Too much of this fame spleen, Relent, and give me back your heart Whether Phoebus, has given the barda call,' or he has fung in fpite of his admonitions; whether his Pegafus is the poetical high-bred fteed of antiquity, or only a hack, or a hobby-horse, are queftions which we fhall not attempt to difcufs. We fhall only obferve, in plain and fimple terms, that this paffage is the moft favourable fpecimen of the author's abilities, which we could poffibly felect. For at the conclufion he fays: I have taken uncommon pains with this ode; it is Horace's Apology to an in jured lady, and his tranflator's to all-whom he may, at any time, have offended.' Poems on various Subjects and Occafions. By Mrs. Savage. z voli Small 8vo. 5s. Jewed. Parker. The rapid progrefs of the prefent age toward the refinements of civilization is remarkable, and as, far as we can find, unparalleled in hiftory. Never did fo many valuable improvements take place, never were so many prejudices abolished, in fo fhort a time. With regard to the fair fex, this change has been moft confpicuous. Their natural talents are no longer left uncultivated, but difplay themselves to the greateft advantage. Their acquire ments render them more amiable than ever, and enable them to give the rifing generation a more liberal and rational education. Their writings, frequently more foft and engaging than those of men, give a new turn to several fubjects, and become useful and ine ftructive, as well as amufing, to mankind in general. Their poetry is justly esteemed the fweeteft, tendereft, and moft remarkable for imagery. What farther proofs shall we alledge? Inftead of the fingle Sappho of antiquity, we can mufter many names of equal, and fome of fuperior value, in our little ifland, who, far from confining their abilities to the narrow limits of lyric poetry, ftand foremost in various fpecies of writing, both in profe and verse. Indeed, science and knowledge of all kinds, are at prefent much more eafily attainable by all ranks of people; the number of books daily encreafing, and the practice of reading being more general than ever. Under these circumstances, we cannot help thinking a lady inexcufable, who ventures to write for the pub lic's eye, when fhe has not received that degree of genteel edu cation, which is within moft perfon's reach, and indifpenfibly neceffary for enabling a perfon to write well. Mrs. Savage is con fcious of being a ftranger even to the grammar of her native tongue,' and calls herfelf a woman of bufinefs, who is not five mi nutes alone from morn to night. Her poems are fuch as juftify this L 4 af affertion, without any of thofe qualities, which, though undeferving of commendation, might at leaft withhold the tongue of cenfure. We fummon the whole fex to exercise their talents, and invite them to partake of that liberal approbation, and that heartfelt praife, which a really enlightened and indulgent public has in ftore for them :-but let them beware left they make their appearance in a flatternly undress. Poems for Ladies, 8va. 35. Donaldson. Dandelion, daifies, blue bottles, and butter-cups, collected from fome little meadow, at the foot of Parnaffus. The Apparition or Dr. Dodd's baft Legacy. Addreffed to Lord 410. 1. Bell, Bel-yard. The Apparition appears to lord S. and gives him a curtainlecture; but it feems to be the lecture of an old woman; which cannot be fuppofed to have any fort of influence on his lordship. A Satire. Aljo, an Imitation of the First Satire of Boileau. 4to. 15. Almon. The former of those pieces confifts of a poetical converfation between the author and his friend, on the propriety of expofing the fashionable follies of the times. The author had perhaps done better to have likewise advised with the fame oracle refpecting the Imitation of the French poet. For though the sense of Boileau be not badly tranflated, the few imitations which occur, feem to be moftly dictated rather by prejudice than any particular aptitude of allufion. We doubt not, however, of meeting with many more of the productions of this author, if what is faid in the motto be true. Paupertas impulit audax Ut verfus facerem DRA MATI C. 1 An Effay on the Character of Hamlet. As performed by Mr. Henderfon, at the Theatre Royal in the Hay-market. 8vo. Flexney. 15. The defign of this fenfible aud well-written Effay, is to point out the beauties and defects of Mr. Henderfon in his performance of the very complicated and difficult character of the Prince of Denmark. The author, whoever he be, has difplayed a confiderable degree of acuteness and taste in his remarks; and justice requires us to acknowledge that the public has confirmed his decifions, and agrees to reprefent the excellencies of our youthful Rofcius, as more than fufficient to apologize for a few flight and juvenile imperfections. The commendations bestowed on him in this pamphlet, are no weak teftimonies of his fuccefs; for a long time has elapfed fince the appearance of any actor, who could entitle himfelf to the notice of fo able and fo jupicious a writer. LAW. An Argument in the Cafe of Ebenezer Smith Platt, now under Confinement for High Treafon. 4to. 1s. 6d. Kearfly. The author of this pamphlet, having discovered that he knows more law than the chief juftice of the King's Bench, and his affiftants, obligingly informs us of his discovery. America would never have seen fo much as one British hand holden up for her, if her advocates had not chofen much ftronger ground than that on which this author has drawn up his rebel troops. He wishes to prove,' he fays, in his prefatory epiftle to lord Mansfield, which is not particularly pertinent, how confonant to law and juftice his lordship's determination was, in the case of Ebenezar Smith Platt (as there are some people in the world ridiculous enough to fuppofe it was founded on neither), and to fhew how ill advised and untenable an application that gentle man's was for admiffion to bail on the Habeas Corpus Act.' The author, as we conjecture, meant this only ironically. But we are in earnest when we fay, that to our judgments he has proved it moft literally. Confiderations on the Game Laws, together with fome Stri&ures on Dr. Blackstone's Commentaries relative to this Subject. 8vo. Is. 6d. Bew. This is a fenfible performance, and calculated for the best of all ends-to ferve the community. The ftrictures on Blackftone, if not always juft, are often ingenious; and, if fometimes trifling, are always decent. The author's project and plan, though by no means worthy every commendation, are not however without their merits, nor would be without their uses. What the author proposes by way of preliminary article is adviseable, and, we fhould think, practicable: That all laws, which relate either directly or indirectly to the fubject of game, be totally repealed; and that a new act be framed, containing in one clear compendious view, all that it may be thought proper fhould remain in force of the old laws, free from all ambiguity and obfcurity; befides fuch further regulations as may be deemed expedient.' We devoutly wish that every other branch of the law were to be lopped and pruned in the fame useful manner. The attention of the legislature would not be thrown away upon this publication. Thoughtless Ward. ANovel. By a Lady. 12mo. 35. ferved. Lowndes. An attempt to reprefent the ill-confequences of modern marriages, which owe their origin to motives of intereft, where the heart heart has no concern. A feries of unfortunate events are deduced from fuch a caufe, in the prefent novel, and it must be owned, if it has no other merit, at leaft the intention to inculcate moral leffons, appears to be laudable. The plot, the characters, and the ftyle, feldom rife above that degree of mediocrity, which readily gains admittance into circulating libraries. The laft feenes are, however, affecting, and finished with more care than the reft. The Champion of Virtue. r2mo. 35. fewed. Robinson. The author of this novel propofes to intereft the imagination of his readers, by going into the marvellous, without tranfgreffing the bounds of credibility. He excludes whatever is marked with glaring improbability in the machinery of that famous romance called the Castle of Otranto, but admits extraordinary dreams, and the agency of ghofts. By the help of thefe, he fucceeds to captivate the attention of his readers; and the fory being well contrived, agreeably told, and not very long, may be ranked among thofe which afford a tolerable degree of amufement, without any dangerous tendency. How far it may be excufable in our times to encourage a belief concerning the exiftence of ghofts, we fhall not here determine; but it may be faid that if the dramatic poet is allowed to introduce them with impunity, the novel-writer has a claim to a like indulgence. The Murability of Human Life; or, Memoirs of Adelaide, Marcbionefs of Melville. 3 vols. 12mo. 75. 6d. Jewed. Bew. Improbable events in vulgar language. DIVINITY. Sermons, by the late rev. George Carr. 3 vols. Small 8vo. 75. 6d. . fered. Cadell." The author of thefe difcourfes was born at Newcastle upon Tyne, Feb. 16, 1704-5, and educated at St. John's College, Cambridge, where he took the degree of Bachelor of Arts. Soon after his return to Newcastle, he went into orders, and in the year 1737 was appointed fenior clergyman of the epifcopal chapel at Edinburgh. Here he continued in the faithful difcharge of his facred function till his death, which happened August 18, 1776. Thefe difcourfes were not originally intended for the prefs, but have been felected from a great number, upon a perfuafion, that they might be useful to the public, and bear teftimony to the learning, the tafte, and the eloquence of the preacher. This collection confifts of fifty-three fermons, on the Happinefs of living under the Government of Providence; the Duty of Confideration; the Evidences of the Gofpel; the Parable of the Talents; the Prayer of Agar; the Infufficiency of this World to our Happinefs, and the confequent Probability of a future State; the Government of the Paffions; the Ufe of Afflictions; the Fear of God; the Requifites of Prayer; the univerfal Pre fence fence of God; the Danger of late Penitence; the religious Employment of Time; the Houfe of Mourning; the Refurrection; the general Judgment; and other practical fubjects. Thefe difcourfes are very short, the author generally confining himfelf to the most obvious arguments and inferences. The ftyle, in which he writes, is unaffected, perfpicuous, and manly. Hora Solitaria; or, Essays upon fome remarkable Names and Titles of Jefus Chrift, &c. 8vo. 6s. Dilly. The defign of this work is to prove the divinity of Chrift, or the doctrine of a triune Deity, from certain names and titles, which occur in the Old Teftament, and are ufually applied to Jefus Chrift. It is well known, that all arguments deduced from etymologies are extremely fallacious. For example: Ifaiah, according to the Etymological Dictionary of Calmet, fignifies, the Salvation of the Lord; Joshua, the Lord, the Saviour; Jehofha phat, the Judgment of the Lord; Jehdeiah, one only Lord. From thefe derivations we may as fairly conclude, that Ifaiah, Joshua, Jehoshaphat, and Jehdeiah, were faviours, and deities, as this writer can deduce the doctrine of the Trinity from the words Immanuel, King, Counsellor, Redeemer, Saviour, Wifdom, Light, &c. This is a choice treasure of rabbinical, cabaliftic, and Hutchinfonian learning. A Difcourfe on Repentance. By Thomas Mole. 8vo. 25. Johnson. The author explains the nature of the gofpel difpenfation, and fhews, that repentance is an effential qualification for our receiving forgiveness of fins. He confiders the promise of forgiveness both with respect to the first converts, and the profeffors of Chriftianity in the prefent age. He thews the efficacy of true repentance in obtaining the remiffion of thofe fins, which are committed after the reception of the gospel; and, laftly, inforces the neceffity of repentance, as a condition of acceptance. This is a rational difcourfe, free from thofe enthufiaftic notions, which have been propagated by Calvinifts and Methodists on this subject. A Sermon preached in the Cathedral Church at Bristol, on Sunday, June 29, 1777. By John Camplin, M. A Precentor of Brif tol. Occafioned by the Execution of William Dodd, LL.D. and published at the Request of the Audience. 8vo. 6d. Rivington. A plain fentible difcourfe on 2 Cor. iv. 7. We have this treasure in earthen veffels,' &c.-calculated to fhew, that the evidence of Chriftianity is not weakened by the frailty of its minifters. A Ser |
