of Philanthropic. The author explains, with great perfpicuity and accuracy, the disadvantages which arife from a legal provifion for the poor, fince it checks that exertion of industry, which might be employed in providing a fund as a fupport for age or in the hour of difcafe, and leffens the flock of national labour, which must of courfe impede national profperity. We fear, however, the remedy will not be wholly effectual. The fociety begins very properly by taking care of the children of the lowest penury and the moft fqualid mifery: these they inure to habits of industry, and lead them, by judicious rules, in the paths of integrity and virtue. So far their conduct deferves the most cordial commendation, and the most eager imitation: we fear only, that the fame principle which has influenced others, will in turn alfo influence them; and if they can procure the week's fubfiftence in three days, they will work no more, fince the parish must supply them in sickness and decrepitude. But though they may not fucceed in every part, their views and defigns are fo proper and fo well conducted, that they deferve every encouragement which affluence can afford. A Sea Manual, recommended to the young Officers of the Royal Navy, as a Companion to the Signal Book. By Sir Alexander Schamberg. 8vo. 35. ferved. Robinfons.

This little tract is an eminently ufeful one, for it comprises. much information of the best kind in a small compass, and clear intelligible language. We cannot eafily give any particular account of it, as it would require diagrams; but we can fafely recommend it as a very neceffary companion to the naval officer. We have ufually trufted to our intrepidity and character; but, while our neighbours are extending their fcientific improvements in this line, we ought not to be deficient in it. A Lecture on the Atmosphere of London; as read before a Public Society, June 14th, 1788. With Plates illuftrative of the Phenomena, and a Preface. By B. Taylor. 4to. 25. Dilly. It would be an unpleasant tak to point out the numerous miflakes in philofophy and meteorology, which the lecturer has committed. We expected nothing better when we found him laughing at his honeft landlord, who told him that the fmell of the water-clofet prevented infection. There are, however, very few points where the author expatiates beyond very common and trite remarks.

An Effay to direct and extend the Inquiries of Patriotic Travel lers; with further Obfervations on the Means of preferving the Life, Health, and Property of the experienced in their fournies by Land and Sea. By Count Leopold Brechtold. 2 Vols. 8vo. 125. in Boards. Robinfous.

This Effay is exceedingly ufeful, and calculated not only to affift the traveller, by very judicious advice, but to open his eyes, if we may be allowed the expreffion; to point out various

objects

objects of enquiry, which are either curious or useful. The fecond volume contains a catalogue of works which have been published relating to different countries: it appears to be full and complete.

A Treatise on the Coal-Trade, by Charles Beaumont. 4to. 55. Robinfons.

Mr. Beaumont appears to be not only perfectly well acquainted with the coal-trade, but with the various important ufes to which this valuable commodity is fubfervient. From his extensive knowledge of the fubject, he is enabled to fuggeft even practical rules, the obfervance of which will prove highly advantageous in the working of coal-mines. But his obfervations are not confined within the limits of the technical department; he likewife fuggefts an improvement of the revenue upon this great article of confumption; and, what must render his enquiries particularly interefting to the inhabitants of the capital, he propofes that the price of the best coals imported into London hould be fixed at feven and thirty fhillings the chauldron the whole year round; this being fuch a price as would, he thinks, at the lame time that it left the confumers at a certainty with regard to their expence, afford a reasonable profit to ali concerned in the coal-trade. We hope, therefore, that Mr. Beaumont's obfervations will meet with due attention, when the fubject, of which he treats in fo fatisfactory a manner, fhall come under the confideration of government.

An Anfwer to the Letter of Theophilus Swift, Efq. on the Subject of the Royal Duel. 8vo. 6d. Stalker.

The author of this Letter affects not elegance of ftyle, nor discovers that apparently studied train of reflection which may be obferved in the production of Mr. Swift; but, in the force of . plain argument, we cannot hesitate to afcribe to him an evident fuperiority; with the additional claim to approbation, that he feems equally candid and ingenuous.

CORRESPONDENCE.

M. Vanden Bosch feems entirely to mistake the defign of our Journal, which differs very effentially from those published on the continent. It is limited to the reviewing works that have appeared in print; and the little of it which we can fpare for our Correfpondence, must be confined to the questions arifing on the fubjects we have before difcuffed. His former defcription of the merits of a fpecific for the fmall pox, in Latin, we never received; and if it had come to our hands, we must have declined inferting it. The prefent adverti(ement for the fale of this fpecific muft, if at all admitted, be cotined to our blue cover; but we think the advantages arifing from i:, in this country, would not be adequate to the expence neceffarily incurred by this method. The employment of fecret compofitions is, in England, attended with a little difgrace.

WE

WE have received Mr. W. G's very obliging letter, in which he points out the 20th verfe of the fecond chapter of St. John, as confirming Mr. Burgefs's opinion of Herod's rebuilding the temple, rather than repairing it. Toopa norra nai i§ “τεσιν οικοδομηθη ὁ ναὸς ἦτος. It is rendered forty and fix years was this temple in building, evidently, Mr. G. thinks, from the noun being put in the dative inflead of the accufative case, which is the ufual conftruction.' He would tranflate it, Forty and fix years has this temple been built,' which, he obferves, is exactly the distance of time intervening between the transaction of Herod and this converfation. The fame remark occurs, we believe, in Heylin, Doddridge, and fome other divines, who find a little difficulty in reconciling the chronology. We shall not follow this difcuffion, fince the words were fpoken by the Jews, who never allowed but of two temples, Solomon's and Zerubbabel's. They allow of no more at this time. Befides, the force of the fentence contradicts the fuppofition. If thou destroy this temple, fays our Saviour, I will raise it up again in three days-In three days! replied the Jews-who thought only of the building before them-why this temple required forty and fix years in building: how cant thou raise it up again in fo fhort a jeriod? Its having been built forty-fix years, or fortyfix times as many, was of very little importance to the argument. In Matth. xxvi. 61. and xxvii. 40. in Mark xiv. 58. and xv. 29, where we find confirmations of this conversation, the ridicule and anger of the Jews are evidently levelled at our Saviour, on account of his undervaluing the time and labour employed in this fumptuous edifice.

We must acknowledge alfo the receipt of a very judicious letter on this fubject from X. Y. who is fo obliging as to tell us he very fully agrees with us in opinion, and adds fome arguments in confirmation of it, which we would readily have tranfcribed, if we were not afraid of anticipating his intended publication. He accufes us, however, of not having given a fair view of the whole of the controversy, as we have omitted the bishop of Exeter's fermon on this prophecy of Haggai. We are torry to perceive that fingle fermons very often elcape, either because they are local publications, or not regularly advertised. We have, however, ordered our collector to look for it, and we hope to be able to attend to it very foon.

WE have received Minutius's very humorous verfes, and his obliging letter: we are well pleased to find that our opinions do not greatly differ, and that our conduct has met with his applaufe. Minutius confiders Peter's fatire as properly directed against thofe culprits whom the law cannot reach. He carries it indeed one step farther, and aims his fhafts at foibles which can never be the objects of a legislature; but, when thefe foibles are harmless to the community we wish him to spare his • falchion.'

*

THE

CRITICAL REVIEW.

For NOVEMBER, 1789.

An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation. By Jeremy Bentham, Efq. 410. 195. in Boards. Payne and Son.

THIS

HIS work was printed in the year 1780; and in this interval Mr. Bentham has difcovered that the plan and the execution were in fome refpects imperfect. Thefe Principles were defigned as an introduction to a plan of a penal code, in terminis; and they would not now have been published in their imperfect state, but that they were effentially neceffary to fome other treatifes, for our author is prolific, and many different works, either in manufcript, or already printed, are alluded to. The Defence of Ufury, which we formerly examined, owed its origin to our author's Principles not admitting of this crime, fo that he was led to enquire whether it was a crime or no: the pursuit of truth is endless. We cannot point out the defects of this work, as a fyftem, better than in the author's own words.

• An introduction to a work which takes for its fubject the totality of any science, ought to contain all fuch matters, and fuch matters only, as belong in common to every particu lar branch of that science, or at least to more branches of it than one. Compared with its prefent title, the prefent work fails in both ways of being conformable to that rule.

As an introduction to the principles of morals, in addition to the analysis it contains of the extenfive ideas fignified by the terms pleasure, pain, motive, and difpofition, it ought to have given a fimilar analyfis of the not lefs extenfive, though much lefs determinate, ideas annexed to the terms emotion, paffion, appetite, virtue, vice, and fome others, including the names of But as the true, and, if he the particular virtues and vices. conceives right, the only true ground-work for the developement of the latter fet of terms, has been laid by the explanation of the former, the completion of fuch a dictionary, so to ftyle it, would, in comparifon of the commencement, be little more than a mechanical operation.

Again, as an introduction to the principles of legislation in general, it ought rather to have included matters belonging exclufively to the civil branch, than matters more particu VOL. LXVIII. Nov. 1789.

A a

larly

larly applicable to the penal: the litter being but a means of compalling the ends propofed by the former. In preference, therefore, or at leaft in priority to the feveral chapters which will be found relative to punishment, it ought to have exhibited a fet of propofitions which have fince prefented themselves to him as affording a ftandard for the operations performed by government, in the creation and dutribution of proprietary and other civil rights. He means certain axioms of what may be termed mental pathology, expreflive of the connection betwixt the fee ings of the parties concerned, and the feveral claffes of incidents, which either cali for, or are produced by, operations of the nature above mentioned.

The confideration of the divifion of offences, and every thing eife that belongs to offences, ought, befides, to have preceded the confideration of punishment: for the idea of punishment prefuppofes the idea of offence: punishment, as fuch, not being inflicted but in confideration of offence.

Lattly, the analytical difcuffions relative to the claffification of offences, would, according to his prefent views, be transferred to a feparate treatife, in which the fyftem of legiflation is confidered folely in refpect of its form: in other words, in refpect to its method and terminology.'

Mankind, Mr. Bentham tells us, are governed by pleasure or pain; and on thefe the very extenfive principle of utility is founded. This principle is defcribed, and its advantages above those adverfe to it, are pointed out: the adverse principles are afceticifm, which, by a little perverfion, is made to fignify the mistaken notion which has been often entertained, that by voluntary punishment or mortiñcation, we may obtain the favour of the deity, or fame; and fecondly, fympathy or antipathy, in other words, the moral fenfe, rule of right, &c. The firit, our author thinks, is only the principle of utility mifapplied, and the fecond a negation of principle rather than any thing pofitive,

Pleafures or pains, therefore, the origin of this univerfal principle of utility, are next examined, and their fources, or, in our author's phrafeology, which is often a little affected, their fanctions' are explained. The great ufe of this chapter is to difcriminate the different kinds of pains and pleasures, and to point out the efficacy of certain moral forces.' The next chapter is on the means of measuring the value of a lot of pleasure or pain,' for as thefe are the inftruments with which a legiflator works, it is neceffary to examine their force. There is, however, fome danger, that different individuals will not eftimate by the fame Itandard. The various kinds of pleafure and pain are next enumerated very particularly. Our author pretends that his catalogue is complete; and that it must be fo, from the analytical procefs by which it was

formed,