If an Alexandrine he not ill compared to a wounded snake, this immeafurable line no less resembles a rope of fand, which has no firm coherence in any part, but is ready to break at the first touch.

1

ART. 21. An Interview between the Spirit of Pope and the Shade that affumed his Name. 8vo. 15 pp. 6d. Hatchard. 1799.

There is merit both in the idea and the execution of this little poem ; but ftill no gho is able to rival, or correctly to imitate, the real poet. The firit Shade of Pope, which is here painted as a fiend in difquife, is on the Banks of the Thames; where the real fhade arifes to rebuke him for prefumption. Among the best parts of the performance we should felect the following mile. Pope tells his counterfeit,

Thy ftrains on folly's whirlwind drive along,

In all the fwoll'n inanity of fong.
So on the gale the air-blown bubble flies
Confus'dly painted with a thousand dyes.
It's orb awhile the varying colours blends,
Then bursts, and in a dirty drop defcends.

On the quantity of note fubjoined by the author of the P. of L. to a very feanty text he thus defcants:

Say who, that knew to judge of tone and time,
To wake the lyre and build the lofty rhime,
Could bear to fee his wire drawn verfes fpread
O'er each dull page a folitary thread;
Merely to guid applauding Scandal's eye
Where lurks below the mean pr faïc lie?
So at the door the crimfon lion's grin

Tempts to the noifome compounds fold within.

The author shows, in his lines on Dr. Warton, that praise, however juft, is more difficult to write than fatire. He alfo compliments, very highly, a friend of ours, though with a strong cenfure of his opinion refpecting the obnoxious fatirilt. Still what we have faid, in p. 467, of that author and his affailants, remains true.

DRAMATIC.

ART. 22. Laugh when you can. A Comedy. In Five Acts. As performed at the Theatre Royal, Covent-Garden. By Frederick Reynolds. 8vo. 25. Longman. 1799.

Our aftonishment at the numberkefs productions for the ftage, which have been brought forward at the theatres this feafon, is, in a great measure, done away by our perufal of the pieces themselves; and we must not wonder that the German tranflations are fo popular, when our own productions have so very few excellencies to recommend them. Unfortunately, this Comedy of Mr. Reynolds's, affords us no opportunity to change our fentiments; and we are forry that we could not be baaxed into a laugh," either by the perufal or reprefentation; yet we are very ftudious of the author's maxim, to laugh when we can.

ART.

ART. 23. The Captive of Spilburg. In Two Ads. As performed at the Theatre Royal, Drury-Lane. Altered from the favourite French Drama, called Le Souterrain. With a Preface, by the Tranflator. The Mufic by Duffek. 8vo. 47 RE Is. 6d. Stace, and Hatchard.

1799.

This is ore of thofe interefting fubjects, which, though frequently repeated, cannot fail to awaken the feelings. We have admired it in the original, and, in its English drefs, it is far from having loft any of its fubftance or fpirit; although, if our recollection do not deceive us, the tranflation is by no means fo close as the translator seems to inti

mate.

The Preface is fhort and judicious, and contains fome very appofite remarks concerning the adaptation of fongs to mufic.

ART. 24. The Battle of the Nile, a dramatic Poem, on the Model of the Greek Tragedy. 8vo. 25. Faulder, New Bond-Street. 1799. This is a confiderable prize in the lottery of criticism; a poem which unites correctness with animation, and vigour with claffical tafte. The author acknowledges that the idea was taken from the Pertæ of Æfchylus, but fays that he avoided an actual recurrence to the Greek Tragedy before he wrote, because he wished his Poem to be rather "a free imitation of the conduct, than a fervile copy of the fentiments of Afchylus." He has certainly fucceeded well; and the Poem, though faid to be compofed in a very short compafs of time, has, contrary to the ufual fate of fuch writings, that in it which will make it subfift for a long period. The fcene is laid at Paris, and the drama commences with the triumph and exultation of the French on their increasing glories, particularly their conquefts in the Eaft, and their fanguine hopes of crufhing the power of England. The Peripetia is produced by the narrative of Nelfon's victory, and the confequences of it in Europe, with the lamentations of difappointed ambition on that fubject. At the conclufion, the poet has introduced the Spirit of Louis XVI, rather, he fays from a defire of following his original, than from any partiality to the increafing tafte for the interpofition of fupernatural agents in the affairs of the modern ftage." If any part of the compofition requires additional care and polifh, it is the lyric part; yet many of the choral odes are of great excellence, not without fublimity. The Chorus is compofed of old men, whose apprehenfions and good fenfe form a happy contraft with the boafting arrogance of the Directors. To give a fhort fpecimen from fuch a poem,i s like exhibiting one column from a building; it may however ferve to fhow, that the fabric is of marble. After defcribing the battle of Aboukir, the Meffenger fays;

"Sad was the fight, when morn returning fhew'd Our ruins. Gallic barks, no longer proud

With ftately mafts and streamers, shatter'd lay
Wrecks on the ocean, ours no more. The bay

Was ting'd with blood. Rudders and broken mafts,

A me

A melancholy fcene, lay floating round,
The fhores were pread with corfes; and each wave
Slow borne, came loaded with the dead. Mean time
From ship to fhip were heard the groans of men
Under tharp wounds lamenting. Gloomy thoughts
Sadden'd the captives, who with envy view'd
The dying and the dead, o'er whom they hung
Or mourning, or attendant, duties fad.

Chorus. O warriors brave in vain! Unhappy fons!

ift Director. Loud doubtless were the vaunting conqueror's fhouts.

Messenger. No: ne'er did man, with fuch bright glory
cloath'd,

Bear him to meek. To God he gave the praise,
Owning himfelt his humble minifter.

The honours proud heap'd on him he receiv'd
With blushes, or with gentle fpeech repell'd,
As one fcarce worthy. When he nam'd the fight,
He rather fought pardon for deeds undone,

Than praife for nobleft feats atchiev'd." P. 31.

The Spirit of Louis appears at the end, with fuitable dignity and judicious preparation, and delivers admirable fentiments.

MEDICINE.

ART. 25. An Account of the Plague which raged at Mofcow in 1771. By Charles De Mertens, M. D. Member of the Medical Colleges of Vienna and Strafbourg, Sc. Tranflated from the French, with Notes. 8vo. 122 pp. 35. Rivingtons. 1799.

Doctor De Mertens's Account of the ravages made by the Plague at Moscow in the year 1771, was published in Latin at Vienna, in 1778, and tranflated into the French language in 1784. From this edition it is now translated into English by the prefent anonymous writer, but not entire; the preface and feveral chapters being omitted, as not having immediate reference to the disease, or not of importance to the English reader. The work contains an accurate defcription of the plague, and of the methods that were found most fuccessful in preventing the contagion from fpreading. The plague was firit introduced into Moscow by two foldiers, who came from Choczim in the month of November 1770, where it was then raging. Towards the end of the month, the anatomical diffecter to the hofpital died of a malignant fever, attended with petechia. On enquiring, it was found that eleven other perfons had died about the fame time; and that petechiæ, buboes, and carbuncles were observed on the dead bodies. The phyficians were therefore called together to give their opinions as to the nature of the disease, who all, except Dr. Rinder, agreeing that it was the plague, precautions were taken to prevent its becoming general, and most of the principal families quitted the city.

But

But the winter proving extremely fevere, and few new cafes occur ring, all apprehenfion of the plague ceafed, the city was again filled with inhabitants, and the precautions that had been directed were gradually remitted. On the 11th of March the phyficians were again affembled, the difeafe having appeared in a manufactory, where 3000 perfons were employed in making clothes for wearing. Neceffary precautions to prevent the infection from fpreading were therefore again had recourfe to; but a difference of opinion till prevailing among the phyficians, as to the nature of the complaint, the people did not, as before, quit the city. By the end of June, the difeale manifested itself in fuch a manner as to leave no doubt of its being the plague; fix perfons dying in one night, and livid fpots, buboes, and carbuncles being found on all of them. At the end of July, the number of deaths in the city, which does not ordinarily exceed fifteen in the day, amounted to 200, in the middle of Auguft to 409, at the end of Auguft to 600, and by the middle of September the deaths amounted to more than 1000 in the day. The mortality was greatly increased at this time, by the riotous behaviour of the common people, who broke open the peft-houfes, and quarantine hofpital, renewing all the religious ceremonies which it is customary with them to perform at the bed-fide of the fick, and digging up the bodies of thofe who have been buried in the fuburbs, carrying them into the city and interring them there. All precautions against spreading the infection, they contended, were unavailing or impious, as every one muft die, they faid, at the appointed time, and they confidered the prevalence of the plague as a mark of the divine vengeance, for having neglected their ancient forms of worship. The riots were again quelled by the foldiers; but the intercourfe of the fick with the healthy daring this time had fo extended the infection, that the deaths amounted to 1200 in the day, and continued in that ratio until the 10th of October, when the deaths began to decline, and by the clofe of the year, the plague ceased in Moscow, and in the whole Ruffian empire. The whole perfons who died during the time the plague continued are faid to be 70,000; therefore, as Mofcow is fuppofed to contain only 150,000 ́ perfons in the fummer feafon, nearly one half of the inhabitants were destroyed by the disease.

To the account of Dr. De Merters, the author has added defcriptions of the disease by Orræus and Samöilowitz, "who had great opportunities of obferving," be fays, " and have been more particu lar in noticing fome of the phænomena than our author." They all concur in opinion, that the atmosphere, during the time of the pefti lence, is not infectious, and that the difeafe is only communicable by contact with the body, clothes, or furniture of perfons who are in fected, or who died of the complaint.

"The plague," the author fays, p. 34, raged chiefly among the common people; the nobles, and better forts of inhabitants, elcaped the contagion, a few only excepted, who fell victins to their rathnefs and negligence. The plague was communicated folely by contact of the fick or infected goods; it was not propagated by the atofphere, which appeared in no refpect vitiated during the whole of the time."

The

The plague having been introduced into the Orphan-Houfe at Mofcow, where there were about 1000 children and 400 adults, by fome foldiers and workmen, who escaped over the wall of the enclosure by night, and returned, was prevented from fpreading, by keeping the infected perfons in an apartment by themselves, and prohibiting all intercourie between them, and the rest of the inmates. "Sic integra hæc domus, we quote from the original edition, p. 95," fana permanfit, quamquam omnes circumjacentes ædes valtatæ fuerint, In dirilime itaque peftis furore atincfphera minime contagiofa fuit, in calore aeftivo aeque, ac in gelida tempeftate; et contagium folo contactu aegrorum, vel rerum infectarum, propagabatur."

The author is very full in his directions to retrain the contagion; and although we hope, from the precautions ufed, there is little reafon to fear the introduction of the plague into this country, many of the regulations here recommended might be advantageoufly adopted, during the prevalence of any extremely infectious complaint: the publication of the work therefore in English, at this time, when our intercourfe with the Turks is more intimate than at any former period, Leems feasonable, and may have very beneficial effects. We have only to add, that on comparing the verfion before us with the Latin Edí tion, the tranflator appears to have executed the work with fidelity.

DIVINITY.

ART. 26. A Sermon, preached before the Honourable House of Commons, at the Church of St. Margaret, Weftminster, on Wednesday, February 27, 1799, being the Day appointed by his Majefty's Royal Proclamation, to be abferved as a Day of folemn Fafting and Humiliation. By the Rev. Thomas Hay, Canon of Chrift Church, Oxford. 4to. 30 pp. Is. 6d. Walter, Charing Crofs, 1799.

We have feveral times had occafion to notice the Sermons of Dr. Hay, on thefe public and folemn days, and always with fincere and ftrong approbation, of the good fenfe, judgment, and piety mani fefted in them. The prefent difcourfe is marked by the fame characteristics, and well deferves the vote of thanks, which doubtless would have been given, in this inftance, had the compliment been lefs usual than it is. After mentioning the occafion of the faft, the author confiders the public conduct of the nation under the trying circumstances which the late years have produced; and having found in that conduct much caufe for commendation, he appeals to individuals to examine, each for himself, whether they also have been careful to fulfil their various duties, and to avoid all wilful tranfgreffion. He concludes by reminding his hearers," that to fanctify the Lord God of Hofts himfelf, to let him be our fear, and let him be our dread" (according to his text, Ifaiah viii, 13, 14) is the trueft effort of patriotifin; and includes, in the defence of our country, the defence of Christianity itelf.