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What the Annotator has advanced concerning the appointment of the fheriffs, may likewife be liable to objection. It is not certain, that, from the time of the conqueft, they were appointed at the King's pleafure. Some conclude, and with good reason, that Edward the Second was the first who took upon him the nomination of fheriffs,

If we believe Dalrymple, the sheriffs were fometimes under the influence of the Lords; which they probably would not have been, had their appointment been entirely at the King's pleafure. He tells us, that William the Conqueror, to keep the provincial jurifdictions of the Sheriffs in awe, established a conftant court in the hall of his own palace, called Aula Regis, in which the Jufticiarius Capitalis prefided instead of the King.

Nevertheless the territorial jurifdiction of the Lords, and the provincial jurifdiction of the Sheriffs, continuing inconvenient, Henry the Second divided the kingdom into fix circuits, and fent Judges itinerant through the land, with a view to humble the power of the great men in their counties. Not contented with this, he divided the business of the Aula Regis into two courts, called the King's Bench, and Common Pleas; the one for criminal, the other for civil matters: and Edward the First, who compleated this divifion, in order to give more state to thofe courts, fometimes fat himfelf in the court of King'sBench.

This is the origin of these courts. We find, however, that their jurifdiction, especially that of the King's Bench, has been greatly extended. But this is an enquiry foreign to our purpose, and perhaps not prudent for us to pursue.

To give the Reader an idea of the general contents of the book before us, we must not omit to take notice, that, at the end of the antient Dialogue, we find an epiftolary Discourse concerning the great Roll of the Exchequer, commonly called the Fifth of King Stephen, which the Writer, with good reafon, is of opinion, should be rather referred to the time of King Henry the First.

Upon the whole, we recommend this publication to the curious in Antiquity, who will find it well worthy their perufal.

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Thoughts on the Plan for a Magdalen-houfe for Repentant Profi tutes, with the feveral reasons for fuch an establishment; the cuftom of other nations with regard to fuch Penitents; and the great advantages which will probably arife from this inftitution, upon political and religious principles. Addreffed to the Promoters of this charity. 4to. 1s. 6d. Waugh.

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Plan to promote virtue and good manners, by fuppreffing vice and debauchery, without having recourfe to forcibleand coercive expedients, certainly merits the higheft applaufe. which gratitude can beftow, and the utmost affiftance which liberality can afford.

It is one of the nobleft offices of humanity, to recall the unhappy and 'deluded from the paths of proftitution, and to provide a fecure retreat, where real penitents may atone for their mifpent lives, and become useful members of fociety. No fenfation can exceed the heart-felt fatisfaction of being the means of restoring purity of manners, and confequently peace of mind, to an unfortunate wretch, who has fallen, perhaps more the victim of folly, than of vice.

But as the end is glorious, fo the means of attaining it are, extremely difficult. And they who are generous from the principles of rational benevolence, rather than of fashionable oflentation, will with-hold their generofity, till they are affured that the means are properly adapted to accomplish the projected end.

The thoughts on this fubject, in the pamphlet before us, rather exprefs a warm and zealous appeal to the Reader's paffions, than a defire to convince his judgment. The Writer has taken great pains to demonftrate the expedience and utility of the defign, of which few can entertain a doubt; but he has made no attempt towards explaining the method propofed for carrying it into execution, which is the material confideration.

Indeed, it must be confeffed, that he has recommended the ufefulness of the inftitution, by abundance of pathetic arguments, and a profufion of fcriptural illuftrations. He has not, however, thought fit to truft his caufe to his own power of perfuafion, as a Writer: he has called in the Engraver to his affiftance. In the frontispiece to this work is a curious print, which represents a fair penitent, kneeling at a table, with her eyes and hands directed towards heaven. On the table is placed the bible, and the book of common prayer; but the countenance of the woman is rather expreffive of defpair, than of penitence. Behind her is a fpinning-wheel, and on the wall hangs the table of diet. This is all the furniture of her gloomy apartment. Such a rue

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ful scene may, perhaps, be well calculated to move the Devout to become fubfcribers, but it does not feem wifely adapted to engage the women of the town, to become inhabitants of fuch mournful manfions. To those who know not the characters of the worthy gentlemen concerned in this defign, all this pathetic eloquence of the pen and the graver might look like the design of fanatical artifice, to work upon credulous zeal: to influence those by reafon, who know the world, the Writer should chiefly have endeavoured to convince them, that the regulations of this charity, were prudently calculated to promote the defired end of reformation.

We would not, however, have our objections to this pamphlet confidered as a proof of our diflike to the plan, which the well-meaning and worthy Writer fo zealously recommends. Though an establishment of this kind be a difficult undertaking, we nevertheless apprehend it is both an expedient and a feasible one. It is, at least, highly adviseable to make the experiment; for the number of courtezans which throng the streets of this metropolis, have long fince been a difgrace to our police; nay, more, a fcandal to human nature: and there is no doubt, but that, by proper incitements, the bulk of them may be induced to forfake those vicious habits, which draw deftruction upon themselves, and entail mifery upon others.

But it is time to hear our Author's fentiments; and it would be unjust not to premife, that his reflections in general are judicious and animated. He expreffes himself like one who feels the rectitude of what he advances; and we cannot but applaud the apparent fincerity of his zeal, though it fometimes leads him into a degree of extravagance. Perhaps, however, a strong portion of enthusiasm is neceffary, to actuate the projectors of reformation but it must be referved for men of cooler judgment, to accomplish the work.

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We doubt not but every fenfible Reader will fubfcribe to the propriety of the following obfervations.

In juftice to the female world,' fays our Author, may it not be fairly asked, if virtue has not the fame charms to captivate their hearts, and religion the fame power to create a ⚫ deteftation of vice and folly in their minds, as in mens? With regard to women who have wandered from the paths of virtue, let those who have examined only the foul corners of the heart, or pryed only into the darkeft fcenes of iniquity, argue as cogently as they pleafe, even from real facts, they muft in their turn indulge others, who know alfo from experience, that there is a native ingenuou nefs in the minds of mary of

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thefe women, that inclines them to wifh for the means of repentance.

Ufe and cuftom take off fome part of the force of mifery itfelf, and the heart, which does not burft with a fenfe of injuries, may become callous and infenfible of them. If this were not the cafe, many of thefe proftitutes would fee themfelves the most abandoned of mankind. They would discover the ftrange extravagance of revenging upon themselves, the crimes of others; or if they imputed their misfortunes to their own indifcretion, they would find but very little reason to live in infamy, merely because their own paflions first betrayed them. Many a poor girl might have fhewn her power over him, who is now an idle fpectator of her mifery and many a one has been deferted by her friends, because they thought only of the crime, whilft the world judges and condemns with feverity. Thus left to ftruggle with the tyranny of bawds, and the infolence of debauchees; followed by a train of evils, infamy, poverty, and difeafe, what can be the • confequence but a miferable death, unrepenting of their fins, unlamented even by their partners in iniquity! To enumerate inftances, on this occafion, is not proper, nor are they in the leaft neceffary, fince it is no fecret, either to the virtu ⚫ous or the vicious, that many prostitutes are in a worse con⚫dition than even the brute that perishes. Every other animal is obedient to his appetite, but appetite has frequently no fhare in the promiscuous commerce of thefe women.-Harlots are, in no country, treated with fuch grofs indignities, as in this, fo that one would almost wonder how it happens, that the fame pride which led them into the fare, does not induce more of them to forfake their evil course, at all hazards.Every one who confiders the fubject muft fee, from this fingle circumftance, how much thefe unhappy women are enflaved by their bad habits.

As there is no nation which carries every thing that is vile, as well as every thing that is virtuous, higher than this, fo there is, I believe, no city in the world, where fuch rank enormities prevail, as in this great metropolis.-There is an elegancy in vice as well as in virtue, and though it is the more dangerous, in fome refpects, on this account, yet ftill it is a fafeguard against those disorders, to which a brutish and pro⚫ fligate life expofes mankind.-There is alfo a certain delicacy ⚫ of manners effential to good order; and the distinctions which ⚫ the fexes fhow to each other, is one great means of fupporting that order. How dreadfully are things transformed with us!--We frequently fee thefe women treated like dogs, and we hear thofe tongues, which the God of nature defigned fhould

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• should soften the distresses of human life, and give a relish to its joys, uttering the higheft indecencies, and the most dreadful imprecations! At the fame time we acknowlege, that thefe young perfons are born in a free country, where pure religion is proteffed; that many of them were educated in the • principles of virtue; that all of them are entitled to the protection of men, and moft afluredly intended by the wife and beneficent father of mankind, as their partners in the focial joys of life: can we then turn the glafs, and behold them the abject flaves of an abandoned procurefs; fold, both body and foul, for half a crown, without being fired with a generous indignation for the caufe of humanity!'

The following fentence comprehends a just cenfure on those who are ready to condemn all innovations, as extravagant attempts.

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It is no pleafing confideration,' fays he, but it feems ne• ceffary to take notice on this occafion, that every effort out of the common track, to fupport the caufe of reaton and religion, appears to fome people as an extravagant attempt; tho' in reality, the extravagance confifts in their paffive defertion of the intereft of reafon and religion. A close adherence to fome political principles, however well grounded in observation, not only depreciates human nature, but betrays us into an opinion, that our efforts to obey the laws of God in certain inftances, are romantic and ridiculous. It is thus men lofe their reverence for human nature; they first steel their hearts to a sense of human mifery; and the transition then becomes eafy, to leave reafon and religion to take care of themselves. But thefe politicians fhould remember, that was there nothing • more in view than political prudence, with regard to the increase of the fpecies, and the good order of the ftate, there is the utmost reafon to check the progrefs of this fpecies of iniquity. For, as matrimony is the moft certain means of augmenting the number of people, and the trueft cement of civil fociety, though we cannot fupprefs whoredom, it is fure⚫ly no small object to difcourage it.'

It is certain, that many profitable schemes are rejected as impracticable, upon mere fpeculation only, which might be carried into execution with good fuccefs. If we confider the nature of the human heart, and attend to the changes which have happened in the world, both reafon and experience will convince us, that, by prudence and perfeverance, mankind may be perfuaded to adopt any habits, and conform to any regulations.

Our Author obferves, that Every nation has fomething peculiar to itself: their genius," fays he, their laws, and par

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