edge of the coin, as in fig. 1.; or exactly coinciding therewith, as in fig. 2. which I take to be much better, in more respects than one." FIG. II. FIG. I. The coin, fays our Author, ought to be much better milled, and to be turned backwards and forwards in the mill, two, three or four times, which method, by milling the coin more gradually, would make it take the impreffion much better, without tearing,. fqueezing, or bending up, the edge of the coin; this might be done without taking up much more time; or. giving any more trouble, and I believe it would be then poffible to mill letters on the edge of double, and even of fingle guineas.' This is, in fubftance, the chief of Lord Mahon's improvement; the practicability and efficacy of which he takes fome pains to enforce and illuftrate. ART. XVII. The Praifes of Poetry, a Poem. By Capel Lofft. 8vo. is: Owen. As niuch has been faid in favour of blank verfe poets, who couldnot rhime, the gothic barbarifm of which practice they have ac cordingly laboured to expofe and explode; fo much of late hath been urged by various verfifiers, incapable of attaining the regular and harmonious flow of Dryden and Pope, against the fameness and monotony of their verfification. And thus becaufe (in the strains of Mr. Lofft) Cowley in a fiery car upborne, To extafy divine lets loofe the reins ; Loft in a rich extravagance of thought; every paltry pretender to poetry may indulge his poor extravagance of thought, let loofe the reins of his poney Pegafus, and trot up and down as irregularly little as he pleafes. If indeed the great Mr. Sheridan's maxim be true, that there is a pleasure in variety, fetting afide every other confideration, thefe poetafters are in the right: but we apprehend that notified critick has no better authority for his maxim than the fublime exordium of a common ballad, Variety is charming." But the votaries of the muses, as well as thofe of Venus, may foon learn that nothing turns fooner to difguft than the pleafure purfued in mere variety. We don't find that honeft Scrub was at all fatisfied with his employment; though, as Archer fays, if variety be the pleasure of life, he had enough of it. To be ferious, the impotence and extravagance of our prefent poetasters are fuch, that, we think, they ought to be rather laid under new restrictions than be delivered from the old. Mafon obferves, of rhime, that the mufe wears its chains, not as those of restraint but "of lovelieft ornament." In his lyric performances, as well as thofe of Gray, the diverfification of their measure is alfo in general delightfully pleafing; but not merely because it is diverfified, but because the tranfition is either eafy and flowing, or pertinent and poetical. Theit fervile imitators divide, like them, their poems into ftanzas; which again they subdivide into fragments, and fritter into pieces of long lines and fhort lines, fometimes tagged with rhimes and fometimes not; fo that thus patched all together, they refemble a harlequin's jacket, compofed of remnants picked up at the piece-brokers. Of this kind is the production before us; with fome lines of which we are tolerably well pleased, as with others we have been totally difgufted. The reader will not entertain the most unfavourable opinion of our poet's talents from the following fpecimens. After a general introductory fection, containing four tanzas, the author gives in the fecond, the origin, defign and ufe of poetry, in four other ftanzas, as follows: 'Twas harmony, 'twas harmony alone Dwelt by th' almighty Father's throne Ere yet creation was, or worlds were made to rise, And the young feeds of future being hid In the vaft jarring mafs of fenfelefs matter lay, Of matter, which the word had caus'd to be→ He fpake; and harmony went forth; Infpir'd with a new foul the fluggish frame ; Confufion heard, and fled; and all was holy peace, Thence tun'd the new-born stars their mattin song ; Rolls their confenting orbs along: Bids comets know their bounds; governs their fierce career, Then man, erect of foul, untouch'd of fin, Beheld, admir'd, felt harmony within ; And though he flumber in the dust of earth, Her voice can give the duft an ear, Sent by his Lord once more to call him forth. Thou, facred spirit of poetic fire, Was prefent with him: Thou, when evil rang'd O'er the polluted world by man's offence, And beauteous order nigh to ruin chang'd 'Twas thine to interpofe. Th' eternal fire, Gave thee in charge not wholly to retire; But dart thro' error's mifts, and teach his Providence, Nor man, himself a foe to man, VOL. II. Roam'd Roam'd among favage beafts more wild and brute than they i O'er trembling mortals frown'd with horrid glance, But laws were modell'd, to create The music of a well united state, Mild temper'd rule, fubordination sweet: And Juftice reigns, of virtues queen, With awful brow and never alter'd mein : And poetry to heav'n bears Her tribute of heav'n-worthy airs, And fmouths unconquer'd breasts, and bends Unthinking crowds; guides, governs, and defends. Mr. Loft then proceeds to celebrate the praises of the most celebrated poets ancient and modern; after which he makes poely give the preference to that fuperior fpecies of divine infpiration prophecy. But ye, how may I name? Yet will I,-blameless be't-beft guiding stars! Circling the throne of glory infinite, See the great fcheme of providence unfold, Dwelling on that high theme with ever new delight. There founds the harp of Ifrael's pious king; There he enjoys the prefence he ador'd, And hymns unceafing praife before th' all feeing Lord; The fon of Amos there With brow fublime, and deep revolving eye, And looks that fpeak the prefent Deity -Of unexpreffive majesty With him who to the third of Heavens was caught, And him in Patmos in fuch vifions ranght Sees the great fhepherd now, who gently leads His tender flocks to happy meads; Sees that defpis'd and once rejected man, All glorious, all a God; Sees in cœleftial raptures Ifrael rife; Follow them thro' the ftarry way; View in the planetary fpheres, The pow'r which call'd them forth, and bade fulfill their years: Then far beyond the human ken, Beyond this narrow world of men, Let eagle-fancy wing thy fight Unloft amidst the cloudlefs blaze. Yet Yet not to stray, Bath'd in the ocean of unceafing day, While their attendant worlds on each obey— Of fun's whose beams wing'd with the lightnings haste, Not these awake the foul like prophecy. Far as the ocean's waves exceed The brook that lightly murmurs through the reed; And as the pow'r of ev'ry human found Is in the mighty voice of thunder drown'd ; Thus finks all earthly poefy, Compar'd with thee, O facred prophecy ! And yet is all true poefy a ray From that one fource, whence all thy glories spring: And when the eternal, univerfal King, His oracles of truth deign'd to convey His chofen bards burn'd with poetic heat, And thoughts above all human measure great, If fage antiquity has held the name, Of poet, and of prophet as the fame. We would not wish to difcourage this writer in his pursuit, nor do we mean to depreciate his praises, of poetry; but we would recommend him rather to study the regular harmony of verse as it is to be met with in Dryden, Pope, Mafon, Gray, &c. than the new-fangled varieties of pretenders to Pindarics with the foppish followers of French frippery. We will otherwife venture, though neither great poets nor prophets ourfelves, to prophecy that Mr. Lofft will never be a very lofty poet. ART. XVIII. Address to the Genius of Britain. By the Rev. Thomas Penrofe, Curate of Newbury, Berks. 4to. 1s. Willis, Newbery. Crowder, London. From the pleasure we received in the perufal of fome former pieces of this writer, we could with for another opportunity of recommending his poetical talents to the reader: truth, however, compels us to own that, in the prefent publication, he appears to much greater advantage as a patriot than as a poet. Politicks is probably not congenial with poefy; at least, we are fo much piqued at our difappointment in the prefent inftance as to fay, of our curate's prefent production, Sunt verba et voces, prætereaque paulum. But, perhaps, our expectations were too much raised by his former productions and the prefent has fuffered by the comparifon. We hope it is fo; as the first acquaintance, we made with Mr. Penrofe's mufe, was too pleafing, to permit, of our fuffering fo fudden a falling-off, with poetical patience. Let our readers judge from the author's humble G 2. petition Petition and remonftrance to his Majefty in behalf of the diftreffed and defperate Americans. After defcribing, more truly than poetically, the ftagnation of trade and its neceffary confequences, occafioned by the difputes with our colonies, he proceeds and concludes as follows. Nor on the banks Of venerable Thames does woe prefide Lefs perilous ;---Thames, the prolific fire On foreign fervice.---Should fome child of hope, His hand, and lead him to their open bower. Kind, o'er the focial and commercial board And independence ;---in his hand each holds His weapon, jealous of the paffing breeze, And deaf to antient friendship.---In this paufe, This folemn paufe, that halts 'tween peace and war, O fly, bleft fpirit, in the royal ear Whisper forgivenefs ;---'midst the high behefts Of justice, let our ever gracious Sire Forget not mercy ;---'tis the brightest gem That decks the Monarch's crown: nor thou, great George, Difdain the Mufe's prayer, moft loyal the In mild fubjection down the tide of life Steers her light skiff.---Urged by the plaintive call Of meek humanity, O! pardon, now If warm the pleads her cause.---The favage race, Embarked |