II. The English Connoisseur: containing an Account of whatever is curious in Painting, Sculpture, &c. in the Palaces and Seats of the Nobility and principal Gentry of England, both in Town and Country. Vols. 8vo. Pr. 5s. Davis.

W

7 E have long wifhed to see a work of this kind executed by the hand of a master. The author of the publication before us feems, in the preface prefixed, to be fenfible of the difficulties attending it. In their prefent ftate, these volumes are very little more than catalogues, or rather a collection of catalogues, but very unequally executed; and it is plain that the collector, whoever he was, has a particular attachment to the Leafowes, the feat of the late William Shenstone, Efq; where he dwells rather longer than is consistent with the haste he difcovers in his other vifits: We fhall tranfcribe the following deferiptions, as fpecimens of the work, though we can-not answer for their originality.

འ

BANQUETTING HOUSE, WHITEHALL.

Part of the celebrated Inigo Jones's magnificent plan for a royal palace. This augutt building has three ftories. The lowest has a ruftic wall, with fmall fquare windows, and by its ftrength happily ferves for a basis to the orders. Upon this is raised the Ionic, with columns and pilafters, and between the columns are well-proportioned windows, with arched and pointed pediments Over thefe is placed the proper entablature; and on this is raised a second series of the Corinthian order, confifting of columns and pilasters like the other. From the capitals are carried feftoons, which meet with masks and other ornaments in the middle. This feries is alfo crowned with its proper entablature, on which is raifed the baluftrade with Attic pedestals between, which crown the work. Every thing in this building is finely proportioned, and as happily executed. The projection of the columns from the wall, has a fine effect in the entablatures, which being brought forward in the fame, proportion, gives that happy diverfity of light and fhade fo effential to fine architecture,

The cieling is finely painted by Rubens. The defign is the Apotheofis of king James I, and is esteemed one of Rubens's moft capital performances. It has been repaired by Kent.

BARBER'S HALL,

On the weft fide of Monkwell Street, is another of the works of that great architect Inigo Jones, and is a masterpiece in its kind: that elegant fimplicity which characterises all his

Dd4

works..

works giving the spectator the highest fatisfaction. It confifts of a spacious hall, a court-room, theatre, library, and other commodious offices. The court-room has a fretwork cieling, and is alfo adorned with a capital picture of king Henry VIII, giving the charter to the company, by Hans Holbein. The character of his Majefty's bluff haughtiness is well represented, and all the heads are finely executed. The phyûcian in the middle, on the king's left hand, is Dr. Butts, immortalized by Shakespeare. The picture has been retouched. The theatre contains four rows of cedar feats, one above another, in an elliptical form, and the roof is an elliptical cupola; this room is adorned with a buit of king Charles I. the figures of the seven liberal sciences, and the twelve figns of the zodiac, the skins of a man and woinan on wooden frames, the figure of a man flayed, the skeleton of an ostrich, a human skeleton with copper joints, and five other skeletons of human bodies.'

The Church of ST. MARY LE BOW, in Cheapfide,

A

Was built by the great Sir Chriftopher Wren, and finished in 1673. It is a handsome structure, and is much admired for the elegance of its steeple. The tower rises square from the ground to a confiderable height, but with more ornament as it advances. The principal decoration of the lower part is the entrance, which is a noble, lofty, and well-proportioned arch, on two of the fides faced with a bold ruftic, and raised on a plain folid courfe from the foundation. Within the arch is a portal of the Doric order; the frize ornamented with triglyphs, and with fculpture in the metopes; over this arch is an opening with a fmall balcony, which answers to a window on the other face. The first stage is terminated by an elegant cornice, over which again rifes a plain course, where a dial projects. Above this in each face, is a large arched window, with coupled Jonic pilafters at the fides, near the corners. The cornice over thefe windows fupports an elegant baluftrade, with Attic pillars over the Ionic columns, fupporting turrets, each composed of four handsome scrolls, which join at the top, where are placed urns with flames.

From this part the steeple rifes circular. There is a plain courfe to the height of half the scrolls, and upon this are raised a circular range of Corinthian columns, while the body of the steeple is continued round and plain within them. These fup-. port a second balustrade, with very large fcrolls extending from. it to the body of the steeple. Above thefe is placed a series of Compofite columns, and from the entablature rifes another fet of fcrolls, fupporting the fpire, which refts upon four balls, and is terminated by a globe, whence rifes a fane in the form of a

dragon,

dragon. The whole spire is, indeed, a master-piece in a peculiar ftile of building.'

We have felected thefe paffages, becaufe the originals are acceffible to every reader. We heartily with the author fuc cefs in the profecution of his defign; but we think mere names of pictures and paintings cannot convey much information to the public. Were the capital beauties and defects (for even the beft paintings are not without them) pointed out in a judicious manner, a work of this kind would be of national importance, and do honour to the kingdom. We make no doubt but this compiler, if he is induftrious in his refearches, may furnish out a third volume, containing as many capital pieces as those mentioned in his two first.

་་་་་

III. The Difference between Words efteemed Synonymous in the English Language; and the proper Choice of them determined: together with fo much of Abbé Girard's Treatife on this Subject, as would agree with our Mode of Expreffion. Useful to all who would either write or Speak with Propriety and Elegance. In Two Vols. 12. Pr. 65. Dodfley,

WE

E can by no means think this author equal to the task he undertakes, which requires the moft critical difcernment. It must, however, be confidered, that he is splendide mendax, for we have known few critics write nonfenfe with a better grace. We fhall give the reader, as a fpecimen, the very firft article of his work, in which we think he has been highly unfortunate.

The words abandon and leave imply involuntary acts; the words forfake, relinquish, and desert, those that are voluntary. • To abandon, is more applicable to things; leave, to perfons. He was under a neceffity of abandoning his poffeffions, and compelled to leave his friends.

To forfake, implies leaving in refentment or diflike; to relinquish, quitting any claim to; to defert, leaving meanly or treacherously.

• Being treated with disrespect, we are apt to forfake even the person whose cause we were ftudious to espouse. Every honeft man, finding his plea not backed by juftice, would readily relinquish his claim, and even make his competitor a recompence adequate to the expence and trouble he had put him to.

It is

an

an act of the greatest baseness to defert one's friend in time of diftrefs.

To quit, implies the breaking off from, and may be either voluntary or involuntary.

When he had acquired by trade fufficient to fupport himfelf for the remainder of his life, he prudently quitted his bufinefs. Being overpowered by fuperior ftrength, he was obliged to quit his hold.

We fhould by no means abandon, while we can keep poffeffion, nor leave, while we are able to ftay; we should not forJake without fufficient reafon, nor are we bound to relinquish, but when our title is-bad; no colour of excufe can be alledged for defertion, nor fhould we ever quit, with a view of laying hold again.'

The distinction which this author introduces between voluntary and involuntary acts, is, we think, not only arbitrary, but abfurd, and falfe in fact. Where is there an expreffion more common, than to fay, Such a man abandons himself to all manner of wickedness? Can fuch an act be termed involuntary? The fame obfervation may be made with regard to the word leave. How common is it to fay, that God Almighty leaves a man to himfelf; or that fuch a man leaves his lawful wife for a whore ? The author is equally unhappy in his fecond article.

To Abdicate,
Renounce,
Refign.

To abdicate is an involuntary act; renounce and refign are voluntary.

Abdicate more particularly relates to a throne; renounce, to matters of religion; refign, to employments."

King James the fecond abdicated the throne of England, when he could keep poffeflion of it no longer. Many perfons, through conviction of mind, have formally renounced the errors of the church of Rome. We frequently refign our employments, through a defire of retirement.

To abdicate a crown, is ever looked upon as disgraceful; to renounce a religion, as honourable, when done through the prevalence of truth; and to refign an office, as noble, when generoufly given up in favour of another, and with the approbation of the perfon we serve.'

A man who writes in this manner, can have no idea of the propriety of the English language. The word abdicate is the very reverse of his definition of it; and no true Revolutionist ever understood king James's abdicating his throne, in any other. light than that he abandoned it when he might have kept it.

W&

We apprehend there is not a word in the English language. better defined than abdication; for if it could have been prove ede at the time of the. Revolution, that king James the fear cond abdicated the throne of England when he could keep poffeffion of it no longer, the difficulty of filling up the throne must have proved next to unfurmountable. We fhall not multiply our obfervations of the fame kind that occur in almoft every page of this work, to which is prefixed a flimfy fidi culous preface from the French; no way applicable to the English language.

IV. The Contemplation of Nature: tranflated from the French of C. Bonnet, of the imperial Academies of Germany and Ruflia, the Royal Academies of England, Sweden, and Lyons, the Elec-... toral Academy of Bavaria, of that of the Inftitution of Bologna, Correfpondent of the Royal Academy of Sciences, and of the Rayal Societies of Montpellier and Gottingen. In two Vols. 1220 Price 6s. Longman.

THE

HE contemplation of nature is, without doubt, the moft rational and entertaining employment of which the human mind is capable; and the author of this performance is defervedly ranked among the moft diftinguished of modern naturalifts. Hence the reader might reafonably fuppofe this book to be a work of great value: nevertheless, he will learn from the preface, that it is a juvenile production, which, upon a late perufal, the author had condemned to the flames, as bet ing much inferior to his other works. A kind friend, however, saved the victim; and the reluctant parent at laft confented to uffer the bantling into the world.

The whole work is divided into twelve parts. The first part contains reflections on the univerfe in general; its immenfity, beauty, harmony, &c. The fecond treats of the relative per fection of beings; the third, of their gradual progreffion; the fourth continues the fubject; the fifth confiders the various relations of terreftrial beings; the fixth proceeds to vegetable œconomy; the seventh treats of animal economy; in the eighth is confidered the animal œconomy in infects; part nine continues the subject of the preceding; the tenth prefents a parallel between plants and animals; and the industry of animals is the fubject of the eleventh and twelfth. Thefe twelve parts are each subdivided into a number of short chap ters, containing a confiderable variety of inftructive reflections on different facts and obfervations in natural hiftory. As it is impoffible to collect the author's sentiments on so great a va

riety