MONTHLY CATALOGUE. For JULY, 1759. MISCELLANEOUS, Art. 1. The Rife and Fall of Pot-Afh in America, addreffed to the Right Honourable the Earl of Hallifax. 4to. Is. Cabe. N our Review, Vol. XIII. p. 155, we mentioned Mr. Stephens's Process for making Pot-afh, publifhed in confequence of a parliamentary reward for his divulging the fecret, and as an encouragement for him to proceed in his endeavours to establish this valuable manufacture in our American Colonies. We were at that time in great hopes of feeing this important undertaking established on a permanent footing; but now, as friends to the trade and commerce of our country, we have the mortification to find, by Mr. Stephens's prefent narrative, that this public-fpirited scheme has been fuffered to fall to the ground, for want of that farther fupport which the undertaker had reason to expect; and that both the projector and his project have been ruined, through the oppofition he has met with, from people whofe intereft, or particular views, happened not to agree with the profperity of an undertaking which had received the highest countenance, and been justly confidered as fo valuable a branch of our commerce, that it might, if fuccefsfully purfued, have been attended with a national faving of One Hundred Thoufant Pounds per annum.-One would almost conclude, from the general fate of even our most fuccessful projectors, that Providence has not allotted them a compenfation in this world. Thus Middleton, to whom the city of London is fo much obliged for the New River, and Lombe, who established our Silk-mills, were, by the generous Public, left to feek their reward in heaven, where neither moth nor ruft doth corrupt, and where thieves break not through and fleal. Art. 2. The Caftle-Builders; or, the Hiftory of William Stephens, of the Ifle of Wight, Efq; lately deceafed. A political Novel, never before published in any language. 8vo. 2s. 6d. Cabe. Instead of a political novel, as its Author, perhaps, for political reafons, has entitled it, this feems to be the true hiftory of that family, of which Mr. Thomas Stephens (mentioned in the foregoing ar ticle, relating to pot-afh) is one of the branches. He has, probably, published the Caffle-Builders, to fhew, that himself is not the only one of the family who has fuffered by engaging in schemes of a public nature: though, at the fame time, we muit obferve, that Mr. Stephens, whom we guefs to be the Author of this hiftory, evidently does not mean to caft the leaft reflection on the memory of his worthy father, mentioned in the title; for that gentleman's character is here placed in the moft amiable light and the story of his misfor tunes is fuch as cannot fail to excite the Reader's compassion. : And also to evince the truth of this maxim, which he every where labours to establish, That PARTY is a contrivance, only to ferme PRIVATE İNTEREST. REV. July, 1759. G Art. Art. 3. The British Negociator; or, Foreign Exchanges made pera felly eafy. Containing tables for all the various courfes of Exchange from, and the feveral Goins equated of, Holland, Hamburgh, Germany, France, Spain, Portugal, Venice, Leghorn, Genoa, Denmark, Poland, Sweden, Ruffia, Ireland. Together with tables, and rules of Exchanges, from Afia, Africa, and America, or the Weft-Indies, and the Exchanges of the principal foreign nations with one another. Alfo Arbitrations of Exchanges, in a new and concife method applicable to business. Likewife the weights and measures of foreign nations. To which are annexed, feveral mercantile tables, equally useful to foreign traders and factors, and to inland merchants and dealers: And an essay on the nature and business of Exchanging in general is prefixed, by way of introduction. By S. Thomas, Merchant. Richardfon. 38. This book, which appears pretty full, requires no farther account of it than what the title gives. Experience alone must establish its character with the merchant; who will attain the fureft knowlege of its value, by making trial of its utility. Art. 4. An Hour's Amusement for the Belles and Beaux, present er abfent from St. James's Park, on Sunday the 24th of June, 1759. 8vo. Is. Mariner. The late extraordinary manner in which a celebrated lady of quality was attended, in her walk in St James's Park, has furnished a wretched fcribbler with an opportunity of trying to raise contributions on the public but he would do well to betake himself to fome honefter way of living, as he is totally unqualified to earn his bread by pam- phletteering. Art. 5. Jemima and Louifa. In which is contained, feveral remarkable incidents relating to two ladies of diftinguished families and fortunes. In a series of Letters. By a Lady. 12mo. 3s. Owen. A faint imitation of Mr. Richardfon's writings. We fhall fay no more, as it is a lady's production. Art. 6. The Mifcellaneous Works, in verfe and profe, of Mrs. Mary Latter, of Reading, Berks. 8vo. 3s. fewed. Wilkie. The fex and the circumftances of the Author, muft naturally exempt her works from the feverity of criticifm. As a woman who wanted it, we hope the has had a good fubfcription; but as a candidate for fame, (if the has any view of that fort) it is really unfortunate for Mrs. Latter, that Mifs-Jones and Mifs Carter appeared before her. Art. 7. The Trial at large of John Stevenfon, late of Bickerton in the county of Chefter, cheefe-factor. Who was tried at Chef ter ter-afizes, April 27, 1759; before Mr. Justice Swinnerton, Art. 8. A popular Lecture on the Aftronomy and Philofophy of Comets. In which the opinions of the antients, and the difcoveries of Sir Ifaac Newton, relative to thofe bodies, are introduced and explained. By Samuel Dunn, Mafter of an Academy at Chelfea. Read to fome of the Author's pupils, unacquainted with 8vo. 6 d. the more intricate parts of fpeculative mathematics. Owen. A pamphlet much too brief, to make good the affertion in the title; which informs us, that the subjects of it are introduced and explained. This lecture introduces a number of detached heads or pro pofitions, to each of which an explanation is neceffary; efpecially for pupils unacquainted with the more intricate parts of speculative mathematics. N Art. 9. Candid, or all for the beft. Tranflated from the French of M. de Voltaire. 12mo. Is. 6d. Nourfe. To those who are not very deeply read in the volume of the hu man heart, and yet have fometimes indulged fpeculation on the follies and foibles of mankind, it may appear ftrange, that men of wit and genius fhould fo feverely feel neglect, or difapprobation, from fuch as they affect to hold in the utmost derifion and contempt. A Writer of fuperior merit will make very little fcruple to avow, that the greater part of mankind are unequal to the task of comprehending his works, or relishing their beauties: he defpifes them for it, in the highest de gree, and yet is, frequently, in the fame degree, angry with them, that they refufe to do juftice to that merit, of which he confeffes they are incompetent judges. What fubjects for jest and abuse have illiterate patrons been, in all ages! men of genius and literature would, nevertheless, have all the nobility to be patrons: and yet, fhould any of them happen to encourage an art, in which they are themselves notoriously ignorant, how would their liberality expofe them to ridicule ? It is a mark of prudence, therefore, in those to whom fortune hath given the means of patronage, to encourage no art or science but fuch as they them felves, in fome measure, understand. Yet men of genius daily ftigmatize this prudence, as arising from avarice, meannefs, or extrava gance. Nay, what is ftill more abfurd, the greater merit a Writer is poffeffed of, the more fublime or profound are his ideas, the greater * claim claim he ridiculously lays to the admiration of those, who are, in pro portion as his merit increafes, the lefs able to judge of the matter. Here is a nobleman of the first rank,-you would have him take the arts and fciences under his protection, cherifh diftinguifhed genius, and rescue modeft merit from obfcurity. Are you mad, to think his Lordship fuch a fool? Why would you have him expofe himself? Which way is he to fet about all this? He himfelf understands nothing but racing, cocking, and whift. Would not all the world laugh at him, fhould he fet up for a Mecenas ? A patron of arts and fciences, without knowlege, capacity, or taste? Men of genius fhould be confiftent in laying the tax of approba tion and applaufe on the public; and yet fo little are pretenders to philofophy in theory, real philofophers in practice, that we hardly fee any fo much fubject to their paflions, fo galled by difgrace, or chagrined by neglect, as those whose abilities, we might have expected, fhould have placed them above the influence of accidents, fo infeparable to extraordinary merit. Perhaps no man ever faffered more, in this respect, than Mr. de Voltaire. Made giddy with popular admiration and applause in the former. part of his life, it is no wonder his future expectations ran high. Difappointed and difgraced in age, he has been long abufing indivi duals, and feems determined to finish his career, by expreffing his deteftation of mankind in general. The mifanthropy of Swift and Voltaire seem to have arifen from nearly the fame motives, and to be productive of fimilar effects. The deteftable ftory of the Yaboos and the abominable one of Candide, bear so near a resemblance, in two attendant circumftances, viz. the temper of mind in the respective authors, and the apparent defign of the pieces themselves, that, where either is well known it would be almoft fuperfluous to give a general character of the other: and yet to defcend into the particulars of the work before us, would be paying no great compliment to our readers. An abfurd, improbable tale, written with an apparent view to de preciate not only human nature, but the goodness and wisdom of the Supreme Author of our being, we dare be confident, can afford them little fatisfaction. That we may not, however, totally disappoint curiosity, it may not be improper juft to observe, that this little work is a kind of a moral (or, as fome might perhaps rather chufe to call it, an immoral) romance, wherein the author ridicules many abfurd notions, and idle customs, of different nations, with much fpirit and (ftrange as it may feem in a Frenchman) with some strokes of true humour: the chief point laboured at through the whole, being to invalidate the opinion of fome philofophers, refpecting the moral and providential Oeconomy of the univerfe, viz. that all is for the best. Juftice, however, calls upon us to declare, that our Author does not (as he is fuppofed to do by certain undistinguishing critics) conteft the celebrated principle, adopted by our favourite British bard, Whatever is, is right. If Mr. Voltaire's opinion be, indeed, in this refpect, contrary to that of Mr. Pope, he is, doubtlefs, molt egregisufly mistaken; but let us condemn no man for what he has not faid, par particularly a Writer of fo acknowleged a genius as Mr. Voltaire, who hus, indeed, enough to answer for, in respect to what he really has said, Art. 10. Candid Reflexions on the Expedition to Martinico; with an account of the taking of Guardalupe, &c. By J. J. a Lieutenant in the Navy. 8vo. Is. Johnston. Made up from the news-papers, particularly theGazette extraordinary. The compiler feems to be a Genius of an uncommon cast. For instance, he introduces the comet into his pamphlet, with this remarkable obfervation, That this grand phænomenon has appeared three different times, each on fome joyful occafion; that in 1607, Keplar obferved it at Prague, when it performed the office of a bonfire, at the birth of a prince;-That in 1682, when Caffini observed it in France, it was equally loyal, on the birth of the duke of Burgundy; and that in 1759, this jovial traveller made his appearance in England, amidit the greateft preparations for keeping the birth-day of George, prince of Wales, in a manner fuitable to the grandeur of a free people.'-From which we are led to conjecture, that, after all the various theories of comets, which have been started, thefe courtly phænomena are no other than certain celeftial fire-works, complaifantly play'd off above, on thefe "joyful occafions" below. POETICAL. Art. 11. Four Odes, intended for chorufes to a tragedy altered from Shakespear, on the death of Julius Cæfar. By the Rev. Mr. Hudfon. 4to. Is. Davis. Though we have frequently declared our opinion of the impro priety of the chorus in dramatic reprefentations, yet we have no ob jection to good poetry, in whatever form it appears; and as fuch, Mr. Hudson's odes are entitled to our recommendation. They are not wanting in fancy, fpirit, nor harmony of numbers. Art. 12. Califta; or the Injur'd Beauty: a poem, founded on fact. Written by a Clergyman, 4to. Is. Griffin in Fetter Jane. Rehearfes the diftrefs of a damfel ruined and forfaken by her lover, The author has fome poetry about him, as a critic of the last century expreffes himself; and may be read with patience, though not with much pleasure his performance being debafed by a number of lines inferior to the reft, and by fome very unpardonable rhimes, which feem to speak the youth and inexperience of the bard. MEDICAL, Art. 13. The Virtues of Honey in preventing many of the worst diforders; and in the certain cure of feveral others: particularly the gravel, afhmas, coughs, boarseness; and a tough morn ing |