memory of thofe, who prevented the further reception of these Jaws in England. As for Scotland, he fays, the civil law obtained there in all criminal matters without exception. Our Author next proceeds to confider the laws relating to torture. Libelling being made a capital crime, their authors became naturally expofed to torture, which according to the civil laws was ufed in all cafes punishable with death. This cruel and abfurd method of examining by torture crept into the German courts along with the civil law, according to Schilter; though others fuppofe it was introduced long before that time, by the rage of the clergy againft heretics. In Scotland this inhuman practice continued till the union, and fome endeavours were made to introduce it into England; for which purpose a rack was formerly brought into the Tower, and is known by the name of the Duke of Exeter's Daughter. Our Author very humanely laments its being fuffered to continue there, and thinks it ought to be brought forth and publicly burnt. We are next presented with fome of those imperial laws relating to reproachful words uttered against the emperor: which are followed by the mention of those constitutions that were made against heretics; of which there are no less than fixty-fix in the Theodofian code. We then have Lord Coke's opinion about libels, and cafes relating to them in the ftar-chamber; which leads our Author to give a pretty large account of the inftitution and forms of proceeding in that iniquitous court, with its final abolition in 16 Charles I. when there was an exprefs inhibition to erect for the future any court with the fame or like jurifdictions; from whence our Author infers very juftly and pertinently, that no precedents taken from that court fhould be made ufe of in any modern proceedings in cafes of libels.' The power of the ftar-chamber was greatly increased under James, who endeavoured to establish defpotifm in England, in conformity to the government of Scotland, where, according to Sir James Mackenzie, whom our Author follows, the king was, by the laws, poffeffed of abfolute power. The next reign ftill aggravated matters further, as appears in the cafes of Baftwick, Prynne, Lilbourn, Bp. Williams, &c. &c. which, whenever a true Englishman reads, let him cry, Praise and glory on their heads who delivered this country from fuch execrable tyranny.' It is the opinion of our Author, that all the records of this court were purpofely deftroyed, that no proof might remain to pofterity of the abominations practifed in it. It was natural to pafs from hence to the liberty of the prefs, which, as is juitly obferved, had it prevailed, would have prevented many unjust and pernicious acts of the governing powers, acts fatal in their confequences. confequences to the governors themselves, as well as to the unhappy fubjects who groaned under them. Matters of public and common concernment are proper objects of public knowlege and common debate; but this knowledge cannot be acquired, nor can such debate be carried on, without the freedom of speaking and writing. The book concludes with fome remarks, neither new nor uncommon, on the present state of the colonies. The Author appears to be a hearty but fober friend to public liberty, and his treatise contains feveral judicious and important remarks; but it is written in a verbose declamatory ftyle; the tranfitions from one fubject to another are immethodical and abrupt; and the whole bears the evident marks of a hafty compofition. MONTHLY CATALOGUE, For MAY, 1766. MISCELLANEOUS. Art. 13. The Philofophy of Hiftory. By M. de Voltaire. 8vo. 5s. Allcock. A Translation of La Philofophie de L'Hiftoire; of which our Readers have had an account in the Appendix to our 32d Vol. The name of Bazin, printed in the title-page of the original French, is probably mere invention. Art. 14. An Anfwer to the Cafe of the Mills Frigate. 8vb. IS. Willock. Relates to the contested infurance on the good ship mentioned in the title-page. This caufe is not to be determined in the court of criticism, but in a court of law. Art. 15. Arithmetical Collections and Improvements. Being a complete Syftem of Practical Arithmetic. By Anthony and John Birks; late Mafters of a Boarding-school at Gofberton, and now of the Free-writing-fchool at Donnington, Lincolnfhire. 6s. Hawes, &c. This compilement feems to be very judiciously performed; and, as the ingenious Authors fay, in their preface, properly adapted to the use of the gentleman and the scholar, as well as the man of business. Art. 16. A Letter from Mr. Voltaire to M. Jean Jaques Rousseau. 12mo. Is. 6d. Payne. This pretended letter from Mr. Voltaire is founded on fome paffages in the anecdotes relating to Mr. Rouffeau, of which we gave an ab. ftract* in our laft Appendix. Mr. Voltaire had, in those anecdotes, This abstract is fubjoined to the prefent letter, by way of illuf'tration. Dd z been been accufed as acceffory to the perfecution of the celebrated citizen of Geneva; and, in revenge of that accufation, the latter is ridiculed and abused in the prefent performance: which is here printed both in French and English, to give it the greater air of originality and authenticity. We can, however, by no means look upon this production as the ge nuine offspring of Voltaire's pen; and therefore shall enter into no farther particulars concerning it. Art. 17. An earnest Address to the People of England. Containing an Enquiry into the Caufe of the great Scarcity of Timber throughi out the Dominions belonging to his Majefty. With fome Hints towards the more effectually fecuring and preferving the fame, particularly that Part of it used in Ship-building, which may prove of the last Importance to thefe Kingdoms. 8vo. Is. 6d. Noble. There are fame particulars in this address which deserve not only the notice of the people of England in general, but of the legislature efpecially. We have often heard of the great wafte and havock made of the hip-timber in the royal dock-yards; but this Author's account exceeds every thing we could have fuppofed. He computes, at the loweft, that it must have coft the government within these 50 years last past, between two and three millions of money to fupply the artificers of the feveral dock-yards with fuel-wood,'-out of which might have been faved, a quantity of timber fufficient to have built 50 men of war of the line.'-- -As this tract is infcribed to the Earl of Egmont, first lord commiffioner of the admiralty, it is to be hoped the endeavours of this public fpirited Writer towards a reformation of the dock-yards will not be in vain. Art. 18. A Narrative of what paffed between General Sir Harry Erskine and Phillip Thicknesse Esq; in Confequence of a Letter written by the latter to the Earl of Bute, relative to the Publication of jome original Letters and Poetry of Lady Mary Wortley Montague's, then in Mr. Thickneffe's Poffeffion. 8vo. I S. Williams. About two years ago, Capt. Thickneffe had the misfortune to be engaged in a quarrel with Lord Orwell; the confequence of which was, a vigorous profecution of the former, in the court of king's bench. The defendant had in vain applied to his lordship, to accommodate their differences; and, at last, he had recourfe to the Earl of Bute, whofe interpofition with Lord Orwell he requested; but without fuccefs. His hopes with refpect to Lord B. were founded on the circumstance of his being in poffeffion of fome original letters and poems written by the late very ingenious Lady Mary W. M. mother to the Countefs of B. His firit intention was to publish thefe papers; and he had actually begun to print them, when it occurred to his reflection, that poffibly it might be more agrecable to the family, that the letters, &c. fhould be withheld from the public eye. In purfuit of this idea, he politely wrote to Lord B. on the fubject; and his lordship employed Sir H. Erskine to fpeak As a fupplement to her orber Letters: fee Review, Vol. 28 and 29. with with Mr. T. and to intimate to him, how acceptable a prefent to his lordship thofe papers would be deemed. Mr. T. hereupon thought proper to mention, as a conditional circumftance, the great fervice that Lord B. could do him, by interpofing his good offices with Lord O. This propofal, on the part of Mr. T. however, feems to have been little relifhed; yet, it produced a fort of negociation and correspondence between him and Sir Harry; who, in the end, found means to get the papers out of the Captain's hand, without bis confent, and without procuring him the favour he had requested.-Refentment of this procedure, has produced this Narrative; in which Capt., T. complains of ill ufage: but informs us, however, that he had the precaution to copy the letters and poems of Lady Mary, before the originals were forced out of his hands; and he has here publifhed one of each fort, as a fpecimen. Whether he will determine to let the world fee the remainder, it is impoffible for us to inform our Readers, The particulars of which, are related in the Narrative. Art. 19. An Addrefs to the refpeclive Bodies of Free and Accepted Mafans, as delivered at the Steward's Lodge, at the Horn Tavern, Fleet-freet, November 16th, 1763, being Election and InStallation Night. By Thomas Edmonds, Efq; one of the Grand-wardens, &c.--To which is added, his Charge to Lord Blaney, prefent Grand-mafter, on his being appointed Mafter of the New Lodge, at the Horn Tavern, Westminfter, &c. &c. 8vo. 1s. 6d. Hooper. An incoherent hapfody, in praife of masonry-Amongst other qualifications of a good mafon, we are told that he is fortuitous, and feady, cultivating his mind and behaviour with focial adepts, and brotherly benignity in all the duties of life; confidering that amity and focial harmony ought to flourish and abound in all human focieties, but particularly among the fraternity, whofe names are enrolled in the books of everlasting Scientific records, to maintain and ever kindle that mysterious zeal, which enlightens us to fee, with feeling compaffion, the turbulent difquietudes, and vitiated principles of most of the unfelected and uncivilized part of mankind.' Art. 20. The Hiftory of Chriftina, Queen of Sweden. From the 12mo. 3s. Kearfly. We have here an account of this capricious, crazy queen*, different from that given by M. Lacombe of Avignon, formerly mentioned in our Review. The prefent ingenious Writer, though a Roman catholic, preferves at least the appearance of impartiality; and, while he pays high compliments to the genius and learning of his heroine, does not feem to boaft much of the honour done to his church, by her renunciation of the proteftant religion: which he fometimes fpeaks of as a mere freak of Chriftina's, or, rather, as a political farce, calculated to procure for herself the protection of the popish princes, particularly the holy pontiff, She was daughter and fucceffor to Gustavus Adolphus, the great protector of proteftantifm in the north. Dd3 ΟΠ on whom he chiefly relied for fupport, after she had foolishly abdicated the throne of Sweden. This is an entertaining piece of biography; and affords in Chriftina's dear-bought repentance for having thrown away her crown, a striking proof how fatally people may err, who rafhly take any ftep which cannot be recalled: efpecially they who, according to a plain English phrafe, part with the staff out of their own hands, and trust to the gratitude of thofe whom they have obliged. On this occafion, the affecting old ftory of King Lear will naturally occur; and in later times, Europe has feen other inftances of regal abdication, which were feverely repented of,-particularly that of Victor Amadeus, King of Sardinia: not to mention the lefs voluntary one, of our James the Second. But it was a fort of fashion in the feventeenth century, for princes to relinquish their thrones. In that age, a king of Poland alfo took it into his head to grow weary of the diadem that encircled it; viz. John Cafimir; who, in imitation of the emperor Charles the Fifth, preferred a monaftic life to the fplendors of a court, and the charms of fovereignty.-Strange, that fo many of the fons of ambition fhould take fuch infinite pains, and even commit fuch horrid crimes, to obtain what others have caft away, as not worth poffeffing! Art. 21. The first Chapter of the Prophecies of the Prophet Homer, With a Letter to the B. of G. 4to. 1s. 6d. Wilkie. If in the number of frivolous addreffes, fays this Letter-writer, that are hourly prefented to your lordship, this should appear to be one, you will, I know, receive and difmifs it, with your ufual candour and humanity. In the mean time, permit me to observe, not without fome degree of aftonishment,- -that your lordship, with the acuteness of a lynx, could trace out, in the fixth book of Virgil, the foolish myfteries of a falfe and fantastic religion, and yet want the penetration to discover, in Homer, the great mystery of our own true belief,-our redemption from fin, by the birth of a Saviour:-a mystery, clearly pointed out by the fpirit of prophecy that breathes through thofe divine pfalms, commonly called the Hymns of Homer. How can we account for fuch mental blindness, but by acknowledging the righteous difpenfations of heaven? whofe will it is,-to confound and mortify the men of wisdom;-to fuffer them to perplex themselves in the labyrinths of fcience ;-and finally, to leave the ways of truth and fimplicity for the discovery of babes and fucklings. I freely confefs that I am much more indebted to accident for this discovery than to any effort of my own abilities. A confufed kind of fentiment, a fufpicion, at firft, perhaps, not entirely commendable, put me upon making a literal tranflation of fome paffages that appeared the moft ftriking. How was I furprifed, upon trial, to find fuch important and ferious truths growing in fo neglected a foil! Your lordship need only caft your eye upon the tranflation of part of the first pfalm, to be convinced with me, that Homer was as much infpired as Ifaiah or any of the prophets. By comparing it with the original, you will presently obferve, that I have taken fewer liberties than are ufually taken on fuch occafions indeed I have no fyftem either to erect or to defend, though :: the |