That the Rev. Mr. Mason, when 70 years of age, and possessed of a retreat which has furnished the preceding lines, excited/ should be made an alarmist by the French Revolution, can be no wonder: but we are sorry to see among his latest pieces a Palinody addressed to Liberty; for surely that Goddess has lost none of her loveliness in the eyes of a rational adorer, by the horrors of a ferocity nursed by despotism, and, as we hope, only belonging to an intervening stage of anarchy. The warmest zealot of party, however, can only smile at the reverend writer's delicacy in changing the epithet of People's Friend, which he formerly applied to Mr. Pitt, for that of Country's Friend, because the first has been seized by a political character of a different stamp.

Of the elegies, one written ten years ago in a church-yard in South Wales, on the custom in that country of planting sweet herbs and flowers on the grave of a relation, will give pleasure to every reader of sensibility; although it is not finished with all the polish expected in elegiac verse.

With respect to some of the juvenile pieces, which have slept 50 years in the author's escrutoire, we cannot but say that we are somewhat surprised that they are now brought forth to the public eye. Though a youth at the university might gain some credit by them, they are not worthy of making a part of the third volume of Mason's Poems. We should have been sorry, however, to have remained unacquainted with the two dramas; since, though they will not add to the fame of the author of Caractacus, and of Elfrida, they make an agreeable addition to what may be termed the poet's theatre. The first of these is entitled Sappho, a lyrical drama in three acts. It is written in the manner of Metastasio, with airs or songs at the conclusion of each scene, several of them very harmonious and elegant. The following may serve as specimens:

The bee, that roves round every field,
And sips the balm that each bestows,
For sweets, that common cowslips yield,
Resigns the nectar of the rose;
But, when the transient feast is o'er,
He seeks the rose he left behind,
And finds, in the forsaken flower,
Both Nectar and Ambrosia join'd.'

• When hail descends in pearly shower,
The linnet nestling in the shade,
Hides with its wing its drooping head,
Nor tunes the sprightly lay.

But soon the sun's enlivening power
Dispells the cold, that chill'd the plain;
And soon the limet hastes again

To warble on it's spray.'

Pleasing

Pleasing translations of Sappho's fragments are introduced; and the language and ideas in general seem dictated by a pure classical taste.

The other piece, called a Legendary Drama in five acts, written on the old English model, is intitled Argentile and Curan, and is founded, with much alteration, on a ballad printed in Dr. Percy's Reliques. It is a romantic story, well calculated for poetical effect. An air of antiquity is thrown over the diction, as well in the serious as in the comic parts; which, though sometimes deviating into quaintness, is on the whole suitable to the writer's purpose. We are persuaded that the purchaser of the volume will set no inconsiderable value on this performance, which composes a large portion of it.

We are at a loss to discover the reason for inserting, in the title-page of these poems, the words now first published;" since the author begins an advertisement, on the next page,with acknowleging that several of the pieces had before been published separately.

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ART. XIV. The Principles of Algebra. By William Frend. 8vo. pp. 214. 45. Boards. Robinsons. 1796.

WE E agree with this ingenious writer in his opinion that the system of education, in our publie schools, might be very considerably improved by introducing the study of arithmetic and algebra. We have had occasion to observe, in many instances, that those who have been distinguished as classical scholars have been shamefully ignorant of the common rules of arithmetic; and, from the want of being early accustomed to the contemplation of numbers, and to the performance of those operations in which figures are concerned, they have been indisposed to acquire any accurate knowlege of them, or any facility in the use of them, in their maturer years. It is certainly a mistaken opinion that children, at a very early age, are ineapable of learning the principles as well as the practice of arithmetic. Much may be done by adopting a proper method of teaching. Mr. Frend has suggested a plan for this purpose, the practicability of which has been confirmed by his own experience, and which he wishes to be tried in our various places of education. He recommends us to

Divide a school into classes, consisting of not more than five boys in each class. Each class would be distinguished by the progress which it has made in numbering. The lowest probably would be able to add only, the highest probably to multiply together only two numbers under twenty. Five minutes in the morning and five in the afternoon will be time sufficient for the exercise of each class. The head-master might hear two classes. The boys in the first class

might hear those in the third and fourth. The boys in the second class, those in the fifth and sixth classes; and thus progressively throughout the school. Thus, no boy would be employed more than fifteen minutes on any day, and most days only ten minutes, in this exercise. By examining the lower classes, the boys in the higher classes would be very much improved: their memory would be strengthened; and in future life they would be as little likely to forget their numbering as they are the shape of the letters in the alphabet. Another advantage proposed by classing boys in this manner is, that they may be in the habit of comparing themselves with each other in more respects than one. An overweening pride is apt at present to get the better of them, from a consciousness of superiority in the Latin or Greek languages; and they are surprised some years after to find, that the boys, whom they despised at school, possess talents which make them the most valuable members in society. Indeed this mode of classing a school would be attended with advantage if the boys were questioned in geography, history, and other things, by which the talents of each might be displayed: thus the vanity of early years would be checked, and men would learn to form a better opinion of themselves and their neighbours.'

Having thus announced the general plan of education which he wishes to have adopted, Mr. F. solicits information from those who accede to it, as to the success that attends it.

It is with a view to the introduction and good effect of a plan of this kind, that he has written the treatise before us; and it seems to be well adapted to the purpose. By the exclusion of negative quantities, in particular, he has simplified the science of algebra, and removed one of the principal difficulties that have perplexed and puzzled young persons in commencing the study of it but, though quantities of this nature, considered in the abstract, and unconnected with quantities of another kind that have real existence and are usually denominated positive, are unintelligible, - they serve, in their relation to other quantifies, many important and useful purposes both in analytical operations and in the application of algebra to other sciences. By wholly rejecting them, we encumber this science with a tedious circumlocution; and, which is of still greater moment, we limit its extent and diminish its utility. There are many problems in astronomy, optics, mechanics, and other branches of mixed mathematics, the solution of which is rendered easy and expeditious by means of negative quantities; and in their reference to which a mature understanding may apprehend the nature of these quantities without much difficulty, and apply them with very considerable advantage. We shall say nothing now of their use in the solution of equations. After all, it must be acknowleged, and it has been generally allowed by the best writers, that there is an evident absurdity in the term negative when applied to a single quantity, without REV. APRIL, 1797. adverting

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adverting to its connection with other quantities, and its effect in analytical or mechanical operations. Whether it be owing to a prejudice arising from habit, we cannot say: but we find a great convenience in the use of the terms negative and positive, and are not disposed hastily to surrender them. Nor do we think that those who have recurred to an explanation of their nature and effect by debt and credit, by different directions of motion, and by other allusions, deserve the harsh censure of our author; who observes, after a reference to Maclaurin's Algebra, that when a person cannot explain the principles of a science without reference to metaphor, the probability is that he has never thought accurately upon the subject.' Notwithstanding his objections to the phraseology which has been adopted and is still retained by the most approved writers on the subject of algebra, (such as multiplying one negative number into another, and thus producing a positive number, imaginary quantities, negative and impossible roots, multiplying impossible numbers into one another so as to produce unity and other similar expressions,) there is a convenience and an advantage attending it, which will find strenuous supporters of a different description from those whom he mentions, who love to take things upon trust, and hate the labour of a serious thought.'-Although we are not yet prepared to approve the extent to which our author has pursued his plan of simplifying this science, and do not perceive the benefit resulting from the introduction of new terms in the room of those which have been long familar in consequence of common use, and which are sufficiently intelligible, we have perused his treatise with general satisfaction; and we think it, on the whole, well adapted to the young persons for whom it was principally designed.

There are, however, a few reflections that have occurred to us in the perusal of it, which, if we did not approve the work on the whole, and the laudable plan to which it is subservient, we should not mention. In the chapter on vulgar fractions, we observe an omission of some problems that are both useful and necessary; nor do we conceive that the author's mode of illustrating decimals is suited to the apprehension of very young learners. We think that he ought to have introduced some account of proportion, both arithmetical and geometrical, before he proceeded to the solation of equations; and that he might have enlarged, with advantage to his pupils, on other subjects which he has but cursorily noticed. His objections to Cardan's rule, for the solution of equations of the third order, are not, in our judgment, sufficient to warrant the rejection of it.

This work, nevertheless, considered as part of a plan for the improvement of education, merits particular attention. The author's knowlege and experience claim respect, and qualify him for the execution of the liberal design which he has undertaken. From this specimen, we are led to hope that he will be encouraged to proceed. He farther proposes to lay down, in another volume, the principles of fluxions, and the method of increments and differences; to explain farther the higher parts, as they are called, of algebra; and to give a series of problems adapted to the two volumes.' He adds

Having thus initiated a lad in pure mathematics, I should proceed to the mixed, and I should endeavour to explain the four branches of natural philosophy, mechanics, hydrostatics, optics, astronomy, in separate works, for the use of schools; keeping in view my first idea, that the greater part of the mathematics, now taught in the university of Cambridge, may be made level to the capacities of boys and girls under seventeen years of age. This notion will not appear very extraordinary, except to those who do not reflect on the progress of the human mind. Young men of twenty years of age now read with ease the Principia of Sir Isaac Newton, which, a hundred years ago, were thought too abstruse for the great est adepts in mathematics.'

We understand that Mr. F. personally teaches mathematics.

ART. XV. Memoirs of Emma Courtney. By Mary Hays. 12mo. 2 Vols. 6s. Boards. Robinsons. 1796.

THESE memoirs rise above the class of vulgar novels, which aspire only to divert the unoccupied mind, by occasional illusion, from an irksome attention to the daily occurrences and trivial incidents of real life. The fair writer aims at the solution of a moral problem which is eminently important; viz. whether it be prudent in minds of a superior mould,whether it will bring to them a greater balance of happiness in the whole account, -to exempt themselves from the com mon delicacies or hypocrisies of life, and on all occasions to give vent to their wildest feelings, with conscientious sincerity; or patiently to submit to the incumbent mountains of cir cumstance, without one volcanic effort to shatter the oppres sive load into ruin. The authoress informs us that her pro duction is constructed to operate rather as warning than enample,' and thus to rivet the fetters of the established system of conduct.

Emma Courtney is a woman of beauty, accomplishment, and poverty: who, in consequence of the death of her father, ene ters the world as governess to the children of a distant relation. Her first singularity is manifested in soliciting the corresponds

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