the unneceffary articles of luxury, intended to defray a public and neceffary charge, which they create. This would still be

of much greater service, not only to the public in general, but to every individual in the kingdom, as it appears to be the only probable, if not poffible, method of reducing the prefent, and preventing the future much higher price of provifions, which is fo loudly complained of by all, and severely felt by many. Such a tax and bounty would, in a word, relieve the diftreffes of thoufands, give bread to the poor, and plenty to the rich5 would increase the numbers of people in the nation, enlarge the agriculture of the kingdom, and fave its trade from declining, its manufactures from decaying, and the nation from ruin.'

The fecond part of this interefting work treats of the agriculture, ftaple commodities, population, and trade of NorthAmerica, fo as to render them equally beneficial to the colonies and their mother-country. He proves the neceffity of colonies in North-America to Great-Britain, and that they form three different countries; and yet he afterwards says, that from a hundred and fifty years experience it appears, that the northern colonies produce nothing wanted in Great-Britain. Our limits will not permit us to give this author's ingenious arguments in fupport of this paradox. He tells us, that the middle colonies are worn out in producing tobacco; that they must be converted into corn and pafture grounds; and that we shall foon want a fupply of lands for tobacco, as much as for any other production of North-America. The third divifion of our colonies comprehends Canada, NovaScotia, Georgia, East and West Florida, the territories of the Ohio and Miffiffippi. The author fhews how our settlements may be extended, and thinks, that their being enabled to cultivate a few staple commodities, would govern them much better than all the laws and regulations ever propofed. He obferves, that fo long as they produce nothing wanted in GreatBritain, they can never live under her government without great complaints on both fides. He next treats of the proper fettlement of the colonies, the ways of fecuring and rendering them a benefit to this nation. He points out the methods of preferving their dependence, of improving their agriculture, of removing the obftacles to that improvement, and various other matters, the enumeration of which would fwell this article to an immoderate length.

In the third part the author difcuffes the prefent state and regulations of the colonies; their produce; annual income; condition and circumftances; inability to pay taxes; difadvantages of their taxes to Great-Britain; impropriety of the

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late regulations; of the ftamp-act; caufes and confequences of these regulations; the defence and fecurity of the colonies. He thinks, that with a proper attention half a million might be faved, and as much more gained; that colonies can only be taxed in staple commodities; and concludes the whole with fhewing the confequences of the late taxes and repealing them. He flights the acquifitions of Canada and Cape Breton, the former of which he advises to be dismantled and evacuated; and declares himself of opinion, that Crown-Point and Niagara 'would have secured our colonies both from the Indians and the French, even while the latter were in poffeffion of Canada.

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As we do not pretend to be judges of commercial and colonial matters, we can only fay, that the experiment of enabling the Americans to pay their taxes in staple commodities, which feems to be the capital point aimed at by the author, appears to be dangerous, if fuch commodities fhould interfere with thofe of the mother-country. However, we will venture to pronounce, that the writer understands his fubject, and fupports his reasoning with a number of quotations and calculations that appear to us equally fair and accurate.

IV. Lexiphanes, a Dialogue. Imitated from Lucian, and suited to the prefent Times. With a Dedication to Lord Lyttleton, a Preface, Notes, and Poftfcript. Being an attempt to restore the English Tongue to its Ancient Purity, and to correct, as well as expofe, the affected Style, hard Words, and abfurd Phrafeology of many late Writers, and particularly of our English Lexiphanes, the Rambler. 8vo. Pr. 35. Knox.

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EW books have been more admired and applauded than the Rambler. By fome writers that work is called "an excellent performance ;" and by others it is faid to exceed every thing of the kind, which has been published in this kingdom b❞ But the author of this Dialogue is of a different opinion, and speaks of the writings of Dr. J——————n in this contemptuous manner: I had feen his volumes on a bookfeller's counter, or a friend's table, and had fometimes taken them up with an intention to perufe a paper or fo, but was never able to go through the tafk; for being presently difgufted with the pedantry and affectation in every page, I could not help throwing them down with a contempt and indignation, which, perhaps, the defects of the language excepted, might

Monthly Review, Warton's Effay on the Writings and Genius of Mr. Pope. b Student, vol. ii p. 3.

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be very undeferved. At laft, during a long voyage at fea, when I had access to no other English books but what I had been long acquainted and very familiar with, excepting the Ramblers, which happened accidentally to be on board, in order to divert the idle and folitary hours unavoidable in that fort of life, I was in a manner obliged to read them, which accordingly I did with great care and attention. I immediately perceived, and was very forcibly ftruck with the ftrong refemblance there fubfifts between Mr. J-n's character, and that of the Limoufin fcholar in Rabelais, and of Lexiphanes in Lucian. And I concluded, that an imitation of the latter would be admirably well fuited to expose that falfe taste and ridiculous manner of writing; and that it might also be of emipent ufe to letters, by decrying that abfurd Lexiphanick stile, which from the great and univerfal reputation this pedant enjoyed, I reasonably imagined had became fashionable among us, and might, in a fhort time, bring on an entire decline and corruption, nay, a total alteration of our language, as had been the cafe with the Roman tongue under the emperors.

Therefore, as foon as I had an opportunity, I fet about the following work with all the diligence and application I was mafter of. In the course of it, befides Mr. Jn's, I carefully perufed, it may fafely be faid, for the first time, what other modern writings came in my way; and I generally found them more or less Lexiphanick in proportion to the share of fame and reputation their feveral authors enjoyed.'

The ftile of fome of our late writers, we confefs, is very juftly cenfured by the author of this Dialogue. But we cannot allow, that Lexiphanicifm is the characteristic of the age.' We have innumerable writers whofe language is eafy, natural, and unaffected. Hard words and turgid expreffions are generally exploded. No writer in this age attempts to use the ftile of Sir Thomas Browne. The English language has received great improvement fince the beginning of this century. Yet this work is not unfeasonable. It is written with acutenefs and spirit; and may be attended with a good effect. The Rambler, the Elements of Criticism, Night Thoughts, Pleafures of Imagination, Centaur not Fabulous, Warton's Effay on the Writings and Genius of Mr. Pope, and other late productions, have furnished the author with a great variety of Lexiphanic expreffions.

The plan is taken from Lucian. Lexiphanes and the critic meet. After fome compliments paffed between them, Lexiphanes rehearses his rhapfody. It contains a rant about hilarity and a garret; Oroonoko's adventure with a foldier; his own journey to Highgate, and adventures there on the road; his re

turn

turn to London, and lawfuit about his horfe; his walk to Chelsea, where he plays at fkittles; his being frightened by a calf on his return, which he mistakes for the Cock lane ghoft; his amours and disappointments at a bagnio.

Our readers will be able to form a notion of the manner in which this writer has ridiculed the ftile of Lexiphanes, by the following extracts.

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I had no fooner effufed this ejaculation to Hypertatus, than Mifocapelus, Hermeticus, Hymenæus, Captator, Eubulus, and Quifquilius came up and d conjoined us. It was impoffible for me not to fuccumbe under the conjunct importunities of fo many illuftrious affociates, who all fimultaneoufly fobfeerated me to accompany them in an ambulatory project to the wakeful harbinger of day at Chelfea, and there to recreate and invigorate our powers with buns, convivial ale, and a fober erratick game at fkittles. At length I adhibited my confent, though with an extremity of reluctance, owing to the impla cability of the pain of my fundamental excoriations", which were fo highly exafperated by the adhefions of my everlasting thickfets, that despair grafped my agonizing bofom, and I dreaded their termination in a fiftula. But the pleafing pow

and grateful honours of their converfation, and above all, converting my thoughts to the ambition of aerial crowns, And fuperlunary felicities, k

obtunded the acrimony of my dolorous fituation.

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• Mifocapelus had paffed his officinal state behind the counter of a haberdasher; he had applied all his powers to the knowledge of his trade, so that he quickly became a critick in fmall wares, and a fkilful contriver of new mixtures of colorifick variety. In the fourth year of his officinalfhip he paid a visit to his rural friends, where he expected to be confulted as a master of pecuniary knowledge, and oracle of the mode. But, unhappily, a colonel of the guards, with a carelefs gaiety and unceremonious civility; and a student of the Temple, with lefs attraction of mien, but greater powers of elocution, fo abftracted all his auditors whilft he was exhaufting his defcriptive powers in a minute reprefentation of a lord mayor's triumphal folemnity, that thenceforth. he could exhibit no other proofs of his existence, than naming the toast in

• Characters or correspondents of our author in the Rambler. d Elements of Criticifm. * Robertfon. f Hume. g In English the fign of the Cock. h Occafioned by his journey to Highgate. Akenfide. i * Night Thoughts. See Milocapelus's Letters in the Rambler, No. 116, 123,

his turn. After the death of his elder brother, who died of drunken joy, he commenced gentleman, but with great infelicity of attempt. For with a double quantity of lace on his coat, a forbidding frown, a fimile of condefcenfion, a flight faJutation, an abrupt departure, and a vertiginous motion on his heel with much levity and sprightlinefs, he has not attained his refolution of dazzling intimacy to a fitter distance, or inhibiting its approaches with its ufual phrafes of benevolence. He has had fucceflive circumrotations through the characters of fquire, critick, gamefter, and foxhunter, but has at last degenerated into that of a taylor; in which capacity he has been recommended to all her numerous circle of acquaintance, by the mischievous generofity of Ferocula, whom he once affifted, in the prefence of hundreds, in an altercation for fix-pence with a hackney coachman.

Eubulus is now labouring in the wheel of anxious dependance. His uncle, who fupplied him with exuberance of money, and maintained him in pecuniary impudence that he might learn to become his dignity when he fhould be made Lord Chancellor, which he often lamented that the increase of his imbecillities and his decrepitude was very likely to preclude him from seeing, had frequently harraffed him with monitory letters. But Eubulus at laft refolved to teach young men in what manner grey-bearded infolence ought to be treated. He therefore, one evening, took his pen in hand, and after having rouzed his powers to a due state of animation with a catch, wrote a general answer to all his monitions with fuch vivacity of turn, fuch elegancy of irony, and fuch afperity of farcafm, that he convulfed a large company with univerfal laughter, kindled up an undistinguished blaze of merriment, raised an unintermitted ftream of jocularity, difturbed the whole neighbourhood with vociferations of applause, and five days afterwards was answered, that he must be content. to live upon his own estate.'

Lexiphanes, having drawn the characters of all his companions in this pompous manner, thus resumes the history of his adventures:

Such were my convivial affociates; and while we continued our viatorial progreffion through the royal perambulations, we fortuitoufly occurred that celeftial meditant Mr. James Hervey, in whom exuberance of magnanimous fentiment and ebullition of genius are so fignally conftellated. Our occurrence was near the gate heretofore denominated from a nobleman on

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Ramb. No. 129.

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