Art. 23. The Belles of Bury; Poem. 4to. Aye, good Miranda! do, take the Gentleman's fong.-Nothing, you know, like poetry for curling the hair :" it makes it so pure and fo crips!" 6 d. Bury Art. 24. Meritorious DISOBEDIENCE: An Epistle to a Minifterial Marine Favourite, on his late unexpected Escape from the Hands of Juftice. 4to. 2 S. Bew. Our old friend again!-Again! and again, Crifpinus!-Sir Hugh Pallifer now takes his turn for a fcalping: and the Reviewers come in, en paffant, for a fcratch or two. Art. 25. Ode on the prefent State of English Poetry, occafioned by reading a Tranflation of felect Parts of Shakespeare, Milton, Thomson, Warton: Simonides, Sophocles, and others. By Cornelius Scriblerus Nothus. With Remarks. To which is added, a Translation of a Fragment of Simonides. 4to. I s. 6 d. Oxford printed; fold by Elmfley, &c. in London. 1779. We are glad to find this Writer has fhewn fo much deference to our authority as to affume his right name f. As a farther proof of his obedience, we fhall expect him to cancel the prefent title to this filliest of all filly productions, and to fubflitute in its place its true. one, namely, A Progrefs to the Pastry-cooks. Art. 26. The Temple of Prostitution; a Poem. Dedicated to the greatest ***** in her Majesty's Dominions. Written by a Woman of Fashion. 4to. 1 s. 6 d. Harrington. "Impure defcription holds the place of fenfe ." If we may truit to the evidence of ftyle, this licentious publication had not a woman for its parent. Art. 27. The Priestess of Devonshire-wall. A poetical Satire. Embellished with Characters of diftinguished Perfonages, &c. &c. 4to. I S. Dixwell. Obfcure, low, and filly.-We cannot discover who is meant by The Prieftefs: but fome female of diftinction feems to be aimed at, under the name of W**t*n. Art. 28. Patriotic Perfidy; a Satire. 4to. 2 S. Bell. 1779 A furious invective against some leading men in what is called The Oppofition Party, or The Patriots. The names upon which the Author empties his Jordan of fcurrility are, the Dukes of R -d. Vid. laft month's Review, p. 396, Art. 29. Reviewers Reviewed. + See Bagley, a defcriptive poem; with annotations by Scriblerus Secundus. Monthly Review, vol. lviii. p. 160. There are, indeed, many forts of fenfe. Of one kind there is enough in this pamphlet; but that is not the fort meant by Mr. Pope, in the foregoing line, which we have prefumed to adapt to the present occafion. Ii 3 and n, the M and B the Earl of B —ss of Rm, Lord C-n, and -1. "Rebels, the damn'deft of rebellion's crew, If the Reader wishes for more, he must buy the pamphlet, for we think it neither safe nor decent to tranfcribe any farther. Art. 29. Fanatical Converfion; or, Methodism displayed; a Satire. ̧ Illuftrated and verified by Notes from J. Welley's fanatical Jour nals, &c. 4to. 2 s. od. Bew. 1779: · Are we for ever * to be teazed with the nonfenfe and (alleged) impoftures of Methodistie Saints,' and Perfectionists? Spare us, good Bard, and turn, at length, thy invective weapons on other objects. The nation abounds with knaves and hypocrites, of numerous claffes, and various denominations: wherefore, then, expend all thy poetic ammunition only on a particular fet of fanatics, and let all other culprits efcape?-But what do we fee-yet another piece levell'd at the Moorfields game! Vid the fucceeding Article: Art. 30. Voltaire's Ghost to the Apoftle of the Sinlefs Foundery: A familiar Epistle from the Shades. 4to. 2 s. 6 d. Bew. 1779. The fame hot fatirist (fee the preceding Article) here puts the rod into the cold hand of the deceased Voltaire : this being the mode in which dead men are enabled to flog_their furviving enemies —The memory of the celebrated Bard of Ferncy having been lately infulted in fome of our news-papers, by the Rev. Mr. John Wesley, the affront is refented by our Author, and repaid with an Hudibraftic cat-o'nine-tails.-The Ghost of M. de Voltaire may, indeed, condefcend to cope with an itinerant preacher; but the living Voltaire would not have deigned to notice fo unequal an antagonist: "Goliath's fpear ne'er kill'd a louse.' GHOST, p. 46. This antimethodiflic Poet continues to employ the hoftile graving tool, as well as the fatiric pen: thus affailing the foe from a battery of two preffes at once. Art. 31. Satire for the King's Birth-day. By no Poet-laureate, 4to. 1 S. Wilkie. 1779. Ironical, complimentary, and dull as a laureate's panegyric. Art. 32. Spirit and Unanimity; a Poem: Infcribed to his Grace the Duke of Rich-d. 4to. 2 s. 6 d. Piguenit. 1779. As this Writer feems to mean well (viz. to promote unanimity in the operations of government), we could with his parvers were equal to his will. Art. 33. A new Plan to fave the State; addreffed to the Ladies. By a Gentleman of the University of Cambridge. 4to. 1. S. Dodiley. This rhyming planner has attempted what, we apprehend, his ftrength is no way equal to, His project will not be much regarded by thofe to whom it is addreffed, and the poetry will not greatly recommend it. Foundery-Saints,' This is our Author's fixth attack on the and their Hierophant, as he terms them fee the Love-Feaft, Sketches for Tabernacle Frames, the Temple of Imposture, &c. Art. Art. 34. The Boftonian Prophet: An Heroi-comico-ferious-parodical-pindaric Ode, in Imitation of The Bard. With Notes critical, fatirical, and explanatory, by the Editor. 4to. I S. Etherington. 1779. Not a bad parody of Mr. Gray's celebrated ode, and yet not good enough to entitle its Author to much praife. Much praife, indeed, is more than any parody feems entitled to. Of all literary efforts, the Parody is not only one of the most humble but also the feebleft. Where little exertion is required, little praife can be expected. Art. 35. The Works of Hugh Kelly. To which is prefixed, the Life of the Author. 4to. I l. I S. Printed for the Author's Widow; and fold by Cadell, &c. 1778. This handsome edition of the poetical works of an ingenious and much efteemed Writer, comprehends his Dramas, his Thepis, in two books, and Fugitive Pieces. By the former, which were his most confiderable productions, he acquired no fmall reputation. They are Falfe Delicacy, a Comedy; A Word to the Wife, a Comedy; Clementina, a Tragedy; The School for Wives, a Comedy; and The Romance of an Hour, a Comedy of Two Acts. His Thefpis, which contained a critical examination into the merits of the principal performers at the theatres royal, was an imitation of Churchill's Rofiad; to which it was equal in point of elegance, if not of ftrength. Art. 36. The Satires of Perfius paraphrastically imitated, and adapted to the Times. With a Preface. 8vo. 2 s. fewed. Dodfley, &c. 1779. Imitations, as well as tranflations of the ancients, have been happily attempted in our language. Some of the fatires of Horace have indeed been fo fuccefsfully modernized by Pope, that they almost difpute the palm with the Roman original: but it required the skill and genius of Pope to produce fuch an effect, which must not be expected from the efforts of Edward Burnaby Greene, the paraphraftical imitator of Perfius. It is a maxim laid down by Rofcommon and others, that the talents of an original author, and thofe of his tranflators or imitators, ought to be congenial: but the kindred defects of Perfius and Edward Burnaby Greene militate against this doctrine. On the fide of excellence, there is no appearance of poetical confanguinity. Difficulty of conftruction, and obfcurity of allution, have generally been confidered as the chief objections to the fatires of Periius; objections which even an able translator would have endeavoured to remove, and which a paraphraftical imitator cannot possibly be juftified in fuffering to remain valid against a manner of verfion, whose fcope and freedom afforded ample room for eafe and perfpicuity. In Mr. Greene's work, however, the Reader will find no traces of Perfius, except his obfcurity; no fparks of his fire, but a volume of fmoke. By a perufal of Dryden and Brewfter, an English reader may form a tolerably adequate idea of the fix fatires of Perfius; but in the paraphrafe of Mr. Greene he will rarely discover any idea at all; for the work is fo ancient, yet fo modern all the while,' the colours fo run into each other, that the refult is nothing but confufion. To Ii 4 To add to this chaos, there are, prefixed to thefe imitations, we know not why, a medallion, very well executed, of the late Earl of Chatham, a monumental infcription, and an argument on the American contest. With the fame propriety are fubjoined a fonnet and epigram on Admiral Keppel! DRAMATIC. Art. 37. Mafinger has, undoubtedly, an equal claim to efteem with mot writers of the fame age and clafs: and Mr. Mason, the oftenfible Editor of thefe dramas, has, like the generality of commentators, elucidated fome paffages, and explained away others, as his judg ment has bit or missed the true reading of his author. Mr. Davies, the publisher of the volumes before us, discovers a confiderable share of biographical induftry, and judgment, as well as critical tafte, in his Life of Maflinger, prefixed to this edition; which alone gives it the preference to all former impreffions. On a candid review, we may venture to affert, that those ladies and gentlemen who have a relish for the ancient literature of this country, may gratify their tafte, in the perufal of thefe volumes; and as the prefent impreffion is the faireft we have hitherto feen of the Author, we can fo far recommend it to thofe curious collectors, for a place on the dramatic shelf in their libraries. NOVELS and MEMOIRS. Art. 38. The Indifcreet Marriage; or, Henry and Sophia Somer ville. In a Series of Letters. By Mifs Nugent and Mifs Taylor, of Twickenham. 12mo. 3 Vols. s. bound. Dodley, &c. 1779. A novel which appears before the Public under the fanction of two female names, feems entitled, if not to favour, at least to lenity. Instead, therefore, of entering into a particular enumeration of the defects of this work, we fhall only express a wish, that thofe females who think themselves poffeffed of fufficient genius and invention to write for the entertainment of the Public, would not content themfelves with that moderate fhare of literary reputation which a tolerable facility in the art of epiftolary writing may have obtained among the circle of their friends, but by converfing intimately with the belt models of good writing, acquire that elegance and refinement of tafte, which will neither be capable of being pleafed with, nor ex pect to please by, mediocrity, i Art Art. 39. The Count de Rethel: An hiftorical Novel. from the French. 12mo. 3 Vols. 9 s. bound. Hookham. This novel is fufficiently enriched with variety of incident and fentiment to raise it above the character of infipidity. It is written in an easy style, and, without calling for any vigorous exertions of the understanding, or producing any violent agitations of the heart, may afford an agreeable amufement for a leifure hour. LA W. Taken * Art. 40. The Hiftory of the Common Law. By Sir Matthew Hale, Lord Chief Juftice of England in the Reign of Charles II. The Fourth Edition corrected, with Notes, References, and fome Account of the Life of the Author, by Charles Runnington, Efq; Barritter at Law. 8vo. 10 s. 6d. Boards. Cadell. 1779. We have here a new edition of this valuable work, accompanied with many additional references, and a large collection of notes and illustrations. In thefe Mr. Runnington has availed himself of the labours of our modern writers to a larger extent of quotation than the duty of an annotator demanded, or perhaps admitted. This Gentleman's induftry in tranferibing is greater than his judgment in felecting and applying. We are prefented with copious extracts from the works of Judge Blackftone, Mr. Barrington, Dr. Sullivan, Lord Lyttelton, Mr. Hame, and others, on points which no man who is moderately verfed in English hiftory and jurifprudence, can be fuppofed to be at this day unacquainted with. What is fingular enough, the authority of Blackftone is fometimes produced in confirmation of Sir Matthew Hale's doctrine, where Sir Matthew Hale is the very authority to which Blackstone himself refers. This is furely to turn back the ftream to its fountain. At this rate the works of thefe learned authors may be quoted as comments on each other in endless reciprocation. Perhaps, too, the name of Hume appears oftener in these notes than will please a conftitutional lawyer. Mr. Hume's writings, when he treats of the early period of English history, however fubtile and elegant, have no claim to veneration when oppofed to those of Sir Matthew Hale, and when alleged merely in confirmation of them, they are nugatory in a work of this kind. As a guide, however, to the ftudent on his first entrance on the ftudy of our laws, Mr. Runnington's notes will be found useful and valuable. They will introduce him to an acquaintance with the most liberal of our writers, and give him some idea of the extent of the science, and the variety of objects that call for his attention in it, and they will affift him in his further progrefs, by pointing out many of the alterations which the practical part of the law has undergone fince Sir Matthew Hale wrote, as well as the revolutions of opinion concerning fome general questions which this great man has difcuffed. Mr. Runnington has annexed an account of Sir Matthew Hale's life, which (though somewhat verbose and affected in its style) cannot be perused too often, as it holds out a perfect model of the judicial character. The principal facts which history has tranfmitted concerning him are here recorded with fidelity, MILITARY. |
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