504 Half-yearly Retrofpect of Domeflic Literature. of Scripture," by a novel interpretation of the much controverted paffages, Deut. vii. 2. 5. and xx. 16, 17. To obviate the objections against the scriptures, arifing from the inconsistency of the command given to the Jews, utterly to deftroy the men, women, infants, and every living creature, of feven nations," with the doctrine of the goodness of God, Mr. B. confiders, that the deftruction which God intends the feven nations in the above command, is nothing more or less, than an utter deftruction of their civil as well as idolatrous conftitutions, as nations; not the deftruction of every" fleeing father, drooping mother, and innocent helpless babe," but the deftruction of their power as a people. Dr. GEDDES believes this "fanguinary measure," as he calls it, "to have been the fabrication of fome pofterior Jew, to justify the cruelties of his nation." Surely this fubje&t is laboured by both thefe gentlemen unneceffarily, as well as unfatisfactorily: do we regard it as inconfiftent with the goodness of God, that he fhould fuffer, which is tantamount to command, the defelating eruptions of Etna, Stromboli, and Vefuvius? does he impede the deftructive march of the plague and the fever? does he shelter the head " of every drooping mother, and innocent helplefs babe," from the tempeft and tornado? er does he fave from the yawning earthquake, every fleeing father," who implores his protection? Mr. BENJOIN'S argument proves too much, therefore, mole ruit fua. The ways of God are infcrutable; and with fuch an evident preponderance of good around us, it is not for us to question the univerfal benevolence of his plans, and their natural tendency to co operate for the perfect felicity of the univerfe. Our readers all remember the whining, politico-theological publication, of that active enemy to foreign flavery, and that active friend to domeftic coercion, Mr. WILBERFORCE. Mr. THOMAS BELSHAM has published A Review of Mr. WILBERFORCE's Treatife;" wherein he has opposed found argument to empty declamation, and his own liberal and enlarged principles of religion, to the fectarian tenets of his opponent. Since the deftruction of the Pope's dominions in Italy, the Rev. CHARLES DAUBENY has published a book, for which his brows ought at leaft to be graced with a tiara! This book is intitled "A Guide to the Church," &c. On the arrogant and erroneous affumption that the church of England is the church of Chrift, her doctrines are to be looked upon as infallible, and her ordinances to be held inviolate; according to Mr. DAUBLNY, that man is a bad fubje&t and a bad chriftian, who bows not before the divinity of his church: fchifm is a damnable fin, and toleration a dangerous indulgence! Ergo-may all the curfes of Ernulphus be poured upon the head of every fchifinatic and diffenter!-"For my part," quoth my uncle Toby, "I could not have a heart to curfe my dog fo." Mr. DAUBENY, however, claims a much clofer affinity to Dr. Slop, than uncle Toby; peace and ecclefiaftical impotence reft with him! Near akin to this chriftian mufti, appears to be Mr. JONATHAN BOUCHER, who has given us " A View of the Caufes and Confequences of the American Revolution, in thirteen Difcourfes, preached in North America, between the years 1763 and 1775." The same ranting nonfenfe which tyrants have always preached, and flaves have always liftened to, about abfolute and unqualified fubmiffion to any eftablished government whatever, is copiously interlarded in these pompous pages: a long and tirefome preface introduces thefe difcourfes, wherein every one must be difgufted at the cavalier and contumelious manner, in which Mr. JONATHAN BOUCHER has condescended to notice the works of thofe "party writers, deftitute of a fpirit of philofophical investigation," who have prefumed to become hiftorians of the American revolt. How different in its temper and fpirit from the two preceding works, is Dr. GILBERT GERARD's fermon "On Indifference with respect to religious Truth," preached before, and, very much to their credit, published by defire of, the Synod of Aberdeen. In this moft excellent fermon, not merely the right of private judgment, but the duty of free unfettered inquiry is peremptorily infifted on: "I would lay it down as a principle,' fays Dr. G. "that no man, or no body of men, has a right to impofe upon others, doctrines whofe truth they do not perceive. It is impoffible that all should be of the fame fentiments, and never feems to have been the defign of our Maker. He loves variety in all his works." From Mr. PRATT's " Profpe&tus of a new Polyglot Bible," it appears that he has undertaken a work of infinite magnitude and difficulty: to purfue the plan which is chalked out, demands the moft profound and various knowledge, the most unwearied diligence, and the moft inflexible fidelity; it is intended to unite the Half-yearly Retrospect of British Literature.. the Hebrew text of the Old Teftament with the common English translation, the Greek feptuagint verlion, the Latin vulgate, and the Chaldee paraphrafes, in five parallel columns: below thefe, across the page, is to be given the Samaritan pentateuch in Hebrew characters; the plan for the New Teftament is equally extenfive. Dr. HUNTINGFORD has published a fecond volume of " Difcourfes on different SubjeAs;" the greater number of thele difcouries, it is to be obferved, have a reference to the political tenets of the prefent day as may be expected, they are written in a style of claffical and dignified eloquence. An anonymous writer, of confiderable ability, has published "Remarks on Revelation and Infidelity:" a debating fociety is imagined at Edinburgh, in which a young infidel, Mr. Goodwill, attacks the commonly-received opinions, but after a fevere conteft, is converted by a man of learning and experience, Mr. Chriftian. Mr. BRYANSON BROMWICH, in his "Examination of the Doctrines of the Church of Rome," has difplayed grofs ignorance of the fubject on which he treats, and the most deteftable illiberality in his manner of treating it. Dr. GASKIN has edited two volumes of "Sermons, preached to Parochial Congregations, by the late Rev. Richard Southgate;" to which is added a biographical preface, by the editor. Dr. PRICE preached his very excellent fermon at the Old Jewry, on the centenary of the Revolution of 1688; the whole church was indignant at the impiety of mingling politics with religion, and preaching the principles of liberty from the pulpit; ince his time, however, we have had innumerable opportunities of obferving, that the Dr.'s example, if not of preaching the principles of liberty from the pulpit, at leaft of mingling politics with religion, has been followed by thefe who moft loudly oppofed it. Mr. Southgate's fermons abound with political allufions: in one inftance (vol. ii. p. 334.) the acquittal of Meffrs. HARDY, THELWALL, &c. is adverted to with regret, and the criminal acclamations of the populace with feverity. Mr. Southgate's fermons contain much good fenfe, and his notions of toleration occafionally exhibit him in an amiable point of view. The learned Dr. BLANEY's new tranflation of "Zachariah," is accompanied with notes, critical, philological, and explanatory: an appendix is added, in reply to Dr. EVELEIGH, and a differtation on Daniel ix. 20. to the end.. The candour and 305 liberality which Dr. BLANEY opposes to the intemperance and acrimony of his antagonists, do him the greateft honour. "Three Sermons on a Future State," by Dr. SHEPHERD, archdeacon of Bedford, are written in a ferious and impreffive manner: in the firft difcourfe, the various arguments are collected in favour of a future ftate: in the fecond, is confidered, with becoming diffidence, the probable nature of our happinefs: and in the third, Dr. SHEPHERD has argued in favour of the opinion, that death is a change of exiftence, and not an annihilation of it. Mr. EYRE'S "Reply to the Rev. R. CHURTON," is conducted with great ability: Mr. CHURTON had attacked the catholic church, and endeavoured to establish the pretenfions of the church of England to an uninterrupted fucceffion of divinely appointed teachers and pricfts, from the apostles. A pretenfion fo arrogant, and fo obviously untenable, is oppofed by Mr. EYRE, who has shown himTelf to be a very powerful polemic. Mr. SIMPSON'S "Thoughts on the Novelty, Excellence, and Evidence of the Chriftian Religion," is an elegant performance. An enumeration of all the fingle fermons which have been published in the courfe of the laft fix months, would occupy a great deal more room than most of our readers would think neceffary to deVote to the fubject: to felect a few of the beft, and a few of the worst, will be amply fufficient. We fcarcely ever perused a fermon with more pleasure, than Mr. ARCHARD's " Philofophical Difcourfe on Providence: addreffed to the Modern Philofophers of Great Britain;" the diffi culties of difcuffing the question of a moral providence upon philofophical prin-, ciples, are ftated with unufual energy and acuteness; and the impotence of folitary unaffifted reafon to difcover the moral government and providence of God, is illuftrated in a train of impreffive eloquence. Among the many fermons, preached on the general thankgiving day (Dec. 19, 1797), that delivered before his majefty at St. Paul's, by the learned Bishop of LINCOLN, muft not be forgotten. The reverend prelate feems proud of the bu mility of his fellow-countrymen : "while our enemies," fays he, have infulted the majesty of heaven, we have humbled ourselves before our God, and acknow. ledged our tranfgreffions." The humi lity of a royal proceffion to St. Paul's, where ten thoufand diamonds fparkled in the fun, and each fair damiel vied with her rival neighbour in the coftliness, the profufion 506 profufion and the elegance of her ornaments, is truly edifying!" while they (our enemies) have impiously denied his all-controlling power, we have prayed unto the Lord to give wifdom to our councils, fuccefs to our arms, and steadinefs to our people; and he has heard us." The bifhop then proceeds, in a strain of appropriate piety, to inform his audience, that our conquefts are extenfive; that our fleets have been triumphant beyond the boaft of former times; that Lord DUNCAN is not only a good officer, but a very pious man; and that hiftory will celebrate the glory of our navy, and the fplendour of thofe particular achievements, which are the subject of his panegyric. Another dignitary of the church, the Rev. EDMUND POULTER, prebendary of Winchester, preached a fermon, at the cathedral of that place, of which we really regret that we cannot give our readers a fpecimen; a fhort specimen, too, would be fufficient, for Half-yearly Retrofpect of British Literature. Such laboured nothings in fo ftrange a ftyle fmile. appro Mr. HEWLET'S difcourfe on the "Duty of Thanksgiving," is plain and priate: it is written with the feelings of a man, and in the language of a gentleman. The fame remark, in a moderated meafure, is applicable to a fermón of Dr. MUNKHOUSE," preached in the church of St. John Baptift, Wakefield." The fermons of Mr. LLOYD, Mr. CLAPHAM, Mr. AGUTTER, Mr. GOODE, cum multis aliis quæ nunc perfcribere longum eft, are most of them political declamations, rather diftinguished by violence than meekness, by intolerance than charity. An anonymous writer of great acutenefs has entered into "An Examination of the leading Principle of the New Syftem of Morals, as that Principle is flated and applied in Mr. GODWIN's Political Juftice." Mr. GODWIN's morality, or rather his digeft of that fyftem of morals, the foundation of which was laid by Brown, Hume, Helvetius, and Paley, confifts in making general utility the fole principle of action. "Nothing," fays Mr. Hume," can furnish juft ground for moral diftinction in any quality or action but its beneficial or pernicious tenden *No place fo facred from fuch fops is barr'd, Nor is Paul's church more fafe than Paul's church-yard. Pepe. dencies are.” cy: reafon informs us what these tenfays Mr. GODWIN, treating of the foun"To a rational being," dation of virtue, "there can be but one rule of conduct, justice; and one mode of afcertaining that rule, the exercise of contended by the author of this exaininahis understanding." In oppofition, it is tion, on the folid ground that man is a all his moral feelings arife), and that a creature of fympathy (the fource whence fyftem of local relations is the only one adapted to his nature: it is contended, alfo, on the ground of his utter inability to purfue the refult of his actions to their remotest ramifications, that general good gorous action; and that virtue is not to can never be an adequate motive of vibe defined that courfe of conduct which tends to promote this general good, but it is to be defined that course the motive of which is benevolence, or individual gcod. Mr. G.'s antagonist meets him on very 'fair terms: "if," fays he," the fundamental principle be true, that morality confifts in doing all the good we can, I admit that all the confequences are clear, concatenated, and of an irrefiftible conviction: Arachne never wove a jufter web." This acute reafoner, however, admits, in another place (and without expofing himself to the charge of incon. fiftency), that the end of virtue is the general good. Mr. GODWIN, then, differs from him in the means of attaining this end: Mr. G. feeks it at once and immediately; to the neglect of those do. tions which his antagonist, in our opimeftic endearments, thofe private affecnion, very juftly confiders, though ́in themselves as individual enjoyments, to be productive, from their number and extent, of the largest portion of human felicity t Mr. G. has roufed another antagonist of equal ftrength and dexterity with the former, Mr. PROBY, who, in a pamphlet intitled, "Modern Fhilofopby and Ancient Barbarifm," &c. has fucceeded in identifying the theory of Mr. Mr. PROBY, in very animated and glowGODWIN with the practice of Lycurgus. ing language, has expofed the abfurd, as well as the deftructive confequences, which would refult to mankind, were, the monftrous fyftem of Mr. G. carried into full usimpeded effect. To fuch readers as may have been feduced by the fpecious The author of this pamphlet may fee fome of his own arguments in the fourth number of Dr. ENFIELD'S "Enquirer." See Monthly Mag, Vol. I. p. 273. illuftration Vol. V.] Retrospect of Domeftic Literature.-Metaphyfics....Poetry. 50s illuftrations of that writer, or who feel year, has thirteen cottagers on his farm: themselves entangled by the fophiftry of his arguments, we earnestly recommend the perufal and the re-perufal of thefe two pamphlets. Dr. GEORGE CROFT's "Short Commentary, &c on the Moral =Writings of Paley and Gisborne," is written in fo haughty and dictatorial a =ftyle, that the majority of his readers will laugh at his airs, and defpife his arrogance. From the fubjects of Theology and Morals, we proceed to that of METAPHYSICS. The venerable and learned Lord MONBODDO has published a fifth volume of his "Ancient Metaphyfics, containing the Hiftory of Man in the Civilized State." His lordfhip, it is well known, confiders fociety in a state of fuch regular, rapid, and progreffive degeneracy, that a total extinction of the human race must be the speedy and inevitable confequence: money he regards as one of the principal caufes of this deplorable corruption; and England, as it contains more wealth than any country in Europe, is proportionately afflicted with its concomitant calamities, vice, difeafe, and indigence!"As to crimes," fays his lordship, they abound fo much, that our gaols cannot hold our convicts; and we are obliged to fend out colonies, fuch as no nation ever fent out before, to a very diftant country, till of late quite unknown; to which they are tranfported at a great expence, and maintained, when there, at a ftill greater: thefe crimes, it is oblerved, and the obfervation is unquestionably juft, are almost all the effects of wealth. According to Lord M. and here we heartily agree with him, the British nation, whofe humanity and generofity are fo arrogantly vaunted-by itfelf! is not merely degenerating at home, but is the caufe of degeneracy and depopulation abroad. "We have deftroyed," fays he, "five millions of human beings in the Eat-Indies; our colonies in North America, from Hudfon's Bay to Florida, have exterminated the natives by war and maffacre, by vice and by difeafe, leaving no veftiges of them to be feen-except their burial places " ין It is inconfiftent with the plan of our retrofpect, or it would give us the greateft pleafure, to extract a few paragraphs relative to his lordship's management of his private estate-Suffice it to fay, that, as in days of yore, many of his tenants are ferved by cottagers alone; one of the former, who pays no more than 30l. a MONTHLY MAG. No. XXXIII. 66 seven other tenants, each of whom pof- A tranflation has appeared, in four volumes, of the " Syftème de la Nature." This fimple annunciation is fufficient. The learned Dr. WILLICH has publifhed the "Elements of Critical Philofophy, &c."; the object of this publication appears to be fomewhat fimilar to a work, for which we are indebted to Mr. NITSCH, intitled, "An elementary View of Profeffor Kant's Philofophy; every one who is, in any degree, aware of the almoft impenetrable tenebrity of this fyftem, and the almoft unfathomable profundity of its principles, will readily exonerate us from the neceffity of entering at large on the fubject. We proceed to a more fascinating fubject, POETRY. The luftre which tafte and learning fhed over the "Effay on the Genius and Writings of Pope," naturally raises our expectations concerning the merits of Dr. WARTON's edition of the "Works" of that moft polished poet. Dr. W. has prefented the public with a valuable performance, which, however, contains lefs original matter than was generally anticipated: the forced and far-fought interpretations of Warburton are omitted, while the notes and illuftrations which accompany this edition are fufficiently numerous. The voice of the mufes has of late, we think, been lefs than ufually melodious: our recollection furnishes us' with very few poetical publications of 3 T merita : merit. It is almoft unneceffary to fay, that the "Epistle to a Friend," by Mr. SAMUEL ROGERS, author of the Pleafures of Memory, is beautiful, interefting, and very highly polished. The five concluding cantos of the "Henriade" are published: we know not to whom we are indebted for this English tranflation, which we are ftrongly difpofed to prefer, in point of elegance, and harmony of verfification, to the original of Voltaire. Mr. GISBORNE'S "Vales of Wever" is a loco-defcriptive poem, evidently imitated, in regard to ftyle, from DARWIN'S Botanic Garden: fome parts of it are beautiful. Mr. FosBROOKE's "Economy of Monaftic Life, as it exifted in England," is a poem of confiderable merit in itself, and has, moreover, the extrinfic value of philofophical and archaiological illuftrations from Lyndwood, Dugdale, Selden, Wilkins, &c. &c. together with copious extracts from original MSS. it is written in the ftanza of Spencer. Mr. CoTTLE, of Cambridge, has made a valuable addition to the literature of his country, in a volume of "Icelandic Poetry :" this gentleman has tranflated into English verle the Edda of Sæmund. When the Edda of Sporro Sturleston was published in the "Northern Antiquities," about thirty years ago, the compilation of Sæmund was fuppofed to be loft; a MS. collection, however, in the king of Denmark's library of mythological odes from this Edda, was published at Copenhagen, in 1787. It is this collection which Mr. COTTLE has tranflated: it confifts of twelve poems, all of which abound with imagery, the molt romantic, novel, and fublime. Mr. HAYLEY's edition of Milton is completed in three volumes; the price of it is fifteen guineas. This magnificent work is adorned with the typographical beauties of Bulmer, and with engravings from the defigns of Romney and Westal. Dr. BOOKER's "Malvern" is a defcriptive poem of fome merit: the Doctor's talent for this fpecies of compofition has been evinced on former occasions, and he appears to have cultivated it with confiderable fuc * Some few readers may require to be informed, that an Edda fignifies a compilation of the fyftem of Runic mythology; in thefe compilations were incorporated numerous particulars of Scandinavian manners and philofophy. Mr. MALLET fuppofes the object of them to have been, the inftruction of thofe young Icelanders, principally, who intended to devote themselves to the profeffion of the fcald, or port, as they contain a system of poetics, cefs. Dr. B.'s verfification is easy and elegant, but not fufficiently animated. The Rev. JAMES MOORE, mafter of the free grammar-school in Hertford, has written, during his leisure hours, an epic poem, in twelve books, called “The Columbiad; or, the Difcovery of America and the Weft-Indies, by Columbus :" a dearer and a duller book never iffued from the prefs. Mr. PYE's “Naucratia, or Naval Dominion," is written with confiderable animation; Mr. P. long fince accepted an office which impofes on him the moft grofs and fulfome adulation; that the poet-laureat fhould have volunteered a few paffages of fimilar import in his prefent production, is not wonderful. The defign and execution of the Naucratia are creditable to the poetical talents of its author. Covent-garden Theatre, has written Mr. HULL, of fome "Moral Tales," founded on real events: the verfification is fimple, animated, and eafy; the matter is excellent. The errors of this work are trifling, and it would be an acceptable and a valuable present to young perfons in particular. The "Critical, Poetical, and Dramatic Works" of Mr. JOHN PENN, are pub. lifhed in two octavo volumes; the firft contains a tranflation of Calfabigi's letter to Count Alfieri, on tragedy, with various and learned notes; the poetical mifcellanies are of unequal merit: in the second volume is an art of English poetry, imtated from Horace's epistle to the Pifos; an abridgment fucceeds, of Milton's Samfon Agoniftes, Jonion's Silent Woman, and Voltaire's Semiramis; all of which Mr. P. has endeavoured to adapt for the theatre. pruned away, from Samfon Agoniftes in Many beauties are particular. Mr. SOUTHEY's " Joan of Arc," which, confidered under all its attendant circumftances, is a wonderful effort of genius, has undergone a fevere and fcrutinizing revifion by its author, who has published a new edition of it in octavo. The "Oberon" of WIELAND has been tranflated by Mr. SOTHEBY: the fpirit of the poem is faid to have, in fome degree, fuffered by the too rigid fidelity of the tranflation; this, however, will probably be regarded as a venial error, and the English public will, doubtlefs, confider itself under obligation ance with one of the most polished epic to Mr. S. for introducing it to acquaint by Dr. WILLICH.-See Monthly Magazine, C |