not, at this diftance of time, determine. With fomewhat lefs impropriety, he endeavours to establish his fyftem concerning the formation of mountains, the deluge, &c. on the history of thofe events, as recorded by the facred writer.

In the preceding analyfis, we have confined ourselves tó matters of a general nature; as we cannot, within any reasonable compass, give even a fhort sketch only of the particulars of the Author's fyftem of the formation of the earth, and its fubfequent changes: as thefe matters are fo very complicated, and fo intimately connected with the Author's particular principles relative to the elements of bodies. For thefe the inquifitive reader muft ftudy the work itfelf; from which we shall only felect one particular object of the Author's investigation; merely as being more easily detached from the rest.

This fubject relates to the exuvia of foreign animals, found in those parts of the earth where fuch animals do not, or cannot poffibly, now live. On this point, the Author maintains an opinion, not indeed with refpect to all the circumftances attending the phenomenon, fimilar to that of a late ingenious inquirer on this fubject +:-viz. that they were indigenous, or lived in the very fame places, nearly, where they are now found; that thefe places had originally a different temperature, or ftate of atmosphere from the prefent; for that the air was then, in every part of the globe, equally temperate, and propitious to animal life.

To the changes in the earth's furface, or rather in the temperature of the air, effected by the univerfal deluge, the Author afcribes likewife the great change produced, with respect to the age of man, immediately after that event. Some have afcribed the longevity of the Antediluvians to their temperate diet, and fober manner of living. The Author is far from adopting this idea, or even from being willing to allow that long life is to be obtained by temperance. The holy fcriptures,' fays he, intimate pretty plainly, that the Antediluvians were very far from living by rule;-[' Nil minus quam diatetice vixerunt'] and that they were rather addicted,, in the highest degree, to a life of pleafure and lafcivioufnefs. We are taught by daily experience, that the most regular regimen of diet contributes very little to long life.'

+ See Mr. Whitehurst's Inquiry, &c. or Monthly Review, vol. lx. January 1779, pag. 37.

ART.

ART. XIV.

Brevis Introductio in Hiftoriam Literariam Mineralogicam, &c. A Short Introduction to the Hiftory of the Writers on Mineralogy: with an Effay on the properest Method of forming a Mineralogical Syllem, together with a Supplement. By John Gotsch Wallerius, Profeffor of Chemiftry, &c. 8vo. 6 s. fewed. Upfal, &c. 1779. Imported by T. Lowndes.

TH

HE greater part of this useful publication was compiled, and published about ten years ago, by the Author of the preceding performance, under the title of Lucubrationum Academicarum Specimen primum. He has changed the title of the work, because he thought proper to digeft the materials intended for the promised continuation of it, into the form in which they appear in the performance, which is the subject of the preceding article.

The work itself is what the French would call a Catalogue Raifonnée, of the various fyftems of mineralogy, from the time of Ariftotle down to the prefent; digefted in chronological order. In this compilation, the Author not only gives the titles of the various publications refpecting this fcience; but likewife a regular abstract of the different claffifications of mineral fubftances, invented or adopted by each writer refpectively; together with his own occafional obfervations on the particular method, or fyftem, of each of them. His great reputation, as a fyftematical writer in this branch of knowledge, renders it unneceffary for us to enlarge on the utility of this mineralogical Compendium to thofe who are engaged in the ftudy of foffils. To those who are more converfant in that fcience, it must be agreeable to fee here, as it were at one view, the gradual efforts made by human ingenuity, to clear up the immenfe chaos which the earth contains within its bofom; by difcriminating between the numerous fubjects of the mineral kingdom, and reducing them into order.-In giving a few fhort specimens of this performance, we fhall confine ourfelves to the mineralogical writers of our own times.

"S58. JOH. HILL, Anglus. A General Natural Hiftory of Faffils. London. 1748." After giving, as a fpecimen of this work, the Author's claffification of earths and ftones; he obferves, that his method is that of Scheufchzer and Woodward, fomewhat amended; and then characterifes it as MIRIFICIS nominibus potius ONUSTAM quam ornatam.'

§ 68. Forfok til Mineralogie, &c. An Effay towards a Syftem of Mineralogy; by the Noble Axel Frederic Cronstedt, Stockholm. 1758 *.

This excellent work has been tranflated into English, and was published by E. Mendes Da Cofta, in 1770. See Monthly Review, vol. xlii. April 1770.

After

After giving this noble Writer on mineralogy, the titles of the moft fkilful mineralogift and metallurgift, and of an indefatigable obferver and experimentalift; and after reciting the particulars of his method of claffifying mineral fubftances, he thus characterises his work:

On this performance we may pronounce the fame judgment that was paffed formerly by Stahl, on the Phyfica fubterranea of Becher: that it is "opus fine pari." The Author did not found his method on the reafonings of others; but on his own obfervations, deduced from experiments made with inde fatigable labour: although he acknowledges, that the foundations of it, with refpect to earths and tones, were laid by Pott, in his Lithog. We cannot however deny, that this fyftem is too fublime and obfcure, and that it is not exempt from blemishes: but it is to be observed, that it was not formed for the ufe of those who attend too much to the external appearance or figure of foffil bodies; but for the advantage of metallurgifts, who are too frequently impofed upon by their attention to thefe exterior characteristics. The Author himself acknowledged the imperfections of his work, and accordingly concealed his name; well knowing that, in this life, perfection is not attainable by man.'

In the last of the two fections, into which this work is divided, the Author treats of the proper method of forming fyftems of mineralogy. The fyftematical writers on mineralogy may, themselves, be diftributed into three claffes. The firft of thefe confifts of those who have formed their fyflems merely on external appearances; fuch as the ftructure, figure, colour, pellucidity, and other fenfible and obvious qualities of mineral fubftances. This has been called the artificial, and fill more properly, fuperficial, method. Others, with much more propriety attending to things rather than appearances, have formed their method of claffing foffils, on the interior compofition, or true nature of mineral bodies, as difcovered by chemistry. According to this method, which may jufly be called natural, chalk or calcareous earth, and marble, notwithstanding their different appearance, come under the fame clafs, as being of the fame nature, and differing only with refpect to external accidents or circumftances. In eftablishing this method, Cronftedt deferves all, and more than all, the praite which the Author has above beftowed upon him. The third and laft method may be called mixed, and is that which has been adopted by the Author, in his own Syftema Mineralogicum, printed in 1772 and 1775. This confifts in employing both the extrinfical and intrinfical methods, where that can be done, in determining the characters of the genera and orders: or in determining the genera and orders by the intrinfic qualities, or true nature, REV. Feb. 1780.

M

of

of the fubjects; and the fpecies, by the extrinfical criteria.-On this fubject the Reader will meet with many judicious obfervations, made by a perfon well verfed in the fubject on which he

treats.

MONTHLY CATALOGUE, For FEBRUARY, 1780.

AFFAIRS OF IRELAND.

Art. 15. The Commercial Refraints of Ireland confidered. In a feries of Letters to a noble Lord. Containing an Hiftorical Account of the Affairs of that Kingdom, fo far as they relate to this Subject. 8vo. 3 s. fewed. Longman. 1780.

UBJECTS of this nature may be furveyed in two different

which are

viewed. The citizen of the world, who argues liberally from the general rights of all mankind, will totally reprobate the fovereign controul exercised by any one nation over another. The patriot, who, on comparison with the other, is a narrow-minded man, who confines his views to the welfare and profperity of the inhabitants of a particular foil; and to which all the influence they can acquire over others, is to be rendered fubfervient; he will ftretch the arm of power as far as it will extend, over all foreign dependencies, in every refpect likely to weaken the fovereignty claimed, or to interfere with the particular interests of the over-ruling ftate.

The former is indeed a visionary, a man of mere fpeculation, to whom no goverment will or can liften; becaufe, as the barriers of nature and human inftitutions have determined mankind to unite in diftinct communities, feparate and interfering in interests; all history will evince, that power can only be flemmed by power. The latter, then, is the man of the world; whofe principles only, being adapted to actual circumftances around us, can be carried into execution: and we find in national contentions, that after all argument is exhaufted, power is the ultima ratio.

There are however different degrees of patriotifm. It may fometimes centre in a fingle town, and wish to monopolize thofe advantages, which a mind fomewhat more enlarged would willingly communicate to all within a particular province; a third ftill more liberal, may include all England in his benevolent intentions, but with a molt bitter antipathy to Scotland; a fourth may kindly take Scotland in, to comprehend the whole island. A fifth may incline, from convenience and good neighbourhood, to view Great Britain and Ireland with an equal eye, deem their mutual interefts infeparable; and think this natural union capable of with flanding the ambitious fchemes of all our envious neighbours. How much farther, an experience of human nature, and a furvey of national circumstances over the face of the globe, will justify an extenfion of political liberality, may be left as an exercife for the ingenuity of political leifure. In fuch diffufive fchemes of legislative benevolence, however, a caution ought to be obferved, against reafoning on the tranfactions of nations toward each other, from thofe of individuals;

6

against

against risking fecurity, by heedlefs bounty; and against refting confequences on gratitude for benefits conferred. No confideration ever withholding a people from afferting what they deem their particular intereft, the moment they perceive it, and feel themselves equal to the attempt. National gratitude, in this view, is political nonsense.

It is natural to take up the treatife now before us, in the character of the last gradation of patriotifm ftated above; and to wish all the diftreffes of Ireland removed, not because the inhabitants are men like ourfelves, for fo are our most inveterate enemies; but for the best reafon in the world, because Ireland is a contiguous member of the fame body politic; her proximity of fituation dictating confiderations on both fides, that could not take place in equal degrees, were the island a thoufand leagues removed from that of Britain. The intelligent Author, who writes from Dublin, gives a clear historical detail of the commercial circumstances of Ireland, in an eafy epiftolary ftyle; from which it appears, that the prefent diftreffes of that country originated with the prohibition of exporting woollen manufactures, which was impofed toward the latter end of the reign of William III. To check the natural trade of a country, is certainly the most direct mode of diftreffing it; for as this writer obferves,— ⚫ a country will fooner recover from the miferies and devaftation occafioned by war, invafion, rebellion, maffacre, than from laws reftraining the commerce, difcouraging the manufactures, fettering the industry, and above all, breaking the fpirits of the people.'

It would be tedious to the generality of our readers, to enter into the dry detail of acts of parliament and commercial regulations and calculations; in the prefent train of things, the conclufion of this series of letters may fuffice to convey an idea of the general fubject.

In extraordinary cafes, where the facts are ftronger than the voice of the pleader, it is not unufual to allow the client to fpeak for himfelf. Will you, my lord, one of the leading advocates for Ireland, allow her to addrefs her elder fifter, and to ftate her own cafe; not in the ftrains of paffion or refentment, nor in the tone of remonftrance, but with a modeft enumeration of unexaggerated facts in pathetic fimplicity; fhe will tell her, with a countenance full of affection and tenderness, "I have received from you invaluable gifts, the law of common right, your great charter, and the fundamentals of your conftitution. The temple of liberty in your country, has been frequently fortified, improved and embellished; mine erected many centuries fince the perfect model of your own; you will not fuffer me to ftrengthen, fecure, or repair; firm and well cemented as it ie, it must moulder under the hand of Time for want of that attention, which is due to the venerable fabric +. We are connected by the ftrongest ties of natural affection, common fecurity, and a long in terchange of the kindeft offices on both fides. But for more than a

The common law of England.

+ Heads of bills for paffing into a law the habeas corpus act, and that for making the tenure of judges during good behaviour, have repeatedly paffed the Irish houfe of commons, but were not returned.

M 2

century