authors; but it is impoffible to explain the conftruction without the engraving. The Reader therefore who defires to be further acquainted with the inftrument must have recourse to the work itself, where he will find it fully defcribed and illuftrated with an accurate figure.

The water-mill invented by Dr. Baker, which has neither wheel nor trundle, is the last of the mechanical engines defcribed by Mr. Ferguson. But as a figure and description of this mill have appeared in almost every treatife of experimental philofophy publifhed for feveral years paft, it will be needless to fay any thing further on that fubject here.

The first hydroftatic machine is a contrivance for explaining what is generally called the hydrostatical paradox, or demonftrating that, on equal bottoms, the preffure of fluids is in proportion to their perpendicular heights, without any regard to their quantities.

The second is a machine, to be fubftituted in place of the common bydroftatical bellows. And the third,

The caufe of reciprocating springs, and of ebbing and flowing wells, explained.

By the two former machines, the hydroftatical paradox is very naturally explained, and the upright preffure of fluids rendered very evident. With regard to the laft, viz. the cause of reciprocating fprings, &c. explained, there is nothing new in the contrivance, nearly the fame apparatus having been already defcribed by feveral authors.

The firft engine in hydraulics, is a contrivance to explain the principles by which Mr. Blakey proposes to raise water from mines, or from rivers to fupply towns and gentlemen's feats, by his new-invented fire engine, for which he has obtained his Majesty's letters patent.

Mr. Blakey's engine for raifing water by fire is very fimple, and the principle on which it acts may be eafily conceived from the small apparatus given by Mr. Ferguson. In fhort it differs from the original fire-engine, mentioned by the Marquis of Worcester, and afterwards erected by Captain Savary, in one particular only, viz. by making ufe of air as an intermediate body between fteam and water. In Savary's engine, the fteam acted immediately on the water, by which means it was foon condenfed, and confequently its compreffive force destroyed. Whereas Mr. Blakey, by making use of air as an intermediate body, has prevented the condenfation of the fteam, by which means its whole compreffive force is exerted on the fur face of the water in the receiver.

This engine, fays Mr. Ferguson, may be built for a trifling expence, in comparison of the common fire-engine now in

4

ufe :

1

ufe: it will feldom need repairs; and will not confume half fo much fuel. And as it has no pumps with piftons, it is clear of all their friction: and the effect is equal to the whole ftrength, or compreffive force of the fteam: which the effect of the common fire-engine never is, on account of the great friction of the piftons in their pumps.'

Mr. Ferguson might alfo have added, that a very confiderable part of the force of the fteam is loft in the common fireengine, by the cold water that continually finds a paffage into the cylinder, and condenfes a pretty large quantity of the steam. Mr. Blakey's engine is certainly free from all these defects; but we fear the ingenious inventor will find fome difficulty in carrying his fcheme into execution, especially in raifing water from mines, where the height is great, the quantity of water very large, and confequently, the compreffive force of the steam prodigious. This difficulty, in our opinion, will confift in his finding materials of fufficient ftrength to resist the amazing force of the fteam. Caft-iron has been found infufficient for the purpose; and copper, though in itself strong enough, will perhaps be found inadequate, on account of the joints in the boiler and receiver. Thofe who have feen a fmall engine of this kind worked, will probably be of our opinion; though we fincerely with Mr. Blakey may find means of overcoming this difficulty, which we apprehend is the greateft, if not the only one, that can prevent this engine from being of confiderable advantage both to the proprietor and the public.

The two remaining machines relating to Hydraulics, defcribed by Mr. Ferguson, are Archimedes's fcrew-engine for raifing water; and a quadruple pump-mill for the fame purpose.

The former has been defcribed by almost every author who has written en Hydraulics, for feveral centuries paft; tho' we think a genuine theory of this famous machine has never yet appeared. The latter is nearly the fame with that defcribed in Ramelli's works; but cannot be understood without a figure of the engine.

The remaining part of this treatife relates to dialling, and contains feveral curious forms of dials, described with great plainness and perfpicuity, and illuftated with figures correctly drawn. Those who are fond of this branch of fcience will perufe Mr. Ferguson's performance with pleasure; but an abstract of it cannot be rendered intelligible, on account of the many engravings neceffary to explain it.

B.

The Excellencie of a Free State. By Marchamont Nedham* 8vo. 4s. Millar, &c. 1767.

ANKIND, by their very nature and conftitution, are sɑ ftrongly difpofed to the love of liberty, that an endeavour to prove the excellence of a free ftate, feems, at first sight, a very idle and needlefs attempt; but on clofer examination we fhall find, that it is because men are individually fo fond of liberty, that there are unhappily very few inftances of national freedom.

National freedom tends to eftablish a noble and a generous equality It leaves little or no diftinction between man and man, but what the difference of natural endowments create, and which alone will not furnifh any very mortifying examples of pre-eminence. But the love of liberty, which beats fo ftrongly in the breaft of every individual, or in other words, every man's felf love, makes him abhor an equality. They who appear moft enamoured of liberty, often difguife, even from themfelves, the true principle of their affection for it. They do not, or they will not, fee that their impatience of being controuled, arifes from their defire of controuling others. Admit them to a fhare of tyranny, and the infolence and oppreffion which they * Of this WRITER and of his work, the following account is given by the editor, in his preface to the prefent edition. On the fubje& government, no country hath produced writings fo numerous and valuable as our own. It hath been cultivated and adorned by men of the greatest genius, and moft comprehenfive understanding, MILTON, HARRINGTON, SYDNEY, LOCKE, names famous to all ages.

of

But, befide their incomparable writings, many leffer treatifes on the fame argument, which are little known, and extremely fcarce, deferve to be read and preferved: in which number may be reckoned the fmall volume I now give the public, written by MARCHAMONT NEDHAM, a man, in the judgment of fome, inferior only to MILTON.

It was first inferted in the Mercu ius Politicus, that celebrated flatepaper, published, "in defence of the Commonwealth, and for the in

formation of the people;" and foon after re-printed in 12mo, under the following title, "The Excellencie of a Free State. Or, The right "conflitution of a Commonwealth. Wherein all objections are an

fwered, and the best way to fecure the people's liberties difcovereď. "With fome errors of government, and rules of policie. Published by a well wifher to pofteritie. London, printed for Thomas Brewster, at the west end of Paul's, 1656.'

An account of the author may be feen in A. Wood's Athenae Oxonierfes, tho' dan in bitterness of wrath and anger.

If this volume shall be favorably received, the editor will go on to give other rare treatifes on government in his poffeffion, to the entertainment and benefit, as he hopes, of the public. Reader, farewel, RICHARD BARON.

Below Blackheath, Jan, 1. 176%.

withstood before, they will then uphold as neceffary to due fubordination and good government. Nay, paradoxical as it may feem, fome from a love of liberty, will fubmit to be flaves. For what is the love of liberty, with refpect to individuals, but, as has been hinted before, the defire of being fuperior to the many: Hence, the haughty peer will kneel to the monarch whom he neither loves nor refpects, that he, in return, may receive fervile homage from a crowd of dependants, who groan beneath his infolence and oppreffion.

Here we fee the foundation of all unnatural and arbitrary government. They who afpire to be tyrants, practife on the infirmity of human nature, and by enfuring wealth, titles, offices, and other circumftances of diftinction, to thofe whom they judge moft capable of oppofing their ambitious views, they thereby make it the intereft of them and their pofterity to favour and fupport the tyranny, thus eftablished on the ruins of national liberty, by the bafe acquiefcence and proftitution of mistaken pride.

In every state therefore, where arbitrary fway is not yet so far advanced, as to make it criminal to defire and recommend the preservation and extenfion of national freedom, no citizen can render, better fervice to his country, than by pointing out from time to time the most effectual means for attaining fo glorious an end: and, in this view, the worthy editor of the treatise now under confideration deferves our warmeft acknowledgements.

With regard to the merits of the work itfelf, it certainly abounds with admirable precepts and obfervations. But we meet with fo many repetitions, that it becomes tedious. We may venture to say that the very fame illuftrations from the Greek and Roman hiftories, do not recur lefs than a dozen times.

It must be confeffed however that the rights of the people are well explained and vindicated, if they need vindication. It is fhewn that all juft power is legally derived from them; that they have a right to confer fuch power on what terms they pleafe; and to refume it when those terms are violated. In fhort, the advantages of national liberty, in a political view, are excellently defcribed.

But ftill the strongest argument, in our opinion, in favour of national freedom, is not fufficiently enforced; which is, the tendency it has to promote the happiness of fociety, upon moral principles.

The greater the degree of national liberty which exifts in any ftate, the nearer, in proportion, will the equality be among the members which compofe it: and nothing is more evident than that the less inequality there is in fociety, the fewer objects of competition there will be, and the profpects of vain ambition will be more confined.

The more they are limited, the less will pride, envy, jealou D 4

fy, malice, hatred, and all the long train of mean and malignant qualities prey upon the human mind, and inftigate men to the perpetration of the moft flagitious crimes, in order to rife fuperior to their competitors, or bring their competitors to a level with them.

When the powerful temptations of vain and tumultuous ambition are removed, content and ferenity will fucceed, and leave men at liberty to perfue more rational objects of competition, than those which confift in the pomp and parade of oftentatious luxury. Though the contention for alluring externals fhould be taken away, yet a noble emulation for more laudable preeminence might ftill be cherished, for, without fome kind of competition, men would grow indolent and stupid. In a word, the removing of fuch baneful fubjects of contention, would directly tend to render men more virtuous, and of courfe more happy.

As the volume before us confifts of different treatifes, which are nevertheless dependant on each other, it would be difficult to abridge it, without exceeding the limits to which an article of this nature fhould be confined. But we earnestly recommend it to the perufal of the patient reader, who will find his attention well rewarded.

R..d

Conclufion of the Account of Lord Lyttelton's Hiftory. See the first article in the laft month's Review.

HE fecond volume of this work, which grows more inte

THE
Trefting and inftructive the further we advance in it, opens

with the acceffion of Henry Plantagenet to the throne. He was befieging a caftle in Normandy which had revolted against him, when intelligence came to him that Stephen was dead. The lords of his council advifed him to haften to England, for fear his enemies fhould use the opportunity of his abfence to excite fome diforders; but he coolly replied, that they would not dare to do any thing, and could not be perfuaded to raise the siege, till the caftle had been forced to furrender at difcretion, which it did in a few days. Nor was his confidence vain: for he had established his power in England on fuch a folid foundation, and put the care of his interefts into fuch safe and able hands, that his prefence there was not neceffary and this being the cafe, it was certainly wife in him, not to leave behind him any root of rebellion.'

Upon the king's arrival at Winchefter, the nobles, the prelts, and the gentry of England crowded from all parts of the kingdom to meet him, not only as their fovereign, but as their deliverer. His journey from thence to London feemed to be a continued triumphal proceffion; and that city itself, which had been always the molt devoted to Stephen, received him with

the