and devout, but it is alfo heavy, profaic, and deftitute of almoft every poetic excellence. There are lines in it fcarce fuperior to those we ufually meet with, dictated by "the unletter'd Mufe," in a country church-yard.-Such, for inftance, as O tender, kind, and loving Saviour dear-p. 54. In the use of epithets Mr. K. falls into infufferable pleonasms. He has fearful dread,' p. 32. and fpeechlefs filence,' p. 50.But that he may not think himself injured by our quoting detached lines, we shall give the following paffage, as a candid fpecimen, leaving our Readers to their own obfervations upon it : Sudden and fwift oft-times thine arrow flies, (With the permiflion of Heaven's Arbiter) Quick takes the vig'rous, blooming, gay, and ftrong, P. 40. The houfe appointed for the human race. As thofe Readers, who have a genuine tafte for poetry, will not, we prefume, defire any farther extracts from this Effay on Death, we fhall here take leave of it; adding only a fincere expreffion of our concern, that we cannot give a more favourable account of a work whofe Author appears refpectable not only for his piety, but for many just refections, interfperfed in various parts of his performance; and whofe thoughts, on a fubject in which we are all fo feriously concerned, might, perhaps, have been dreffed to more advantage, if he had not, unfortunately, chofen to exhibit them in the garb of poetry. Art. 20. The Proteftant Affociation. Written in the midft of the Tumults, June 1780. 12mo, 6 d. Atlay, in the City-Road. 1781. A very indifferent rhimefter here celebrates the outrageous proceedings of the London mob, in the fummer of 1780; together with the pufillanimous behaviour of the city-magiftrates, on that infamous occafion. His firains resemble those of the noted Ned Ward, in his Burlefque History of the Reformation; and his main defign feems to be, to lay all the blame of the riots on the leaders of our Antiminiterial party: · The wifeft grant, we are not got The leaft acute, methinks, might fmell ? We We charitably hope there has been no ground for thefe horrid infinuations; and with equal charity, too, we conclude, that Mr. Wesley is no less innocent of this ribaldry, though it iffues from the Foundry prefs. Art. 21. An Epiftle to Angelica Kauffman. By George Keate, The gems which invelope the mummies brought from Egypt are now And whenfoe'er your art fhall trace NITOCRIS, as Herodotos informs us, was Queen of Egypt, and fucceeded her brother on the throne, on his being murdered by that people. She was a woman of great addrefs and intrepidity, and began her reign, by revenging her brother's death on thofe who had been the perpetrators of it. The names after mentioned are fuppofed to be fome of those who erected the most remarkable of the PYRAMIDS; but this is a fubject fo deeply involved in the darkness of antiquity, that both the GREEK and ARABIAN Hiftorians are much divided in their opinions concerning this matter. This Prince reigned 56 years over EGYPT was a great tyrant fhut up the temples-forbad all facrifices-and lived both hated and feared by his oppreffed fubjects. The largest PYRAMID is by many conjectured to have been com-pleted, if not built, by this Lady, whofe name hiftory has not given us. There are many abfurd traditions about her, to which little credit can be given. Cc 2 Shall Shall ftrengthen in the virgin eye, Th' expreffive look of piety: In each foft feature ftand confeft And warmer tinge the feeling breat. Then RHODOPE again may reign, And all her former charms regain; Whofe artful, fafcinating fmile, Once triumph'd over half the NILE! Her reliques may adorn the Fair, Flow in the ringlets of the hair, In Beauty's form protection feek, Or ambush in a dimpled cheek.ASYCHIS+ for whofe royal breath Commanded every thing but death; A glittering flave to eastern pride Shall into fome rich drap'ry glide; Live in the fplendid mantle's fold, And mark what moft he lov'd of old.But, MYCERINUS ‡, wife and just, To nobler ends mutt ferve thy duft: Which its congenial pow'rs fhall join To picture virtues fuch as thine; In manly character difpenfe The glow of fweet benevolence; And itrongly from the canvas dart Th' emotions of a generous heart! Art. 22. The Bevy of Beauties. A Collection of Sonnets. ·Catt. 4to. 2. S. Baldwin. 1781. Thefe bouquets of panegyric are, fome of them at least, made up with elegance and tafte; and the flowers they are compofed of are fkilfully and judiciously varied: and let it be obferved, that to vary deferved praise four and twenty times (for fo many are the fopnets), is a trial of ingenuity that not every one would be able to undergo. · Lady AUGUSTA CAMPBELL. The fabling Arab, certain to decoy, With Beauty's charms his half-believers brib'd, And endless bleffings to her pow'r afcrib'd! • One of the smaller PYRAMIDS hath been by fome afcribed to this Lady, who is highly celebrated in antiquity for the conquests her beauty made. + A King much devoted to magnificence and oftentation; he built a PYRAMID of brick near SACCARA, and placed on it an inscription which recorded both his vanity and weakness. MYCERINUS was the immediate fucceffor of CEPHRENES; was a humane Prince,-reitored the public worship,-and endeavoured, by his diftinguished moderation and benevolence, to render his people happy. -O, MAHOMET! if in thy bow'rs of love, And bear me to the dear bewitching Maid! Thy vales, which wear the fadelefs vett of Spring; Breath'd in the zephyrs of thy balmy plain, No echo charm, but that which mocks her ftrain. O Prophet! in thy manfions of delight, If dwells the image of the lovely FAIR, And myriads to thy altar fhall repair! Thy Paradife,-rhy blooming nymphs be giv'n: Art. 23. Sentimental Excurfions to Windfor and other Places; Walker, 1781. 6 2s. 6d. Though fecond parts feldom accomplish what the first led us to B.d.k. The infpired Dove, which, according to Mahomet, dictated the Alcoran; and, to repeat the expreffions of the Prophet, "flew to heaven, and returned with a swiftnefs which overtook the speed of lightning, whenever he wanted inftruction from God!" Cc 3 formance. 4: By Leonard Mac Nally, bsgr formance. We find, however, that this fecond volume is, if poffible, more contemptible than the first. It hath the fame glaring affectation; the fame unnatural and difgufting attempt at pathos; with more than ufual abfurdity, and a double portion of inaccuracies. This bold adventurer, like his fentimental brother of Windfor, defies dares us-d-mns us: and brandishing the featherless stump of Yorick's old pen,' dashes-dashes on, without fear or shame us ¿ Pithee come hither, honeft grave-digger, and cover up Yorick's Skull. The flies have blown on it.- Cover it up! Maggots and B.d.k Art. 25. The Female Monitor; or the Hiftory of Arabella and Lady Gay. 8vo. 2 s. ftitched. Richardfon. 1781. all! Equally frivolous and affected! The language in which this empty and conceited writer (who calls himfelf Peter M Dermott) hath introduced his Hiftory' (as he terms this poor trifle, which deferves no name), is a fpecimen of the manner in which he hath carried it on; and we leave our Readers to guefs at the one, by feeing the other. Man, in the infant flate, is the mere pupil of example, and can be cultivated like the fertile foil fown with found feeds to produce a plenteous crop of honour, benevolence, and focial friendship; or by a contrary conduct a train of vices, coquetry, gallantry, and affectation. View the garden, and you know the gardener's care. The rofes, when well drefled, perfume with double fragrance. The foelbing walks verdure in congenial fpring. All is harmony and delight. The warbling fongstress fits there on the jeffamine bower, and fings in approbation to the labourer's hand. In mankind it is the fame; for I am bold to say, there are few defects in human nature that a judicious hand may not drefs into shape and ornament; particularly in the education of the female, as their paffions are easily twifed in the bud, and amputated from the wild proximity of nature.' Such Writers, it is our office to twist in the bud; and, as literary proners, to amputate from the wild proximity of fcribbling." We with it may anfwer !"-as uncle Toby fays. B.d.h. Art. 26. Lucinda; or, the Self-devoted Daughter. 8vo. 35. Hookham. 1781. This is, in truth, a feper-tragical ftory! related in a flyle, which may be called, fuper-fublime! Like most of thefe ftories, it begins with love: as it proceeds, it takes in perfidy, fedection, adultery, jealousy, rage, madness and, at last, ends in battle, murder, and Judden death! "Oh! horrible! moft horrible!" Art. 27. The Revolution. A Novel in 4 Vols. Vol. 1. 12mo. Do 2 s. 6 d. Fielding. 1781. This work is improperly tiled a novel. It was intended for an epic poem, and at frit was adorned with machinery, which was afterwards omitted. The Author has only left one trace of his original plan, which could not have been loft without involving the future part of his fory in much confufion. The language is a fort of measured profe, a file of compofition we are not fond of. In juftice however to this performance, we muft acknowledge, that we are feldom disappointed by an unmeaning pomp of words, or difgufted with low and unfuitable expreffions. But at the fame time, we confefs, that we are not often elevated by the dignity, or captivated by the charms of language. |