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Mrs. Phillips may, perhaps, have juftly enough pointed opt the root of the evil; but we much fear that her arguments will not prove fufficient to remove it. Let us, however, applaud the goodness of her intention, and enumerate fome other particulars to which the adverts.

She obferves, that many of the rich confume more than a pound in the day, of the finest flour, in hair powder; that much of this grain is likewife confumed in the manufacture of starch; that the increafed quantity of malt used for diftilling fpirits, muft tend to advance the price of grain; and that the great number of dogs kept is a farther addition to the inconvenience.

The propofals which Mrs. Phillips offers for reducing the price of provifions, arife naturally from the caufes above affigned of their dearnefs; and it is therefore unneceffary to mention them. But we cannot conclude without complimenting her on the pains fhe has taken to inveftigate this interefting fubject. Her obfervations, as a female writer, are uncommonly extenfive; and the feems to be well acquainted both with domeftic and rural economy. A Plain Man's Thoughts on the prefent Price of Sugar, Sc. Suo. 15. Debrett. 1792.

The author of this pamphlet imputes the prefent high price of fugar to a variety of caufes; fome of which, however, feem not likely to operate much within the period of the late extraordinary rife in the price of this commodity. He endeavours to perfuade his readers, that a monopoly and fpeculation in fugar must ever be in a great measure impracticable; and he argues against a reduction of the drawback on its exportation.

We will not take upon us to decide concerning the juftness of his ftatement, from our own knowledge of the fubject; but there feems to be fome reafon for fufpecting him of a partiality towards the interests of the Weft India planters and merchants. An Addrefs to her Royal Highness the Duchess of York, against the Ufe of Sugar. 8vo. 6d. Darton. 1792.

This author, upon the fpecious pretext of an abhorrence to the flave-trade, earnestly recommends to the duchess of York the total difufe of fugar in her family; not doubting that the example of her royal highnefs would be followed by every perfon of rank in the kingdom. The petition reminds us of that which was prefented to his majefty, foon after his acceffion, by the wig-makers; and it will probably meet with fimilar attention. The Addrefs, however, is neatly printed, upon good paper; and the author, we may naturally conclude, has taken care to prefent her royal .bighness with an elegant copy.

The

The Evils of Adultery and Proffitution; with an Inquiry into the Caufes of their prefent alarming Increase, and fome Means recom➡ mended for checking their Progrefs. 8vo. 25. Vernor. 1792.

This author treats his fubject with great perfpicuity and good fenfe. The firft caufe which he affigns for the increase of adultery and prostitution, is the example of men of rank and fortune, which infenfibly extends its influence over the morals of others. The fecond caufe, he thinks, is to be fought for in the luxury and opulence of the nation. A third cause is the ready circulation, afforded by the public prints, to the inftances which happen of thofe vices. They are told, he obferves, as articles of news, and as common occurrences, which excite neither furprise nor indignation. It may be queflioned, fays he, whether a well-regulated police fhould admit of the circulation of fuch debaucheries ?'

As a fourth caufe of the profligacy of the prefent age, the author confiders that mafs of novels and romances, which people of all ranks and ages now fo greedily devour; a new species of entertainment, almost totally unknown in former ages. The bad ef fects of this practice are placed in a clear point of view, and frongly fupported by obfervation; but we shall proceed to mention the means propofed for checking the progrefs of adultery and proflitution. These are, to difcourage celibacy, and encourage marriage; a more regular and fevere police directed against all houfes of ill fame; and a total change in the fyftem of modern female education.

On the Prevention of Crimes, and on the Advantages of folitary Im prifonment. By J. Brewster, A. M. 8vo. 15. Clarke. 1792. This judicious and humane author's works we have formerly had occafion to commend. What he obferves refpecting the inftitutions calculated to prevent crimes, we fully approve. Solitary imprisonment is a fubject that requires a fuller difcuffion than he has given, and a more full examination than we have yet been able to beftow. We have many doubts of its propriety.

CORRESPONDENCE.

GENTLEMEN,

Feb. 10, 1792.

AS I look on the inclofed Paper to be a fort of Literary Curiofity, I take the liberty of fending it to you. And fhould you judge it proper to have a place in your useful work, I hope to see it in an English drefs-I understand it is a French tranflation of a definition, or rather a diftinction, made by the princefs Dafchkard, between a fimply honeft man, and a virtuous man, for the ufe of the Ruffian Dictionary, now publishing at Petersburg. I am, Gentlemen, your humble servant.

We

We are much obliged to our friendly correfpondent, and we think the inclofed paper truly curious: we have confequently fubjoined a tranflation of it.

'HE deferves the name of a virtuous man, who, having fubdued his paffions, is guided by justice. This first principle of virtue induces him to prefer truth to every thing, and to fulfil every duty and obligation, even when oppofed by his interests or perfonal enjoyments. The love of his country excites not only a zealous activity, but renders him ready and able, in cafes of neceffity, to make the greatest facrifices: virtue gives him firmnefs and courage, and he becomes capable of brilliant actions. Not contented with barely doing his duty like others, he eagerly facri fees his perfonal interefts, to render his country the most diftinguished fervices. In private life, he is equally attentive to his duty, and anfwers the claims of relationship and friendship with the greater exactnefs. Every kindred virtue, prefcribed by the Jaw of nature, by religion, or the laws of his country, are fami Har to him: gratitude, facred friendship, filial and paternal duties, with the other moral virtues, are the feelings which warm and animate his foul. Humanity and candour, in judging of human failings, unite him with peace and good humour to mankind; nor can the tranquillity of his foul be troubled but by vice, for the ftrength of his judgment enables him to furvey every object in its proper view: the paffions have no influence on him.

The bonest man does his duty. The virtuous man improves what honefty dictates. Executing with a zeal, more confiderable, more ardent, with greater activity and rapidity, he hurries on to voluntary fervices, and thinks thefe a fufficient recompence.

The boneft man does no harm. The virtuous man, fo far from doing harm, has always in his view the moft elevated and heroic actions: thefe are his models.

Unfhaken in his principles, founded on virtue, he follows the path of juftice, unmoved by envy or human frailty: the confoling teftimony of his con cience renders him tranquil and happy, independent of authority or accidents. In a word, the virtuous man diftinguifhes himfelf as much by an elevated foul as by an enlightened genius. This laft quality is fo much the more effential, as without understanding it is often difficult to discover the feeret and obfcure paths of juftice, which is the bafis of every virtue."

WE are forry that we cannot with propriety engage in the private correspondence requested. It will be fufficiently private to fay, in this place, that the subject shall be examined with particu lar care. The reviewer is conscious of no error. He is certain that none was defigned.

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La Pruffe Littéraire fous Frederic II. pour fervir de Continuation a l'Effai fur la Vie & le Regne de ce Roi. Par M. l'Abbe Denina. 3 Toms. 8vo. Roffiman, Berlin.

LITERARY hiftory is the creation of our own period, and

contains a picture of the mind in one region, its various exertions in the different acquifitions, either purely intellectual, or more practical and manual. The late king of Pruffia did not ftrike the fpark, but he cherifhed the almoft imperceptible fire, raised the flame, and extended its general warmth, its animating heat. The fands of Brandenburg became the cradles in which genius fometimes began to flourish, but more often the confervatory in which the genius of other countries expanded with fresh vigour. Our prefent author does not confine himself to either clais, nor to any one art; merit of every kind, connected with Pruffia, and the connections are sometimes a little remote, is his fubject. His articles confequently amount to near 1200, and he fcruples not to affert that there are at prefent, in the proteftant provinces of Germany, more writers than in the whole kingdom of France. He fpeaks, however, of literary men who were never authors, and of authors who have been but a fhort time in Pruffa; though he confines himself alfo to the forty-fix years of Frederic's reign, yet those who at his acceffion were old, and others who at his death had just begun their literary career, are equally the fubjects of his remarks, and his hiftory confequently includes more than an age. In general, the articles are neither crowded with dates, and circumAPP. VOL. IV. NEW ARR. ftances

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ftanees only perfonally important, nor with very extenfive cri tical reflections. The number of authors has extended it to three octavos.

Of one thing, he obferves, I have searcely any doubt: many of the Germans will think that I have faid too little of them; foreigners that my details are too extenfive. But let me affure the former that, however concife my accounts may appear to them, I have faid more than is known in Italy, in France, in Spain, and perhaps even in England. To the latter I would fuggeft, that three or four of the 1200 authors and artists of whom I fpeak, would have filled all my volumes, if I had only detailed what themselves or their difciples have written of them; and one of the fix claffes of authors to which my work extends, might have filled twice as many fheets." The Life of Bufching, for inftance, written at the age of fixty-five by himself, with a very concife account of his works, equals in extent two of thefe volumes; and the Life of Wolff by Ludwig, compofed feventeen years before he ceased to write, is equally copious. Our author intended to have added a fourth volume, but he has abandoned this plan, and we find only a Supplement annexed to the third.

The Introduction contains a general view of literature in Pruffia. The abbe begins with detailing the first progress of letters and arts in the ftates which at present compose the Pruffian monarchy, till the year 1530. The dawn of literature seeins to have been at the acceffion of the Houfe of Hohenzollern, of which the ancestor of the prefent family was a younger brother; and for two centuries before, though the crufaders illuminated in fome degree the minds of the people, and the establishment of the Teutonic order gave fome little expanfion to the mental exertions, there fcarcely exifts a fingle chronicle which proves that the priests and monks could write or read. The Reformation was, in every view, favourable to literature and to science; and the difputes which this great event produced, feemed, in our author's opinion, to have led to the vaft fyftem of Leibnitz, a philofopher who divides, with Newton, the credit of the deepest penetration and the foundest judgment which ever adorned mankind. Under the great elector, and in the reign of the first king of Pruffia, the progrefs was rapid; and though checked awhile by the brutality of Frederic-William, the delay was compenfated by the aufpicious influence of Frederic II. This wonderful man, born alternately to raife our admiration of the power of genius, and to deprefs human pride, by fhowing how grofs the errors were into which minds of fuperior excellence could fall, gave a new impulfe to every kind of mental activity, and was the great patron of literature for near half a century, though he turned the course of science into fome erroneous channels. & The

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