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a wilderness in the night, fuch is the virtuous life of honest labour to the life of the thief, the oppreffor, the murderer, and the midnight gamefter, who live upon the loffes and fufferings of other men.'

2. On

The preacher next proceeds to difcourfe, 1ft. On the different Qualities and Properties in which Brute-Creatures excel. their Usefulness to the support, comfort, and convenience of Man. The latter part of this fermon is a warm and earnest application of the subject to the purposes of moral and religious inftruction. Had Mr. Jones, where he reafons from the qualities of brutes to the attributes of the Deity, carried his argument as far as it would go, his conclufions muft, we think, have led him to account for the fource of evil; but the compafs of a fermon would not admit the extenfive difquifitions which that intricate queftion might have made neceffary. A Differtation, or Difcourfe on Suicide, grounded on the immoveable Foundation of Scriptural, rather than of Philofophical Principles. 6d. Lackington.

This performance, written much in earnest and with good intention, is too loofe and defultory to answer our idea of a differtation. The author has not judged well in depreciating the folidity of natural arguments againit the crime of fuicide. Such as are drawn from revelation would lofe nothing of their weight, or ftrength, from conceffions to the merit of the former.

POETRY.

The Female Aeronaut, a Poem. Addressed to Mrs. ****. Difplaying a Reprefentation of an Aerial Excurfion, with a brief Defcription of thofe peculiar Senfations, which have been forecently experienced, when at a certain Point of Elevation, or above every earthly Connection. Interperfed with many ludicrous and well-known Characteristical Incidents. Dedicated to Mrs. Harriet Errington. 4to. 15. 6d. Swift.

We have never read any attempt at poetry fo utterly deftitute of metre, common fenfe, and even grammar. It is even deftitute of the quality of which it boafts; yes, fuch is the licentioufness of the age, that indecency is now boasted of, and each fucceffive editor promifes to exceed his predeceffors. It is, however, ftupidly dull from beginning to the end. We shall felect a fhort fpecimen.

At nine o'clock the new process began,
Lunardi this way, Sadler that way ran.
In went the iron, vitriol splash'd about,

Coats, gowns, were burnt, which made the people scout.
Some d-n'd and fwore, they would Lunardi fue,
And for their old clothes, make him purchase new.'

The Frolics of Fancy, a Familiar Epifle. By Rowley Thomas. 4to. Printed at Shrewsbury for the Author.

This author's fancy is fo extravagant and erring,' that sober criticism dares not follow its eccentric vagaries.

The

The Oracle concerning Babylon, and the Song of Exultation, from Ifaiah, Chap. XIII. and XIV. 4to. 15. 6d. Wilkie. There is no inconfiderable fhare of poetic fpirit in thefe odes; but that they improve upon the unadorned fublimity, and fimple grandeur of the original, is what we shall not take upon us to affert. We think they are nearly equal to Mr. Mafon's Paraphrafe of the fourteenth chapter of Ifaiah; and somewhat inferior to Dr. Lowth's elegant Latin verfion of the fame paffage.

Poems on Subjects facred, moral, and entertaining. By Luke Booker. 8vo. 2 Vols. 55. Robinfon.

We have very little to fay in favour of thefe poems, though we occafionally meet with fome good lines, but never for any continuance. They abound with a strange jumble of abfurd epithets, and incongruous phrafes.- Unwrapp'd his halcyon mind -pipe-arm'd-age-cold blood-fenfual fhrine-vifual gracescorrugate each face-embronzes o'er with gold-indign defarts -pallid gloom-fympathizing harebells-cloud-brush'd mountains-firmamental worlds.'—A deer is said to have ' surfacefkimming legs; and fancy to unconfine her glowing faculties. Many inftances of the fame kind might be selected.—In a note on one of Shakspeare's plays, by Warburton, we are told to read (i. e. if we can) for 'tis prefent death'—' i' th' prefence 't's death,' which Edwards humorously observes, feems to have been penned for Cadmus, in the state of a ferpent.' For what animal, the fecond line of our following quotation was penned, we cannot conjecture: it certainly fets human articulation at defiance.

'And though our camels, fir, were four,

I'm fure 't wou'd 've held as many more.'

In juftice, however, to the author, we muft acknowlege, that his diction is, in general, fufficiently harmonious.

The Swindler. A Poem. 4to. 15. The Author in the Old

Baily.

This author profeffes to give an alphabetical lift of the most noted fwindlers that infeft the streets of London; with the leading traits in their characters. His pamphlet, however, contains not a word of ufeful information; and of wit or poetical merit it is equally deftitute.

The Strolliad: an Hudibraftic Mirror. 4to. IS. Ridgeway. An abufive production against fome of the theatrical performers; but fo deftitute of wit, humour, and poetry, that it only reflects contempt on the author.

The Bees, the Lion, the Affes, and other Beafts, a Fable. 4to. Is. 6d. Debrett.

The American war, the k-g, and lord N-h, form the fubject of this rhapfody, which may fairly vie for ftupidity with any production of the kind.

Jelly,

Jeffy, or the forced Vow. A Poem. By Mr. Robinson. 1s. 6d. Debrett.

A young lady, who has been immured in a convent against her inclination, is reprefented as complaining to her father of the wretchedness the endures. The fubject is of fuch a nature. as ought to roufe the tendereft feelings of the heart; but, in the difpaffionate ftrains of this author, we meet with none of those ardent fentiments which flow from poetic enthusiasm.

Ode to Landfdown Hill. 8vo. 25. Randal.

This Ode affords no brilliant difplay of poetic genius; and at the fame time that the notes are frivolous, the two annexed letters of advice, from George lord Landfdown, 1711, to the earl of Bath, might, for any thing they contain, have been suf, fered to remain in oblivion.

Poems by a Literary Society. 12mo. 15. Becket.

We are informed, in an advertisement, that the name of this Society is The Council of Parnaffus.' Their plan is to meet, and criticise the verfes of the members. The future productions of the Society, therefore, if it should be continued, will enable us to decide concerning their judgment, as well as their fancy. The prefent publication is not an unfavourable specimen.

The Demoniad, or Pefts of the Day. 4to. 25. Forres. The perfons delineated by this young fatirift, for fuch he feems to be, are Mrs. Siddons, lord North, Mr. Lunardi, lord George Gordon, &c. Should the author, whofe modeft opinion of his own performance may perhaps recommend him to the public favour, be encouraged to proceed with a fecond part,', we shall only fuggeft to him, as an advice, that he would pay more attention to his rhimes.

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Urim and Thummim. A Poem. 4to. 2s. 6d. Macklew.

An indifcriminate panegyric on Mr. Fox and his party; and, as might be expected from one who writes in the true spirit of a partizan, accompanied with a profufion of abuse on the friends of the minifter.

The Tears of the Pantheon, or the Fall of the modern Icanes. 4to. 15. 6d. Kearsley.

A frivolous fubject, treated in a frivolous manner.

The Loufiad: an heroic-comic Poem. Canto I.

4to. 15. 6d. Jarvis.

By Peter Pindar.

This humorous rhapfody is founded upon an incident, affirmed by Peter Pindar to have lately happened in the royal palace. Whether Peter has invented the anecdote, to ferve the prefent purpose, we know not; but he certainly has embellished it with a luxuriancy that evinces the richness of his imagination.

A Mo

A Monody to the Memory of Admiral Hyde Parker. By S. Whit、 church. 4to. IS. Baldwin.

This, like many other tributes of a fimilar kind, discovers more friendship than infpiration; but in general the verses flow with a fmoothnefs correfpondent to elegiacal harmony.

The Mufe of Britain, a Dramatic Ode. IS. Becket.

This dramatic ode is infcribed to the right hon. William Pitt, whom the bard, with the mufe and chorus, calls down from the skies, to fave this finking nation. That fuccefs may attend fo patriotic an effort, muft be the prayer of all who wish well to their country; and in it we moft heartily join.

As You like it. A Poem. 4to. 25. Stockdale.

This author feems to have a natural bias to obfcurity; and obfcurity will probably be his fate. Indeed he is much enveloped in darkness, and little more is difcernible than that he is a zealous politician.

Mefina, a Poem. 4to. IS. Almon.

This author attempts to defcribe the earthquake that ravaged Meffina and Calabria, on the 5th of February, 1783. With infipid poetry, and diffonant rhimes, we are almoft conftantly peftered in our critical examinations; but fuch irregular meafure, if measure it may be called, we never before obferved in any adventurer of Parnaffus.

NOVE L S.

Hiftory of the Honourable Edward Mortimer. By a Lady. 2 Vols, I 2mo. 65. Dilly.

We have been greatly interested and entertained by this novel. The author poffeffes much knowlege of the human heart, and fome acquaintance with fashionable manners. The ftory is pleafing; the ftrokes of fatire are well introduced, and the pathos is tender without affectation. But all is not perfect; fome little improbabilities in the fiory occafionally difcover the deception, and the denouement is too much crowded to be quite intelligible. On the whole, however, thefe volumes are greatly fuperior to thofe which have been lately added to the circulating library, and will deferve the attention of those who owe their entertainment to fuch collections.

The leading character in the work is a faithful defcription of manners, with frequent turns of fatire, which afford us more entertainment as they are leaft expected. We shall extract, as a fpecimen, the character of Dr. Caffock, from the first volume.

The vicar's chief happiness was to reftore peace to the wounded heart, and chafe away defpair. Thinking he perceived a cloud of anxious care on the brow of his fair friends,

he

he began to relate (in a ludicrous ftile) a fhort hiftory of him. felf, which he determined to publish; as when he was in town laft, he left every perfon diftracted to read the follies of their neighbours, which forced from their mind, as far as poffible, any recollection of their own. His title fhould be, "Travels and learned Obfervations through every Part of the known and unknown World, in Air, on Water, and Land, by Dr. Charles Caffock, vicar of S****."

Even

First, he faid, he fhould illuftrate the ancient family of the Caffocks, of which, their numerous progeny, had been many reduced to scarce a black fringe. Then he fhould endeavour to place in the ftrongest light, the great merit and prophetic wifdom of the learned gentleman, (fubject of the following. pages) who, to have his caflock durable, took care it fhould ever be well lined. His profound knowlege was allowed fuperior to any, except a few, too tedious to enumerate. his enemies must acknowlege his perfon beautiful and faultlefs, except a flouch in his gait, and a happy round in his fhoulders. Having spent fifteen years at Brazen-Nofe, he there learned to play backgammon and chefs, which games were the delight of a worthy old gentleman, whom he frequently vifited in that neighbourhood! and who, for thefe profound and learned talents only, recommend him to follow (in the literal fenfe of the word) his nephew, (a young lord) through all the courts iu Europe. Hiftory does not mention they either of them obtained great improvement, except a paffion for pictures in the tutor, which he never had money to purchase; and in the pupil, a paffion for fine women, which he did purchase-to his colt! This Mentor and Telemachus, after running wild three years, without leaving one mark of their good works behind them, returned to England, on the news of the death of the old earl, whom the fon immediately forgot, and likewife his fage preceptor; who paid a vifit of respect to his good old uncle, where backgammon received due honours, and who rejoiced to find the travelled tutor had not forgot the beauties of his own country. To this worthy patron he owes the vicarage of Sand five thousand pounds, by will, as he expreffed, to feed little Caffocks. But this unworthy member of fociety remains to this day, unbleffing and unbleffed-till he meets a woman, with good looks without beauty, fenfe without felf-opinion, wit without pertnefs, and economy without meannefs. To thefe little perfections he must fay he has full pretenfions, with a few other trifles-fuch as, good-temper, fome youth, (for he has no fufceptibility for an old woman, except he is fick) and a fufficient quantity of good liking for him: - fuch a woman. might poffibly draw this wife vicar of S- into that holy ftate, in which, notwithstanding, there are fo many repentant finners.'

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