** Has not SHERRY, this morning, expos'd to your view "All the beauties of Thefpis and Cicero too? "To the BISHOPS, he gave an example of Preaching, "To the COMMONS, a model of future impeaching; "HISTORIANS, hereafter, fhall copy his diction, "And POETS themselves may learn Leffons of Fiction: "RHETORICIANS are taught the arrangement of Flowers; "To the Buskin and Sock he has given new powers; "The PAINTERS may learn finer Pictures to draw,' "And the JUDGES new modes of interpreting Law. "From him may the QRATOR learn to prevail, "By Action and Sound, when his Arguments fail: "The PHILOSOPHER, too, may learn Nature to fift; "The Attorney to cloak a bad caufe with a fhift. "Now fince ev'ry profeffion fome benefit draws, "I can't think for a moment of starving the Caufe."

Art. 19. The Socinian Champion; or Priestleyan Divinity: a Poem By Philochriftos. 8vo. is. 6d. Buckland, &c. 1788.

The huge Socinian, none befides,
Who ftalks along with haughty ftrides,
And braves a hoit, we aim to wound,
And lay expiring on the ground:'

So vaunteth our hero! nor, if we may credit his own tale, is his vaunting vain for, without conjuring up the ghofts of the Seven Champions of Christendom, by the fingle prowels of Y-, a dreadful knight, he leaves the poor Socinian champion weltering in his gore, and after configning his foul to the abyfs of hell, honours his carcafe with the following epitaph:

In philofophy drown'd,
For error renown'd,

In ftate moft profound,
Here deep under ground,
Lies the reasoning divine, Dr. G.,
On trial 'twas found,

His faith was not found;

Though with confidence crown'd,
He receiv'd his death's wound,

From Y, who was wifer than he.'

of

Our Readers will not wish for any farther fpecimen of the this piece of its wit or humour, it is impoffible we fhould give any poetry fpecimen.

Art. 20. Addrefs to Loch Lomond, a Poem. 4to. 1 s. 6d. Dilly. 1788.

Loch Lomond is a fresh-water lake, of great extent, in Scotland. The general fcenery round it is thus laconically characterised by the Author of this Poem:

"

The gleaming lake; the ever changeful sky;
Old Ocean's waves in view; the profpect wide,
The stream flow winding in the graffy vale;
The broken cliff abrupt; the waving wood;

The

The barren heath; the lofty mountain wild,
Whence foars the eagle on strong pinions borne;
Sublime the foul, and nurfe her dormant powers.
Such, Lomond! thy vicinity can boaft;

Such are thy pleafing fcenes; and fuch thy fons,
Among the first in letters as in arms.'

The concluding part of this paffage alludes to Napier, the inventor of logarithms, Buchanan, and Smollet, of whom, after briefly characterising each, he says,

'Twas near thy fouthern fhore

Their infant years were spent. Along thy banks,
In playful youth, unconscious of their powers,
They fportive rov'd ;'

We have the following retrofpect to antient times:
To guard from ev'ry rude intruder's eye
Thy facred wave, thy valiant fons, inur'd
To all the hardships of a fteril clime,-
Defpifing death in every frightful form,
In ancient times, undaunted met their foes,
And flew who dar'd approach thy fouthern shore.
Nor Roman arms, nor Norway's hardy chiefs,
Nor all the power of England could prevail,
By force or fraud, thy heroes to enflave.'

From these fpecimens, the reader will perceive that this little poent poffeffes fome degree of merit. The defcriptions, in general, are faithful pictures of nature, the objects which engage the writer's attention are fimple and fublime; and the piece is rendered the more interefting by frequent allufions to historical events, and the characteristic manners of ancient and modern times. The harp of Offian which had enlivened thefe fcenes, as they lie in the vicinity of Balclutha, being mentioned, he says,

• Its notes
Of woe, wild-warbling ftill methinks I hear.
The King of Morven from his airy hall,
Bending, looks down upon his hills of mift.
A thoufand forms of heroes wait the chief,
Mufing on scenes and feats of other years.'

Infpired by this great idea, the Author concludes the poem with the following addrefs:

• Wrapt in the mift that veils yon mountain's brow,
Defcend ye hov'ring fpirits and inspire
Of Britons old the independent foul,
That brave like them, yet eager to improve
In all the arts of peace and focial life,
Pleas'd with our native hills and wildeft glens,
We truly great and happy yet may live,
And, in the fongs of future bards, our names
May ftill, in every distant clime, well known
For virtuous deeds and useful arts renown'd,
Defcend refpe&ed to the end of time.'

A fevere

A fevere critic might perhaps difcover faults in this poem, which evince that the Author is but a beginner in the art of compofition; but its beauties fo far compensate for its defects, that it would be cruel to dwell on them.

Art. 21. Elégie composée dans un Cimetière de Campagne, &c. i. e.
Gray's Elegy in a Country Church-yard, tranflated into French,
Verse for Verfe, by Monf. P. Guedon de' Berchere.
Latin Verfion by a Member of Cambridge University. 8vo. 1s.
With a
Hookham, &c. 1778.

The beauties of Gray's Church-yard Elegy are of fo exquifite a nature, that we conceive it to be extremely difficult to tranflate it happily into any language, and next to impoffible to do it tolerable juftice in French verfe. We could not therefore take phlet with any flattering prefentiments. We feared M. Guedon up this pamwould fail in his attempt; and, in justice to our Readers, we must add, our examination of his work has confirmed our fufpicions. But this failure involves in it little difgrace, as the obftacles he had to contend with are infurmountable. There are fo many of the leffer graces, fuch touches of the great mafter in this Elegy, as cannot be fuffufed into a French tranflation. Mr. Gray, in French poetry, could neither please an English reader, nor convey to a foreigner any idea of the beauties of the original. In fome places, M. Guedon might have made his verfion better than as it now ftands; but with all his efforts, it must have remained, in our opinion, very defective. By the following fpecimens, the reader will have an opportunity of appreciating for himself the merit of the prefent tranflation, and of feeing at the fame time, how unlike himself, the elegantly plaintive Gray appears in a French dress.

"The fwallow twitt'ring from her ftraw-built fhed:"
• Ni Prognè racontant les maux de fa famille.
"For who to dumb forgetfulness a prey
This pleafing anxious being e'er refign'd ?"
En dépit de nos maux, qui de nous en effet
Ne trouve du plaifir à gémir fur la terre ?'
"On fome fond breast the parting foul relies :"
"Notre ame, en s'envolant, compte fur l'amitié.
"Fair Science frown'd not on his humble birth:"
Les Arts n'ont point fété fon obfcure naissance.'
"Heav'n did a recompence as largely fend:"
Le Ciel ne paya point ses vertus à demi.'

The above extracts fhew that the tranflator has often departed from
the fenfe of the original; and, we might have given other inftances
of this kind.

As to the Latin tranflation, it is abundantly more faithful and elegant; but not without defects.

• Tinnitufque pigra voce foporat oves'

is an happy verfion of Gray's line,

"And drowsy tinklings lull the diftant folds ;"

but

Et tenebris mundum dat, tenebrafque mihi,' is not a translation of

but

"And leaves the world to darkness and to me."

Art. 22. Poetical Addrefs to his Majefty: occafioned by the late Royal Vifit to Worcester, at the Meeting of the three Choirs, Aug. 6th, 1788. Dedicated, with Permiffion, to the King. By Theophilus Swift, Efq. 4to. Is. Bew, &c.

Dedicated, with permiffion, to the King. It is impoffible to perufe this poem without admiring the gracious, condefcenfion of his Majefty. But good nature is always pleased with good intention.

Art. 23. Sop in the Pan for Peter Pindar, Efq.; or a late Invitation to Cheltenham: a Burlefque Poem. By Pindaromaftix. 4to. Is. 6d. Robinsons. 1788.

The Author propofes to revive the dormant office of Court Buffoon, or King's Jefter; and to confer it on the Cornish Bard. With this view, he entertains us with what he, no doubt, efteems a humorous, dialogue between Peter Pindar and the King; and with other diverting particulars. But it is an infuperable misfortune to these imitators, that we cannot read their productions without recollecting their original; and then, as Mrs. Slip-flop fays, "Comparisons are

@dorous."

Art. 24. CERBERUS: or, a Leafh of Portraits. A Poem. 4to. Is. Ridgway. 1788.

The retort poetic, but not courteous, is here given to Mr. Horne Tooke, of whofe Two Pair of Portraits fome mention was made in our Catalogue for Auguft. This piece may be confidered as a Weftminfter election fquib, though it was not thrown up till after the election was over. Mr. Horne Tooke, Mr. Churchill, and Mr. Froft are the perfons here caricatured; but Lord Hood takes his fhare of the abuse, both in the poem, and in the fatirical copperplate, prefixed, by way of frontispiece. The poetry is tolerable. The Author had feen Swift's Legion Club.

Art. 25. The Triumph of Volpone: or a Peep behind the Curtain at the Westminster Election. With Sketches of fome public Characters. By Pepper Pasquin, Efq. 4to. 1s. Axtell, &c.

Many thanks to thee, gentle Pepper, for the comfortable nap which thou haft afforded us, by the perufal of this thy fober fatire on the Blue and Buff party.

Art. 26. The Children of Thefpis. A Poem, by Anthony Pafquin, Efq. Parts 2d, and 3d. 4to. 3s. each. Ridgway. 1788. In our 75th volume, p. 68, we introduced to the notice of the Public, the it Part of this imitation and continuation of Churchill's ROSCIAD; and, on that occafion, we fpoke what we really thought of its merits; and what was there faid may fuffice for the prefent occafion;-unless we add, that this angry Poet raves moft outrageously at the Reviewers :—whence his readers will, doubtless, infer that he has, on fome unfortunate occafion or other, feverely fmarted under the lash critical. He feems, indeed, to have been fo deeply cut, that

the

the gashes remain yet unhealed, his wounds fill rankling, and, at 369 times, breaking out afreth, like Uncle Toby's hurt in his groin, fo that, poor man! he becomes quite offenfive to thofe who approach too near him!It is pity that we have no public charitable foundation for patients labouring under maladies and accidents of this peculiar kind.

For fuch benevolent purpofe, fuppofe a new ward were added to the great hofpital in Moorfields? It might be productive of much good; but great care should be taken that it be fufficiently capacious, to prevent its being over-crowded!-Should this hint prove effective, the proprietors of the Reviews, the Magazines, and Critics in general, ought to fubfcribe liberally: for who are fo fit to bear the expence of the remedy, as thofe who have excited the mifchief?-Set the M. R. down for five hundred.

Art. 27. Chatsworth, a Poem. Dedicated, by Permiffion, to her
Grace the Duchefs of Devonshire.
4to. 2s. Jeffery and Co.

Pallmall.

The Poet defcribes the beauties of this occafional retreat of the noble family of Cavendish; not forgetting to pafs a juft encomium on the family itself,-fo highly refpectable for the great and worthy characters which it has produced. He likewife pays due homage at the fhrine of female beauty and excellence.-The Duchefs certainly merits all that he has faid and fung in her praife. But we were particularly pleafed with the beautiful little view of Chatsworth, which adorns the title-page. As to the poetry, we confess that we have been better entertained by the perufal of Cotton's Wonders of the Peak: rough and rugged as, in general, are the numbers of the Derbyfhire Bard-like most of the fcenes which he has celebrated.

Art. 28. Milton's Paradife Loft, illuftrated with Texts of Scripture. By John Gillies, D. D. one of the Minifters in Glasgow. 12mo. 35. 6d. bound. Rivingtons, &c. 1788.

The author of Paradife Loft,-that "divine poem," as Addison has fo justly, and by way of excellence, denominated it--is known to have drawn confiderably from the facred writings. To illuftrate that poem, Dr. Gillies has added many fcriptural texts to thofe already adduced by bifhop Newton; and informs us, in his preface, that the defign of the prefent edition is to fhew this only, that Paradife Loft owes its chief excellence to the holy fcriptures.' The texts are printed in the margin of the work; and there are, no doubt, many to whom the Paradife Loft will be particularly acceptable in such a form.

DRAMATIC.

Art. 29. Harold; a Tragedy. By Thomas Boyce, A. M. Rector of Worlingham in Suffolk, and Chaplain to the Earl of Suffolk. 4to. 3s. Becket. 1786.

This tragedy ought, before this time, to have paffed in review, for it may well stand in competition with many, that have made more noife in the world. It has lain by us, not neglected, but by fome accident hitherto omitted. We are told in the preface, that this Drama was finished in its prefent form, when it was first known that a tragedy on the fame fubject, called The Battle of Haftings, was in

REV. Oct. 1788.

Bb

rehearsal