in her affidavit fworn before a magiftrate, fayeth, (relative to our 5th question) that the patient, foon after bleeding, was convulfed, feemed bereaved of his fenfes, began gathering the bed-cloathes with his hands, and made frequent efforts to get out of bed; and (in regard to our 10th. question) the farther depoleth, that in the night of the 7th, being the third day of the disease, the patient was a little wavering, and on the following night yet more fo. Mr. Ward, the other witness, sayeth, in his letter to the printer of the Oxford Journal, dated December 19, (which may also serve as an answer to our 9th question) that there were Spots in the patient's throat, which feparated and came away in the form of floughs. We have thus far attended to the plaintiff's brief, and the depofition of two of his witneffes. As to the first, we are to confider it as being his own representation of his own cause. We are to remember, with regard to the fymptoms which he fays induced him to pronounce the disease malignant, that, in all probability, their existence will be denied by the defendant. Concerning the witneffes, as their characters ftand hitherto unimpeached, we are to allow all due weight to their testimony. If we were to proceed in this cafe rigidly, according to law, we must unavoidably nonfuit the defendant for not having appeared either in perfon or by his attorney; but this being a court of equity, we shall fufpend our. judgment till Mr. Attorney Time fhall have produced fuch evidence, in behalf of the defendant, as may be thought necessary in a caufe of fuch importance. THEATRICAL. Art. 29. The Plain Dealer: a Comedy. As it is performed at the Mr. Bickerstaff, the Editor of this play, joftly remarks in his preface, amufing, H amufing, as they were capable of being rendered by a little re-touching.' Thefe objections are all, in our opinion, very juft, except that of the characters of Lord Plaufible and Mr. Novel not being fufficiently contrafted; for it does not appear to us, that the Author ever intended any contrast between them. Between Manley and Plaufible, indeed, the contraft is very strong, and heightened, on both fides, to the higheft pitch of extravagance.-What our Editor fays of the former, that he was rough, even to outrageous brutality, is certainly right; but we apprehend the defect is very little removed, in the present revifal; for the character feems to be nearly if not wholly as rough, as ill-man- . ner'd, as bearish as ever. In the articles of morality and decency, too, the piece is ftill highly reprehenfible; for, with regard to the first point, the adulterous tranfaction is ftill retained, in the third act ;—and, in the fecond respect, if nobody talks downright bawdy, yet, can the widow Blackacre's wearing, more than once, a very unlady-like oath, be thought to found decently in the ears of a polite audience ?In fhort, although the Editor hath expunged a great deal of his Author's licentious ribaldry, yet he hath not entirely rendered it a chafte and modeft performance. As to what he hath fubftituted of his own, instead of the paffages rejected in the original, he speaks of it himself with becoming diffidence ; but we must do him the juftice to fay, that his new trimmings do not look amifs upon Wycherly's old coat; which, with two or three more alterations, agreeable to what has been hinted, might serve to make Mr. Garrick a very decent, ferviceable winter-fuit. Art. 30. The Double Miftake: a Comedy. As it is performed at the Theatre Royal, in Covent-Garden. 8vo. Almon, &c. Is. 6d. Although we find no great novelty of character or fentiment in this play; yet we could not but be pleafed with it in the perufal, as the town in general were at its frequent reprefentations; on account of the eafy politeness of the language, and the moral purport of the whole. There is an attempt at humour in the characters of the Virtuofo and the Learned Lady; but thefe have been fo much hacknied upon the ftage, that it was not eafy for any thing less than a first-rate genius to fucceed in them and a first-rate genius would rather have aimed at fomething more original. MISCELLANEOUS. Art. 31. The Ladies Friend, from the French of Mr. de Gravines. 12mo. 2s. Nicoll, &c. Several writers of confiderable eminence, both French and English, have obliged the world with preceptive treatifes on female education, and for regulating the conduct of the fair fex in the more advanced ftages of life; e. g. the Archb. of Cambray, Monf. de la Chetardie, the Marq. of Halifax, Mr. Wettenhall Wilkes; and fome others. To this lift we must now add the name of Monfieur de Gravines; who, though he has advanced very little that is not to be met with in the preceding authors on the fame fubject, has, nevertheless, offered many things to 4 the the confideration of the ladies, of which there is no fear of their being too often reminded. Part of what he has faid on their inordinate paffion for cards, may ferve as a specimen : • Some diverfion is neceffary, fay our pretty gamefters. Moft certainly; but might not a more noble diverfion be ftruck out, than the contefting for money, and fomenting that selfishness which is already but too predominant? befides, can a stated daily fitting, of four or fivehours, that is, of above one third of life, without any other converfation than what arifes from red and black spots printed on paper, be called an amufement? • This childish way of killing time, brought into fuch vogue by the ladies, far from being a relaxation, is a serious bufinefs, impairing their health. In the finelt part of the year, and even when in the country, regardless of all the natural pleasures which surround them, they eagerly fit down, fhuffling and dealing cards around till midnight, amidst a tumult of fluctuating paffions; a phrenfy which, fixing them perpetually in a chair, brings on them all the evils confequent to the want of exercise. < la vindication of this fashionable idleness, they plead weakness of conftitution: though it is this very idleness which weakens their conftitutions, and gradually deftroys the spring and force of the human fyftem. Women, to be fure, are not made to ftruggle with the fame fatigues as men; yet has nature added to their beauty a degree of strength which į forms a part of it, and has proportioned their vigour to what it requires from them. The alacrity with which they give themselves up for whole days to violent exercifes, fuch as dancing, is certainly no indication of their being created to pass their lives in a state of flothfulness. It is fomewhat difficult to reconcile the prodigious activity of women at the call of pleasure, or the impulfe of paflions, with that indolent life to which many confine themselves. Sometimes they feem all fire; at others they scarce breathe. These are extremes common to the whole fex, and not feldom feen to follow each other clofely in the fame perfon.' The principal topics on which this writer treats, befide the abovementioned deltructive amusement, are ranged under the following heads: Of the state of women in fociety; of the ftudies fit for women; of women's occupations; their diverfions; the luxury of women; [this he very justly confiders as one of the greateft difcouragements of matrimony, not lefs in England than in France] women's drefs; temper and difpofition of women; love and gallantry; marriage; education of children; and of the virtues of women.-The Author does not write like a plenetic fatirift, or a rigid moralifer, infenfible to the charms of the fofter sex. On the contrary, he profeffes the highest admiration of their beauties, both of body and mind; and expreffes himself with that politeness and complacency which is ever due from the lords of the creation to the loveliest part of it. Art. 32. Journals of Major Robert Rogers; containing an Account of the feveral Excurfions he made, under the Generals who commanded on the Continent of America, during the late War. From which may be collected the most material Circumftances of every Campaign on that Continent, from the Commencement to the Conclufion of the War. 8vo. 4s. Millan. -This is but the first part of the journals of this noted American partizan. It commences in 1755, and terminates with the year 1760. The fecond part, which is to be printed by fubfcription of one guinea, will contain the Author's travels among the Cherokees and the fouthern In dians; his fecond tour into the interior country, upon the great lakes ; and the Indian wars in America, fince 1760: together with correct plans of all the British forts upon the continent. From the specimen of the work now before us, it appears, that the accounts published by Major Rogers may be depended upon by the public; they are undoubtedly as authentic as they are important and neceffary, to those who would acquire a thorough understanding of the nature and progrefs of the late military operations in North-America. The Author writes like an honest, a fenfible, and a modest män; and he has given, throughout his whole conduct, undoubted proofs, that he is a brave and a skilful officer. For a farther idea of this gentleman, in his literary capacity, fee our review of his Account of North America, in the preceding part of our No. for the prefent month. Art. 33. An Account of the Ifland of Newfoundland, with the Nature of its Trade, and Method of carrying on the Fishery. With Reafons for the great Decrease of that most valuable Branch of Trade. By Capt. Griffith Williams, of the Royal Regiment of Artillery, who refided in the lfland Fourteen Years, when a Lieutenant, and now has a command there. To which is annexed, a Plan to exclude the French from that Trade; proposed to the Administration in the Year 1761, by Capt. Cole. 8vc. I s. Owen. So far as we can venture to judge, on the fubject of this pamphlet, the account here given of the present state of the Newfoundland trade, deferves the serious attention of our commiffioners of trade and plantations, and of all who are particularly concerned in the Newfoundland fishery, as well as of the public in general.-Capt. Williams affures us, that, to his certain knowlege, the faid trade did, for many years, remit to the mother-country, near a million Sterling; whereas, at this time, it does not yield one fixth part of that fum. The question will be, What then is become of this trade? our answer is, Look into this pamphlet, and you will find-that the English have fuffered it to fall into the hands of the French. Art. 34. Bombay Church: or, a true Account of the Building and Finishing the English Church at Bombay, in the East-Indies; with a Lift of the Benefactions contributed thereunto, from the ear it was begun, 1715, to the Year it was finished, 1718 lfo the first Rife of the Charity-fchool propofed to be erected there, 1719; with a few Remarks on the Indian Letters. By Richard Cobbe, Cobbe, M A. late Chaplain to the Hon. East-India' Com-' pany. 8vo. Is. 6d. Rivington. To this account of Bombay-church, Mr. Cobbe has added a number of letters which paffed, in relation to the fubfcriptions, &c. for promoting that laudable undertaking; alfo two fermons on the fame occafion: with another fermon in behalf of the charity-school, He hath inscribed this publication to the court of directors of the E. Ind. company, 'hoping it may be of use and fatisfaction to the future as well as prefent itate of that ifland; confidering likewife the unfettled and oftentimes turbulent fitua tion of affairs in other factories,-this of Bombay may be looked upon as the fafelt place of retreat and harbour,—and the church not the leaft fafeguard and ornament thereof.'-— A copper-plate plan, or plat-form, of this church, is prefixed to the account; from which it appears to be a noble and elegant structure. Art. 35. A General History of the World, from the Creation to the · prefent Time. Including all the Empires, Kingdoms and States; their Revolutions, Forms of Government, Laws, Religions, &c. c. Together with their Chronology, Antiquities, Curiofities of Art and Nature, &c. By William Guthrie and John Gray, Efquires, and others, eminent in this Branch of Literature, 8vo. 10 Vols. 31. Newbery, &c. The Univerfal Hiftory, Ancient and Modern, being fo, voluminous, that few can purchase fo large and expenfive a work, it was very natural to think that an abridgment might be acceptable and convenient to many readers. Accordingly, here we have an Universal hiftory, reduced to a much narrower compafs; but as it is little more than a mere abridgement of the former compilation, it is entitled to no farther notice in this Review. Art. 36. The celebrated Lecture upon HEADS. With a new Fron tifpiece, reprefenting all the various Heads, &c. The 6th Edition. Folio. Folio. 6d. Pridden. Although this does not pretend to be an exact copy of this facetious lecture, as delivered by the author, George Alexander Stevens, yet it is undoubtedly pretty much the fame; and will perhaps make the reader fmile, tho' it should 'fail of exciting the hearty laughs which fome parts of it drew from the numerous audiences that attended the original exhibitions. Some parts, we fay, because this piece of original fun is not equally humorous and witty throughout. With all his vivacity, Mr. Stevens is fometimes a little dull; and not feldom a cup too low at fuch times a pun pafles for wit, and a hack nied conceit for humour. There is, however, a good deal of well-placed fatire in this droll compofition. The empirics in law and divinity, as well as in phyfic, come in for their thare in the roaft; and he who can refrain from laughing at the cafe of Daniel and Dishclout, must have no rifibility in his nature, The orators of the tabernacle are, undoubtedly, caricatured; as our Readers will perceive, from the following fpecimen; but yet a ftrong likene's remains: Bretheren!-I have got the gripes of compaflion and the REV. Jan. 1766. G belly. |