and devout, but it is alfo heavy, profaic, and deftitute of almoft every poetic excellence. There are lines in it scarce fuperior to those we ufually meet with, dictated by "the unletter'd Mufe," in a country church-yard.-Such, for inftance, as O tender, kind, and loving Saviour dear-p. 54. Whofe gloomy venerable tow'rs mould'ring nod-p. 9. In the ufe of epithets Mr. K. falls into infufferable pleonasms. He has fearful dread,' p. 32. and fpeechless filence,' p. 50.— But that he may not think himself injured by our quoting detached lines, we fhall give the following paffage, as a candid fpecimen, leaving our Readers to their own obfervations upon it: Sudden and fwift oft-times thine arrow flies, Quick takes the vig'rous, blooming, gay, and ftrong, P. 40. Thy levelling fcythe fpares neither fex nor age; The young, the old, the lofty, and the low, Mingles together in one common grave, The houfe appointed for the human race. As thofe Readers, who have a genuine tafte for poetry, will not, we prefume, defire any farther extracts from this Effay on Death, we fhall here take leave of it; adding only a fincere expression of our concern, that we cannot give a more favourable account of a work whofe Author appears refpectable not only for his piety, but for many juft reflections, interfperfed in various parts of his performance; and whofe thoughts, on a fubject in which we are all fo feriously concerned, might, perhaps, have been dreffed to more advantage, if he had not, unfortunately, chofen to exhibit them in the garb of poetry. Art. 20. The Proteftant Affociation. Written in the midft of the Tumults, June 1780. 12mo, 6 d. Atlay, in the City-Road. 1781. A very indifferent rhimefter here celebrates the outrageous proceedings of the London mob, in the fummer of 1780; together with the pufillanimous behaviour of the city-magiftrates, on that infamous occafion. His ftrains refemble thofe of the noted Ned Ward, in his Burlesque History of the Reformation; and his main defign feems to be, to lay all the blame of the riots on the leaders of our Antiminiterial party The wifeft grant, we are not got To the dark buttom of the plot; Or is there no refentment rankling In the unnatural heart of Franklyn ? Nothing American in ? No depths of Luciferian art We We charitably hope there has been no ground for thefe horrid infinuations; and with equal charity, too, we conclude, that Mr. Wesley is no lefs innocent of this ribaldry, though it iffues from the Foundry prefs. Art. 21. An Epiftle to Angelica Kauffman. By George Keate, Elq. 4to. 2 s. Dodiley. 1781. The gums which invelope the mummies brought from Egypt are fometimes applied to the purposes of painting; and, when skilfully ufed, have in fame parts of that elegant art a very happy effect. The circumftance of having obferved a colour prepared from this compofition on the pallet of Angelica, fuggefted the idea of this Epifle. Mr. Keate, who is in general as happy in the choice of his fubjects, as he is ingenious in his manner of embellishing them, has availed himself of the hint with which the above circumstance furnished him; and in a way too, that evinces there is nothing from which a poetical imagination cannot fupply itfelf with imagery. The pulveriz'd NITOCRIS now May grace fome Queen's majestic brow++ Where vengeance marks the great defign; That vengeance which its falchion draws Whilft CHEOP's $ daughter's lov'd remains, NITOCRIS, as Herodotos informs us, was Queen of Egypt, and fucceeded her brother on the throne, on his being murdered by that people. She was a woman of great addrefs and intrepidity, and began her reign, by revenging her brother's death on those who had been the perpetrators of it. The names after mentioned are fuppofed to be fome of those who erected the most remarkable of the PYRAMIDS; but this is a fubject fo deeply involved in the darkness of antiquity, that both the GREEK and ARABIAN Hiftorians are much divided in their opinions concerning this matter. This Prince reigned 56 years over EGYPT was a great tyrant fhut up the temples-forbad all facrifices-and lived both hated and feared by his oppreffed fubjects. The largest PYRAMID is by many conjectured to have been completed, if not built, by this Lady, whofe name history has not given There are many abfurd traditions about her, to which little credit can be given. us. Cc 2 Shall Shall ftrengthen in the virgin eye, * In each foft feature ftand confeft Art. 22. The Bevy of Beauties. A Collection of Sonnets. 4to. 2. S. Baldwin. 1781. Thefe bouquets of panegyric are, fome of them at leaft, made up with elegance and tafte; and the flowers they are compofed of are kilfully and judiciously varied: and let it be observed, that to vary deferved praise four and twenty times (for fo many are the fopnets), is a trial of ingenuity that not every one would be able to undergo. Lady AUGUSTA CAMPBELL. The fabling Arab, certain to decny, With Beauty's charms his half-believers brib'd, And endless bleffings to her pow'r ascrib'd! • One of the smaller PYRAMIDS hath been by fome afcribed to this Lady, who is highly celebrated in antiquity for the conquefts her beauty made. + A King much devoted to magnificence and oftentation; he built a PYRAMID of brick near SACCARA, and placed on it an infcription which recorded both his vanity and weakness. MYCERINUS was the immediate fucceffor of CEPHRENES; was a humane Prince,-restored the public worship,-and endeavoured, by his diftinguished moderation and benevolence, to render his people happy. -O, MAHOMET! if in thy bow'rs of love, And bear me to the dear bewitching Maid! Thy vales, which wear the fadelefs veft of Spring; -Amidst the melody of founds moft choice, Breath'd in the zephyrs of thy balmy plain, If dwells the image of the lovely FAIR, And myriads to thy altar fhall repair! Away, thou Cheat! to thofe whom dreams abforb, Art. 23. Sentimental Excurfions to Windfor and other Places; Walker, 1781. it 2 s. 6 d. The Author fupposes that we Reviewers will not peep farther than into the title-page;' and with infinite fagacity (for he is as wife as he is witty!) hath laid a trap for us, by introducing (as he fays) the Introduction in this place (i. e, in a very out-of-the-way place) in hopes the Reviewers would not read fo far.' Now, to convince him that we have, in the course of our literary drudgery' (to ufe his own words), forced ourselves farther onwards in the tirelome track of his excurfions than he fuppofed was either confiftent with the gravity of our characters, or the bent of our inclinations, we will tranfcribe one paffage from his Introduction, which may ferve as a fpecimen of his whole performance: As to the thoughwich may appear in my woRKS, fay what you will, Gentlemen-Reviewers, my thoughts are my own.” We really believe, they are; and we believe too, that there is no man in the world, of common fenfe or common decency, that envies him the poffeffion, or would for one moment difpute what he calls his common-law right to them.' B.d.k. Art. 24. Adventures of a Hackney Coach. Vol. II. 12mo. 2 s. od. Kearsley. 1781. Though fecond parts feldom accomplish what the first led us to expect, yet, in this inftance, we could fcarcely expect an inferior per The infpired Dove, which, according to Mahomet, dictated the Alcoran; and, to repeat the expreffions of the Prophet, "flew to heaven, and returned with a swiftnefs which overtook the speed of lightning, whenever he wanted inftruction from God!" formance. C6 3 4: By Leonard Mac Nally, bsgr formance. We find, however, that this fecond volume is, if poffible, more contemptible than the first. It hath the fame glaring affectation; the fame unnatural and difgufting attempt at pathos; with more than ufual abfurdity, and a double portion of inaccuracies. This bold adventurer, like his fentimental brother of Windsor, defies us- dares us- d-mns us: and brandishing the featherless flump of Yorick's old pen,' dashes-dashes on, without fear or shame Prithee come hither, honest grave-digger, and cover up Yorick's Skull. The flies have blown on it. Cover it up! Maggots and B.d.k all! Art. 25. The Female Monitor; or the Hiftory of Arabella and Lady Gay. 8vo. 2 s. ftitched. Richardfon. 1781. Equally frivolous and affected! The language in which this empty and conceited writer (who calls himfelf Peter M Dermott) hath introduced his Hiftory' (as he terms this poor trifle, which deserves no name), is a fpecimen of the manner in which he hath carried it on; and we leave our Readers to guefs at the one, by feeing the other. Man, in the infant flate, is the mere pupil of example, and can be cultivated like the fertile foil fown with found feeds to produce a plenteous crop of honour, benevolence, and focial friendship; or by a contrary conduct a train of vices, coquetry, gallantry, and affectation. View the garden, and you know the gardener's care. The rofes, when well drefled, perfume with double fragrance. The feel bing walks verdure in congenial fpring. All is harmony and delight. The warbling fongtrefs fits there on the jeffamine bower, and fings in approbation to the labourer's hand. In mankind it is the fame; for I am bold to fay, there are few defects in human nature that a judicious hand may not drefs into shape and ornament; particularly in the education of the female, as their paffions are easily tried in the bud, and amputated from the wild proximity of nature.' Such Writers, it is our office to trift in the bud; and, as literary proners, to amputate from the wild proximity of scribbling.--" We with it may anfwer !"-as uncle Toby fays. B.d.h. Art. 26. Lucinda; or, the Self-devoted Daughter. 8vo. 35. Hookham. 1781. This is, in truth, a fuper-tragical ftory! related in a flyle, which may be called, fuper-fublime! Like most of thefe flories, it begins with love: as it proceeds, it takes in perfidy, fedection, adultery, jealousy, rage, madness and, at laft, ends in battle, murder, and Judden death! "Oh! horrible! moft horrible!" Do Art. 27. The Revolution. A Novel in 4 Vols. Vol. 1. 12mo. 2 s. 6 d. Fielding. 1781. This work is improperly filed a novel. It was intended for an epic poem, and at brit was adorned with machinery, which was afterwards omitted. The Author has only left one trace of his original plan, which could not have been loft without involving the future part of his fory in much confufion. The language is a fort of meafured profe, a file of compofition we are not fond of. In juftice however to this performance, we must acknowledge, that we are feldom difappointed by an unmeaning pomp of words, or disgusted with low and unfuitable expreffions. But at the fame time, we confefs, that we are not often elevated by the dignity, or captivated by the charms of language. |