Wool-bill propofed, the general tendency of which he feverely condemns; and points out the great abfurdity and iniquity of its claufes. If members of parliament would take time to confider fuch performances as the prefent, we fhould not be fo often pestered with abfurd laws, which must be repealed in a fhort time, after having greatly retarded the general profperity of the country while they continued in force. Art. 27. While we live let us live. A fhort View of the Competition between the Manufacturer and Land Worker, occafioned by a late Publication, entitled Live and let live. 8vo. 1s. Printed at Norwich. 1788. A difpaffionate and well-written defence of the Wool-bill, which has been fo much agitated of late. We call it well written, because it makes the argument, in favour of the bill, affume a plausible appearance; not because it tends to elucidate the fubject in a manner that will certainly prove fatisfactory to thofe who wish to enter deeply into the merits of the cafe. The author dwells on the hackneyed fubject of the landed intereft * being hurt by a fuppofed depreffion of the price of British wool, and that of the manufacturers being benefited by it. We have already had occafion to fhew that if the bill fhould be capable of lowering the price of wool for a time, it would be the manufacturer, and not the farmer or landowner, who would, in the end, fuffer by it +. We fhall only add here to what we then faid, that the penalties, contained in the bill, are fingularly well calculated to prove vexatious to the farmer, and to make him, in a rapid manner, decreafe the breed of sheep, and of courfe to raise the price of wool, or the price of mutton, to a very high rate. Our author fays I do not pretend to penetrate far into the influence of political and commercial regulations upon each other;' if fo, why enter on the confideration of a queftion of fuch nice difquifition as the prefent? Smith †, Eden |, Tucker §, Anderson ¶, Herrenfchwand **, Cafaux II, how are your writings foiled! Pof terity may fay that great is truth, and it fhall at length prevail; but they will have occafion alfo to lament that its progrefs is flow, and that in political affairs its fruits are tardy. As a proof, the writings of thefe philofophers will be fhewed as having exifted in England, at the period that the Wool-bill-this famous Wool-bill, for fuch it will be, paffed the houfe of commons of Great Britain, by a confiderable majority. *Or Land-workers, as he ftyles them. + See Review of Mr. Anftie's Pamphlet, in our laft Catalogue. Dr. Adam Smith on the Wealth of Nations. M. R. vols. 54, 55. William Eden, Efq. Letters to the Earl of Carlisle, &c. M. R. vols. 61, 62. The Rev. Jofiah Tucker, Dean of Gloucester, author of many valuable tracts on political economy, trade, and manufactures. Obfervations on national Induftry, &c. M. R. vol. 58. **Difcours fur l'Agriculture, &c. See our late Reviews. Mechanifme des Societés, &c. do. We We cannot help thinking it a little remarkable that none of the writers in favour of this bill, take any notice of a particular much infifted on in the pamphlet entitled Live and let live; viz. the abfurdity of fubjecting the wool growers, who never, from their fituation and circumftances in fociety, can become extenfive fmug-. glers, to fevere penalties under the pretence of infuring against fmuggling; while the wool buyers, and manufacturers, who must obvioufly be the fmugglers, if such a practice does actually prevail, are not only freed from all trouble upon this account themselves, but are befides entrusted with fuch powers, by this bill, as to be able to ruin any wool-grower against whom they may take a pique, let him be ever so honeft and confcientious in his dealings. What can be the intention of introducing fuch claufes into any bill? Certainly it can neither tend to promote the interefts of the country, nor to difcourage vice and immorality among the people. The man who is himself the fmuggler, and who commits the very crimes the bill is avowedly intended to prevent, may not only be fafe himfelf from all harm, but, if he be wicked enough, may ruin hundreds of honeft men, and enrich himself with their poils. Will it be believed that. a bill, having fuch claufes, could have obtained the approbation of the houfe of commons of Great Britain, toward the close of the eighteenth century? DRAMATIC. Art. 28. Clarifja; or, The Fatal Seduction. A Tragedy, in Profe. By Robert Porrett. 8vo. 5s. Lowndes. 1788. Founded on Richardfon's celebrated novel of Clariffa. The tak of reducing fo many characters, and fuch a number of incidents, as compofe a novel of feven octavo volumes, into the narrow limits of five acts, could not but be attended with great difficulty. Our author's motive for undertaking it was, as he informs us, a conviction produced in his mind by the late Mr. James Harris, that domeftic tragedy is more ufeful to mankind than the catastrophe of kings and heroes. The question is curious, but need not be decided: at prefent it will fuffice to fay, whatever is beft written, is beft. There was, however, another difficulty in the way of Mr. Porrett, of which he does not seem to have been aware; and that is, the difficulty of reprefenting to the eye, what in the narrative has ftruck every imagination. The firft impreffion can never be equalled. In reading Richardfan, we weep over Clariffa; and, perhaps, Mrs. Siddons would not draw fuch copious tears, as gufh from every eye in the closet: the hearfe rumbling in the court yard could not be introduced in the drama, and that incident, in the original work, is pathetic beyond expreffion. The author fhews, in his preface, that he is capable of taking advice; which is rarely feen among poets: being told that his fable was not likely to produce an effect on the stage, he acquiefced, and we commend his judgment. He undertook to imitate the inimitable. When next he endeavours to make the tears of forrow promote the interests of virtue, we advise him to plan a fable from his own invention; he may then entertain hopes of fuccefs. Art. Art. 29. us. : Of a play fo well known as Southern's Oroonoko, it will not be neceffary for us to give any kind of account; much less to enter into a comparison of Dr. Hawekesworth's alteration, with that now before Mr. Ferriar, the name of the prefent editor, undertook the task, not fo much with a fpirit of theatrical criticism, as from political motives. He tells us exprefly: When the attempt to abolish the African Slave-trade commenced in Manchester, fome active friends of the cause imagined, that by affembling a few of the principal topics, in a dramatic form, an impreffion might be made, on perfons negligent of fimple reasoning.' A more fallacious method could not be devised by looking at things in profile, we are all too often deceived. The queftion relating to the flave-trade is of the firft magnitude, and nothing but what Mr. Locke calls a round-about view can enable us to take in all circumstances, and form a just conclusion. Let us liften, awhile, to what moderate men have said on this subject. · The flave-trade," they fay, "may call for regulations, particularly in the mode of conveyance from the coast of Africa: avarice may crowd too great a number into a narrow compats, and this ought to be restrained. In the islands, laws, no doubt, are requifite for the protection of men who are purchafed like cattle at a fair: the planter, who finds himself the owner of his fellow-creatures, may prove not only a mafter, but a tyrant. To check the infolence of pride, certain pains and penalties may be neceffary. But whether this trade, when all concomitant circumftances are duly weighed, is in principle repugnant to humanity, has not been, as yet, fufficiently demonftrated. Does any negroe, though of sufficient age to know his own country at the time when he was exported, ever defire, after any confiderable lapfe of time, to return home? It fhould alfo be fully known, whether, by abandoning the traffic, we fhould not abandon the cause of humanity, and leave the wretches, who are exported from Africa, to a worse lot in their own country. This is the first, and the material queftion; till this is decided upon full and clear evidence, it is not eafy to pronounce, that the carrying on of fuch a commerce is a violation of humanity: but humanity may be, and perhaps often is, violated by the captains of fhips, and the lords of flaves in the iflands. This, no doubt, fhould be prevented; we want no declamation to prove it but when the question is of the first importance, the ftate of the negroe in his own country fhould be fully known, before a fair conclufion can be drawn *.' To this purpose, indeed, an alteration of a play conduces nothing. The piece before us is avowedly a political pamphlet, and for that reason we do not confider it in a dramatic light. Art. 30. For the obfervations, in this article, which we have diftinguished by inverted commas, we are obliged to our very respectable correfpondent, SIDNEY. an an invafion was expected from the united powers of France and Spain; but the managers, it feems, thought that this country might be defended by other means. The play is now publifhed at the request of friends. The firft act reprefents the Danes, flushed with victory, and in poffeffion of the kingdom of Weffex. Alfred's queen, Elvida, is their prifoner. Haldane, the Danish king, is enamoured of her beauty. Gunhilda, queen of Denmark, hears the tale, and is of course inflamed with jealoufy. So far the plot begins to thicken. Alfred, foon after, is feen making his escape through devious paths; but he is not introduced with that fublimity of fentiment and diction with which Thomson has adorned him; he finks, in this play, to the level of Mr. John Home's Alfred. In the fecond act, we have the episodic love of Emma for Edwin, a young Saxon nobleman. The time for this is ill chofen; and the introduction of invisible spirits seems an imitation of Thomson. Encouraged by celeftial ftrains, Elvida rejects the fuit of the Danish king. Gunhilda is roufed, by the perfidy of her husband, to a plan of vengeance and deftruction. Alfred is feen carrying logs of wood into a cottage. Elvida meets her father, Ethelred, a Saxon earl; and afterwards defends herself from Haldane, the Dane, by the stage trick of taking up the dagger which he lets fall. In the mean time a Saxon army begins to affemble, and, to favour their defigns, we are conveyed to Norway, where we are presented with mountains of fnow and ice. Magicians and preternatural beings are introduced; but Shakespeare's magic cannot be copied. By the help of magic however we get back to England, and behold Alfred fhaping a bow at a cottage door. In a fhort time he joins the Saxon leaders. After this he feeks Elvida in the Danish camp, and there plays on his harp. Gunhilda, ftill burning with jealoufy, tampers with a witch. Alfred attacks the Danish camp, and kills Haldane. Gunhilda offers a poifoned bowl to Elvida, but in that moment Alfred enters. His queen is refcued; Gunhilda drinks the poifon and dies. In this manner, Alfred redeems his country. Such is the bufinefs of this play. The diction is not fo quaint as in fome late productions, but it does not any where rife to that dignified fimplicity which tragedy requires. A pretty engraving is given by way of frontispiece. Art. 31. The Conftant Maid; or, Poll of Plympton. A Mufical Entertainment, in two Parts. By the Author of the Birth-day. 8vo. Is. Bew. 1787. Most of our readers will remember this piece, as it was performed laft Summer at the Royalty Theatre. Mr. Bannister, Mr. Sedgwick, and Miss George, contributed their joint affiftance, and made it a favourite enten ainment. It gave offence, however, to the managers of the winter theatres, and fome of the actors were prosecuted as rogues and vagabonds. But legal objections are now removed, and Poll of Plympton may once more give delight to the Tower-Hamlets, Art. 32. A Match for a Widow; or, the Frolics of Fancy. A Comic Opera, in Three Acts. As performed at the Theatre-Royal, Dublin. 8vo. Is. 6d. Dilly, in London. 1788. Whether this opera is the production of any of the very extraordinary geniuses who cater for the public tafte in London, we cannot fay. fay. If not written on this fide of the water, the influence of fashion is rapid and extenfive; for, on opening the book, the first thing that occurred was the following fong, by an intriguing corporal in the character of a conjuror: Hocus, pocus, l'agremento, Rory tory, rantum fcantum, This certainly equals rigdum jigdum, baily gaily gamborailly, and the rest of the kind, with which the town has been of late years regaled at Covent-Garden theatre. Dean Swift ufed to advife the people of Ireland, to burn every thing that went from England, except the coals: if they adopt the hint, we would advife the wits of the country, to add all English farces and comic operas to the heap. To imitate trash and nonfenfe is too low a degradation. POETRY. Art. 33. The Ruffian Prophecy. A Poem, occafioned by a remarkable Phenomenon in the Heavens, obferved in Ruffia, Feb. 19, 1785. 4to. Is. 6d. Robinfons. 1787. Thefe verfes can anfwer no imaginable purpose, that we can conceive, except it be to encourage fuperftition. Art. 34. Peter's Penfion. A folemn Epiftle to a fublime Perfonage; with an Engraving, &c. By Peter Pindar, Efq. 4to. 3s. Kearsley. 1788. The report of the author's having accepted a penfion, although there was nothing in it, has furnished him with a fresh subject for a poem. With this prolific genius, a hint is fufficient, and he never lets the iron cool upon the anvil. It should feem as though Squire Peter thought his My had not been done enough before, and therefore he now gives him another dreffing, nor do we fee any appearance of an end to this cookery royal yet furely the public will at length be cloyed with fo ftale a dish, roafted, broiled, ftewed, hafhed, and ferved up again and again-aye, and again and again! But is there nothing elfe about the court, nothing in the city, the fenate, the church, or the ftate, that will furnish a proper fucceffion of fubjects, and give more variety to the compofitions of this excentric fon of farcafm ? Variety!" our fatirift will, perhaps, exclaim, "is there any want of variety in my productions is there a dearth of it even in this Solemn Epiftle? have I not, in this fingle publication, beside the pension business, given you a number of gentle fonnets, to prove that I have not a hard heart? and have I not entertained you with the ftories of farmer George's worried fheep, and alderman Skinner; of the K-g's hunting with parfon Young; of the dead dog and the orthodox divine? and all to make you as merry in reading as I was in writing them - then why the p- this complaint of the want of variety ?" Cry your mercy, mafter Peter, your plea must be allowed: you have, it is confeffed, given, in this individual poem, various fpecimens of your poetic talents |