and shrink, like truth from falfhood, from the comparison with our own. What are the golden days of good Queen Befs, the moft proverbially grateful to British ears? What was he but a cruel and fubtle tyrant? Can we now fuppofe, that fhe could order the patriot Wentworth's hand to be cut off, for only expreffing his defire to examine the propriety of a bill fhe required the Houfe of Commons to país, or that the order would have been executed? Yet fo ftands the melancholy fact on our annals; and while the horrid operation was performing on the right hand, the gallant Wentworth waved his hat with his left, and fhouted, "Long live the Queen!" What a man and what a monarch! her recreant head would have been but a poor expiation on the spot and inftant, by the fame knife, for that patriot hand.' We agree with him that the reign of good Queen Befs" is not that in which we must look for the triumphs of liberty: but, defpotic and tyrannical as fhe was by nature, the never dared to cut off the hand of a member of parliament, merely for having exercised freedom of fpeech in his legiflative capacity. The perfon on whom this inhuman fentence was executed was not named Wentworth, nor was he, we believe, a member of parliament; certain it is that it was not for ́any thing faid or done in parliament that he was thus punished. His name was John Stubbs: he was of Lincoln's Inn; and the mighty crime, which brought down on him the vengeance of the mild Befs, was his having published a book against the marriage which was then on the tapis between the Duke of Anjou and the Queen of England. This book was intitled "The Discovery of a gaping Gulph, wherein England is like to be fwallowed up by another French Marriage, &c. Camden tells us that, immediately after the publication of this book, Mr. Stubbs, and William Page, who had difperfed the copies, were taken up and condemned to lofe their right hands. This fentence was executed on a scaffold in Weftminster, a cleaver having been driven through the wrist with a mallet. " I remember, (fays Camden,) being prefent, that Stubbs, after his right hand was cut off, pulled off his hat with the left, and faid with a loud voice God fave the Queen? But the multitude stood filent, either out of horror at the punishment, or pity to the man, or their hatred of the match." THEOLOGY, POLEMICs, &c. Art. 26. The Devout Communicant's Affiftant: or, The Nature and End of the Lord's Supper explained. By Alex. Duncan, D. D. Minister of Smallholm. 12mo. pp. 121. Is. 6d. Bound. Law. This author's defign is to steer between the extremes of those who have given fuch accounts of the Lord's Supper as may deter thoughtful perfons from attending, and of others whofe reprefentations feem to him to leffen its importance and the reverence with which it fhould be approached. The publication contains many judicious and candid remarks; its purpofe is benevolent; and its tendency is to ftrengthen the interefts of piety and virtue. Art. 27. Ecclefiaftical Establishments detrimental to a State. in England. Printed at Philadelphia. London. 1793. 8vo. 6d. Written Johnfon. We agree with the author of this pamphlet in his previous pofition, that the progrefs of free inquiry cannot be stopped by the utmost efforts of selfishnefs or bigotry; and that thofe antient inftitutions which, on full and impartial examination, appear not to be founded -in equity, and attended with utility, ought to be abolished :—but, that thefe premises will lead to the entire abolition of ecclefiaftical establishments, may remain a question after all that this writer has advanced. It must be owned, however, that he has urged fome weighty objections against the exclufive establishment of any particular fect; and he has fhewn, with fome ingenuity, that fuch establishments tend to fofter ignorance, arrogance, intolerance, and hypocrify,-to obftru&t the progrefs of improvement, to create diffention and animofity, to introduce among the clergy a troublesome efprit du corps, and to fubject many liberal inquirers, and upright men, to oppreffion and perfecution. None of thefe objections, however, lie against fuch a general establishment of religion as would afford equal protection and encouragement to every clafs of religious profeffors; and fuch an -establishment would probably be attended with greater advantages than this writer may be willing to admit.-We have no doubt, however, as to the truth of what has been said of this publication,-that" it was written with a pure intention to do good in the prefent critical times." EDUCATION. Art. 28. A Vocabulary of the German Tongue. With a Collection of Art. 29. Juvenile Pieces: Defigned for the Youth of both Sexes. Though this fmall volume escaped our notice when first published, we now with pleafure announce it to our readers as a neat manual of good advice, tending to inftil into young minds a defire for knowTege, with fentiments of virtue and piety. The original pieces are, The Student's Dream,' in which he receives, from an aged preceptor, counfel with refpect to the manner of profecuting his ftudies: the Vifion of Female Excellence,' in which are delineated the chief ornaments of the female character: the Painter's Panegyrift,' which is rather adapted, as indeed the title implies, to excite the love of the art than to inform the taste: an Evening Meditation on the Extent and Ufes of our prefent Knowlege,' which is rather fentimental than scientific; and, next, we have a practical Addrefs to the Young on early Wisdom, as difplayed in the Example of Jefus Chrift.'-To these are added, added, Mafon's Elegy to a young Man on leaving the Univerfity,' and • Cotton's Firefide.'-In feveral of thefe pieces, the writer has endeavoured to embellish and illuftrate his fentiments by fiction; but the fictitious incidents are too few, and too trivial, to produce any confiderable effect. The ftyle is in general correct, concife, and perfpicuous,-fometimes enlivened with poetical imagery; and the fentiments, though trite, are commonly juft. Mr. Evans difcovers a ftrong fense of piety, and takes every occafion to infpire his young readers with religious principles and affections. In the effay on painting, we remark a fingular ufe of the term caricature, to exprefs the whole clafs of humourous and fatirical pictures. We might with equal accuracy call the whole clafs of comedies in the drama by the name of farce.-Recommending to his ftudent perfevering induftry, Mr. E. introduces into his lift of eminent men who have been feverely ftudious, and have adhered with incredible fteadiness to the purfuit of knowlege,' the poet's Homer, Virgil, and Horace; on what authority, or with what peculiar propriety, we do not understand. The work, notwithstanding fome defects which rigorous criticism might detect, will be very acceptable and useful to a numerous class of young readers. Art. 30. A New Introduction to Reading; or a Collection of easy Leffons, arranged on an improved Plan, calculated to acquire with Eafe a Fluency of Speech, and to facilitate the Improvement of Youth: Defigned as an Introduction to the Speaker. Second Edition, with great Additions. Compiled by the Publisher. Pp. 172. 1s. Bound. Sael. 1793. 12mo. On looking over this collection of fables, tales, and moral leffons, it appears to us very fuitably adapted for a gradual advancement in reading and acquaintance with words and language; and it is well fitted, in other refpects, for the affiftance, entertainment, and improvement of young minds. POETRY and DRAMATIC. Art. 31. Verfes on the late unanimous Refolutions to fupport the Conftitution. To which are added fome other Poems. By Samuel Egerton Brydges, of Denton, in Kent, Efq. 4to. 1s. Johnson. 1794. The Mufe here lends her magic power, in aid of law and affociation, to filence the clamorous tongue, and to quiet the perturbed fpirit of fedition. The poet tunes his lyre in honour of the British Conftitution, and celebrates the happy lot of Britons, in ftrains which, while they abundantly difplay the writer's loyalty and patriotifm, entitle him to fome praife for his poetical talents. The fonnets, the elegy, and the epiftle, which are added, the writer himself owns to be mere trifles: but they are elegant trifles. We give as a specimen the following pleafing fonnet: OCTOBER. O lov'd October! ftill my vacant day As thou return'ft, in rural fweets shall fly! By ruffet hedges; all thy morns I'll stray: Warning of winter days in tumult drown'd, Art. 32. Poems; by the late Mr. Samuel Marsh Oram. 4to. pp.4r. Though it be not a fufficient reafon for the pofthumous publication of verses that they were written in early youth, or under the difficulty of a narrow education, yet, when the pieces themselves bear evident marks of native genius, thefe circumftances ought to foften the rigour of criticism. In eftimating the merit of the poems before us, we are very ready to place to the account of unavoidable disadvantages the profaic, inharmonious, or obfcure lines which obftruct our progress, because we find in many paffages bold imagery, lively perfonification, tender fentiments, and glowing diction, not to be obtained without at leaft fome fparks of poetic fire. It might not be easy to select any entire poem, which the accurate critic would throughout approve: but the following stanza, from an Ode written near the Ruins of a Nobleman's elegant Manfion,' will juftify us in paffing a favourable judgment on these productions: The fun to western worlds was gone, Whilst in the wanton gale wild ftream'd her flowing hair.' Befides the poem from which these pleafing lines are taken, the volume contains feveral fonnets, and an Ode to Friendship. Eaftbury, fituated in the parish of Gunvil in Dorsetshire, and celebrated by Thomson, in his Seasons. "Oh lofe me in the green delightful walks "Of Doddington," &c. &c. AUTUMN. It was built by that gentleman, who was afterwards created a peer; it was a very magnificent ftructure, but was taken down, a few years fince, by the Marquis of Buckingham.', Art. Art. 33. Edwy and Edilda, a Tale. In five Parts. By the Rev. Thomas Sedgwick Whalley. Embellished with fix fine Engravings, from original Defigns by a young Lady. 4to. Chapman. 1794 12s. Boards. This poem was first published without the author's name, in the year 1779; and our account of it will be found in our 61ft vol. p. 76. We then remarked that it contained many profaic and unanimated lines, but that it was at times illuminated by the rays of genius and poetical fancy; and we may ftill juftly give it the fame character. The corrections of a judicious friend might easily have prevented fome deviations from grammatical accuracy, the frequent occurrence of unpoctical expletives to complete the meafure, and particularly the very cenfurable termination of a line by a prepofition. Mr. W. is alfo remarkably negligent in the ufe of adjectives for adverbs; as thus: He fudden came where Galvan's tow'rs.'Now filent ftole away.'~Drept frequent on the book.' &c. &c. If we recollect rightly, fome alteration has been made in the cataftrophe: but we have not the former edition at hand. The defigns which now embellish this work do credit to the early tafte and genius of the daughter of Lady Langham, (to whom the poem is dedicated,) who was feized by the hand of death when every grace and virtue were beginning to adorn and to irradiate the mind. Art. 34. Bagatelles, or Poetical Sketches. By E. Walsh, M. D. Crown 8vo. 35. 6d. Boards, Dublin. 1793. London, fold by Hamilton. It is unufual to fee a volume of poems ushered into the world by fubfcription, many of which are remarkable for their meretricious merit. Of the ferious pieces in this volume, the first two, L'Amatore, and L'Amico, are imitations, not very happily executed, of Milton's L'Allegro, and Il Penferofo. The Progrefs of Science is an allegorical ode, in which it were vain to feek either the thoughtful fimplicity of Collins, or the gaudy fplendor of Gray. The Shining Guinea lacks luftre when compared with The Splendid Shilling. Of the lighter and loofer poems, many are certainly well turned, and would decorate an Anthology; fuch as the Sonnet written in a Volume of the Bafia, and the epigram On feeing a Narciffus in the Bofom of a beautiful Girl. Not all the epigrams are original, of which the fuperfcription does not indicate the fource; for inftance, the fecond in page 58. The third epigram in that page is truly naif. The ode to Hypochondria is fingularly full of medical allufion. There are other poems which we need not particularize. Art. 35. Adelaide and Antonine: or, The Emigrants. A Tale. By Mary Julia Young. 4to. 18. Debrett. In fo dreadful a ftruggle as that which is at prefent paffing in' France, it is impoffible that there fhould not happen, amid innumerable scenes of horror, fome inftances of tender diftrefs, over which the feeling heart may drop the generous tear of fympathy and compaffion. A lover, leaving his mistress at the call of honour, and returning to refcue her from the hands of viclence, is an incident which may eafily be |