collection, and by that means have fecured their general preservation. The labours of Stobeus, Cephalas, and Brunck, were judiciously beftowed on the fcattered productions of Greek authors. Dr. Percy and Mr. Evans followed the fame plan, in confequence of which many valuable pieces are rescued from oblivion, that, from their brevity and unconnectedness, could not, poffibly, have furvived, for any length of time, by themfelves. A degree of praise not much inferior to that which the above compilers have acquired, is due to editors who, uniting industry with tafte, prefent the Public with felections from antique and obfolete writers. On referring back, however, to the few publications of this kind which have preceded Mr. Headley's, we gain little fatisfaction from their contents. The oldest collection we have met with, is England's Parnaffus, 12mo, 1600, containing mutilated and trifling extracts from the fhort-lived poetry of the day, as well as from productions of lafting merit. The British Mufe, 3 Vols. 12mo, 1738, by T. Hayward, is another publication, on a more extenfive plan: the Preface was written by Mr. Oldys, with much perfpicuity of ftyle and juftnefs of remark. It contains extracts, alphabetically digefted, chiefly from the English dramatic writers, many of whom have long fince funk into deferved neglect. The Mufes Library, I volume 8vo. by Mrs. Cowper, follows next in order; and is curious for exhibiting the progrefs of poetry, from the time of the Saxons, to Charles II. and for remarks on the refpective poets. To this work Mr. Headley is under fome obligations, which he has not been backward to acknowledge.

In the course of his Preface, Mr. H. points out the particular clafs of readers which his volumes may moft properly fuit:

Thofe,' fays he, to whom bufinefs is the object of life, who may chance to while away their hour with a book, it is humbly hoped, will be here as likely to meet with a moral fentiment, a good image, a pathetic incident, or a pointed reflection, that may ftrike the fancy, the judgment, or the heart, as in any mifcellany of modern poetry whatever.'

He proceeds to vindicate his plan from any objection that may be brought against it, for his mutilation of authors; and appeals to Hurd's Cowley as a proof of the advantage that may arife to a poet's fame from an edition of his felect works.

In the Introduction, fome judicious remarks are made on the rapid diffufion and progrefs of poetry, when it has once feized on the attention of mankind. He illuftrates his pofitions by obferving that,

If we feriously and impartially examine the cluster of poetical names that fhone and were concentered in the space of 91 years, from the acceffion of Elizabeth, to the restoration of Charles 11. and compare them with thofe who have refpectively flourished from that time to this, a period of 138 years, we fhall find the phalanx of

older

i

older claffics but little affected by a comparison with the more mo

dern muster-roll.'

In the above period of 91 years, lived 42 poets, fome of whom are of the greateft eminence. Mr. H. makes an estimate of their merits, under the different heads of language, verfification, ftyle, fentiment, and imagery. Hence naturally arises a comparison between the ancient and modern poets, in which he is fo far actuated by that literary Quixotifm which he thinks neceffary for the relifh of the black letter;' as to confider the innovations of the latter, rather as corruptions than improvements. There is, however, fo much difcernment and genuine tafte in the following obfervations, that we cannot deny ourfelves the pleasure of tranfcribing them:

We have few better opportunities of forming a comparative eftimate of ancient and modern poetry than by recurring to thofe fubjects which later writers have undertaken to modernise, as in the Fables of Dryden, and the Nut-brown Maid of Prior. . . . . Prior has filled up the outline too implicitly; he has left the mind of itself nothing to conceive or to fupply, every thing is ready expreffed for the reader, and we may juftly allege, in the language of Cicero, "Ea funt omnia non a NATURA, fed a MAGISTRO." As an inftance in point, the following Stanza includes the fineft circumftance in the whole, and is imagined with furprizing delicacy. The hand of Shakespeare could not poffibly have gone higher, or have touched a fituation with greater nicety. The Nut-brown Maid, on refolving to accompany her banished lover, adheres to her determination with unalterable firmness; in the course of the whole dialogue no daftardly symptom of irrefolution efcapes her, no felfish fear of the dangers the was to encounter, no regret at the comforts fhe had renounced. After acknowledging her intention fhe fays

"I fhall as nowe do more for you
Than longeth to womanhede;
To fhort my here, a Bow to bere,
To fhote in tyme of nede."

'But, on a sudden, the confequences which probably enfue to an aged Mother, come across her. It is the exquifite pang of a moment, and will not bear dwelling upon. Hear her exclamation, which is continued from the above lines:

"O my sweet Mother, before all other,

For you I have most dreade!"

'Her courage and refolution return. She goes on;

"But now adue! I muft enfue

Where fortune doth me lede."

This is that ardent and artless language of nature that baffles fimulation, and fixes an indelible impreffion on the heart and the memory. Prior has paffed over all this in filence.'

After refpe&ful mention has been made of Addifon, Tickell, and Rowe, for their favourable fentiments with respect to the old English Poets, the preface is concluded with ftrictures on Pope, and

on Johnfon. In our opinion more refpect is due to fuch illustrious names than Mr. H. is willing to pay to them. Granting that Pope was too fond of mechanical beauties, and that he fometimes facrificed fenfe to found, is it fair to affert that the Profe of Young has more imagery than the Poetry of Pope? Such an uncandid comparison robs him, by implication, of the lively fancy which was indifputably a prominent feature of his mind. The Rape of the Lock, and the Epiftle from Eloifa to Abelard, prove this point, very clearly. It conveys an idea too puerile and degrading, of him who has given melody and refinement to our numbers, to fay that of Verfe he has made a Rattle, and of Rhyme a Play-thing.'-Dr. Johnfon is cenfured for not enriching his Lives of the Poets with more of the ancient fort. Yet Mr. H. allows that the Dr. was confined to a lift marked out by the Bookfellers. He fays this excufe is probably true, but furely most unfatisfactory. If it be true, it ought, on that account, to be fatisfactory; efpecially if it be confidered that Johnfon's infirm health, and intention to tranflate Thuanus, might naturally call off his mind from enlarging his plan, even if he had been at liberty to do so.

The biographical sketches contain fhort and pleafing accounts of all thofe authors from whofe works Mr. H. has made felections. The principal are Corbet, Carew, Crafhaw, Daniel, Drummond, Davenant, Drayton, the Fletchers, the Earl of Surry, May, Quarles, Sackville, and Sir W. Raleigh. In the delineation of characters, and ftyle of obfervation, we think we difcover fomething of the manly and fpirited manner of Walpole. The low Anecdotes from Awbrey's Manufcripts add nothing to the refpectability of Bifhop Corbet, nor do they contribute to the illuftration of his poetry. The competition between the muddy Cam' and the more genial Ifis' had better have been omitted. Mr. H. by his partiality to Oxford, has unguardedly been betrayed into an appearance of illiberality, which may provoke the hoftilities of the Cambridge wranglers. The accounts of Quarles and Drummond are written con amore. The endeavours to rescue the Author of the Emblems from neglect, are spirited and commendable. Every reader of fenfibility and tafte will justify the partiality fhewn to the Poet of Hawthornden.

The Select Beauties confift of defcriptive, pathetic, and didactic Pieces, Elegies, Epitaphs, mifcellaneous Pieces, Sonnets, and Speeches. The moft confiderable, both in number and value, are the productions of Drayton, Quarles, Drummond, Daniel, and King. It would too much exceed the limits of our plan to produce many specimens. The following morceaux will give our readers a taste of what they may expect from the publication at large, which we do not hesitate to fay, will afford them a deli cious feaft.

On

On the Death of a Scotch Nobleman; by Drummond.

Fame, regifter of Time!

Write in thy fcrowle, that I

Of wifdome lover, and fweet poefie,
Was cropped in my prime,

And ripe in worth, though green in years

did dye.'

To his Son Vincent Corbet; by Dr. Corbet.
"What I fhall leave thee none can tell,
But all fhall fay I with thee well.
I wish thee (Vin.) before all wealth,
Both bodily and ghostly health;

Nor too much wealth nor wit come to thee,
So much of either may undoe thee.
I wish thee learning, not for show,
Enough for to inftruct, and know;
Not fuch as Gentlemen require
To prate at table or at fire.

I with thee all thy mother's graces,
Thy father's fortunes and his places.
I wish thee friends and one at court,
Not to build on, but fupport;
To keep thee not from doing many
Oppreffions, but from fuffering any.
I with thee peace in all thy wayes,
Nor lazy nor contentious days.
And when thy foul and body part,

As innocent as now thou art.'

The notes, which contain many proper illuftrations of paffages, prove that this author has drank deep of the "antient Wells of English undefiled." Mr. H. is anticipated in his remark on the fuperiority of Poetry to Painting, as exemplified by "quos ipfe facraverat ignes," by Burke on the Sublime, p. 337. The coincidence of Pope with Drummond in the fublime fimile of the Alps is very striking, and almost makes us converts to the perfuafion that Pope had "pilfer'd fnug.”

Mr. Headley's ftyle is too florid. His metaphors are fometimes far-fetched and incongruous. The members of his fentences are frequently disjointed and perplexed. His ufage of words is in a few places quaint and unauthorised.-But thefe may be the faults of a lively imagination, and the inaccuracies of a young writer whom practice will, no doubt, imperceptibly improve.

The felections are made from an attentive perufal of the Authors above mentioned, and exhibit complete and fatisfactory specimens of their different modes of writing. A work executed, as this is, with diligence and tafte, is an acquifition to Englih literature. It brings to light a number of poetical beauties which before were hardly known to exift, and by feparating them

C 3

from

from those dull and jejune pieces among which they were buried, reftores to their authors that fame which could be revived by no other expedient.

All we have farther to add is, that a refpectable lift of fubfcribers is perfixed to the work, and that Mr. H. has promifed a continuation of it. We doubt not but the fuccefs of his present publication will be fufficient to encourage him in his defign.

ART. IV. Religion confidered as the only Bafts of Happiness and true Philofophy. By the Marchionefs of Sillery, heretofore Countess of Genlis. 2 Vols. 12mo. 8s. Boards. Cadell. 1787.

HIS work was compofed for the ufe of the duke of Orleans' children; but children are not the only readers who will be inftructed and entertained by its perufal.

The chief end of the virtuous Authorefs is to examine and refute the opinions of modern infidels; who have, as she thinks, by their many publications, which have been read with avidity, greatly injured the cause of religion and morality. These gentlemen, affuming the name of Philofophers, have difhonoured the title by the unreftrained licence of their writings, and have deceived the public by misinterpretations. The Marchioness chiefly attacks the writings of Voltaire, especially those against religion, government, and morals; fhe hath judiciously difcriminated between the pernicious and the useful productions of the French writers; a circumftance which fufficiently fhews her impartiality, and that she does not attack the perfon but the author.

As the foundation of all religion, the exiftence of a God, and the immortality of the foul, firft engage the attention of the Authorefs; the proceeds to confider the feveral doctrines of natural and revealed religion, and concludes her first volume with fome excellent remarks on religious and philofophic fanaticism and on toleration.

In the fecond volume the Marchionefs points out the falsehoods, contradictions, and the infincerity of the detractors of religion; and answers feveral objections made by infidels. After having recommended the practice of Chriftian virtues, and reprobated the prejudices under which the falfe philofophers of the prefent age Jabour, the Authorefs concludes with recapitulating the duties of a religious philofopher, and especially thofe of a Chriftian prince.

Several notes are added at the end of the work, in which we meet with many juft criticisms and remarks on fome of the modern French writers, interfperfed with a variety of hiftorical and biographical anecdotes; thefe fhew the intimate acquaintance which the Authorefs has with literature, and her fkill in criticism.

It remains that we should speak of the merits of the tranflation. In general it is well executed. We are told in the preface that