than that Great Britain should be at war with America as well as with Europe; that the only two powers which have any pretensions to civil liberty, and which Buonaparte cannot injure or even touch, should be quarrelling and fighting, and destroying each other. Is it politic, under these circumstances-is it true under any, to tell the Americans, as this writer does, that " they cannot be said to possess character; that they are as capricious as unprincipled; and that they have reached that pitch of depravity in their private as well as public character, that to hear of our subjugation by French conquest would be to them a political millenium:" No! replies Mr. Medford, in his "Oil without Vinegar, and Dignity without Pride:" and we trust there are thousands of other Americans who will join in the reply," should Britain sink in the contest she now maintains with European powers, let it not be thought, that that would be a matter of triumph for America. No! the world would be again plunged in despotism, and darkness would soon follow. The age of commerce would be over, for despots do not admit of its flourishing under their hands." We need not add, that this is one of the best popular pamphlets which have been published on this subject. Mr. Medford, indeed, has favoured the public with another, very nearly coeval in point of printing, under the title of "Observations on European Courts, and Outlines of their Politics;" but it is of inferior merit, though containing a variety of manly and liberal sentiments.

The question of the policy or impolicy, justice or injustice of the late attack upon Denmark, has scarcely been opened within the period of time to which we are limited.

It

has been strongly combated by several anonymous authors, and especially the writer of "Remarks on the Injustice and Impolicy of our Attack, &c." but as we shall be compelled to return to the same subject in our next retrospect, and to examine the public opinion more at large, we shall defer all further consideration of it for the present.

The subject of Catholic emanci pation has been compounded, recompounded, digested and strained off by such a variety of hands, that it is impossible even to notice the whole of them. Of the chief pamphlets that have appeared in its favour, are," Two Letters on the Subject of the Catholics to my brother Abraham, who lives in the Country. By Peter Plymley, Esq." A mixture of humour and argument, with which the Catholics themselves were so much pleased, that Squire Plymley soon afterwards thought he might venture upon the publication of "Three more Letters on the Subject of the Catholics to my brother Abraham ;" in which we perceive the mistaken tenets of brother Abraham attacked by the same weapons, and with equal success. "An Essay on the History and Effect of the Coronation Oath. By J. J. Dillon, Esq. of Lincoln's Inn, barrister at law;" which has unquestionably the merit of even a courtly politeness and suavity of manner, in conjunction with much adroitness of pleading, as well as a thorough knowledge of the subject. And "an Historical Apology for the Irish Catholics. By William Parnell, Esq." to whom, however, we cannot pay all the compliments we have thought ourselves bound to pay to Mr. Dillon. The argument is for the most part, that the Catholic religion had sunk into torpor and inactivity, and that it must have

continued

continued asleep and harmless if government had not " roused it with the lash:" and even this ineffective argument is accompanied with a virulence of abuse, which can injure no party so much as the author's own.

The chief pamphlets, in opposition to the Catholic claims, are Mr. Bowles's "Strictures on the Motions made in last Parliament, respecting the Pledge, &c. in a Letter to the Right Hon. Lord Viscount Howick :" written in the author's usual style, and evincing great indignation at his Lordship's conduct. "The Patriot King; by a Foe to Bigotry:" written with more or less asperity than the preceding, but at the same time with less knowledge of the subject. "Remarks on the Dangers which threaten the Established Religion in a Letter to the Right Hon. Spencer Perceval, &c. By Edward Pearson, B.D." There is too much of mystery and perplexity in this composition, notwithstanding the author's good intentions, and excellent remarks. It discovers a strange contexture of brain, not to be able to defend the conduct of government concerning the Catholics without attacking the whole host of Methodists and Evangelizers at the same time." Letter to the Right Hon. Viscount Howick, on the subject of the Catholic Bill. By the author of "Unity the Bond of Peace." "A Second Letter to ditto by ditto." Upon the whole, however, in the course of the controversy, as maintained through the current year, we perceive but little novelty, or originality, or interest, whether on the one side or the other, compared with what has already been offered to us. The question is absolutely torn to tatters as to all scholastic disputa

tion: it may, nevertheless, be kept up as a political foot-ball. In the department of law we have to notice, Remarks critical and miscellaneous on the Commentaries of Sir James Blackstone. By James Sedgewick, Esq. Barrister at Law," of which a new edition has been published, and which have possessed much popularity, as well from their intrinsic excellence and spirit, though hostile to several of Judge Blackstone's most prominent opinions, as from the warm eulogium passed upon them by the late Lord Kenyon. Mr. W. H. Rowe, of Lincoln's-Inn, has replied to these in "A Vindication of the Commentsries of Sir W. Blackstone;" but we do not think the fame of the writer of the "Remarks" will totter on this account. "A Series of Original Precedents in Conveyancing, &c. By Charles Barton, Esq." Useful and perspicuous. "A Treatise on the Law, relative to Contracts and Agreements not under Seal. By Samuel Comyn, Esq. 2 vols. 8vo." A treatise drawn up with much judgment, fidelity and accuracy, with ample and correct references. "The Law of Shipping and Navigation, from the Time of Edward III. to the end of the year 1806. By John Reeves, Esq." a work originally composed for the use of the Committee of Privy Council; and fully calculated to communicate the information it proposes.

The present tone and temper of the public mind is not peculiarly propitious to subjects of a strictly ethical or moral character. Yet we have received two or three, that we lament we have not space to pay sufficient attention to: unfortunately for us! these are, for the most part, the compositions of writers who will never more adorn or instruct the

world

world by new productions. We allude chiefly to the late Prebendary Gilpin's " Dialogues on Various Subjects," which are beyond our praise, and ought to be in the hands

of every young man of taste: and Mrs. Chapone's " Posthumous Works," filled with elegance, amusement, and all the attractions of goodness and truth.

S usual, we shall commence

spect with the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London, for the year 1807." Of these, however, we have at this moment received only the first part, a work of less magnitude than common, yet offering us several papers of highly curious and interesting results. The volume commences with Mr. Davy's Bakerian lecture "On some Chemical Agents of Electricity," in the course of which he has clearly ascertained, that the acid and the alkali for some time discovered to be produced at the ends of the opposite wires, connected with the extremities of the Voltaic pile or trough, are obtained from a decomposition of some part of the appaPatus employed. Considering the effect produced on glass, he conjectured that bodies which are gene rally regarded as insoluble in water, might be transmitted through this fluid by means of the Galvanic action; which, upon experiment, was actually found to be the case with the sulphat of lime, the sulphat of strontian, and other similar substances, the earth becoming attached to the negative, and the acid to the

positive wire.

facts, Mr. ivy ded

duces the following proposition: "that hydrogen, the alkaline substances, the metals and certain metallic oxyds are attracted by nega tively electrified netallic surfaces, and repelled by positively electrified metallic surfaces; and contrariwise, that oxygen and acid substances are attracted by positively electrified surfaces, and repelled by negatively electrified metallic surfaces; and that these attractive and repulsive forces are sufficiently energetic to destroy or suspend the usual operation of elective affinity." In pursuing these experiments, however, our ingenious and prying philosopher was led to new ideas relative to the connection which subsists between the electrical energies of bodies, and their chemical affinities; to suppose that bodies that unite chemically are in opposite states of electricity, and that their affinity for each other will be destroyed or altered by any alteration in their electricity, as was observed in the experiments above: whence' we may deduce the basis of a new theory of chemical affinity, as depending on the attraction which dit

ferent

ferent particles of matter possess for each other, when they are in opposite states of electricity; an idea on which we cannot at present rely with implicit confidence, but which may be substantiated by subsequent facts, and is at least found to coincide with the laws of affinity, as developed by modern chemists.

it

1. "An Account of two Children born with cataracts in their eyes, to show that their sight was obscured in very different degrees; with experiments, to determine the proportional knowledge of objects acquired by them immediately after the cataracts were removed. By Everard Home, esq. F.R.S." was well conjectured by Mr. Cheselden, from observations in his own extensive practice, that vision alone, unassisted by the touch, gives no idea of the figure of objects and their distances from the eye-a conjecture in perfect consonance with one of the express dogmas of the epicurean theory of colours, which is perfectly in unison with the modern theory, and may be found detailed with great beauty and at full length in Lucretius. Mr. Ware, however, from a fact that occurred to himself, formed a different conjecture, and published it in the Society's Transactions for 1801. The paper before us is intended to reconcile these opposite results, or rather to shew by what means Mr. Ware was led to his conclusion in opposition to the general truth and accuracy of Mr. Cheselden's remarks.

2. "Observations on the structure of different Cavities which constitute the Stomach of the Whale, compared with those of ruminating Animals, with a view to ascertain the Structure of the digestive Organ. By the Same." The species examined was, the delphinus delphis

of Linnéus, or bottle-nose whale of our own countrymen. This animal has four cavities: Mr. Hunter, from an examination he had an opportunity of making, suspected that the digestive process was conducted in the second; Mr. Home, in the present paper, endeavours to prove that it takes place in the fourth.

3. "On the formation of the Bark of Trees, in a Letter from T. A. Knight, Esq. F.R.S. to the President." Mr. Knight, in this paper, seems to believe, that the new bark is produced from the old, by the exudation of a fluid which forms a cellular substance to be afterwards converted into such bark. It is enough for us to observe, that this can not be the case universally, for that the potentillas and some of the plane trees exfoliate their bark annually, as the grasshopper or spider exfoli ates his cuticle, and has nevertheless a new bark produced very shortly after each exfoliation. It is affirmed by Mr. Good in his ingenious oration lately delivered before the Medical Society of London, to be annually formed or increased from the outer layer of the liber or inner bark, as the alburnum or soft wood is annually also from the inner layer. As Mr. Knight proposes to continue this enquiry, we cannot do better than recommend his perusal of this curious paper, the very subject of which is the general struc ture and physiology of plants, compared with those of animals." The recent publication of this oration prevents us from noticing it in this years list, but we shall necessarily return to it in our catalogue for the ensuing year.

4. "On the Precession of the Equinoxes. By the rev. Abraham Robertson, M.Á. F.R.S. &c. 5. An Investigation of the General Term of an important Series in the Inverse

Method

Method of finite Differences. By the Rev. John Brinkley, D.D. F.R.S. &c." Both these articles are incapable of abridgment. The first is designed to point out the chief theories that have been advanced on the subject of the precession, since the error of Newton has been fully ascertained, and arranges them into various heads, according to the express cause of their failure. The author makes a few original observations with a view of founding a new theory but the subject is still open to other hypotheses. The latter paper is still more recondite, more accurately written, and, in in our opinion, entitled to a closer study.

Transactions of the Society instituted at London for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures, and Commerce, Vol. XXIV." Many of the papers in the volume before us are highly useful and interesting. The first, which consists of letters from J. C. Curwen, Esq. M. P. of Workington-hall, Cumberland, is peculiarly of this kind: its subject is the culture of carrots, their value as a food for cattle, and an improved drill horse-hoe. By the method of growing carrots here pursued, the crop proved very productive, and there is an attested statement, that no smaller saving of oats than fiftyeight Winchester bushels per week, was obtained by the use of carrots upon the food of seventy-six horses. R. Phillips, Esq. of Tyn-y-Rhos, near Oswestry, has produced an excellent paper "On the Improvement of Waste Lands;" by the plan recommended, he recovered ninety acres from a state of waste; and as he is extending his exertions, he expresses a hope, should he live another year and enjoy his usual health, of seeing 148 acres, which very lately were almost entirely unpro

ductive, covered with rich harvests, and adorned with thriving plantations. May he live many years! and may every year add an equal harvest to his deserts! Under the head chemistry, we have a paper from Mr. Charles Wilson, containing the specification of a composition for curing damp walls, which is a mixture of tar, kitchen-grease, slaked lime and powdered glass. Where the dampness proceeds from soft oozy bricks, or walls porous from similar causes, it is probable it may be used with good effect. It is to be laid on in the consistence of thin plaster, and immediately on being mixed. In the section of manufactures, we cannot avoid noticing that Mr. J. Austin, of Glasgow, has given an account of a loom to be worked by steam or water, which is well worth attending to. The loom is reported to work with regularity as well as dispatch; to stop when a thread. breaks, and to save more than one half the ordinary price of workman. ship.

Mr. J. Robertson, of St. Mary's Wind, Edinburgh, has also, in the same section, proposed a plan for " A Loom for weaving Fishingnets." This is a desideratum that has been long before the public, and that cannot fail of proving highly beneficial to our public fisheries. In the class of inechanics, one of the most important papers is the account of Dr. Cogan's "Drag for raising the bodies of persons who have sunk under water:" the chief object of which is, to lay hold of bodies whether clothed or naked which have sunk under water, and to raise them up without laceration. It seems well calculated to answer this purpose, and the inventor has been rewarded with a gold medal. Mr. Trotter, of Soho-square, has given an account of what is appa rently a very valuable curvilinear

saw