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For the preceding intelligence, and the fubfequent character of Dr. Davenant's productions, the prefent editor of the Biographia is indebted to his ingenious friend, fir John Sinclair, bart. who has amply fhewn, by his own valuable performances, that no one is better capable of judging upon the fubject. "Davenant, fays fir John, is certainly a moft valuable political author; and confidering that the modern fyftem of politicks; founded on a fpirit of commerce, on public credit, on paper circulation, and on skill in finance, was then in a manner in its infancy, he undoubtedly was a writer whofe progrefs was more advanced than could have been expected at that time. It appears from his works, that he had access to official information, from which he derived many advantages. He feems, however, to have depended too much upon political arithmetic, on the strength of figures, which ought only to be reforted to, when the fact itself cannot be afcertained, being only a fuccedaneum when better evidence cannot be procured. He was unfortunately, also, a party-writer, and faw every thing in the manner the best calculated to promote the views and purposes of his political friends at the time. Every thing they did was right, whilst every action of their enemies was ill-intended and ruinous. He poffeffed a very confiderable command of language, and is fometimes too prolix ; but on the whole there are certainly very few that can rival him as a political author."

As we have now given a pretty copious account of this volume, in many different departments, we truft our readers will form a favourable opinion of it. As a collection it is copious, accurate, and valuable as a biographical system, little probably can be added to it; and, as an account of works sometimes little known, or often with difficulty procured, it is useful and interefting. When we have faid fo much, the editor will allow us to fuggeft, that he has often collected only, when we wish he had fubjoined a comprehenfive view, and given his own opinions. He has fometimes done this fo ably, that we finished every article with regret where it did not occur: fomething feemed wanting to complete the whole. We hope that his fucceffors, with equal ability, industry, attention, and erudition, may enjoy more leifure, and conclude with those general opinions which will combine the scattered rays, and contribute to illuminate and difcriminate what is either obfcure or confufed. But, in the moment of writing, we have received the pleafing intelligence that Dr. Kippis has been prevailed on to continue in his office, and to proceed in the work. Those who wish for accurate refearch, clear difcriminating judgment, and extenfive information, will join with us in the wifh, that his life and health may be prolonged fo as to enable him to complete what he has hitherto conducted with fo much propriety and ability.

VOL. LXIX. April, 1790.

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The Kalifh Revolution; containing Obfervations en Man and Manners. By Durus, King of Kalikang; who was born in the Reign of the Emperor Auguftus, travelled over most of the Globe, and fill exifts. 8vo. 65. Beards. Robinfons.

WE

E know not when we have been in a greater difficulty to form an opinion, and to give an account of a work, for on no fyftem can we explain the author's object and defign. Durus was born, it is faid in the title, in the reign of Auguftus, and fill exifts. When we compare this paffage with the unaccountable things related by Durus, our fufpicions arife: but let us employ the words of the inimitable Sterne. My uncle Toby had but two things for it; either to fuppofe his brother to be the wandering Jew, or that his misfortunes had difordered his brains,' (chap. iii. vol. v.) Now the first cannot be true, for Durus is a Briton, the fon of a Druid; and the fecond it is a little uncharitable; but, if the author will hang us on the horns of a dilemma, he muft not be furprised at our taking the eafieft pofition. Let us, however, attend to the feries of adventures.

Our author tells us, as we have already obferved, that he was a Briton, stolen from his native country by a Roman kidnapper, and he finds, aboard the Roman galley, the philofopher Seneca, and fome British damfels. One of them is Liza, a native of Cornwall, whom he afterwards marries, and the proves as long-lived as himself, whether from Druidical parentage, or other caufes, we are not told. The ship touched at Cadiz, and we beg, once for all, that the readers of this volume will not be faftidious with respect to anachronisms, and the early use of modern names. From Cadiz, in the way to Rome, they were fhipwrecked and cast on the Fortunate Iflands, where Liza and Durus are married, and where they FORTUNATELY meet with Liza's fifter, married to Afdrubal, a Carthaginian merchant. On a cafual vit to a neighbouring island our hero is blown out to sea, and taken up by a Roman galley, which carries him to Rome. This a lucky event, for it gives him an opportunity of abridging the Roman history from the time of Sejanus to the death of Vitellius. This abridgment fills 244 pages, and the earlier history of Rome is afterwards added in 22 pages = in the whole this happy expedient fills about two thirds of the work.

In Rome he remained forty years, and on his return was fhipwrecked on a defart ifland, where, however, he found a wife, who died in forty years, and he lived nearly 1528 years alone on the island, when he was taken up and carried by a

Spanish

Spanish cruifer to Buenos Ayres. He marries an Indian woman, and, with his wife, is carried from the Andes, in a whirlwind, to an island not defcribed, called Makefang. This we fhould have fuppofed was defigned to mean England, for we have an obfcure allegorical account of the American difpute. While Durus was in Makefang, he hears of a woman of extreme old age being carried to the capital of a kingdom on the neighbouring continent, who still retains fo much beauty as to captivate the king. To Kalikang therefore, the capital of Sufa, he proceeds; and, after various events, a revolution happens, in confequence of which the crown is offered to him. If we could find any great fimilarity, we should fuppofe this part of the flory alludes to the revolution in France. He lives happily with both his wives; and, by his falutary laws, makes the Kalikangians happy. But, in Kalikang alfo, we find many traces of English conftitution, hiftory, and customs; fo that, if the author had any political object in view, his mind must have greatly confufed it. Even the religious fyftem of the Dalai Lama is combined with the cuf toms of Kalikang.

We ought to apologife for giving an outline of a work fo abfurd, but it was neceffary to explain a very unaccountable title. The language is deformed occafionally by Scotticifms, is often incorrect, and inelegant. It would have been cruel to wake her till the got out her nap,' (p. 295,)' pretending to be of the Priestley kidney,' (p. 299,) unable to bear the pricking pain of the rod of taxes, began to turn rufty,' (p. 316,) to pinch and feart her about the vital parts' (p. 318.) I was in the finest trim for a nap,' (p. 349.)-Thefe perhaps are instances enough. We fhall extract a fpecimen from the graver part, from Durus' account of his improvements in the laws and religion of Kalikang. One part of his religious reformation was the deftruction of pluralities and hierarchy.

It was much wondered by fome how the world could stand after the downfal of thefe grave pillars of the ancient church! But, how agreeably were they furprised, to find that these men had only clogged the wheels of government?"

Let us add another from his moral fyftem.

In a good life is comprehended, honefty, fobriety, temper ance, chastity, meeknefs, and purity of heart. If these noble virtues abide in us, they will bring health to our bodies and peace to our minds in this world, and endless felicity in that which is to come.

Let me lead you a little farther into the delightful field, and fhow you fome of its greatest beauties on the one fide, with certain blemishes and deformities on the other. E e 2

Caft

Caft your eyes on truth and honefly; confider them well; they will gain you credit and confidence, and shed a bright luftre on all your actions. But their contraries, falfehood and fraud, will expofe you to contempt, blast your character, and then your intereft finks.

Do no injuftice; for poverty is better than riches ill-got; but wealth derived from fair trade is commendable.

Do no injury to thy neighbour, in his goods, his perfon, his reputation, his wife, his daughters, or to any thing that is

his.

Crush the first beginnings of avarice, or they will gradually grow up to your ruin, even in your temporal affairs.

Take care to curb vice of every kind in the bud; for vices beget one another, and in the end draw more victims into their pale than war itself. What havock is made by exceffive drink, ing, gluttony, and debauchery! but lay into the other fcale, fobriety and temperance, and you will fee the bloom of health and long life.'

Such is Durus What then must be our conclufion? That as he can add little to our entertainment or to our inftruction, he must be condemned to oblivion; foon to be as if he had never been.

The Art of Dying Wool, Silk, and Cotton. Tranflated from the French of M. Hellot, M. Macquer, and M. le Pileur d'Apligny, 8vo. 6s. Boards. Baldwin.

THES

HESE tracts have been published many years, and are now first tranflated for the benefit of the English dyers, who were once greatly excelled by the French, though our artists, at prefent, come very near to thofe on the continent. If they are excelled in the blacks, it is because of the dearness of galls, which prevents their being ufed in a proper proportion; and we fufpect it is partly owing to their not expofing the logwood colour fufficiently to the air before the cloth is immersed. In our review of this work we feel, however, many difficulties. As it now firft appears in English, we ought to examine it at fome length; but the chemical theory of dying is greatly improved fince the publication of thefe effays, and the doctrine of colours has been more fully explained by Mr. Delaval. If we were, therefore, to engage in the theoretical difquifitions and contefts, our article must be unintereftingly minute, and too extenfive: if, in the practical part, we should find it difficult to abridge with advantage. We must therefore confine ourselves to a very general account.

The first treatife, on the art of dying wool and woollen goods, is written by M. Hellot, a French chemift of no inconfiderable

reputation.

reputation. Yet we find a little reserve in his descriptions, fometimes from delicacy, fometimes from a more interested motive, which we could have wifhed him to have avoided. In general, however, the proceffes are described with great clearness and precifion. We have particularly attended to what he fays on the subject of blue vats, and have gone through the process with the book in our hands; fo that we can fafely pronounce it to be an useful acquifition to the artift, and the management of the blue vat is the most intricate part of the dyer's business. His observations on dying scarlet feem, on the contrary, too minute, and perplexed with refinements, which we have not found particularly useful in the few experiments we have had occafion to try.

In the introduction to the art of dying, M. Hellot mentions the primitive colours of the dyers, who are not Newtonians in their fyftem. The primitive colours of thefe artists are the blue, red, yellow, fawn or nut colour, and black. From the mixture of thefe and their different shades all the variety is produced. The theory of dying is yet uncertain. The foundation, or rather the fubftance on which the tinging particles are depofited, is ufually and neceffarily white; and we think the minute particles of the dye muft be tranfparent. The permanency of the dye depends on the intimate union of unchangeable colours with the animal matter; and, on these principles, we may shorty explain all the effential peculiarities of the art. The colour imparted is not neceffarily that of the dye, but that which the dye will affume by the contact of the air : thus a logwood black is at first reddish, and the blue vat is green, with a greenish fediment. The metallic colours, we fufpect, are not capable of being used as dyes, on account of the want of transparency of the fmaller particles, or, in other words, from their being too grofs and not divided with fufficient minutenefs. We have tried repeatedly the beautiful blue precipitated from iron by the Pruffian alkali; but could never produce any other dye from it but what imparted a dirty light olive green. That the permanency of the colour must depend on the unchangeable nature of the particles, or at leaft from the flight impreffion which the air and light can produce, is fufficiently evident; but that it depends alfo in part on fome degree of folution of the animal matter, may be not equally clear. We are of this opinion from obferving, that all the most useful media for imparting colour are alkali acid, or fome active neutrals ; and, from the obvious neceffity that there is for the tinging fluid to penetrate the furface, if the dye is expected to be permanent. After all, it is found neceffary to fix the colour, which is generally effected by fome aftringent, that conftricts the furface,

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