Alas! poor gentleman, exclaim our readers-He is ftrangely difor dered. What can poffibly be done for him? "Run for a Surgeon, breathe the middle vein." Hold, hold, good folks, the Author will do extremely well. He dates from the College of Phyficians. He is therefore in good and proper hands. Evacuants, and fo forth, you know-In a word, if any people can bring him to his fenfes, it is undoubtedly the hoft of Warwick-lane. Art. 61. Sketches of Beauty, natural and moral, facred to Love and Virtue. In x Books. Defigned for the late Lady Viscountess Valentia. 12mo. 3 s. 6d. Stockdale. 1787. We have here," Not three incomprehenfibles, but one incomprehenfible *.". • Along the vegetative, foul-fequefter'd vale, Twice pleafed, modeftly fhines, it comes and goes A moment paus'd their blifs; while fhe relates The writer proceeds through two hundred and thirty-eight pages, involved in mift and obfcurity. What he would be at (as the phrafe is) we cannot tell. The whole, indeed, appears to us a matter as difficult to expound as was heretofore the riddle of Sphinx. The Author appears to be a good man: we are only forry that his meaning, as a poet, is not equally apparent. Art. 62. The Tears of IERNE, an Elegiac Poem; on the Death of the late Duke of Rutland. By John Williams, Efq; Author of the Children of Thefpis, &c. 4to. 1 s. Strahan, in the Strand. 1787. I When real grief would exprefs its feelings, on occafions fimilar to that which excited the Tears of Ierne, it ought to be refpected; efpecially as it may fometimes happen, that private friendship may join in lamenting the public lofs and even faulty expreffions of poetic forrow fhould, in fuch cafes, be exempted from all feverity of criticifm. The prefent compofition, therefore, fhall pass without particular animadverfion, though it poffeffes general merit fufficient to entitle it to the critical reader's attention. *See Mr. W.'s fpeech in Anticipation 1778. Art. Art. 63. A Poetical Epiftle from a Loufe, to Peter Pindar, Efq; or the Loufe banished from Court. 4to. 2 S. Robinfons, &c. 1787. We had much rather hear Peter Pindar fing of a loufe, than liften to a loufe addreffing itself to Peter Pindar-compared to whom, this creeper in poetry is but a nit.-Let not the ingenious infect, however, be too much mortified. A nit is fomething.Something, too, endowed with animation; and we have not faid that it was nothing of a poet: nor is it every egg of a loufe that can hatch and bring forth epiftles in verfe. Art. 64. An irregular Ode to General Elliot. By Henry Francis Cary. 4to. Birmingham printed, by Piercy. No Price. ADVERTISEMENT prefixed: It is hoped the candid Reader will pardon many imperfections in the following piece, on account of the extreme youth of the Author, who is not more than fifteen years of age.' After noting the above information, we perufed the Ode to which it relates, and were agreeably disappointed, for we expected to meet with many, and, perhaps, material imperfections in the verfes of fo young an Author; but this extraordinary piece affords the critic very little occafion to exercife the rod of correction. On the contrary, there is as much to commend as can well be imagined, in fo fmall a poem. We may, therefore, look for a confiderable degree of excellence in the more mature productions of General Elliot's juvenile panegyrist. Art. 65. The Battle of Haftings: an Heroic Poem. 4to. Kearney. 1787. I s. 6 d. A mock heroic, the subject of which is, the contest between the accufers and the friends of the late Governor-general of the British Eaft Indies. The Minifterialifts, arranged in defence of Mr. Haftings, are led on by the Premier; to whom are oppofed, Meffrs. Fox, Burke, and Sheridan, at the head of the affailants.-But the Oriental Chief being wounded in the conflict, he is abandoned by Mr. Pitt. The action, however, does not prove decifive: Jove weighs in the old scales, the fate of the war; but As yet unfix'd th' eternal balance hung, Now funk by right, and now by favour fwung.' The bard who, not without ability, celebrates the hard-fought day, is evidently inclined to the Foxites. DRAMATIC. Art. 66. The Pilgrim. A Comedy. In five Acts. Written origi nally by Fletcher; afterwards altered by Dryden; now revived, with material Additions, &c. 8vo. 1 S. Lowndes. 1787. Fletcher, as a dramatift, is fecond to none but Shakespeare. In almost every one of his plays, we fee a bold and ftriking image of Nature:-not indeed fuch an image of her as the chiffel of a Phidias or a Praxiteles would produce, but rough-hewn, and bearing much the femblance of her original form. With refpect to the Pilgrim, however, we do not think that it is to be ranked among the happieft of his poetical efforts. Beauties REV, Jan, 1788. G iç it certainly poffeffes; but they are few, and covered with ruft. Now, to remove the incrustation, yet leave the figure wholly uninjured, requires a nice and delicate hand. The attempt has long ago been made, but without fuccefs. The modern embellishments are too plainly feen. In fine, the language, as it now appears, reminds us in fome fort of that of Butler's hero, which we are told was English cut on Greek and Latin, Like fultian heretofore on fatin." The turning the blank verfe into profe, or, as Mr. Bayes fo hap pily expreffes it, tranfprofing, is likewife, in our opinion, a capital fault. Why this has been done, we are at a lofs to conjecture, unless indeed it was in the hope of bringing down the Poet to a level with the Alterer. A contrary effort, though unfuccefsful, might have merited praife. The prefent publication differs little from that of Vanbrugh *, who first attempted to bring the Pilgrim on the ftage in an altered habit, except that the indecencies are pretty carefully lopped away. Art. 67. English Readings; a Comic Piece, in one Act. 8vo. Dilly. 1787. I S. A kind of Interlude, in which the fondness for English Readings is attempted to be ridiculed; but why, we cannot imagine. We really think, that paffages felected from fome of the most admired of the British writers, and delivered by an able speaker, may prove at least as rational an entertainment, as that with which Mr. Hughes, Mr. Aftley, or any other equeftrian hero can prefent us. NOVELS. Art. 68. The Adventures of Numa Pompilius, fecond King of Rome. Tranflated from the French of M. de Florian. 2 Vols. Crown 8vo. 6s.. Boards. Dilly. 1787. In the Appendix to Review, vol. 75. page 513. our Readers will find an account of Numa Pompilius, as originally published in French. We have nothing to add to what was then faid on the particular merits of this truly elegant romance. The tranflation is spi rited and faithful. Art. 69. The Happy Art of Teazing. Crown 8vo. 3 s. 6d. Boards. Jamefon. 1787. The Reviewer of the modern novel is in the fituation of Hercules encountering the Hydra.- One head lopped off, two or three immediately fpring up in its place With thefe he is again obliged to combat; and though he has an Iolaus to fupply him with brands, the monster obftinately and fearlessly maintains its ground. The Author of the work before us is an adept in the art of teazing and fatiguing his reader. He, therefore, who is obliged to follow him thro' the whole of the ridiculous story here related, may furely reckon it among his labours, and even confider it as none of the leaft. * The Editor is mistaken in saying the alterations were made by Dryden. That great man was only employed in writing a Prologue and Epilogue, and a Secular Mafque at the conclusion of the piece. HORTI HORTICULTURE. Art. 70. The Gardener's univerfal Guide: or experimental Art of Gardening. Containing plain and familiar Inftructions, founded on Experience, for performing every Part of that pleafant and useful Art, both for Ornament and Pleafure, &c. &c. By Andrew Ferguson, Gardener, at Brentford. 8vo. 5 s. bound. Cooke. Miller's Gardener's Dictionary, a work too expenfive for fome gardeners, and too fcientific for others, even in its abridged forms, is the chief root from which many practical books on gardening have fprouted: Mr. Ferguson's compilement feems to be of this number; though fome original remarks may have been introduced.-The Publisher can beft account for its having been advertised as a new work in the year 1787; but many paffages in the book fhow that it muft have been written, if not first published, near twenty years ago; of which the following is an inftance: Among a number of pine-apples raised two years fince in the island of Antigua, there appeared one of an extraordinary fize and form; covered as well as crowned by its new offspring. This was brought into England, preferved in a kind of pickle, and prefented to her Royal Highnefs the Princefs Dowager of Wales, who is pleafed to honour thefe ftudies with her moft gracious protection and regard.' From a variety of circumftances, but more efpecially from the ftyle of the book, and the recollection of several facts, we fufpect that the late indefatigable Dr. Hill's plan has been ufurped by the Brentford gardener; if any fuch gardener can there be difcovered. THEOLOGY, &c. Art. 71. Prælectio ad Actum Publicum habitum Cantabrigia, 8vo. Id. Mart MDCCLXXXVII. Autore Gulielmo Cooke, in Academia Cantabrigienfi Græcarum Literarum Profeffore Regio. 4to. Is. Cadell. The queftion difcuffed in this academical differtation is, Whether the infpiration of the New Testament extends to individual words? The Orator maintains the affirmative. In fupport of this pofition, after fome general remarks on the writings of the Evangelifts, he infifts on several expreffions of our Saviour, which he judges to have comprehended a fublime meaning, far beyond their literal fignifica tion; and concludes with remarking, that fcarcely any words proceeded from the lips of the Bleffed Jefus, which were not fpiritual and myftical, and defigned to form within us that fpiritual and myftical character, which is Chrift in us the hope of glory' and that this fpiritual meaning can only be perceived by thofe, whofe understandings he hath opened that they may understand the fcriptures.'-A doctrine, which, furely, opens a wide door to fanaticifm. 6 Art. 72. A Letter to Samuel Johnson, LL. D. on the Subject of a Future State. By John Taylor, LL. D. Prebendary of Westminster, &c. 4to. 1 S. Cadell. 1787. We began the perufal of this letter with fome degree of curiosity and expectation; but must confefs, that we have been not a little * Dr. Hill's plan was to multiply books under fictitious names. G 2 I dif difappointed, to meet with fo indiftinct an account of the grounds on which the ancients believed the doctrine of a future state; and fo incomplete a view of the natural and moral arguments, by which modern writers have fupported it. The language of Chriftian theologians is put into the mouths of Heathen philofophers; and abfolute certainty is given to conclufions drawn from merely probable premifes. Upon the most fteady contemplation and investigation of matter, philofophers,' fays our Author, established this truth, that as matter is incapable, by any power of its own, either of action, or fenfation, that therefore the foul is independent of the body, and therefore immaterial, and confequently immortal. Here you fee, that natural religion alone proves, beyond a doubt, the immortality of the foul, confequently the abfurdity and folly of annihilation.' True philofophers feldom ftep forward in their reafonings thus haftily, or affert their deductions with fo much confidence. Art. 73. Sermons on various Subjects, and preached on feveral Occafions. By the late Rev. Tho. Francklin, D. D. Chaplain in Ordinary to his Majesty, and Rector of Brafted in Kent. Vol. III. 7s. Boards. Cadell. 1787. This volume of Difcourfes is of the fame character with the two which preceded it; in matter, plain and practical, without any particular pretenfions to originality; in ftyle, natural and easy, in fome places rifing into elegance, in others finking into negligence and inaccuracy. Notwithstanding their defects, they will generally be read with pleasure, and, if it be not the reader's own fault, with profit. Art. 74. Two Sermons on a hopeful Youth falling fhort of Heaven: extracted partly from Dr. Watts's Sermons on the fame Subject. 12mo. 4d. Symonds. 1787. There was fomewhat peculiarly decent and engaging in Dr. Watts's manner. A degree of resemblance is preferved in this publication, faid to be partly extracted from his difcourfes, which, perhaps, are not very confiderably altered: one paffage we do not recollect in the original: it relates to pride, calumny, and ill-temper, and is as follows: Some people, with a greater regard for Speculative than practical religion, have faid wittily, and in order (as it fhould feem) to palliate this vice among the coarfe and lowest claffes of mankind, that "Grace fometimes grows on a crab-tree *." Unfortunate faying! defigned to veil an eafy befetting fin, and to make wickednefs tolerable. Not fo faid the apoftle James; when he reafoned about the fame matter, he argued thus; Doth a fountain fend forth at the fame place fweet water and bitter? &c. The natural behaviour which arifes from Christianity, is diftinguished by decency and loveliness; and it produces in men, not only the things which *We remember to have heard,-long ago, of fomewhat like this fhrewd faying; which was then afcribed to the late celebrated Mr. (commonly styled Tom) Bradbury, an eminent Diffenting Minifter. Speaking of thofe four Chriftians who make religion look ugly, he [if B. was the man] pleafantly, but farcaftically faid, “Aye, we do, fometimes, fee grace grafted on a crab-ftock." are |