Then would I clafp the infants to my arms, There is an obfcurity in the 4th line of page 10, which we could with to fee removed fhould a future edition be called for: An incommunicable blifs ye give.' Art. 34. The Tears of Loyalty, or Portrait of a Prince. A Poem, infcribed to the Prince of Wales. 4to. Is. 6d. Bell. 1789. Toward the close of this poem, the bard wipes away the tears that were excited by the dreadful calamity that hath befallen the FATHER, and handsomely pays due refpect to the Son: on whose virtues and amiable qualities he pours the warmest ftrains of panegyric. Though we cannot be equally lavish of our commendations on this performance, yet, to give the unknown writer his due, we really think that, on a fubject not in itself very favourable to the poet, perhaps few of the prefent" rhyming race" would have fucceeded better. Art. 35. The Froft, a little Poem, for great Folks. 8vo. 6d. Buckland, &c. 1788. There is fome poetic merit in this defcriptive poem, but more in its defign; which was, to prompt the GREAT and the AFFLUENT, who enjoy the comforts and bleflings of life, to remember, in feafons of natural inclemency, thofe who are in want of not only its conveniencies, but even its neceffaries. We hope the benevolent and fenfible author, who styles himself a Kentish Freeholder, has neither written nor published in vain. Art. 36. A Book of truly Chriftian Pfalms, Anthems, and a Chant, fitting to be joined to all Church Services in the known World; and particularly recommended to the Ufe of all Private Families. By Lewis Bruen. Chefter: Printed for the Author. 12mo. bound. 1788. "Sternhold him felf he out-Sternholded." DRAMATIC. SWIFT, IS, Art. 37. Vimonda, a Tragedy, by A. McDonald; performed at the Fresh walks, and fprings untafted, fcarce can yield; In the fame fteps their predeceffors trod.' Poor poets are indeed guilty of the crime here laid to their charge. It is easier for them to trudge on in the turnpike-road of imitation, to follow one another like fo many geele train-trow, than to ftrike out into the devious wilds of invention. Mr. McDonald flatters himself he shall not rank with this traintrow tribe. He aims at originality, So Mr. Prologue is inftructed to fay: Yet to your view to-night our bard has brought Not Not ftolen from Italy, purloin'd from France, From airy nothing" rais'd by Fancy's power, And "bodies forth the forms of things unknown." In this he has delivered the truth;-from " airy nothing" the poet has formed a tragedy, and in this tragedy "bodied forth the forms of things unknown." But has Mr. Prologue given in evidence the whole truth? No, he has not told the Court, that these things unknown are unknowable, things that never have been, and never can be feen. We allow the Author the merit of invention; but it must be the merit of inventing improbabilities. He fhocks belief, and appears to have entirely neglected that rule for dramatic compofition, « Fiɛa voluptatis caufâ fint proxima veris." HOR. Moo-y. Art. 38. Look before you leap: A Comedy; in one A&t. As it was performed with great Applaufe at the Theatre-Royal in the Haymarket. Tranflated from the celebrated La Bonne Mère of De Florian. By Horatio Robfon. 8vo. 1s. Harrifon and Co. 1788. Scarcely a cock-boat is now launched on the flage, which is not built on a French flip. It is no difpraife to fay, that this piece is lefs calculated for the closet than the ftage. The chief merit of a dramatic production is its acting well. The comedy before us has, we are told, been performed with great applaufe; the truth of which we find no reason to call in queftion. It has the merit of brevity. It certainly cannot tire. D: Art. 39. The Child of Nature; a Dramatic Piece, in four Acts, &c. Not having by us a copy of Zélie, the French piece from which The Child of Nature' is borrowed, we cannot undertake to point out its comparative merit, to fhew where Mrs. Inchbald has been indebted to the Marchioness of Sillery, and where he has drawn from her own fertile imagination. Our high refpect for the genius and abilities of this celebrated French authorefs may incline us to confider this piece, as far as it copies the original, to have sustained fome diminution of excellence from its change of language, and that a portion of the fpirit may have evaporated in the tranflation. But fhould this be the cafe, in its English dishabille it makes no unpleafing figure. The dialogue is eafy and natu!, and the drama foon begins, and continues to the end, to intereft. Amanthis, the Child of Nature, the prominent figure on the canvas, is not ill drawn. The fimplicity of her anfwers is natural and pleafing; but to make her go away with a poor miferable father, with whom he never lived, for whom he could not have nourished any paternal affection, and whom, when he introduces himfelf to her, the fcarcely recollects, to confent, with very little reluctance, to go with him to mifery and wretchednefs, at the very moment when the was about to be united with the Marquis, the object of her love and warmest affections, appears to us entirely out of nature. We think this is a trial of filial duty under which the most amiable and virtuous mind must fuccumb. Moo-7. Art. 40. A Key to the Lock: a Comedy; in two Acts. As it was damned at the Theatre-Royal in the Hay-market, Auguft 18, 1788. 8vo. I S. Harrison and Co. Fir'd that the house bas damn'd it, ""Sdeath, I'll print it, And fhame the fools." Good Sir, you should have confidered, that there is no fhaming the Public, nor even that small party of it, the audience of a theatre. By making this attempt, an author only runs the risk of adding one mortification and disappointment to another. You may print, but the furly fovereigns of the pit, and the unfledged ftriplings of the boxes (as you call them), will, notwithstanding, perievere in their opinions, and the fentence which they have pronounced, whether juft or unjust, will operate with the general reader. To have a favourite piece, which has cott one much pains, called "damn'd ftuff," and biffed off the stage, is vexatious indeed; but as there is no appeal from thefe concife and arbitrary decifions, it is furely better to bear it with philofophy and good-humour; to fay with Francis I. after the battle of Pavia, "Tout eft perdu bors l'honneur," than to display irritability and chagrin from the prefs, which will only ferve to excite the fecret fmile of friends, the open ridicule of enemies, and the laugh of the Public at large. The Author of the Key to the Lock' may in fome degree experience the truth of thefe obfervations. The Public will not efpouse his caufe, nor reverse the cruel fentence. We cannot wonder that his play did not fucceed. From whatever fource it was derived, we think it merits the fate it has received; and the Author would have acted much more prudently, had he lacked up his Comedy in fome private drawer, the key to which fhould never have been found, or have configned it emendaturis ignibus, than to have fent it abroad in the world, with the mark of damnation on it. Mr. Colman will not think himself much obliged to the Au thor for infcribing it to him. The dedication of a condemned play is like offering money which no one can be perfuaded to take. Di Art. 41. The Doctor and the Apothecary. A Mufical Entertainment, in two Acts. As performed at the Theatre-Royal, Drury Lane. 8vo. 1 s. Dilly. 1788. It would be a farce, seriously to criticife mufical farces. As in a pantomime the groffeft abfurdities are endured for the fake of a few brilliant fcenes, fo in a musical entertainment, the most palpable violations of probability are overlooked, provided they contribute to ufher in a few good fongs. The Author of the Doctor and the Apothecary' feems to have been thoroughly apprized of this, and has therefore taken more pains in the compofition of the airs, than in the ftructure of the drama. Some of thefe are pretty, and, when well fung, muft produce a good effect. As to the dramatic part, it proceeds upon the old ftory:-Parents wish to marry their daughter to an infirm rich old fellow, while the daughter takes the liberty of preferring, for her husband, a young man, with all his five fenfes in perfection, The former, who abfurdly attempted, like Mezen tias, to tie the living to the dead, are to be disappointed, and the young folks are to conclude their attachment in the vulgar catastrophe of a marriage. In a farce, there is not much time to bring this about; and, in course, things must be hurried. While the young lover is vigilant and artful, the parents must be made very blind and deaf, and the old lover put to fleep. Matters being thus adjufted, Mifs gets rid of the old fellow with one leg and one eye, and is foon made happy in the arms of her dear Carlos. To furnish a new name to this old business, the two lovers are the only fon and daughter of a Doctor and Apothecary, who, like the Montagues and the Capulets, are mortal enemies to each other, as well as to their refpective patients. POLITICAL. Do Art. 42. Confideration on the relative Situation of France and the United States of America: fhewing the Importance of the American Revolution to the Welfare of France; giving alfo an Account of their Productions, and the reciprocal Advantages which may be drawn from the commercial Connections; and finally, pointing out the actual Situation of the United States. Tranflated from the French of Etienne Claviere and J. P. Briffot de Warville. Svo. 6 s. Boards. Robfon and Co. 1788. A particular account of the original of this work was given in the Appendix to our 76th vol. p. 593. The tranflation is faithfully executed, perhaps by the Authors themselves, or under their immediate inspection; and fome explanatory notes are added. The work abounds with political and commercial knowlege, particularly with refpect to the interests of France. R......m. Art. 43. Thoughts on the prefent State of the Application for a Repeal of the Shop-tax with Remarks on M. de Lolme's Obfervations on Taxes. 8vo. 1 s, Debrett. 1788. The Author of this pamphlet inveighs much against the fhoptax, ufing nearly the fame arguments that have been employed by his numerous predeceffors. One of his general remarks is fo juft, that we believe no reader will controvert it: While the caufe which is fupported by fophiftry, clamour, or party, muft in the end fink under repeated investigation, that which has truth and found reafoning for its bafis will rife fuperior to mifrepresentation, and the clouds which ignorance or interest may throw around it.' Do Art. 44. A short and impartial Political Review of the Year 1788. 8vo. Is. Hookham. An eulogy on the profperity of the nation; an elegy on the death of the Duke of Rutland; a thanksgiving that the black defigns of Margaret Nicholfon failed; a lamentation for the King's prefent indifpofition; a panegyric on the Prince, with a cenfure of thofe who dare to think themselves at liberty to pronounce wright or wrong he does,' with fome abufe of Mr. Pitt:-thefe " notable things" form the contents of this rhapfodical publication. A fingle patch out of Harlequin's coat cannot convey a juft idea of the whole, but the following pretty metaphor, p. 18, has many equals in the pam phlet, phlet. In heraldry, a lion is the fupporter of the British arms; in life it is the Prince of Wales: and though now he is feen fuffering the rats of the conftitution to gnaw and vex him, yet fhould the teeth of fuch vermin awaken him, he would roufe, to the terror and difmay of those whofe temerity had led them too far.' R..... m. Art. 45. Three Letters on the Question of the Regency. Addreffed to the People of England. By Capel Lofft. 8vo. 1s. 6d. Stockdale. Our limits will not permit us to enter minutely into a detail of the many just remarks contained in thefe letters; we fhall therefore only briefly enumerate their contents. In the first letter, Mr. Lofft gives a general statement of the queftion, viz. (fuppofing the right of Parliament clear and irrefragable); In what manner the power of Parliament in conftituting a regency may feem most expedient to be exercised under all the circumftances.' He then lays before his readers an historical abftra&t of all the regencies on record; and points out the diftinctions between hereditary office and provifional appointment. The fecond letter contains fome impartial considerations on the doctrine of an hereditary right to the Regency, with a comparifon between the arguments ufed by Mr. Pitt and Mr. Fox. And the third contains fome farther remarks on precedents and liamentary opinions. par The authorities which Mr. Lofft has quoted in the Letters, are given at full length in an Appendix, at the conclufion of which is an abstract of the proceedings in Parliament fince December 11th, 1788. Art, 46. An Impartial Review of the prefent great Question, Jan. 3, 1789. 8vo. 1 S. Debrett. D: From the violence of party-fpirit obfervable in this pamphlet, there may be reafon to fufpect a typographical error in the title, and that for Impartial, we fhould read Partial. The affertion which the Author makes in the first paragraph, that in contefts of ambition, and ftruggles of political parties, the mind becomes heated, the paí fions inflamed, and reafon overpowered by tumult and agitation,' is fully verified by the exaggerated language in which he fpeaks of the conduct of Mr. Pitt, who,' the Author fays, with daring anibition, tramples on every thing facred in the conftitution, and boldly fets the crown on his own head.' p. 26, 27. Art. 6 47. A Letter to the Right Hon. William Pitt, on the Refriction of the Regent's Authority. Svo. 6d. Debrett. 1789.. HOTMAN the fecond!-This letter- writer oppofes the restrictions with fpirit, vehemence, and energy of language; but we cannot fay fo much in behalf of his arguments, which, however, deferve to be attended to by thofe who are converfant with the fabjeft. On fo important a queftion, every voice fhould be heard. Art. 48. A Dialogue on the Regency. 8vo. 6d. Debrett. 1789. Mr. Freeman, in a coffee houfe converfation with John Bull, endeavours to convince honeft John (who had for conftitutional reasons efpoufed the opinion that Parliament ought to appoint the Re |