To make short work, the felf-created cuckold mentions three bours too foon, as a better alternative than fo many minutes too late. He fixes on the number three as the first which occurred; had he said four, poffibly Mr. Kenrick would have rouzed the family at fix o'clock in the morning; for positively there is no more evidence in the play for the one than the other. The Reviewer afks, "Why should he mention three hours rather than any indefinite time-?" It is put for indefinite time: When Mrs. Ford tells Dame Quickly, that she wanted an hour's conversation with her, are we not to understand this indefinitely? And how came fhe to mention one hour so particularly? The answer is given above. It was the first which occured to her- ALAS! POOR SHAKESPEARE! THY PROFESSED DEFENDER HAS TURNED TAIL UPON THEE.'

We have been the more follicitous both to animadvert upon and to recommend this performance, as, from fome circumftances in the writing, we believe it to be that of a young author, not much acquainted with the art of compofition. His pamphlet, nevertheless, may be confidered as a very proper fupplement to Mr. Johnson's edition of Shakespeare.

MONTHLY CATALOGU E.

15. Obfervations upon the Growth and Culture of Vines and Olives: the Production of Silk: the Prefervation of Fruits. Written at the Requeft of the Earl of Shaftesbury: to whom it is infcribed: By Mr. John Locke. Now first printed from the original Manufeript in the Poffeffion of the prefent Earl of Shaftesbury. 8vo. Pr. 1s. 6d. Sandby.

R. Locke poffeffed that kind of genius attributed to queen Elizabeth, which confifts in being excellent in great, and exquifite in little, things. He was curious even in the binding of his books, and, had he not been fo great a philofopher, he might have been termed even finical. That Mr. Locke fhould write on the fubjects of vines, olives, filks, and fruits, ought not to furprize us, because he was bred a physician, who may not improperly be confidered as a natural philofopher; and it is well known that his noble patron, the firft earl of Shaftefbury, was a great encourager of every kind of agriculture and improvement. The publication before us is particularly feafonable at this juncture, when the agricultural and hortulan improvements of America are become national objects. As far

as we can judge, the methods of culture mentioned in thefer Obfervations are very little altered fince the days of our learned author. We heartily with the following extract from this work may fall into the hands of an epicure in French wine, or an admirer of French manners.

The kuve is in fome places a great veffel made of wood(witness the great kuve that is yet to be feen at Marmoustier, which, they fay, will hold two hundred tun of wine) as our brewers veffels for the working of their kuve is in England. But at Montpellier it is ufually a place made in the ground in fome part of the houfe, proportionably big according to the quantity they ordinarily make, and lined with plaster of Paris to keep it from leaking. In the kuve (which is made ufe of but once a year) as well as all other parts of their making wine, they are, according to their manner, fufficiently nafty : the grapes often are alfo very rotten, and always full of spiders. Befides that I have been told by thofe of the country, that they often put falt, dung, and other filthinefs in their wine to help, as they think, its purging. But without these additions, the very fight of their treading and making their wine (walking without any fcruple out of the grapes into the dirt, and out of the dirt into grapes they are treading) were enough to set one's ftomach ever after against this fort of liquor.

In fome parts of Languedoc, out of the great roads, their wine is fo cheap, that one may ordinarily buy three pints a penny.

It is ufual to fet fig trees, pear-trees, &c. up and down in their vineyards, and fometimes I have feen olive-trees. Here at Montpellier, as in other parts of France, it is no difcredit for any man to hang out a bush at his door, and fell his wine by retail, either to thofe that fetch it out of doors, or will come and drink it at his houfe; for which they ufually, for that time, fet apart a room or quarter of the house, and have a fervant on purpose to attend it. This I have known both gentlemen and churchmen do. But whoever in Languedoc fells his own wine at his house, muft not afford his cuftomers fo much as a bit of bread or any thing elfe to eat with it; for then it will come under the notion of a cabaret or common drinking house, and their tax or excife overtake them. I mention Languedoc, because in other parts of France they who fell their own wine by retail are not excufed from paying the king a part of what they fell it for. At Saumur I remember I was told, they then fold their wine (which is a very good fort of white wine) at their bufhons, i. e. private houses, for 18 deniers per pint, which is more than our quart, out of which 18 d. the king had 10 d, and the proprietor the remaining 8 d.'

We think the public indebted to the editor of this very accurate performance, which proves the extenfive genius of its learned author, who wrote equally well almoft on every fubject, from the human understanding down to a mulberry-tree.

1

16. The Young Lady's Introduction to Natural Hiftory; containing an Account of the Atmosphere, Light, and Gravity, of the Terraqueous Globe; of the Origin of Springs and Fountains, Earthquakes and Volcanos; of Fofils, Mines and Minerals; of Vegetables, Animals, Beafts, Birds, Fishes, Infects, &c. As also an Introduction to the Knowledge of the Heavens; explaining the Motion, Magnitude and Distances, of the Planets and Satellites; with Some Account of the Fixed Stars. By the Editor of the Young Lily's Geography. I 2mo. -Pr. 2s. 6d. Bladon.

We fee no reason why this performance is fupposed to be calculated for young ladies alone, fince even grown gentlemen may profit by the perufal of it. The method is natural; and the ftyle, though familiar, is well diverfified, according to the fubjects, which are various. The first book contains a general hiftory of the Heavens; the fecond treats of the atmosphere, light, and gravity, of the earth; the third, of rivers, mountains, and vallies; the fourth, of the different forts of moulds, foffils, and minerals; the fifth, of vegetables; and the fixth, of terrestrial animals, birds, fishes, and infects. Thefe general heads are very `judiciously subdivided; fo that the whole forms a very comprehenfive work. As a specimen of its utility we fhall give the following extract.

The carbuncle is a ftone of a very deep red, with a mixture of scarlet, and has been formerly thought to shine in the dark like a lighted coal; but it is now known to be otherwise, Suffice it to fay, that this ftone is very uncommon.

The ruby is a tranfparent gem, of a reddish colour, with a fmall portion of blue, and cannot be touched by a file. The redness is not like that of vermilion, but of blood or cochineal; but the lefs blue it has in it, the better it is. They are found in Pegu, in a river of that name. The inhabitants try their goodness with their teeth and tongue; for they judge thofe that are the coldeft and hardest to be the best.

The garnets have by fome been taken to be carbuncles; for, when expofed to the fun, they will shine like a lighted coal, and much better than a ruby. They are brought from the East and West Indies.

The hyacinth is fo called from its being of the colour of a flower of that name, which is of a yellowish red. This is the produce of the East and West Indies, as well as of Silefia and Bohemia. X 3 ‹ The

The amethift is a transparent gem, generally of a violet colour, arifing from a mixture of red and blue. There are several forts of this gem; but that is best which shines most like a carbuncle, and is fo hard, that they may be turned into a fort of diamond, that may deceive the moft fkilful lapidaries.

The faphire is a hard gem, of a blue or fky colour, is very transparent, and sparkles very much; but fome of them are whitish, and others of a deeper blue; and, when they are deftitute of all colours, they are called white faphires, and are fo like diamonds, that they may very well fupply their place.

The opal is a most beautiful gem, for in different lights it will fhew all forts of colours, as blue, purple, green, yellow, red, milk-white, and black, which is occafioned by the different refractions of the rays of light.

• The emerald is a green, fhining, tranfparent gem, and has a very agreeable appearance.

• The cornelian is generally of the colour of raw flesh. This ftone was in common ufe among the ancients, especially for feals, as it is at present among the moderns.

• The onyx, which in Greek fignifies a nail, is so called from its likeness to the colour of the nail of a man's hand. It is feldom tranfparent, and generally confifts of a mixture of black and white, which are quite diftin&t from each other.

The agate (of which there are many forts) is very like an onyx, with regard to colour, but it differs from it in being adorned with zones, whereas the agate has none.

The chrystal is the most common ftone of all those which are pellucid. There are fome of them, which have been found in Alençon and Medor, that bear fome refemblance to the diamond.'

17. The Philofophy of Hiftory. By M. Voltaire. 8vo. Pr. 45.

Allcock.

For a character of this performance we refer our readers to the account of the French original in our Review of October laft. With respect to the present tranflation, we do not think it, upon the whole, badly executed; though we could wish that the tranflator had been fomewhat less tenacious of adhering to Mr. Voltaire's fcriptural texts, with which that writer has made very free, and fometimes wrefted from their original fignification to fupport his arguments.

38. Letter from Mr. Voltaire to M. Jean Jacques Rouffeau. 8vo. Pr. 15. 6d. Payne.

The public has been long acquainted with the quarrel subfifting between Mr. Voltaire and M. Jean Jacques Rousseau ;

and

and when we fay that the memory of it, for the honour of learning and genius, ought to be buried in oblivion, we only mean for the honour of many learned and ingenious men who profefs themselves the admirers of those two authors, even to a degree of enthufiafm. With refpect to the merit of the pamphlet before us, we fee none, either in point of humour, wit, or argumentation.

19. Remarks upon the Hiftory of the Life of Reginald Pole. By Edward Stone, Clerk, A. M. and late Fellow of Wadham-College, Oxford. 8vo. Pr. 4.5. Fletcher.

As this work appears to be a re-publication from the newspapers, we entertain fome doubts whether the review of it properly falls under our cognizance. It is dedicated to the bishop of Durham; and contains nothing that has not been repeatedly urged by every preceding writer upon the fame fubject. The author's zeal for the vindication of the church of England is, however, commendable; and we hope his pious endeavours will be rewarded in this world as well as the next.

20. An Address to the Pt, in Behalf of the Starving Multitude. Pointing out the Causes of the present bigh Prices of Provifions: with eafy and effectual Methods bow to make them cheap. 8vo. Pr. 15. Baldwin.

A very honeft well-meant Addrefs, which we fincerely wish may have its proper effect.

21. The Debates and Proceedings of the British Houfe of Commons, during the third, fourth, and fifth Seffions of the third Parliament of his late Majefty King George II. held in the Years 1743, 1744, and 1745. Compiled from authentic Papers, and compared with the Journals. 2 Vols. 8vo. Pr. 125. bound. Almon.

We are far from condemning the intention of this publication; but we should be wanting in our duty to the public not to inform our readers, that we do not believe there are three genuine fpeeches (and our authority is pretty good) in the whole collection. The fame motive obliges us to declare, that it contains the fubftance of the debates upon which they are supposed to have been spoken; and that many of the fuppofititious speeches here printed are, in point of compofition and accuracy, preferable to those which were actually delivered. After what we have faid, the reader can be at no lofs to account for the reason of our not giving any extracts from this X 4 compilation,