Botanical Dialogues between Hortenfia and her Four Children, Charles, Harriet, Juliet, and Henry, defigned for the Ufe of Schools. By a Lady. Johnfon.

THE charming fcience of botany is here explained

with great felicity. To young perfons, and efpecially to the female fex, its ftudy has been warmly recommended. We are ready to join in extolling its ufes; for a knowledge of the vegetable world impresses us with the wisdom of the Divine Being, and enables us to fill up, in an agreeable manner, feveral of the vacant hours of human life.

The authorefs, after a very short advertisement, introduces the following recommendatory letter:

"Derby, Aug. 24, 1795.

"DEAR MADAM, "According to your defire, Sir Brooke Boothby and "myself have been agreeably bufied for many days in "reading and confidering your Botanical Dialogues for "Children, and much admire your addrefs in fo accu"rately explaining a difficult science in an easy and fa"miliar manner, adapted to the capacities of thofe for "whom you profeffedly write; and at the fame time "making it a complete elementary fyftem for the in"ftruction of those of more advanced life, who wish to "enter upon this entertaining though intricate study. "We think, therefore, that not only the youth of both "fexes, but the adults alfo will be much indebted to your ingenious labours, which we hope you will foon "give to the public.

66

"We beg to fubfcribe ourselves, with true regard, "Dear madam,

"Your obedient servants,

“B. R. BOOTHBY, "E. DARWIN."

After

After fuch an encomium nothing more need be added refpecting its merits by us. We may, however, juft obferve, that we have read the work with atten tion, and that it is deferving of the recommendation with which it has been honoured.

The Chriftian Monitor for the laft Days, or a Caution to the profeffedly Religious against the Corruptions of the latter Times, in Doctrine, Difcipline, and Morals. By John Owen, A. M. Late Fellow of Corpus Chrifti College, Cambridge, and Curate of Fulham. 4s. Cadell.

THE author of this performance is already known

to the public by his Travels through Europe, which we duly noticed in our Review, and which have engaged confiderable attention. He now comes forward in his more appropriate character of a divine, and affords proof both of his feriousness and ability.

The obfervations of Mr. Owen on the prefent condition of fociety amongst us, are, in many refpects, excellent; and even where we do not coincide with him in opinion, we are led to admire the candour and modefty with which he expreffes himself. He avoids, indeed, the thorny path of controverfy, and with a commendable zeal directs his artillery against the reigning vices and follies of the day.

We join moft fincerely with Mr. Owen in lamenting the degeneracy of modern times, and are of opinion that feveral of the means which he recommends would, were they adopted, contribute to the melioration of fociety. But we think that his admonitions should have been pointed more against the higher claffes, in whole infidelity and licentioufnefs many of our evils have originated. In vain do the theologian and the moralist of any church, lift up their voices against impiety and profaneness, whilft the more powerful example of the

S 2

fuperior

fuperior orders, with a few honourable exceptions, fet at defiance every thing that has relation to virtue and piety. We should revert to the great fource of our depravity, and effecting a reformation in this quarter, we should be the more likely to bring back the mass of the community from that thoughtlefs profligacy by which they are at prefent diftinguished.

A Second Walk through Wales, by the Reverend Richard Warner. Dilly.

[Concluded from page 107.]

HAVING already imparted to our readers an idea of the information to be expected from this work, we now shall extract fome entertaining portions, They will fhew that the author can, occafionally, indulge a vein of pleafantry, and breathes fervent wishes for the happiness of mankind.

In his vifit to the Caffle of St. Donat's, Glamorganfhire, the following curious incident is introduced;

"We were indebted to the civility of the gentleman who conducted us through the building, and congratulated our felves on the very different reception which we had received, from that ofa fellow-pedestrian, who visited St. Donat's amongst the other remarkables of Glamorganfhire, about fix weeks ago.

"This gentleman, who was alone, and accoutered in a manner fimilar to ourselves, had taken, it seems, nearly the fame route with us, and being a man of much curiofity, his enquiries and obfervations had been very particular and minute. The disturbances in Ireland were at this time at their height, and the co-operations of the French with the rebels being hourly expected, the minds of the Welsh peafantry (who are very anti-gallican) had been filled with an unusual agitation and alarm; which rendered them fufpicious of every perfon whofe appearance was at all questionable, and character not perfectly known. Our traveller, unfortunately, to

the

the peculiarities of his dress, and his extreme curiofity, added that alarming fymptom of an incendiary, a black crop, and therefore, it is not to be wondered at if he excited to a great degree the fufpicion of the good folks of Llantwit. Probably, however, it would not have burst into action, had not their fears been increased by the information of an old woman from St. Donat's castle, who, big with terror, pofted over to Llantwit, and affured its inhabitants, that a fierce looking fellow, with a pack at his back, a huge staff in his hand, and with feveral other fingularities about him, had been taking plans of the caftle, and pumping her for information refpecting it; that he was even now concealed in the fields of its neighbourhood, that he had every reason to think he was a spy, and knew from his tongue he must be an Irishman. This was enough to fet the whole village in a flame. The old lady's fagacious conjectures of the fpy and the Irishman, naturally fuggefted a third idea, of his being Bagnel Harvey, who at that time was faid to have escaped to Wales. Men, women, boys, and girls, to the amount of feventy or eighty, inftantly prepared themselves for a purfuit; and armed with mufkets and pitchforks, ticks and staves, took the road to St. Donat's. The corn at the time happened to be high and it was natural to fuppofe the object of their fearch might be concealed amongst it. Regardless of the crop, therefore, the whole party fwept the wheat fields, dashed through the oats, and proftrated the barley; but without fuccefs. One of them at length, gifted with particularly keen organs of fight, pointed out an object in the midst of a wheat-field, which he affirmed to be a man. Another corroborated the affertion, by fwearing he faw it move; and the whole corps were foon convinced that it could be no other than the Hibernian outlaw. The mufqueteers, therefore, drew up in front, and approaching within one hundred yards of the object, discharged at once a tremendous volley upon it. Down tumbled the unfortunate victim, and forward rushed the valorous troop to fecure their quarry; when, to their unspeakable astonishment, mortification, and confufion, they discovered on reaching it, that they had not levelled the formidable Bagnel, but their powder and shot had been thrown away upon a harmless feare-crow, ftuck up by the provident farmer to frighten the rooks and magpies from his wheat. Quite afhamed of their mistake, the $ 3

party

had no

heart

heart to follow the fteps of our pedestrian farther, who, unconscious of the univerfal agitation he produced, had made a sketch of the castle, and was quietly fauntering on to Pyle.

"We were much inclined to give great credit to the heroes of Llantwit for their active loyalty, on this occafion, though it had been fomewhat mifplaced, till Th-m-s fhrewdly obferved, that as it was known one thousand pounds had been offered for the capture of the Irish rebel, either alive or dead, it was probable their zeal might be partly owing to a less patriotic principle.??

Mr. Warner alfo mentions a circumftance which hews him to be a genuine friend to his fellow crea

tures:

"Juft as we were quitting the river Elan for the Aberyftwith road, a fharp-looking little Welchman approached us, His countenance was familiar to me, and the man's look of recognition convinced me that I was not unknown to him. On enquiry I difcovered him to be a perfon who had accompanied Cll and myself last year through Cwm Yeftwith leadmine. Having mutually greeted each other, I could not avoid afking after the welfare of another perfon who was of our party on the fame occafion, Thomas Williams, the one-armed fisherman *. Knowledge, my friend, may be gathered from all quarters, and the trifling incidents of a cottager's history will fometimes furnish axioms for the moralift, or hints for the legiflator. The honest miner informed me, that Tom had unfortunately gotten into a fad fcrape fhortly after my paffing through Cardiganfhire laft year.-Though deprived of one arm by the accident I mentioned to you, he contrived to make very good ufe of the other, and handled his gun with the fame skill which he exhibited in throwing his fifhing-line. Colone! J**nes, to whom an extenfive track of land in this country belongs, had repeatedly spoken to Thomas on the fubject, and forbidden him to purfue this illegal practice, but without fuccefs. After many offences, however, Williams received a fummons from the Colonel, who is a magiftrate, to attend at Hafôd, and deliver up his gun. Thither the delinquent went

* Walk through Wales, p. 62,

on