MONTHLY CATALOGUE. POETRY. Poems on various Subjects. By Eliza Reeves. 4to. 10s. 6d. fewed. Dilly. WH 7HEN a fair lady fays a rude thing, a gentleman never refents; when the fays a foolish one, he never laughs at it; and when a lady publishes a collection of very indifferent poems, a critic of any politenefs or civility will never ridicule or expofe them. We fhall only, therefore, obferve, that the following little piece, which we have felected out of 320 pages, is not without fome degree of poetical merit. The Chaplet. While bees fip nectar from the rofe, I'll twine a chaplet for his brows, The myrtle's never-fading green, While jefs'min's virgin whiteness shows, Sleep on, lov'd youth, while I prepare Farther this deponent fayeth not. Heroic Epifle from Serjeant Bradshaw, in the Shades, to John Dunning, Efq. 4to. 15. Wilkie. Ecce iterum Crifpinus-More Heroic Epiftles! The author of this would make us believe that there is a great fimilitude between the two characters mentioned in the title-page, though, in truth, Mr. Dunning is no more like ferjeant Bradshaw than this writer is like Pope; both the poetry and the argument being equally contemptible, as our readers will fee by the following lines, which are as good as any in the whole poem. If wrong your premifes, increase the cry In just proportion to the falfity: Let abftract propofitions ftun the ear, Which strike at once, and free difcuffion fear; And facts unproveable from pamphlets prove.' Good heaven! what a world do we live in, where fuch poor witlings as thefe are fuffered to arraign the principles, and tear in pieces the moft refpectable characters. Lufus Lufus Natura; or, the Sports of Nature: a Poem. 4to. 6d. T. Evans, Paternofter-row. The author of thefe verfes, who, as he informs us in the firft page, fweetly fings ⚫ of Nature's wild excurfions in her freaks, When the eccentric into frolic breaks,' has taken fome pains to convince us, that a man may be a very good naturalist, and a very bad poet. He talks about grape-shot granaries of hail, embroidery and fringes of ice: of various forms the ftones, Shap'd like triangles, pyramids, and cones; Shells of all forts, of cockles, oyfters, fquills." If our readers have feen all these pretty sports, they need not confult this poem; and if they have not, they may read this poem all their lives, without being better acquainted with them. DRAM A TI C. A Widow and no Widow. A dramatic Piece of three Alts. As it was performed at the Theatre-royal in the Hay-market, in the Year 1779. Written by Paul Jodrell, M. A. 8vo. 1s. 6d. Conant. The late Samuel Foote, Efq. of facetious memory, was the only perfon of his time who could attack and turn into ridicule private characters with impunity, Mr. Jodrell, in the piece before us, has taken the liberty to tread in his fteps, and imitated his ftyle and manner with fome degree of fuccefs. Dr. Alfred, Splash the bookfeller, and Peg Pennyworth, the principal perfonages in this little drama, are drawn from the life, and the originals known to many. This gives a double zeft to the poignancy of the fatire, as those who are acquainted with the real characters receive an additional pleasure, and derive a kind of reflected confequence to themfelves, by pointing out the fimilitude of features, and defcribing the picture to others. Exclufive of this local and temporary merit, we may venture to recommend this comedy to our readers, as abounding in lively ftrokes of wit and humour, which fet off a ridiculous plot, and make no difagreeable entertainment. The dedication to NOBODY is a ftale device, and badly executed. Fire and Water! A Comic Opera: in two Acts. Performed at the Theatre-Royal in the Hay-market. By Miles Peter Andrews. Svo Is. Cadell. These two elements, which are feldom very good friends, feem here, by Mr. Andrews's chemical skill, to unite cordially, and ftrengthen each other. There is a vein of pleafantry and humour running through this opera, which, as it could not fail of fecuring applaufe upon the ftage, will recommend it also to those who are inclined to laugh in the clofet. The characters are natural and L 3 well "well fupported, and the dialogue not ill-written. The following ballad, extracted from the first act, as being much above the common run, in things of this kind, we shall infert for the entertainment of our readers. Nancy, the heroine of the piece, after faying, I cannot perfuade myself, in return for your affection, to bring a beggar to your arms,' fings, For thee all the hardships of life I could bear, 6 Had Fate from its bounty propitiously leat Enough but to furnish the cot of Content, The dictates of Love in that cot I'd purfue, And the friend of her heart to partake of it too. The Manager in Difirefs. A Prelude on opening the Theatre-Royal in the Hay-market, May 30, 1780. By George Colman. 8vo. 1. Cadell. As this is a mere temporary booth, erected during the time of the fair at the Hay-market, we are not to examine it by the ftrict rules of dramatic architecture. It anfwered, we hope, the end for which it was built. The materials were well fuited to the intended time of its duration: and as it rofe with the fummer, which is now far advanced, it will probably also expire with it. M E D I C A L. A Complete Phyfico-Medical and Chirurgical Treatife on the Human Eye: and a Demonftration of Natural Vifion. The Whole illuf trated with a variety of fine Engravings, reprefenting the Anatomy of the Eye, and the Inftruments neceffary for the Chirurgical Disorders. On a new Plan. By Peter Degravers, M. D. Profor of Anatomy and Phyfiology. 4to. 11. 1s. in boards. Law, The author acquaints us, that when he wrote this Treatise in French, he formed the defign of tranflating it into English, and of having the verfion revifed by a person who was competent to the task But having met with none who could preferve the fenfe, in reforming the ftyle, he was under the neceffity of taking the charge upon himself. He mentions this as an apology for the grammatical errors that may be found in the work, and which indeed are too palpable to efcape the obfervation of any reader. We cannot help regretting, that a work, which muft have coft the author confiderable labour and expence, fhould be introduced to the world in fo unfortunate a manner, as totally precludes its favourable reception even among the most candid. The book may probably afford fatisfaction in French; but the prefent verfion violates the idiom of our language in fo many inftances, that it is not likely to be perufed by an English reader with that degree of attention which is neceffary for comprehending a fcientific treatife, and examining its principles. POLI POLITICA L. The Hiftory of the Roman Catholics. 8vo. 1s. 6d. Bull. This pamphlet contains an account of the laws relating to the Roman Catholics in England, the Proteftant Affociation, the rife, progrefs, and effects of the late riots at Edinburgh, London, and Bath; the commitment of Lord George Gordon to the Tower, &c. It is written in an incorrect and vulgar ftyle; yet, we must confefs, we have met with fome paffages in it, which have afforded us entertainment. For inftance: This meeting (viz. that of the Affociators in St. George's Fields) was a collection of the worst dreffed people imaginable, fome of them without a rag about their neck;-In short, a group of low people of all occupations, with dishevelled hair, long beards, foul linen, and ragged cloaths-few of them were dreffed :-they had not taken time to drefs, but came directly from their work; there were only five ruffled fhirts in all the affembly, whereof Lord George and his two fecretaries were three.' He must have no humour in his foul, who does not find him, felf difpofed to laugh at this ridiculous defcription. DIVINIT ས. 25. The Mafiah. Being the Prophecies concerning Him methodized, with their Accomplishments, By Thomas Barker. 8vo. 6d. fered. White. This compilation contains all the prophecies in the Old and New Teftament relative to the Melliah, to his difciples, his forerunner John the Baptift, the rejection of the Jews, the calling of the Gentiles, the speedy and extenfive propagation of the gospel, the deftruction of Jerufalem, &c. digefted under proper heads, and illuftrated by fome short obfervations at the end of each fection. The reader has, in this work, a summary view of all the prophetical texts of any confequence, which either have been, or may be produced in defence of Chriftianity; and he is at once referred to the fubject of his enquiry by a useful Index. Letters from Baron Haller to bis Daughter, on the Truths of the Christian Religion. Small 8vo. 4s. Murray. * The name of Haller is well known as a physician, and a me dical writer, by his many excellent publications. In this work he appears under the more amiable character of an affectionate parent, and a good Chriftian. In the earlier part of his life he is faid to have had fome doubts concerning the objects of the Chriftian faith. But in thefe Letters he appears to have no fcruples of that nature. Though he does not always purfue his argument in that clear, connected, and progreffive order, which makes the deepest impreffion on the mind; and though he is fometimes unneceffa * Haller was prefident of the Royal Society of Gottingen, from the time of its institution, in 1734, till his death, which happened in 1777. L4 rily rily diffufe, and adopts theological notions, which are no longer maintained by rational divines, yet his work may be read with pleasure and advantage by the warmest advocates of reafon, as it contains many excellent obfervations, and fome arguments which have not been fo well illuftrated by others, In the following paffage the Baron has fallen into a grofs mistake. This was Jefus of Nazareth, born in Bethlehem, descended from David,-whofe parents, in the reign of Domitian, were expofed to great danger, because of their fon, and who escaped death by reason of their poverty and abject condition." P. 128. Domitian came to the empire in the year of our Lord 81; and, according to Eufebius, Chron. p. 164, ordered those to be flain who were defcended from David, in the year 97. But at that time we cannot suppose our Saviour's parents to have been alive, without the greateft abfurdity. The baron feems to have had a confused idea of the flory related by Hegefippus, when he wrote this paragraph. See before, p. 91. CONTROVERSIAL. The Progrefs and Establishment of Chriftianity, in Reply to the Fifteenth Chapter of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. By George Laughton, D. D. 4to. 1s. 6d. Law. Mr. Gibbon having affigned fome improper caufes for the rapid and extenfive propagation of Christianity, this writer points out the true caufes, or fuch as are more honourable and adequate to that aftonishing effect. Dr. Laughton appears to be a man of learning; but if he had purfued his argument in a more eafy, close, and familiar manner, his performance would have been more agreeable and fatisfactory. An Addrefs to Dr. Priestley, upon his Do&trine of Philofophical Ne ceffity Illuftrated. By Jacob Bryant, Efq. 8vo. zs. Cadell. If the controverfy concerning Neceffity had not been already carried to a tedious extent, we fhould have given our readers a full view of the arguments advanced by the learned and refpectable author of this Addrefs. But as the cafe now stands, we shall refer the curious and inquifitive to Mr. Bryant's publication, and only mention fome of the principal points in debate, Dr. Priestley afferts, that philofophical neceffity is perfectly confiftent with human freedom. Mankind, he fays, have the power of doing whatever they please.' Our author, on the contrary, maintains, that there can be no compromife between freedom and neceffity; and that the doctor's affertions are contradictory. The fyftem of neceffity is founded on a feries of events, or an indiffoluble chain of caufes and effects; but Mr. Bryant endeavours to fhew, that this chain is frequently broken; and that there is nothing in it, which is neceffarily coercive. Dr. Priestley brings an argument in favour of neceffity from the divine prefcience; afferting, that, upon the doctrine of philofophical liberty, the Divine Being could not poffibly foresee what 8. would |