544 
their fpirits to fubmiffion by aufterity of 
principle, may be a very ufeful tafk. We 
hope, however, there are many other fe- 
males who may be entrufted to form their 
charaéters by reafon and knowledge with- 
out the ufe of fotight a curb. It is pro- 
per to obferve, that the foundation and ef- 
fence of Mifs H. M.’s ideas of female ex- 
cellence, and the teft by which fhe tries 
every practice adopted in modern educa- 
tion, is the Chriftian religion as laid down 
in the articles of the church of England, 
out of the pale of which fhe feems to think 
that no genuine virtue can poffibly fub- 
Af. 3 
Mr, Giitiet’s Pleafures of Reafon, or 
the hundred Thoughts of a fenfible young 
Lady, in French and Enzglifh, is a collec- 
tion of aphorifms, containing many truths 
3mportant to be imprefled on the young 
yoind. : 
A new Tntrodufion to Geography, in a 
Series of Leffons for Youtd, 1s juft publith- 
ed, which is one of the beft elementary 
treatifes that we remember to have feen. 
Mrs. ANN Murray has written A 
Sequel to Mentoria, Sc. In this work are 
introduced leétures on aftronomy and 
natural philofophy. When the author 
tells us, that her volume is principally in- 
tended to enlarge the ideas, and in{pire juft 
conceptions of the Deity from contempla- 
tion of the general fyftem of the univerfe, 
we are afraid that it is not in our power 
to applaud the execution as we do the in- 
tention: indeed there is fo much obfcurity, 
inaccuracy, and affected language in this 
‘work, that it is far from being calculated 
for the inftruétion and improvement of 
ghildrens 7) 
| The Reader or Reciter, is a little work, 
by the affiftance of which a perfon may, in 
fome meafure, teach himfelf what tones 
and paufes are proper in the reading or 
yecitation of Englify profe: a few inftruc- 
tions are added for reading plays, ‘* ona 
plan never before attempted.” 
Mr. BRIDEL’s Introduction to Englifb 
Grammar is a very ufeful and judicious 
be 
adapted to anfwer the intention, to affift 
young perfons in the fiudy of other lan- 
uages, and to remove many of the difh- 
jearning. 
Mrs: Lovecuitp’s Infant’s Friend is 
a little work in two volumes, which the 
ipftructor may ufe with advantage: her 
Parfing Leffons for younz Children alfo will 
he found particularly uteful in facilitating 
the acquifition of a knowledge of the prin- 

Retrofpe of Domeftic Literature... Mifcellanies. 
Dr. Mavor’s Britifb Nepos, or Youth's 
Biographical Mirror: being fele# Lives of 
illufirious Britons who have been difin- 
guifbed by their Virtues, Talents, Sc. is a 
_well planned work, purpofely written for 
the ufe of fchools, where it cannot fail to 
become popular. 
Mrs. PILKINGTON, whofe indefati- 
gable pen has produced many ufeful works 
for children, has publifhed two tales, cal- 
culated to improve the mind and morals of 
youth, Henry, or the Foundling, and The 
prejudiced Parent, or the virtuous Daugh- 
ler. : : 
A fecond edition has appeared, ‘ revifed 
and confiderably enlarged,’ of A Di&iou- 
ary of Quotations in moft frequent Ufe, Gc. 
The Sparrow is an amufing little book, 
by the author of Keeper's Travels ; the ob-~ 
je&t is to difcourage children from teafing 
and ill-treating animals. _ 
Mr. COLLARD’s Praais of Lagic is a 
very ufeful work, and difpiays a great deal 
of acutenefs and difcrimination: it ought 
not, indeed, by any means to fuperfede 
the ftudy of Watts or Duncan; but it is 
well worth being placed on the fame thelf 
with them. 
Mr. ARMsTRONG’s Elements of the 
Laiin Tongue may be ufefully put into the 
hands of young ftudents: all the rules are 
in Enplith, °° 
We are now come to the laft divifion of 
our Retrofpeét; and we cannot more proe 
perly arrange, than under the head of 
MIscELLANIES, 
The Works of the late Fobn Maclaurin, 
Efquire, of Dreghorn. Lord Dreghorn was 
the eldeft fon of Colin Maclaurin, the ce- 
lebrated mathematician: he was left by 
his father in very moderate circumftances, 
and betook himfelf to the law, in which 
profeflion he rofe, till in 1788 he took his 
feat as fenator of the college of juftice. A 
confiderable portion of thefe volumes, as © 
would naturally be expeéted, is occupied 
in juridical fubjeéts: it may perhaps ex- 
cite furprife, that a grave fenator fhould 
amufe himfelf with writing verfes: his 
Lordfhip, however, found a precedent in 
chief juftice Blackftone ; and fuch an au- 
thority may be ‘followed without danger. 
In what degree of eminence Lord Dreg- 
horn ftands as a lawyer, we acknowledge 
our incompetence to judge; as a poet, we 
may venture to hope that his reputation 
will net be lafting: poetry, however, was 
his amufement, and does not feem to have 
been his ftudy : his pretenfions are humble, 
and we have no right to claim from a man 
more than he profeffes. In one very im- 
portant refpeét the character of Lerd 
Dreghora 
