as Pope fays of the old copies of Shakespear," their very Welch is falfe."

The fecond folio contained the firft complete collection of the Works of Beaumont and Fletcher. Concerning that edition we have nothing to add to what hath been faid by other editors, whose prefaces we have annexed to our own.

The Octavo editors of 1711 feemed to aim at little more than reprinting our Author's plays, and giving a collection of them more portable and convenient than the folios. Their text, however, is more corrupt than that of either the quartos or folios; the errors of which they religioufly preferved, adding many vicious readings of their own, fome of which have been combated in very long notes by their fucceffors.

In the year 1742, Theobald, on the fuccefs and reputation of his Shakespear, projected an edition of Ben Jonfon. What he had executed of it fell into the hands of Mr. Whalley, and is inserted in that learned and ingenious gentleman's edition. At the fame time he exhibited propofals for a publication of the plays of Beaumont and Fletcher, in which he was afterwards affifted by Mr. Seward and Mr. Sympfon: but Theobald dying before he had committed more than the firft and about half the fecond volume to the prefs, the undertaking was continued by the two laft mentioned gentlemen; and the edition thus jointly, or rather feverally, executed by Theobald, Seward and Sympfon, at length appeared in the year 1750. Thefe gentlemen were the first editors of our poets who profeffed to collate the old copies, to reform the punctuation, and to amend the corruptions of the text. Some attempts were also made to elucidate the obfcurities and enforce the excellencies of their authors. How far we disagree or coincide with them, will appear on inspection of the particular paffages to which their feveral obfervations refer.Such of their notes as appeared inconteftible, or even plaufible, we have adopted without remark: to thofe more dubious we have fubjoined additional annotations, thofe of lefs confequence we have abridged, and those of no importance we have omitted."

In the prefent edition, it hath been our chief aim to give the old text as it lies in the old books, with no other variations, but fuch as the writers themselves, had they fuperintended an impreffion of their works, or even a corrector of the prefs, would have made. Yet even thefe variations, if at all important, have not been made in filence. Notes, however, have been fubjoined to the text as briefly and fparingly as poffible; but the lapfe of time, the fluctuation of language, have rendered fome notes neceffary for the purpofe of explaining obfolete words, unufual phrafes, old cuftoms, and obfcure or diftant allufions. Critical remarks and conjectural emendations have been feldom hazarded, nor has any ridicule been wantonly thrown on former editors, who have only fometimes been reprehended for pompous affectation *, and more frequently for want of care and fidelity. Every material comment on these plays hath been retained in

* Of which Mr. Seward is often guilty to a degree that must naufeate and difguft every Reader of tafte and judgment.

this edition, though often without the long and oftentatious notes that first introduced those comments to the Public. At the fame time, we have religiously attributed every observation critical or philological to its due Author, not wishing to claim any praise as Editors, but by industriously endeavouring, as an act of duty, to collect from all quarters every thing that might contribute to illuftrate the Works of Beaumont and Fletcher.'

The Editors of thefe Works have, we think, difcharged their duty with great fidelity and exactness in the volumes now before us. The old Bards never appeared to fo great an advantage, nor were they ever introduced to the Public in fo elegant a drefs. The cuts, which are happily defigned and well executed, will undoubtedly be deemed a very agreeable addition to the work and to ufe the words of the Editors, we may with truth affert, that no authors in the English language, published at the fame price, have fo many and fo valuable engravings.'

ART. II. Four Sermons on the Divinity of Christ. By the late Rev. James Hervey, A. M. Rector of Welton Favell and Collingtree, in the County of Northampton, and Author of Meditations, &c. To which are added, Four other Sermons, faithfully tranfcribed from the original Short-hand of the Author. Smail 8vo. Is. 6d. Printed for the Editor, and fold by Keith, &c. 1779.

T

HE Preface informs us, that thefe Sermons were tranfcribed from the fhort-hand MS. of the Rev. Mr. J. Hervey, by the defire of his brother, the late Mr. William Hervey, Wine-merchant in London. That they are the genuine productions of the Author of the Meditations among the Tombs, and the Contemplations, Dialogues, and Letters, no man of fenfe and tafte (when he hath read them) can poffibly doubt." We think thefe pofthumous Sermons little calculated to make their way to the closets of men of fenfe and tafle-who, after all, would think it a point of the utmost infignificance whether they were the genuine productions of Mr. Hervey or the imposition of fome catchpenny editor.

From ftrong internal evidence, however, we are led to give fome credit to the declaration of the Prefacer. Thefe Sermons abound with many of the peculiarities of Mr. Hervey's file and fentiment. A profufion of metaphors was the chief characterittic of his language; and the Shibboleth of Puritanism was the capital diftinction of his theology. His object was to foften the harth features of a Calviniftic creed, by mixing it with the gay and fplendid colours of eloquence. This he effected in a very high degree among perfons who were no great critics, nor profound judges of fenfe and eloquence. The middle clafs of readers, who had a fufficient fhare of understanding to revolt at naked abfurdities, were not proof against them when decked out

in

in a fpecious attire. The fancy was charmed: and reason was not ftrong enough to break the delufion.

Thefe difcourfes are introduced to the world by a preface from an anonymous writer, who hath thrown together a heap of fulfome declamatory nonfenfe on the excellence, importance, and comfort, of the doctrine of Chrift's divinity.

The fermons which fucceed it on the fame fubject are pretty much in the fame diffuse, unmeaning, illogical ftrain. They have not the flighteft pretenfion to argument, and they will rather weaken than confirm the cause they profess to support. They are full of difmal interjections, or impertinent interrogations and their chief ftrength is concentred in a plaintive ah! or an emphatic oh!

One argument (if it may be fo called) on which the Preacher lays ftrefs, in proving the doctrine of Chrift's divinity, is drawn from his knowledge of the human heart. This point he illuftrates by a remarkable inftance from the Evangelifts. Did not a look from our Lord's eye renew the heart of Zaccheus. The holy fcriptures reprefent him as an oppreffor and extortioner: one who made it his business to grind the faces of the poor, and raife himself a fortune by all manner of unjuft practices. One would almost despair of recalling fo egregious a finner :—a finner that was hardened in villany, and a veteran in iniquity. But, behold!-a glance from Chrift's eye converts him! He climbed the tree a finner! and came down the tree a new creature!'

In the farther illuftration of the fubject, the Preacher defcants on the figns and wonders which attended the crucifixion of our Saviour, and then gives the Arians a home-thruft by the fharp two-edged fword of interrogation and interjection.

The fun withdraws at the horror of his agonies, and leaves the astonished world in darkness! And is not this the great God! Did ever the whole face of nature go into mourning for any but its Creator? The centurion, before an infidel, now becomes a believer! He is now convinced of the divinity of the BLESSED JESUS: thefe aftonishing, unheard-of events overcome his prejudices.'-Oh! Priestley, art thou yet, in the pride of reason, hardened against orthodoxy?

Can fuch things be

And overcome us like a fummer's cloud
Without our special wonder?

To give a death-wound to Socinianifm, the Preacher affures us in the moft peremptory language of abfolute certainty (p. 35.), that the fatisfaction of Chrift must be more than infinite, fince it made us ample reparation to the Uncreated Holiness as if the whole race of finners had been eternally destroyed.' Some of the duller clafs of our Readers may be unable to comprehend

the

the force and extent of this argument: and others, whofe heads run on nothing but mathematics, may laugh at it as a palpable abfurdity. But there is a profound meaning in it, whether it be perceived or not. We will draw it out of its deep and dark abyfs, and pretent it to our Readers in open day-light, in all the drefs of mood and figure; viz. As fin is in itself an infinite evil, it could not be atoned for by a fatisfaction that was barely infinite, fince in that cafe the matter would only have been upon an even poife. But the fatisfaction of Christ did actually atone for the infinite evil of fin, THEREFORE, the fatisfaction of Christ must have been more than infinite.. Q. E.D.!

In a fermon on the duty of reading the fcriptures, the Preacher hath almost exhaufted the very fountain of invention for fimilies, metaphors, and all poffible figures of speech, to display the excellence of the word of God.:.

O bleffed book! (fays he) our better, our fpiritual fun, that fheddeft thy bright beams upon our fouls, and furnisheft us with the light of life! Thou fovereign antidote against the delufions of the devil, the treachery of our fallen nature, and the darkness of the world! Thou guide to lead us fafely from the mazes of this miferable life unto our heavenly and everlasting reft. No wonder that David counted his kingdom, as nothing, and called thee his heritage and portion for ever. 'Tis rather to be wondered at, that all mankind do not prize thee as their richest jewel; converfe with thee as their sweetest companion, and talk of thee as the deareft object of their love all the day long.' What a rapid fucceffion of metaphors! So quick and fuddenly do they follow, that (as Shakespear fays) they gall each other's heels! The blefled book is a fun, and the next inftant this fun is converted into an antidote :—but indeed it is an antidote against darkness. From hence it takes the shape of a guide, and from a guide it is transformed into a heritage. The heritage becomes a jewel, and the jewel (by a procefs as extraordinary as that which the teeth of Cadmus underwent) ends in a companion, to whom one might be making love all day long!

But the Preacher hath not half done with his fubject: for as -Martinus Scriblerus hath long fince obferved of Sir Richard Blackmore (Vid. Ispr Babes, cap. v.), "There is nothing fo great which a marvellous genius, prompted by the laudable zeal of finking, is not able to leffen! Hear how the moft fublime of all books is reprefented in the following images.'

Firft, it is likened to a TRUMPET.

• When our hands have hung down, and our knees grown feeble in our holy warfare, hath not a chapter, and sometimes a fingle verfe called up our courage as a trumpet, and inspired the foldier of Chrift with new recruited vigour ??

Now

Now it is a HAMMER.

Let us put ourselves under the difcipline of this heavenly word. It is likened to a hammer that breaketh the obdurate heart, that rock in the breaft, in pieces.'

Now it is a good BREAST of MILK.

The babes in Chrift may fuck at this breaft, and grow thereby." It is a LANTERN.

The fcriptures are hung out by the Lord himself on purpose to be a light unto our feet and a lantern to our path.'

It is an APOTHECARY'S SHOP.

In this store-houfe of precious things there is medicine for every fickness and balm for every wound.'

It is a BUTTERY.

In it we have a fupply for every want. It is plenteousnefs ftocked with all that can be cheering to us in our pilgrimage.' It fometimes acts like FIRE.

There are fuch promifes from one end to the other-fuch precious promises to fet on fire all our hopes.'

At other times it acts like Water

The fcriptures are wells of confolation as well as wells of falvation, and we may draw from them the water of joy in fuch abundance as will drown all our troubles.'

vane

Fingentur fpecies, ut nec pes, nec caput, &c.

ART. III. Sermons by Colin Milne, LL.D. Rector of North Chapel in Suffex, Lecturer of St. Paul's Deptford, and one of the Preachers at the City of London Lying-in-Hofpital. 8vo. 6 s. bound. Cadell. 1780.

TH

HE Author informs his Readers, in the Advertisement prefixed to his Sermons, that few of them were delivered exactly in the fame form in which they are now offered to the Public. The time ufually allotted for inftructions from the pulpit seldom permitted the Author to exhauft his fubject in a fingle difcourfe. When the intreaties therefore of fome partial friends had perfuaded him to fubmit the least incorrect of his compofitions to the inspection of the Public, he judged that he fhould be guilty of no great impropriety by incorporating feve ral difcourfes upon the fame fubject into one or two, which, though thereby neceffarily rendered longer than fermons generally are, might yet, he imagined, by conjoining the feveral arguments employed, and placing them before the Reader in one ftrong point of view, gain, perhaps in point of energy and effect, what they loft in elegance and neatnefs.' What degree of elegance or neatness those fermons might poffefs in their original and unincorporated state, it is not our bufinefs to determine. We take the matter as it lies before us; and in this view cannot

help