perience, he confesses to have a vailed himself of the most splendid works, published with a view of illustrating the diplomatick art.' The rules of distance and proportion are as concise, as the nature of the alphabet admits, and are exemplified by specimens handsomely and accurately engraved. Mr. D. has also rendered his work valuable by much curious historical information of the origin and progress of writing and printing, and of the several claims of the ancients to the invention of these invaluable arts. The work is written in an agreeable style, and is worth the perusal of those, whose long habits of scrawling render a recurrence to the first principles of penmanship tedious, if not impossible. We regret that Mr. D. has not furnished a chapter on the line of beauty; the right conception, and ready execution of which, is the last perfection acquired by the finished penman. He has so well exemplified it in his specimens of the several hands, that we are persuaded he is adequate to its explanation; and although it may not be susceptible of geometrical demonstration, (as every different text requires a different and peculiar line of beauty) yet the learner may be much assisted by some general directions. This line is of so great importance in every branch of penmanship, that unequal distances or thicknesses are scarcely noticed where it is preserved, and on its preservation through the page (especially in all capital letters) depends the beauty of the whole. The just delineation of this line is the first principle of ornamental flourishing; and although this branch of chirography may be justly confined to writing masters, whose profession renders it neces sary and lucrative, yet its principles are considered well worth the attention of every penman, especially as this art has arrived to an astonishing degree of perfection, and encroached upon the art of painting in a degree, to snatch some beauties beyond the reach of the pencil or the graver; as the reiterated touches of the former, and the slow progress of the latter, cannot exhibit the light, easy, and free delineations of the pen in a skilful hand. We hope Mr. Dean will be soon enabled, by a rapid . sale of the first edition, to add some directions to the second, that may facilitate the right conception and ready execution of a line, so important in every branch of chirography. ART. 50. The Voice of Truth, or thoughts on the affair between the Leopard and the Chesapeake, in a letter from a gentleman at New-York to his friend. New-York, printed for J. Osborne. IT is to be regretted, that so able a writer, upon a topick of so much interest and delicacy, should have indulged himself in language so intemperate, and expressions so unmeasured as many which are to be found in this pamphlet. There are so many marks of a wounded and irritated mind, that we are constrained to believe, that the writer is an Englishman. There are too many traits of national feeling, and too great asperity against both parties in America, to permit us to believe, that the author is a native of this country. However wrong a citizen may deem the policy or measures of his own country, his filial, patriot. ick piety forbids him to withdraw her habiliments, and expose her weaknesses and defects to an inquisitive and censorious world. If the object of this pamphlet was simply to lash and censure the federalists, without aiming at any ulteriour good effect, it is for that reason to be condemned. Satire is only justifiable when it aims at the correction and amendment of the person against whom it is directed, or to warn others who may be exposed to the same errours or vices. If the intent of the writer was to convince the federalists of their past errours, and to engage them to avoid falling into the like snare in future, we must confess, we think, that he has managed the subject with very little knowledge of human nature. Where the moralist has the power to punish, instead of persuading, it may be well enough to display all the enormities of the offence, in order to justify the rigour and severity of the chastisement; but where his only office is to allure to duty by persuasion and reasoning, where the address is made to men who have pride, sensibility, reputation, and resentment, it is extremely injudicious to commence the work of reform by telling them, that they have blasted their reputations, that they have violated all their own principles, that they have forfeited all claim to publick respect. This is no approved road to men's attention and confidence. No orator of antiquity, or of modern days, ever adopted this method of gaining the hearts of his audience. As to the general merits of the pamphlet, there are undoubtedly many truths in it deserving most serious attention; but unhappily they are so decked with foreign prejudices, they are so blended with the national feelings of an Englishman, that they lose much of their effect upon the publick mind, at a moment of so much sensibility. It is indeed exceedingly to be regretted, that the federalists suffered themselves so readily to fall into the errours which they have so often condemned in their opponents, of appealing to the publick passions, and of inflaming, instead of endeavouring to appease them. It is also to be lamented, that the sensibility excited by an unexpected outrage on one of our publick ships, should have so far made us forget the respect due to ourselves, as to adopt language which, in cooler moments, we have had so much occasion to blush at. To brand an inferiour officer with cowardice, and even murder, to wish him a halter as a reward, when we knew that he acted under the written orders of his superiour, is such a violation of decency and good sense, that one would wish to expunge it from the journals of the day. It must be admitted also, that it was extremely injudicious to give such unqualified opinions on an important transaction, without any suitable knowledge of the facts, especially too when we knew the prejudiced channel through which our information was derived; when we knew that nothing would gratify certain men in our country more than to embroil us with GreatBritain; and when it was certainly possible that they might have fomented and provoked this very affair, solely with a view to widen a breach, which all their conduct for twenty years had been directed to make and increase. But still we repeat it, that we do not think, that the pamphlet in question is calculated to display this subject in so clear, calm, and dispassionate a manner, as to promise any good effects to the cause of virtue, good order, and correct principles. ART. 51. Papers, consisting of communica tions made to the Massachusetts Society for promoting Agriculture. Published by the Trustees of the Society. Boston, printed for Young & Minns, printers to the state, by Greenough & Stebbins. 1806. 8vo pp. 90. SINCE the last publication of the trustees,' say they in the preface, a munificent provision has been made for the establishment of a professorship of natural history, and a botanick garden, at the university in Cambridge. The trustees of the Massachusetts Society for promoting Agriculture constitute a major part of the visitors of this institution. They hope to be able to discharge this part of their trust in such a manner, as to promote the interests of agriculture, as well as of other arts, connected with the science of nature.' We have no doubt that they will. This ninth number of their papers contains a letter on the culture of potatoes,by Hon.T. Pickering; account of the Millward family; account of the Egyptian millet, by N. Adams; letter on the same subject, by R. Webster; on planting osiers and willows; on boiling potatoes; on the agriculture of the Netherlands; on the propriety of bruising oats for horses; on the use of parsley as food for horses and cattle; food of plants; cider press improved; experiment shewing the importance of selecting the first ripe seeds, by Rev. J. Freeman; on the management of the dairy; account of the manner of making cheese in England; communication on the same subject; WITH the same kind of pleasure that we observe the meanderings of a deep and gentle stream, do we look into the pages of a clear, strong, and unobstructed mind. Such is the sort of mind, which we believe the author of these sermons to possess. His manner of thinking and writing is somewhat peculiar; yet his peculiarity is not offensive. He seems determined to choose his own words, and to place them in his own order, even though he should differ from polished writers; yet the generality of polished readers will be satisfied with his taste. The texts, which he has chosen to affix to the sermons, are such as none, perhaps, except himself, would have selected; yet that person must be deficient in understanding and sensibility, who does not perceive their aptitude to the subject, and that of the subject to the occasion. In the first of these sermons, from Ps. xc. 1. our author follows a series of reasoning on the excellence of religion, by a copious and minute history of the first church in Newbury, and by a luminous and pathetick appeal to the heads and hearts of his hearers. He seriously and tenderly recals to their imaginations the venerable. forms and fabricks of antiquity;" and pleasantly retraces the strong character, the firm principles, and the pious spirit' of the fathers of New-England. In the second, founded on Luke ii. 14. he charmingly illustrates the benevolence and beauty, the purity and usefulness, the design and the effect' of the christian dispensation. Although he seems rather desirous of awakening fervent feelings and devout sentiments, than of filling his discourse with cool reasonings and exact speculations,' his words are, however, as happily suited to enlighten the conscience, as to warm the affections. He seizes and uses all the advantages of the occasion for purposes of instruction, and suffers neither circumstance nor appendage to pass unnoticed. Many of his remarks are unexpected, yet natural; and if, in some instances, they border on the abrupt, they have every mark of partaking largely of the heart, and accordingly convey conviction and delight to the hearts of others. The author's notes, contained in the appendix, are written with the utmost freedom, and are extremely entertaining; they display more of history and character in a very few pages, than is sometimes to be found in as many volumes. We close our notice of these valuable sermons with the remarks, which finish the appendix: 'An obvious remark must make the conclusion. The history of mankind, of a nation, of a town, a parish, or any other society, I had almost said, of an individual, is a history of changes, troubles, contentions, and revolutions. For this, two reasons may be given. The first is, that "this is the state of man." The other is, that while per sons or societies proceed in the still and even tenor of duty and felicity, history can only say, it is well, they do well, and reap the fruits of well-doing. The objects, which meet the eye of the remote observer, are deviations, commotions, and uncommon facts, of tranquil duty. If Adam and his poswhich do not often appear in a course terity had remained in a state of innocence, they might have had hymns and discourses of piety and virtue; but they would probably have had few and short drawn from father to son along the histories ; genealogies of good men, same path of righteousness and peace; without violence, without intrigues, without efforts against the selfish, the rash, and the artful; without any of of the world. istry without much variation. In all they were receiving the benefit and sat isfaction. But this is all said in a few words. Dr. Tucker in the first half of his ministry suffered much tribulation, and of this we have some accounts. But, if we wish to know, what he was doing through the long peace of his latter days, we must go to his works, that are extant; and to his surviving friends, who will tell us in a word, that they esteemed him very highly in love for his work's sake, and that he was an example of what he taught. remains of the times that are past, and Yet it may be useful, to recover what which is rapidly departing from mem ory; it may be gratifying to those, who are in any degree connected, or interlead us to consider the ways of Provi ested in these subjects; and it may dence, and the ways of mankind, and from all to derive some improvement. Mankind are the actors, and may be studied in the smaller affairs of a parish, as well as in the greater transactions of an empire. One reflection, at least, let us make and retain, when we search into the records of the dead; that we shall soon be numbered with them, and perhaps be subjects of future inquiries. May we so live, that our memories may be blessed by future generations. And, O Lord of mercy, may we be held in thine everlasting and gracious remembrance, through the redemption which is in Jesus Christ." 1807.] ART. $3. Masonick Address. Masonick and social address, as pro- AND have we lived, kind readers, to behold sublimity itself so far out-sublimated ?-Longinus awake! spirit of Burke arouse, and animate once more the mortal frame now mouldering in the cemetery's cold mansions! We call you to no fancied, fictious scene; 'tis all reality, reality indeed'!! We bid your venerable manes 'turn the retrospective eye' to that eventful day, the twenty-fourth of June, last past, when at the laying of the corner stone of St. John's church, somewhere within the limits, if to us conjecture may be lawful, of our sister state New-Hampshire, the venerable chaplain of said state's Grand Lodge towered, 'towered sublime, within the compass of an oblong square, enkindling raptures in the mason's soul.-But ah! these times are past, forever past! That festal morn, that solemn noon hath ceased,' &c. &c. &c. Most patient gentlemen subscribers,'' accept, we entreat you,' some slight specimens of the truly wonderful literary performance on that occasion, with our most respectful felicitations, combined with those of the whole fraternity' of criticks throughout the United States, and every where else, in having it in our power to quote from it a few passages unutterably 'magnifical,' and sublime beyond rivalship. The elegant and in Vol. IV. No. 8. 3 K genious address' opens thus bril- And is the Grand Lodge of New- Referring to the burning of St. John's church, in Portsmouth, which, to speak vulgarly, took fire at the steeple, he rapturously breaks forth: 'Behold that little, trembling, almost dying spark! Ah see it light on yon tall spire! and gathering strength from every breath of air; and tenfold energy from passive weaknesses of wood, O see! how swift the fell destroyer runs adown its sides! How rapidly he shoots along the kindling roof! How soon he wraps the dome within his blazing arms! infolds it to his glowing breast! and sinks beneath the opening gulf, that yawns below! while in stant ruin sits enthroned on heaps of living coals! and ruthless desolation P. 11. waves her sceptre, round a gloomy, horrid void!' Apostrophe to fire : Then why, thou tyrant of a day! thou despot of an hour! O, why repeat the vain attempt? Why clothe thy fiery studs in living flames anew? Why P. 12. speed thy glowing chariot round this hill the second time?' A new method of extinguishing fire! And charity alone can quench the Water has hitherto been made |