from the obfolete pofitives. In the lift of irregular verbs, a few of thofe participles in en are omitted, which Middleton took the pains to revive. The expreffions, averfion to a thing, abhorrence to a thing, are quoted as improper; and the prepofition from is recommended in the firft inftance, of in the fecond: but we do not recollect any inftance of the fecond impropriety here pointed out. The ufe of to in English for nata, fecundum, as to, is fo very frequent in our pureft writers, that it is fcarcely worth while to fupplant it by a latinifm of very recent introduction. Art. 1. A Catechifin for Children and Youth: or a brief Formulary of the Principles and Duties of the Christian Religion, drawn up on the Plan of the Catechism of the Church of England. 8vo. 6d. Johnfon. The compofer of this little formulary has the fanction of general cuftom for attempting to propagate his religious principles by exhibiting them in the form of a catechifm for children; yet it must have fuggefted itself to him, (for he is certainly a perfon of reflection,) that he is hereby inviting children to believe previously to examination; and that, while this is objected to orthodoxy, it is an expedient that fhould not be adopted for the propagation of heterodoxy. This gentleman follows the plan of the Church Catechifm: but, in following it, he reminds us of the painter who mended the ten commandments, made a new belief, and repaired the Lord's prayer. He profeffes to have formed what is called in the Liturgy the Apoftle's Creed on the principles of pure humanitarianifm, to have chriflianized the decalogue, and to have banished perfonal allufion from the Eucharift: yet he retains the name of Lord's Supper for this inftitution, and admits that it was to preferve the remembrance of fundamental facts. Now these facts must neceffarily be the prominent circumstances in the life and death of Chrift; and if these are to be the fubject of recollection, Chrift must be the grateful object of this inftitution. Nor do we perceive how, by making him fuch, the affections and meditations of communicants are alienated from their proper object. The gratitude of the communicant to Christ will not hinder, but will rather accelerate, his love and piety to God. Art. 52. A remarkable and important commercial Point brought to light by the first-annexed Double Entry Plan, the Operation of which points out to Arithmeticians to forfake the Deduction Rule in balancing Partnership Effects; otherwife the Shares of Profit and Lofs will prove unequally divided, &c. By Reina, fenior, Honorary Profeffor of the Arithmetical Science, York-row, Kennington, Surrey. Folio. Pp. 12. Conceiving it important that the theory even of book-keeping fhould become an object of philofophy, we announce this publication, but acknowlege ourselves not fufficiently initiated into the myfteries of Double Entry to decide. Surely the data are infufficient; and the amounts concerted by the contending parties are not all laid before the reader. *To the question, What is the meaning of a pofitive inflitution, he has given a loose anfwer: A pofitive inftitution is a duty or obligation created by a pofitive command. Art. POETRY. Art. 53. The Poems of Anna Maria. 8vo. pp. 68. 11. 1s. Printed at Calcutta, 1793. London, Cadell and Davies. This elegant volume was chiefly compofed in the Eaft Indies. The decorations and imagery, however, have been but little influenced by the local habitation of the author; who, on the banks of the Hougly, ftill talks as fhe would have done in Europe, of green-hair'd Tritons and their Nymphs, of Elves, and of the Muje. In a word, it is with recollected terms, well felected and united, and not with imitations of Nature, that this ingenious young Poetefs has endeavoured to merit the applaufe of a polished people. The sonnet to Echo will be a fufficient fpecimen. I faw her in the fleeting wind, I heard her on the founding fhore; As flitting o'er my penfive glade; Her mantle gemm'd with filver dew; The nymph, wild Echo, fweeps the hallow'd range." The English reader may be furprized at the high price at which this pamphlet, printed in the Eaft Indies, is marked;—the circumftance arifes, perhaps, from the great difference in the value of money between Calcutta and London. The title-page fays " one gold mohur:" which is more than an English guinea. Art. 54. The Solitary Frenchman on the Banks of the Thames, to a Friend in Switzerland. A Poem. Tranflated by the Rev. John Gregg. 8vo. 1s. 6d. Debrett. An unfortunate emigrant here laments the reverfe in the present ftate of France, compared with her former circumstances. If the fentiments may be applauded, the poetry cannot claim much praise. Art. 55. The Poetical Farrago: being a Mifcellaneous Affemblage of Epigrams and other Jeux d'Efprit, felected from the most approved Writers. 12mo. 2 Vols. 7s. 6d. Boards. Deighton. 1794. This collection of fatirical and humorous epigrams, verfified bonmots, witty fongs, and other fmall pieces of light poetical amufement, has not been made without tafte and judgment, as well as induftry. It is pity, however, that the editor did not exercise his difcriminating talent with greater rigour. There are few collectors of poetical mifcellanies who might not profit by the old adage that half is better than the whole. Νήπιοι ἐδ ̓ ἴσασιν ὅσῳ πλεον ἥμισύ παιος. HESIOD. Art. Art. 56. Selico; an African Tale, tranflated into English Verse, from For an account of the profe tranflation of the Tales of M. Florian, fee our xiith vol. New Series, p. 212. NOVEL S. Art. 57. Ivey Castle, containing Interefting Memoirs of Two Ladies, late Nuns in a French abolished Convent. 12mo. 2 Volumes. 6s. fewed. Owen. 1794. What has been fatirically faid of fome women may be truly faid of many novels, that they have no character. Their incidents are fo trite, and their language is fo hackneyed, that to undertake to delineate them by any difcriminating features were a hopeless task. This is the cafe with refpect to Ivey Caftle; in which Cupid, as ufual, plays at crofs purposes, till, tired with teazing and fretting his votaries, he at laft kindly condefcends to make them happy. The tale is on the whole amufing, and in its general tendency we obferve nothing improper:- bu: we have remarked two or three inftances in which the author has treated infamous characters with a degree of lenity not much adapted to promote the love of virtue :--for inftance, a heinous criminal, who having committed a forgery on the bank of England is brought to juftice on the day of his marriage, is called the unfortunate Edward. Of the writer's erudition, fome idea may be formed from the following curious defcription of a young man's ftudies at Oxford: At the University, few liked him; he was honeft, but poor; fenfible and well read, but indolent and rough of Speech. The claffics were his conftant companions. At twenty-two he had digefted Newton and Bolingbroke.' It is not expected that every novel writer should understand the meaning of the term Univerfity education: but every writer should have the discretion to keep within the limits of his own knowlege. Art. 58. Amantus and Elmira: or Ingratitude exemplified in the Character of Ingratus. By George Hutton. 12mo. pp. 173. 3s. fewed. Crofby. 1794. Nothing can be urged against the defign of this publication, which is to expofe the odious features and mischievous effects of ingratitude : but, with all the candour which we wish to exercise toward the first productions of a young writer, we cannot justly commend the execution. We find the character of Ingratus, indeed, fufficiently loaded with criminality to excite the reader's difguft: but we are unable to discover, either in the incidents of the piece, or in the manner in which they are related, many traces of that rifing genius which would promife, on farther maturity of judgment, productions more acceptable to the public. The story abounds with abfurdities, and the style is incorrect. REV. Nov. 1794 Bb Art. 354 Art. 59. The Tales of Elam. 12mo. 2 Vols. 6s. fewed. Lane. 1794It may perhaps admit of debate whether the pleasure, which is taken in the extravagance and impoffibility of Eaftern fictions, be not the effect of childish tafte, of the fame kind with that which has given popularity to the ftories of George and the Dragon, and Jack the Gint-killer; and whether they ought not therefore to be rejected with contempt by maturity of judgment. However this be, it feems very certain that, where imaginary beings are introduced merely to do what might as well be done by the ordinary powers of nature, they are entirely fuperfluous. This we apprehend to be very much the cafe with the machinery of these tales. It was not neceffary to bring down from Heaven the GENIUS OF REPROOF, in a ftorm and earthquake, that he might communicate to Elam, the hermit of Bazoub, a facred volume, containing the "Fables of Virtue and Truth;" when these fables are nothing more than a few plain moral truths illuftrated by ftories, the effential incidents of which lie within the ordinary limits of human affairs. Mahlum, whom the author employs to exemplify the fatal effects of ambition and envy, might have been led through the fame feries of misfortunes, and have been taught the fame leffons, without the help of an INFERNAL POWER; who appears in the form of an old woman, and is afterward changed into a GENIUS of horrible magnitude and form, and conducts him to Magrala the prince of demons, to be inftructed in the purfuit of glory. Solyman the fultan might have been taught prudence by the reflections of his own mind, on the events through which he paffed, without vifiting the blue mountains of the Genii, and obtaining the glass of Gabriel, which by its brightnefs conducted him in the path of truth. The fame may be faid concerning the rest of the fupernatural fictions in these volumes. If all this, however, be confidered as fuperfluous, the ftories muft ftill be allowed a confiderable fhare of merit, from the variety of incident and character which they prefent, well fuited to gratify the reader's curiofity, to imprefs his mind with pleafing images and fentiments, and to furnish him with useful lesions. of moral wisdom. Art. 60. History of May Flower, a Fairy Tale. 12mo. pp. 196 2s. 6d. fewed. Wilkie. 1793. Fairy Tales, in their effential character, fo extravagantly deviate from. nature, and fo violate probability, that it is fcarcely poffible to lay down any confiftent rules of criticifm concerning them. Perhaps the moft decifive teft of their merit is their actual effect on the reader. An eccentric work of fancy, which affords a temporary amufement by the novelty of its combinations, without leaving any injurious impreffion on the mind, we may be allowed to admire, without too fcrupulously inquir ing why we are pleased, or whether we ought to be fo. We therefore recommend the pretty tale of May Flower to the perusal of fuch of our readers as are difpofed to enjoy an hour's light amusement, without calling themfelves too flrictly to account, when it is paft. The work is elegantly tranflated, with fome variations, from the Fleur d' Epine of Count Hamilton, author of the Memoirs of Grammont. MISCELLANEOUS. MISCELLANEOUS. Art. 61. Travels through Switzerland, Italy, Sicily, the Greek Islands to Conftantinople; through Part of Greece, Ragufa, and the Dalmatian Ifles; in a Series of Letters to Pennoyre Watkins, Efq. from Thomas Watkins, A. M. F.R.S. in the Years 1787, 1788, 1789. Second Edition. 2 Vols. 8vo. PP. 463. 376. 14s. Boards. Owen. 1794. With regard to the prefent amusing and inftructive travels, we refer our readers to the account given of them when first published*. As on that occafion we proceeded to the extent of our ufual limits, we have only to obferve, with refpect to this fecond edition, that the author, in his preface, has acquainted the public that he has corrected the errors of the former impreffion, and that he recom> mends the second volume, which contains his defcription of Sicily and Greece, as the most interesting to the claffical reader, and to the antiquary. Art. 62. Remarks on the General Orders of the Duke of York to his Army on June 7, 1794. By Gilbert Wakefield, B. A. late Fellow of Jefus College, Cambridge. Svo. pP-33- Is. Kearfley. Great poignancy of feeling is one of the leading characters of Mr. Wakefield's writings. On the prefent occafion, his feelings appear to have been stimulated to an unusual degree of irritation; and throughout the whole of his remarks he feems to fay, "I do well to be angry."-The immediate object of his indignation is the prefent awar against opinion, or what he calls the facrilegious attempts of the combined powers to extinguish freedom in France. He admits the atrocity of the decree which occafioned the general orders of the Duke of York, and commends the language of humanity expreffed in thefe orders: but he traces up all the horrors exhibited in France to that fyftem of policy which has menaced their government and governors with extirpation.'-He even afferts that ferocity, perfectly fimilar in kind, and only requiring fimilar circumstances to render it equal even in degree, to that which has been practiced in France, has been fhewn at home in the manner in which fome fuppofed political delinquents have lately been treated. On the different manner in which fimilar actions have been repayed, he thus remarks: The different judgments, which national acrimony, deluded intereft, and ignorant prejudice, incline us to pafs on actions virtually congenial and correfpondent, refemble that diverfity of fortune attendant on the lives of characters intrinfically the fame: • Committunt eadem diverfo crimina fato; This to New Holland, to th' Exchequer that!' In oppofition to the infatuation of the French, fpeaking of the Duke of York's orders, Mr. Wakefield holds forth another kind of infatuation, manifefted by Englishinen: Once, (fays he,) the votaries of freedom, and afferters of the rights of man: alas! how changed! * Review, New Series, vol. xi. June 1793. |