pend upon its diftance from this affumed focus. Accordingly the Doctor obferves (and repeats it afterwards as a very material circumstance') that the inverfion of an object cannot poffibly happen in optics, unless the rays have previously converged to a focal point.'

We do not deal in Icons ;' otherwife, we would prefent the Reader with a plan of these new and unfrequented roads laid out by Dr. Berdoe for the rays of light-but here comes an experiment that requires no diagram, and which must confound Kepler, and all his fectators,' the believers in inverted images on the retina.

The Do&or, in the most folemn manner, informs us that, having examined, with a fcrupulous attention,' his own eye, at a looking glats ;. that of a great dog; and lastly the eye of a friend, who was fo kind as to lend it him (not trusting it out of his head however) for the purpose of this important experiment; Kepler's inverted picture was nowhere to be feen: but in all the three he difcovered the images of external objects exactly delineated, in their natural and ere fituation. But where?-and how?"-the incredulous and impatient Reader afks-Why, Sir, in the Cornea; and by Reflection from thence. -You feem disappointed, Sir-But really we must here take the Doctor's part:-for why fhould people delight in puzzling themselves and others, in pokeing, with Kepler and Co. into the dark, back-chambers of the eye; where every thing, according to their own confeffion, is turned topsy-turvy; when by taking a fingle peep, with Dr. Berdoe, in at the window, they may at once find every thing fet to rights?" But the Doctor makes no diftinction between reflection and refraction."-The Doctor, Sir, is above all these niceties.

Towards the conclufion of his work the Doctor informs us that if our eyes were deprived of the vitreous humour, all objects would appear one hundred times larger, perhaps, than what they are.'-Now of all the Doctor's Doubts,' this ugly perhaps is furely the most unfeafonable. Were it not for that mortifying qualifier, here is a fair opening towards a noble discovery indeed!—and yet, diffident mortal that he is, he does not ap pear confcious that he is on the very brink of it!-Let us however enjoy the glorious idea.-Away then with your marine chairs, your tottering telescopes, your coftly and precarious time-pieces, and the other numerous and complex devices for difcovering the longitude at fea!-The thing is here, perhaps, done to our hands.-Let but fome dexterous operator tap the eyes of each marine obferver of their vitreous humours, he will then have a little compact and manageable binocular telescope, with a charge of 100, always ready mounted, in his head; and

then,

then, though toffed about in the Bay of Bifcay, not a fingle moon in Jupiter's train can flink behind his fhadow, or pop her head out of it, without his perceiving it, the inftant he does but cock his eyes up at her. But to be fomewhat more ferious at parting.

Out of a work which is, from beginning to end, a cluster of concatenated blunders and abiurdities, varioufly entangled with each other, it has coft us no fmall labour to unravel, and pick out from the mafs, the foregoing fpecimens. With respect to the main point-whatever may be the cafe with Dr. Berdoe and his great dog, every other individual, both of the human and brute race, we can boldly affure him, receive their ideas of ex-' ternal objects, by the medium of inverted images, on the Retina. As he feems to have been betrayed into the above lucklefs enquiry, and into the denial of a plain and undoubted matter of fact, from not being able to reconcile the idea received from an inverted image, with the erect appearance of the object; we would willingly affift the conceptions of this philofophical Tyro, by referring him to a popular illustration to be found, we believe, in Smith's Optics viz. that, though the images of objects are inverted upon the Retina, yet, as that part of the object is feen moft diftinctly, towards which the axis of the eye is directed, we elevate the eye, in order to view diftinctly the upper part of an object, and, vice verfâ, deprefs it to inspect the lower. Now, the confciousness of thefe motions of the eye, immediately fucceeded by their respective visible impreffions, may naturally lead us to form a right judgment of the external pofition of objects.-If he requires further fatisfaction-though we apprehend we are ending him much beyond his depth, we refer him to Dr. Reid's Enquiry into the Human Mina, chap. 6. fect. 11 and 12.

The pamphlet concludes in the following alarming manner: The rectilinear progrefs of the rays of light are continued to the optic nerve, by which means we fee objects without variation. Every phenomenon in the laws of vifion may be reconciled to this fuppofition. The proof will furnish matter for. fome future publication."

But we earnestly recommend to this Gentleman, for his own fake, and all our fakes, not to carry this threat into execution; or at least that he would have the modesty to make himself maiter of the first elements of optics before he fets up again. for a fubvertor of fyftems, and an impugner of plain facts. We may be forry perhaps that we are not in a fituation that enables us to whisper our falutary advice in his ear: but his cafe is urgent and defperate; and we therefore take our leave cf him, by pablicly obferving to him, in the words of Horace that, instead of thus expofing himself, and peftering the public, with fuch glaring

R 4

glaring proofs of blindness and vanity, as abound in the publi cation now before us, it will highly become him for the future Que non didicit, plane nefcire fateri ;

and that his acquiefcence in this advice cannot be made known to the public in a more acceptable manner, than by his ceafing to write upon subjects, with which he is totally unacquainted.

MONTHLY CATALOGUE, For MARC H, 1773.

RELIGIOUS and CONTROVERSIAL.

Art. 15. Logica Genevenfis; or, a fourth Check to Antingmianifm. In which St. James's pure Religion is defended againft the Charges, and established upon the Conceffions, of Mr. Richard and Mr. Rowland Hill. 12mo. I s. 6 d. Bristol printed by

Pine, and fold by Keith in London. 1772.

R. Fletcher continues to push the Calvinifts with unremitting once. The veteran, Wefley, who now, perhaps, thinks it time to retire from the well-fought field, is fortunate in having fo zealous an auxiliary. We do not recollect that he has, himfelf, published any tract, (of bulk or price enough to entitle it to notice in the Review) in a controverfy wherein he is principally concerned, except his Remarks on Mr. Hill's Review. See Monthly Review for November lalt, P. 397.

Art. 16. Logica Wefleienfis; or, the Farrago double diftilled. With an heroic Poem in Praife of Mr. John Wesley. By Richard Hill, Efquire. 8vo. 1 ́s. Dilly. 1773.

Efquire Hill, who enters at the oppofite fide of the lifts, encounters alfe two champions at a time, Mr. Wefley, and his friend the Author of the four Checks. His weapons are wit and argument, which he handles fo dexterously, that we cannot help wishing to fee them more usefully employed. The dart aimed at Mr. W. from the heights of Parnaffus, is a piercer.-But we thought that this fu rious partizan of the Tabernacle had been weary of the fpiritual warfare in which he has been fo long and fo actively engaged: furely we could not have mistaken him!-Oh! here comes

Art. 17. The Finishing Stroke; containing fome Strictures on the Rev. Mr. Fletcher's Logica Genevenfis, &c. By Richard Hill, Efq; 8vo. 1s. Dilly. 1773.

No-we are afraid not! We fhall certainly, have more laff words from Shropshire. Here is a fresh attack on the Vicar of Madely; and Mr. H. does not, now, feem at all inclined to let Mr. F. remain matter of the field for want of an opponent," notwithstanding the refolution he had formed of being filent."Vid. advert. prefixed to "The Finishing Stroke."

* See Rev. Auguft 1772, p. 160, Art. Some Remarks on the thira Check, &c.

Art.

Art. 18. More Work for Mr. John Wesley; or, a Vindication of the Decrees and Providence of God, &c. &c. By Auguftus Toplady, A. B. Vicar of Broad-Hembury. 8vo. I s. 6d. Matthews. 1772.

Thefe polemical fkirmishers never fail to remind us of Fielding's definition of religion, in one of his fugitive papers. It is comprehended in the following fhort queftion, and fhrewd answer:

Queft. What is religion?

Anfw. A fubject of difputation.

We wish, however, for our own fakes, as well as on other confiderations, that these hoftile gentlemen could be prevailed on to put up. What the mischief! are they to continue tilting about their-doxies, as long as the Greeks and Trojans were at it, about the beautiful daughter of Leda!

Art. 19. An Appeal to Matter of Fact and Common fenfe; or, a rational Demonftration of Man's corrupt and loft Eftate. 12mo. 2 s. fewed. Brittol printed; and fold at the Workhouse in Madely-Wood, Shropshire, for the Benefit of the Poor; and at the Foundery, and by G. Keith, in London. 1772.

Although we cannot fubfcribe to all Mr. Fletcher's religious te nets, we think there are abundance of good things in his writings: and we have no doubt that he is warmly animated by a fincere and pious regard for the falvation of the fouls that are committed to his charge, as well as for the fpiritual welfare of mankind in general. Art. 20. Daily Devotions for the Clofet. To which are added, Prayers on particular Occafions. By the late Rev. Samuel Merivale. 12mo. 2 $. Buckland. 1772.

Although thefe good things are feldom to be praised for excellence of compofition; yet to criticise them were an ungracious attempt. We fhall, therefore, only add, that Mr. Merivale, the late Author, has given forms of private devotion for every day in the week, occafional forms, and forms of prayer for children. If this book, however, is to be put into the hands of children, we fubmit it to the reconfideration of the Editor, whether it would not be proper to omit the claufe, p. 108, where the indelicate finner prefumes to talk to the SUPREME BEING about the immodefty and lasciviousness' with which his words and actions have been frequently tinctured?'

'

POETICAL.

Art. 21. The Works of Andrew Marvel, Efq. 12mo. 2 Vols. 6s. Davies. 1772.

In this age of Editors, when almost every poet of name has had his works republished by fome critic of reputation, it is hard that Marvel fhould again appear in the paltry edition that was given of him in the year 1726 by one Thomas Cooke. The poet's life, which would have afforded room for the finest and most fpirited compofition, is narrated in the dulleft and vileft manner; and most of his poems appear to better advantage in Dryden's Mifcellanies; for that great poet had retrenched thofe injudicious parts which this Editor made a merit of restoring.

Marvel was a man of fine fancy and extraordinary wit; but his poetry, a few pieces excepted, has too much of that falfe brilliance

and overlaboured imagery which was followed by the taste of his times.

DRAMATIC.

Art. 22. The Prodigal Son.

An Oratorio. Performed at the Theatre Royal in the Haymarket. Written by Mr. Hull. Set to Mufic by Mr. Arnold. 4to. I S. Bell. 1773.

The words of an Oratorio seldom afford a fufficient fubject for criticifm. The poet acts an inferior part, and is under the direction of the mufical compofer. This is the reason that some of the finest paffages in the compofitions of our beft mafters are fet to poetical phrafes, the most uncouth, feeble, and fickly that can be imagined. It is not much to fay of this publication, that it is fuperior to many of thofe compilations which go under the name of Oratorios, and that Mr. Hull has fome merit in it as a Writer. It has faults, however, which we wonder Mr. Arnold did not remove. Some of the recitatives are in the manner of dialogues, and they do not always lead to an air; at least not foon enough to reward us for having attended to them. But the principal objection to the Oratorio is chargeable both on Mr. Hull and Mr. Arnold. The best fongs and chorufes, both for words and mufic, are in behalf of vice. This, we are fure, could not be the intention of thofe gentlemen; but, if they call to mind the conclufion of the first part; and the first air in the third, and compare them with any other paffages in the Oratorio, we shall wonder, if they do not think we blame them with reafon. They may fay, that the words and the mufic are in character, in a prodigal: we think they are improper in this Oratorio, unless they had furnished fomething more striking on the fide of virtue. These things fhould be managed like the lights and fhades of a picture; and none but a maf ter can always oppofe them with judgment and tafte. We are far, however, from condemning this performance. It has been favourably received, and with fome juftice; and it would, perhaps, fucceed better in another season, when it may not have to ftruggle against the bewitching powers of Mifs Linley.

MISCELLANEOUS. Art. 23. A Letter on Occafion of the Public Enquiry concerning the most fit and proper Bread to be affized for general Use: fhewing the difficulty of executing the Act of the 31ft Geo. II. in a beneficial manner to the poor; the conftant Ufage and Custom with regard to Bread for many Centuries; the Folly of eating Bread known to be made white by Art and Adulteration, and the great Advan tages of eating pure Bread made of all the Flour, including the Heart of the Wheat, as the most falutary, agreeable, and nutritive Aliment. Recommended as an Object of a very serious and important Nature. By an Advocate for Public Welfare. 12mo. od. Woodfall, &c. 1773.

When we confider how important an article our daily Bread is, to the whole community; when we confider how far removed the inhabitants of this great metropolis are, from a knowledge of the compo fition they constantly eat under this name; the hints that have been occafionally given of the unwholesome adulteration of it, will fecure a favourable reception to any profeffed information on fo very useful and interesting a fubject. To this must be added, that the pamphlet now before us, even on an outfide view, appears to claim more than

ordinary