'Till now, that a varlet has plac'd on his fhoulders
The head of a LORD,-to the fcorn of beholders!
Nay, ftill he would wink at the horrid tranfgreffion
Of the rules of costume, in the painting-profeffion,
If he were not afraid, left fome infolent noddy
Should-to a LORD's head add the rest of the body.
He, therefore, has begg'd, I would take up his caufe;
And claim the protection of Justice and laws:
For he wears that he'd rather be painted a bog,
A crocodile, fnake, falamander, or frog;
Or any thing elte, how much ever abhor'd;

Than appear in the form of a pitiful LORD.'

A delicate vein of pleafantry runs through this performance: but hard is the fate of him who is the object against whom the allied powers of a Pindar and a G-s are exerted: Peter knocks him down with a fledge hammer; and then comes Monfieur L'Avvocat da Diable, and runs him through and through, with a fharp-pointed lance,

"As fine as a needle, and keen as a razor.”

Art. 40. The Gibraltar Monkies: or, "The Rights of Man.” A Fable. By Jonathan Slow, D. D. F. R. S. &c. Dedicated, by Permiffion, to the Right Hon. Edmund Burke.

Jeffery. 1792.

4to. 18. 65.

The author of this political fquib has fome humour, but much of it is enveloped in obfcurity; at least his wit, in feveral inftances, lies too deep for our penetration: we hardly perceived the drift of his performance, till we arrived at the clofe of it, where we obferved poor Tom Paine to be a principal object of his fatire;Paine, at whom our minifterial pamphleteers, and news-paper witlings, are daily aiming their invective and ridicule;-Paine, who may cry out with Shakefpear's fat knight, "Men of all forts take a pride to gird at me !”

Although we have allowed this fabulift a degree of humour, we cannot much commend his poetry; for even in doggrel verses, in which very odd rhymes are fometimes held excufable, we hardly know how to tolerate fuch forry jinglings as the following;

P. 1. Horizontal - Longtail. P. 11. Curfe- Fufs.

4. Great Firft-Unjust.

8. Burst-Luft.

15. Solder-Order. -27. Bathe in-Play-thing. The writer who, while he afpires to the name and dignity of a POET, poffeffes an ear and talte that can be fatisfied with fuch rhimes as the foregoing, ought to confine his attempts to blank verfe-yet we fhould hardly expect much harmony from his productions, in any fpecies of verfification.

Art. 41. The Monkies in Red Caps, an old Story; newly infcribed to the Club of Jacobins: by Timothy Thrum, Efq; Verfe-capper to the Affiliated Society at Mother Red-cap's. 4to. pp. 23. is. 6d. Debrett. 1792.

Mr. Thrum appears to be no well-wisher to the efforts that have lately been made by the French to establish for themselves a free

conftitution

conftitution of government; and this publication is a fatire on fome of their proceedings, particularly on their fancy for wearing red caps, as the fymbol of liberty. He ridicules this flaming exhibition, by a droll flory of a National Affembly of monkies, in one of the forefts of Africa. He is a man of humour; and his tale (though founded on an old joke, of a trick faid to have been put on a mifchievous monkey, by misleading him to employ his talent at mimicry in cutting his own throat,) is laughable; and the poetry is given in a good imitation of the manner of La Fontaine, &c. Art. 42. An Imitation of the Prayer of Abel. In the Style of Eastern Poetry. 4to. IS. pp. 13. Nicol. 1791

A fhort prayer, or rather pfalm, compofed of various fcraps of fcripture, fomewhat altered, printed with a large beautiful type, on a fine paper Neither the title, nor the motive of the publication, will be very intelligible. The prayer, of which this is faid to be an imitation, may poffibly be found in Gefner's German work, intitled, the Death of Abel, of which this compofer may peradventure be an admirer.

Art. 43. Semiramis; or, the Shuttle: A Cantata. From the Chronicles for 1792. By Zuinglius Zenogle, Yeoman of the Bulfe. 4to. pp. 32. 15. 6d. Debrett. 1792.

It is hard, that with all our pretenfions to fagacity, and after having fo long ftudied the art of decyphering, we should find ourfelves fo completely foiled by Mr. Zenogle: fuch, however, is the fact. We do not understand two connected lines through the whole piece; nor can we gain any farther information, than that, by Semiramis, is meant the Emprefs of Ruffia.

Art. 44. A Mock Elegy, in irregular Verfe, on the fuppofed Demise of P**** P*****, Esq. M. D. 4to. pp. 50. 29. 6d. Hookham. 1792.

We do not comprehend the wit of the supposed demife of P. P.' (i. e. Peter Pindar,) who is not only alive now, but was, and can prove himself to have been alive, when this prefumption was formed; in like manner as Partridge the almanac-maker proved himself to be living, on a fomewhat fimilar occafion.

Let us not spend more words on the defign of this performance, than the matter is worth. Let the ingenious author enjoy his joke, if any joke there be in his concetto-Let us rather attend to the merit of the poem which is formed on it.-Merit, did we fay? Alas! we had better drop the subject, and call another. Proceed we then with our Catalogue.

Art. 45. A Member of Parliament's Review of his firft Seffion. In a Poetical Epistle to his Wife in the Country. By Sir Solomon Gundy, LL. D. F. R. S. F. A. S. R. A. and M. P.!!! 4to. PP. 32. Is. 6d. Ridgway. 1792.

Sir Solomon Gundy, with half the alphabet in his train, does not rife much in our esteem as a writer. We did not, last month, deem very highly of him as a connoiffeur in painting. He now feems to hold nearly the fame rank as a politician;-and as a poet, we perceive no improvement in his ftrains. His verfes hobble most REV. AUG. 1792. grievously

I i

grievously after his model, Simkin, the Welch bard, (who himself is apt to faulter, now and then, in his paces ;) and his rhimes are fometimes intolerable: for example,

"I fay,'' Dominica.'

'Drawn,'' Warn.'
'Draw,'--' War.'

He does not, however, often offend fo grofsly in this respect. In politics, this writer is anti-minifterial. On that account, he may reft affured, we do not quarrel with him.

Art. 46. A Poem on a Voyage of Difcovery, undertaken by a Brother of the Author's, with Sonnets, &c. 4to. pp. 59. 35. Kearley. 1792.

A voyage of discovery affords an ample field for poetical imagery and fentiment. The diverfified fcenes of nature; the variety of human characters in the different stages of civilization; the fatal effects of political ambition and commercial avarice; the advantages which may be expected from opening new communications with parts of the world hitherto little frequented, or from exploring regions ftill unknown; are fruitfal fubjects of defcription ;-and the author of this poem has, in no inconfiderable degree, done juftice to his copious theme. The ideas, which a liberal philofophy would fuggeft on the furvey of the world that fuch a voyage affords, he has expreffed in eafy and, for the most part, elegant verse.

The following lines, in honour of the generous but unfortunate
Cook, will afford the reader a pleafing idea of this writer's talents:
• Where endless fnows on cloud-capt mountains lie,
Rife white in air, and mark a colder iky,

Bold from the waves the Sandwich Islands stand
In clusters circling that difaftrous land,

Where ne'er will Europe's generous fons forget
To fhed the tears of vain, tho' juft, regret,
While virtuous efforts claim the world's applaufe,
Or merit fuffering in the public caufe:

Here fell th' ill-fated chief, who ftrove to fave
The favage race that funk him to the grave.
Was it for this he fcorn'd a life of eafe,
Twice brav'd the horrors of Antarctic feas;
Heard the dire crash of ice by tempefts tot,
And waves impatient of th' incumbent froft;
Where fhiv'ring famine holds her joylefs reign,
And the dull blood fcarce warms the frozen vein ?
Was it for this applauding Europe view'd
His daring courfe, thro' feas unknown, purfu'd;
And fondly hop'd, that when complete his toil,
With eager gaze he ey'd his native foil?
That his great mind the paffage had reveal'd,
As yet by Nature's bounds from man conceal'd;
That wand'ring tribes, by his perfuafion mov'd,
A milder line of focial life had prov'd;

Had dropt th' enfanguin'd arms which late they wore,
Nor ftain'd th' envenom'd lance with captives' gore.

All

All these fond hopes were vain! no friendly tear
Of forrowing mourners grac'd his honor'd bier;
By favage hands his corfe was rudely torn,
With favage yells his limbs in triumph borne;
Yet fhall his fame a great example give,
Glow in his deeds, and in remembrance live;
Then, ages hence, when Reason fhall unfold
The fenfe that lurks obfcur'd in favage mold,
Th' enlighten'd offspring of the prefent race,
Sad, and afham'd, fhall hear their fire's difgrace;
Shall fhun the fatal fpot,' or weeping tell

Where their great friend and common patron fell.'

The small pieces fubjoined to this poem have confiderable merit. Art. 47. Chriftianity, a Poem. 4to. pp. 17. 1s. 6d. Ridg

SPECIMEN,

way. 1791.

When all things haften to the final end,
Thus fhall corruption on mankind attend:
RELIGIOUS trammels are no longer borne,
And ev❜n the females all her precepts fcorn.
LUST, RAPINE, MURDER, revel thro' the land,
And brother against brother lifts his hand.
The hoary father muft refign his wealth,
Daggers, or poifon gain his gold by stealth.
The fons of vice their witness's suborn,
And plan by night the rogu'ry of the morn;
Upon the morrow they'll to court away,
(And have both judge and jury in their pay)
Impatient watching for returning light,
They all exclaim, "Sure 'tis the longest night;
The lamp of day fhou'd now begin to burn,
We know our globe has tak'n its usual turn;
For 'tis by CHANCE that never errs we move,
Tho' priests once taught 'twas by a pow'r above."

What this and a great part of the pamphlet has to do with Chriftianity, it will be difficult to discover: but be this at it may, the ladies on Parnaffus will be more angry with the author for calling his production a poem, fhould they ever hear of it, than our court is for affixing to it the title Chriflianity; yet we wish titles to be in fome measure defcriptive of the contents of books; nor do we expect to find, in a work with the above title, defcriptions of a turtle feaft with an hundred covers, nor of poor families living by luft, A few lines at the conclufion are all that and rotting on the town. feem properly to belong to the fubject; yet even here, when the author means to be fublime, he becomes ludicrous. He reduces a falfe world to nothing, and then burns it to a cinder.

To its primæval nothing it returns

And the falje world into a cinder burns.'

Let not the author pronounce us fevere: fuch criticisms are a moft painful part of our duty :-but

"We can't be filent, and we must not lie.”

Art.

Art. 48. Zapphira: A Tragedy, in Three Acts. 8vo. pp. 59. Is 6d. Ridgway. 1792.

This tragedy is founded on the ftory of Rhynfault and Zapphira, related in the Spectator.-We advife the author, whofe firft effay this is, before he again ventures to publish, to submit his performance to the correction of fome judicious friend.

Art. 49. A Norfolk Tale; or a Journal from London to Norwich: with a Prologue and Epilogue. 8vo. pp. 67. 25. 63. Johnfon. 1792.

As a private epiftle from one friend to another, this journal might be accepted as the sportive effufion of a mind at eafe :-but as a common journey in our own country will not be expected to afford any extraordinary objects and adventures, for poetical celebration, to here is nothing made of it worthy the attention of a stranger to the author; who, nevertheless, appears to be a man of confiderable abilities; and who, as we collect, has a character to fupport, far more valuable than that of a dangler after any of the coquettish mufes.After all, we can forgive him his trifling for the fake of his humour, which is genuine.

NOVELS.

Art. 50. Frederica, or the Memoirs of a Young Lady. By a Lady. Dedicated to her Royal Highness the Duchefs of York. Svo. 3 Vols. 95. fewed. Ridgway. 1792.

If thefe volumes be taken up with no higher expectation than that of occupying a few tedious hours with light amufement, the reader will not be disappointed; for they contain a fufficient variety of incidents and characters to afford an eafy exercife of attention, without burthening the understanding with a fuperfluity of reflection, or overpowering the heart with a deep-wrought tale of diftrefs. More than this we cannot promife. The ftory is neither fo artfully constructed, as to hold the mind of the reader in a flate of grateful fufpence; nor is it told with fuch delicacy of language, richness of imagery, and refinement of fentiment, as might be neceffary to gratify a highly-cultivated tafte. In fome parts the narrative is infipid; in others, the incidents are improbable, particularly in the fudden change which takes place in the character of Mr. Weftrop, who, from a most unprincipled and unfeeling libertine, becomes in an inftant an affectionate relation, and a generous protector. We must add, that the language is often incorrect. Such expreffions as the following are not here uncommon: He behaved extraordinary particular to me;'- fhe behaved remarkably attentive;'-'there was an immenfe large affembly;'- fhe had not been infide a church fix months; a perfon who I have fo little reafon to elleem-Such inaccuracies are proofs of negligence, or ignorance, of which it is our duty to take notice, even in a novel written by a lady.

Art. 51. Memoirs of a Baronefs. By the Author of the Conquells of the Heart, and the Victim of Fancy. 12mo. 2 Vols. fewed. Robinfons. 1792.

55.

The fcene of this novel is laid in the court of Henry IV. of France; and the principal incident, (that for which, indeed, the whole novel appears to have been written,) is the romantic attempt