Near this bleak Wafte no friendly mansion rears

Its walls, where Mirth, and social joys resound, But each sad object melts the soul to tears,

While Horror treads the scatter'd bones around. As thus alone, and comfortless I roam,

Wet with the drizling show'r ; I figh sincere,
I cast a fond look tow'rds my native home,

And think what valiant BRITONS perish'd here.
Yes, the time was, nor very far the date,
When
carnage

here her crimson toil began ;
When Nations Standards wav'd in threar’ning statem

And Man the murd'rer met the murd'rer Man.
For War is MURDER, tho' the voice of Kings

Has styl'd it Justice, styl'd it Glory too,
Yet from worst motives, fierce ambition springs,

And there, fix'd Prejudice is all we view !
But sure, 'tis Heaven's immutable decree,

For thousands ev'ry age in fight to fall;
Some NATURAL CAUSE prevails, we cannot see,

And that is Fate, which we Ambition call.
O let th' aspiring Warrior think with grief,

That as produc'd by CHYMIC art refin'd ;So glitt'ring Conquest, from the laurel leaf

Extracts a GEN'RAL POISON for Mankind. Here let him wander at the midnight hour,

These morbid rains, these gelid gales to meet; And mourn like me, the ravages of Pow'r!

And feel like me, that Vict'ry is defeat!. Nor deem, ye vain! that e'er I mean to swell

My feeble Verse with many a founding Name; Of such, the mercenary Bard may tell,

And call such dreary desolation, Fame. The genuine Muse removes the chin disguise,

That cheats the World, whene'er she deigns to fing, And full as meritorious to her eyes

Seems the Poor Soldier, as the Mighty King! Alike I shun in labour'd strain to show,

How Britain more than triumph'd, tho' she fled, Where LOUIS stood, where stalk'd the column flow;

I curn from these, and dwelL UPON THE DEAD. Yet much my bearing breast respects the brave;

Too well I love them, not to mourn cheir face, Why should they seek for greatness in the Grave?

Their hearts are noble--and in life they're great. Nor think 'ris but in War the Brave excel,

To VALOUR EV'RY. VIRTUE IS ALLIED! Here faithiul Priend fhip’mid the battle fell, And Love, true Love, in bitter anguish died.

Alas!

Alas! the folemn flaughter I retrace,

That checks life's current circling thro' my veins ;
Bath'd in moist forrow, many a beauteous face;

And gave a grief, perhaps, that still remains.
I can no more-- an agony too keen

Absorbs my senses, and my mind subdues,
Hard were that heart which here could beat serene,

Or the just tribute of a pang refuse.
Bat lo! thro' yonder op’ning clouds afar

Shoots the bright Planet's fanguinary ray
That bears thy name, fictitious LORD OF WAR!

And with red luftre guides my lonely way.
Then Pontenoy, farewell! yet much I fear,

(Wherever chance my course compels) to find
Discord and blood - the thrilling sounds I hear,

“ The noise of battle hurtles in the wind."
From barb'rous Tarkey to Britannia's shore,

Opposing inc'rests into rage increase ;
Destruction rears her sceptre, tumults roar,
Ah! where shall hapless man repose in peace ?

DELLA CRUSCA. We particularly admire the 7th Atanza as containing a thought both new and just.

His Muse is generally plaintive, and sometimes philosophical,
Thus, to Anna Matilda:

• When far off the night storm flies,
Let us ponder on the skies!
Where million * stars are ever roll'd,
Which yet our weak eyes dare behold;
Adore the self-EXISTING CAUSE
That gives to each its sep'rate laws;
That, when th' impetuous Comet runs
Athwart a wilderness of Suns;
Tells it what mandate to obey,
Nor ever wander from its way;
Till back it hastens whence 'twas brought
Beyond the boundaries of Thought!
Let not the studious Seer reply,
“ Attraction regulates the sky,
" And lends each Orb the secret force,
“That urges on, or checks its course ;"
Or with his Orrery expound
Creation's vainly fancied round.

* This imperfect mode of expression can never be allowed. We are left to suppose that “ millions of stars" is meant ; but though this be inferable, it is not said, Gg 2

Ah!

Ah! quit thy toil, presumptuous Sage,
· Destroy thy calculating page ;
No more on Second Causes plod;
'Tis not ATTRACTION, but 'tis Gop!
And what the UNIVERSE we call,

Is but a Point, compar'd to ALL.' The concealed Lady is not equal to her unfeen admirer, either, as a philosopher or poet, yet we lament that her book is clos'de her lyre is broke. Arley's poetry is entitled to the praise of being easy and elegant;—the Invitation to Delia we would particularly refer to, in justification of this encomium; Benedià's Sonnets certainly have merit, and the same might be said of the African Boy and the Ode to Prudence; the former by the Bard, and the latter by Edwin; but not a merit equal to the Sonnets. Our opinion of the pieces entitled Ancient Mufie, we shall neither say nor fing

As verbal critics, we might be induced to notice the words literate, isolated, sensate, &c. which occur in these volumes, but we are not disposed at present to exercise our talents in this way.

We shall rather observe that some of the poems, designed to be pathetic, tire by too much paftoral description; and that in those of Della Crusca, we several times meet with pades among and groves among, which, when often used by a modern poet of eminence, will excite some disapprobation. We, however, are infinitely more diffacisfied with the indecent lines on Lady T-9c-l's Ring, which certainly lhould not have been allowed a place in a collection of the chaste, plaintive, and elegant produaions of ANNA MATILDA, and DELLA CRUSCA.

A Tragic Drama, by Della Crusca, entitled Ambitious Vene geance, concludes Vol. Í. On this we shall observe that it is indeed tragic, that the plot seems to have been suggefted by Sbakespeare's Macbeth, and his Romeo and Juliet; and that the outlines of the characters are for the most part derived from the same source. As a Drama it is defeative, but the dialogue is not unworthy the elegant pen to which it is ascribed.

M O N T H L Y CATALOGUE,

For NOVEMBER, 1788.

ANTIQUITIES. Art. 15. Picturesque Antiquities of Scotland. Etched by Adam de

Cardonnel. 8vo. 2 Vols. 18 s. Boards. Edwards. 1788.

HE reception which a former publication * met with, has encouT from oblivion the ancient remains of Caledonian splendor, once so con* Numifmata Scotia. See Rev. vol. lxxv. p. 114. IZ

fpicaous

{picuous in the churches, religious houses, and castles, now mostly in ruins.

The volumes before us contain neat engravings of several ruins, somewhat fimilar to those of Capt. Grose, with a short description in letter-press under the plate.

The first volume, which is appropriated to religious houses, has an introduction describing the different orders of Monks, with their inftitutions in Scotland, and the second, in which are the ruins of fortifications, has a prefatory discourse on ancient fortification, part of which is abridged from that of Cape. Grose in his Preface to the English antiquities.

Ñr. de Cardonnel has bestowed no small labour in collecting the materials for this publication, and he seems to have executed his plan with judgment, in the historical part, and with elegance, in the engravings. The small scale on which the ruins are drawn may be objected to by those who are accustomed to larger plates: the author was sensible of this objection ; but he wished to accommodate travellers with a pocket companion, that might give a concise account of some of the principal circumstances relative to Scottish ruins :--and this purpose will be well answered by the present publication.

TITHE s. Art. 16. A Letter to Sir Francis Blake, Bart. Wherein his Argumenis

for the Abolition of Tithes, and the Reform of the Church Rea venue t, are candidly confidered, and their Futility exposed. Being a concise, but rational, Defence of the present System of Tithes. 8vo.

Stalker. 1788. When Sir Francis Blake's Proposal for the Liquidation of the National Debt was first published, we were rather disposed to pass over his ideas for the extinction of tithes, in a ludicrous way, than to avail ourfelves of the opportunity of officiously touching on fo tender a subject; and the present writer also might safely have let them alone : for there are no indications that his schemes are going to be put in execution. Nevertheless we are now very loudly called back to the subject of tithes; and are warned of the danger of attempting to meddle with ecclefiaftical affairs, in a manner truly alarming:

• The alliance between Church and State is so sacred and in violate, that few instances can be produced, where the property of the former has been invaded, and its interests betrayed, without a manifest injury being done to the latter : the dependencies and relations of the one and the other being so minutely interwoven, that it certainly requires the nicest discrimination to determine how far the superior power may invade, or alienate the long-established rights of the inferior, without manifestly incurring the imputation of injustice. The many dreadful convulsions which have rent arunder, nay even overturned the most powerful empires, which have risen to ihe most tre

Is. 6d.

+ See his Proposal for the Liquidation of the National Debt, &c. Rev. vol. Ixviii. p. 444.

mendous

Gg3

mendous heights, from very small beginnings, are warnings that Speak in thunder to the inconsiderate and precipitate, who thoughtlessly advise, or haftily incite others to execuie, what may not only produce a temporary disorder, but overwhelm thousands in'inevitable perdition.'

What, cannot we wilh to alter the mode of providing for one order of men in the nation, from a way that proves disagreeable to others, to a way more easy to themselves, without apprehending the ruin of the whole? A fat pluralift would “ speak in thunder,' even tó a mild proposal to reduce the inequalities of benefices, and enjoin residence : yet no thunder either from heaven or earth punished the daring resumption of abbey lands * !

To Sir Francis Blake's proposal for abolishing what he deems un. necessary dignities in the church, our Author replies,

• Is not this doctrine of yours direAly applicable to every rank in life, to the Peerage and Baronetage, as well as to the Clergy? Can you advance one single argument for the abolition of the different distinctions in the Church, that will not militate with a double force against all the higher distinguishing ranks in life, and recoil upon your own head with such persevering fury, that I believe all your ingenuity will be føund inlufficient to extricate yourself from the impending blow ? Deftroy distinction, and you destroy subordination, order, and decorum. If it be absolutely necessary amongst one class of mankind, it is in another, for the rule holds good through the whole, and is invariably so in the time past, the present, and the future.'

This does not appear prima facie, and is mere local argument. For, were the question to be decided at Edinburgh, Amsterdam, or Geneva, they might at either of those places argue, that as Christ's kingdom is not of this world, it is not sufficiently clear that his fer; vants have any professional claim to a participation in worldly offices and dignities ; nor why a hierarchy should be erected, rising from the confessedly useful ftation of a parish priest, through several ex pensive degrees, until it reaches, and unites with, the highest poli"

The above instance is full in point, considering the scornful indiscriminate reproach which the writer casts on all attempts at reformation. Referring to the sale of Sir Francis Blake's pamphlet, he observes, . The third edition is, no doubt, sufficient evidence of its favourable reception with the Public, who is ever anxious to patronize the wildest chimeras, and the most improbable inconsistencies, if they be only sanctioned by the palatable word, Reform. This has been an ignis fatuus to mislead the credulous, from the earliest accounts of time, even to the present day. It favours their humours, and accords with their ill-grounded prejudices, by promising a speedy exemption from all their burthens, real or imaginary. This proposition, however improbable in the execution, or delusive in the event, readily finds a number of votarjes, by indulging their hopes, and Hattering their prepossessions. But how far the final issues of these ill-concerted reformalions, have quadrated with their expectations, the biftories of pafl ages inform us. Here is a leflon for the credulous, and a warning for the precipitare !