Harte. As the author here tells us, that his book is meant as a compendium of all that is requifite for the farmer to read, we fhall be the better able to examine the tendency of it in anfwering that pretenfion.

The next bufinefs of the Preface is to find fault with Dr. Home's work: he has fome pertinent obfervations, but by no means does juftice to that very ingenious writer's Principles of Agriculture and Vegetation. Next he gives us his opinion. of the New Hufbandry, which he condems at once, much too freely for the Preface of a work intended exprefly to ascertain the merit both of that and the old culture; however, as he here exprefies himself more decifively than in the body of the work, we must not pass the enquiry over. Among other reafons for condemning the new mode, he remarks, that if Mr. Tull himself, who invented the New Hufbandry, and practised it with unremitting diligence, had let the farm he occupied to a fubftantial tenant, he might have lived more genteely upon the rent, without labour, than upon the whole produce of it laboriously acquired. Very likely, he might, but this proves. nothing against his husbandry; we agree with our author in opinion concerning the new mode, but we cannot allow that fuch reasoning will ever be able to overthrow the force of Mr. Tull's experiments. For we may venture the very fame affertion of three fourths of the gentlemen who practife the common mode; but are we therefore to condemn it? If the profit made by the husbandry is to be the proof of its excellence, that proof will ever be equivocal until a practifer of it is found who has all the oeconomy in it, usual in the common husbandry. He goes on,

That the deftru&tion of weeds, the multiplying of fibres, and the loofening earth about the roots of plants, will increafe their vigour, are truths that cannot be controverted; but in this country where labour is dear, the expence of performing thefe operations, I am inclined to think, from my own little experience, will exceed the profit. Will any one who has made the experiment, take upon him to fay, that in rows only twelve inches apart, the two inches that are planted will produce an equal quantity of grain, after being three times handhoed, with the whole fourteen inches planted in the ordinary manner, provided the land is all equally prepared; with an additional excess that will pay for the excess of labour?2

We here defire leave to reply, that the author reasons without ftating any principles on which to reafon'; in equally-diftant drilling, the modé he is here fpeaking of, the thickness of the planting should depend on the distance to which the roots of wheat extend with vigour. If they penetrate, as they

cer

of their ftations. The foliloquy of Teribazus before the expedition of Xerxes againft Greece, is natural and tender.

• Yet thus to love, defpairing to poffefs,

Of all the torments, by relentless fate

On life inflicted, is the most fevere.

Do I not feel thy warnings in my breast,
That flight alone can fave me? I will go
Back to the learn'd Chaldeans, on the banks
Of Ganges feek the fages; where to heav'n
With thee my elevated foul fhall tow'r.
O wretched Teribazus! all confpires
Against thy peace. Our mighty lord prepares
To overwhelm the Grecians. Ev'ry youth
Is call'd to war; and I, who lately pois'd
With no inglorious arm the foldier's lance,
Who near the fide of Hyperanthes fought,
Muft join the throng. How therefore can I fly
From Ariana, who with Afia's queen's
The fplendid camp of Xerxes must adorn?
Then be it fo. Again I will adore
Her gentle virtues. Her delightful voice,
Her gracious fweetnefs fhall again diffufe
Refiftless magic through my ravifl'd heart;
Till paffion, thus wlth double rage enflam'd,
Swells to distraction in my tortur'd breast,

Then-but in vain through darkness do I fearch
My fate-Despair and fortune be my guides."

The reader, perhaps, will wish to know the fate of these lovers. The unfortunate paffion of Teribazus hurries on his valour to the moft dangerous exploits. He is flain by Dithyrambus. Ariana comes to the Grecian camp to beg the body of her lover, which Leonidas grants her with the fympathy of a hero. Her lamentation over the corpfe, and the four lines after it, unfold the catastrophe.

O torn for ever from these weeping eyes!
Thou, who defpairing to obtain a heart,
Which then most loy'd thee, didft untimely yield
Thy life to fate's inevitable dart

For her, who now in agony reveals

Her tender paffion, who repeats her vows
To thy deaf ear, who fondly to her own
Unites thy cheek infenfible and cold.
Alas! do thofe unmoving, ghaftly orbs
Perceive my gufhing forrow! Can that heart
At my complaint diffolve the ice of death
To fhare my fuffrings! Never, never more
Shall Ariana bend a lift'ning ear

To thy enchanting eloquence, nor feast

Her mind on wisdom from thy copious tongue!
Oh! bitter, infurmountable diftrefs?

She could no more. Invincible defpair

Supprefs'd all utt'rance. As a marble form,
Fix'd on the folemn fepulcher, inclines
The filent head in imitated wye

O'er

from this. Fig. 3. has a ftrait mould-board, all which are

bad.

The firft ten chapters are occupied with directions for inclofing and building upon a waste with estimates; all which has little to do with the purpose of inftructing the generality of husbandmen. But there are a few obfervations we must not pass over. In p. 2. he recommends white and black thorn equally in fencing; the latter is, however, a pernicious weed in a fence.

Page 7. Parks planted in spots at a yard afunder: this is the worst management: they fhould be over the whole land to shelter one another, for the fame reason that no grafs or weed must be removed, which is a juft obfervation of the author.

Chap. 4. Concerning the buildings and farm-yard, is full of juft and fenfible obfervations.

In chap. 13. we cannot but exprefs our disapprobation at the author's tranfcribing Ellis verbatim, in p. 70, 71, and 72, in the characters of fervants, without acknowledging a line; and to a poor purpose, for customs of this fort are applicable only to certain fituations.

At p. 77. the author defends the farmers for rejecting the ufe of oxen. No fet of men in this kingdom,' fays he,

⚫ understands their own intereft better than the clafs of farmers. Such vague declarations mean nothing. How well do they understand their intereft who plough with fix horses at length, who sow turneps and beans without hoeing, who feed Jean hogs with milk in fummer; who take fix, eight, ten crops of corn running? &c. &c. &c.

Chap. 15. on Implements is very incomplete, and fome tools are named of no uje.

Chap. 16. on Soils, deferves commendation: it is practical, and not copied from other writers.

Chap. 17. the fame. Chap. 19. on Manures, has fome good obfervations; but the fubject demands experiment alone. I will,' fays he, lay it down as a certain and uncontrovertible maxim, that chalk fresh from the pit, laid on and managed as before directed in the proper season, will enrich every fort of earth it is laid upon; and that lime, on the contrary, laid on at whatever time, or managed in whatever manner, will, after the first and fecond year, impoverish every foil it mixes with.'-From this paffage one would think the writer dropt from the moon; what will the farmers who understand their own intereft fo well, in the Hundreds of Effex, fay to this who go ten miles for lime, and manure with it at the rate of 51. 61. and 71. an acre. Those in various parts of Yorkshire, who get crops by lime alone? In the moors, who, without

t

lims could get no crop at all? In the peak of Derby, where lime alone, without tillage, and without other manure, converts a black defart to good grass? But the author gives us only an affertion: to drop inftances, let us afk him what manure he would lay on the foils that abound with the vitriolic acid ?

Chap. 20. on Compofts, contains good matter; particularly his obfervation on urine, p. 114. • Whatever compo fition is added to chalk robs it of its effential qualities." This is a bold affertion that wants experiment to ascertain; but it is a favourite idea of the author's.

Chap. 21. contains fome experiments which, though not conclufive, have their merit. The very forming trials deserves the thanks of the public.

Chap. 22. on cropping lands, is full of errors. It teaches. us to pursue a courfe of crops fo bad that one would fuppofe it the product of one ignorant of hufbandry. First, fays he,

plough and manure and fow wheat.-Second, Beans.-Third, Barley.-Fourth, Clover; take two crops and winter fallow for-Fifth, Oats.-Sixth, Winter vetches.-Seventh, Wheat or turneps.

On light land: 1. Turneps. 2. Pease or vetches. 3. Wheat. 4. Barley. 5. Clover. 6. Oats.

Here let the reader observe that clover is introduced on both foils, without, perhaps the greatest advantage attending the crop, that of preparing for wheat on one earth, which we fhall venture to call the best husbandry ever discovered. And in the laft courfe, turneps, which ought unexceptionably to be fucceeded by barley, are followed by peafe, and the barley thrown after the wheat, which is vile management: we appeal to the knowledge of all good farmers for the juftness of these remarks.

Chap. 23, and 24, are ingenious; the propofition for planting moors unexceptionable.

[To be continued. ]

IX. The Philofopher: in three Converfations.
Second Dedication to Lord Mansfield. 8vo.

WE

Part II. With a is. 6d. Becket. notice of the first

E have already had occafion to take part of these Converfations*, in which the speakers. were a Whig, a Courtier, and a Philofopher. A Clergyman is now joined to the company, in order to guard the interests of the church, when they fhould be brought under confidera

* Vide Critical Review, Numb. 180. p. 63.

tion.

elegant; yet, on the other hand, where practice alone is re quired, it may, as Dr. Prieftly juftly obferves, be readily attained without much previous knowledge in the mathematical fcience. This, continues our author, I found by experience; for, notwithstanding, I got a general idea of the theory of perfpe&ive pretty early, at the time that I attended to other branches of mathematical science, I was not capable of making a draught of any thing, till I was under a neceffity of having original drawings of electrical machines and apparatus, and was in a fituation where I could not find any person to make them for me. At first I puzzled myself with feveral mechanical methods of drawing, but though I made confiderable improvements in fome of them, I was obliged, at last, to have recourse to the rules of perspective. I found them, however, fo immethodically digefted, or fo infufficiently explained, that, in feveral cafes, I was able to investigate the rule myself, from confidering the nature of the thing, fooner than I could find it in the books; and after all, the drawings that I did make at that time, were executed when I had a very imperfect knowledge of the art.

The embarraffment I then found myself in, made me attend to the fubject afterwards, when I was more at leisure for it. Having ftruggled with the difficulties myself, and writing while the idea of them is fresh in my memory, I hope, that I have been better able to obviate, or remove them, for the benefit of others. I have been willing, however, to make the attempt, and I flatter myself, that any perfon, of the age and qualifications of thofe who ever think of learning to draw, may, by help of this treatife, without any inftructor, make themselves mafters of every thing that is effential to this art. Lefs than a week, I am pretty clearly of opinion, would be fufficient for a master of the art to instruct another in it, in the method here laid down; and few hours would be fufficient to give a perfon, who has a previous knowledge of geometry, a perfect idea of all the real varieties that can poffibly occur in the practice of it.'

With regard to the work itself, which the author modesty terms only a Familiar Introduction to the Theory and Practice of Perspective, and is therefore, by no means, intended to fuperfede other valuable performances; it appears, as far as we are able to judge, to be executed with a confiderable degree of accuracy. The theory is clear and fatisfactory, the definitions and technical terms reduced to as few as the nature of the fubject will admit; and the practical part laid down in a very comprehenfive and familiar manner. We therefore recommend this work as worthy the perufal of those who are defirous of attaining a competent knowledge in the art of linear perspective.