation; and why, when we have a very good word of our own at home, fhould we go abroad for a new one? Thefe compofitions certainly display a great deal of taste, very mellifluous verfification, and a certain portion of genius; but we have no fcruple in afferting that the author's decided talent is bumour, which, in the publication before us, often appears with the happieft advantage. We were forry, however, more than once to have difcovered in them a fondnefs for alliteration; con. cerning which, the beft criticks feem no longer divided, but agree in rejecting them altogether, as puerile conceits. In the "Illufions of Fancy" we were forry

to read thus. Speaking of Raffaelle the author fays,

"I seem to fee his magic hand Wield the wondrous pencil-wand ;" which certainly prefents us with a strange combination. A little farther we meet with a fingular inaccuracy:

"While Athens, rapt in wonder, hears Truth's energetic voice proclaim Her unknown God's tremendous name." The unknown God to whom the Athenians erected an altar had no name, "Alecto's iron bair," in another part, is alfo an expreffion which a little mili tates with our claffical prejudices with refpect to her furious ladyship. Thele, however, are flight blemishes in a performance which contains many beauties, and which will amply reward the reader's curiofity. The Ode to the "Naiad of Glympton Brook" poffeffes much chafte and fimple excellence, which none but a mind highly cultivat ed could have produced. In his Latin compofitions we think our author has been lefs fuccessful; but the Monody on the Death of an Academical Cat difcovers throughout a vein of the richest humour, and juftifies our again repeating, that in this fpecies of writing the prefent publication is eminently happy. We hall give the following fpecimen: "Nay, two-legged cats, as well as cats with Shall Dick's irreparable lofs deplore; [four, Cats who frail nymphs in gay affemblies guard, As buckram ftiff, and bearded like the pard; Calumnious cats, who circulate faux pas, And reputations maul with murd rous claws; Shrill cats, whom fierce domestic brawls deCrofs cats, who nothing want but teeth to light; [bite; Starch cats, of puritanic afpect fad, [mad; And learned cats, who talk their husbands Confounded cats, who cough, and croak, and

cry,

And maudlin cats, who drink eternally; Prim cats, of countenance and mien precife, Yet oftner hankering for men than mice; Curft cats, whom nought but caftigation checks,

Penurious cats, who buy their coals by pecks; Faftidious cats, who pine for coftly cates, And jealous cats, who catechize their mates;

Cat-prudes, who, when they're afk'd the question, fquall,

And ne'er give answer categorical;
Uncleanly cats, who never pare their nails,
Cat-gofhips, fond of Canterbury tales;
Cat-grandams, vexed with afthmas and ca-
tarrhis,

And fuperftitious cats, who curfe their stars;

Cats,

"A Cafe of Confcience, fubmitted to a late Dignitary of the Church, on bis Narcotic Expofition of Watch and pray, left ye enter into Temptation.

"By our paftor perplext,

How fhall we determine?
Watch and pray, fays the text;

Go to fleep, fays the fermon.” For this entertaining work the world is faid to be indebted, principally, to a Mr. Huddesford, a gentleman of Ox. ford; though, at the conclufion of the volume, if we are not miftaken, we recognize one or two things that have been otherwife imputed. The frontif. piece is engraved by Heath, from a painting by Burney, very much in the fpirit and manner of Fufeli. The let ter-prefs and paper are fingularly beautiful; and the whole does honour to the flate of the Arts in this country.

89. Rules of the Unitarian Society for promoting Chriflian Knowledge, &c. Sc.

AS part of the hiftory of what is doing in our own day, the proceedings of public religious focieties, of whatever denomination, have fome claim to our notice. Under this idea, we fhall tranfcribe the prefatory addrefs prefixed to thefe Rules, without fuggefting any

comment.

"Chriftianity, proceeding from God, must be of infinite importance; and a more effential fervice cannot be rendered to mankind than to advance the interefts of truth and virtue, to promote peace, liberty, and good order in fociety, to accelerate the improvement of the fpecies, and to exalt the character, and fecure the greatest ultimate happinefs of individuals, by diffeminating right principles of religion, and by exciting the attention of men to the genuine doctrines of revelation.

"This is the chief object of The Unitarian Society for promoting Chriflian Knowledge, and the Practice Pirtue, by diftributing SUCH Books as appear to the members of the fociety to contain the most rational views of the Gofpel, and to be most free from the errors by which it has long been fullied and obfcured. Error, voluntary or involuntary, fo far as it extends, must have a pernicious influence. The members of this fociety thins, therefore,

that they are doing fignal fervice to the caufe of truth and good morals, by endeavouring to clear the Chriftian fyftem from all foreign incumbrances, and by reprefenting the doctrines of Revelation in their primitive fimplicity. Truth muft ultimately be serviceable to virtue.

"The fundamental principles of this fociety are, that there is but ONE GOD, the SOLE Former, Supporter, and Governor of the univer fe, the ONLY proper object of religious worship; and that there is one mediator between God and men, the MAN Chrift Jefus, who was commillioned by God to inftru&t men in their duty, and to reveal the doctrine of a future life.

"The beneficial influence of these truths upon the moral conduct of men will be in proportion to the confidence with which they are received into the mind, and the attention with which they are regarded. Confequently, all foreign op nions which men have attached to this primitive fyftem of Chriftian doctrine, and which tend to divert their thoughts from thefe fundamental prin

ciples, are, in a degree, injurious to the caufe of religion and virtue. While, therefore, many well meaning perfons are propagating, with zeal, opinions which the members of this fociety judge to be unfcriptural and ido. latrous, they think it their duty to oppose the farther progrefs of fuch pernicious errors, and publicly to avow their firm attachment to the doctrines of the UNITY of GOD, of his UNRIVALLED and UNDIVIDED authority and dominion, and that Jefus Chrift, the most diftinguished of the prophets, is the CREA

TURE and MESSENGER of God, and not his EQUAL, nor his VICEGERENT, nor coPARTNER with him in divine honours, as fome have ftrangely fuppofed. And they are defirous to try the experiment, whether the caufe of true religion and virtue may not be moft effectually promoted upon proper unitarian principles, and whether the plain, unadulterated truths of Chriftianity, when fairly taught and inculcated, be not of themselves fufficient to form the minds of thofe who fincerely embrace them to that true dignity and excellence of character to which the Gospel was intended to elevare them.

"Rational Chriftians have hitherto been too cautious of publicly acknowledging their principles; and this difgraceful timidity hath been prejudicial to the progrefs of truth and virtue. It is now high time that the friends of genuine Chriftianity fhould stand forth and avow themfelves. The number of fuch, it is hoped, will be found to be much greater than many apprehend. And their example, if accompanied with, and recommended by, a correfpondent purity of life and morals, will naturally attract the attention of others, and produce that freedom of enquiry, that liberal difcuffion, and that fearless profesion of principles embraced after due examination, which can be formidable to nothing but to

error

error and to vice, and which must eventually be fubfervient to the cause of truth and virtue, and to the best interests of mankind.

"The first general meeting of this fociety was holden on Wednesday, Feb. 9, 1791."

90. A Letter from Mr. Burke to a Member of the National Affemby, in Answer to some Objections to bis Book on French Affairs. The Second Edition. Paris printed, London reprimed.

MR. B. acknowledges fome of the errors pointed out by his correfpondent, who addreffed to him a letter dated No vember 17 last; but thinks only one of thefe errors material. The cavils on his remarks on the gradations of the new conftitution do not affect the fubftance of his objections; accordingly, he avoided marking the alterations per petually making "by bungling practice "to correct abfurd theory."

"I am unalterably perfuaded, that the attempt to opprefs, degrade, impoverith, confifcate, and extinguish the original gentlemen, and landed property of a whole nation, eannot be juftified under any form it may af fume. I am fatisfied, beyond a doubt, that the project of turning a great empire into a veftry, or into a collection of veftries, and of governing it in the fpirit of a parochial adminiftration, is fentelefs and abfurd, in any mode, or with any qualifications. I can never be convinced that the scheme of placing the highest powers of the state in churchwardens and contables, and other fuch officers, guided by the prudence of litigious at tornies and Jew-brokers, and fet in action by fhameless women of the lowest condition, by keepers of hotels, taverns, and brothels, by pert apprentices, by clerks, fhop boys, hairdreflers, fillers, and dancers on the stage (who, in fuch a commonwealth as your's, will in future overbear, as already they have overborne, the fober incapacity of dull, uninftructed men, of ufeful but laborious occupa tions) can ever be put into any shape that muft not be both difgraceful and destructive. The whole of this project, even if it were what it pretends to be, and was not in reality the dominion, through that difgraceful me dium, of half a dozen or perhaps fewer, intriguing politicians, is fo mean, fo low-minded, fo ftupid a contrivance, in point of wifdom, as well as fo perfectly deteftable for its wickedness, that I must always confider the correctives, which might make it in any degree practicable, to be fo many new objections to it." p. 3, 4.

"I do not conceive that the perfons who have contrived these things can be made much the better or the worfe for any thing which can be faid to them. They are reason-proof. Here and there, fome men, who were at first carried away by wild, good intentions, may

be led, when their first fervours are abated, to join in a fober furvey of the schemes into which they have been deluded. To thofe only (and I am forry to say they are not likely to make a large defcription) we apply with any hope. I may speak it upon an affurance almost approaching to abfolute know. ledge, that nothing has been done that has not been contrived from the beginning, even before the States had affembled. Nulla nova mibi res incpinave furgit. They are the fame men and the fame defigns that they were from the first, though varied in their apperfift crawled about in the shape of a caterIt was the very fame animal that at pillar, that you now fee rife into the air, and expand his wings to the fun." p. 5, 6.

ance.

Mr. B. proceeds to deteft the impudent charlatanerie of the National Af fembly, in their laft manifefto, or mountebank's bill. "It is faid, in the laft

quackih addrefs of the National Af"fembly to the People of France, that "they have not formed their arrange "ments upon vulgar practice, but on a "theory which cannot fail, or fome"thing to that effect." p. 10, note.-He paints in ftrong colours the difficulty of reducing the people again to reafon and order (p. 11-13), when fuch perfons are appointed by the National Affembly to adminifter juftice, and manage the affairs of religion; and compares the conduct of Cromwell, in choofing Halen for his chief-justice, with that of the National Affembly in the choice of their judges: and afks, "have not fuch men "made bifhops to adminifter in temples "in which (if the patriotic donations "have not already fript them of their "veffels) the churchwardens ought to "take fecurity for the altar-plate, and "not fo much as to truft the chalice in

"their facrilegious hands, fo long as 'Jews have allignats on ecclefiaftical

plunder to exchange for the filver "tolen from the church?" p. 17. . . . "In matters fo ridiculous it is hard to "be grave. On a view of their confti"tution it is almost inhuman to treat "them lightly." p. 18.- Mr. Burke proceeds to fhew, that, to cure the people of France of their prefent delufion,

thefe madmen must fir, like other madcommunity, which I believe to be large, but men, be fubdued. The found part of the by no means the largest part, has been taken by furprize, and is digointed, terrified, and difarmed. The found part of the community must first be put into a better condition before it can do any thing in the way of deliberation or perfuafion. This must be an act of power, in the hands of firm, determined patriots, who can diftinguith the mulled from

traitors,