POETICA L. Art. 38. Nuptial Elegies. 4to. 2 s. Kearfley. 1774 Thefe elegies bear strong marks of the domeftic virtues; and, if there were any credit due to poetry, we should venture to pronounce their Author a good husband, and a good father. They are four in number. The first has the ftartling title of Fruition, but is by no means immodeft; the second, which is by far the best, is entitled the Disappointment of Paffion: from this are selected the following ftanzas: Ye golden joys that fir'd my raptur'd breast, When Sylvia's eyes the mutual pleasure caught ; Though my true heart its priftine paffion warms; Our days are lifeless, and our nights unbleft. Infulted Love will fuffer but his hour, And, aided by Revenge, at last retreat: For love, like youth, its tender moments past, Age and indifference will for ever last, While vainly we their frigid powers deplore. The two laft elegies are entitled the Triumph of Reason and the W'inter of Love, and contain many good stanzas. Art. 39. Fables by Mr. John Gay, with an Italian Tranflation by Gian Francefco Giorgetti. 8vo. 6s. Davies. 1773. Signor Giorgetti, an ingenious Venetian, has tranflated thefe celebrated fables into Italian verfe; and he has executed the work with fpirit, perfpicuity, and elegance. A precifion equal to that of the original, could hardly have been hoped for, had his language allowed it; and, perhaps, his greatest fault is too diffufe a ftyle. Forty-two of the fables are here given with the original on the oppofite page; and we know not a more ufeful book for the Italian Scholar. L.. Art. L Art. 40. Julia, a poetical Romance. A verfification of Rouffeau's celebrated Nouvelle Helaife. "The poft!" with what impatience did I ftand! Fancy was fired-thy name can make me bleft! Or rather feem'd each letter to dévour. To many readers fuch poetry as this may be very delightful; and it would be cruel to deprive them of their pleafure by criticism. L. Art. 41. The Juvenaliad; a Satite. 4to. Is. Bell. An honeft but, we fear, ineffectual attempt to expofe general vices imputed to feigned names. The verfification is, in general, tolerable, but spoiled by many bad lines. Art. 42. The Gracious Warning; or, a Monody on the Death of the late pious and learned Jofeph Nicoll Scott, M. D. With his very remarkable Dream concerning it: To which are added, fome Lines on the late Rev. Mr. Edward Hitchin, B. D. By G. Wright. 4to. 6 d. Otridge, &c. 1774. Dr. Scott was an ingenious and learned man; and would not have been vain of fuch encomiums as are bestowed upon him in these verses. Art. 43. An Elegiae Epifle from Lucy Cooper in the Shades, to Rochefter revived. 1774. Art. 44. Faith; a Poem. 4to. 1 s. 6d. Becket. 1774. How this profound fubject came to fall into infantine rhyme, it would be difficult to conceive, had not the Author informed us that part of it was originally interwoven with another poem, and afterwards detached from it. The publication, however, is quite as unconfequential as the measure in which it is conveyed. An attempt to overturn the Epicurean doctrine by oppofing to it that of the Trinity, was certainly a very ftrange fuggeftion The verfes, indeed, are in general fpirited and good; though there is fometimes a fad falling off-For inftance, Scoffs at thofe who dare proclaim A Man God in human frame. In the latter of thefe lines there is at leaft an uncouthness and re dundancy, if it be not abfolute nonfenfe. 5 x By d? Clare. POLITICA L. POLITICAL. Art. 45. An Alarm for illuftrious (though careless) Electors. 8vo. 6 d. Evans. 1774 A zealous declamation in favour of liberty and virtue. The Writer is very earneft with his illuftrious electors to improve their opportunity, at the enfuing general election, of chufing reprefentatives who are really honeft and patriotic. His pains and labour, in ringing this alarm bell, appear well-intended, though he sometimes pulls the rope with more violence than the occafion feems to require. Hi. Art. 46. The Petition of Mr. Bollan, Agent for the Council of the Province of Maffachusetts Bay, to the King in Council, dated January 26, 1774. Publifhed with Illuftrations, in order briefly to fhew to the Impartial and Confiderate the Importance of perfect Harmony between Great Britain and the Colonies, their Merits, the Benefits thence accrued to this Kingdom in Point of Empire, Manufactures, Commerce, Wealth, and Naval Strength; and the Origin and Progrefs of their prefent unhappy Difference; with Intent to promote their cordial and perpetual Union, for their mutual Safety and Welfare, with which their Diffention is incompatible. 4to. 6d. Almon. 1774. The title fufficiently points out the nature and tendency of this publication; and the news-papers have told us what success the Petiition met with. Art. 47. The Polish Partition illuftrated; in feven dramatic Dialogues, or Converfation Pieces, between remarkable Perfonages. Published from the Mouths and Actions of the Interlocutors. By Gotlib Panfmouzer, the Baron's Nephew. 8vo. 1 s. 6 d. Elmfley. Extremely fatirical on the principal interlocutors, who are, the King of Profia, and the two Empreffes. The dialogues are admirable; and the pamphlet will ferve as a very proper fpecimen to the four celebrated Letters on the prefent State of Poland: fee Reviews, yols. xlvii. and xlviii. NOVELS and MEMOIRS. Art. 48. 'Twas right to Marry Him; or, the Hiftory of Miss Petworth. 12mo. 2 Vols. 6s. Noble: 1774. In a letter addreffed to Meffrs. Noble, and placed at the beginning of this work, the Author declares himself folicitous of being ranked rather among the dull, than the dangerous novel-writers of the prefent age and as, in our opinion, there unfortunately appears a neceffity of referring him to one or the other of these claffes, we readily fubfcribe to his choice, and pronounce the "Hiftory of Mifs Petworth" perfectly innocent. Art. 49. The Journey to London; or, the Hiflory of the Selby Family. 12mo. 2 Vols. 6s. Noble. 1774. This Selby family had lived very happily and comfortably on a fmall eftate in the country, for many years, till our Author cruelly thought proper to introduce them to the acquaintance of a Sir Thomas Lumley, whofe wife happening to be a very fine lady, excited in Mrs. Selby fo violent a defire of feeing London, and knowing the world, that, contrary to the advice of good Mr. Selby, the infifted on fpending one winter with her three children in town. This Lon don don journey, as the poet fays, produced "Misfortune on misfortune, grief on grief." The fon married a kept-mittress; the younge daughter was ruined by one of the Lumleys, and died of a broken heart; and the eldeft preferred feeing the world, as a common prostitute, to returning with her father into the country. This hiftory, without one incident that is new to recommend it, is not very ill written.If the Author will accept this as any compliment, we mean it particularly in favour of the fecond volume. Art. 50. The Affignation; a fentimental Novel, in a Series of Letters. 12mo. 2 Vols. 6s. Noble. 1774. It is impoffible to read over thefe volumes without remarking the quantity of blank paper which meets the eye at almost every page of this fentimental work: a circumftance, however, which we mention not as a blemish; but, on the contrary, as the greateft poffible excellence attending moft writings of this ftamp. .a. Art. 51. The Fatal Affection, or the Hiftory of Henry and Caroline. 12mo. 2 Vols. 6 s. Noble. 177 . The hero of this tale, the heart fubduing Harry Villiers, marries an old woman of fixty-five, because he has thirty thousand pounds; falls in love with a young Lady, a relation of his wife's, becaufe the is very handsome; and would willingly perfuade her to go off with him, because he is a rascal. To make ufe of the Author's own word, he Dufe take fuch vile affections as thefe. Art. 52. La Belle Philofophe, or the Fair Philofopher. 12mo. z Vols. 6s. Lowndes. 1774. ". In reading over thefe two volumes, we probably imbibed so much of the philofophy of the fair heroine of the piece, as to render us lefs fufceptible than ordinary to tender impreffions; for we can truly fay, we felt not one fenfation either of pain or pleafure, during the whole of the time which we passed in converfation with this pretended philofopher in petticoats: who, by the way, is not much of a philofopher neither; for her hiftory is as mere a novel-book, as any of the Mifs Jeffamys, or Delia Daintys, or Lady Flirts, or Sophy Slamakins, that ever the circulating libraries produced. CI. Art. 53. The Fashionable Daughter. Being a Narrative of true and recent Facts. By an impartial Hand. 12mo. 3s. Domville. 1774. This ftory, from the minutenefs of the detail, from the earnestnefs with which the tranfactions are related, and from the defcription of the characters introduced, appears to be really according to the profeffions of the Writer, a relation of true facts. It does not indeed contain adventures enough for a profeffed novel; and is to be viewed rather as a narrative than as a literary compofition. The outline of the ftory is fhort; a young Scots minifter rafhly entered into a clandeftine, but folemn, written, engagement with a young beauty, equivalent to a marriage; but without the public forms, which were poftponed to a more feasonable opportunity. Of this contract they availed themselves freely for fome time, until the father discovering the connexion, is faid to have behaved more abfurdly than most fathers, however unfeeling, ufually do on fuch occafions; and the levity of the lady is not the leaft extraordinary circumftance in the adventure. Without denying the contract, or her letters in confe quence quence of it, the refufes to fulfil it, and her father fupports her in this refufal; though he thereby leaves her expofed to the lofs of reputation, which neither of them appear to value. Not content with this, they are faid to have practifed feveral artifices no lefs mean than malicious, to ruin the reputation and fortune of a man, who merited better treatment for his readiness to act a proper part, though under no extraordinary temptations from any other motives than thofe which ought to influence a perfon of integrity. Thus ftimulated to juftify his character, we have the affair related at large, by. a friend of the difconfolate hero (if not the hero himself) who characterises all the parties in a manner that gives an air of probability to the whole. He certainly, according to this tale, fell into very bad hands in his amorous connexion; but making due allowance for his disappointment, he has fufficient confolation in being releafed from it, in a manner that leaves all the blame on the faulty fide. The Writer has introduced several poetical quotations, to enliven his descriptions and characters; but he would not have difguifed perfons and places under such harsh uncouth appellations, if his ear had been tuned to any judgment of harmony. From a puerile conceit, the scene of action is pointed out by the acroftic defcription of "a flourishing fea port town, which takes its name from the monarch of the wood, joined to the colour of nature's carpet." After infinite ftudy, we make the important difcovery that the town of Greenock is a corruption of Greengak. N. RELIGIOUS and CONTROVERSIA L. Art. 54. A Letter to the Right Rev. Father in God, Shute, Lord Bishop of Landaff, from a Petitioner. 8vo. 15. Johnfon. 1774. What fentiments his Lordship of Landaff will entertain of this Letter, or whether he will think it confiftent with his prelatical dignity to caft an eye upon the production of a poor diffenting teacher, we know not: as for us, we cannot help acknowledging, that this Letter has afforded us a great deal of entertainment. The Teacher treats the Prelate, indeed, with a degree of freedom which will, no doubt, be deemed, by a certain clafs of readers, highly indecent, if not extremely infolent; be this, however, as it may, there is a yein of pleasantry and humour that runs through the whole performance, which cannot fail of recommending it to the generality of readers, and there are fome ftrokes of wit which will extort a fmile even from four ecclefiaftics, if four ecclefiaftics ever smile. But the pleasantry of the Letter is not its only recommendation; it breathes a liberal and manly fpirit, and fhews the Author to be a man of abilities, and a hearty friend to religious liberty. There are fome things in it of a very ferious nature, which well deferve the attention of his Lordship of Landaff, and that of every bishop on the bench Our Author acquaints his readers that he referves his poetical talents for another occafion, when his Lordship of Landaff will be made the hero of the epic mufe.-The thoughts of feeing a BISHOP the hero of an epic poem, give us great pleasure; and we fhall be extremely forry if the Author fhould not prove as good as his word. For his comfort and encouragement, he may depend upon the |