feffions of public fpirit, and a zeal for liberty. In the execution of this plan, he was neceffarily drawn to personal reflections; in which, however, he has avoided every thing, that might embitter, or embroil domestic life. He has never entertained the public with falfe and scandalous defcriptions of a bad husband, or a bad father; nor has he made natural frailties, or accidental misfortunes the subject of invective and ridicule. If he has treated with afperity fome particular characters, for whom he formerly profeffed no fmall degree of respect and reverence; let them confult their own hearts, and ask themfelves, whether it be not a proper chaftifement for their notorious apoftacy? His confcience acquits him of ever having fwerved from his principles, or party; as it does of all mean and mercenary views, in writing these Effays.' For the prefent, we find, that Old Slyboots, the winter-campaign being over, is gone into fummer-quarters. In the effay which concludes this volume, and which we remember to have read not many days ago, in the newspaper wherein these productions have originally appeared, he thus bids a temporary adieu to his diurnal readers. 'It is now above fix months fince my readers and I became first acquainted; during which period I hope they have not found me a very bad companion, confidering the dull and unentertaining road that we have travelled together. Mere politics, I know, to the generality of palates, are at beft infipid, and often nauseous; for which reafon I have endeavoured to feason them well with ridicule, and to convey them in the most agreeable vehicles that I could poffibly find out : Così àl'egro Fanciul porgiamo afperfi As the bufinefs of the prefent feffion of parliament is now pretty well over, I fhall take leave of my readers for this summer feafon; promifing them faithfully, if I am alive and well, to meet them again at the approach of the winter. Indeed, it is the bufinefs of every honet man, who loves his king and his country, to do his utmost to counteract the poifon of fedition, which a defperate faction are every day infufing with fo much industry into the minds of the people; and while I am employed in this truly benevolent and upright purpose, I fhall be little folicitous what the profligate tools of a ruined party think or fpeak of me. Confcious of the goodness of my caufe, and the rectitude of my intentions, I have not condefcended to take the leaft notice of all that abuse and fcurrility which the popular faction have thrown out against me from day to day. I know that calumny and falfehood are the constant refuge of bad writers; who, when they cannot reason, are fure to rail. They conceal the poverty of their ar guments under a black effufion of gall; just as the fcuttle-fifh, when he is clofely purfued, and hard put to it, is faid to throw out a quantity of matter like ink, and under that obfcurity efcapes his adverfaries.' Thofe who are fond of literary cudgel-playing, will, no doubt, be glad to fee this mafter mount the ftage again, at the return of the feaJon for thefe trials of political skill; and there is no doubt but the fame managers know their intereft too well not to engage him. . Rev. May 1770. D d Art. Art. 13. A Narrative of the Proceedings upon the Complaint against Governor Melvill. 8vo. 1 s. 6d. Becket. It is very difficult for us, at fo great a diftance, to form a competent idea of the real merits of the conteft that hath for fome years paft subsisted in Grenada, between the jarring parties, by which that colony, as well as most of the other governments appertaining to the Britifh empire, is fo unhappily rent and divided. We have, in feveral articles *, briefly mentioned the feveral appeals to the public, made on both fides; from whence fuch of our Readers as have not perufed the publications at large, may acquire a general notion of the nature of those inteftine commotions which have given birth to the prefent narrative. From this tract they will further learn, that the complainants (the gentlemen in the Roman Catholic intereft) against Governor Melvill, did at length urge their point fo far as to bring the affair to an hearing before the Lords of the Committee of his Majesty's council, in February last; but this, it is more than intimated, was only matter of form. In fhort, we are frankly given to understand that the iffue of the enquiry had been predetermined; that Mr. Melvill, then in England, attended their lordships with his difpatches in his pocket, ready to fet out on his return to his government, the moment the examination should be over; and that, accordingly, in half an hour after the hearing, and before any report could have been made to the King, the governor triumphantly fet off for Plymouth, to embark for Gre nada. We will not fay that in refentment of this procedure, but rather in juftification of themselves, the accufing party have published this report, with the neceffary documents, &c. in which it is profeffedly and boldly undertaken to fhew, that the Lords of the Committee of his Majefty's Council, to whom the complaint against Governor Melvill was referred, acted partially and unfairly in the manner of examining into that matter; that confequently the report they may have made to his Majesty, is not to be depended on ;-that from the anfwers of Governor Melvill the charges were fully proved against him: and, confequently, that the perfons who advised his Majesty to send back Mr. Melvill to Grenada, as governor, were equally difregardful of the dignity of the crown, as of the rights of the people.' In the introductory difcourfe just quoted, we obferve some very free and very fevere strictures on the general fubject of the prefent adminiftration of the affairs of our colonies, which this exafperated Author reprefents as most alarmingly defective and ill conducted.-How far his reprefentations are juft, or candid, we cannot pretend to deter mine; but we hope thefe complainants have made the worst of it, as men under their circumstances of difappointment and chagrin may naturally be fuppofed to have done. * See Review for January laft, p. 67. et feq. allo February, p. 151, &c. Viz. That he had been guilty of fundry illegal, grievous, cruel, oppreffive, and unjuft acts toward his Majesty's fubjects, contrary to the known laws of the land, and derogatory to the high truit, &c.' Art. Art. 14. Letters to the Earl of Hilborough, Secretary of State. for the Colonies; the Marquis of Rockingham, and the Archbifhops and Bishops; on the late Subverfion of the political Syftem of the glorious Revolution; and the manifest Violation of the A& of Settlement, by authorifing and appointing Perfons profeffing the Roman Catholic Religion, to hold legislative and executive Offices in the Government of his Majefty's Inlands of Grenada and the Grenadines, which are a Part of the Empire of Great-Britain. Originally printed feparately, in the Public Advertiser, and now collated and reprinted with Corrections, Emendations and Additions: particularly, a prefatory Addrefs to the Proteftants of the three Kingdoms, and the Colonies, to whofe ferious Confideration thefe Letters are earnestly recommended. By Pliny, junior. 8vo. 1 s. Wilkie. This advocate, who pleads on the other fide of the queftion, expatiates with great warmth, and highly applauds the conduct of Governor Melvill, whom he confiders as the champion of the Prete tant interest in Grenada. That gentleman, as we obferved in the preceding article, is returned to his government, notwithstanding the ftrong oppofition made by the other party, to his being fent back in that character. Nevertheless we learn, from this collection of letters which have already appeared in the public papers, that the gentlemen in the Roman Catholic intereft have been fortunate enough to get what are here called the precipitate measures of lieutenant-governor Fitzmaurice, in their favour, effectually countenanced bere, and established. The alarm, therefore, now is, that the Roman Catholics are gaining fuch ground in fome of the colonies, as must greatly excite the apprehen fions of every true friend to the Proteftant religion, and our civil li berties. We now fee,' fays Pliny junior, a Roman Catholic bi fhop established at Quebec, and a Romish priest penfioned at Halifax : in the island of Grenada, two privy-counfellors, three members of the common-houfe of reprefentatives, a judge in the court of commonpleas; and juflices of the peace in every parith of the island of Grenada, all Roman Catholics and Frenchmen, appointed and actually exercifing their functions at this time; while the Proteftant fubjects, who alone are intitled to thefe offices, are univerfally difcountenanced, fufpended from their public employments and otherwife punished for fupporting the laws and conflitution of their country,' Our Author traces the caufe of all this fuppofed regard for the church of Rome, to what he apprehends to be its original fource. That you,' fays he, [addrefing himfelf to the Proteftants of the three kingdoms, and the colonies'] may not charge me with founding a falje alarm in your cars, I must remind you, that almost every odious, every deteftable, every unpopular public meafure, relative to the adminiftration of government, obitinately perfifled in during the reigns of the Stuarts, has been as impoliticly revived, and as tenaciously purfued fince the 24th of October 1720, through the fecret inAuence, or open violence of the earl of Bute, and his agents. I need What these particular meafures were, may be feen in our former Reviews, referred to in the notes to the preceding article. not repeat our general grievances, they are too recent and too well known: our poor countrymen in New-England are still bleeding with the wounds given to our conftitution, by the fatal innovation of ftanding armies. The freedom of representation: the force of argument: the ftrength of manly eloquence: the conviction refulting from public debates, are all loft at home in parliament; and nothing more remains to complete the defolation, but to give the rod of perfecution into the hands of the ancient, bloody fcourgers of this kingdom. This work is already begun at Quebec, and in the island of Grenada, as will appear by the following letters; and all who are converfant in history, know very well what hafty ftrides Popery and arbitrary power have always made, when they once gained footing in Proteftant ftates. The first act was performed at Quebec: the fecond at Grenada: the catastrophe will foon follow, and the piece will be tragically completed in England, if we tamely acquiefce in the first part of the reprefentation in the colonies. Will you not then rescue the conftitution of your country, from the hands of an unfortunate woman (educated in the arbitrary principles of a petty Germanic court) who has called to her aid (merely to gratify her perfonal hatred to the Englith) a dark, designing, fubtle Scot, inheriting the foul of Machiavel, who favours the Romish religion as the pillar of abfolute monarchy, and whofe ultimate view most probably is, the restoration of the Stuart line to the throne of thefe realms.' But, furely, this is going too far! We hope this writer hath lefs of the fpirit of divination or prophecy, than he appears to have of zeal, however intemperate, for the good caufe of LIBERTY: a cause which, we truft, we have as much at heart as any Briton or Proteftant whatever; although we cannot join in, or give our approbation to, thefe violent attacks on perfons in high ftation, or in power, upon every flight, and perhaps, fallacious appearance against them. Whatever their conduct be, candour and decency, as well as juftice, require that it be candidly and decently examined, and not outrageously condemned, without a previous hearing, and fair trial. The days in which we now live are hot and boisterous; but the time will come, perhaps, when we fhall look with fhame and, forrow on the injury that may have been done to innocent characters and blamelefs conduct. We fpeak not merely in reference to any particulars in the difputes which have given rife to the prefent article, but from the general view of the licentious illiberal behaviour of writers and agents on both fides of every public queftion. What outrage, what madness, what execration, and what crimination on all fides!-But, for the honour of our country, we hope the teftimony borne by each party against the other is equally falfe; for, if it were true †, it may fairly be inferred, that never before hath fo worthlefs, fo abandoned a race existed: and With refpect to gentlemen in the adminiftration of the Colonies, the abufe and obloquy cait upon them, by both parties in the prefent difpute, afford a trong prefumption in favour of their impartiality, at leaft. The preface to the papers collected by Old Slyboots, and the preface to thefe Letters of Pliny junior, form a very ftriking contraff, in this refpect. we we need not hesitate to pronounce, that it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah, in the day of judgment, than for fuch a degenerate and wicked nation. Art. 15. The Conftitution defended, and Penfioner exposed, in Remarks on the False Alarm. 8vo. I s. Dilly. This Writer is not fo great a master of the pen as Dr. Jn, the fuppofed author of the Falfe Alarm; but he, neverthelefs, makes fome obfervations on that famous minifterial performance ::-a performance from which, it is to be feared, no addition will be made to that reputation so justly acquired by the ingenious writer of The Rambler. MEDICA L. Art. 16. Oratio Anniverfaria, a Gulielmo Harveio inftituta in Theatro Collegii Medicorum Londinenfium, habita fefto Santi Luce. Oa. 1769. 4to. 1 s. White. . Dr. Swithin Adee is the Author of the prefent anniversary oration, which contains abundance of good orthodox, Warwick-lane, college doctrine, delivered in elegant Latin. The poem annexed, entitled, Meadus, in commemoration of Dr. Mead, was first published without the Author's name in 1755, and was commended by us in the XIIth volume of our Review. The Rev. Mr. Bartholomew gave an English translation of this poem, of which also our Readers will find an account in, our XIVth volume. See the General Table of Contents to each volume. Art. 17. The Natural Hiftory of Lac, Amber, and Myrrh. With a plain Account of the many excellent Virtues thefe three Medicinal Substances are naturally poffeffed of, and well adapted for the Cure of various Difeafes incident to the Human Body. And a Reftorative Balfamic Tincture, which in many extraordinary Cafes gives speedy Relief, as are fully defcribed in the following Treatife. By John Cook, M. D. of Leigh, in Effex. 8vo. 6 d. Woodfall, &c. Know all men, by this Natural History, that Mr. John Jacob, oppofite the Monument, London, prepares, under the direction of Dr.. Jahn Cook, three Effences, and a Balsamic Tincture-and that thefe Effences are unparalleled Effences; and that this Balfamic Tincture is an unparalleled Balfamic Tincture. Art. 18. The Family Practice of Phyfic: or, a plain, intelligible, and eafy Method of curing Diseases with the Plants of our coon Corntry. The Afthma with Bitterfweet. The Gravel with Uva rfi. The Dropy with Bark of Elder. Bleedings with Juice of Netties. And other Disorders with fimple Medicines prepared from fuch Plants: Which are fafe and effectual in any Hands to be had at a small Price in all Places in Town or Country; and accompanied with fuch Directions that any Perfon may use them fuccessfully for himself or Family: Javing to all, the Danger of rough Medicines; and to the Poor, the Expence of Phyficians and Apothecaries. By J. Hill, M. D. 2 s. Baldwin. 1769. Dr. Hill's defign in this fet forth in his own words. thefe pages, that Britain 8vo. publication, we apprehend, may be fully It has always appeared to the Author of produced remedies for all its own difeafes. Dd 3 |