found in Bishop Wilkins's Secret and Swift Messenger, and with very little fuperiority in point of ftile. Indeed, to do the Au thor justice, he confeffes it to be little more than a collection; but we cannot think he has fufficiently juftified the utility of the work. A treatise of this nature is, in fact, a felo de fe: it profeffes to teach individuals how to conduct a fecret correfpondence, by proclaiming the principles of the art to all the world. If purposes of state require the exercife of writing in cypher, the rules for decyphering are injudiciously expofed. If to discover the confpiracies of the wicked may be of fervice to the public; the inventions of bad minds are alfo affifted as well to contrive evil as to fruftrate good defigns. In brief, as honefty in private life avoids difguife as much as knavery covets it, the latter may derive more affiftance from fuch a work than the former. Thus, in any point of view, it does not appear that Mr. Thickneffe has employed his leifure to any profitable purpose in spreading the hints given of this art by Bacon, Wilkins, and others, which were already fufficiently known to literary men.

So obvious are fuch reflections, that our Author has been be trayed into an acknowledgement of the bad tendency of his labours, that is really laughable. Bishop Wilkins ftarted a hint of reprefenting the letters of the alphabet by mufical notes,. and thus writing a letter under the refemblance of a piece of mufic. Mr. Thicknelle finding that the Bishop's mufic would be fufpected by one that underflood the art, as having neither harmony nor time in it, undertakes, p. 44. to perfect this fcheme. "I fhall, fays he, endeavour to write down an alphabet of mufical notes, in fuch a manner, that even a mafter of mufic fhall not fufpect it is to convey any meaning, but that which is obvious; and I am perfuaded an alphabet of mufical notes may be fo contrived, that the notes fhall not only convey the harmony, but the very words of the fong, fo that a mufic mafter (which is too often his defign) may inftruct his female pupil, not only how to play upon an inftrument, but how to play the fool at the fame time, and impofe upon her parents and guardians, by hearkening to his folly, impertinence, or wickedness. When a mufic mafter has once taught his female pupil to understand a mufi cal alphabet, and the will permit him to carry on a fecret correfpondence, he may fend her daily, a leffon which he may repent having learnt, as long as fhe lives."

Fathers of families may judge what obligations they are under to a man who profeffes to qualify mufic mafters for so treacherous and base a perverfion of their talents in an innocent and agreeable art.

The work is neatly printed; but, as the Author, with good reason, tho' with an ill grace, acknowledges, very incorrect; we cannot, however, but regret, that an undertaking of this kind

did not fall to the fhare of fome more competent hand: perhaps it may be as well, all circumftances confidered, that the book is what it is.

ART. III. The Man of Nature. Tranflated from the French. By 1773.

James Burne. Izmo. 2 vols. 5 s. Cadell.

UR readers will be led into the plan of this work, by the following infeription on a ftone in the uninhabited island, where this Man of Nature performs his exploits :

On the 6th of May 1739 was depofited here in the hands of Nature, to be the subject of an experiment which may become ufeful, Gafpar Williams, born in England the 11th of July 1724. He has never yet lived but in a wooden cage, shut up on all fides; and had never feen any human creature, of heard the found of any voice when he was left on the island.'

The following chapter may ferve as a fpecimen of the work. I cannot distinctly recollect in fucceffion any other than the first year of my arrival in the island. As the objects multiplied to my eyes, they were confounded in my imagination, and confequently in my memory. Befides, it would be a useless tak to follow chronologically my difcoveries and ideas in the fame order in which they were made. For inftance, to know the particular day on which, after my new existence, my enlargement from my cage, I heard thunder for the first time; but it is proper to know, whether it was before or after I had heard thunder that I heard the cannon; whether it was before or after I had feen a hind big with fawn, that I had feen this fame hind or another nurfing it's young one; whether it was before or after having feen corrupted carcafes I faw an animal die; and I fhall be careful that nothing fhall interrupt the order of thefe, because this order having been useful in methodizing my ideas, it is only by following my narration that I can fhew how thefe objects created in me thofe ideas, how they were produced; and, if I may be allowed the expreffion, how they engendered each other. I can eafily recollect this fucceffion of ideas; but it is as useless as it is impoffible, to specify the very day on which I first saw every object. I do not write a journal of travels. But how elfe am I to proceed? I had been fome time in my ifland, which I found fo agreeable and charming, without having even made a comparifon between that and my cage; I had already acquired, as objects prefented themfelves to my view, all the natural lights that could be gained by reflection alone, and thefe lights are fufficient for happinefs; the more we acquire of any other, the further we are removed from inftinet, to which Nature has intrufted the charge of conducting us to happiness. At fome distance from my monument, I had already difcovered a large cavern,

which at first frightened me; but to which I at length accuftomed myself to retire at night. I fay at night: for during the day that I could enjoy my existence, the fublime idea that I had of myself made me difdain all other limits but those of earth and heaven; and I cannot yet conceive, how men of improved understandings, who are called wife, can think themselves happy in houses; or, more properly speaking, tombs, that are more or lefs elegant, in which they pafs three-fourths of the few days they have to live. I have already made fome remarks on the cause of vegetation. I had obferved, I had followed the infects that were created out of the decayed fishes. The bad fmell which I had to fuftain, when I came to vifit this repofitory of Nature, in which fhe made those wonderful transformations, was amply rewarded by the pleasure I received in seeing her operations before my eyes. If I was the Plato, or the Montefquieu of my Ifland, I was alfo to be efteemed the Ariftides, the Swammerdam. Thefe little worms which I faw proceed from my diffolved fishes, make themselves little cages: fometime after they come out provided with wings, and take their flight in the air; fo that, faid I, the fishes become birds, doubtless, that fly beyond my reach, that fly up into heaven, and become there fomething elfe in their turn.One day, as I was walking, I made fome reflections on the wonders that furrounded me on all fides. I faw a fquirrel ftretched near a tree. I had already seen some of them run and play together; I took them for little ftags, who inftead of having horns and no tails; had great tails and no horns. I alfo locked upon the flying infects to be little birds, without feathers. I approached the fquirrel foftly, and believed it to be afleep, (yet thought it an odd hour to fleep, it being nine or ten o'clock in the morning.) I faw that it's eyes were operi. Ah! thought I, it is alfo like my fifh, it does neither fleep nor wake. Is it going to corrupt and diffolve like them? I took it into my hands; it ftirred; I was afraid, and let it fall. It tumbled about ftill a little; it rolled it's eyes in fuch a manner as inspired me with pity and horror. I went on my knees to obferve it; it ftretched itfelf out with violence, and caft so tender and expreffive a look on me, that I fhed tears! It fhut it's eyes, and I obferved the pulfations of it's heart, which in thefe last moments were very violent and intermitting, ceafe. This fpectacle of weaknefs and inaction overwhelmed me with forrow. I looked at the squirrel, and wept. I faid in my interior language, Alas! it no longer fees me; it no longer moves! Is it going to be annihilated, or to putrify? My heart continues to beat regularly, but his is ftopt for ever. I took the little animal again in my hand, and kified it; for I faw it could not hurt me. I carefied it, and ftrove to bring it back to life; but life was fed; the fire of its heart was extinguished."

The reader will obferve that the Writer has merit, though it does not rife to excellence: nor is the plan of his work, in its primary idea, absolutely new.

An old man and his daughter are left on the island, by the. crew of a French fhip, who had taken poffèffion of the property with which they were going to fettle in America. The Man of Nature is literally caught in a net by these people; falls in love with the daughter; who also conceives a paffion for him. He is then taught to speak; and he begets children. His father comes to fee him, and takes him to Europe, where he makes his obfervations, and returns to the island of Peace, which he peoples, and rules in fuch a manner as no ifland was ever ruled before. The work however is moral in its tendency; it may contribute to remove the bad effects of fome fashionable cuftoms; and it may be read with more benefit than most of our late novels.

ART. IV. The Hiftory of Mr. Stanly and Mifs Temple; a rural Novel. 12mo. 2 Vols. 5 s. fewed. Johnfon. 1773.

TH

HIS Novel is founded on the well-known ftory of Eudoxus and Leontine *. It is written in the manner of Sir Charles Grandifon, and has more merit than most imitations. The Reader may form a judgment of it by the following fpeeimen, in which, and in fome of the preceding letters, we think an Author's talents are put to the trial; for Mifs Temple had juft discovered herself to be in love with Mr. Stanly.

To Mifs ELVIN.

My Elvin, I am here, I am happy I fhall now be continually in company with Mr. Stanly.

This afternoon I fat with him and Mifs Winfort, for more than two hours, in the bower. He entertained us with a variety of the most amusing defcriptions of foreign countries, frequently intermixing them with little anecdotes relating to himfelf, that were very entertaining: I could have liftened to him for ever!

What a variety of fcenes he has paffed through!

I love dearly to talk with him about his travels; the wholeworld feems to him a home: and he has fuch a pretty, fuch a lively way of telling what he has feen, that one appears to be prefent to every thing he relates.

He has half a dozen thin folio's of sketched views, of the different places he was in. I would give a great deal to look at them; but it would be impertinent to hint fuch a defire, for there are many of his defigns that have a relation to particular adventures.

* Spectator, vol. ii. N° 123.

He

He is the most complete sketcher I ever knew, and so quick; he will take off a view in a few minutes.

• Mifs Winfort hinted a defire to fee him fketch. I was pleased that the did. He never waits for a fecond hint. He took from his pocket book a fountain-pen with prepared ink, and several octavo bits of paper: upon one of these he sketched the view before us in ten minutes, fuperior to any drawing I ever faw.

He made two copies of it, fuperior even to the original fketch, though I fhould have thought it impoffible before, and presented us one each: he put the other in his pocket-book. It feems he always draws firft in fmall, and enlarges it afterwards. I hinted a wish to fee fome finished drawing. When we went in, he took us to his ftudy, and fhewed us feveral; amongst the reft a view of Larkmount-houfe from the oppofite fide of the river; very beautiful indeed! It is mine now. I almost asked it of him. I think I never longed fo much for any thing, except the watch-chain, before.

My Elvin, if I was his, I fhould be afraid my fondness would difquiet him yet, no it would not neither; for I have heard Mrs. Stanly fay there was not a fonder tempered man in the world. • When we were rehearfing

But he has never been the least free fince. I believe he thinks I was not pleafed with it. Indeed the character he affumed, in fome meafure, obliged him to be familiar thenMifs Winfort too.

I can't help thinking now, I was prudifh for being angry with myself.

• Sure I am not lefs modeft than I was; but I could with he was more free than he has been this day or two. I don't know what is the reafon, but he has been rather more referved than ufual.

I believe though it is only my fancy!

Love is a strange paffion.

I am happy and miferable, and angry and pleased, with little things and actions that I fhould fcarcely have noticed before.

I will put the view of Larkmount in my apartment at Alltmont. I will have it clegantly framed and glazed. I always loved to look at the houfe; there is an elegant fimplicity in it that pleases me very much. My father loves every thing that is grand; but, for my part, I am much fonder of romantic artlefinefs: Larkmount is, in my opinion, much fuperior to Allt

mont.

• There is fomething fo innocently pretty in the house and gardens. There is nothing I am fo fond of as painting land

fcapes: