Mr. Hughes appears to have conducted this farther profecution of his fubject with the fame judgment and ability which we applauded in the former part of his undertaking; and after completing his refutation of Mr. Harris's defence of the practice of Negroe-flavery, he takes leave of the reverend and pious refearcher with tartly advifing him, when he writes his next defence of the African Slave trade, to quote fome authority better calculated for the support of tyranny and injuftice than his Bible.' Art. 21. Am I not a Man, and a Brother? With all Humility addreffed to the British Legidature. 8vo. 1 s. 6d. Payne and Son. 1788. This writer, who is a zealous advocate for the entire abolition of the negroe flave-trade, has added an elaborate tract to the confi derable number of those that have appeared on the fame fide of this very interesting question; in which he has included an Answer to Mr. Harris's Scriptural Refearches, commonly Ryled the Liverpool Pamphlet. Our anonymous Author has taken pains with his fubject, in order to evince that negroes are 'men, that they are capable of an idea of civil government, of moral diftinctions, of religion, of e God, and a future state of exißience; and that as men, they have an abfolute right to life, limb, property, liberty, &c. In brief, his production, though it does not contain a great deal that is new, is not, on the whole, unworthy of the public attention. LAW. Art. 22. ATreatife on the Law of Mortgages. By John Jofeph Powell, Efq. of the Middle Temple, Barrister at Law. The fecond Edition, revised and corrected by the Author. 8vo. 6s. Eoards. Whieldon. 1787. The fubject of this treatife is of very exténfive concern, as there are few eftates in the kingdom, that have not, at one period or other, been held in the legal fetters of mortgage. Mr. Powell has, with great labour and afiduity, collected and arranged the various deciLions that have paffed in the courts, refpecting this complicated branch of jurifprudence. This gentleman is likewife the author of the two following treatises. Tou..A. Art. 23. An Efay on the Learning refpe&ting the Creation and Execution of Powers; and alfo refpecting the Nature and Effect of Leafing Powers; in which the Doctrine and the Judgment delivered by the Court of King's-Bench, in the Cafe of Pugh and the Duke of Leeds, and the principal Authorities for and against it, are confidered, By John Jofeph Powell, Efq. Barrister at Law, of the Inner Temple. 8vo. 8s. Boards. Whieldon. 1787. Art. 24. An Efay upon the Learning of Devifes, from their Inception by Writing, to their Confummation by the Death of the Devifor. By John Jofeph Powell, Efq. Barrister at Law. 8vo. 9s. Boards. Uriel, Whieldon, &c. 1788. Each of the two foregoing treatifes, on the Execution of Powers, and on the Law of Devifes, involves queftions of nice and intricate * The first edition, which was published in 1785, efcaped our notice; as have feveral other law books; but we propofe to discharge this debt, with all convenient speed. F 3 difcufion, difcuffion, and they are both materially connected with the law and practice of conveyancing; which the author feems to have made the peculiar object of his ftudy. Though of a technical nature, and not furnishing any thing likely to intereft, or entertain, the generality of our readers, yet thefe volumes will certainly be deemed of great importance in THE PROFESSION. T. Art. 25. Trial in the Court of King's Bench, before Lord Kenyon, and a Special Fury, between Edward Dodwell, Efq. Plaintiff, and the Rev. Henry Bate Dudley, Defendant, for Crim. Con. Svo, I s. 6d. Symonds. 1789. One of thofe recitals which too often occur, to disgrace the annals of mankind. Art. 26 Laws for regulating Bills of Exchange, &c. By J. Blagrave, Notary Public. 12mo. I S. Green and Co. 1788. A new edition of a ufeful little tract, which we noticed at its firft publication fee our General Index. ARTS, SHORT-HAND WRITING, &c. Art. 27. An Efay intended to establish a Standard for an univerfal Syftem of Stenography or Short-hand Writing, upon fuch fimple and approved Principles as have never before been offered to the Public; whereby in a few Days a Perfon may inftruct himself to write Shorthand correctly, and by a little Practice cannot fail of taking down any Difcourfe delivered in Public. By Samuel Taylor, many Years Proteffor and Teacher of the Science at Oxford, and the Univer fities of Scotland and Ireland. Large 8vo. 11. 1s. Boards. Bell. 1786. To be able expeditiously and faithfully to write, in legible and unequivocal characters, the whole of what paffes in converfation or is delivered by a public fpeaker, is the ultimate end of short-hand. That fyftem, therefore, which accomplishes thefe purposes in the eafieft and fimpleft manner, muft undoubtedly claim a fuperiority over all others. Whether this be the cafe with Mr. Taylor's fyftem, we cannot, from our own experience, affirm; but from its fimilarity to other methods, and the eale with which the words are formed, there is no room to question but that, in practice, it will be found every way calculated to answer the intention. Mr. Taylor's characters, like thofe of many of his predeceffors, are fimple ftraight, and crooked, lines: his f, l, n, r, s, t, are the fame as Byrom's, other letters are Byrom's changed; thus Taylor's k or q is Byrom's ; and Taylor's m, Byrom's korq; and fome are different. The method of joining the letters is alfo fimilar. The choice, or rather the defignation of the characters, is not arbitrary, but ought to be fuch as will beft answer the purpofe of eafy junction, on which alone the expedition of writing depends: it is on this account that writers have adopted many peculiarities, every man's fancy directing him to a particular mode; and on this account every practitioner deems his own method (very juftly) fuperior to all others. Practice, however, is the molt effential part, and without a great deal of it, we fpeak from experience, the best calculated and most approved fyftem will be found infufficient for any other purpose than for memorandums, or for abbreviations in private writings. Art. R.......m. Art. 28. The Art of making coloured Crystals to imitate precious Stones. Tranflated from the French of Monf. Fontanieu, Member of the Royal Academies of Sciences and Architecture. To which are added numerous explanatory Notes, and a new Theory of Phlogifton, Electric Fluid, &c. By William Drew, Efq. 8vo. 25. Symonds. A prefixed advertisement informs us that the original of this little treatife was read by its ingenious author before the Royal Academy of Sciences at Paris in 1778, and that its having met with much approbation in France, is a fufficient apology for its appearance in the English language. It contains directions for making coloured glafs, merely practical, without much scientific inveftigation. That the operations here defcribed will produce coloured glafs of various kinds, is beyond a doubt; yet in the art of vitrification, fo much depends on the degree and continuation of the fire, that it is extremely difficult to produce two maffes perfectly alike. M. Fontanieu fays, however, that he has fucceeded in making, conftantly and invariably, these different compofitions; and he trufts that whoever accurately follows the processes which he directs, will equally fucceed. If practice confirms this affertion, his treatife is valuable. With refpect to Mr. Drew's new theory of phlogiston, electric fluid, &c. we fhall tranfcribe the whole of what he fays on this head: This publication affords me an opportunity of advancing a new theory of phlogifton, which explains, in a fatisfactory manner, many remarkable phenomena attending combuftion and the calcination of metals. I maintain that pure phlogifton and electric fluid are formed by a chemical combination of the matter of light, the matter of fire and aerial acid in certain proportions-and that light inflammable air is formed of the fame elements, but with a larger portion of the matter of fire. This theory, fupported by experiments and obfervations, and applied to the folution of many intricate phenomena of nature, I hope foon to offer to the world.' R.....m. POETRY. Art. 29. The Poetical Flights of Chriftopher Whirligig, Efq. Cornet of Horfe. 4to. 1s. 6d. Wilkie. 1788. The maggotty name affumed by this author, in his title-page, led us to expect that MIRTH was now in the humour "to admit us of his crew," (a favour in which the JOLLY BEING does not fo often indulge us as we could wish); but we were difappointed. Instead of "Quips, and cranks, and wanton wiles,-Nods, and becks, and wreathed fmiles"-we have, for the most part, been amused with lovers complaints of the abfence or cruelty of their adorable nymphs, and "woeful ballads made to their miltreffes eyebrows :"-and these not marked with very strong traits of poetic genius. The pieces are generally written in eafy verfe; but mere verfe and rhyme do not contitute REAL POETRY. The best performance is that which is entitled HENRY and DELIA; in which the author difcovers more of imagination than in the rest of his productions.-If, as we guefs, the bard is in his youth, he may, in time, improve. Art. 30. Four Odes, by a Gentleman. 4to. IS. Baldwin. 1788. In thefe odes, which are faid to have been written by a perfon lately deceased, we perceive the traces of an elegant mind; but they have no great fhare of pofitive merit. The following lines may be termed pretty: То THE Сискоw. • Reclin❜d yon glift'ring mead along, Shall wreathe for me an od'rous bed Untutor'd glad'ner of the grove! The lark his matin choral rings, The blackbird from the plumb-tree fings. And the blithe linnet ftrains his tender throat; Plowman hoarse approach not nigh, Nór milkmaid heedlefs, ruftling by, Scare the bleft harmony, Nor break the general chain of joy and love!' In one place we meet with, Ah, too foon my bleaching hairs'-i. e. hairs which make white, for hairs which grow white: an active inftead of a paffive fignification. The fault indeed is common to other poets. Bleachening or whitening is here required; but the former is fomewhat harsh. Pulchri aliquid fcripfifti? — Amici taceant. Aliquid famofi?Taceant.-Solum mediocritate liberi loquantur: fays the Editor's motto. And is it even fo? Alas, poor genius, tendereft and most delicate of flowers! how then wouldeft thou dwindle, were it not for the foilering hand of criticifm, generous, difinterefted criticifm! whofe greatest delight is to awaken thy infant buds, by placing them in the funthine of public favour. A.B. Art. 31. The Fall of the Robillas. An Hiftorical Poem. In Three Cantos. 4to. 1 s. 6d. Symonds, &c. The ftory of this poem is pathetic, and the compofition is, in feveral parts, not without merit; but this merit is often obfcured by profaic and low phrafeology, by harsh numbers and careless rhimes, Before the Author can claim the praife of correct poetry, he muft improve his ear and tafte, till he cannot bear either to write or read Juch verfes as the following: The noble beaft came tumbling to the ground, Send the great fword of righteousness abroad And o'er the world make thy true b'liever lord.' *Borrowed from Milton's Lycidas. • That 1 That future ages from thy works may learn, When round thy guilty neck the bow-string's fast, E. Art. 32. A Poetical Address to the Fashionable Ladies of Great Britain. 4to. Is. Egertons. 1788. A keen, and not ill-written, fatire, on the folly of encouraging men to encroach on the proper occupations of females, particularly by employments in the shops of milliners, &c. E. Art. 33. Elegy written on the Author's revifiting the Place of his former Refidence. 4to. Is. Law, &c. 1788. There is a charm in this penfive kind of poetry that always recommends it to the admirers of nature; and this is the characteristic of the elegy now before us. Here is no artful play of the fancy with imaginary beings. Here are no Lares, Penates, orGenii; no Dryads, Hamadryads, Nymphs, River Gods, and the rest of that worn-out machinery which often renders modern compofitions at once artificial and uninteresting. This bard, with the fimplicity which delights us in Gray's Elegy, expreffes his ideas like a man of the world in which we live. He fpeaks as we fpeak, and feels as we feel; and thus he fails not to intereft us in what has interested himself. The following verfes, which will not prove unacceptable to the fentimental reader, are given as a fair fpecimen of the poem: When the laft ftreaks of flow receding light, By J. Bidlake, A. M. Then |