object of a Review is to give an account of the present state of fcience, and as we have not had an opportunity of enlarging on the fubject fince the publication of fome important works, we hope it may be excufed.

Mr. Hamilton proceeds to give an account of the other mineral productions of this country, and he defcribes them with great clearness and precision: we are forry, that the length of this article prevents us from being more particular on the fubject. The concluding letter affumes a higher tone, and vindicates

the ways of God to man.'

He speaks to the fceptic in bold energetic language, and with striking arguments and pertinent inftances, shows, that the ftructure of the earth difplays confummate wisdom; that its hiftory, as well as the hiftory of its inhabitants, is favourable both to natural and revealed religion,-Such are thefe interesting Letters, which we cannot recommend inore forcibly, than by their having engaged fo large a fhare of our attention, at a bufy and a troublesome period of our an-.. nual labour...

Dei Cataclifmi fofferti dal Noftro Pianeta Saggio Poetico, per feruire di Prodromo a un Poema Filofophico e Theologico. A Poetical Sketch of the Revolutions that have happened in the Natural Hiftory of our Planet; intended as a Specimen of a Philofophical and Theological Poem. 8vo. 25. Crutwell, Bath. THIS performance, of which we have both the original

and the copy, is fomewhat extraordinary.-It contains the plan of a philofophical poem, intended to have been written in Italian blank verfe; in which the author defigned to have compiled a theory of the changes that have taken place in our globe, and to reconcile to our reason, by the affiftance of ancient mythology, the various and intricate phænomena which the foflile kingdom prefents.' It was to have been completed in twelve books, and from feveral paffages, as well as from his many other performances, we may perceive that the author, Il Signor Abbate Fortis, was neither defective in learning, nor brilliancy of fancy. He was a native of Venice, and published a Tour into Dalmatia-he is now dead, and of courfe nothing farther, at leaft from him, can be expected toward filling up the prefent very imperfect outlines. It appears indeed never to have been his intention, for he concludes is ketch with informing us, that

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The defign of this poem is not, and probably never will be completed. The author has fo far abandoned all thoughts of it, that he has for fome time ceafed to work at it, and it is more than probable that this fituation will compel him to content himself with the sketch he has put into verse, without making farther progrefs.'

Ai What thofe circumstances were to which he alludes, we know not poflibly a narrow income, and laborious avocations. The difficulty of the task alone would have been, indeed, a sufficient reafon for relinquishing the attempt. To wield the machines that are here propofed to have been introduced, required nos common hand. The neceffary exertions were evident, but the fuccefs of them by no means clear, Had the plan been completed, we apprehend, it would have been more curious than entertaining, more fcientific than poetical. To a few philofophic minds it might have appeared instructive and amufing to the million, wild, confuled, and uninterefting Of thes tranflator's abilities the following poetic fragments, and there are many fuch occafionally fcattered through the arguments of the different books, will give ne unfavourable idea. The gnomes are thus introdused as bringing offerings to Pluto. b,bstolɔ zi 100b 9.3

with his ebon wanapotni est
Lo the firm granite cleaves at his command
In hideous yawn. Earth opes her inmost stores,
And at his feet her choiceft treasures pours.
Forth come the gnomes—their tribute they prepare,
Beings' compos'd of neither earth nor air pla
The various vapours of the falph rous mine
To form thefe hated prites their powers combine.
The blaze thefe glittering gemis diffufe aro and
Illumines, far and near, the dark profound, varS
And the grim troop in hideous lustre thews.
'T'hus have feen, where Pola's towers once rofe,
As er't, with penfive fteps I've wandered o'er
Each mould'ring arch, and time-worn corridor, Vi
Declining Phobos, with a pallid gleam,

On fome poor lazar dart oblique his beam;
Who, wretched tenant of thote glittering plains,
'Gainft the proud porch his palfy'd limbs fuftains.
Next comes a troop, whofe bending fhoulders bore
The ponderous burden of each various ore,
Gold's pureft mafs,-pale filver's virgin fnow,
And ruddy copper-thefe unbler.ded grow

Deep in earth's caves, from whence the branching vein
Tempts and rewards the anxious miner's pain.'

The

The Philofophical Dictionary: or, the Opinions of Modern Philofophers on Metaphyfical, Moral, and Political Subjects. In Four Vols. 12mg. 125. Sewed. Robinfon.

THE

HE Dictionary was, we find, originally a common-place book for private ufe; and probably, like other collections of the fame kind, it was filled by the authors which occurred, rather than collected from the beft, chofen after the knowlege had become more exact, and the judgment more mature. If this fufpicion explains the reafon of the choice in Lome rofpects, it adds credit to the author's ftudies in others; we do not find many exceptionable authorities, and there are many valuable extracts. The publication may add to the amufement of travellers, who carry few books with them, or fatisfy the curiofity of thofe who cannot purchase many books, or have little time to read them.' beim sidqobbug wat s ol

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The origin of this collection will alfo explain another defect; but it is one that fhould, if poffible, be: fupplied, viz. the omiffion of particular references to the works, of the author. When we are pleased with the fubject, interested in the reafoning, or willing to purfue an opinion in its confequences, the door is clofed, and we are almost precluded from any farther information. The man of fcience and literature, in a well-furnished library, may in the lefs voluminous authors, foon turn to the original work; but this collection is not defigned for him, and probably will never be his object. It may, however, cheat the defultory reader into ufeful ftudy; it may roufe the curiosity of the more attentive; and occafionally remind the fcholar of what he has forgotten. To all thefe, more particular references would be of great fervice. In another view, the omiffion is of confequence. In the works of every original author, there is fometimes a peculiar system, very generally a difcriminated manner, and what may be called a tone of mind, which diftinguishes and characterifes the work. On this account, a paffage which perhaps is fingularly beautiful, highly ufeful, and easily understood, when feparated from the work, and frittered into an extract, may appear unmeaning, trifling or abfurd. The objection indeed militates against the whole defign; but it is only alleviated by a particular reference.

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In the felection, too much is taken from Voltaire and Hume the former is an unfaithful guide, because his excellencies and errors are too intimately mixed; and his best information and jufteft decifions, are generally contamia. d by his fancies, or deftroyed by his errors. Many of Mr. Hume's most innocent paffages are fufpicious, for in all his works he

was fyftematical: he had one end in view, which he feldon loft fight of. We ought, however, to add, that no paffages, fo far as we have obferved, are felected from either, that may be in any refpect pointedly injurious; and in thefe inftances, we should be well contented with the name of the author only.

Much is taken from Helvetius and Locke.-Somewhat from Hartley, Montefquieu, Beccaria, Raynal, Rouffeau, D'Alembert, Priestley, Williams, Burke, A. Smith, Robertfon, Gibbon, &c. &c. The extracts chiefly relate to the conduct of life, and general precepts of morality. Some controverfial subjects occur, and, under thefe heads, the different opinions are felected from the most able combatants on either fide.

The editor professes that the love of truth, and warm wishes for its diffufion, were his fole objects in the publication. To his profeffions we have no reafon to object, and fuch designs muft always fhare our approbation.

The Recefs; or a Tale of other Times. Vol. II and III. 12mo. 75. Cadell.

IN

N our fifty-fifth Volume, p. 233, we reviewed the first volume of this interefting ftory; and ere the author was yet known to fame,' we encouraged and cherished her rifing genius concurring applaufes have ratified our decifions; but long delays and indecifive hefitations feem to have impeded the progrefs of the ftory. It had raifed a curiofity, which perhaps mifs Lee was apprehenfive fhe fhould not be able to gratify; or, in poffeffion of fame, the might be afraid of hazarding her acquifition by another attempt. Whatever may have been the motive, the finished ftate of the volumes compenfates for the delay; and the artificial contexture of the feveral incidents, the near approaches to romance, without trefpaffing on probability, as well as the accumulation of unexpected diftrefs, fix the eager attention, and gratify the imagination, without an infult to the judgment,

The fubfequent volumes contain the adventures of the Sifters, after their feparation. Ellinor, the youngeft, is beloved by Elizabeth's other favourite, the fpirited and gallant Effex; but, by the machinations of the jealous queen, to whom their birth is accidentally revealed, by a complication of the deepest policy, and the molt deteftable villany, the is married to lord Arlington. After his death, fhe efcapes to Effex, with a mind fhaken by misfortunes, and a reafon fcarcely fixed, after its disturbance by the most cruel insults:

the

fhe rejoins him in Ireland, and is again feparated from him by his fudden return to England. In her progrefs to rejoin him, the news of his death totally deftroys her reason, and fhe efcapes from a fixed and fettled melancholy, only to furvey once more the picture of Effex, and to expire in the tumult of conflicting fenfations.

Matilda is carcely more fortunate. After the death of Leicefter he is carried to Jamaica, then in poffeffion of the Spaniards, by the artifice of a pretended admirer. Her adventures and imprisonment there are gloomy and diftreffing: at last, she returns to England, to witness the unhappy condition of her filer.. Her daughter, however, the daughter of Leicester, grows up, and blooms with all the charms fhe might have expected to inherit. In her the mother again revives, and in her, expects again to live; but, by a series of adventures well arranged, this darling daughter finishes her days by poifon in a prifon.

Such is the imperfect outline of a ftory, drawn from hif tory it may be ftyled familiar hiftory, for it fills up the vacant chafms with thofe little incidents not unfuitable to the greater events, or the temper of the actors. We know, for inftance, that Effex lingered in Ireland, and diftinguished his campaigns by few fpirited or decifive actions. We are here told, that Ellinor was intercepted by Tiroen, and the hours which fhould have been spent in the contelt were idly protracted by negotiations for her deliverance. Again: we know that, from the time of Effex's execution, the queen was reftleis, disturbed, and unhappy. A well-managed incident is fuppofed to explain the caufe of her diftrefs. Elinor, with the cunning which generally accompanies madnefs, deceives her own guards and thofe of Elizabeth, and reaches the royal bedchamber, to pierce her heart with a blow of a different kind, but not lefs fatal than that which had deprived her of Effex-' to speak daggers, but ufe none.' To deceive the keepers, to whom he was intrufted, that the might escape to Effex, it was reported that he was dead; fo that Elizabeth is fuppofed to confider her as a fpere, commiffioned to wound her bofom with another arrow. We fhall felect this part, as a

fpecimen of our author's powers of defcription."

i

The queen, wholly funk in the chilling melancholy of incurable defpair, and hopeless, age, refigned herself up to the influence of thofe evils. Her ladies were often employed in reading to her, which was the only amufement her chagrin ad mitted. One memorable night it was my turn-Elizabeth dif miffed every other attendant, in the vain hope of finding a repofe of which the had for ever deprived herfelt. I purfaed my tafk a long

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