which is, therefore, fo far from being contradicted by that experience upon which the laws of nature are established, that it is closely connected and ftands in the fairest agreement with it.

"The question then will remain-whether any fuch invifible agents have ever interpofed in producing vifible effects? Against the Poffibility of this, though the author is pleased to pronounce it impoffible, he hath offered no argument (and indeed, none can poffibly be offered) against the Credibility of it; the experience which he pleads, is no argument at all. This experience proves a courfe of nature, but whether this is ever interrupted, is ftill a queftion. This experience teaches what may be ordinarily expected from common causes, and in the common courfe of things: but miraculous interpofitions, which we are enquiring af ter, are, by their nature and effence, extraordinary, and, out of the common course of nature. Miracles, if at all, are effects of an extraordinary power upon extraordinary occafions: confequently, common experience can determine nothing concerning them. That fuch occafions may arife, both in the natural and moral world, is easy to conceive. The greatest of natural philofophers hath thought, that the frame of the world will want, in a courfe of time, the hand that made it to retouch and refit it. The greatest of moral philofophers hath thought it a reasonable hope, that God would fometime fend a meffenger from heaven to infruct men in the great duties of religion and morality.

As to the queftion of Fat-whether any fuch interpofitions have been ever known or observed. This must be tried, like all other hiftorical facts, by the teflimony of those who relate it, and the credit of the first witneffes who have vouched it; and not, as this author would have it, by the teftimony of others-of thofe who lived in diftant times and places. There is mention of a comet, a little before the Achaian war, which appeared as big as the fun : If this were well attefted by the aftronomers of that time, if would be trifling to object against it that the like had never been obferved before nor fince. And juft as pertinent is it to alledge the experience of ages and countries against miracles which are said to be wrought in other times and other countries.

But, in truth, were the world to give evidence in the prefent question, they would, I am perfuaded, depofe very differently from what this author expects. A great pare

of

of mankind have given their teftimony to the credibility of miracles, they have actually believed them. By this author's account, all the religions in the world have been founded upon this belief. If this be true, we have univerfal teftimony to the credibility of miracles. How then can there be univerfal experience against them? The author tells us that we must judge of teftimony by experience. It. is more certain that we must judge of the experience of men by their teftimony.'

After this he proceeds to confider diftinctly the grounds of that credibility, which we allow, in different degrees, to hiftorical facts, and from the whole concludes, that miracles, when there appears a fufficient caufe for working them, are credible in themselves-that, when they come under the cognizance of our fenfes, they are proper matter of teftimony, and, when attefted by witneffes, who have fufficient opportunity of convincing themfelves, and give fufficient proof of their conviction, have a right to command our faith.

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ART. X. Differtationes 2. Critico facræ: quarum prima explicatur Ezek. 13. 18. Væ quæ confuunt Pulvillos fub omni cubito manus, et faciunt cervicalia fub capite univerfa ætatis ad capiendas animas. Vulg.

Altera vero 2 Reg. 10. 22. Dixitque his qui erant fuper veftes, proferte veftimenta univerfis fervis Baal, et protulerunt eis veftes. Vulg. Auctore Georgio Coftard, A. M. Octavo, Is. Baldwin.

O pafs a proper judgment upon the merit of this performance, would require greater knowledge of the Hebrew, Arabic, and Syriac languages, than falls to our fhare, or, we apprehend, to that of the generality of our readers. Our author, who, as far as we are able to judge, is very well acquainted with thefe languages, tranflates the first of these texts in the following manner; va mulieribus cafles nettentibus omni ferarum armo illa queando, et facientibus retia, capiti omnis avis affurgentis, et avolare conantis, implicando. He obferves that the metaphors are plainly taken from hunting, &c. and refer to thofe threatnings wherewith the falfe propheteffes endeavoured to alarm and terrify the fervants of God; and this interpretation he thinks is abundantly confirm'd by the 20th and 21ft ver. of the fame chapter, which he renders thus. Ecce ego contra cafles veftras,

veftras, quibus animas venamini, eafque de brachiis veftris, quibus geftare foletis, vi eripiam, animafque, quas venamini, miffas faciam. Retia infuper veftra lacerabo, populumque meum è manibus veftris in libertatem vindicabo; nec diutius erunt in manibus veftris prede retibus captæ.

The text, which is the fubject of his fecond differtation, he tranflates thus: fuffit itaque eum qui lupanari facro præfuit, inquiens, aulæa, quæ omnibus Baalis cultoribus fufficiant, proferto; eaque produxit eis hamalbush dictus, i, e. is cui curæ erant, referring it to thofe impious rites that were practifed in the temple of Baal, which he thinks the fame with Venus.

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MONTHLY CATALOGUE,

For December 1752.

MISCELLANEOUS.

Ecret memoirs of the late count Saxe, marfhal of

SFrance, no. 120. 23. Wren.

From the number of contemptible productions with which our novel-makers have complimented the public this feafon, one may be almoft tempted to conclude that these writers have combined to try whether the age may not be cured of its peculiar tafte for this fpecies of amusement, by an exceffive furfeit; which that they may with the more certainty effect, they feem to have induftrioufly contrived that each fucceeding performance fhall be aftonishingly worse than the foregoing: and at the rate they go on, it will be impoffible for any but themfelves to guess to what extremes of dulnefs and nonfenfe they may proceed. We fhould have readily given it as our opinion, that nothing can be more ftupidly naufeous, more ridiculoufly improbable, or a more confummate impofition upon the public, than these pretended memoirs; but we have learnt to be more cautious in our conclufions, from fome late inftances of the fallibility of our judgment: We had perfuaded ourfelves that certain pieces which we have lately had the honour of mentioning in our catalogues, were not to be outdone by the greatest adept in modern authorism; but, as was obferv❜d, p. 460 of our Review for November, we are now more than ever perfuaded that no man can write fo ill, but that another can ftill write worfe; yet, furely! no

thing can be more despicable, on all accounts, than the article which has given occafion to these remarks.

II. A TOUR from England, thro' part of France, Flanders, Brabant, and Holland, &c. &c. By Antonio Monfanto, linguift, in King-street, Rotherithe, 8vo. 6d. Noon.

For a character of this pamphlet, fee that of the last article in our monthly catalogue for June 1751. (i. e.) vol. 5th. p. 80, Art. 44.

III. The qualifications and duty of a Surveyor explained. In a letter to the right hon. the earl of ******. In which the effential accomplishments are particularly described and confidered. Neceflary to be perufed by all perfons concerned in building. 8vo. 6d. Owen.

Our readers will hardly expect us to be competent judges of the subject of this fmall piece; of which we can only pretend to fay, that it feems to be a fenfible tract, and, in all probability, may be found to contain fome hints and obfervations, ufeful to fuch architects and builders as may not be poffeffed of all the qualifications or experience of this writer.

IV. Miscellaneous obfervations on the tragedy of HAMLET, prince of Denmark; with a preface, containing fome general remarks on the writings of Shakespear, 8vo. Is. Clarke.

We find nothing very important or material in this pamphlet; which, tho' not without fome paffable thoughts, is upon the whole, but a fuperficial performance, chiefly fill'd with quotations.

V. A method propofed to prevent the many robberies and villainies committed in and about the city of London. And for establishing a fund for the maintenance of the poor, without detriment to any individual, 8vo. 6d. Swan.

This is an imperfect sketch of a fomewhat, which we would call a partial defign, if it were clear that the author had any certain defign at all: Further than that he has proposed a method of raifing a fund, but he no where tells us how he would have it applied, except in his title-page, as above; fo that we are at a lofs to guefs in what manner the poor are to be benefited by this fund, whenever this notable scheme fhall be put in execution.

VI. The apotheofis of the fair fex. A free translation from the French, 12mo. Is. Cooper.

In France, the prefent age boafts a fet of gay fpirits, who are authors only for the fake of employing their wit and parts, fuch as they are, upon lewd and obfcene topics;

3

and,

and, indeed Britain has not failed to copy this tafte, from a people, whose every other depravity and foppery we seem eagerly to imitate; at the fame time that we wifely disdain to rival them in their more refined strokes of national policy, and those great arts by which they never fail to improve every opportunity for raifing and extending their trade, power, credit, and fuperior influence with almost every other nation in the world.-Of this fenfual species of literature, is the apotheofis of the fair fex ; but we must do it the justice to observe, that it is perhaps the most delicate and innocent performance of the kind, that hath been published. The author begins by attempting to divert his readers by rallying the monftrous and fenfelefs idolatries of the ancients; from the abfurdities of which, he fomewhat merrily concludes that it would have been more rational in them to have confined their adorations to what he calls (in woman only) the organ of the propagation and multiplication of the human fpecies: In praife of which, he, not without fome humour, employs the greatest part of his pamphlet and from the manner in which this bagatelle is executed, we cannot but think it a pity that the author's pen should be employed on a fubj. Et fo little worthy the attention of the public.

VII. ANDRO. A new game at cards. 8vo. 6d. Cooper. VIII. Memoirs of the sufferings, and furprifing adventures of a noble foreigner at *******. Written by himself. 12mo. Is. Corbet.

For a character of this article, the reader is referred to Art. VII. in the catalogue for July laft. See Review, vol. V. p. 158.

IX. The Life of Patty Saunders. Written by herself. 12mo. 35. Owen.

This performance ranks with the adventures of John Daniel, Charles Ofborn, and Howel ap David Price. See Review vol. V.

X. TASTE. A comedy of two acts. As it is acted at the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane. By Mr. Foote. 8vo. Is. Francklin.

The defign of this dramatic fatire, (for fuch, we conceive, the ingenious author might have called it, with rather more propriety than he has fet it down as a comedy) is to ridicule the fuperficial knowledge and falfe tafte of the generality of our modern virtuofi in painting, fculpture, medals, &c. A subject too abstracted and fingular (as the author himself acknowledges in his preface) for the com

prehenfion