Art. 47. Alfred; or, a Narrative of the daring and illegal Meafures to fupprefs the [above] Pamphlet, &c. &c. 8vo. Is. 6d. Sold as before mentioned. We are forry to fee a writer, who certainly poffeffes confiderable talents, employing them to fuch wretched purpofe, as the abufe of a monarch whom every good man loves; and in whofe happy recovery from his late alarming indifpofition, millions of grateful hearts are now rejoicing.-Can compliments from fuch a pen as that of the Rev. Dr. Withers, the author of thefe literary nuifances, be acceptable to any gentleman in adminiftration? Art. 48. Alfred unmask'd; or, the New Catiline. Intended as a Pair of Spectacles for the fhort-fighted Politicians of 1789. 8vo. PP. 33. Is. Faulder. We were in hopes, laft month, that the hoft of political railers at Mr. Pitt, and the measures of Administration refpecting the intended Regency, were all paffed by; but a few ftragglers, we fee, are yet behind; as is ufual when troops are on the march, Art. 49. A Letter to the Author of Alfred, and the Hiftory of the Royal Malady. By a Clergyman. 4to. 6d. Walter, &c. A ferious and judicious expoftulation with Dr. Withers, on the indecency and falfehood of his publications refpecting his Majefty's late indifpofition. If any of Dr. W.'s readers are approvers of his pamphlets, we would recommend to them an impartial perufal of this Letter. Art. 50. An important Narrative of Facts; in Answer to the erroneous Statement given by Dr. Withers, in his Pamphlet of Alfred, containing the Correfpondence between Dr. Withers and J. Ridgway, on the Publication of the Hiftory of the Royal Malady, &c. and the Author's Motives for fubmitting this Detail to the Public 8vo. 25. pp. 56. Ridgway. 1789. The motley materials of which this pamphlet is compofed, are given in the form of a letter to Mr. Ridgway; figned Richard Davis, Piccadilly. The character of Dr. Withers will reap no advantage from this publication. Art. 51. Legal Confiderations on the Regency, as far as it regards Ireland. 8vo. pp. 26. 1s. Stockdale. It appears that this piece was written before the Regency Bill was introduced into parliament, and at the time when we were firft given to understand that the Irish meant to make the Prince of Wales Regent of Ireland without limitations. The legality of this defign is the point here brought under confideration; and the queftion is determined in the negative.-The author treats his fubject with due gravity, and, as we apprehend, with good judgment. He fhews that the Stat. 23 Geo. III. does not apply to the subject under confideration. The words of the act are, as here quoted, "That the right claimed by the people of Ireland, to be bound only by laws enacted by his Majefty, and the Parliament of that kingdom, fhall be eftablifhed for ever, and fhall at no time be queftioned, or queftionable." This law, our author contends, was not meant to reftrain the Parliament of Great Britain from enacting fuch laws, refpecting the Crown and its 7 imperial imperial authority, as fhall bind the people of Ireland. For his reafoning on this head, we must refer to the pamphlet.-On the whole, he feems to have fully established his main point, which is to fhewThat the late refolutions of the Irish Parliament, in appointing the P. of W. Regent, are warranted neither by law nor by the conftitution; and to say the leaft of them, are utterly void.' Art. 52. Reflections on the Confequences of his Majesty's Recovery from bis late Indifpofition. In a Letter to the People of England. 8vo. Pp. 61. Is. 6d. Robinsons. The date of this Letter is Feb. 16; fince which time, about a month elapfed before its publication. The writer's reflections are of a nature fo very ferious, that they cannot but merit the candid regard of the public. His great object is to call our attention to what poffibly may, but we hope never will, happen, a relapse into that dif order from which, God be praised, his Majefty is declared, on the best authority, to be happily recovered! Our author produces inftances, from hiftory, of the relapfes of royal convalefcents, the confequences of which have been moft dreadful to their fubjects;-and it is to prepare our minds, and pave the way for provifional measures, for our national fecurity, against future contingencies of this melancholy but highly important nature, that he lays his thoughts before the public. He writes in a ftyle and manner that feem, as far as anonymous writers are to be credited, to indicate the worthieft intentions; and his abilities appear to be fuch as may, perhaps, entitle him (in the estimation of intelligent readers) to rank among our belt political writers. Art. 53. Obfervations upon the late national Embarrassment, and the Proceedings in Parliament relative to the fame. By J. L. de Lolme, LL. D. 8vo. 1s. 6d. Debrett. 1789. A fecond edition of a pamphlet mentioned in our laft Review, entitled, The prefent national Embarrassment confidered. It was then published without the author's name. As the national business has fince continued in a progreffive ftate, the pamphlet is again offered to the public, with confiderable alterations' [and additions], which were become neceffary for rendering the fubject fufficiently intelligible." This neceffity we hinted at, in the former fhort notice which we took of Dr. De Lolme's [then anonymous] publication. A Poftfcript is now added, containing an ingenious explanation of the rights of the Heir Apparent; and fome acute remarks on the conduct, respectively, of the contending parties, in the course of the late proceedings. Art. 54. The Fall of Faction; or Edmund's Vifion, &c. 4to. 2s. 6d. pp. 32. Walter in Piccadilly. 1789. This comes from Mr. T'other-Side; who aims to be witty, at the expence of Mr. Burke, and the whole court of Carleton House. If, in this attempt, the author is not altogether fuccessful, we dare fay *This Author has, himself, hinted fome remedies; but they feem, even in his own apprehenfion, improbable and vifionary: particularly where he talks of refignations. it is more his misfortune than his fault. The honeft gentleman has, Art. 55. Obfervations on "A Letter to the mofl in folent Man alive*.” 4:0. PP. 22. It was unneceffary for this unknown Obferver to attempt a defence of the character and conduct of our popular Minifter, while he acknowleges that they need no defence, p. 21.-Mr. Pitt may, however, hold himself, in fome degree, obliged to this advocate, for his zeal and good intention, whatever may be thought of his abilities as a writer. Art. 56. The Letter to the most infolent Man alive answered. 8vo. PP. 30. A very fevere attack, as we fuppofe, on Mr. Sheridan, under the ** of *****, idea that he is the author of The Letter, &c. The **** and the whole Oppofition-party, come in for their fhare of this literary bastinado. Art. 57. A Letter to the Right Hon. Charles James Fox, on the late Conduct of his Party. 8vo. Is. 6d. pp. 53. Ridgway. Written during his Majefty's illnefs, and dated Feb. 13th. The author took up the then (as it feemed) declining caufe of the Adminiftration, with great spirit and energy. Mr. Fox, and his party, never had a feverer lecture. Whoever the author is, he appears to be far fuperior to the common herd of pamphleteers, by which the nation is, at present, over-run. His Letter was published in the latter end of the last month; but did not come to our hands foon enough to be included in the long lift of tracts relative to the Regency, given in the Review for February. Art. 58. Four pleasant Epifles, written for the Entertainment and Pleafant Epistles! To whom will they be pleasant? Not to the reader;-for a display of the vices and follies of public men, whose conduct may greatly affect the welfare of the nation, can afford no gratification to a reflecting mind. Nor will thefe Epiftles be pleafant to the perfons addreffed in them ;-for what man will be fond of viewing his natural face in a glafs, which reflects to him a bad complexion, and ugly features ?-For pleafant,' then, read unpleasant. Thefe Letters, however, are not dull. They are written with point and spirit, and all the licentious freedom of the times; but the author frequently expreffes himself with a degree of inaccuracy that difgraces his language. The unpleasant characters' to whom Mr. Albion addresses these Epiftles (befide the very EXALTED SUBJECT, whom we are forry to fee treated in fo unpleajant' a manner) are Mr. Fox, Mr. Sheridan, 6 *See our last month's Catalogue, Art. 42. and and Mr. Burke. The obloquy thrown upon gentlemen (on partyground) may answer the end of writers on either fide; but to enlarge upon it, would not fuit the nature of a literary Journal. The conduct of the three characters juft mentioned, with respect to the late agitated queftion of Regency, appears to have drawn upon them the wit and vengeance of this writer, and other literary champions of Administration. Art. 59. An Explanation of the mistaken Principle on which the Commutation Act was founded: and the Nature of the Mischiefs that must follow from a Perfeverance in it. In a fecond Address to the Public from Thomas Bates Rous, Efq. 4to. pp. 22. Debrett. 1789. 1s. 6d. Mr. Rous's first addrefs was noticed in our Review, vol. lxxv. p. 146. In this fecond addrefs, he commences with afferting that no tax on fixed property can be made to yield fufficient to be a fubftitute for revenue, drawn from articles of general confumption, without being ruinously oppreffive.' He exemplifies the truth of this pofition by that productive fource of revenue-MALT. By comparing the value of the barley from which it is produced, with the value of all the produce of all the land in England, the proportion between them will be found very fmall; and yet (he fays) it yields with eafe to the Exchequer, a fum that nine fhillings in the pound additional tax on the land would fcarcely equal.' This conclufion may be right; but the reader would have given to it a more ready affent, had the author demonftrated its truth. He afterward states, by the returns from the Excife Office, that the revenue derived from the beer, diftillery, and malt duties, amounts, in a favourable year, to four millions fterling; and then fays, The idea of extravagantly multiplying the confumption of any foreign produce, that may affect this great national fupport, by throwing off the duties, and rendering it very cheap, is perhaps as alarming as any ever entertained by a Minifter.' Mr. Rous has not fhewn that the malt duties have decreafed fince the Commutation Act took place. Mr. R. proceeds with a number of obfervations on the quantities of different teas imported, the revenue thence arifing, and the difficulty which the Company have in fupplying the market; and he thus concludes: If Administration, when it had fully determined on the policy of the measure of altering the duties on tea, had proceeded with temper and judgment,-if inftead of commuting all the duties except 12 per cent. for an oppreffive window tax, one half of the duties had been taken from the inferior forts, and fomething more from the lowest, in which the smuggler chiefly dealt, and on which the duties were confiderably higher than on fine teas, this measure would have defeated the illegal trade both in foreign and fictitious tea,-had then the fame meafures been feadily pursued at the Eaft India House (under the controul of Government as the Act directs) which were adopted at the commencement of the prefent fcheme, but foon from the overwhelming effect relinquifhed,-had the quick fucceffive fales been fupplied with quantities equal to the demand of every dealer, fo as to prevent fpeculation, which might have been done without danger T 3 danger of increafing the confumption of fine tea (which is, as I have fhewn, the fource of all the mifchief), it would foon have been found, that the leffer duty on the extended legal quantity would have yielded a revenue, not only much larger than the prefent duty united with the oppreffive window tax, but much larger than ever was before received from tea. From this meafure no injury could have happened to the country. But if the Minifter difregards the mifchiefs I have defcribed, and makes revenue his only object, by throwing off alfo half the duties from the fine teas, he might have obtained a large revenue indeed, and the mifchiefs, though confiderable, would certainly have been less than from the prefent meafure. He would likewife have found it a more eafy and effectual method of fucceeding in his primary object, than by giving up all the duties but 12 per cent. for a window tax. For, in forming a plan to defeat the muggler, by lowering the duties, especial care should be taken not to create a demand for the commodity, which cannot be permanently supplied from a legal fource. The prefent ill digefted meature, from its enormous effects, has failed in the execution, after having, in the attempt, created an infatiable demand through the kingdom, and opened a larger field for the fmuggler than ever, leaving the means of refisting him more difficult in future.' Such is Mr. Rous's plan for regulating the duties on this article of foreign luxury. It has every mark of plausibility; but the author's quick conceptions carry him fometimes too fat for readers who poffefs only ordinary perception. More demonftration would have been agreeable to many readers. R......m. POETRY. Art. 60. The Regency, a Poem. 4to. PP. 35. 2s. 6d. Stalker, &c. 1789. An attempt to ridicule the Prince of Wales, and his party, in verses that are only abufive. The Poet's ear is fo very defective, that he gives us idea,' as a rhime to 'fear.' Art. 61. The Antagonists of Peter Pindar cut into Atoms, in a furious. Epile to Peter Pindar, Efq. By Tom Plumb. 4to. pp. 20. 1s. 6d. Kearfley. 1789. This zealous admirer and defender of Peter Pindar's fterling wit, be-rhimes and be-praifes him in Birmingham bafe metal. Art. 62. Political Adoration; or, An Addrefs to the Devil. By the FOUL FIEND FLIBBERTIGIBBET. Ridgway. 1789. 4to. * PP. 17. 1 s. 6d. The Foul Fiend directs the whole force of his wit and virulence, which is not inconfiderable, again ft Mr. Pitt. His manner, as exhibited in this political fquib, reminds us of the fpirit and turn of Swift's Legion Club.- It is remarkable, that, in a Chriftian country, the principal objection against our young Palinurus is, That, as yet, he makes no figure in the annals of adultery and fornication -0 tempora! O mores! There is a motto, manufactured in English Greek, to ridicule the claffical erudition of Lord Belgrave. Art. |