cold wintry blast by providing them with the fofteft leather gloves. Every gentleman's library is alfo indebted to him for the neat binding of his books, for the sheath of his fword, and for cafes for his inftruments; in short, not to be tedious in mentioning the variOus ufes of leather, there is hardly any furniture or otenfil of life but the Sheep contributes to render it either more useful, convenient, or ornamental.

The prefent ftate of the wool-trade is thus fummarily exhibited: The reafon why the farmer or wool-grower became regardlefs of his wool, was not from a defpair of felling fine wool, but from his being enabled by the improving ftate of his country (arifing from its increased commerce, riches, and luxury) to make the flesh of the sheep a principal object of attention; a larger breed of sheep was therefore adopted, which naturally produced a coarfer kind of wool; but finding the natural feed of the country would not maintain this new fort, he had recourfe to artificial graffes and turnips, which latter is found very injurious to wool, but the farmer ftill made as much money from his fleece as he did before, though fold at a lefs price, because of the increafed quantity of it; and this is ftill the Janguage of every farmer of the Weft of England, who finds his coarfe wool fell as readily as his fine formerly did; for to one man who buys a coat of fine wool, there are ten at least who buy inferior qualities.'

Hence our author infers that, were Spain to adopt our improvements in agriculture, and to exert a fpirit of commerce, their wool would degenerate in the fame manner as with us. His reafons against the exportation of raw wool, appear cogent:

A good trade, fully encouraged at home, becomes the best posible encouragement to the woolgrower, who, generally fpeaking, is alfo a farmer. The fubject is much mifreprefented by thofe who affert that a foreign market, in our prefent state of improvement, would benefit the wool grower. It should always be taken into the fame argument, that on every 20s. worth of wool fent abroad, there is above 60s. worth of labour taken from the community, who in lieu of that deprivation mult fubfift on jomething, and that must ultimately fall on the landholder. No circumftances can juftify the step but a great redundancy of wool at home, and when fuch a cafe happens, it is time enough to feek it. Let us for inftance fuppofe, that half our next year's growth of wool is exported, and it arifes to double the price, what is the confequence? the manufaturer receives his order from the merchant on the ufual terms, but finds, from the great advance of wool, he fhall not fave himself, he must therefore decline the order, unless he can get fuch a price of the merchant as to injure bim fome profit, (a little advance upon an article of manufacture will

* I have heard an eminent woolftapler fay, that the effects of turnip feeding are fo pernicious to fine wool, that he can diftinguish it while drawing it apart in his fingers, from its acquired harshness. This is a very lerious confideration.'

turn

turn the current of a trade, though no fuch effect happens on fuch articles of life as corn, fugar, groceries, &c. which must be bought) the merchant not having this in his power, returns the order to his agent abroad, and the clothier remains without a trade, accumulating a heavy stock of materials made at a dear rate: his first step to fave bimfelf and family from ruin, is to difcharge his work-folks, of which any manufacturer of confequence employs from 500 to a 1000. In confequence of this lofs of trade from rife of wool, many 100,000 people are thrown out of bread, the effect of which is univerfal diftrefs and difcontent, and God knows where the evil would end! The first object of the mob would be to procure the names of those who voted for the exportation of wool, and their lives would be probably the facrifice! and the next fep would be a numerous emigration to that country to which the wool was conveyed, which no doubt would be glad to receive them; as was actually the cafe with the Brabanters under their Duke Wenceslaus in the 14th century; with the Dutch upon the introduction of the Spanish Inquifution; with the French under Louis the 14th, upon the revocation of the edict of Nantz; and in Spain under Ferdinand, upon his compulfion of the Moors to change their religion, &c. &c. Further, if a leffer exportation takes place than the half, or even fo much as to diftrefs the manufacturer, and induce him to leffen his trade from a doubt of advantage, the evil will be nationally felt, more or less, according to the circumftances and extent of the evil.'

To this may be added, that, as the growth of wool and that of grain interfere, both cannot be cultivated for exportation. Corn is entitled to the preference; as, by undertaking to fupply foreigners, we infure plenty for ourfelves:-but employment is as neceffary as food; therefore we ought not to part with wool, before it is work. ed up into fome form for ufe.

Perfuaded that the views of Dr. Anderfon are as public fpirited and liberal as thofe of this nameless writer, whoever he may be; when he fo freely animadverts on a refpectable known character for difference in opinion, we leave to his reflection what an cager opponent might make of the following paragraphs:

Wherever Agriculture greatly flourishes, and lands are highly cultivated and enclosed, it is impoffible to raife fine clothing wool. The lofs of Spanish wool is not fo much feared by us, from any embargo Spain may lay upon it, as from the confequences of a better Government, encouraging arts, and improving their husbandry, and the cultivation of their lands. This event may not be fo diftant as we may fuppofe; and in this cafe, where fhall we obtain fine wool, unless we can rear it ourselves?

This is another reafon why we should, by all the means in our power, endeavour to cultivate the growth of fine wool in our own jaland.'

That is, we fhould, by all the means in our power, endeavour to perform what has been previoufly declared an impoffibility! N.

POETRY.

POETRY.

Art. 23. Sonnets from Shakespeare. By Albert. 8vo.

2s. 6d. Debrett. 1791.

PP. 76.

To manufacture poetry from the poetry of Shakespeare, is no difficult atchievement. Having fuch divine materials, the production of beauties feems almoft inevitable: but to make our immortal bard lefs beautiful than he is in himself, is an undertaking entitled to no thanks; and to attempt to augment his beauties would be deemed the very acmè of poetic prefumption. The writer, who here affumes the fignature of Albert, is not fo vain as to think of the latter; and it is no more than juftice to own, that, in his tranfpofition of the language of Shakespeare, and in the expofition of his fentiments in the fonnet form, he has fhewn fome degree of tafte and elegance. The fonnets have unequal merit. The following, from the wellknown paffage in Twelfth Night, act 2, fcene 4, She never told ber love, &c. we transcribe as a favourable fpecimen :

Ah! how I mourn the doubly hapless maid,
The pangs of hopeless paffion doom'd to prove,
By her own heart too good-too soft-betray'd,
Who can't conceal-and dares not tell-her love.
Oft have I feen her-would you ask her tale?
It was a blank-her love the would not speak;
But like a worm, fhe let concealment pale

Feed on the beauties of her damask cheek:
Thought, flow confuming, prey'd upon her form,
A green and yellow hue her charms o'ercaft,
Like fome fair flower that finks before the storm,
Cropt in its bloom by the inconftant blaft;
Yet flood like Patience, hopeless of relief,
Mute-fadly fmiling-monument of grief!

VIOLA.'

Thefe fonnets are 40 in number. The original paffages of the poet, from which they are taken, are fubjoined. The greater number of them have already appeared in the Gazetteer and Morning Chronicle.

Moo-y.

Art. 24. For the Year 1792. To the Academicians. Bad Pictures
placed in a good Light. By Sir Solomon Gundy, LL. D. F.R.S.
F.A.S. R.A. et M. P. 4to. pp. 18. Is. 6d. Ridgway.
If, according to this imitator (O Imitatores, Servum Pecus!) of
Peter Pindar, the exhibiting painters, of the year ninety-two, were
but a bad fet, we may venture to hint, that few of our poets, of the
fame period, have much claim to a higher character:-" D'ye
understand me now?" Sir Solomon !

Art 25. Elegy written in a London Church-yard. 4to. Is. Bell,

Oxford-freet.

1792.

A not inelegant tribute, on the plan of Gray's elegy, to the me

See

p. 22. of Sir Solomon's pamphlet.

mory

mory of Edwin, who has fo often fet the theatre in a roar. The epitaph has a lame and impotent conclufion."

No farther feek his praife or blame to fcan

Or prais'd or pitied-Edwin was a man.'

In one of the stanzas of the elegy, man alfo rhimes to fean. In the fame ftanza, the more than virtuous are exhorted to go and fin no more; which, to the more than virtuous, is fuperfluous advice.

The fcene of this elegy is Covent Garden church-yard, where the comic head of Edwin refts. Adieu! thou

• Paftime of genius--made in Fancy's game.'

Reviewers have often enjoyed thy more than comic powers! Moog Art. 26. Monody written at Matlock, October 1791. By the Rev. W. L. Bowles. 4to. pp. 20. Is. 6d. Dilly. 1791. In poetry, the judicious union of moral fentiments with defcrip. tions of nature is always highly pleafing. It is this circumftance which diffuses an inexpreffible charm over that univerfally admired production of Thompson's mufe, The Seafons. Among the fmall pieces, which have peculiar excellence in this way, may be mentioned Dyer's Grongar Hill. Of the fame kind, is the Monody The poet appears to have viewed the romantic scenery of Matlock with a mind difpofed to melancholy mufing; his penfive contemplations are expreffed in verfe, which at once difcovers a lively fancy and a correct tafte, and which will not fail to awaken fimilar feelings in every kindred bofom. He thus addreffes the Derwent: Thee, quiet ftream! with other thoughts I view,

before us.

Like Peace, a hermit in fome craggy dell
Retir'd, and bidding the loud throng farewel,
I fee thee fill thy peaceful courfe purfue,
Making fuch gentle mufic as might cheer
The weary paflenger that journeys near.

Such are the fongs of Peace in Virtue's shade,
Unheard of Folly, or the vacant train
That pipe and dance upon the noon-tide plain,
Till in the duft together they are laid;
But not unheard of him, who fits fublime
Above the clouds of this tempeftuous clime,
It's ftir and ftrife, to whom more grateful rife
The humble incenfe, and the fill fmall voice
Of those that on their penfive way rejoice,
Than fhouts of thoufands echoing to the skies,
Of fongs of triumph pealing round the car
Of hard Ambition, or the Fiend of War,
Sated with flaughter-Nor may I, fweet ftream,
From thy lone banks and limits wild depart,
(Where now I meditate my penfive theme)
Without fome mild improvement on my heart
Pour'd fad, yet pleafing: fo may I forget
The croffes and the cares that fometimes fret
Life's smootheft channel, and each with prevent
That marrs the filent current of Content!'

Two

Two other small, but beautiful, pieces are added, entitled, The African,'-and On leaving a Place of Refidence.

E.

Art. 27. The Discarded Spinster; or a Plea for the Poor, on the Impolicy of Spinning Jennies. A Poem. 4to. PP. 29.

6d. Brooke. 1791.

These verses are written under a ftrong perfuafion that the machines, which have been introduced for abridging labour, whatever advantage they may have afforded to the manufacturers, and even to the labouring poor of large towns, have been exceedingly detrimental to the circumjacent country; which has, by these means, been deprived of its ufual fupply of labour. The author is alfo of opinion, that, by means of British machinery, manufactories will, in a few years, (to the ruin of British commerce,) be established ia countries, where fuch establishments would otherwife have been impracticable. On this latter argument, he thus expatiates:

"The Poor are with you always." Spare a text
With no dark terms, or myftic points perplext,
And give it place upon the fcore of gain,
Tho' every text per contra you disdain.

"The Poor are yours for ever," and their toil
Ever remains a rich productive foil;

Not fo th' inventions of the changeful day,
Which rife like vapours but to pass away.
Labour is a poffeffion, an estate,

Fruitful as Tempe, permanent as Fate,

Trade's other fources are but cafual drift;

Mere quickfands, which cross currents fink and lift.
Is the mufe right?-To Reafon's cheque apply;
Or let the files of paft experience try!-
Whence, fairly pofted, lo! th' eventual fum
Decides at once to what your JENNIES Come:
Which though just now confin'd to Britain's isle,
And Britain, like a dotard, o'er them fmile,
A fmile of deep ingratitude to thofe

On whofe poor labours her rich commerce rofe,
Just now, tho' her's-yet smuggled the next tide,
May fpin for SPAIN, and half the world befide.
And thus, like Jilts who, when they change their man
Still plunder him they fly from, all they can,
Smuggled off with them to fome foreign coaft,
Leave Britain to lament her Commerce loft.'

The writer's verfification, though not excellent, appears to us better than his argument. The utility of machines has long been eftablished in theory, beyond all reafonable controversy; and it is now fully confirmed by experience in thofe manufactories, in which the machines of the greateit power for abridging labour have been used.

See our account of a fenfible vindication of machines for fhortening labour. Rev. vol. lxii. p. 224,