Shall villains then, like thefe, unpunish'd live ?

In spite of shame and iniquity thrive?

Perhaps daily in the first line should be nightly, as fleep imme-
diately fucceeds.-

Names must be conceal'd; O misfortune dire!

Law checks my rage, and lawyers damp my fire!
When deeds like thefe were huddled from fight,
What blockhead can believe that all went right?-
Miftaken wretches! cease the impious thought,
And learn that virtue is by paffion bought.

Thefe, it is acknowledged, are a few of the worft; but what
can be expected from an author capable of producing and pub-
lifhing fuch? None of the noble objects of his fatire, whom he
reprefents under fictitious names, are fo little obliged to him, as
the worthy prelates he commends in fuch verfe, by name, and
in broad capitals. As Pope fays, tho' with a different applica-
tion,---′ All our wonder is, how they came there.' It is re-
markable at the fame time, that very bad poetry does not
excite his indignation, and his title-page is truly judicious, be-
cause anonymous, which prevents it from being the feverest
page in the performance. In brief, fome youth feems to have
Overheated himself by reading Juvenal, and, imagining he had
conceived by the furor entheus, muft of neceflity drop his fqual-
ing progeny on the public.

K VI. The School-master, a characteristical poem. By a Gentleman of Cambridge. 4to. 6d. Payne.

Both the language and verfification of this brief performance
are a little more pardonable than thofe of the above-mentioned
Indignant Mufe: but, on the other hand, this is more ftiff, ob-
fcure, and affected. Several ftrained unidiomatical tranfpofitions
of the words make it read, as the phrase is, with uncouthness and
perplexity. Thus, talking of reafon, at the outfet of his poem,
he fays, it would mount, like Phebus, to its native Ikies,
Did not, like morning dews, its facred fire,
The paffions damp, and fink to low defire.

which, on the firft perufal, would fuppofe, that the facred fire
of reafon damp'd the paffions, (which, indeed, reason was in-
tended to regulate) when the author very oppofitely means, that
the paffions damp the facred fire of reafon, a metaphor much
better adapted to the paffions. His first addrefs to school-
mafters. And O ye guides,' &c. is feparated from the pre-
cept enjoined them, to decline the task, if they find them-
felves unskilled,' (which the unfkill'd will not be the first to find
out) by the intervention of ten or twelve lines. This makes
the reader yawn on in expectation, tho' he discovers little worth
his attention at last. Some fach clipfes occur, as our language
does not admit of: thus,

Vetufio

Vetufio foon would hear a lady prate,

As read works ftigmatiz'd with modern date.

Where as should be inferted after Vetufto, to make it sense and conftruction. It would render the line, indeed, a syllable too long, which is the cafe of a few more: but this gentleman feems willing to dispense with as pretty frequently, as fome of the French philologists were for discarding car (for) and is for fticking fo in its place.

He scale the Alps of fcience! he'd fo foon

Calcine, with Hudibras, the hiffing moon.

Our author's philofophy concerning the fun does not much excell his poetry; he fuppofes Sol to reft and bait fometimes, that he may move on, and shine away again, with the greater vigour. Phabus himself fufpends his active force,

And with recruited fires renews his courfe.

His Florifculus and Conftantio may be schoolmasters of his atquaintance as well as Vetufio; but Morofus and Eudocius, whom he contrastes, feem his greatest intimates, and are the chief'ngures in his groupe. The former is a flogger, whom our author by no means approves, and if he has been under his fevere tuition, perhaps Morofus may fwear the peace against him for the following intimation.

Give him a few short years, and tyrant know,
Thy foul fpurn'd out would justly pay a blow.

Undoubtedly Eudocius feems better qualified for a good precep-
tor, as birch may be over, as well as under-dofed. And tho'
none of these gentlemen have very aufpicioufly introduced this
writer to the court of Parnaffus, we must in justice confefs,
there are some verses very different from the reft, both for ex-
preffion and imagery.

Thou parent! then, if ever thou haft hung
O'er the sweet mufic of thy darling's tongue;
If e'er with speechlefs ardour, while you preft
The pretty fportling to your throbbing breast,
Your foul leapt out to triumph in your eye,
And dropt fond nature's tear of extafy, &c.

The conclufion of this poem is an endeavour to imitate Pope in his Effay on Man; whose diction is often transcribed elsewhere; and indeed the whole poem may induce us to think our author has a paffion for the muses, tho' they are not as yet propitious to it. VII. A Collection of Poems, by eminent Hands. Vol. IV. 12mo. 3s. Dodsley.

The merit of the three former volumes of this collection is fufficiently known; the contents of this new one are not beneath the good company they are introduced into.

VIII.

VIII. The Birth-day of Folly. An heroi-comical poem. By Peter. With notes variorum. 4to. Is. Cooper.

The facetious Mr. George Alexander Stevens, author of Diftrefs upon Diftrefs, a burlesque tragedy, is fuppofed to be the author of this heroi comical poem: which is a fatire upon Henley, Foote, and Macklin. The piece has humour, and the poetry is tolerable.

IX. Britannia. A mafque. Drury-lane. 8vo. 6d. Millar.

Acted at the theatre-royal, in

Mr. David Mallet is the reputed author of this piece, which is not unworthy the pen of that ingenious gentleman; tho' he probably confidered it as too much a trifle for him to affix his name to. Its defign was (not unfeasonably) to animate the fons of Britannia to vindicate their country's rights, and avenge her wrongs. The mufic, machinery, and scenes, we imagine, must be pleafing; but have not been prefent at any of its exhibitions.

MISCELLANEOUS.

X. Memoirs of the Life and Adventures of Sobrina. Two Volumes. 6s. Woodyer.

This is like the rest of our late performances in the novelway; full of strange viciffitudes, and dire difafters, but special good luck at laft.

XI. Reflections upon Matrimony, and the women of this country. In a letter to a young gentleman. 8vo. Is. Baldwin.

A ftrange kind of declamation against matrimony, and the fair fex, in general. We know not what to make of the author, but must fuppofe him either an enemy to women, or a pamphlet-writer by profeffion: if the firft, his motives for intruding fuch a compofition upon the public, are eafily imagined; and fo they are, indeed, if the latter..

XII. An Addrefs to the Clergy; with fome proposals for raifing and establishing a fund, by the aid of parliament, to make a provifion for their widows and children. 8vo. 6d. Payne.

proper

A provifion for the widows and orphans of the clergy, upon • fome eftablished footing, that their diftreffes may be no longer ⚫ a reproach to this charitable age, and to our church and nation *,' is here modeftly, but earnestly, contended for, and recommended. The particular method in which this is to be done, is judicioufly intimated by the fenfible and worthy author, and fubmitted to the wifdom and determination of the clergy themselves. As the particulars of this scheme have been already published, in the Evening Advertifer, and other papers, we shall fay nothing more of it here, than that we have the pleasure to find, by the concluding paragraph of the author's Addrefs, p. 11.

Ad

Addrefs, that this design is now in a fair way of fucceeding. A defign of this nature was carried into execution for the wi⚫dows and children of the minifters of the church of Scotland, with the aid of parliament, but a few years ago. The diffen⚫ters in England, and the clergy in Ireland, you will find have a fund for the fame purpose. There is a provifion too of this fort, it is faid, in all other proteftant countries; and why this be ⚫nefit fhould not be extended to the families of the minifters of the church of England, is an enquiry which every ferious clergy⚫ man should make, with a view that it may be procured.' XIII. The Authors. A dramatic fatyr, in two acts, as it has been frequently acted with great applause in this, and the other end of the town, by the public's company of dunces. 8vo. Is. Typus.

Illiterate nonfenfe!

XIV. The Frenchman in London. A comedy. From the French of M. de Boifey. 8vo. 1s. Crowder.

An entertaining, fatirical farce, (not a comedy) intended to expofe the folly of fuch of the English as copy the light and frothy airs, and tinfel drefs, of French fops, in order to render themfelves fine gentlemen. It is ill translated.

XV. Theron and Afpafio: or, a feries of dialogues and letters, upon the most important and interefting fubjects. By James Hervey, A. M. rector of Weston-Favel, in Northamptonfhire. 8vo. 3 vols. 18s. In 12mo. gs. Rivington.

Some of the principal points which Mr. Hervey endeavours to vindicate, illuftrate, and apply, in this work, are those that follow: The beauty and excellency of the fcriptures-The ruin and depravity of human nature-Its happy recovery, founded on the atonement, and effected by the fpirit, of Chrift. But the grand article, and which makes the principal figure in his work, is the imputed righteoufnefs of Chrift; an article which he thinks eminent for its importance, little understood, and less regarded.

By Chrift's righteousness he understands all the various inftances of his active and paffive obedience: by the word imputed he would fignify, that this righteoufnefs, tho' performed by our Lord, is placed to our account, reckoned, or adjudged by God as our own; infomuch that we may plead it, rely on it for the pardon of our fins, for adoption into his family, and for the enjoyment of life eternal.

This doctrine Mr. Hervey earneftly contends for: but whether his reprefentation of it be agreeable to truth, or fuch as does honour to the gospel-difpenfation, we leave it to his readers to determine; and fhall only obferve, upon the performance in general, that whoever perufes it with attention, and without

• Address, P. 4.

pre

prejudice, will find in it all the marks of a benevolent, and well difpofed mind, greatly concerned for the advancement of the interests of virtue and religion. A judicious and confiderate reader, indeed, will not often find occafion to entertain a very high opinion of the author's judgment, but he will always have just reafen to think favourably of his heart.

The defcriptive part of the work is, in many places, entertaining and ingenious. Mr. Hervey discovers an extreme fondnefs for the beauties of nature, takes great pleasure in delineating and difplaying them, and endeavours to lead the minds of his readers, from the confideration of them, to the contemplation of their divine author, and the methods of his providential government and adminiftration. He introduces most of his dialogues with defcriptions of fome of the amiable scenes of the creation. And tho' his tranfitions from thefe to the main fubjects of his work are not always perfectly natural, yet this part A of the performance will afford most entertainment to the generality of its readers, and be an agreeable relief from the argumentative part of it; wherein our fenfitive faculties, to fay nothing of the rational, are lefs concerned.

To diverfify the work too, fhort sketches of philofophy are occafionally introduced, eafy to be understood, and 'calculated to entertain the imagination, as well as to improve the heart; more particularly to display the wife and beneficent defign of providence, in the various appearances, and numberless productions of the material world.

R XVI. The Centaur not fabulous. In five letters to a friend, on the life in vogue. 8vo. 5s. Millar and Dodsley.

The men of pleasure, the profligate, the licentious, and aged gay, are the fubjects of these letters; they are called Centaurs, becaufe in them, as in the fabled Centaur, the brute runs away with the man; and Centaurs not fabulous, because by their fçarce hal human conduct and character, that enigmatical, and purely ideal figure of the antients, is not unriddled only, but realized.

Pleasure and Infidelity, the author tells us, reciprocally generate each other; and whoever would reduce one, mult tirike at both. Accordingly he attacks both very warmly, and lays about him with great earneftnefs. His manner of conducting the attack, however, does not appear to be the most judicious; nor the method he uses to make the infidel fenfible of his error, likely to be attended with much fuccefs. It is impoffible, he fays, for a good man to reject an offered revelation, without enquiring into its title to the high character it affumes; and for a reasonable man to reject the Chriflian revelation, if he does enquire: confequently, he who continues a deilt, in a land enlightened by the gospel, must be wanting, it is faid, in good nefs or reafon; mult be either criminal or dull. Now the no good man will reject an offered revelation, without due examination; yet to affert, that it is impoffible for a reasonable man