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CORRESPONDENCE.

To the MONTHLY REVIEWERS.

GENTLEMEN,

TH

SOUTHAMPTON, Sept. 10, 1765.

HE reprinting old books, and impofing them on the public as new productions, if not a direct fraud, is at least very unfair and difingenuous; and as fuch, (if I mistake not) has been fometimes taken notice of in the Review. But it cannot be expected that the gentlemen concerned in that ufeful work fhould be acquainted with every antiquated pamphlet, which time and its own worthleffnefs feemed to have configned to utter oblivion. I therefore take the freedom to acquaint you, that I have now by me a tract intitled The Plain Man's Guide, &c.' with every tittle expreffed, as in the titlepage of the new publication; and in the body of the book the very fentence transcribed in the last Review, p. 161, from comparing of which, I make not the leaft doubt of its being the very book printed by B. Motte, for R. Clavel, at the Peacock in St. Paul's church-yard, 1708. But, Gentlemen, though the detection of this ftale fallacious pamphlet was the immediate occafion of this address, yet I cannot take my leave without returning thanks for the improvement I have received by your folid answer to Philalethes *. The subject has been made fo intricate by learned pens, that a plain unlettered underftanding, like mine, inftead of receiving fatisfaction, is like to meet with perplexity; school-jargon, and profound darkness, from the labours of most divines, who have profeffedly undertaken to inveftigate the fubject. Indeed, it did always appear to me a ftrange kind of logic to affert, that the fufferings of an innocent perfon, was a mark of God's deteftation of fin; and that an act of the highest injuftice and cruelty, had in its own nature a tendency to induce God to be merciful, and beftow pardon on the guilty: this feemed to me unaccountable, yet I acquiefced in it, as a mystery unfathomable by the human mind; which I fuppofed fo unhappily conftituted, as to be uncapable of difcerning the harmony of the divine perfections in the work of redemption,

I am, Gentlemen, your most humble fervant,

A. G.

We are obliged to A. G. for his information relating to the Plain Man's Guide,' which we fufpected to be an old tract revived; but not being certain of the fact, did not think ourselves authorized to mention that circumstance.

Vid. the Article, CORRESPONDENCE, at the end of last month's Review.

+++ We are much obliged to the Author of the Letter from Cheapfide. The Medical performance therein mentioned was really over. looked; but a copy thereof is now procured, and due notice will be taken of it, in a fubfequent Review.

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AVING feen a Letter figned S. Dunn, wherein that gentleman complains that we have not given a fair account of his pam- phlet*; and particularly that we should have fhewn in what parts his principles are wrong; and that what we have tranfcribed from Maupertuis is nothing: it will perhaps be expected that we should offer fomething in our own vindication.

We were always perfuaded that experience was the best, and often the only criterion of metaphyfical principles. It was this, we know, that demolished the fyftem of Ptolemy, and the vortices of Descartes; and on this touchstone we think those of Mr. Dunn should be tried.

In the paffage we tranfcribed from Maupertuis, that able mathematician very juftly obferves, that if the declination of the stars be found to be the fame in different latitudes, the plumb-line must be every where perpendicular to the furface of the earth. Now it is fufficiently proved from obfervations in England, in France, in Ruffia, in Jamaica, in St. Helena, at the Cape of Good Hope, and at the Mouth of the Ganges, that these declinations are the fame; confequently the plumb-line must have the fame tendency in different latitudes. Does not this abundantly prove that the direction of the plumb-line doth not vary in different places, both in longitude and latitude, as Mr. Dunn has afferted it does?

Befides, if the large corrections of our Author were abfolutely neceffary, it would be impoffible to conduct a ship across the ocean to the Weft-Indies, by any time-keeper, however correct, without lofing her longitude more than half a degree. But it is well known that Mr. Harrison has carried a ship twice to that part of the globe without lofing his longitude even a quarter of a degree. If therefore we take experience for our guide, we shall furely conclude, that no corrections of this kind are necessary.

We shall now leave the Reader to judge whether we did not give a fair account of Mr. Dunn's work, and whether the paffage we tranfcribed from Maupertius was, or was not, any thing to the purpose.

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The Author of The TUTOR, a Poem, in MS. mistakes the province of the Reviewers: they have nothing to do with manufcripts. They do not recollect the Ode on Virtue which he mentions.

Ist The Author of the Antidote, fee our laft, p. 161, seems diffatisfied with the moderate fhare of praise we have bestowed on his performance. No doubt he thinks it excellent: had the Reviewers been of the fame opinion, he may be affured, they would honeftly have expreffed their fentiments, in the fullest and most liberal manner. He is wrong in talking about friendship; for every Reviewer is, or ought to be, a MELCHISE DEC.

248

A. B. who, in a Letter from Bath, enquires about à paffage in Diofcorides, will pleafe to obferve, that the reference to which he alludes, was not made by the Reviewer;it being a quotation from the book which is the fubject of that article.

*.* In answer to F.'s enquiry concerning the English tranflation of PLATO, we can only inform our Correfpondent, that Mr. Sydenham has not publifhed any part of that work, befide what hath been mentioned in our Review: nor do we know whether or not that gentleman intends to profecute his defign any farther. The other parts of F.'s Letter require no particular notice here.

ADDITIONS to the POETICAL Articles..

Art. 32. Free Thoughts on Love and Marriage. By Mr. Ingledew. 4to. Is. Flexney.

Mr. Ingledew had, in our opinion, better have kept his thoughts on love and marriage to himself, as they are neither calculated to infpire the one, nor give any great relish for the other.

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We cannot omit, on this occafion, taking notice of the prevailing abfurdity of modern authors annexing MR. to their names; contrary to the custom of the ancients, whom in other refpects they are fo fond of copying.-MR! a vague indifcriminate term, equally claimed by the fon of a peer, or a porter an opulent merchant, or the master of a green fall. Befides, it is attended with one difadvantage to themfelves, which, perhaps, they do not foresee, that for want of their Chriftian names, the world may plant the laurels on the wrong head : however, Mr. Ingledew, we apprehend, can be no lofer on this occafion.

After telling us of an amour with one MRS. Delia, he is ingenuous enough to acknowledge himself Spurned from the arms of a MRS. Cloe, whom he confeffes he loves notwithstanding: we doubt not the Reader will be as perfectly fatisfied with MR. Ingledew's poetry as with his generofity, on this occafion :

And notwithstanding all the lewd may fayi,
I really love her to this very day.

Sh.w.

Art. 33. The Female Barbers; an Irish Tale. 4to. 6d.

Williams.

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An unfuccessful attempt at being obfcenely witty and profane; faid to be sent in an anonymous letter from Ireland. If the fact really happened there, as the Writer alledges, we cannot conceive his reafons for tranfporting it hither; as he has, in all probability, defeated the very end he propofed, by making nobody contemptible or ridiculous but himself.

[No Single SERMONS published this Month.]

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of Prior. The auther J. Gright

Т.НЕ

MONTHLY REVIEW,

For OCTOBER, 1765.

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A New and complete Syftem of Practical Husbandry; containing all that Experience has proved to be most useful in Farming, either in the Old or New Method; with a comparative View of both; and whatever is beneficial to the Husbandman, or conducive to the Ornament and Improvement of the Country-gentleman's Eftate. By John Mills, Efq; Editor of Duhamel's Hufbandry. Vols. III. IV. and V. 8vo. 15s. fewed, Printed for the Author, and fold by J. Johnson,

Tfeems that fome difputes have happened between Mr. Mills and the bookfellers concerned in the publication of the two former volumes of this work; with the particulars of which it is altogether needlefs to trouble our Readers. If, however, the faid bookfeliers have acted fomewhat arbitrarily towards the Author, we are glad to fee that he had fpirit énough to take the work into his own hands, and to continue the publication of it at his own rifque; and we hope he will have no reason to repent of his refolution to emancipate himself from the fuppofed tyranny of which he complains *.

In the Preface to the third Vol. Mr. Mills very juftly obferves, that our utmost attention to Agriculture was never more neceflary than at this period, if we would preferve that fuperiority therein, which we have, hitherto enjoyed over almost every nation in Europe.

Not having been able to comprife, in his fecond volume, every article relative to the management of grain; he has, in this, treated firft of the enemies to corn, beginning in Chap. III. (which also

This complaint is not made in the Work felf, but in a private Letter addreffed to the Reviewers; which we think rather too long for infertion here, as we are not at all inclined to enter into any personal altercations, if poñible to be avoided. VOL. XXXIII,

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, begins the Vol.) with weeds, than which nothing requires more the attention, industry, and perfeverance of the farmer, who muft extirpate them, before he can have complete crops [of any thing else.]-But, §. 1. The judicious farmer will not attempt to weed his corn before the beginning of fpring, on account of the great danger of pulling up many of the young useful plants, with those which he wants to extirpate and yet he fhould not wait too long before he fets about this very neceffary work; because the noxious growth will multiply apace, and speedily rob the foil of great part of its nutritive juices. His eye muft help to direct him when to perform this effential operation; and he muft, above all, be particularly careful never to let any weeds grow fo big as to choak or overtop his corn, or ftand till their feeds ripen and fow themselves.'

If the spring is wet and warm, and if it rains much in May, abundance of weeds will then fpring up, and great care should be taken to deftroy them immediately.' The perennial rooted kind [of weeds] are beft deftroyed by repeated fummer fallows, wherein it is effentially material that every piece of root be taken away and burnt, because, in many of fuch, every joint will produce a new plant.'-He then enumerates the feveral species of weeds most hurtful to the farmer, and moft apt to abound; and points out the most effectual means of eradicating them entirely. This Sect. is concluded with an obfervation, that- Upon the whole, it may be looked upon as a general rule, that sowing of clean feed, and laying the ground down to grafs, will at length overcome all forts of weeds; and the more in heart the land is, laid down to grafs, the thicker the grafs, or clover, will grow, and the better effect it will have."

Sect. 2. Treats of quadrupeds, birds, vermin, and infects, as enemies to corn and points out the most approved methods of guarding againft, or deftroying them. In particular, a full account is here given of that formidable infect which has long defolated, and had at length almoft entirely laid waste a whole province in France, viz. that of Angoumois. But as the defcription of this infect is attended with various drawings, we must refer the inquifitive, to the book itself.

But

As the prefervation of corn, both in granaries and fhips, is an article of confiderable importance to every maritime nation, Chap. IV. is employed in treating upon that fubject. berore he enters upon the point, he mentions the article of threshing; and fays, p. 79, that fome engine or other, provided with a number of flails, or other pieces anfwering the fame end, might furely be made to move by water, wind, or a horfe, fo as to perform the business of threshing still cheaper and more expeditiously, [than] in the common way.'- This [he adds]

well

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