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*** We hope the honeft printer †, for whofe benefit this tract is published, will not impute the foregoing ftrictures to any defire in us to hurt his intereft in the publication. Our zeal for the liberty of the prefs will be queftioned by none of our Readers; but we must not permit that zeal to encroach on the regard which is ever due to juftice and truth:-Amicus Plato, &c. G.

Now fuffering under a fentence of imprisonment in Newgate, for printing fome advertisements in honour of Admiral Keppel, which were deemed feditious.

ART. VIII. Hiftory of the Political Connection between England and Ireland, from the Reign of Henry II. to the prefent Time. 4to. 7 s. 6 d. Cadell. 1780.

TH

HIS useful work affords an ample hiftory of one of the moft fingular political connections recorded in the annals. of mankind.. The judicious and well-informed Author appears to us to be happily exempted from thofe national prejudices which have been difcovered in the party writers of both kingdoms; and he has illuftrated his fubject more fully than is done by any former writer, English or Irifh. To the generality of readers, perhaps, he will appear too minute and circumftantial; but the circumftances which make this work tire fome and difagreeable to the many, will recommend it to the few, who confider the great delicacy of all political connections, and the facility with which they may be mifreprefented by the partisans of either nation.

We find many valuable political obfervations scattered throughout this inftructive performance; but, in general, the Author is fatisfied with relating facts, leaving it to his readers to draw the natural deductions from them. He concludes with an accurate and perfpicuous abridgment of the principal topics that are treated in the work; which we fhall infert for the fatisfaction of the Public:

The course of fix hundred years, through which it has been attempted to delineate the political connection between England and Ireland, may be divided into three periods; the firft, containing 200 years, extends from the conqueft to Richard II.; the fecond, 240 years, from Richard II. to James I.; and the third, 160, from James I. to the prefent times. During the first period, ideas of legal government were extremely indiftin&t, even among the English; and, among the Irish, they feem not to have exifted. What would now be called a regular parliament, had not long appeared in the former kingdom; if the latter, it had fcarcely made any appearance. The fame common law fubfified in both kingdoms; and when any English ftatute was judged ufeful for Ireland, it was tranfmitted un

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der the Great Seal of England, and was entitled to every mark of fefpect and obedience. But the chief ftatute-law of Ireland, in this period, was the ordinations occafionally compofed by the King and his English council.

During the fecond period, few inftances occur of the interpofition of the parliament of England in the government of Ireland, unlefs in furnishing finall fupplies of men and money for its fupport. If the act relative to the eftates of abfentees, and a few acts relative to trade and the reformation of religion, are excepted, the English ftatute-book contains no laws which have that kingdom for their object. The English parliament feem to have been difpofed to leave the government of Ireland to the King and its own parliament, with a view to induce them to furnish money fufficient for its fupport. The former, at least, complained of the trouble and expence to which they were fubjected by maintaining the civil conftitution of a country from which they derived no advantage. Toward the end of this period, the English parliament found it requifite to change their fyftem of indifference, becaufe they perceived, that, unless the dependence of Ireland were maintained, that country might be employed by their enemies to interrupt the peace, and, perhaps, to deftroy the liberties of England. Queen Elizabeth, accordingly, first made effectual provifion for the total fubjugation of it, and may, with much more justice, be entitled its conqueror than Henry II: The civil arrangements of James I. were well calculated to fecure its obedience.

From the time of James I. no doubt seems to have been entertained in England concerning the fupreme jurifdiction of the English parliament, and the validity of its acts to bind Ireland. The act of adventurers made in the year 1642, and the general act of indemnity paffed at the Reftoration, both which difpofed of great part of the property of Ireland; the act 1689, which abrogated the pro

ngs of the parliament held in Ireland by King James; the act of the fame year, which fuperfeded the Irish act of fupremacy, made in the reign of Elizabeth, and appointed new oaths to be taken by the people, but particularly by the members of the parliament of Ireland; the act 1699, which authorized the fale of forfeited lands in Ireland, and applied the price to the use of the Public, which authorized the mode of conducting the fales, and vacated all grants of land, founded on acts of the Irish parliament; the acts regulating the trade of Ireland, particularly that of linen; and, laftly, the declaratory act of the year 1719, leave no room to doubt concerning the fentiments of the legislature of England.

The Irish, in general, appear to have held fimilar opinions of the fupremacy of the English parliament. The frequent and earnett petitions for redress of grievances prefented to the English House of Commons before the commencement of the civil wars; the anxious folicitations prefented by the different parties in Ireland, to both Houfes, concerning the act of indemnity, paffed after the Refloration; the thanks of the Irish parliament fignified to King William, for the act of the English parliament, which abrogated the ftatutes of the Irish parliament of James II. concur to prove, either that the Irish acknowledged the jurifdiction of the English parliament, or that

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they thought it vain to oppofe it. Even the declaration of the Irish House of Commons, in the year 1641, relative to the queries which maintained the independence of Ireland, is fcarcely an objection; because it was made in imitation of the encroachments of the Englith Houfe of Commons. It was fuggefted by the embarrassment of affairs in England, and was aimed against the authority of the King, rather than that of parliament. The fame legislators, who wished to be held the affertors of the liberties of their country, hefitated not to acknowledge virtually the fupremacy of the Commons of England, by fupplicating from that body a redrefs of their grievances.

What reflections the preceding narrative will fuggeft to perfons of different characters, and in different interefts, I prefume not to conjecture. One remark, however, will occur to every reader, that the policy of England, with regard to Ireland, for the laft hundred years, has gradually become more liberal, as commercial and political knowledge have been advanced and extended; but that all the examples of national generofity, which this period can exhibit, dif appear, when compared with the magnitude of late acts and refolutions, which are to extend to Ireland the advantages of a free trade. One ftep only remains, perhaps, to fecure the future profperity and happiness of the two kingdoms, to extend the benefits of the British conftitution over the British Ifles.'

The above extract affords a fufficient fpecimen of the Author's ftyle, which is fimple, perfpicuous, and manly. His eloquence, we must however acknowledge, is of the auftere kind; he endeavours rather to inform the understanding than to please the fancy; the harshness of his periods too often offends the ear; and his performance would have been more agreeable and more popular, if he had fhewn lefs difdain of the graces of compofition.

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ART. IX. Confiderations on the Efficacy of Electricity, in removing Female Obftructions; to which are annexed Cafes and Remarks. By John Birch, Surgeon. 8vo. I s. 6d. Cadell. 1779.

Work which announces, on probable grounds, a certain

A remedy for any one diforder with which the human

fpecies is afflicted-efpecially the weaker and better half of it-we confider as deferving particular refpect; and we take pleasure in extending the knowledge of fuch a remedy, to the faculty, and the public at large. Such a one, we are here affured, is electricity, when properly directed, in the removal of certain female obftructions. Its efficacy, however, is by no means limited to this particular fpecies of obftruction; though the Author has chofen, in the prefent pamphlet, to confine his obfervations to this fingle clafs; because the cafes have been numerous, and the fuccefs uniform.'

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The happy effects produced by electricity, in the cure of difeafes, of which, we are told, every day has furnished fresh proofs, for two or three years paft, was, fays the Author,

"the

the fortunate difcovery of my friend, Mr. Partington; and the credit which it has obtained in practice, fince that period, has awakened the attention of the public in this metropolis.I was induced to accompany him in his inquiries, from the fuccefs which followed his judicious application of it, in fome recent cafes of surgery which I fent to him. But, cautious of being mifguided by falfe appearances, I proceeded flowly, and doubted much; till experience taught me, that when I was unfuccessful, it oftener proceeded from want of judgment in the application, than from want of power in the remedy.'-The Author afterwards informs us, that a collection of cafes, and a view of the prefent ftate of Medical Electricity, is preparing for the prefs, by Mr. Partington; and will be published as foon as that gentleman's avocations will permit.

When we reviewed Dr. Priefley's Hiftory of Electricity*, we took particular notice of the uncertainty which, at that time, attended the medical adminiftration of the electric fluid; by which, even then, fome indubitable and extraordinary cures had been performed: though repeated failures had likewise attended the application of it in other inftances. We then obferved, that one, and that too a principal, caufe of this uncertainty, was the difficulty of directing the courfe of the electric fluid through thofe particular parts, where its action would be beneficial. By an attention to this capital circumftance (and by means of fome particular contrivances, as we conjecture;- for the Author appears very reserved on this head) we apprehend he has been enabled to reduce his electrical method of cure to that degree of certainty, in the removal of female obftructions, which he profeffes to have attained to, by a skilful application of the electric fhock; fo as never yet to have failed in one inftance."

The Author, apologifing for his feeming invafion of the phyfician's province, by affuming the cure of a disease which has hitherto naturally fallen under the care of the phyfician, obferves, that his mode of cure is strictly chirurgical;-being ⚫ an operation performed by the hand, with the affiftance of inftruments; adding, that anatomical skill is necessary to direct it with propriety and fuccefs.'

We with, however, that Mr. Birch had been fomewhat more particular, with respect to his modus operandi;—ufing the phrase, not in its common or medical acceptation, but in its chirurgical, or rather in its new anatomico-electrical fenfe. We here meet with no particular directions on this avowedly very effential part of the fubject. In the firft cafe here related, the Author only obferves, that no relief was obtained, during a whole fortnight, by drawing sparks from the ftomach and feet of the patient; or See Monthly Review, vol. xxxvii. Dec. 1767. P. 449.

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by paffing fhocks from the hands and the vertebra of the neck to the feet: because the electric matter feemed to act only, without any good or bad effect, on the external mufcles' He, therefore, confidering the obftruction as being probably feated only in the veffels of the uterus, concluded, that the fhock fhould be paffed, if not confined, to the direction of thofe veffels:' and obferves, that the effect was quick and falutary. He fpeaks Jikewife of placing his directors in fuch a manner, as to convey the electric matter through every part of the uterus.'—But hoc opus, hic labor eft! The reader naturally wishes to know how this is to be done; or whether the Author is in poffeffion of any method, not generally known, of rendering the electrical fluid more manageable, and obfequious to the designs of the medical electrician.

For the feven cafes related in this pamphlet, which the Au thor has felected from many other fuccessful trials, we must refer the faculty to the performance itself. They certainly exhibit the medical powers of electricity in a very advantageous point B...y.

of view.

FOREIGN LITERATURE.
(By our CORRESPONDENTS.)

FRANCE.

ART. X.

PLAN d'un Traité fur l'Aurore Boreale, pour fervir de Suite à Celui de M. de MAIRAN, &c. i. e. The Plan of a Treatise on the Aurora Borealis, defigned as a Supplement to that of M. de Mairan, on the fame Subject. By J. H. VAN SWINDEN, Profeffor of Philofophy at Franeker, Member of feveral Academies, and Correfpondent Member of the Royal Academy of Sciences at Paris. We have had more than once occafion to mention Profellor VAN SWINDEN, with the high efteem that is due to his unremitting industry, his judicious and well directed labours in the advancement of natural knowledge, and the fagacity and precision that accompany his uncommon modefty, in the conclufions he draws from his obfervations and refearches. The interefting work he has, at prefent, undertaken, and of which we have the plan now before us, will undoubtedly give him a new title to the attention and gratitude of both connoiffeurs and diletanti in natural philofophy.

Every one acquainted with matters relative to this fcience, knows the excellent treatife of M. de Mairan on the Aurora Borealis, or Northern Light, which is univerfally allowed to be a masterpiece of induftry, fagacity, and genius. But as five and twenty years have paffed fince the last edition of that work was published, many discoveries have been made during that period,

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