give up thy unavailing ftruggle with the Cornith Hero.-Quit the ftage; and then, as the Dunciad has it, mayft thou,

In Shadwell's bofom with eternal reft!"

Art. 37. The Vifion. A Poem, on the Reftoration of his Majefty's Health. 4to. PP. 18. IS. John fon. 179.

There are many uncommon ftrokes of genius in this poem, and fome extraordinary fingularities of expreffion: fuch, for instance, as the following, extracted from the foliloquy uttered by Death, while he is meditating to hurl the laft fatal dart at the King: by laying him, millions I flay

With living deaths, unhappyfying them

Of all the joys from his protection reap'd-"

We do not wish to unhappify the author by any farther notice of this production.

Art. 38. The Farm-house. A Comedy in three Acts. As altered by J. P. Kemble, and first acted at the Theatre-Royal, Drury-lane, May 1, 1789. 8vo. IS. Debrett.

The Country Laffes, or the Cuftom of the Manor, a comedy, written about feventy years ago, by Charles Johnfon (author of feveral other dramatic performances), has given birth to feveral alterations and imitations. Kenrick transformed it into an opera*; and now Mr. Kemble has, with no bad effect, cut it down to a piece of three acts; but, fhould he not have mentioned the fountain into which he dipped his pitcher, on this occafion?

Art. 39. The Female Parliament, &c. By Theophilus Swift, Efq. 4to. 25. PP. 27. Debrett. 1789.

In thefe ambling, tit-up-ing verfes, many of which run fmoothly and prettily enough, the author fings to the praife and glory of female beauty! Such productions generally remind us of the Irish paftoral ballad, which thus begins:

"Dev'l burn 'em-thefe wits are jack-affes!

Tumble down their vile books from my shelves!
They goddeffes make of their laffes,

And fimpletons make of themselves.

Away with their nonfenfe, away †!

The author poffeffes a wildness of imagination which frequently produces flashes of poetry that, like the corufcations of the Aurora Borealis, are reducible to no regularity or order. But what does he mean by the

odours of velvet embalming the gale?'

Try, fagacious reader, what thou can't make of it: our efforts have been fruitless.

Art. 40.

Ode to HOPE. 4to. 1s. pp. 14. Edinburgh printed, and fold by Elliot and Kay, London. 1789.

The anonymous author feems to feel his fubject; his ideas are warm, and his expreffion is often truly poetic; but his diction is fometimes in

*See Rev. vol. lix. p. 468.

See a character of this humourous performance, Rev. vol.

P. 484.

corre&

1

correct and uncouth, (no uncommon cafe in ode-writing!) and his rhymes are, in one or two inftances, intolerably faulty.-The chief defign of the ode appears to be, though fomewhat obfcurely, and rather obliquely, to point out to Britannia the room for Hope, in the Prince of Wales, had his Majesty not recovered from his late alarming indifpofition.

Art. 41. Ode on his Majesty's Recovery. By the Author of Sympathy and Humanity. 4to. PP. 7. IS. Walter, Picadilly. 1789.

We have already, in a late Review, hinted our opinion, that on a fubject of this kind, great excellence cannot be expected, even from the Mufe's belt exertions. A luxurious difplay of FANCY would feem too artificial; and all that NATURE would dictate, on fuch a topic, might be moft happily expreffed with brevity and fimplicity.

Mr. Pratt's poetic talents are fo well known, that to enlarge on them, on this occafion, would be fuperfluous. There is nothing in this Ode that will diminish the reputation which he has already acquired, unless it be the following lines: and thefe we leave to the comments of the reader.

We know 'tis GOD, the LIVING GOD that give:h

To our pray'rs a Parent King;

We know, we know, that " OUR REDEEMER liveth,"
To HIM-the Mighty ONE we fing!'

Art. 42. Subjects for Painters. By Peter Pindar, Efq. 4to. pp. 105. 3s. 6d. fewed. Kearsley. 1789.

Our poetic Momus goes on teizing the Academicians, and his other, old friends, Sir Jofeph Banks, the King, &c.; but his enmity to Mr. Weft feems to be moft implacable. What can this celebrated artist have done to provoke him to fuch eternal hoftility? We never heard that he had painted Squire Pindar's picture. By the way, may not Mr. Weft, if he feeks revenge, feize this hint, and do it: taking fome old fign of the Saracen's head for his original,

"Staring, tremendous, with a threat'ning eye,
Like fome fierce tyrant, &c."

The fubjects here propofed are, fome of them, well displayed, in the prefent exhibition; and most of them well imagined. Among the groupe, we could not help diftinguishing, and fmiling at, a great Law Chief,' fwearing his prayers, on the late thanksgivingday at St. Paul's:

The Devil behind him pleas'd and grinning,
Patting the angry lawyer on the fhoulder,
Declaring nought was ever bolder,

Admiring fuch a novel mode of finning.'

The rest of the subjects are, chiefly (befide thofe above alluded to), the D. of R--d, the Lord Ch-n, the late K. of Spain, Old Nick, the Duchefs of Devonshire [a truly elegant compliment], the Lords of the Bedchamber, &c. &c. Befide thefe characters, feveral pleasant ftories are introduced, with Peter's ufual felicity and fuccefs:

MISCELLANEOUS.

Art. 43. The Reflector. A Selection of Effays on various Subjects of common Life. From original Papers. Illuftrated with entertaining Anecdotes. 12mo. 2 Vols. pp. 216 each. 5s. fewed. Lane. 1788.

Thefe effays are faid to have been written in a country town, by a plain man, for the perufal of plain readers. Steele and Addifon, it is obferved, first brought philofophy from schools and colleges, to the dreffing-room and parlour; and that this author has wooed her to take a trip with him to the farm-house and cottage. This diftinction of places, for which the respective writers are thought to be best adapted, is not however very perceptible; no liberal compofitions will be read with profit or pleasure by perfons whofe minds are too contracted by ignorance to comprehend common fenfe on paper; but above that level, we do not fee what fhould withhold the Tatler, Spectator, or Guardian, from entering a farm-houfe, or this Reflector, from the parlour. They all treat of familiar fubjects, though the latter is more of a preceptive nature, efpecially on the fubjects of love and marriage. On thefe points indeed the author's counfels are so very prudent, that were they likely to be generally attended to, we fhould not hesitate to deem this, and all works of a fimilar complexion, injurious to fociety. The propriety of matrimonial connexions may be fafely left to the private friends on both fides, who are seldom inattentive, and whofe counfels have the merit of applying to particular cafes; but in a general view, were only the rich, the beautiful, the wife, and the well-difpofed, to be united together, what is to become of all the reft? Muft the other claffes be left to ruin each other, or be configned to hopeless celibacy and defpair? Fortunately, nature takes better care of us, than we can take of ourselves; by crofs mixtures, all are accommodated; adverfe circumstances on either fide are meliorated, while even the most cautious marriages are not diftinguished by fuperior degrees of conjugal felicity.

The writer of these amusing and inftructive papers is becomingly modeft in his literary pretenfions.

Yet furely (he adds) it is no fuch very great fin, for a man of confined talents to lay fome of his thoughts and obfervations before the public. The world, even the literary world, is perhaps under greater obligations to little nameless writers, than is generally imagined. The uninformed mind may ftumble on important remarks or a happy thought. Virgil is faid to have found jewels on the dunghill of Ennius; and even the man of erudition may discover fomething worth his perufal in the most ordinary fcribbler.'

Whatever truth there may be in this apology, we imagine the author does not mean to recommend danghills for the fearch of jewels; for if he does, we, whofe hard fate it is to be too often raking among them, can seriously affure him, the labour is as unprofitable as it is difagreeable. The Reflector is not, however, confidered as the production of the most ordinary fcribbler; his fentiments are generally juft; but he is unequal, and does not uniformly fupport the eafy dignity that characterizes our moft celebrated effayifts.

N.

Art.

Art. 44 Thoughts on the diftinct Provinces of Revelation and Philofophy: propofed to the candid Confideration of young Students in Divinity of both Universities, and other Seminaries of Learning. 4to. pp. 80. 2s. Faulder. 1788.

It is impoffible that we fhould more fully (we will not say accurately) exprefs our idea of this pompous declamation in favour of an eternal divorce between reafon and religion, philofophy and revelation[the writer of which looks down upon all the fages of antiquity and heathenifm with pity and contempt,' and dreads the thought of venturing fomething more eftimable than his neck in a philofophical balloon!]-than in his own words:

We are equally furprised and entertained, to fee what pompous nothings are iffued from the prefs, occafionally, into the public attention, which, when they are critically diffected, have no other recommendation but great, fswelling words of vanity. That is abfolutely their fum total; a mere caput mortuum! Who can read them without recollecting what is fo frequently repeated, parturiunt montes, nascetur [the author, fuo periculo, writes, nascitur] ridiculus mus.' E. Art. 45. Liberal Stri@ures on Freedom and Slavery. 4to. pp. 51. 2s. 6d. Cadell, &c. 1789.

The writer of thefe ftrictures, ftrangely mifnamed liberal, appears much better qualified to declaim in the Tabernacle on the bondage of Satan, than to difcufs, with intelligence and information, the great moral and political queftion concerning the abolition of flavery. Whatever zeal he may have for Spiritual liberty, on the fubjects of civil and literary liberty, his ideas appear to be narrow and confufed. For while he is haranguing in favour of freedom, he deplores the jumble of incoherent and diftracting fentiments which the wild imaginations of men have spawned, under the very specious though infinuating pretence of liberty of confcience;-humbly afks, whether the prefent mode in which certain literary journals are conducted, is a part of the liberty of the prefs; and grievously complains, like one whofe ftripes are yet green, of the difcipline which is adminiftered in the school of criticifm. To the fubjects of wholefome difcipline it will always feem a little hard,' to fuffer caftigation; but will the public think the worse of thofe by whom it is administered?

Both these pamphlets are the productions of the author of A true Eftimate, &c. and Characteristics of Public Spirit, &c. See Rev. vol. lxxix. p. 560.

B.

Art. 46. Elays on important Subjects. By Daniel Turner, M. A. 2 Vols. about 250 Pages in each Vol. 12mo. 6s. fewed. Buckland. 1787.

The first principle of thefe effays feems to be, that we are indebted for all our knowlege of religious fubjects to revelation. The author exprefsly afferts, that reafon can be of no effectual ufe in religion without that divine illumination which the Father of lights commynicates through his Son;' and though he acknowleges the belief of the existence of God to be a neceffary preliminary to the belief of miracles, yet he derives even this first principle of religion from revelation, and owns that he cannot fee how any one could convince himself that there is a God, the first cause of all things, without fome farther affillance

903

affiftance than what mere nature affords.' This is furely faying, in other words, that our belief in God depends on revelation; and that our faith in divine revelation depends on our belief in God; that is, as the logicians fay, reafoning in a circle. And this, we apprehend, all thofe writers do, who, in their zeal for revelation, deny the fufficiency of reafon to difcover the first principles of natural religion. This notion of referring every thing in religion to immediate divine illumination, is unquestionably the hinge of all enthusiasm; and the common point, from which myftics, in all ages, whatever different routes they may have afterward taken, at first let out. Mr. Turner's ftyle is eafy and correct; and allowing him his data, he reasons clearly: but we cannot fee how these can be admitted, without overturn. ing all religion, natural and revealed.

The fubjects treated in these effays are, The origin of our idea of God; The Mofaic account of the creation; The nature of religion; Miracles; A feparate ftate; and The double fenfe of prophecies.

E. Art. 47. A fhort Letter to Col. Lenox, on his Conduct towards the Duke of York. By an Officer of the Army. 8vo. pp. 23. 18. Kearsley. 1789.

The letter-writer takes great liberties with Col. L.'s character and conduct; and to prove, beyond all poffibility of doubt, that he was totally wrong in prefuming to call out a prince of the blood, he abuses Col. L.'s family and kindred-connexions. Such arguments are, certainly, irrefragable.

POLITICAL.

Art. 48. An Addrefs to his Majesty, on his happy Recovery: with a fhort Review of his Reign: Some Remarks on the late Proceffion to St. Paul's, and the reported Voyage to Hanover; with the Characters of a pious King, a Patriot Prince, and an imperious Minifter. 8vo. PP. 62. 28. Kearley. 1789.

We read in a certain obfolete hiftory, that, on a certain day, when the fons of God came to prefent themfelves before the Lord, Satan, who had been prowling about the earth with a moft malicious intention, intruded himself among them: Our readers will be at no loss to make the application. The author of this pamphlet (who was afhamed to affix his name to it), fearing that the cup of joy, which Providence had put into our hands, might be too lufcious, was willing to dafh it wh wormwood and gall.

In this addrefs we have a few truths greatly distorted; and numberlefs falfehoods dreffed up in language calculated to fafcinate and mislead the minds of his Majelly's good fubjects.

Art. 49.

Br......W.

An impartial Report of all the Proceedings in Parliament, on the late important Subject, of a Regency. Comprehending a more accurate, ample, and unbiaffed Statement than any hitherto publifhed; with correct Lifts of the Divifions, and the Protetts of the Lords: and a concife Narrative of the Circumitances attending his Majesty's Indifpofition. 8vo. 10s. 6d. Boards. pp. 620; befide an Appendix of 48. Bew. 1789.

The editor of this valuable collection oblerves, in his introduction, that he has, for obvious reasons, avoided to risk any opinion' on cir

cumftances,