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be required, to entitle those who may have fuftained lofs by the abolition of the Slave Trade to compenfation appear just and fenfible. Upon the whole, this letter does credit to the author's talents, and still more to his motives. The copy of a Letter from North America is fubjoined. It points out fome fhocking inftances of the effects of the Slave Trade in that country.

ART. 22. A Letter addreffed to Mercator, in Reply to his Letters on the Abolition of the Slave Trade. By a Planter. 8vo. PP. Is. Ridgway. 1807.

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This Reply to the Letters figned Mercator turns many of that author's admiffions and arguments against himfelf, and fhews the inconfiftency of one part of his work with the other. author alfo combats many of the reafonings of Mercator with fuc. cefs. But the great question being now decided by the legislature, and the trade abolished, it is unneceflary to go into any detailed account of this tract, which deferves praife for its benevolent object, and, though a hafty fketch, is by no means deficient in ability and ingenuity.

ART. 23. Suggestions, arising from the Abolition of the African Slave Trade, for fupplying the Demands of the Weft-India Colonies, with Agricultural Labourers. By Robert Townsend Farquhar, Efq. 8vo. 66 pp. Cadell. 1807.

The object of this writer is to obviate the fuppofed difficulty that may arife from the abolition of the Slave Trade, in pre. ferving a fufficient Negro population in the Weft-India islands, witho it importation. To remedy this inconvenience he propofes the engaging of labourers from China, and points out the means by which they may be procured, and the terms on which they might be employed. But furely it should be firft afcertained, whether or not any difficulty in preferving the population of Negroes, and confequently whether a neceffity for fuch a measure, exifts. It is, we think, fhown by Mr. Wilberforce and other writers, that on most of the Weft-India eftates already under cultivation, the population of Negroes may be kept up by humane and judicious regulations; and there feems no probability of such an increased demand for Weft-India produce as fhould encourage the cultivation of wafte lands. We may therefore fafely wait till the experiment of kind treatment, of the increase of food, of a reduction in the quantity of work, of encouragement te marriage, and of an attention to the moral and religious improvement of the Negroes, has been more generally made in those colonies; and fuch a fyftem will now be rendered as obviously the intereft of the planters as it is their duty.

ART.

ART. 24. The late Negotiation. Subftance of the Speech of the Right Hon. George Canning, on Monday, Jan. 5, 1807, in the Debate on the Conduct of the late Negotiation with France. 8vo. 88 pp. 2s. 6d. J. J. Stockdale. 1807.

The occafion which prompted this acute and able fpeech cannot, we think, have escaped the recollection of our readers. An addrefs had been moved by Lord Howick, lamenting the failure of the negotiation for peace carried on by the late Administration, and afcribing that failure to "the injuftice and ambition of the French Government." To the furprife, we believe, of moft perfons, a Member, nearly connected with the noble Lord, and strongly attached to his party, had, after a fpeech, in which he contended that reasonable terms of pacifica. tion might have been obtained, moved an amendment, which, while it omitted the terms of cenfure on the enemy, earnestly re. quefted his Majefty to "afford every facility to any juft ar rangements by which the bleffings of peace might be restored." This amendment having been negatived without a dívifion, the fpeech before us was delivered on the main queftion, of which the Right Honourable Speaker takes a very different, and, we think, a jufter view than either the noble Lord who moved, or his relation who opposed it. He agrees with the noble Lord in attributing the rupture of the negotiation to the enemy; but he difapproves, in many refpects, the conduct of that negociation, and urges feveral confiderations tending to fhow, that throughout the whole course of it, our Minifters were the dupes of Talleyrand and Bonaparte. He particularly queftions the affertion, fo ftrongly infifted upon by the late Minifters, that the offer of the French government to treat was accompanied by a propofal of the bafis of uti poffidetis, infifting that the expreffion of Talleyrand, "Vous l'avez, nous ne la demandens pas, cannot be conftrued into the admiffion of fuch a bafis; and that, even if he had used the words "nous ne vous demandons rien (as the late Ministers fup. pofed) even fuch expreffions would not be fufficient to establish that bafis; the admiffion of which (to bind the party) fhould be in thofe exprefs and technical terms that belong to it. The Right Honourable Gentleman argues at large, and with much acutenefs, upon this ground; but, after all, contends, and we think, proves, that the bafis of uti poffidetis was by no means of the great importance prefumed, and that, if it were, Minifters did not take the most judicious courfe to procure the admission of it, Several other particulars in the conduct of the negotiation with France are difcuffed and condemned, more especially the blindness in fuffering the French government to protract the nego tiation till they could fall upon Pruffia with all their forces, having previously compelled that Power to adopt measures which excited a war with Britain.

Thefe

Thefe are the principal topics of a fpeech, to which our limits will not permit us to do more ample juftice. Confidering the abilities of the fpeaker (under whofe fanction it is apparently publifhed) we need fcarcely add, that it is well arranged and di. gefted, that the arguments which it contains are ingenious and powerful; and that the language in which they are expressed combines elegance with force.

DIVINITY.

ART. 25. Scriptural Views of Strife and Contention, exhibited in an Ejay upon Proverbs, Chap. xvii. Verfe 14. by the Author of the Diffenters Appeal, against the Attacks of the Rev. Rowland Hill. I 2mo. 28 pp. 6d. Conder, &c. 1806.

Whether this work fhould have been entitled, "An Effay," er a Sermon, is not very material. It certainly deferves the attention of the perfon named in the title-page, and of Chriftians in general; though fome points in it might be ftated more correctly.

ART. 26. The Voice of Truth; or Proofs of the divine Origin of Scripture. 12mo. 1s. 6d. Hatchard. 1807.

In very elegant and energetic language this writer, whoever he may be, has pleaded the caufe of religion, and exhibited unanfwerable proofs of the divine origin of Scripture. The works of preceding authors referred to are thofe of Paley, Bryant, and Maurice. It is in all refpects a proper book to put into the hands of young perfons, and for fuch a purpose we very strongly recommend it.

ART. 27. The Duties of Religion and Morality as inculcated in the Holy Scriptures, with preliminary and occafional Obfervations. By Henry Tuke. 12mo. Is. 6d. Darton and Harvey.

1808.

The preliminary obfervations in this excellent little book are on the importance of religion and morality; on religion as the bafis of morality, on the love of God, the holy fcriptures, and the divine attributes. The author then proceeds to the dif cuffion of religious duties, and moral duties general and parti. cular. The general duties are thofe of justice, charity, tem. perance, induftry, &c. The particular duties, thofe of hufbands and wives, parents and children, mafters and fervants, &c. &c.

This alfo is an unexceptionable book for young perfons, and indeed for adults, and is highly creditable to the duly tempered zeal of the amiable author..

MISCELLANIES.

ART. 28. The Eye of Reason, which is intended to diffuse Liberty throughout all Claffes, inftil Morality, and expand the Mind! Being a Paper of Effays, on the moft Popular Political Subjects that have occurred between January 3d and May 30th, 1807. 12mo. 380 pp. 6s. Hughes. 1807.

The Parturiant Montes, &c. has feldom been more ftrikingly exemplified than by this publication; which, though it seems to be the production of a well-meaning writer (or writers) is one of thofe which fcarcely any mortal but an unfortunate Reviewer will read. To be useful, a political work muft be, in fome degree, attractive; which common-place praises of liberty, and common. place declamations against flavery and corruption, never can be in this country, where we have long been tunned by fuch cries, as often, to fay the leaft, proceeding from fenfelefs enthufiafm, or defigning hypocrify, as from rational and fincere patriotifm.

The writer of thefe Effays appears to be, on moft topics, of the Burdettite fchool of politicians: for a reform of Parliament upon their principle, of univerfal fuffrage, and the exclufion from Parliament of all perfons holding public offices, is frequently and vehemently urged. We will not argue with fuck politicians. In eftimating the characters and merits of the two contending political parties, this writer holds the balance without much partiality: for, though he inclines, upon the whole, to prefer the late to the prefent adminiftration, yet the conduct of the former refpecting the well-known Catholic Bill is strongly, and (in our opinion) juftly cenfured. The author reprobates not only the meafure itfelf, but the fubfequent attempts to procure a parliamentary cenfure on the conduct of his Majefty; who, he truly argues, by requiring a promife not to prefs an obnoxious meafure upon him again, did not exact any pledge inconfiftent with the oath of a privy counfellor. The papers, in which the enormities of the flave trade are fhown, are, upon the whole, the best part of the work, and contain fome interesting and affecting anecdotes. In politics the author has much to learn: he is fo ignorant as to confound Jacobins, with Jacobites, than whom no two fpecies of beings can be more oppofite. Other inaccuracies occur, particularly that of reprefenting Mr. Canning as having filled the ftation which he now holds during Mr. Pitt's adminiftration; whereas that gentleman was never till the prefent ara a Principal Secretary of State, or even a Cabinet Minister.

ART.

ART. 29. Pros and Cons for Cupid and Hymen: in a Series of Metrical Satiric Dialogues, exhibiting the Horrors and Delights of being over Heads and Ears in Love; with the Supreme Felicity and Wretchedness of Matrimony. To which are added feveral other Pieces. By Jenkin Jones, Author of "Hobby Horfes," and " The Philanthropit;" and Editor of "Love and Satire." 12mo. 3s. 6d. Allen. 1807.

Among the enjoyments of life there are few more truly gratifying than that of meeting with an old acquaintance from whofe fociety we had derived advantage or pleafure. A fimilar fenfation animates us as reviewers when any new work of an author by whofe former writings we have been amufed, is prefented to us. The faculty of amufement, at leaft, is poffeffed, in no inconfiderable degree, by this writer; as his poem called "Hobby Horfes*," and still more the poems in the collection entitled "Love and Satire +" (of which we now confider him as the author as well as editor) afford fufficient proof. A vein of humour fimilar to that which appears in the latter of thofe publications, is difcernible in the preface, and in many of the poems now before us. The chief faults which we have to notice, are, a want of judgment and compreffion. When this author has once ftarted a fanciful fubject or idea, he is not fatisfied till he has hunted it down. This is particularly difcernible in his Pros and Cons; which feem to be written to ridicule the oppofite abfurdities of rafhnefs and irrefolution, in the important concern of marriage. The preface itfelf (befides being too quaint and too minutely, fatirical) almoft exhaufts a fubject, upon which eight dialogues in verfe are afterwards employed. Our limits will fcarcely admit of our giving more than the titles of those dialogues; which are, I. "O'er Head and Ears in Love”—II, "Welcome Flirtation"-III. "The Cure"-IV. "Love's Exile" -V. "Why don't you marry?"-VI. "Why did I marry ?"VII. "Deuce take my Spouse!"-VIII. "God bless my Wife !" Thefe dialogues, though by no means wanting in poetical fpirit and harmony, become tedious, owing to the fault which we have pointed out, a rage of the author for dilating his fubject and refining upon it. A ninth dialogue (on a fomewhat different fubject, the fenfations of a girl on leaving fchool) has, in our judgment, the most merit. We will give an extract from it as a favourable fpecimen of the author's manner.

"O! ever fhield me from the noify crowd,
Where Riot raves, and.Folly laughs aloud;
Where whirled in Diffipation's giddy round,
All the base partifans of Vice are found;

See British Critic, vol. xi. p. 434. + See Brisish Critic, vol. xxvii. p. 189.

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