their ancient and just right to elect a new parliament, every year once, and more often if need be,' whatfoever Judge Blackstone may think of it! "No parliament could have any right to deprive the people of this inestimable law, unless the reprefentatives had exprefsly confulted their respective constituents upon it; as the alteration was of too much moment to be intrufted to the difcretion of any representatives or deputies whatfoever, being infinitely more important than any new device, moved on the King's behalf, in parliament, for bis aid or the like;" for the most effential and fundamental right of the whole body of the commons (I mean the principals, not the deputies or agents) was materially injured by the fatal change, and the people's power of controul, for the general good of the kingdom, was thereby apparently diminished! fo that, if it is the duty of representatives (even in any new device' of mere aid, or the like,') to confult their conftituents, how much more, upon the propofal of fo material an alteration in the conftitution, ought they to have answered, that, in this new device, they DARE NOT AGREE WITHOUT 'CONFERENCE WITH THEIR COUNTRIES!" These are the words of Lord Coke, whó mentions them as the proper anfwer, • when any new device is moved,' &c. and he adds, whereby it appeareth (fays he) that SUCH CONFERENCE is warrantable by the law and cuftome of parliament,' 4 Inft. p. 14; fo that no reprefentative can be juftified (according to the law and cufiome of parliament') who refufes to receive the inftructions of his conftituents, notwithstanding that feveral very fenfible, worthy, and (I believe) fincerely patriotic gentlemen have lately declared themfelves to be of a contrary opinion; but, when they perufe the feveral authorities which I have cited, concerning the abfolute neceffity of a very frequent appeal to the fenfe of the whole body of the people, I truft, in their candour and love of truth, that they will alter their fentiments." : 6 Our From the ftrictures, that fell from our own pen, respecting the pretended omnipotence of parliament in our laft Review *, readers will naturally conclude our opinion to coincide in a great measure with that of our Author. We must not take leave of the subject, however, without noticing a flight defect in this writer's argument above cited. In eftablishing the conftitutional neceflity of annual parliaments, he feems to reft it on ancient acts of parliament in which cafe he gives up the point contended for: for if annual parliaments were constituted merely by ancient acts, feptennial may be as legally conftituted by modern acts. He fhould rather have founded the annual meetings of parliament on ancient and conftitutional custom, antecedent to particular acts. We cannot farther help taking notice of a fingular expreffion of our Author's. Our kings in general, fays he, did not think themselves obliged by these ftatutes," as they ought in confcience to have done, for the fafety of their fouls." Confiftently with our former sentiments, See page 183. we we think the fafety of a king's crown a more political and falutary confideration, in this cafe, than the fafety of his foul. In the means of saving the latter, the best-intentioned prince may happen to be mistaken; as to the former, the means of fafety are more obvious. The foul-faving means of James II. certainly loft him his earthly crown, whatever they did towards obtaining him an heavenly one. God forbid that any pious prince of the fame ftamp fhould take it into his head he "rules by right divine," and think himself bound in confcience, for the safety of his foul, to dragoon his subjects into the fame way of thinking. No, let the man be as pious as he pleases, but let the prince act like the political Being he is. It cannot be expected of kingly wisdom in general, that royal fagacity will not find full employment in trefpaffing on the privileges of the people with safety to the CROWN! ART. IX. The Laws of Shipping and Infurance, with a Digeft of Adjudged Cafes; containing the Acts of Parliament relative to Shipping, Infurance and Navigation; together with the Laws for the Government of the Navy, and an Account of the Jurifdiction of the Admiralty Courts. With the Determinations of the Courts of Juftice on Trials concerning Shipping, Infurance, Loffes, Averages, Bottomry, Barratry, &c. &c. From Trinity Term 1693, to Michaelmas Term 1774. With the Reporters Names and References. To which are added, a Table and Index of the Titles of the Acts, the Names of the Cafes, and the Matter contained therein. By Thomas Parker, of Lincoln's-Inn. 4to. l. is. Cadell. It is obferved by Blackstone, that the learning relative to marine infurances hath, of late years, been greatly improved by a series of judicial decifions, which have now established the law in fuch a variety of cafes, that they would, if well and judicioufly collected, form a very complete title in a code of commercial jurifprudence." It appears to have been from this remark of our learned English lawyer, that Mr. Parker took the hint of this compilation. Indeed the body of our laws, as he justly obferves, is now become fo great, that there feems to be a neceflity for feparating, into diftinct fyftems, fuch as govern the principal branches of bufinefs." "When all the authorities, fays he, that belong to one branch are regularly laid together, they are eafily reviewed, and a clear conclufion drawn from the evidence they afford. But if the fame information was to be looked for in many volumes, the hurry of public bufinefs, might often occafion a material article to be overlooked. "The interests of a maritime ftate are fo united with the great branches of its commerce, that it is probable in many public quefVOL. I. D d tions, tions, very important confiderations might arife, from a general view of a connected branch of our commercial laws. It is obferved in the writings of the learned judge, before mentioned, that our naval power took its rife in a great measure from thofe laws, called The Acts of Navigation, which confine our plantation trade to our own fhips and fubjects. And the statutes in this fyftem for regulating our maritime affairs, appear to grow as fo many branches from the navigation acts; and fufficiently prove, that the trade of Great Britain to her plantations, hath had the greatest share in the foundation and support of her naval power. And as the fafety of the ftate fo much depends upon this part of its ftrength, the prefent unfortunate controverfy with our colonies, may reafonably create a fear, left the interruption to that trade, should lay the foundation of a decrease in the demand for those manufactures, which are not only the support of the landed intereft, but the first fpring of that navigation which furnishes fo great a part of the firength of our marine. Humanly speaking, whilst this commerce remains, Great Britain will not only be able to defend herself and her colonies from every foreign hoftility, but also to fecure the obedience of all her dependencies." Such being the motives and ends of the prefent publication, the Author, conformably to his defign, has proceeded methodically in its execution, by dividing the whole into three parts. 66 The first part contains acts of parliament made for encouraging and encreafing the trade, fhipping, and navigation, of the subjects of Great Britain. For regulating and fecuring their free branches of commerce; and for the government of the royal navy. "The fecond part contains obfervations on the maritime state of England, from the reign of Queen Elizabeth.-On the foundation of the navigation acts, and the improvement thereof.-On the laws made for the increase of feamen, and manning the navy.-On the antiquity and jurifdiction of the maritime courts.-On appeals from the admiralty courts in America.-On the commiffioners of appeal.-The decifion of all questions relative to prizes.-And on injuries cognizable by the admiralty courts. "The third part contains the judgments and decrees of the courts of law and equity, on queftions relative to trade, navigation, fhipping and infurance. The first part is expreffed in the language of the legislature itfelf. The fecond, in the words of those valuable commentaries on the laws of England*. And the last part-The determinations of the courts of juftice, ftand here as they are found in those reporters, who are confidered as the best authorities, from the revolution to the prefent time." Our readers will not expect of us any extracts from a work of this nature; let it fuffice therefore to say that it appears, on the whole, to be executed with fidelity and precifion; and may not only be generally useful even to those who have opportunities of confulting more voluminous law authorities; but must be par Sir William Blackstone's. ticularly ticularly fo to gentlemen engaged in commerce, who may hence acquire a competent knowledge of that part of the laws of their country, with which they are more intimately connected. ART. X. Notes and various Readings to Shakespeare, Part the firft; containing, All's well that ends well, Antony and Cleopatra, As you like it, Comedy of Errors, Coriolanus, Cymbeline, Hamlet, 1 Henry IV. 2 Henry IV, with a general Glaffary. 4to. 10s. 6d. Dilly. We are given to understand by the news-papers that thefe notes and various readings of Shakespeare, are written and collected by Mr. Capel, a gentleman now living a neceffary piece of information; without which, a common reader might have been led, from the formal ftyle of the writer and the antique mode of the printer, to conceive that the work had been published at least a century or two ago. As Mr. Capel long fince promised the world a work under the title of the School of Shakefpeare; of whofe appearance the admirers of that poet have been long in expectation, it may not be amifs to give our Editor's own account of his various labours, whence they may deduce an apology for its delay. "The editor of SHAKESPEARE's Plays in ten volumes octavo, publish'd in the year 1768, in that work's Introduction (which is recommended again to your perusal) has lay'd before you in ample and faithful manner the plan purfu'd by him then, and that he meant to purfue if leifure and life were granted him. In confequence of this his engagement, his first bufinefs was to compleat a work that was then in fome forwardness, call'd-the "School;" it is finish'd, and will appear in due time. The work proceeded to next, was the "Notes;' but was hardly begun upon, before evident tokens appear'd of a neceffity for it's present fufpenfion, to make way for another work, which should facilitate the business of notewriting, abridge it, and make it's procefs more regular: with this work, -a Gloffary," which took up no little time, nor little labour, is ufher'd-in to-day's publication. What the labour of his next business was, the resum❜d butinefs of Note-writing; and, after that, of digefting and fcrutinizing, purging too of it's trifles a collected body of Readings that were to go with these plays,-the bulk of both those articles fhew, and ('tis hop'd) their exactnefs: the former you will of courfe augment further, when you enter on their perusal, by adding to the Notes on each play the Note that fhews you it's origin, founded in the Introduction. The Annotations on nine plays finish'd, together with their respective accompaniments, many confiderations of weight perfuaded a publication the form of it will be found to be honefter, and more convenient for those who mean to make the Poet their ftudy, than encreaf'd volumes, and Ddz and a page overcharg'd: the School, and the Annotations remaining, will come out in the fame form. The fole intent of the "Notes," is-to eftablish the Author's text, and to explain it matters not of that tendency are but rarely admitted, and that with a view to diverfify; the execution of the other tafk only, with due accuracy, and in fuch a manner as the publick has a right to expect, -being more than fufficient employment for any diligence or leisure whatever; as the confiderate will likely discover, upon even a flight examen of what is offer'd them now." After a few particular explanations, refpecting the references and other matters peculiar to our commentator's own edition of the poet, he concludes his address to the reader, as follows. "Thus reader, you have before you in orderly manner, and as fmall a compafs as poffible, every fingle material that editions can furnish for whatever clofe examination you please of the text of these nine plays as exhibited in this writer's Edition; for neither quarto, nor folio, (where they are all in posseffion, and you difpos'd to confult them) afford a reading of moment that is not now in the pages of that Edition, the Notes, or the Collection that follows them: an affertion that will very hardly be credited by fuch of you as are converfant in any one of the moderns, -no matter which,- or shall turn to them purposely; fo numerous are their unnoted variations of all forts, which you will naturally think they must have had from one or other of the elder impreffions.' Having thus given our readers a sketch of Mr. Capel's defign in the prefent publication, we reserve our remarks with fpecimens of it, till a future occafion; which the summer months will in all probability afford us. ART. XI. The Adventures of a Cork-screw; in which, under the pleafing Method of a Romance, the Vices, Follies and Manners of the prefent Age are exhibited and fatirically delineated. Interf perfed with firiking Anecdotes, Characters and Actions of Perfons in real life; all drawn to promote Virtue, expofe Vice, and laugh Folly out of Countenance. 12mo. 3s. Bell. Manners with Fortunes, Humours turn with Climes, If the profits, arifing from the fale of this book, be intended, as fet forth in the introduction, to ferve a charitable purpose, we would recommend it to the benevolent reader, did it poffefs a lefs fhare of merit than it really does. But literary impofition f generally prevails, that poffibly this may be apochryphal. Be that as it may, the lovers of novels will not find lefs amufement in the adventures of a cork-fcrew than is to be met with in fome admired performances of the fame kind. As a specimen of the Author's ftile and manner our readers will accept of the following fhort digreffion. "I fhall |