Art. 9. The Laws and Customs, Rights, Liberties, and Privileges of the City of London: Containing the feveral Charters granted to the Jaid City, from William the Conqueror to the present Time; the Magiftrates and Officers thereof, and their refpective Creations, Elections, Rights, Duties, and Authorities; the Laws and Cuftoms of the City, as the fame relate to the Perfons or Eftates of the Citizens; the Nature, Jurifaiction, Practice and Proceedings of the feveral Courts in London; and the Acts of Parliament concerning the Cities of London and Westminster, alphabetically di‐· gefted under the following Titles, viz. Adminiftration, Alder-. men, Aliens, Annoyance, Apothecaries, Appeals, Afbes, Attaints, Ballaf, Barbers, Bawdy-houfe, Billingsgate, Blackwellball, Brafs, Brokers and Stockjobbers, Buildings, Butchers, Butter and Cheefe, Carts, Chairs, Churches, Coaches, Coals, Conduits, Conftables, Coopers, Cordwainers, Corn, Debts, Drapery, Election, Fish, Fuel, Garbling and Gauging, Gold and Goldsmiths, Gunpowder, Highways, Jury, Market, Oilmen, Painters and Plasterers, Pavement, Phyficians, Quo Warranto, Recognizances, Sewers, Stockjobbers, Streets, Tithes, Victuallers, Water, Wa termen, Weights and Meafures, and Wine. 12mo. 3s. 6 d. Withy. The matter contained in this volume is too various and extenfive to admit of fuch an abftract as may give the Reader a general view of its feveral heads and fub-divifions: and at the fame time a great part of it, though very useful, is nevertheless too unentertaining to occupy room any where but in the Catalogue. It muft fuffice therefore to take notice that this work is divided into five chapters: of which the firft contains an abridgement of the feveral charters granted to the city of London: the fecond treats of the magiftrates and officers of the city, and their refpective creations, elections, rights, duties, and authorities: the third, of the laws and cuftoms of London, as the fame relate to the perfons or estates of the citizens, viz. of freemen's wills, orphans, apprentices, &c. the fourth, of the nature, jurifdiction, practice, and proceedings of the feveral courts of London: and the fifth gives an account, of the feveral acts of parliament concerning the cities of London and Wettmiafter, alphabetically digefted. Upon the whole, this volume, which confifts of 315 pages of clofe print, comprizes a great deal of information, which may be very ufeful to thofe whofe duty obliges, or whofe curiofity leads them, to make, themselves acquainted with the various fubjects of which it treats. POETICA L. Art. 10. Oppreffion, a Poem. By an American, with Notes by a North-Briton. 4to. 2 S. Moran. Surely, of all the infipid meffes of literature, a ftale hash of political fcurrility is the most difgufiful! Art. II, Art. 11. Eponina, a Dramatic Elay. Addreffed to the Ladies. 8vo. 2s. 6d. Beecroft. Though the ftory of Eponina has fufficient bufinefs and intereft for the drama, it is here fo inartificially and injudiciously worked up, fo full of inelegancies, low trifling images, and infipid dialogue, that it will not even bear a perufal. Art. 12. Abradates and Panthea, a Tale, extracted from Xenophon. By William Wither Beach, Efq; of New College, Oxford. 4to. Is. Fletcher. A pathetic and interefting tale, in which the best and nobleft paffions are exercised: the verfification is eafy, and the conduct of the piece (after making candid allowances for the youth of the English Compofer) will not be thought altogether injudicious. The poem will, however, appear fomewhat obfcure to thofe who have not read the Cyropædia of Xenophon, from which it is extracted. Art. 13. The Courtezan. By the Author of the Meretriciad. 4to. 2s. 6d. Harrifon. This meretricious Bard fhould be declared poet-laureat of the ftews; to which honour he feems entitled, both from the turn of his genius, and the purity of his numbers. The following, from Ovid, is his character of himself: I am the man, (the NASO of my time) Born on the Humber,- -fam'd for lufcious rhime; Begone left I offend with genial joys: Come melting maids and read.. -come longing boys. The Author boafts his acquaintance and friendship with the late Mr. Churchill: we have, with concern, obferved feveral other writers, equally respectable for the morality and decency of their productions, claiming the fame honour: a circumftance which reflects no great honour on the memory of that celebrated Bard. Art. 14. An Elegy, written among the Ruins of an Abbey. By the Author of the Nun. (See Rev. Vol. XXX. p. 117.). 4to. 6 d. Dodfley. We have feveral times expreffed a favourable opinion of this young Writer's genius, which he feems very judiciously to exercife on fuch fubjects as are beft adapted to it. IMAGINATION is the nurfe of Superftition, and has evermore a pleasure in contemplating her ancient monuments.-Thefe, of confequence, become the objects of poetical fpeculation, and are well fuited to the penfive mood of Elegy. But neither in this, nor in any other performance of the fame kind, has the Poet purchas'd the pleasure of enthufiafm at the expence of reason.— He has never failed to expofe the bad effects which the inftitutions of fuperftition have produced, while he borrowed all that was folemn and magnificent about them to adorn his verse, Art. 15. Art. 15. The Sick Monkey, a Fable. "Thursday Afternoon David Garrick Efq; arrived at his Houfe in Southampton-street."-Public Advertifer, April 27, 1765. 4to. Is. 6d. Fletcher. Whether this waggish Bard intended to compliment the British Rofcius on his return from his travels; or whether his defign was to make himself a little merry at Mr. Garrick's expence; or whether he had both or neither of thefe ends in view, we find it fomewhat difficult to determine. Read it, good people, and try what ye can make of it. NOVELS. Art. 16. The Wiltshire Beau, or the Life and Adventures of Ben Barnard. 2 Vols. 12mo. 5 s. Moran. What we have faid of the generality of our Novels, for these fifteen years paft, will ferve for Ben Barnard. It is just as pert, as dull, and as lewd as the rest of the tribe. Art. 17. The Cafle of Otranto, a Gothic Story. Second Edition. 8vo. 3s. Bathoe, When this book was published as a tranflation from an old Italian romance, we had the pleasure of diftinguishing in it the marks of genius, and many beautiful characteristic paintings'; we were dubious, however, concerning the antiquity of the work upon several confiderations, but being willing to find fome excufe for the abfurd and monftrous fiations it contained, we wished to acquiefce in the declaration of the title-page, that it was really a tranflation from an ancient writer. While we confidered it as fuch, we could readily excufe its prepofterous phenomena, and confider them as facrifices to a grofs and unenlightened age. But when, as in this edition, the Caftle of Otranto is declared to be a modern performance, that indulgence we afforded to the foibles of a fuppofed antiquity, we can by no means extend to the fingularity of a falfe tafte in a cultivated period of learning. It is, indeed, more than ftrange, that an Author, of a refined and polifhed genius, fhould be an advocate for re-establishing the barbarous fuperftitions of Gothic devilifm! Incredulus odi is, or ought to be a charm against all fuch infatuation. Under the fame banner of fingularity he attempts to defend all the trash of Shakespeare, and what that great genius evidently threw out as a neceflary facrifice to that idol the cacum vulgus, he would adopt in the worthip of the true God of Poetry. From the initials, H. W. in this edition, and the beauty of the impreffion, there is no room to doubt that it is the production of Strawberry-Hill. Art. 18. Memoirs of a Coquette, or the Hiftory of Mifs Harriot Airy. By the Author of Emily Willis, or the Hiftory of a Natural Daughter. 8vo. 3s. Noble. Mr. Noble is, certainly, a very generous and fair dealer; as he frequently affords his customers a handful of fomething new for their quarterly three fhillings; and though, like this, it should be dull, dry, and ninteresting, yet is not Mr. Noble to blame, but the manufacturer. Art. 19. MISCELLANEOUS. Art. 19. A Letter to the Fellows of a College concerning their Method of Fining, with Tables for Renewals of Years expired in Leafes of ten and twenty Years, and a Propofal to make the Intereft of Money they allow their Tenants upon Renewals the Standard for encouraging Inclosures by their Leffees; with a Table for that Purpofe; ufeful to all Parties interested in Church and College Leafes. 8vo. 6d. Fletcher. Calculated for the emolument of collegiate and ecclefiaftical bodies, whofe leffees have, indeed, in general, fufficient indulgencies, and occupy their eftates on the most advantageous terms. Art. 29. A Letter of free Advice to a young Clergyman. 8vo. 1s. Longman, &c. This is a very judicious and fenfible letter; and we would recommend it to the perufal of every clergyman, whatever be his rank, or his years. Art. 21. Remarkable Trials and interefting Memoirs of the mot noted Criminals. 12mo. 2 Vols. 6s. Nicoll. Thefe Newgate annals will doubtless have their admirers; and it is certain that no kind of reading is more generally entertaining: whether any improvement is to be drawn from a contemplation of the vices and crimes of mankind, is a point that deferves confideration. Art. 22. The Free-mafon's Quadrille, with the Solitary, printed by Order of the Prince of Conti, Grand-mafter of the Lodges in France; and revifed by Mr. De Bergeron, Advocate in Parlia ment, and Perpetual Secretary of the Royal Lodge at Versailles, in French and English, with the Free-mafons Minuet and Countrydance. 12mo. 1 s. Waller. The free-mafons of fome of the principal lodges in France, in order to take off a fcandalous imputation, were politic enough to admit their wives into their affemblies and focieties, and this quadrille is indebted to the female masons for its establishment: the rules are nearly the fame as thofe of the other quadrilles played in France, but there is a variation in the names of the cards, which have been changed in order to conform to the terms of masonry. Art. 23. An Effay towards pointing out, in a short and plain Method, the Eloquence and Action proper for the Pulpit, under which Subject is confidered the Miferies and Hardships of the inferior Clergy of England in general and London in particular, together with a Variety of Remarks and Anecdotes incident to the Subject: And upon fuch of our City Divines as have made themselves popular, (or truly admired) by their Abilities in Pulpit Oratory. By PhiJagoretes. 8vo. 25. Fletcher. One One would at least expect that a man who undertakes to write upon eloquence fhould be a matter of language; but, indeed, there are, as this Author expreffes it, extreme few, who, when they fit down to make a book, confider, quid valeant humeri: eloquence, however, though profeffedly the fubject, is the leaft circumftance in queftion here; for this effay takes into confideration curled hair, fhocks, (which the Writer fays are fhocking) grizzle-wigs, Mr. Kidgell, the pillory, focks, bufkins, and Italian fqueakers. Laftly, and to conclude, it is an effay on the Author himself, on which fubject he thus fayeth or fingeth: If any one my age of you Should chance to enquire, let him know, When Pitt and Legge were call'd by George to ferve the flate. We fincerely advife this young Writer not to spend his time upon a quarto volume on this fubject, as he propofes; for nothing can poffibly be the confequence, but difgrace to himfelf and expence to his book feller. Art. 24. The Young Lady's Geography; containing, an accurate Defcription of the feveral Parts of the known World, &c. &c. compiled from the most eminent Authors, with particular Attention to the Modern State of every Nation. To which is prefixed, an Introduction to Geography; wherein the Terms made ufe of, and the Method of Speedily acquiring a Knowlege of Maps, are explained in fo concife a Manner, as to render the whole perfectly eafy to be attained without the Affiftance of a Teacher. Afo an aftronomical Account of the Motion and Figure of the Earth, the Viciffitudes of Night and Day, and the Seafons of the Year. 3s. Baldwin, &c. 12mo. The many compilations of this kind, which have been published in this country, being, in refpect of their materials, chiefly borrowed from one another, there is little difference among them, except in the points of form, fize, and price. The prefent work feems as likely to anfwer the end of fuch eleinentary publications, as any. The best of them are not free from very great blunders and inaccuracies; but, on the whole, we agree with this Writer, that if young readers, and young ladies cipecially, could be allured to perufe fuch books, were it only by way of amufement, their time would be more advantageoufly, and perhaps not lefs agreeably, employed, than it commonly is, in the perufal of idle and pernicious novels: fuch as too frequently fall into their hands. Our Author, however, might as well have omitted the word accurate, in the beginning of his title-page. The book has no right to it, in its prefent flate; and muft undergo a great deal of correction, for a fecond edition, before it can decently claim that epithet. Art. 25. The Complete Malfler and Brewer: Being a brief DifJertation in Defence of ing-grown Muts. To which is fubjoined, a fhort Appendix, fbewing the tue and ancient Method of making and brewing Long malts. The whole founaed on practical Proof. By a Well-wifler to his Country. Small 8vo. 25. Nicoll, We |