True wifdom's choice is always what is beft; More lofs than gain of this where the good fenfe.' About the middle of the poem, the goddefs of Peace appears to the author; and her appearance is thus defcribed: While thus I fing, and view the woodland ftream, Sitting I fell asleep foon in a dream. Here Peace appears, and in her lily hand An olive branch; fhe faid-O happy land! My Fancy ftruck, these were my words; O Peace! On cow'rdice built infirm, a fad difgrace, Freedom's offspring beyond the At Perplex'd they feem, confirm'd fo much by fact, Perhaps fome patriot working in that foil, Before we close this article, we must remark one other striking beauty in Mr. Pow's compofitions: we notice it, indeed, more particularly, as it conftitutes the very ff nce and foul of defcriptive poetry. We allude to that accurate obfervance of nature, which leads poets, in their defcriptions, to felect particular and interesting parts, and to dwell on minute, and beautiful circumstances; thus viewing matters, not with the cafual glance of a common fpectator, but with the penetrating and analyzing look, the acies oculi, which belongs only to the enlightened. That this friend of Nature's fun' poffeffes the above-mentioned quality, in an high degree, will be evident from from one or two extracts; See in the pamper'd fteed what sprightly grace, His ardor fee anticipates the race; His ardor grows, ftruck with the glancing fkies, Uprear'd he stands, not as a fuppliant begs, For joy he fakes his head between his legs; Fann'd by the breeze, touch'd by the fcorching ray, In yonder field, on a warm harvest day, Once more, and we have done: He' (Nature's fun) on the fhepherd fhines in rufet clad To fee his flocks in health, his lambkins gay, To fee them run, of milk to fuck their fill, Find out their dams by inftinct, wond'rous skill. Art. 34. Reflection, a Poem, in Four Cantos. 4to. 7s. 6d. fewed. Robinsons, &c. 1790. Critics are not without their embarraffments. We confefs our. felves to labour ander confiderable difficulties in offering an opinion + By Fulks Greville. Efg. of of this heterogeneous work. After carefully perufing the poetry and the profe of which it confifts, (and there is, at least, as much profe as poetry,) we did not find it eafy to frame our decifion on its merits. Some parts, it must be confeffed, are enveloped in obfcurity but whether this arifes from the fublimity of the author's Mufe, the profundity of his metaphyfical reflection, or his peculiar manner of expreffing himself, (for when the first part of this poem formerly paffed our critical ordeal, we obferved the author was a Mannerit,) we will not undertake to determine. On this delicate point, we fhall leave the reader to the exercife of his own judgment; only remarking, that as this gentleman's object is Truth, and as he goes to the very bottom of the well for her, he may be supposed to be fometimes out of fight. If we cannot compliment him on the most happy flow and purity of verfification, we nevertheless thank him for having, in feveral parts of his work, contributed to our entertainment; a circumftance for which Reviewers, on whom much oppreffive dollness is obtruded, are always ready to make their acknowlegments. As this gentleman deals much in egotifm, fome may think that it would not have been amifs had he affixed his name: but he has done what amounts to the fame thing: he has fufficiently given us to understand, that he is the ingenious author of MAXIMS, &c. a work of confiderable reputation. See Rev. vol. xix. p. 488. The first part of this poem was published under the title of A Soliloquy in a thatched Building, &c. See Rev. vol. lxxviii. p. 528. Moo-y. Art. 35. Female Characters in Married Life: an Epigrammatic Satire, humbly addreffed to the Wife without a Fault. 4to. pp. 38, 2s. 6d. Stalker. The feveral characters, which are here defcribed, are happily diftinguished in the table of contents, by a fingle, grand, and prominent feature. Thus we have the Pet-fondler,-Love's Boncompanion, the Teeming One,-and the One full of Affectations; -the Painted One,-the Crooked One,-the One tried by Misfortunes, and the One with Child.' A mafter who can thus eafily hit off a likeness, is not always folicitous to finish his pieces with accuracy: but we are pleafed with thefe sketchy performances, and can forgive the want of neatnefs, while we admire the boldness of the effect. The pencil of Mortimer, when employed on the figures of banditti, was never more forcible than our author's pen: The city-dame brags of her great relations, Their wealth and trades-or rather-occupations. Become a lady-as Sir John-requited For city-fervice done the ftate-is knighted A houfe is wanted, fervants, and a coach. "My lady, ftop!"" Why, Sir? I don't encroach: -Your pedigree be damn'd; and d- your blood." Again, The connoiffeurefs, who rich bargains buys, A a 4 "How "How cheap! my dear."-" Madam! I fwear you're cheated." "You have no tafte, my dear!"-"You're damn'd conceited!" "This Drefden fervice-all for fifty-two "At Chriftie's fale."-" D-mn you and Chriftie too." No one, after reading these fpecimens, (and fome that are more fevere, might have been felected,) will fuppofe this author to be a friend of the fair fex. He tells them, however, that he is their friend, and that, In future pages, he'll the task refine; And beauty paint in colours all-divine-' Nay, more to regain their favour, he engages to retaliate on his own fex: If the encouraged mufe purfues her plan; Your caufe fhall fully be reveng'd on man—' Encouragement, we fuppofe, will not be wanting: yet we hope the author will not purfue a plan, founded on fo unchriftian-like a principle, as revenge. o. Art. 36. Tetrachymagogon Hypercriticum: a Piece of Poefy merry and fedate. With all proper Diftance infcribed to Abraham Quarterman, Ale and Iron Draper. By Tom Plumb. 4to. pp. 29. 1s. 6d. Kearsley. 1789. This is one of the bittereft Philippics that we ever read; and all directed against us Reviewers, who are here reprefented as a fet of vile beafts, indeed! I saw, faft fix'd each by his tail, Their hairs, grown fnakes, with rage their roots affail, ―tam TIMIDIS, quanta fit ira feris! But what is the provocation? We have murdered,' it seems, the Muse he lov'd,' and by whom Mr. Plumb hoped to be celebrated : O well had I been born to've died for her! Art. 37. The Filt, a Poem. 4to. pp. 21. 1s. Robin fons. 1789. The treatment with which the ladies are here honoured, is juftified, we are told, by the author's particular fufferings by Mifs Laura.' We are concerned for the poor gentleman:-bur, really, if he were not better killed in making love, than in making verfes, we are not furprized at his ill fuccefs: nor, indeed, can we entertain any flattering opinion of his abilities in either line, from the following fpecimen: One morn, as erft, nor could I, think ye? more; Warm proteftations of eternal love, Which adamantine Maids alone reprove, And all thofe ardent pray'rs, by which we find, But the fuppofing beauty would be priz'd, Fawns moft on him who flogs and kicks him well, The elifion in the word mop'd, [moped,] gives a very unlucky double meaning. Art. 38. The Death of Amnon. A Poem. With an Appendix: containing Paftorals, and other poetical Pieces. By Elizabeth Hands. 8vo. Pp. 127. 35. fewed. Printed at Coventry; and fold by Payne in London. 1789. We are always thankful when authors, by addreffing the public on the nature and merits of their writings, diminish our labours; and especially fo, when, as in the prefent cafe, their opinions agree with our fentiments. Let Mrs. Hands, then, be judge in her own caufe; while we, in the words of Mifs Rhymer and the honeft old Rector, report her decree: Says he, there are various fubjects indeed: With fome little pleafure I read all the reft, But the Murder of Amnon's the longest and best.' P. 52. And open'd his fnuff-box with indolent air; This book, fays he, (fnift, fnift) has in the beginning, Το |