Art. 41. A poetical Effay on Duelling. By Charles Peter Layard, Art. 42. The Breathings of Genius, being a Collection of Poems. Bright excellence, whofe fair example shines, An emanation of celeftial fire!' Now pardon us, ye Mores, ye Aikins, ye Carters! if we contemplate Mrs. Elizabeth Gilding in a light far above you. For the is in the clouds, and begins her poetical career with an invocation to the moon. Art. 43. Extracts from Mr. Pope's Tranflation correfponding with the Beauties of Homer, felected from the Iliad. By William Holwell, B. D. F. A. S. Chaplain in Ordinary to his Majefty. 8vo. 4 s. bound. Rivington. Those who have purchafed the Beauties of Homer selected from the original Greek, which we noticed fome time ago, will find this a ufeful and agreeable companion to that publication. Mr. Melmoth's Obfervations on Pope's Tranflation, published in the Letters of Sir Thomas Fitzofborne, are here prefixed, not without propriety, by way of introduction. 、 Art. 44. An Election Ball, in poetical Letters from Mr. Inkle at Bath to his Wife at Gloucefter, with a poetical Address to John Miller, Efq; at Batheafton Villa. By the Author of the New Bath Guide. 4to. 2s. 6d. Dodfley. Replete with genuine humour, wit, and ridicule. Art. 45. Odes by Richard Cumberland, Efq. 4to. 1 s. Robfon. The firft of thefe Odes, addreffed to the fun, is irregular and unappropriated, having little or no reference to the nature and operations of that glorious luminary. It is employed chiefly on the scenery of the northern lakes, and is evidently framed on the model of Gray's Cambrian Ode. But the Author will hardly escape the fate of the Gens Imitatorum. The fecond, addressed to the late Dr. James, appears to be a tribute of gratitude. Art. 46. Ode for the New Year, 1776. 4to. I s. I s. Almon. Proh Patriat, inverfique mores !-Here is a fad reverse, indeed! No Court poet here hails the dubious year: our Bard is the laureat of OPPOSITION; and comes forth, not exulting in the auspicious "face of things" but loudly bewailing the flight taken by the Genius of Albion-no longer prompt, as heretofore, at Freedom's call, to rife, With thund'ring voice, and heav'n-directed eyes, And mock th' oppreffor's rage, or fmite the tyrant dead!' Vid. laft volume of the Review, p. 356. ↑ Vid, mette to this Ode. We have followed Sanadon's reading. FARTHER FARTHER SPECIMEN. Hark! through America's indignant shore, What horrors rife around! Can't thou, ill-fated realm, afford With thine own blood to drench the ground! - With ghaftly fmile, and blafting eyes, Stern ALVA's guilty fpirit flies, And fnuffs the fcented air, and rages still for blood!' This Article was written for February; but the copy has been miflaid. Art. 47. A Parody on Gray's Elegy. By an Oxonian. 4to. 1 s. Wheble. 1776. 66 In our Review for December, 1753, we gave an account of “ An Evening Contemplation in a College; by another Gentleman of Cambridge.' The Author's name was not published with the poem; but we then understood, and have fince been affured, that it was the production of Mr. Duncombe, then Fellow of C. C. C. Cambridge; and now, if we mitake not, Vicar of St. Andrew, Canterbury, and one of the fix preachers of the cathedral in that city. This jeu d'esprit, falling into the hands of fome plagiary, who pretends to be an Oxonian, now makes its appearance under the foregoing title; and, what must be an additional mortification to the ingenious Author, it is printed with a number of unwarrantable alterations, needlefs for us to fpecify; but all for the worfe. It appears by an advertisement from the bookfeller, that he was not privy to this fraud. LA W. Art. 48. A plain State of the Cafe of her Grace the Duchefs of Kingfion; with Confiderations, calling upon the POWERS to ftop a Profecution illegally commenced, unimportant of Example, alarming to the People, expenfive to the State, and pregnant of ill Confequences. 4to. I s. 6d. Wilkie. Written to fhew the expediency and neceffity of a noli profequi, with respect to a profecution which the Author (who appears to be an able lawyer) confiders as not only, in its nature, vexatious and malicious, but abfolutely illegal, and alfo of moft pernicious tendency The pamphlet is profoundly argumentative; and was published about a week before the trial, in the view of exciting the royal attention, and interpofition, even at the laft moment.'-The Author's idea of the illegality of the trial, is chiefly grounded on this pofition, pofition, that the fentence of the Ecclefiaftical Court, is definitive in all caufes, and with refpect to all perfons whatever.-The Lords were of a different opinion. DRAMAT I C. Art. 49. An Occafional Prelude, performed at the Opening of the Theatre-Royal, Covent-Garden, on the 2ft of Sept. 1772. By George Colman. 8vo. 6d. Becket. 1776. A theatrical tit-bit from the managers' own kitchen! somewhat in the manner of the prologues in dialogue of the French theatre. This Prelude is a diverting trifle. The fcene of the Irish chairmen in the Piazza is droll and humorous; and the picture of the manager's levee, particularly the conversation with the young actress, is sprightly and entertaining. Art. 50. Valentine's Day, a Mufical Drama, in Two Acts. As it is performed at the Theatre Royal in Drury-Lane. 8vo. I S. Lowndes. 1776. The Author of Valentine's Day,-to Mr. Garrick, for his af fent to the reprefentation, returns all that the warmest gratitude can fuggeft.' The Reviewers do not overflow with equal gratitude to Mr. Garrick on this occafion: for this musical drama (as the Author is pleased to call it) feems calculated to excite as much difguft, as Mr. Garrick ever communicated pleasure to his auditors and fpectators-An affertion, however bold, not exceeding the truth. NOVELS and MEMOIRS, Art. 51. The Husband's Refentment; or, the History of Lady Manchefter. 2 Vols. 12mo. 6s. Lowndes. 1776. We have often been surprised that, among the great multitude of novels which come under our notice, we meet with fo few that venture out of the beaten track of love, into the walks of humour and character, which are capable of affording fuch an endless variety of amufement. From the fpirited defeription of the confequential airs of rank, and the humiliating mortifications of dependence, with which this novel begins, we were in hopes of meeting with fome employment for our rifible faculties, and of being able to recommend the work to novel readers as fprightly and entertaining. But we foon found our Author's comic powers either exhaufted or afleep; and were not a little diffatisfied, through the remainder of the piece, to meet with a tale, fufficiently natural indeed, but neither capable of interefting the paffions, nor improving the heart. Art. 52. Emma; or, the Child of Sorrow. 12mo. 2 Vols. 6s. Lowndes. 1776. This is indeed, as the title intimates, a tale of woe. The fair fufferer is placed in fituations, and meets with events, of the most diftrefsful nature: nor is the Reader, at the close, relieved from the pain which the story has given him, by a fudden reverfe of fortune. Emma lives and dies the child of forrow. Those gentle fpirits, who ⚫ take a ftrange delight in tears,' may here find entertainment fuited In the famous jacitation fuit, Mifs Chudleigh was declared not the wife of Mr. Hervey. to to their tafte. And let not criticism deftroy or interrupt the pleafing effect of the story, by pointing out defects and blemishes in the manner in which it is written. RELIGIOUS. Art. 53. A Homily to the Somerfetfhire Septuagint; or, a Letter of Advice to the Seventy Proprietors of the new Affembly-Rooms in Bath with a laconic Addrefs to the Gentry of the Bon Ton, the Gay and Giddy, of this diffipated Age. 8vo. 6d. Newbery. 1774. This pamphlet having been little, if at all, advertised in the London papers, efcaped our notice, at the time of its publication. The Author's defign was, chiefly, to admonish the gentlemen to whom it is addreffed, and offer them fome hints toward reforming their plan of operations,' particularly in reference to the unwarrantable liberty taken by them, of keeping their rooms open on the Sunday, and, by public advertisement inviting the company resorting to Bath, to mif-fpend their facred time;'-in violation of both divine and human laws.' Although the admonitions of this pious and rational Author were calculated for the meridian of Bath,' they may, as he rightly obferves, be equally fuitable at other places, where the fame licentious fpirit of diffipation prevails: as, Weymouth, Southampton, Margate, Brighthelmftone, &c.-His Homily, as he has chosen to ftyle this letter, is, indeed, a very good difcourfe against the inordinate love of pleasure, which is too much the characteristic of the prefent age: and can at no time, and at no place of general refort, in this country, be unfeasonable, or improper. SER M O N. I. The Chriftian's Strength.-Preached at Wrexham in Denbighshire, and published at Requeft. By Jofeph Jenkins, A. M, 8vo. 6d. Buckland. 1775. This is a ferious yet lively difcourfe, from 2 Cor. xii. 10. ; and is founded on Calviniftical principles. The Author hath introduced a note or two, which might, perhaps, have better been spared, till he had become more verfed in philofophical difquifitions. To us it appears that the influence he hath afcribed to watchfulness and prayer, is fcarcely confiftent with what he hath advanced concerning the abfolute incapacity of man, in religious concerns. Mr. Jenkins, we find, is the Author of the Reflections on Mr. Liadfey's Apology,' and of the orthodox diffenting-minifter's reafons for a farther application to parliament,' both which performances have been noticed in our Review. CORRESPONDENCE. WE E have received an ingenious and candid letter, relative to s criticism at the clofe of our account of Mr. Jebb's reasons for a late refignation. None can have a greater regard for the cha racter of Mrs. Barbauld than we have, or entertain a higher opinion * See Review for January laft, p. 68. of of her admirable talents. But we ftill think, after a calm and attentive confideration of what has been alleged by her able friend, that the paffage was exceptionable, and that our ftrictures on it were juft. The very ingenuity and ability difplayed in its defence, are a proof that it requires no fmall degree of refinement, to preserve it from being mifapprehended. The Author's character, as a fincere proteftant and a friend to reformation, we well knew; and, therefore, were the more diffatisfied with what we thought an unguarded manner of writing, and the more folicitous to prevent its evil effects. Let it, however, be remembered, that we had no idea of afcribing to her an approbation of the church of Rome. Such a thought never occurred to us, nor had we any conception that a conftruction of that kind might be put on what we had faid. It was admiration which we spoke of, and that in a single inftance; wherein we believed, and do ftill believe, that beauty of imagination and elegance of taste prevailed over true philofophy and found judgment. Befide, the principal object of our remarks was the other part of the paffage, in which it is afferted, that we learn to refpect whatever refpects itself, and are easily led to think that fyftem requires no alteration which never admits of any;' and in which a dignity is afcribed to this circumftance. Allowing that the Author did not fpeak this in her own perfon, (though furely it might have been more cautiously expreffed) we are perfuaded that what the hath advanced will by no means hold good, excepting with regard to the lowest of the vulgar, and the molt contemptible bigots. Let us appeal to a fact or two. Was it true of the church of Rome, that her fyftem was thought to require no alteration, because it never admitted of any? The direct contrary was the cafe. Because she refufed to alter any thing, when, perhaps, a few flight amendments might have preferved her power much longer, fhe provoked that grand feparation, which is fo illuftrious an event in the history of mankind. Nor can it, at this time, be very generally afferted, of those who continue in the Roman catholic communion, that they are easily led to think that her fyftem requires no alteration, because it doth not admit of any. There is, in fact, fo prevailing a sense of her abfurdities and fuperftitions, that almost all perfons of any rank or fashion, or who apply themselves to philofophical inquiries, are infidels; and if they do not attempt, or even aim at, a reformation, it is owing to their indifference about it, or to the danger they apprehend in it, or to other political and perfonal reasons which might be affigned, and not to their having a perfuafion that fhe ftands in no need of changes, becaufe fhe never allows of any. This is the cafe, likewife, in a lower degree with regard to the church of England. There are few clergymen of reputation, who will not confefs that our established forms of worship might, in fome refpects, be amended. But they are not for fuch great alterations as have lately been contended for; and they are afraid of the confequences that might proceed from attempting any alterations. The laity, we mean fuch of them as are members of the church, and have no thoughts of departing from it, either concur with the clergy in thefe fentiments, or go much farther. In proportion to the bad opinion |