we doubt not, a pious and worthy man) that his performance is altogether undeferving of the public attention; it is a crude and irregular production, neither to be commended for its matter or its yle. The allegations from fcripture are weak and uncritical; the argumen s, drawn from the depravity of the mind, are declamatory and falfe, and feveral of the authorities are mifreprefented, and at best nothing to the purpose.

If Mr. Berrow had, in the first place, fat down clofely and impartially to examine whether the itate of human nature be fo bad and fo difficult to account for, as he has reprefented it, and whether fome of the doctrines he is folicitous to explain are really to be met with in the fcriptures, he would have had no occafion to fly to the hy pothefis of a pre-existence, and would have avoided the error of taking opinions for granted, without a previous enquiry; an error, which has contributed to load the world with a multitude of useless and infignificant writings. Another great fault he has fallen into, is his imagining that Christianity is inexplicable, and that it cannot stand against the attacks of Infidelity, unless bis fcheme be admitted. But we will venture to tell this doughty champion, that the cause of our holy religion doth not rest upon the prowels of his arm; and that it is capable of being defended by much better weapons than those with which he hath thought proper to furnish himfe.f.

The Author promises a fecond volume upon the fubject; but we heartily wish he may defer the publication of it, till he has made fonte confiderable improvements in reafoning, method, and language.

Art. 21. A fecond Letter to the Rev. Dr. Kennicott. In which his Defence of his fecond Differtation is examined. By T. Rutherforth, D. D. F. R. S. the King's Profeffor of Divinity in Cambridge, and Chaplain to her Royal Highness the Princess Dowager of Wales. 8vo. Is. Millar, &c. As the controverfy between the Doctors Rutherforth and Kenaicott, cannot be be fuppofed to be interefting to the generality of Readers, it will not be expected that we should be particular in our accounts of what is advanced upon it. In regard to this fecond letter, therefore, we shall only fay, that we are forry to observe more marks of that illiberal fpirit, which we had occafion to complain of in the firft. See our last Volume, p 395.

Art. 22. Obfervations on the Credibility and Importance of Scripture-Hiftory; the Subflance whereof was delivered in a Difcourfe at the Opening of the Synod of Perth and Stirling, at Perth, O. 20, 1761, which they defired to be published. By John Gibson, Minifter of St. Ninians. 8vo. Edinburgh. Sold by Millar in London.

2S.

We have here a fhort and comprehensive account of the evidence, and chiefly of the external evidence of revealed religion. The Au

thor,

thor, with great perfpicuity, both of style and reafoning, has brought together under one point of view, the principal arguments that chriftians have to urge in defence of their faith; and the fummary he has offered to the public may be very useful to those who have neither leifure nor opportunity for perufing larger works.

Art. 23. The religious Government of a Family; particularly the Obligation and Importance of Family-worship. In three Difcourfes. Preached at Carter-Lane. By Edward Pickard. 8vo. 1s. 1s. Buckland, &c.

We have here three very useful and judicious difcourfes upon a duty of great importance, tho' generally difregarded. The worthy Author treats his fubject with great plainness, perfpicuity, and piety.

Art. 24. Fifteen Sermons, by the late Rev. Tobias Coyte, B. D. Rector of Stratford, in Suffolk. Published for the Benefit of his Widow. 12mo. 2 Vols. 5s. Brotherton. Thefe Sermons were not originally defigned for public view: the benevolent defign of affifting a clergyman's widow is the best reafon that can be given for printing them.

Art. 25. The Neceffity of Water-Baptifm: Occafioned by a Pamphlet lately published by Mr. S. Fothergill of Warrington, in Defence of the Quaker's Notion of Baptifm. 8vo. Is. Field. As we wish to fee an end of this debate, we must not give it confequence, by entering into particulars concerning the prefent article.

1.

SINGLE SERMONS.

HE Chriftian Evangelist. By Robert Henry, A, M. Hen

•T derfon, &c.

2. The Sins of Jews and Chriftians under the Law, and under the Gospel, confidered.-At Bexley in Kent, March 12, 1762; on the General Faft. By Henry Piers, M. A. Vicar. Lewis.

3. The Ufe and Authority of the pastoral Office, and the Rite of In veftiture with it, confidered.-In his Majefty's Chapel at Whitehall, at the Confecration of the Bishop of Carlifle. By William Parker, D. D. Chaplain in ordinary to his Majetty. Baldwin.

4. Before the Son's of the Clergy, at St. Paul's, May 6, 1762. By George Horne, B. D. Fellow of Magdalen-College, Oxon. Bathurst.

5. On the Death of the Rev. Mr. Thomas Hall, June 13, 1762. By Richard Winter. Buckland. 6. A remarkable Accomplishment of a noted Scripture Prophecy, as applied to the History of England during the laft and prefent Centuries, in a Thanksgiving Sermon By Richard Dobbs, D. D. of Lif burn in Ireland, Nov. 29, 1759. Wilcox.

THE

MONTHLY REVIEW,

For AUGUST, 1762.

Letters on Chivalry and Romance. 12mo. 23. Millar.

W

HILE the generality of writers are cautiously creep. ing in the track of their predeceflors, without daring to think for themselves, and to venture far from the beaten paths, the ingenious author of thefe Letters, trufting to his own powers, opens a new vein of criticism, and entertains his readers, in a moft agreeable manner, with a variety of remarks on a very curious fubject. The ORTHODOX in Poctry will, no doubt, look upon him as a daring HERETIC, and, as fuch, thunder out their excommunications against him; be this, however, as it may, he will, we are perfuaded, meet with a favourable reception from every reader of tafte.

He fets out with obferving, that the ages which we call barbarous, prefent us with many a fubject of curious speculation; that nothing in human nature is without its reasons ; and that, though the modes and fafhions of different times may appear, at first fight, fantastic and unaccountable, yet fome latent cause of their production may be discovered by those who look nearly into them. Sometimes, we are told, a close attention to the workings of the human mind, is sufficient to lead us to this knowlege; and fometimes the diligent obfervation of what paffes without us, is neceffary.

Would we know, from what causes the inftitution of Chivalry was derived? the time of its birth, the fituation of the Barbarians amongst whom it arose, must be confidered: their wants, defigns, and policies must be explored: we must VOL. XXVII.

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enquire

enquire when, and where, and how, it came to pass, that the western world became familiarized to this prodigy, which we now ftart at.

"Another thing, fays our author, is full as remarkable, and concerns us more nearly. The fpirit of Chivalry, was a fire which foon spent itself: but that of Romance, which was kindled at it, burnt long, and continued its light and heat even to the politer ages.

"The greatest geniufes of our own and foreign countries, fuch as Ariofto and Taffo in Italy, and Spenfer and Milton in England, were feduced by thefe barbarities of their forefathers; were even charmed by the Gothic Romances. Was this caprice and abfurdity in them? or, may there not bet fomething in the Gothic Romance peculiarly fuited to the views of a Genius, and to the ends of poetry? And may may not the philofophic Moderns have gone too far, in their perpetual ridicule and contempt of it?

"To form a judgment in the cafe, the rife, progrefs, and genius of Gothic Chivalry must be explained. The circumitances in the Gothic fictions and manners, which are proper to the ends of poetry, (if any fuch there be) must be pointed out. Reafons for the decline and rejection of the Gothic tafte in later times must be given."

CHIVALRY, properly fo called, and under the idea of a diftinct military order, conferred in the way of inveftiture, and accompanied with the folemnity of an oath and other ceremonies, as defcribed in the old Hiftorians and Romancers, fprung, our author thinks, immediately out of the FEUDALCONSTITUTION.

The firft and moft fenfible effect of this conftitution, which brought about fo mighty a change in the policies of Europe, was the erection of a prodigious number of petty tyrannies. For, though the great Barons were clofcly tied to the fervice of their prince by the conditions of their tenure, yet the power which was given them by it over their own numerous vaffals was fo great, that, in effect, they all fet up for themselves; affected an independancy, and were, in truth, a fort of abfolute fovereigns, at leaft with regard to one another. Hence their mutual aims and interefts often interfering, the feudal ftate was, in a good degree, a ftate of war: the feudal Chiefs were in frequent enmity with each other: the feveral combinations of feudal tenants were fo many feparate armies under

their Head or Chief: and their caftles were fo many fortreffes, as well as palaces, of these puny princes.

In this ftate of things, all imaginable encouragement was to be given to the ufe of arms, under every different form of attack and defence, according as the fafety of thefe different communities, or the ambition of their leaders, might require. And this condition of the times, our author imagines, gave rife to that military inftitution which we know by the name of CHIVALRY.

He obferves farther, that there being little or no fecurity to be had amidst fo many restlefs fpirits, and the clashing views of a neighbouring numerous and independent nobility, the military difcipline of their followers, even in the intervals of peace, was not to be relaxed, or their ardour suffered to grow cool by a total difufe of martial exercifes. And hence the proper origin of Jufts and Tournaments; those images of war, which were kept up in the caftles of the Barons, and, by an useful policy, converted into the amusement of the Knights, when their arms were employed on no ferious occafion.-Our author calls this the proper origin of Jufts and Tournaments; for the date of them, he fays, is carried no higher, even in France, (where unquestionably they made their first appearance) than the year 1066; which was not till after the introduction of the feudal government into that country.

Thus we fee that Chivalry, in our Letter-writer's opinion, was no abfurd and freakish institution, but the natural and even fober effect of the feudal policy; whofe turbulent genius breathed nothing but war, and which was fierce and military even in its amusements.

If our Author's conjecture concerning the rife of Chivalry be thought reasonable, it will be cafy, he fays, to account for the feveral characteristics of this fingular profeffion. The paffion for arms; the fpirit of enterprize; the honour of knighthood; the rewards of valour; the fplendor of equipages; in fhort, every thing that raifes our ideas of the prowefs, gallantry, and magnificence of thefe fons of Mars, is naturally and eafily explained on this fuppofition. Ambition, intereft, glory, all concurred, under fuch circumftances, to produce thefe effects. The feudal principles could terminate in nothing elfe. And when, by the neceflary operation of that policy, this turn was given to the thoughts and paffions of men, ufe and fafhion would do the reft; and carry

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them