than the fancy.' It is feldom that any literary effort which is wellaimed at the human heart, fails of fuccefs.-If we may judge of the reprefentation from the fatisfaction that hath been afforded us in the perufal of this little piece, it could not fail. Its object is to fatirize the affectation of affociating with thofe of fuperior rank, and to fhew the folly of depending on the fpecious profeffions and civilities of the Great. This plan is executed in an eafy, natural, and agreeable manner. SLAVE TRADE. Art. 25. An Addrefs to the Inhabitants, in general, of Great Britain and Ireland; relating to a few of the Confequences which muft naturally refult from the Abolition of the Slave Trade. 8vo. Is. Liverpool printed, and fold by Evans, &c. in London. 1788. The Author contends, that the confequences of an abolition of our African trade for flaves, would be most ruinous to this country. His arguments are arranged under the three following heads: 1. The flave trade lawful, according to the different states of nations over the face of the earth. 2. The fituation of the Negroes bettered by their changing African masters for those in the West Indies.' 3. The trade ufeful to fociety in general, and to this country in parcular. For his itatement of facts, and his reasoning on these beaten fubjects, we refer to the pamphlet at large. BIOGRAPHY. Art. 26. Authentic Memoirs, and a Sketch of the real Character, of the late Right Honourable Richard Rigby. 8vo. Is. Debrett. 1788. Thefe Memoirs were originally published in the daily papers, foon after Mr. Rigby's death; and, in all probability, they are authentic. NOVELS. Art. 27. The American Hunter, a Tale. From Incidents which happened during the War with America. To which is annexed, a Somersetshire Story. 12mo. 2s. 6d. fewed. Kearsley. 1788. The firft of these tales is faid, in the introduction, to be intended to awaken an attention to confcience in young perfons, to counteract a hardness of heart. It is called, we fcarcely know why, the Ameri ́can Hunter, and contains a narrative of the miferable deaths of a lady and her two children, in the woods of America, in confequence of being deferted by a faithlefs hufband: who is afterward very properly configned to poetical juftice. It is a pathetic ftory that interefts the humane reader in the fufferings of injured innocence, without the aid of unnatural and furprizing adventures; but it would have read much better, had the author totally omitted his occafional machinery of good and evil geniuffes, which encumber the narrative, only to recal us from fympathifing with the unfortunate, to a recollection that the whole is fiction. The Somerfet fhire ftory is of a lefs melancholy complexion; being a narrative of the diftreffes of a young lady, who having accidentally been the occafion of burning her father's houfe, ran away to fhun parental parental refentment; when she was fuppofed to have perished in the Aames. Her adventures in fearch of laborious fubfiftence, are natural enough, until the married a young farmer, with whom fhe had lived as a fervant. The most unlikely part of the ftory is, that neither he, from natural affection, nor her ruftic mate from views of interest, ever relieved the concern of her family with the information of her welfare. The writer understands human nature well, and in a little episode concerning a beautiful, a good, but unfortunate gypsey girl, has infinuated fome reflections that will, as ufual in fuch cafes, be loft on thofe for whofe ufe they are intended. Thofe of her fex in any degree removed from the lower ranks of life, reject with difdain any fentiments that thwart their exalted ideas of their own deferts, and interrupt their golden expectations. The ftyle of these tales is easy, but the language grofsly incorrect; and a page and a half of errata, though they proclaim a fhameful number, do not contain all the typographical errors in this fmall volume: thefe circumstances perfuade us that it is the production of fome writer not familiar with the prefs. Art. 28. The Inquifitor; or invifible Rambler. By Mrs. Rowfon. 12mo. 3 Vols. 7s. 6d. fewed. Robinsons. 1788. Mr. Inquifitor is prefented by his guardian genius with a ring; which ring, when placed on his finger, is to render him invifible. Thus, like the Afmodeus of Le Sage, the writer has an opportunity of viewing the fecret tranfactions of mankind, and of commenting on them accordingly-that is to fay, as good or evil manners may be found to prevail. There is nothing of novelty in the idea, nor any thing particularly ftriking in the execution of the work. It may, however, be perufed with profit by our youthful friends, as in fome of the stories here prefented to us, the duplicity and difhonefty fo frequently to be found in the world, are exhibited with a tolerable degree of skill. The Authorefs is evidently in poffeffion of a feeling heart. ftyle, and the various graces of compofition, are yet to come. Art. 29. Rofa de Montmorien. By Mifs Ann Hilditch. 2 Vols. 5s. fewed. Lane. 1787. But 12mo. Rofa de Montmorien is a lively and agreeable lafs. Let her not, however, imagine that the is a goddess, because we allow her to be in poffeffion of fome perfonal charms. There is a degree of beauty both in the physical and the moral world, which may be intitled to a favourable report, though not to particular and abfolute praife. In other words, the ftory of this novel is trifling; and, from a bad arrangement of the incidents, it is fomewhat obfcure.-But the language is often, pretty, and might, with a little attention, have been rendered correct. Mifs H. will one day, we think, prefent us with a better work. Art. 30. The Widow of Kent; or the Hiftory of Mrs. Rowley. 12mo. 2 Vols. 5s. fewed. Noble. 1788. Mrs. Rowley, with several children, and in narrow circumftances, is left a widow, at an early age. She is deprived of her little pro perty perty by the machinations of a villain, and her daughters are re duced to a state of fervitude. The manner in which the conducts herself amid the fevereft trials of fortune, are fuch as elevate her character above the crowd; and fhew that ftrength of mind-a quality by many fuppofed to be peculiar to man-is yet to be found in the female form. This novel may be perufed with advantage by every woman in the fituation of our heroine; deprived -" Of every stay, fave innocence and Heaven;" but whofe virtue is at length rewarded with temporal happiness. The Victim of Deception. 12mo. 2 Vols. 5s. fewed. Art. 31. Lane. 1788. This novel appears to be of French extraction. The ftory is briefly as follows: A young and beautiful female becomes enamoured of a man of libertine principles, and very delicately invites him to her bed. The gentleman, as will be readily imagined, complies; and then abandons her to the forrows of remorfe. How far he is to be juftified in his conduct, or whether the lady can properly be termed the Victim of Deception, we must leave to the determination of cafuifts. With refpect to the merits of the work, we muft remark that the paffions are reprefented by our author in fuch warm and glowing colours, that the woman who rifes from the study of his pages with an unheated imagination, may fafely fit down to the perufal of Therefe Philofophe. Art. 32. The Half-pay Officer; or Memoirs of Charles Chanceley. 12mo. 3 Vols. 7s. 6d. fewed. Robin fons. 1788. Though not remarkable for variety of incidents, or strength of character, yet, on account of its truly moral tendency, the manly fentiments it breathes, and the agreeable manner in which it is written, this performance is entitled to a confiderable fhare of praife. The fituation of the half-pay officer is here delineated by the pen of compaflion. The feelings of the foldier (fays the Author) who is obliged to barter his fword for his fupport, muft be poignant indeed. I would you were the only one who has felt that neceffity!-But, alas! I fear too many brave fellows, whofe fervices merited a happier fate, now pine in circumftances which their sword can never retrieve.' We fear fo too, and fincerely commiferate their ills. But where are we to look for the clafs, the particular body of men, who are wholly exempt from calamity and pain? EDUCATION, &c. Art. 33. Sele Stories for the Inftruction and Entertainment of Children, from the French of M. Berquin. Embellished with four Copper-plates. 12mo. 3s. bound. Stockdale, &c. 1787. Confidered as an whole, L'Ami des Enfans of M. Berquin has been univerfally admired; a felection from it, therefore, as we have before obferved in a former article, will be agreeable to thofe who do not chafe to purchafe it entire. This volume is introduced by a preface written by the editor, in which are several just observations; and it is dedicated to Mr. Raikes of Gloucester, who is well known 1 as the great patron of Sunday Schools. The Editor adds, that he thinks M. Berquin's work is well calculated for that valuable inftitution, but we think that most of thofe who have read the Children's Friend,' will join us in being of a different opinion; for M. Berquin intended his work chiefly for children of a rank that will never be met with in a Sunday fchool. Some of his Petites Pieces,' indeed, relate to thofe of a lower clafs, and might not, perhaps, be thought improper for this purpofe; if no other objections are urged. The ftories here felected, are taken from that tranflation of the entire work, which was published in four volumes by Mr. Stockdale, and noticed in our Review for June laft, p. 537. Art. 34. The Parental Monitor. 12mo. 2 Vols. 5s. fewed. Lane. 1788. Delighful task! to rear the tender thought, To teach the young idea how to shoot, To pour the fresh inftruction o'er the mind," &c. The writer of these volumes (Mrs. Elizabeth Bonhote) appears to have felt the full force of the above-quoted obfervations of the gentle, natural, and elegant Thomfon. The introductory part of the work contains an addrefs to her children, in which the maternal character is seen in its proper colours: bright and vivid, but fimple and unadorned with foreign ornament. The inftructions he lays down for them in their progrefs through the rugged and perilous ftages of life are excellent, and are farther enforced by apt and judicious felections from the moft admired British writers both in profe and verfe. In a word, the fair Authorefs has eminently fucceeded in what the proposed to herself, to endeavour-by the force of example-to guard youth from error, and by fo doing, fhield old age from many of its agonizing forrows: to caution the thoughtless, humble the vain, and reform the vicious.'-We hope her publication will meet with that encouragement from the world to which it is entitled, as well from its principle as from its intrinsic merit. Art. 35. The Children's Mifcellany. 8vo. 3s. Boards. Stockdale. 1788. The Editor's Preface to this Collection inform us that, Some gentlemen of fortune and literary abilities had once conceived the scheme of contributing to the entertainment and inftrucsion of the rifing generation, by a felection of the most interesting and improving hiftories from different authors. After they had made fome progrefs in the execution of this scheme, they were compelled by accidents which it is unneceffary to relate, to abandon their defign. But, though the modefty of the authors would rather have led them to fupprefs what they could not engage to finish, the Editor, to whom their papers were entrusted, has judged them too valuable to be entirely fuppreffed.' The volume commences with the hiftory of Little Jack,' which, we are informed, is the production of the ingenious Mr. Day. It is • We fay patron, because fome people have lately difputed his claim to being called the founder. entertaining entertaining and inftructive, and fully demonftrates the truth of the Author's pofition, that it is of very little confequence, under what circumftances of birth or fortune a man comes into the world, provided he behaves well, and discharges his duty when he is in it.Various amusing ftories follow, interfperfed with the natural history of the elephant, lion, rhinoceros, &c. and the book concludes with the hiftory of Philip Quar!!,' of which we need fay nothing, as most of our readers will perhaps remember their having read it, when they were young. It is here introduced by a fhort preface likewife written by Mr. Day, which is replete with good fenfe, and found obfervations, characteristic of the Author. Art. 36. The Hiftory of Little Jack. By the Author of Sandford and Merton. 12mo. 18. bound. Stockdale. 1788. This inftructive little hiftory is published separate from the above mentioned Children's Mifcellany,' to accommodate its admirers, at a low price. It is embellished with twenty-two neat wooden cuts. Art. 37. The Sunday Scholar's Manual, Part I. By Mrs. Trimmer. 12mo. is. bound, or 10s. per Dozen. Longman, &c. 1788. Art. 38. The Sunday School Catechift; confifting of familiar Lectures. With Queftions for the Ufe of Vifitors and Teachers. By the fame. 12mo. 2s. bound. Longman, &c. The indefatigable Authorefs has published thefe two little tracts at the fame time, because, as the obferves, each corresponds with the other, and either, alone, would be incomplete. In her preface, fhe fays, I have given to my work the title of the School catechist, because I would not be regarded as invading the province of the clergy. It has long been confidered as a part of the bufinefs of fchools to prepare catechumens for the examination of their respective minifters. The School catechift pretends to nothing more. It is not my defign to fuperfede the works, or to exalt myself to a level with perfons of acknowledged eminence, who in this or former ages have condefcended to write lectures, catechisms, &c. for the poor; on the contrary, my wifh is to render their valuable tracts more profitable by opening the minds of the illiterate fufficiently to enable them to improve by writings which have no fault, but that of being above the comprehenfion of thofe whofe understandings have had no previous culture. In pursuing the proposed plan, it will be my endeavour to conduct the fcholars ftep by step, to fuch a degree of Chriftian knowledge as may furnish them with folid principles for the cheerful performance of the duties of their humble ftation; enable them to understand all that it materially concerns them to know of the facred writings; and excite and keep alive in their minds the hope of obtaining an eternal inheritance. I have attempted to prove in a familiar manner, the certainty of divine revelation-the truth and authenticity of the holy fcriptures. In the fecond part of this work, it will be my endeavour to make the fcholars acquainted with the general fcope of the fcriptures of the Old Teftament, and in a third, to enable them to study the New Teftament to advantage. I fhall make the leffons as general as I can, confiftently with my own fixed principles; for it is my defire not only to avoid giving offence to Chriftians of different perfuafions, but |