In the year 1655, the island of Jamaica, at that time in the poffeffion of the Spaniards, was attacked and taken by Admirals Penn and Venables, and Colonel D'Oiley. Among the number of flaves who joined the English, one was particularly diftinguished, who is here called Almoona. Some time before the invafion of this ifland, his master had forced his wife from him, of whom the unhappy African was diftractedly fond. He had frequently, in the ftrongest and most pathetic manner, intreated his mafter to restore her to him, but in vain. On the arrival of the English, he found an opportunity of feeing her; and after he had affured her that fhe was as dear to him as ever, he told her it was not poffible for him to take her to his arms, but that he would affert the rights of a husband, and free her from her mifery; upon which he immediately plunged a dagger into her breast. He then fled to the English, met his master in the field of battle, and flew him.-History informs us that he was declared free, and that he died in 1718, having ever bewailed his misfortunes in gloomy folitude.'

Such is the outline of the poem of Almoóna, the benevolent spirit and intention of which, we highly approve; but forry are we to add, that we cannot fay fo much in praise of the Poetry. The Author, it is true, feels as a Poet, and is frequently happy in the embellishments of imagery, &c. which he has bestowed on his narrative; but he is not fufficienty fkilled in the tuneful art, to afford great delight to thofe who have formed their taste on the best models. Let the goodness of his defign, however, and the modefty of his pretenfions, compenfate for those defects which a difcerning reader may obferve in his numbers.-His piece might have beenwrought into a Tragedy very fimilar to Southerne's Oroonoko the story being very fufceptible of poetic and dramatic embellish

ment.

;

Art. 40. Neglected Genius: or, Tributary Stanzas to the Memory of the unfortunate Chatterton. By the Author of the Indian Eclogues. 4to. Is. Lowndes.

In thefe ftanzas, Chatterton is confidered as one of the greatest geniuses that ever lived. The Author thinks the highest injuftice has been done to his memory by those writers (fome of them men of very confiderable eminence) who have published their fentiments concerning this moft ingenious but unfortunate youth. He is particularly incenfed against them for having fo grofsly depreciated his moral character. As to his poetic abilities, our Poet is to the utmost degree lavish of his encomiums. He even ranks him with Shakespeare: and all this excefs of praife is founded on the supposition findeed he takes it for granted] that Chatterton was himself the fole author of the poems which he afcribed to Rowley.-Admitting this-and few will now difpute it, every good judge of poetry will allow, that the Briftol boy has discovered a most aftopishing genius.

The business of this poem is, not only to celebrate the Muse and deplore the misfortunes of Chatterton, but to chastise those who ftood forward to villify his good name. Mr. Walpole is found among the delinquents. For a fpecimen of our Author's poetic talents, fee

See his apologetical and fenfible preface.

Our

our account of his " West Indian Eclogues." Review, October 1787, p. 283.

NOVELS.

Art. 41. The Niece: or the Hiftory of Sukey Thornby. By Mrs. P. Gibbes. Izmo. 3 Vols. 9s. fewed. Noble. 1788.

The chief bufinefs of novel writing (fays the author in her Preface), the English as likewife the French, has been for many years, with fome few exceptions, to fet gallantry, diffimulation, and amour, in a pleafing point of view; but the publication of the following sheets arifes from a different motive. It is in order immediately to teach the innocent and unwary to fhun the toils of the defigning, and give them a faithful picture of the fatal confequences of being enfnared.' The defign is undoubtedly good; but we can fay little in praise of its execution. The language of this novel is frequently according to the following example. Us lively girls, are a kind of falamanders, no flame confumes us.' After employing the oblique cafe with fo much elegance at the beginning of a fentence (it is a woman of fashion who speaks), the writer should certainly have concluded it by the nominative :- No flame con. fumes we.'

Art. 42. Fatal Follies: or the Hiftory of the Countess of Stanmore *. 12mo. 4 Vols. 125. fewed. Robinfons. 1788.

The feeming pleasures of a life of dilipation, and the miferies ufually attendant on it, together with the influence which the manners of the rich and great will neceffarily have on the furrounding multitude, who are feldom given to thought or reflection, are in thefe volumes delineated with tolerable fpirit. The example of Lady Stanmore, a woman who fuffers herself to be hurried into the vortex of fashionable follies, is happily contrafted by that of the virtuous Mifs Leicester, an humble companion to the aforefaid lady, who, after experiencing contumely and injury at her hands, is raised to a state of honour and happinefs; while her libertine and infolent patronefs is univerfally deferted and contemned..

A late démêlé in the fashionable world has furnished this work with feveral embellishments.

Art. 43. Retribution. By the Author of The Gamefters, &c. 12mo. 3 Vols. 9s. fewed. Robinsons. 1788.

Zeuxis, to form the portrait of an Helen, is faid to have chofen, from among his countrywomen, the parts which were the most beautiful in each. In like manner with the painter of antiquity, our author has felected the principal features of diftinguished novelifts, and compounded them with fome fanciful graces of his own. The picture, however, is neither of a ftriking nor a pleafing kind. There is a want of fymmetry and proportion in the parts. The hooked or aquiline nofe would appear prepofterous when fet upon a Chinese face. In a word, this artift is not fufficiently attentive to harmony in his drawing. He feems to be fully fenfible of the value of the feveral beauties he has borrowed, but wanting in judgment to blend them,

fo as to compofe an excellent and unexceptionable whole. To drop the figure-This performance is ftrictly moral; and in the example of the diffipated Mrs. Prefcot, who plays upon the weakness of an amiable husband, a good and profitable leffon will be found for the doting and infatuated man. - For our author's former work, The Gamefters, &c. fee Rev. Vol. 75. p. 230.

Art. 44. Laura: or Letters from fome Perfons in Switzerland. By the Author of Camille. Izmo. 4 Vols. IOS. fewed. Hookham. 1788.

"

, Thefe Letters are faid to be tranflated from the French. Wrapped in the clouds of a faulty and inelegant verfion, it is fcarcely poffible to determine on the particular merits of the work. The hand of a master, however, is difcoverable in it. We do not remember to have feen the progrefs of love in the female breaft fo delicately and artfully reprefented fince the productions of Richardfon and J. J. Rouffeau. The refolution of Laura never to be influenced by the light-winged toys of feathered Cupid ;" the meeting with the man who is fated to be her husband, and for whom he almost inftantly entertains a paffion; the struggles with herself to view him with indifference; the giving her fchool-mate an animated and interefting defcription of him; the mentioning that he was attentive to every perfon prefent but herself; the declaration that he was exceedingly rejoiced at it, as fhe had therefore the better profpect of paffing her days in quietnefs and repofe; the observing that the women, she was wholly unable to conceive why,'-appeared to be greatly interested about him, with other fimilar traits; are admirable fpecimens of the writer's addrefs, and of his knowlege of the human heart. Some excellent political reflections are likewife fcattered through thefe volumes, not unworthy the attention of Jawgivers, and rulers of ftates.

If the bookfeller would procure a good tranflation of this work, we think he could not fail of finding his interest in it.

MISCELLANEOUS.

Art. 45. Thoughts on the Importance of the Manners of the Great, to general Society. 8vo. 25. Cadell. 1788.

A well-written perfuafive to a regular conduct, and to a ftrict obfervance of decorum, among those who figure in the higher walks of life. The influence, indeed, of the manners of the great, on thofe of inferior rank, is of the utmoft confequence to fociety; and therefore our fuperiors, as they are called, are under more than the ordinary obligations to be circumfpect in whatever they do, and to take efpecial care that they fet good examples. We are glad to find that this very valuable tract hath obtained fo much of the public notice, as to have arrived at a fifth edition in about two months; and we hope that this may be fome indication, that the age is not quite fo frivolous, or diffipated, as it is generally reprefented to be.-Though poffibly, after all, it may have happened, that this excellent little volume hath not been most read by thofe for whom it was chiefly intended. It has been obferved that finners, for whofe reformation religious books are published, are not the people who read them.

Art.

Art. 46. An argumentative Appeal addressed to the Right Reverend the Bifhops, and the Body of the Parochial Clergy, on the Modes of raifing Money for the Improvement of Church-Lands, in Cafes of Enclosure; fuggefting a Plan lefs exceptionable than any hitherto adopted. By B. N. Turner, M. A. Author of the Candid Suggestions in Anfwer to the late Mr. Jenyns's Difquifitions, &c. 8vo. Is. 6d. White, &c. 1788.

In cafes of inclofure, disbursements are required to improve the land taken ; and Mr. Turner contends, that in these disbursements, the incumbent, who is only tenant for life, finks property in which his heirs have an intereft, for the benefit of an estate in which they have none, and for the emolument of ftrangers: which, in the event of his fpeedy decease, is an undoubted hardship on his family. A remedy has indeed been provided, by the grant of a power to borrow the neceffary fum on the premises, to be paid off by instalments in twenty-one years; but this remedy appears to Mr. Turner defective, because, fhould the incumbent have the ill-luck to outlive the twenty-one years, he will have paid all the money off, and as truly have funk it from his family, as if he had died in the first year without any fuch provifion. He is therefore for extending the term of liquidation to forty-one, ninety-nine years, or for ever; but the plan he deems most unexceptionable, is to fell a portion of the allotment for the purpose of improving the remainder.

Art. 47. The Bee; or, the Exhibition exhibited in a new Light: being a Catalogue-Raifonné of all the Pictures, with Comments, Illuftrations, and Remarks. 4to. Is. 6d. Hooper. 1788.

This companion to the catalogue of the pictures, &c. in the exhibition at the Royal Academy, is, in general, executed with can dour and taste. The author has prefixed fome brief observations on the principles of painting, which may be of fome use to thofe who do not pretend to be connoiffeurs.

Art. 48. Extracts from the Album at Streatham+; or Minifterial Amusements. To which are added, The Bulfe, a Pindaric, Ode, and Jekyll, an Eclogue. 4to. 25. Ridgeway. 1788. It has been faid, that "wit is of no party;" but it seems, of late, to have attached itself to the OUTS: who, not being, like Abel in the Committee, overburthened, neck and fhoulders with the weighty affairs of ftate,' have nothing to do but to amuse themselves, and the Public, with the pleasures of imagination. In confequence of this their learned leifure,' they have here given us a companion to the Rolliad, and the Probationary Odes. The ins are again the objects of ridicule; but they still fay, or fing, to the old tune of Those that are out, may pout;

But we that are in, will grin.'

There is really wit, and mirth, and ingenuity, in these new-fashioned fatires. We cannot even guefs at the authors; but, whoever they are, we are obliged to them for fome hearty laughs, thofe fillips of

* See Rev. Vol. Ixvii. p. 390.

+ Mr. Steele's hofpitable manfion is at Streatham,

Hh 2

the

the mind, which we do not often meet with in our literary walks,fome of which are dull and dreary enough!-The Gentlemen who figure in this exhibition are, the Duke of Richmond, Mr. Grenville, Colonel Barré, Mr. Dundas, Mr. Pitt, Mr. Drake, Mr. Wilkes, Lord Hawkesbury, Sir Jofeph Mawbey, Marquis of Landfdown, Sir Gregory Page Turner, Lord Weftcote, Mr. Minchin, Lord Mulgrave, Mr. Wilberforce, and Major Scott.

EDUCATION, &c.

Art. 49. Midfummer Holydays; or, a Long Story. Written for the Improvement and Entertainment of young Folk. half-bound. Marshall. 1788.

Izmo. 1 S.

"worfe and

Semper idem" was once facetiously tranflated worfe" in the prefent application of it, however, it will better fuit our purpofe, and our grave characters, to ftick to the old pike-staff meaning of it-" always the fame," or, rather, "when you have feen one, you have feen all;"--that is, when you-but we will leave our Readers to apply this to the Midfummer Holydays,' for we have already noticed the fimilarity of these little books: though, as their refemblance is fo ftrong, it may be fome confolation to know, that they are all GOOD likeneffes-of good originals.

THEOLOGY.

Art. 50. Practical Sermons, preached at Hendon in Middlefex. By W. M. Trinder, LL. B. and M. D. 8vo. 5s. Boards. Riving

tons.

Perhaps the practical tendency of these difcourfes, and the apparent good intention of the Author, ought to fcreen them from the feverity of criticifm; but it is neceffary that we guard thofe who may happen to read them, against an error into which the writer's mifplaced zeal might poffibly lead them. When Dr. T. in his fermon on education, quotes a large extract from the Act of Uniformity, 14 Car. II. in which reftrictions are laid upon fchoolmafters, and pathetically laments that this wife at hath been for many years either but little regarded, or elfe totally forgotten,' and calls upon the legiflature to enforce it; he ought to have known, and to have informed his readers, that by a wiser act, paffed in the prefent reign, schoolmasters are enabled to put themselves under the protection of law, without renouncing the Solemn League and Covenant, or binding themselves to conform to the Liturgy of the Church of England. Art. 51. A Charge and Sermon, together with a Confeffion of Faith, delivered at the Ordination of the Rev. Mr. George Birley, October 18th, 1786, at St. Ives, Huntingdonshire. 8vo. is. Buckland.

The above charge contains much ferious and good advice (rather of a Calviniftical caft), by Mr, Dan, Taylor. The fermon alfo is marked by the peculiarity of its Author. Who, but Mr. Robinson, on fuch an occafion, would have chosen for his fubject, Prov. xxvii. 10. Thine own friend and thy father's friend, forfake not. Whence the preacher defcants on the nature and original of the Chriftian church, the difcipline of which,' he fays, arose of itself out of

the