A Second Letter to her Grace the Dutchess of Devonshire. 4to. 13′′ Fielding and Walker. "She fighs, and is no dutchefs at her heart." POPE. Such is the letter-writer's motto.-But how a writer came to be fo well acquainted with the Dutchess of Devonshire's heart, who is at the fame time fo inconfiftent as to labour to prove that "Narciffa wants for nothing but a heart," we do not readily conceive.-We hardly think this Second letter is written by the author of the first; already noticed in our laft Review. It appears, indeed, by an anecdote respecting the dutchefs's pretended want of generofity to fome female scribbler, to be one of those Grub-street productions, of which men of letters (if fuch they may be called) ought to be afhamed: a kind of threatening letters, with which booksellers' journcymen, printers' devils, and fnuff-taking mantuamakers, pefter people of fashion, in order to extort money from them. If perfons of rank are really fo taftelefs as to be no longer patrons of genius and literature, why do not these bright geniuses leave them to the contempt fo juftly their due, and have nothing to fay to them? Why throw away fo much wit and wifdam on fuch foolish beings as men and women of quality? It is plain on which fide the folly lies, and on which fide the impudence. * Six Odes prefented to that jufly-celebrated Hiftorian Mrs. Catharine Macaulay, on her Birth-day, and publicly read to a polite and brilliant Audience, affembled April the Second at AlfredHoufe, Bath, to congratulate that Lady on the happy Occafion. Printed and Sold by R. Cruttwell, Bath, for the Benefit of a worthy Clergyman in Distress. 4to. Is. 6d. Dilly. As Charity, we are told, will hide a multitude of fins, it may well lay claim to the right of concealing a few follies. As the lefs that is faid, therefore, of this publication the better, we shall only obferve that we conceive a little miftake has occurred in the title-page, and that, inftead of April the Second, it should have been April the FIRst! The The Contraft: or, Strictures on Select Parts of Doctor Price's "Additional Obfervations on Civil Liberty, &c." Forming a Concife State of the prefent Currency; an Impartial View of the Trade and Government of the Kingdom; the Caufe and Confequences of the War with America; and a Sketch of the Debts and Revenues of France. By A. Charles Dodd. 8vo. Is. Fielding and Walker. We are told in an advertisement prefixed to these strictures, that the reason why their publication fucceeds Dr. Price's at fo great a distance of time, is, that the author was in a foreign country when the Doctor's pamphlet first appeared; which did not till lately, therefore, come to his knowledge. This it no fooner did, however, than, without reading or ever having read any former publications of that gentleman's, he immedi ately compofed the ftrictures which form the following sketch: a few days only having elapfed between his firft seeing Dr. Price's Additional Obfervations and this pamphlet's going to prefs. In this particular there is certainly a ftriking contraft between the Observations of Dr. Price and the Strictures of Archer Charles Dodd. The former, however in the wrong, taking fufficient time at leaft to investigate the subject; the latter, however in the right, taking much too little for fo profound an inveftigation. The confequence is, as might be expected.. Indeed, notwithstanding the name of A. Charles Dodd appears in the title-page of this pamphlet, the moft pertinent and bestwritten part of it was the production of the late celebrated Mr. Rowe : Ill befall Such meddling priests who kindle up confufion, Interefting Letters of Pope Clement XIV (Ganganelli). Vol. III. Likewife an Original Letter, in Answer to M. Voltaire's Objections to the Authenticity of Ganganelli's Letters. 8vo. 8vo. 5s. Durham. This volume confifts, like the former, of common-place obfervations or reflections on popular characters and fubjects, dreffed up in an agreeable vivacity of ftile, that serves to recommend them to fuperficial readers. The answer to the objections to the authenticity of the letters is like many other anfwers, defective in bearing no application to the queftion. *** A Let Free Thoughts on the American Contest. 8vo. Edinburgh. A liberal difcuffion of our difputes with America; in which is difplayed a confiderable degree of knowledge of the subject, as well as ftrength of argument. * Treatife on the Ufe and Abuse of Mineral Waters: Alfe Rules neceffary to be obferved by Invalids who visit the Chalybeate Springs of the Old and New Tunbridge Wells. Together with fome Remarks on the immoderate Ufe of Sea Water. By Hugh Smith, M. D. Author of the Family Phyfician, and of Letters to Married Women upon the Management of Infants, with a View to prevent the Difeafes incident to Children. 8vo. 6d. Kearfley. It is obferved by this writer, that, "with refpect to the Ufe of Sea Water, and alfo the Chalybeate Waters, Mankind in general are their own Physicians. Thofe who frequent the Bathing-Places, the Chalybeate Spring of Tunbridge in Kent, or that of the New Tunbridge Wells near Iflington-nineteen out of twenty of them are governed by their own Opinions, or by the Example of others they meet at fuch Places, who are as much mistaken as themselves. "To fuch Invalids, therefore, fays he, I particularly address myself, The World, it must be confessed, are too fond of Quackery—but if they will continue to quack themfelves, it is at least meritorious to prevent them doing a real Injury to their Conftitusions, by putting them in a better way of managing themselves." With this laudable view, is this treatise given to the public; the author very properly premifing, that he thinks it his duty, however, "As a well-wisher to mankind, to advise every one who is really ill to confult the perfon who has the care of his health, not only as to what should be taken preporatory to the ufe of the waters, but likewise as to the quantity proper to be drunk, the regimen neceffary to be purfued while he is drinking the waters; and, in many cafes, to be directed to fome little medicinal aid, which may be thrown in at proper intervals, to affift the efficacy of the waters themfelves. Without these precautions, half of the patients deprive themselves of the advantages they might receive from the use of Mineral Waters." We are perfectly of Dr. Smith's opinion in this refpect, and under this reftriction may venture to recommend his pamphlet as an ufeful and falutary Vade-mecum to perfons afflicted with fuch diforders as require the use of Mineral Waters. Northern Northern Tour, or Poetical Epiftles. 4to. 2s. Wilkie. The reader, who may have been amufed with Drunken Barnaby's Journal to the North of England, will probably expect a repetition of the fame kind of entertainment in the prefent Epiftles. He will, however, be mistaken; the author, of the poetical tour before us, being a very different kind of a Genius to Drunken Barnaby. Sobriety, indeed, feems to be fo much his fort, that we do not find him ever in the leaft danger of intoxication, even from fumes of poetic inspiration. From his motto you may judge both of the Writer and his. Epifcles, To contemplation's fober eye, And they that creep and they that fly, This may be an apology for your creeping geniuses; among whom we may reckon this writer; but it will recommend him but little to those who are accuftomed to the flights of fuch as are capable of foaring to the loftier heights of Parnaffus. And yet fo little does our Epiftolizer feem to know his own talents, that he appears to be fufpicious that he has foar'd too high, tho, like a little boy's kite, his Mufe's tail has trailed upon the ground for the whole fix hundred miles of his tour. "If my afpiring Mufe has foar'd too high, And far beyond herself has aim'd to fly," Beyond herself! That had been a flight indeed almoft as good as Harlequin's attempt to leap out of his fkin.-- "She fhall offend no more-I'll chip her wing" How one wing! By no means; that will make her hop, and hobble ten times worfe than he does. "And teach her in more humble notes to fing." That we defy you, Mr. Traveller.-If you are for making any more tours with her, for Heaven's fake clip both her wings, and let her go gently on foot; for, as you juftly obferve, it amounts to the fame thing, whether the creeps or flies: the can but fet out again from London July 6th, and return back by the 6th of the next month; ending where fhe began, The Champion of Virtue. A Gothic Story. By the Editor of the Phoenix, a Tranflation of Barclay's Argenis. 12mo. 35. Keymer, Colchester.-Robinson, London. This Novel cannot be better characterized than in the words of the Editor's preface, as an attempt to unite the various merits of the ancient romance and modern novel: to attain which end, there is required a fufficient degree of the marvellous to excite attention-enough of the manners of real life to give an air of probability to the work-and enough of the pathetic to engage the heart in its behalf.—This was the profeffed purpose of the Romance, entitled, The Caftle of Otranto; in which, however, the Editor of the present work thinks, the author failed in the point of probability. How far the author of The Champion of Virtue has fucceeded better, he modeftly fubmits to the judgment of the reader; who, we will venture to fay, will be at leaft as agreeably as morally entertained by its perufal. A Letter to George Hardinge, Efquire, on the Subject of a Passage in Mr. Steevens's Preface to his Impreffion of Shakespeare. 4to. 2s. 6d. Kearlley. It is obferved, by the Poet, "That each bad writer hath as bad a friend.": It is, indeed, hardly poffible for the vileft scribbler not to find an admirer. If this may be faid of writers in general, it may' with peculiar propriety be faid of critics; want of tafte being full as congenial as the want of talents. Thus Mr. Capell, the famous fcholiaft on Shakespeare, hath here found a brothercritic, who attempts to raise the reputation of his notes and text of that poet, above thofe of Mr. Steevens; with what fuccefs time will fhew, if Time fhall deign to trouble his bald pate about it. To our CORRESPONDENTS. The feveral Letters and Replies, that were intended to be inferted this Month, will be given in our Appendix. |
