advertisement prefixed to this epiftle, we are told, that the diftinguished names on the title-page can excite no expectation in the public, which the poetical merit of it is not capable of gratifying. For our own part, faving the refpe&t that is due to the name of a Lord, we think the poetical genius of this epiftle-writer hardly ever foars above the level of a commoner. Let our readers judge from the following fpecimens:

All would be great, but who with care attends

Whence greatnefs fprings, it's progrefs, and it's ends?
How to direct their wand'ring footsteps right,
Or place their errors in a ftronger light,
And mark the failings that mislead the throng
Thro' life, fhall be the fubject of my fong.

If there be not much poetry in this epiftle, there is, however, good fenfe, good advice, if the world be difpofed to profit by them. When men unfit for greatness will be great,

• Why don't they trust to title and estate ?`
What dæmon, envious of their peace and fame,
Drives them to make the cares of ftate their aim ;
To quit the fhade of private life, and stray
Where ev'ry weakness glares in open day?
Whoe'er in life miftakes his deftin'd place,
Becomes + the author of his own disgrace;
For Heav'n bestows on all fufficient skill
To grace the ftation which they ought to fill;
And tho' to all not equally profufe,
Ordain'd us all for decency and use.

↑ Haft thou not wit? be generous and fincere :
Dues learning fail? let focial love appear;
Let truth, good-nature, virtue, be improv'd,
And, fince thou canst not be admir'd, be lov'd.
Had nature's bounty partially been shown,
And barr'd up ev'ry road to fame but one,
'Twould feem lefs ftrange to fee th' unequal ftrife
That drives us all to fhine in public life;
How thirst of pow'r o'er all alike prevails,
And calls in vice to aid, where genius fails.

Is private life, then, void of graceful aims?
Are father, husband, friend, †ungraceful names?
So far ungraceful that we rather chule
Pow'r, we want Genius to become or use.

The rule that leads us with unerring pace
To tread the various paths of life with grace
(Let Genius fire the blood, or damps reftrain)
Confin'd to precepts obvious, eafy, plain,
Alike thro' ev'ry rank, for practice fit,

To guard the plain good man, and grace the wit,

Why truft they not. + Sure. Is wit deny'd?
Lefs ftrange that thirft of pow'r o'er all prevails,
And calls to vice for aid when genius fails.
+ Ignoble,

Fails learning tạo?

Thro'

Thro' court, camp, cottage, heard, felt, underflood,
Confift in this be honeft, juft, and good;
This, well obferv'd, shall shield the weak from blame,
And lend defects themfelves á fofter name:"
Neglect of this debafes all our thoughts,
And heightens all our failings into faults.

Failings and faults from diff'rent fprings proceed
Faults from the heart, and failings from the head."
Quick to difcern, and wifely to purfue,

And tread life's labyrinth with judgment's 'clue,
Are parts that few, indulg'd by Heav'n, can fill;
But all men may be honeft if they will.
This wisdom's laws, that firft taught virtue, teach,
And place efteem and love in all men's reach.

We cannot help remarking here, that our noble moralift's making HONESTY the pis-aller, is rather difcouraging to virtue, and does not accord with that famous line of Pope's,

"An honeft man's the nobleft work of God."

A line which, in our opinion, conveys the feverèft and most unjust fatire on mankind; infinuating that an honeft man is a very great rarity; whereas, we are of opinion, that mere honefty, however commendable, is a very general, and in the prefent acceptation of the term, a very ignoble quality.

ART. XIII. Variety. A Tale. For married People. 4to. is. DodЛley,
MARTIAL.

NEC TECUM POSSUM VIVERE, NEC SINE TES
I can't live with you, or without you.

A tale, pleafingly and poetically told, inculcating the neceffity of occafionally diversifying the fcene, to make even the most loving couple always agreeable to each other. The inference of the first part of the tale, defcribing the country life of a fond pair, is

We live, my dear, too much together.

The conclufion of the fecond, defcribing their town-life, is the re verfe. A fhort extract may be acceptable to the poetical reader. Advanc'd to fashion's wav'ring head,

They now, where once they follow'd, led.
Devis'd new fyftems of delight,

A-bed all day, and up all night,

In diff'rent circles reign'd fupreme,

Wives copied her, and husbands him;

Till fo divinely life ran on,

So feparate, fo quite bon ton,

That meeting in a public place
They fcarcely knew each other's face,
At laft they met, by his defire,
A-téte-à-téte across the fire;

Look'd in each other's face a-while
With half a tear, and half a smile.
The ruddy health, which wont to grace
With manly glow his rural face,

* Which.

Now

Now scarce retain'd it's fainteft ftreak;
So fallow was his leathern cheek.

She lank, and pale, and hollow-ey'd,
With rouge had striven in vain to hide
What once was beauty, and repair
The rapine of the midnight air.
Silence is eloquence, 'tis faid.

Both wifh'd to fpeak, both hung the head.
At length it burt."Tis time," he cries,
"When tir'd of folly, to be wife.

Are you too tir'd ?"- -then check'd a groan,
She wept confent, and he went on.

"How delicate the married life! "You love your hufb nd, I my wife. "Not ev❜n fatiety could tame,

Nor diffipation quench the flame. "True to the-bias of our kind, "'Tis happiness we wish to find. In rural fcenes retir'd we fought "In vain the dear delicious draught. “Tho' bleft with love's indulgent store, "We found we wanted fomething more. 'Twas company, 'twas friends to fhare "The blifs we languifh'd to declare.

'Twas focial converfe, change of scene, "To footh the fullen hour of fpleen; "Short abfences to wake defire,

1

And fweet regrets to fan the fire.
"We left the lonefome place; and found,

"In diffipation's giddy round,

"A thoufand novelties to wake

"The fprings of life and not to break.

"As, from the neft not wand'ring far,
In light excursions thro' the air,
The feather'd tenants of the grove
“Around in mazy circles nove,

"(Sip the cool fprings that murm'ring flow,
"Or tafte the bloffom on the bough.)

"We fported freely with the reft;

*And, still. returning to the neft,
"In eafy mirth we chatted o'er
"The trifles of the day before.
"Behold us now, diffolving quite
"In the full ocean of delight;

In pleasures ev'ry hour employ,
"Immers'd in all the world calls joy.
"Our affluence easing the expence
Of fplendour, and magnificence.

"Our company, th' exalted fet

"Of all that's gay, and all that's great:

"Nor happy yet!—and where's the wonder?

"WE LIVE, MY DEAR, TOO MUCH ASUNDER."

ART.

ART. XIV. Ode for the Year 1776. 4to. 18.

Almon.

This ode is advertised, in the news-papers, as not being the Laureat's. It is, however, not the lefs poetical for that, as our readers may learn from the five first stanzas.

I.

Genius of Albion! whither art thou fled!

Thou, who was wont, at freedom's call, to rise,
With thund'ring voice, and heav`n-directed eyes,
And mock th' oppreffor's rage, or fmite the tyrant dead !
Oftretch again thy faving hand,

In mercy to this groaning ifle!
No common ills thine aid demand ;-
Corruption triumphs in her fpoil;
Fierce difcord hurls her torch on high;
Nor public weal nor focial tie

Can fix the fordid mind:

Ambition breaks laws feeble chain,
Swol'n lux'ry leads her bloated train,
And ruin talks behind!
II.

Beyond the rough Atlantic tide,
Infpir'd by virtue and by thee,

Thy junior fons ftill dare be free ;

Nor e'er fhall fubtle fraud divide

The gen'rous band. O, while the tempest low'rs,
Reflect our caufe is one ;-that freedom's foes are OURS!
III.

Peace to thy fhade, lamented king;

Great BRUNSWICK, fecond of thy race
Call'd England's happy throne to grace,
What time fair freedom made each valley ring.
From the cold tomb could'st thou arife,
How would this profpect blaft thine eyes,
And drive thee back in wild affright!

For lo! fierce iffuing from their native north,
The howling furies murd'rous ftorms fet forth;

Glut Gallia's great revenge, and spread vile flav'ry's night!
IV.

In vain, alas thy gallant fon,

(What time Culloden's glorious field
Taught the proud trait rous Scot to yield,)
Unfaded laurels nobly won.

In vain rejoic'd th' admiring world,
When our brave fires, by Naffau led,
At tyrant-pow'r their thunders hurl'd,

While the dark tyrant crouch'd and fled.

No longer now, in patriot fhackles bound,
With fruitless wailing envy bites her `chain ;—
Oppreffion leaps o'er freedom's facred mound,
And vainly Hampden fought, and Sydney bled in vain !

V.

Ah, what avails thy honour'd name,

Mild, but determin'd, Rockingham!

Rome's priftine fire that beams from Richmond's eye!
Savile, thy glowing efforts baffled die!

-With Tully's pow'rs, and Cato's foul,
Burke (fpurning int'reft's strong controul!
O great exemplar in a venal age!)

Thy virtues difregarded fhine,

Loft is thy eloquence divine

With Camden's lore profound, and Chatham's gen'rous rage! We have before hinted that this ode is no lefs poetical than the laureat's: but if fiction be the life and foul of poetry, our patriotic partizans may raise a doubt about it. There is, to be fure, fome little alloy of truth in both; but, as Prior faid to his mistress,

Would you have a man fwear to the truth of a fong?

ART. XV. The Bard, a Pindaric Poem. By Mr. Gray. Tranflated into Latin Verfe. To which is prefixed a dedication to the Genius of Ancient Britain. 4to. 1s. Poole, Chester.

It is not uncommon to meet with latin verfifyers, who can compofe poetical and pleafing cantos from the antient claffics, without being able to write ten lines of tolerable poetry in their native language. That this is not the prefent cafe, the tranflator of Mr. Gray's Wel Bard endeavours to demonstrate in his prefixed dedication. Genius of Cambria, hail! and oh! infuse

Thy native spirit in a Latin mufe!
Teach her with Talieffin's fire to glow,
Whether thou fit'ft on Snowdon's fhaggy brow
Sublime; or from Plinlimmon's awful height,
Enraptur'd, fee'ft the forms of pureft light
That sport on Severn's banks ! methink I trace
Some antient bard in ev'ry air draton * face!
There Modred's harp. and fweet Llewellyn's fong,
Are heard the venerable oaks among,
Old as themselves; there Urien's magic lyre;
That warm'd old Cambria's fons with patriot fire,
What time Agricola † in fpeechlefs trance
Felt tenfold vigour in each quiv'ring lance
Hurl'd by a British arm: Cadwallo there
Warbles foft measures to the ravish'd ear
Of fancy; high-born Hoel feems to join
The facred choir, in fymphonies divine.
Genius of Cambria, hail! if thou art fled

From Conway's fhores, to mourn thy patriots dead:
Far, far aloof from Severn's filver ftreams,

No longer pregnant with poetic dreams;

Yet pluck one tading laurel to reward

The fond ambition of a kindred bard.

Oh! teach his fympathizing breaft to feel

His country's wrongs; oh! fuffer him to steal

One radiant fpark of thy expiring flame,

And from oblivion vindicate his name!

As a fpecimen of his tranflation our readers will accept of the