ART. XI. A Parody on Gray's Elegy. By an Oxonian, 15. 4to. Wheble. Although we take Parody to be one of the eaficit, and therefore least meritorious, kinds of writing, we fometimes, meet with an aptnefs of allufion and pertinence of expreffion, in exercises of this nature; which induce us to give the paradift credit for more than the merit of a mere imitator. Our readers will judge, from the following fpecimen, whether the author of the piece before us lays any rightful claim to fuch distinction, For ther, who, mindful of thy lov'd compeers, Dofl in theje lines their artiefs tale relate; J To reach the chapeliere the pfalms began: Or launch the polifa'd bowl with steady hand. Nor yet at bowls, nor chapel was he fees. "The next, we heard that, in a neigh bring town, THE LETT ER. In rural innocence secure I dwell, Alike to fortune and to fame unknown; Seek Beek not to draw me from the blest retreat, PLAY S. ART. XII. The Runaway, a Comedy: As is acted at the TheatreRoyal in Drury-Lane. 8vo. 1s 6d. Dodfley. The Runaway, to use the theatrical term, as well; in other words, the actors topped their parts in the reprefentation and the town received the piece with applaufe. In the bibliopolift's phrafe, however, it does not read fo well; the dialogue being neither fufficiently characteristic nor colloquial, for Comedy. The characters of the piece are, alfo rather ketches taken from pictures, than pictures taken from the life. The coftume, or manners of the piece, will as little ftand the teft of criticiim. In a word the gentlemen and ladies figure very well as the heroes and heroines of a modern novel, which might make no contemptible appearance in a circukating library; but they are not fuch as we meet with in real life; or in the works of our best dramatic writers.-There is something pretty, nevertheless, in the plot, fuch as it is, and yet though fimple, it is fo merely artificial and the jeu de theatre to very palpable that it by no means looks like the first effay of a writer, practically unacquainted with the ftage. It is faid, nevertheless, to be the first production of a female dramatift; who, if what is faid be true, will probably, improve on the prefent attempt and, in future, produce fomething ftill more worthy of approbation, At least this is what the promifes, in her dedication to Mr. Garrick, whom fbe addreffes on this occafion in a ftile of adulation, that rather befpeaks the gratitude of her heart than the goodness of her head. "Unpatronized by any name, fays fhe, I prefented myself to you, obfcure and unknown. You perceived dawnings in my Comedy, which you nourish'd and improved. With attention, and follicitade, you embellifhd, and prefented it to the world--that world, which has emulated your generofity, and received it with an applaufe, which fills my heart with most lively gratitude. I perceive how much of this applaufe I owe to my fex.-The RUNAWAY has a thousand faults, which, if written by a man, would have incurred the fevereft lash of criticifm-but the gallantry of the English nation is equal to its wifdom-they beheld a woman tracing with feeble steps the borders of the Parnaffian Mount-pitying her difficulties (for 'tis a thorny path) they gave their hands for her fupport, and placed her high above her level. All this, Sir, and whatever may be its confequences, I owe to you. Had you rejected me, when I prefented my little RUNAWAY, depreffed by the refufal, and all confidence in myself deftroyed, İ hould never have prefumed to dip my pen again. It is now my taik talk to convince You and the World, that a general allowance for al young Writer's faults, is the best encouragement to Genius-'tis a kindly Soil, in which weak Groundlings are nourifn'd, and from which the lottieft Trees draw their ftrength and their beauty." We shall not difpute, with our Authorefs, whether indulgence of severity be the best method of encouraging genius; as that may depend on the degree of confidence the former may infpire. But, we will venture to fay that, if the be as indulgent in the nursery, (where, the tells us this Comedy was written,) as the town has been to her piece on the ftage, fhe may find a little wholefome feverity very foon neceffary to check the confidence of the little geniuses, rifing under the tuition of fo hopeful a mama ; 66 "Till time mature them for important follies.” ART. XIII. Valentine's Day: A Mufical Drama. In tewo Alts. 'As it is Performed at the Theatre-Royal in Drury-Lane. 8vo. is. Lownde ADVERTISEMENT. "The Author of Valentine's-Day, defires to acquaint a Britis Audience, before whofe awful Tribunal his little Drama is going to appear; that the Encouragement of a young Man, tan humble Candidate in the Mufical Department) was his principal Motive for fubmitting this Trifle to the Protection of an unbiafs'd and impartial Public.' This trite and hackneyed apology, for what needs no apology at all, feems a proof of the modefty of the writer; and yet, it may be mere mock-modefty too. It is out of our walk, to fay any thing 2bout the bumble Candidate in the mufical department; tho' we may ge nerally obferve the bumble Candidates in that low department are humble only in alt, and that many a fenfible writer has had his goofe quill made a fcandalous tool to a fiddleflick.-In the plot of this lit tle piece there is the lefs to find fault with, as the fault of the piece is to have little or no plot. But, às Sir Andrew Ague-check fays, he who has not an exquifite reafon, may yet have a reafon good enough. So, fo much for the plot.-For fuch flight fketches, the few traits of character are alfo not amifs; and tho' the author appears not to have a great vein of humour, he, has two or three arch ftrokes; while at a Song, we'll pit him, for a cool hundred, against the author of the Syrens, the Blackamoor Wash'd White, or even the Duenna itfelf To be fure Cumberland, Colman, Garrick, Dibdin, and Bickerftaff, beat him. SPECIMENS. AIR. Here Harry, and Thomas, and Richard, and Ned, Was ever man vex'd with fuch fervants as mine! Will you fleep till eleven? O-you're come then at last [Enter fer vants How How like fools you all ftand! 'Tis you ftand the test; And Harry my coachman, and Richard come hither, Go-rub down my horfes. How happy am I, in the choice of a fon! QUARTET TO. Neighbours, take notice, you fee how I am treated The Hawk thus fees wo linnets blest, And, while careffing and careft, He bears the tender mate away! The tender mate, though left to grieve, He pines and fickens in the grove. Hufh, hufh, my good mafter; before I'm in bed, FLORELLA. FREDERICK. O, rapture! Delight! SIR VERITAS. Come along, come along, neighbours, take heed. As fure as a gun, I think we'll fucceed. AIR. If e'er you're a knight of the quorum, Quite loft in a dream, As if they'd no bufinefs before 'em. Tho Tho' you don't understand The laws of the land,. The news-papers lay on the table; Which is juftices' law, Get through it as well as you're able. When the culprit appears, Cross-queftion brow-beat him, commit him; Then fpare him the lash, Find a flaw, and directly acquit him. As to the lay and laying, instead of lie and lying, it is, doubtlefs, a vulgarifm; but it is a vulgarifm now-a-days adopted both by the great vulgar and the small; witness the advertising GENTLEMAN, who has thirty thousand pounds laying at his banker's, for the ufe of fpendthrifts of both fexes. The old woman, whose hen laid golden eggs, wc fuppofe to have flood in the fame predicament: for, tho' like Shylock, our ufurer may not know whether his monies be sheep and goats or not, he knows he makes them breed as fast. POLITICS. ART. XIV. A Letter to Reverend Dr. Richard Price, on his Obfervations on the Nature of Civil Liberty, the Principles of Government, and the Justice and Policy of the War with America. 8vo. 6d. Evans, Strand. : We cannot help thinking ourfelves ill-treated by the author of this Letter which, at his particular defire, and as a proof of our impartiality, we printed in the Correfpondence of our laft Month's Review; the writer advertising it as a feparate pamphlet, with certain additions to the title, too illiberal for us to admit against fo refpectable a character as Dr Price. As he did this, alfo before he had printed it in a separate form; it could not fail to put our publisher to much trouble and inconvenience. We hope no future attempt will he made to take the like unfair advantage of our candour, left we fhould be laid under the neceffity of admitting the productions of no correfpondents who do not favour us with their names at length. ART. XV. The Rights of Great Britain offerted again the Claims of America: being an Anfower to the Declaration of the General Congress. The eighth Edition. To which is now added a Refutation of Dr. Price's State of the National Debt. 8vo. 2s. Cadell. This pamphlet, which appears to have been writtten and circulated at the inftance of administration, is not ill-manufactured. At the fame time it contains not only much cogent argument but authentic infor |