and the wife purpofes for which a ftop was put to inferting any part of a member's fpeech in the Journals of the house, becaufe they are records, and might stand in evidence against a member, who might fee reafon for changing his fentiments upon a queftion; but no fuch inconveniences can attend a liberal publication, fuch as that before us. The advantages of it are too evident to be infifted upon here. One we cannot omit, which is, that it is the best method by which the conftituents of a member can know his abilities or fentiments upon parliamentary affairs. We muft, however, despair of ever seeing a work like this executed by a member of parliament. Townshend, D'Ewes, Grey, and many others who published parliamentary debates and fpeeches, were, indeed, members.— But the complexion of parliament is fince altered. Houses nowa-days fcarcely know fuch a thing as an ante-meridian or a forenoon, and hunger and repletion are equal enemies to exercifes of this kind, which require great induftry, a quick ear, and a fwift hand. Add to this, that most members at prefent have too much parliamentary bufinefs on their hands to trouble themfelves with collecting debates. The ministerial part of the house is intent on gaining a majority, and their antagonifts on encreafing a minority. Each have their revolutions and fucceffes in power. -But we may go into this fubje&t

farther than we intend.

We fhall, however, conclude, that we most earnestly with to fee as much juftice done to the late debates of the British parliament, as this editor has done to that of Ireland; and we are induced to recommend his work not only for the extenfive fund of political and conftitutional knowledge it con. tains, but as a most excellent model, to be studied by every gentleman whofe profeffion may call upon him to fpeak in publick; for we will venture to affert, that he will here attain to a more ready and a more elegant practice of elocution than by all the precepts laid down by Cicero and Quintilian, or by any work, antient or modern, which treats of eloquence.

VIII. The Hiftory of Mifs Emilia Beville. In 2 Vels. 12mo. Pr. 6s. Noble.

TH

HIS novel is of the epiftolary kind; a manner of writing which proves of infinite fervice to fcanty materials, and a confined invention. The writer is at liberty to allot what portion he pleases of paper and print to fentimental reflections, moral obfervations, felf-condemnation, felf-applaufe, felf-fufficiency, and, in fhort, felf-every-thing, which make moft comfortable ckings-out to a barren subject.

The

The reader, from the liquid compofition of Mifs Emilia Beville's name, can entertain no doubt of her being the very pink of delicacy, beauty, foftness, virtue, and all that; as to her hiftory, we have already reviewed it twenty times; for it is only a cento of other circulating-library productions of the fame kind. Our heroine's firit appearance is in the country,' where the defcribes herself as happy, ferene, and contented, under the tuition of a worthy indulgent aunt. Her father, mother, and fifter, live in London, in the gay, fashionable, diffipated ftile of life, by which Mr. Beville finds himfelf not a little embarrassed in his circumstances. He orders his daughter to come to town, and the obeys. She perceives her fifter Caroline has an intrigue with Mr. Stanhope, a young officer who is not worth a fhilling; and, notwithstanding Mifs Emilia's most serious remonftrances, they take a trip together to Scotland, and return married people. After the honey-moon is over, they become moft politely indifferent to each other, and he proves to be as bad a husband as a woman would wish to have. Thus one couple is fairly difpofed of.

Our Emilia, mean-time, finds the foreboding of her heart too true, and that he is brought up to town to be married to Sir Jofeph Beauchamp, an affected, difagreeable, covetous, old fellow, but monftrous rich. Her father has agreed to the match, as being the only method by which he can retrieve his circumftances. The mereft dabbler in novel-reading can easily figure to himself the cruel conflict between inclination, or rather difinclination, and duty which firuggles in the breaft of Emilia. By good luck, however, her heart is not engaged, though a lord B. dangles after her, and is her humble adinirer.-Sir Joseph has a brother, and a fifter-in-law who is a very haughty, violent woman, and expects he will leave his eftate to her husband, or his fon, who is upon his travels. Sir Jofeph is violently in love; but all of a fudden his fair Emilia difappears, to the amazement of her lover, her friends, and family. Here our author does, indeed, discover a little invention she is neither kidnapped by her lover lord B. (though he is a character proper enough for such a frolic) nor does the run away to fhun the detefted match; nor is the murdered, robbed, or ravished. How then, gentle reader, does the ingenious author manage this enlevement ?-Why, at twelve o'clock at noon, while fhe fends an aukward footman to bring her an additional capuchin to guard her against the cold in HydePark, where he used to walk every day, the and her maid are whipped at once into a poft-chaife, which drives away like lightning, and fets them down at a good creditable-looking houfe at fome miles diftance in the country.-There, reader,

:

there

there is invention! there is a bold ftroke for you! You may defy little Bayes himself to do better. Art thou not afraid, now, of fome terrible, threatening, violent, ravishing work, and of poor Emilia's fwooning, raging, exclaiming, fretting and frying? No fuch thing. The people of this manfion are all good-nature and civility. Next enters the Harlequin who is to alter this perplexing fcene with one touch of his person.While Emilia was enjoying her retirement in the best manner he could, by being indulged fometimes in a walk, and by enjoying free access to a well-chofen library, the fees a young gentleman alight at the door of the house where the is confined, who captivates her at firft fight. This irresistible youth, who is equally enamoured of her, proves to be the fon of Sir Jofeph Beauchamp's brother, by whofe means, it appears, Emilia has been fpirited away into this confinement, to prevent the knight's alienating his eftate from his own family by marrying her. As young Beauchamp is just arrived from his travels, the reader may naturally fuppofe him entirely ignorant of his father's motives for this barbarous treatment of his amiable miftrefs, whom he inftantly fets at liberty, and very gallantly offers to escort to her aunt's houfe, which the determines upon vifiting firft, as being confiderably nearer her prefent refidence than London. Emilia, however, prudently declines his company, and fets out for her aunt's alone and unattended.

Upon our heroine's arrival at her aunt's houfe, fhe learns that the is dead, and herself monftroufly in love with young Beauchamp When he returns to her father's, he finds him poffeffed of a place under the government worth 8001. a year, and no thanks for it to her old lover Sir Jofeph Beauchamp. She coquets it with lord B. to try if that would break off the match, for which her father is ftill violent.-But it won't do. The knight is obliged to go into the country for fome days, and upon his return fhe is to be facrificed. Lord B. continues his affiduities; but young Beauchamp is the man, though his lordfhip has Mrs. Stanhope and her husband on his fide, Emilia finding her fate inevitable, makes an elopement to her maid Jenny's father's houfe, who lives fifty miles from London, upon a curacy of 20 l. a year, without informing any of her friends, except her correfpondent Mifs Harriot Molefworth.

She lives with great tranquility in her humble but pleafant retreat, and becomes acquainted with lady Beverly, a rich widow in the neighbourhood, and one of the best kind of women in the world. Her ladyfhip grows exceffively fond of our heroine, and invites her to her magnificent villa. Unluckily it

lies near B. castle, which belongs to lord B. and is the refidence of his fifters. Emilia informs lady Beverly of her fituation, and her reafons for declining to visit that caftle. Meanwhile Mr. Stanhope is run through the body by lord W. in a rencounter about a woman of the town; but before he dies, a rich uncle of his, who had discarded him, pardons him, and takes his wife under his protection. Lady Beverly carries Emilia to pay a vifit at one Mr. Annesley's. On their return, their coach breaks down, and in that unfortunate nick of time, who should come to their affiftance but lord B. who is in raptures at having discovered the place of Emilia's refidence, and even makes honourable love to her?

While these adventures are paffing in the country, Sir Jofeph Beauchamp is drowning his cares in claret. As he is reeling home at three o'clock in the morning to Bondstreet, he is attacked by two footpads; but just as he is going to deliver his purfe, he is refcued by his nephew young Beauchamp, who knocks down one, and puts the other to flight. This seasonable deliverance removes all Sir Jofeph's former prepoffeffions against his nephew, on account of his brother's hav ing fpirited away his mistress, and gives inexpreffible pleasure to Emilia. The firft fruits of this reconciliation is a project Sir Jofeph forms of a match between his nephew and the widow Stanhope, Emilia's fifter. This alarms Emilia, whom lord B ftill continues to teaze with his courtship. He finds a friend in Mifs Smith, the worthless favourite of lady Beverly, and Emilia leaves her house to return to her friends. -Another kidnapping fcene! She is conjur'd once more into a chariot by lord B. and when the recovers from her furprife and swooning, finds herself upon a bed surrounded by several mean-looking people. She is forced again into the chaife, which drives furioufly off; but in paffing through a village the exerts her voice, (which, it seems, she had loft when she was carried through Hyde-Park) and who should come to her deliverance, but her old and new lovers, Sir Joseph Beauchamp and his nephew? Beauchamp wounds his lordship, and carries his mistress to a neighbouring village; but Sir Joseph fprains his ancle in getting out of his chaife. He renews his ridiculous courtship, and carries her home to her father's house, where she meets with a very indifferent reception; for old Beville is ftill determined to force her to marry the knight. When his threats were on the point of being executed, young Beauchamp difcovers his love for Emilia. His uncle turns him out of doors, and foon after falls dangeroufly ill, when, be lieving himfelf to be dying, he generously gives up his pretenfions to Emilia in favour of his nephew, to whom he be

queaths

queaths his fortune. Sir Jofeph, however, recovers, but perfifts in his refolution. Emilia and young Beauchamp are mar. ried, and, for aught we know, are, at this very time, the happicft couple in the world.

Such are the outlines of this novel, which is far from being defective in point of language; and though the fituations of the Dramatis Perfonæ are common and unaffecting, as well as the incidents few and ill-chofen; yet the sentiments are virtuous; and the work itself may be trufted in the hands of the most delicate virgin, or the moft fcrupulous matron.

IX. The Hiftory of Major Bromley and Mifs Cliffen. In two Kols. 12ma. Pr. 6s. Wilkie.

TH

HIS is one of the moft irregular, confused productions of the kind we ever met with; and it is with fome diffidence of success that we attempt to render it intelligible to our readers.

Sir Chriftopher Cliffen, of Warwickshire, had three fons and a daughter. The eldeft fon, Henry, fell in love with and married one Miss Robinson, sister to his friend Mr. Robinson, a worthy young gentleman, but of little or no fortune. By this match he incurred his father's difpleafure to fuch a degree, that he was difinherited in favour of his fecond brother, Mr. Arthur, a mean, grovelling, mercenary fellow. Mr. Henry and his wife went abroad, intending to change their name. Upon Sir Chriftopher's death, his fon Arthur took poffeffion of his title (mark, reader, the elder brother was ftill alive). Mr. James Cliffen, the third fon, acquired a great fortune by trade, to which he was brought up. Mifs Margaret Cliffen having three thousand pounds left her by her father, lived with her -brother Sir Arthur, who was himself father to a fine young Lady, about eighteen years of age, by a moman of merit, who died foon after she had brought her into the world.

Sir Arthur, on his acceffion to his fortune, carried the two ladies with him to London, where major Bromley, nephew to lady Hampton, gave him the ufe of his own house; a very agreeable circumftance to the baronet, who was paffionately fond of money. This major was also nephew to an earl of Bromley, and was educated a foldier; but was in every respect a worthy man, and a fine gentleman. While he was abroad, on garrifon duty, he became acquainted with Mr. Parnell, an engineer, and conceived an inclination for Miss Parnell, his handfome daughter.

Reader, this is none of your yawning, tame novels. Prepare thyself for a touch of the marvellous and the furprizing.

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