The Duchefs of Devonshire's Cow; a Poem. 4to. 6d. Bew. A compliment to the Duchefs of Devonshire's generosity; which has of late been impeached by certain adventurers in the republic of letters; but extended, as we learn from the piece before us, to the poffeffor of an half-ftarved cow.-If poverty, in any condition, be a plea with her Grace, fhe cannot beftow her charity on a more proper object than on the writer of this poem; who, for his condition, is in point of genius, one of the pooreft of all poffible poets. The Duke of Devonshire's Bulls to the Duchefs of Devonshire's Cow. A poetical Epifle ker. We have been many a time entertained with a ftory of a cock and a bull; but this of the cow and the bull is very dull and infipid. The joke, fuch as it is, reaches no farther than the title-page. The Calf's Will, published with the Permiffion of his Executors. Is. Kearfly. 4to. This calf we half fufpected to be an illegitimate offspring of the cow and bull abovementioned: but on perufal we find him to be of another family. His teftament, which is without a codicil, and not ill-written, is nevertheless a mere bleating piece of business. It is fatirical, but little pointed; and if it be true that it was drawn up by a man of the law, we prefume he must have been an Hibernian; as, in making a calf's will, he has evidently made a bull; even a bull-calf being a minor, and confequently incapable of devifing any thing by will. An Heroic Epifle to the noble Author of the Duchefs of Devonfhire's Cow. 4to. Is. IS. Béw. Ne quid Nimis! A truce, fcriblers, with your abuse of the horned cattle, left we fhould fufpect you to be of a species whofe ears are as long as their horns. VOL. V. X x X The The Gentle Shepherd, a Dramatic Poem. In five Acts. Done into English from the Original of Allan Kamfay, by Corneaus Vanderstep. 8vo. Is. 6d. Shropshire. Really if Mr. Cornelius Vanderftop (whom by his name, we take to be a Dutchman) had krown when to ftop, he would have gone no farther than the first page, in attempting to tranflate Scotch into English.-But we beg his pardon, he does not fay tranflated, but done, into English.-We with notwithstanding, that he had not meddled with the matter, for he has totally undone it for the Scotch, and we are persuaded it will not do for the English. * The First Day of April; or the Triumphs of Folly. A Poem. Dedicated to a celebrated Duchefs. By the Author of the Diaboliad. 4to. 2s. 6d. Bew. This literary Flagellant lays about him at a ftrange rate. Like a Malayan he runs a muck at all he meets. By the number of the votaries at his Temple of Folly, we cannot help thinking an April-day too fhort for the performance of their devotions. To fay truth, in the great Temple of Folly of this metropolis, the firft of April feems to laft all the year. It may be thought alfo one of the greatest inftances of Folly, for an individual to affect to be wifer than the age he lives in; efpecially if it works him up to the frenzy of reforming the world. *** Additions to the Diaboliad. A Poem. 4to. IS. Kearfly. A few characters are here introduced, which figure with fuitable company. Polly, an Opera. Altered from Gay. 8vo. IS. Evans. The fequel of the Beggar's Opera, prohibited when first written, and now licenfed; the exceptionable parts being taken out, or perhaps now deemed inoffenfive. It has been lately reprefented, but with little fuccefs, at Foote's (now Colman's) theatre in the Haymarket. The The Right of sovereignty afferted. An Ode By Thomas Warwick, Efg 4to. Is. Dodley. An odd title this, it may be aid, for a poetical Ode! It had been with more propriety prefixed to a political differtation, -But no matter, there is an enthufiafm in politics as well as in poetry, both kinds of which feem to have animated 'Squire Warwick at the fame time. Serioufly there breathes a fpirit both of poetry and patriotifm in this piece, that reflects no little honour on the genius and loyalty of the author, ** The Poems and Miscellaneous Compofitions of Paul Whitehead. With explanatory Notes on his Writings, and his Life written by Capt. Edward Thomson. 4to. 10s. 6d. Keariley. We cannot help thinking feveral ingenious writers lately deceafed, particularly unfortunate in their Biographers. Capt. Thompson, indeed, had not an opportunity of difgracing Mr. Whitehead, as fome others have done their deceafed friends, by the publication of pofthumous trumpery.-Peace to the manes of Shenstone and Gray!-He may be faid in two inftances, however, to have robbed Peter to pay Paul; afcribing to Mr. Paul Whitehead fome verfes ou the death of Mrs. Pritchard and a famous fong fung at Ranelagh; both which, one would have thought every body must have known, were written by Mr. William Whitehead, the Poet-Laureat.-Not that, if these pieces had been Paul's, they would have done him difcredit; but that this inftance, of the Biographer's want of information in fuch notorious particulars, very naturally fuggefts a doubt, refpe&ting the authenticity of others related in the narrative of the Poet's life; which is wire-drawn to a confiderable length and is as flimzy a piece of biographical fleazy as ever was twisted. * All the World's a Stage. A Farce, in two Acts, as performed at the Theatre-Royal in Drury-Lane. 8vo. Is. Wilkie. "And all the men and women merely players." So fays Shakespeare, from whom the defign of this little piece appears to be taken. For what an infinite variety of theatrical entertainment does not the inexhauftible treasury of that writer's works afford a lafting fund! Venus attiring the Graces. 4to. Is. DodЛley. A fatire on the drefs of our modern fine ladies; but too elegant and refined a reprehenfion to be ineffectual with thofe, on whom the fevereft fcourge of ridicule has already been employed to no purpose. Old Ballads, biftorical and narrative; with fome of modern Date; now firft collected and reprinted from rare Copies with Notes. 2 vols. 8vo. 8s. Evans. As it The fuccefs, which attended Dr. Percy's publication of a collection of old Ballads, has, it feems, incited the present Editor to publish a kind of fupplement to that work ufually happens, however, the fupplement is not of equal value with the original publication. Nor was it to be expected there muft have been an abundant harvest indeed, and the leafers very negligent, where the second gleaning is as good as the firft, The prefent collection is yet not deftitute of merit, An Epiftle from Shakespeare to his Countrymen. 4to. 15. Richardfon and Urquhart. Poor Shakespeare! How horribly is thy fhade tormented, to burn in enfe at the altars of thine high-prieft !-Thou, it is true, haft been the God of his Idolatry. But as priefts of all religions are the fame, fo, like others, he was profeffionally bound to make the most of thee. He has done it, and woe be to thine altars for the future. Not a fingle levite has he trained up to ferve thee; fo that thy God will as ufual be loft in the prieft, and at beft prove a second-hand divinity.—This Epiftolizer is a witnefs.ow hath he made the deity kifs the breech of his faid high-prieft! How!-but, no more-the practice is moft ridiculous in a man, who pretends to philosophy, and talks bout Grotius and the immortality of the foul.-It were futile, however, to difpute on fuch a fubject, with a mortal, who certainly can have no fpirit, whatever may be faid of his foulo P. Poetical Poetical Frenzy; or, a Venture in Rhyme. 4to. 1 s. 6d. Baldwin. If this Rhymer be really frantic, we compaffionate his Frenzy but if like Hamlet, he be only mad at North NorthWeft, we would advife him, the next time he puts his antic difpofition on, to play his tricks a little more confiftently. There is a method, we are told, even in madness, and as the pleasure of it is fuch that none but mad-men know, the generality of rea lers, who are not fo poetically mad as our author, may think he ought to be confined to ftraw and a dark chamber, till the want of pen, ink, and paper, reftore him to his fenfes. For a venture, however, if this be the first time, it is somewhat excuseable; he may poffibly fucceed better if he tries again. *** Nummus Splendidus. 4to. Is. Crowder. A tranflation of Philips's fplendid fhilling into Latin Hexameters, well-executed and accompanied with the English original. The Milefian: A Comic Opera, in two Acts, as performed at the Horatio and Amanda. A Poem. 4to. 15. Robfon. The tale of two unfortunate lovers (for lovers will be unfotunate, were it only to give the poet the trouble of telling their tale) is here told in no unpoetical strain. John the Painter's Ghost. 4to. Is. 6d. Williams. An ill-written parody on the ballad of William and Mar garet, |
