dytyd the wytneffys, I wold have done as they dede. But thus I fee my yll happe ftill to be increafyd by myfreportes; God of his omnipotencye pute in to your Heynes's harte a mercyfull mynde to forgeve me my undutyfullnes, and then I do not dowgt but that I fhall, with a quiet mynde, <beare all other croffys that fhalbe layyd upon me.' A number of papers follow, relating to Plots and Confpiracies, either real or pretended, against the Queen's life; with the examinations and confeffions of feveral persons who were made prifoners on that account. Among the documents which follow, the moft worthy of obfervation are those which relate to the treaty of marriage between the Queen and the Duke of Anjou. This matter appears to have been thoroughly canvaffed by the fhrewd Politicians of thofe days; and the confiderations both for and againft, are very analytically stated. The dangers which might attend the marriage, are fet forth in the following cogent reafons. Dowtfullnes to have child, or dowtfullness of fafe delivery. Difcontentation to hirfelf, if the fhold have no children. Difcontentation if he fhold become French Kyng, and fo depart from hir as Kyng Phillip did from Quene Mary. Difcontentation if he fhold fynd hym not to be beloved ⚫ and honored of hir people generally, or that he shold feke not to obferve fyncerly all pacts made for prefervyng of Relligion, or for contynuance of the fubjects of the realm in ther libertyes and honors. . 1. Because he profeffeth a religion contrarye to the Quene, ther can be hardly hoped a harty love of hir Majestye. 2. By reafon of his relligion, fuch as ar the worft fubjects to hir Majefty, yea hir rebells abrode, the obftinat Papifts at home will take no comfort of hir liff or regiment; all thefe will in ther harts love and honor the Duk: and he cannot in good reafon hate them, or with them evill, so that < it may be feared to be pronounced Regnum in fe divifum de" folabitur. 3. It may be dowted, that confydering he is much yongar than the Quene, and may alfo in hir liff-tyme become King of France; that if he fhall over-live hir without children, he may ether by his gretnes kepe poffeffion, or marry fome perfon unmete for the realme that fhall have fome color of title, 5 title, by whom relligion fhall be altered; and all that oppofe themselves fhall be difheryfed, as was in the tyme of • William the Conqueror. 4. The greatest mifcheff that can come to the perpetuall <diminution of the glory of this kyngdom, is the poffibilitie, that in the iffew male of hym being French King, the • Crown of England fhall be fpoyled of the comfort of a Kyng, and shall be subject to a Vice-Roy.' On the other hand, the profits which might accrue from the marriage, are thus in part enumerated. By mariadg with Monfieur fhe is lykly to have children, because of his yowth; and if fhe have children, than the danger of the greteft gulf, that allweifs by the common judgment of all wife men both in Parlement and otherwise hath bene feared to devour the State, if the trew relligion fhold be stopped; which was, that if her Majefty fhold dye without iffew to inheret the Crown, the fame fhold fall ⚫ into quarrellyng for lack certenty of a right knowne heyre : and as by contention for the Crown, all the people of the realme fhold fuffer intollerable callamyties by means of fac⚫tions and civill warrs; fo hath it bene the gretest fear allweis conceaved, that the Sword might bryng it to such a ⚫ perfon as wold wholly extyrp by fyre and fword the profeffion of the Gospell; which danger without hir Majesty's mariadg and iffew, the uncertenty of the fucceffion continuing, is by no witt or by imagination avoyded; and therfore feing of all worldly mifcheeffs, this hath bene allwais the gretest above all others, any other thyng having less perills, and thefe but accidentall to happen, or not happen, wold be aventured and admitted, as natural rafon techeth, E duobus femper malis minimum eft eligendum. ་ And though it may be alledged, that the mariadg with • Monfieur may, in procefs of tyme, bryng the realme to the lyke perrill, yet the fear thereof is conditionall, and not certen. And in a matter that is but conditionall, and ⚫ dependeth upon fondry matters futur, ther is not that feare, that is in a matter abfolute and without condition; and therfor in election, that is firft to be avoyded, that bringeth ⚫ certen and inevitable danger; and if that be to be taken, because ther is no other choice, what may upon certen accidents be dangerofs, and uppon contrary may be good, therin wisdom muft help to fupply helpes; as the wife man fayeth, in matters of gretar power than earthly creatures, • Prudens dominabitur aftris. Ageyn, . Ageyn, If hir Majefty fhall lyk of the conditions and perfon of Monfieur, as without which no maryadge can be allowed, hir Majefty then shall have that comfort in hir ⚫liff, that ordinarely that is to be looked for of mariadg, as a matter, that in all ages and all nations, both Hethen and Chriftian hath bene most allowed for comfort in society.' This fubject is further confidered under feveral other heads of Convenience and Inconvenience, which are too diffufive for us to enter into. Mr. Murdin's Collection, moreover, affords us a remarkable extract from certain Letters, arguing a refolution of the Catholics to intitle the King of Spain to the Crown of England. Laftly, it contains a copy of the original Letter from the Queen of Scots to Queen Elizabeth, in which the former gratifies a double revenge, in making the latter acquainted with the many fhocking and fcandalous reports which the Countess of Shrewsbury had related to her prejudice-Such as her extravagant fondness for Simier, whom the kiffed and treated with many indecent freedoms-Likewife her diffolute behaviour with the Duke of Anjou his master, whom she careffed with the fame unbecoming familiarity, and even went fo far as to open the door of her chamber for him, having only her shift and bedgown on, where he ftaid with her about three hours-The account also which the Countess gave of fome bodily infirmities, and natural imperfections, which were incident to her Majefty; and which no woman could bear to be told of, without undergoing the moft grievous mortification; more efpecially one who, like Elizabeth, valued herself on her perfonal charms It was therefore highly impolitic in a perfon under Mary's circumftances, to wound Elizabeth by the recital of fuch difagreeable particulars. Whether Elizabeth did really indulge herfelf in fuch amorous exceffes, we cannot pretend to determine. However, be that as it may, it can, if true, only affect her reputation as a woman, and is no imputation on her character as a Queen. Though fuch indulgencies may be, incompatible with moral goodness, they are not inconfiftent with political greatnefs; witnefs the number of Heroes and Heroines who figure in Hiftory: more especially Cæfar, whose licentious conduct was so far from diverting his attention from his vaft pursuits, that he made his debaucheries inftrumental to the purposes of his ambition. The The Day of Judgment, a Poem, in two Books. The third Edition corrected. To which are now added, 1. An Ode to Melancholy. 2. Ode on Sleep. 3. Ode on Time. 4. To the Memory of Mr. H. M. an Elegy. 5. To the Memory of the late pious and ingenious Mr. Hervey. 6. The third Chapter of Habakkuk paraphrafed. By John Ogilvie, A. M. 8vo. 2 S. Keith. WE E refer to the account we gave of the excellent Poem that introduces the prefent fhort Mifcellany, with the greater fatisfaction, fince Mr. Ogilvie's moft candid and generous interpretation of the few ftrictures it contained. To have our fincerity, and even our judgment, commended by those who alone can confer praife, from their being in the jufteft poffeffion of it, must have been very acceptable to our felf-love. But when we found this Gentleman's unexpected condefcenfion had engaged him to make a few alterations in this new edition of his poem, in confequence of our flender animadverfions on it, we felt ourfelves more than pleased, by fo much unaffected humility. Such a rare profufion of this amiable virtue feldom refides but in fpirits of genuine fublimity, and confummate benevolence; being chiefly manifeft in those who have the feweft occafions for exercifing it. Pleafing as the fubfequent pieces muft generally appear, we could not expect them otherwife from the Writer of the first; tho' his diffidence fues only for compaffion to them, as being all the offspring of early life. Many paffages in them are ftriking, picturefque, and glowing; while the whole attest a native poetical vein and harmonious ear, nurtur'd by the benign irradiations of claffical and of British genius. We could, with pleasure to ourselves, entertain our Readers with a longer fpecimen than we here prefent them: but we check a felfindulgence on this occafion, least the ingenious and learned Poet's deference to our fentiments of his former publication, fhould be thought to have produced an extraordinary partiality in us to the present: even while we are confcious of defigning to act with conftant equity between the Writers we review, and the Readers we intend to inform or entertain. For this, our being perfonally ftrangers to both, may qualify us, at least in one refpect, like those Judges among the antients, who are faid to have determined civil caufes in the night, and without seeing either of the parties. In the Ode to Sleep, fo amufingly fanciful and digreffive, the following invocation of her power, by the circumstances conducing to it, is truly poetical. See Review for February, 1759. O by O by thy robe of purest white, Thy treffes bound with fun'ral yew, As it would have been inconfiftent, while he was fupplicating Sleep for agreeable Dreams, to omit defiring fome poctical ones, he thus intreats her: Oft too with Spencer let me tread Or burst to heav'n in Milton's high-wrought lays. Let me chace the young-ey'd Spring, Where the powder'd cowflips bloom, Where the wild thyme breathes perfume: Slow let me haunt the deepning fhade, Where Richard, thro' the opening ground Beheld the white-rob'd Ghost, and mark'd the gushing wound. The plaintive Ode to Time is not lefs beautifully picturefque and defultory; tho' naturally productive of more affecting and moral reflections.. The following image and fituation of this ancient all-fapping perfonage, is very poetically expreffed, while it agrees, in moft circumftances, with the figure, the attitude, and the emblems, in which Sculpters commonly represent him. Lo on yon Fyramid's fublime, Whence lies Old Egypt's defert clime, Stands the Pow'r with hoary hair! O'er His fcythe He bends ;-His hand * See Thomfon's Caftle of Indolence. And |