Sa a 
a = 
57a Retrofpedt of Domeftig Literature—Hiftory. 
out of parliament, | His biographer in- 
forms us, that even after the refignation 
of his brother, although he filled no off- 
cial ftation, yet, in confequence of his ex- 
perience, abilities, and weight among the 
party, he retained a confiderable influence 
over many of the minifters : he was confi- 
dentially confulted byMr.Pelham,and Lord 
~ Chancellor Hardwicke, and often gave his 
Opinion in the moft frank and unreferved 
manner to the Duke of Newcaftle, to the 
Duke of Cumberland, and even to the 
King. The political memoirs of fuch a 
charaéter-muft throw confiderable light on 
the hiftory of the times: the documents 
from which thefe memoirs are taken fill 
160 port-folios! Of thefe Mr. Coxe has. 
availed himfelf, and the fources of his in- 
formation he has enumerated in his Pre- 
face.. The work is rendered more inte- 
refting by the introduétion of portraits of 
many cotemporary characters, and of fac- 
fimilies of their hand-writing. 
«© The Hiftory of England, from the 
Acceffion of George III. to the conclu- 
fion of Peace, in the year 1783, by JOHN 
AvoLpuus, Efg. F.S. A. 3 vols. 8vo.” 
This is a work of fome degree of refpec- 
tability. Mr. Adolphus has obvioufly 
very frong political partialities. He does 
not affect to conceal, and we fhould blame 
him if he did, that he is attached to the 
high Tory party, and has a regard for the 
conftitution of his country, both in church 
and ftate, founded on the priticiples of that 
party; and that this regard, ever prefent 
to his mind, has diffuied itfelf through 
his work. But, however deep is his vene- 
ration, and however ardent his attachment 
to that conftitution, whofe bleffings, in 
common with every Briton, he participates, 
Mr. Adolphus has feldom fuffered him- 
felt so be betrayed by his political preju- 
dices imto any indecent violence againft 
thofé whom he confiders as its affailants : 
-—‘¢ T haye endeavoured to afign tothem, 
and to their opponents (fays he) (indeed 
to every man, whether exalted.or ob{cure, 
Wlufirious from merit, or depraded by 
crime) his real motives, and true courfe 
of conduét.”’ We have no deubt but 
Mr. Adolpbus has exercifed a great deal 
of forbearance towards many, who per- 
haps would sot have tendered the iame 
clemency towards him: and wefear, that 
the uniform mildnefs of his expreftions 
will be confidered as indicative of pufilla- 
simity or fukewarmnel(s, and that the even 
piscid tenor of bis ftyle will, by many, be 
aferibed to dulnefs cr apathy. It is per- 
dacs true, that the compofition of thefe 
volumes is not diftinguifhed by vigour | 
and animation: but the narrative is drawn 
up with afemblance of impartiality ; and 
we have reafon to believe, that the facts 
are generally recorded with truth. 
<< Hiftory of the Union of the King - 
doms of Great Britain and Ireland; with 
an introduétory Survey of Hibernian Af- 
fairs, traced from the Times of Celtic Co- 
lonifation, by Cu. Coots, L.L.D.” 
The ariftocracy of Ireland, by their op- 
prefive and grinding domination, pro-. 
duced, not a fullen difaffe€tion, but anopea 
oppofition, on the part of the people: the 
troops of England interfered, and quelled 
the infurgents : this was the moment feiz- 
ed on by the Britifh cabinet for the adop- 
tion of an union of the two kingdoms. It 
has taken effe&t; and it becomes us to be 
filent, fincerely hoping that the iffue will 
exhibit the fifter-kingdom  profperous, 
peaceable, and contented. . Dr. Coote 
would perhaps have rendered his volume 
more interefting and valuable, had he 
been more’ ample in his inveftigations cf 
the remote caufes which led to the Union, 
and of the manceuvres by which it was 
effected; and if he had been lefs diffufe in 
his detail of the parliamentary debates. 
Thefe latter are reported with the mi-' 
nutenefs of ajournal ; and, as we are al- 
ready in pofleffion of them, by means of 
our Parliamentary Regifters, fuch minute- 
nefs feemed aliogether unneceflary. Even 
among thole' who thought favourably of 
the. meafure, it was fot to be expeéted, 
that all the details of arrangement fhould 
meet with approbation. Our hiftorian 
thinks, that the number of deputed peers, 
with a view to the dignity or compara- , 
tive magnitude of Ireland, or to the 
whole amount of her peerage, is infufi- 
cient: it is, indeed, he fays, a ftriking in- 
fiance of inequality in the arrangement, 
that fo many of the peers of one country 
are, in a manner, disfrahchifed, while, in 
England, not an individual nobleman lofes 
a fingle privilege. ‘This difparity, he con- 
tinues, might have been avoided, by the 
addjtion of all the Irifh Peers to the Bri-. 
tith Houfe of Lords; but, as fuch a pro- 
vifion would have immoederately increafed 
the number of the affembly, it might have 
been expedient, and, ina relative point of 
view, nat unjuft, to fwbjeé&t fome of the 
Peers of England to a fimilar degradation. 
Dr. Coote confiders the ftipulated, number 
of Irifh Members of the Heule of Com- 
mons as more fairly adjufted than that of 
the Peers. He fays, he fhould have been 
better pleafed with the arrangement, how- 
