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alfo mitigates all afperity in the judgments and manners of men; makes men perceive more goodneis, more pleafant and amiable qualities in each other; gives even virtue a brighter afpect, to prudence a more cheartul mien, thus gains more profelytes to both, and procures them both a larger and more unimpeded operation.

Innocent fenfual pleafure expands the heart with benevolence towards all men, caufes us to take greater interet in every thing about us, makes us fenfible to the wants of others, and may frequently excite us to many beneficent and general actions. No man that is worthy the name of man, that has fentiments of humanity about him, but is more ready to help his brethren, and to do them good, when he feels his own good fortune and happiness, and is pleafed and chearful in the enjoyment of i..'

The fecond volume is on the value of fenfibility, of virtue and religion; on that of our fouls, of the doctrine of immortality; of our abode in this world; and on fpiritual expe

riences.

The lecture on fenfibility is an admirable one; and our au thor's distinction between fenfitivenefs and fenfibility, very juft. The former is that more animal paffion, which is drawn forth by a fight of actual fuffering; the latter that emotion of, the foul, railed by the contemplation of fomething beyond the prefent view, when patient fortitude, refignation under affiction, active benevolence, or zealous affection in the extrement diftrefs, is confpicuous, independent of any particular appearances. Our author diftinguishes the true fenfibility from that species which is falfe, and, like a Chriflian preacher, leads us to the most brilliant example of true fenfibility in our Saviour. He wept, but he healed; he felt, but his feelings did not delay his compaffionate affiftance; in his atmoit extremity, his cares were anxiously alive for his mother, and the difciple whom he loved.'

In the lecture on the value of virtue, the preacher (for in reality thefe eftimates are fermons) fhows, that it is fuperior to every other bleffing formerly examined, and goes on to prove, that Chriftian virtue is the firft fpecies of it.

• Christian virtue is not an accidental, tranfient effect of particular thoughts and emotions, but the effect and result of the whole thinking and fentitive. fyftem. Its force and duration is not dependent on this or that particular idea, but on an intire indivible confequence of the grandest and most exalted truths. It grounds itself on all that Chriflianity tells us of God, his auribates, his providence, his conduct towards us, and particularly of his love and clemency to weak, and finful, and guilty creatures; on all that it difcovers to us of our na

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ture, our origin, our vocation, the general judgment, and the future remuneration; on all it teaches us concerning Jefus, of his great bufinefs upon earth, of his aliitance to mankind, of h's holy life and beneficial death, of his connection with us, of his dominion over us, of his love towards us, and of his spirit in us.'

The subject of spiritual experiences may ftartle the cool and philofophical reader, and lead him to fufpect, that the author draws near to the confines of enthufiafm. When we confidered the warmth of fome of his religious expreffions we had fimiliar apprehenfions; but they were without foundation. Evidence, he obferves, refts chiefly on teftimony; and the evidence of our religion is in part of this kind; but, befides teftimony, our reafon and judgment are often neceffary to reconcile difcordant accounts, to connect them with other truths, or to draw important confequences from them. Independent, however, of all, he thinks we have the teftimony of an internal feeling, which tells us, that we are right from the calm and tranquility we experience; an experimental conviction of the truth of religion, from the confidence we feel in following its dictates. This our author thinks is the meaning of what is recorded in our Saviour's life, John vii, 17. which he has chofen for a text or a motto to this Eftimate. He, in the fubfequent part of the lecture, examines the nature and quality of this experimental conviction, and gives fome rules to prevent our being misled by its semblance.

The third volume contains eftimates of the value of focial and public worship; of folitude; of focial, bufy, and a country life; of trade and commerce; domeftic happiness; friendship; civil and religious liberty. We are forry, that we are obliged to pass over thefe fubjects without an extract or an analysis; but, while we met with much that was pleafing and inftructive, we found it not eafy to enlarge on every part; and the laft Estimate ftruck us fo forcibly, that we wished to say a little more on it than we could have done, if we had been more particular on the others.

The preacher is the idolater of liberty, and it is a subject with which every heart is warmed, when led to contemplate it. Our author diftinguithes accurately what true liberty is; diftinguishes it from a reftlefs anarchy, a querulous impatience, or an excentric fchifm. He fays, and with propriety, that it is the natural state of man. We have never oppofed a pofition of this kind: we are all of the fame fpecies; but various differences of mind and body he allows, produce fubordination, dependence, and a variety of relations. It ought not, however, to produce tyranny; and when we have said,

that

that there is no more powerful defpotifm than that of a strong mind over a weak one, it means only the difference of power, but does not justify the abuse of it. In a ftate of freedom, the activity and perfection of the mental powers are at their higheft pitch: liberty is the parent of arts, of public and private profperity; it is favourable to virtue; fecures from fervility; is the firmeft fupport of the dignity of man and the Chriftian. All thefe topics our author particularly enlarges on; and the knowledge of these facts muft, influence our conduct. If we love liberty, we should promote it; if it is advantageous to man in his focial state; if the powers of his mind and body expand to their greatest perfection under its influence, we should, by every means in our power, cherish and advance it.

Lastly, the more liberty ye enjoy, the more let it effect that good which it is able and ought to produce. If you may worfhip God after your own principles; then worship him with fo much the greater chearfulness and ardour; then adore him fo much the more in fpirit and in truth, with understanding and fentiment. Are you allowed to think and to judge for yourfelves in religious matters; then reflect fo much the more on thofe important concerns; then let it be fo much the more your moft pleafant employment to explore and to know them; then endeavour the more to give folidity to your faith. Woe to him whom freedom to think, whom libeity of religion and confcience, renders indifferent to religion and truth, or inattentive to the voice of confcience!

-Do you enjoy civil liberty; then obferve the laws of the ftate and of the fociety to which you belong, with fo much the readier and stricter obedience; for the maintenance and obfervance of the laws is the ground of all freedom. Promote the welfare of that ftate, of that fociety, with fo much the more zeal, as it is the more intimately connected with your own, as you may and must have fo much the more influence on its profperity, as you find and enjoy in it fo much the more protection and peace, fecurity and happiness. Think and act in all refpects with fo much the more liberality and public fpirit, as you fo far exalted above the state of flavery.'-

The Eftimates in the fourth volume are of the value of learning; of more enlightened times; of fufferings and tribulations; of a good reputation; of conversion from a bad courfe of life; and of human happiness itself. This volume contains alfo, under the fame title, rules for rightly appreciating the value of things; difcourfes on the vanity of all earthly things, on the moral character of Jefus Chrift, on the imitation of the example of Jefus and on the paftoral office.

Of these the Estimates of more enlightened times, the dif. courfe on the moral character of Jefus Chrift and on the paftoral office were to us particularly interefting; but they offer nothing that we could extract with, a design of giving any very different view of thefe volumes from that which our readers will entertain from the other parts of our article. We have faid enough, we hope, to recommend the perufal of the whole; and, if we were to add any general encomium on the author, who we fuppofe is a clergyman of the church of England, it would be only to repeat the commendations that we have already had occafion to bestow on particular parts of his work.

Accounts and Extracts of the Manufcripts in the Library of the King of France. (Continued from Vol. LXVIII. p. 219.)

WE E return to this interefling catalogue with pleasure. The firft article of the fecond volume is entitled The Book of the wandering Stars,' containing the history of Egypt and Cairo,' by the Scheik, Shemfedden MohammedBen-Abilforour al Bakarial Sadki. This account is given by M. Sylvefter de Sacy. The Arabian author, who lived about the year 1596,. has published many other works, and among thefe an history of the Ottomans, and the most remarkable revolutions of Egypt. The fubject of this manufcript is mentioned particularly by M. de Sacy in his recapi tulation of the title of the different chapters; but he dwells only on a few of them. The author begins with the most ancient inhabitants of Egypt, and, the origin of the name of this country among the Arabians. He fpeaks of its extent, of the ancient kings of Egypt before the time of the caliphs, and of the governors appointed by these princes. M. de Sacy paffes over the hiftory of the Fatimites, the Ayoubites and the Mamaluks, to proceed to the conquefts of Selim I. and to the hiftory of Egypt, under the government of the Turks. This history forms the moft confiderable portion of the prefent very extenfive account.

Selim conquered Egypt in 1517, after taking poffeffion of Syria, and trufted the government to the pacha Khair beg. This celebrated country was continually agitated by the dif turbances, troubles, and revolts occafioned by the tyranny and plunder of Khairbeg and his fucceffors, or their officers, who were often changed, either from the fufpicious jealousy of the Porte, or the affaffinations, which were the confequences of their crimes. They were monfters, who do not deferve that their names fhould be preserved in the page of history.

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In the fubfequent part, the author treats of the different diftricts of Egypt, the number of its towns and villages, its productions, manufactures, natural history, and economy. In the 'Account,' the author, as we have faid, chiefly confines himself to a general idea of what is contained in the different chapters, fince it would be otherwife neceffary to tranflate the work entirely; but the academicians will find occafion to recur to different interefting fubjects, in giving account of other manuscripts.

M. de Sacy enlarges farther on the aftronomical and aftrological calendar of the Egyptians, from month to month, according to the order and manner of fowing the grain; on fome canals; on the Nile and on the ceremonies cbferved on opening the dyke of the great canal.

details, collected by a native and an eye-witnefs, must be preferable to the beft accounts of our travellers. Some of the facts are of great importance to the antiquary, for there are local cuftoms which continue to exift in the caffern climes, without being changed by accidents or revolutions. We shall extract a paffage from the natural and economical history of Egypt.

We find in Egypt, horfes, affes, and excellent mul s. There are two kinds of horfes peculiar to that province; the one called Jafrani, the other who.e hair is of a cornelian colour. Studs was formerly erected, to whofe fupport the funds of land had been appropriated, which annually produced 300,000 pieces of gold. The mines of Egypt are mines of gold and filver, a mine of emeralds higher up than Alwan, nines of nitre, of alum, and of baram; quarries of black marble in the mountain near Suez, yellow marble and red marble in Upper Epypt, and mines of grey and white falt: the latter called ful tani is found in the environs of the lake Menzalé. Mines of natron are alfo feen in Egypt: whatever is thrown into thofe mines, is converted into na ron. After drawing from a pit feveral hundred wight, it continually fills itfelf up again, and no veftige can be perceived the next day, of the void made in it. Thefe mines contain a kind of a stone called malawic, that is, toothpicker, in the inside of which there is fomething which, if moved, produces a noife. Thefe ftones are an excellent prefervative to women fubject to miscarriages; it fuffices that they carry any about them to escape thofe accidents; thus they prevent the abortion of mares, and the untimeliness of the fruits of the palm tree. Lime-ftone (feltidadj) are also found in a lake near Afwan; and at Okfor they make pottery of a peculiar earth called fikaa.'

The title of the fecond account we hall tranfcribe at length.

• In

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