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In partial ftream be freedom given,

But pour her treasures wide, and guard with legal fway!? Art. 34. Occafional Stanzas, written at the Requeft of the Revolution Society, and recited on their Anniversary, Nov. 4, 1788. To which is added, Queen Mary to King William, during his Campaign in Ireland, 1690; a poetical Epiftle. By William Hayley, Efq. 4to. 25: Cadell. 1788.

Mr. Hayley enters more deeply into the fubject than Mr. Mafon has done. His poem is, in point of compofition, more elaborate, and of greater extent; and we may venture to pronounce that the fame which he has acquired by his former productions, will fuffer nó diminution, from this harmonious and manly performance. The three concluding ftanzas may be given by way of fpecimen :

That tranfient honour might be gain'd,
How oft, by falfehood's fubtle vow,

Has thy pure name, O freedom! been profan'd,
Tho' Heaven abhors not falfehood more than thou!→→→
Thro' every clime thy feet have trod,

In this abute thy power we fee;

Mifcreants who injur'd man, and mock'd their God,
The flaves of hell, affecting to be free,
Have ever loudly feign'd a reverence for thee.
* Be known to unfufpecting youth,

Both by thy fruits, and by thy fource;
Thy parents, Fortitude and Heavenly Truth!

Thy offspring, Safety, Honour, Wealth, and Force !-
A century has now confirm'd

The bleffings that in thee we find ;
Then, Freedom! be this feafon ever term'd
Thy jubilee, where no illufions blind,
But juftly-founded joy invigorates the mind,
Britain! dear parent, if to thee

My voice unftain'd by fervile art

Pays reverence due, and, proud to hail thee free,
Pours the true fervour of a filial heart; .

If thou haft ever rul'd my lyre,

Thus let thy infpiration run;

Let each who hears it, catching patriot fire,
Prize, above all by flavih interest won,

The blefling to be prov'd thy undegenerate fon.'
The Epifle from Queen Mary to King William, is well imagined,
characteristic, and tender in the e treme.
It breathes the poetry

*For the circumftance of epiftolary character, we are referred, by the author, to the original and most interesting letters of Queen Mary, inferted by Sir John Dalrymple, in the Appendix to his Memoirs of Great Britain. Thefe letters, fays Mr. Hayley, exhibit the character of this admirable woman, in the most affecting point of view, and fully justify all the praife that has been given to the tenderness of her heart, and the dignity of her mind. See more on this head in our account of Sir John's publication, Rev. vol, xlix. p. rt. Rav. Nov. 1788. Hh

and

and pathos of Ovid, without (as muft neceffarily be the cafe) the poffibility of admitting one fpark of his amorous and fometimes licentious effufions.

NOVELS.

Art. 35. Sydney Place; or the Bracelet. 12mo. 2 Vols. 55. fewed. Lane. 1788.

"Parents have flinty hearts: no tears can move them :

Children must be wretched!"

ROMEO.

Yes, parents must have flinty hearts, and children must be wretched; or how could the modern novelift furnish a proper entertainment for the ladies? In the prefent performance, Mifs Clara Harvey is in love with the charmingest of men, while her father is obftinately bent on her marrying another. She writes a great deal about it and about it to her friend. This friend is in a terrible taking at the news, and adminifters condolements and confolements as liberally as the Pope difpenfes his indulgences and bulls. This cruel parent, however, dies in the nick of time, as all cruel parents fhould-and Mifs is happy with the man of her heart. It is but juftice to acknowlege, that this production is fuperior, in point of compofition, to the motley, we had almost faid the undefinable tribe to which it belongs.

Art. 36. The School for Tutors. Confifting of a Series of Correfpondence chiefly between a young Gentleman and his Tutor. 12mo. 2s. 6d. fewed. Flexney. 1788.

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This little volume is faid to be the production of a lady, and there is no fort of reafon to queftion it. It is written in the flight and extravagant style fo fashionable with the modern female Novelift. When I entered the house, I own I was aftonished at the figure of Mr. Villers, though prepared, by Harriet's account, to fee fomething more than mortal. That is, Mr. Villers was found to be more than fomething more than mortal-(For fo the paffage must be interpreted, or how could the writer who was prepared to fee a Deity be aftonished?)— A difcovery by the way, which we believe none but the authorefs would ever have made. To the morality of this performance we must give our praise.

On first opening this book, we were led, by the title-page, to fuppofe it a Treatife on Education; but it muft rank in the Novel clafs.

1788.

12mo.

Art. 37. Difinterefted Love; or the Modern Robin Gray: In a Series of Letters founded on Facts. By a Widow Lady. 2 Vols. 4's. fewed. Hookham. The story here prefented to us is not very interefting: neither is the language at all times fufficiently correct. The performance, however, has the merit of being written in the cause of virtue, and we may therefore recommend it with fafety to the youthful Reader. It is published for the benefit of the Writer and her family.

Art. 38. The Apparition. A Tale. By a Lady. 12mo. 2 Vols. 4s. fewed. Hookham. 1788.

A fimple, yet agreeable ftory. The writer is evidently of the Walpolian fchool. The broad hand' which was feen on the ftaircafe, as described in the Caffle of Qtranto, is no doubt in the me

9

mory

mory of feveral of our Readers. The vifits of the Apparition remind us of this and fome other circumstances in that admired Romance. But the pupil is at many removes behind the master.

Art. 39. Edward and Harriet; or the Happy Recovery. A Sentitimental Novel. By a Lady. 12mo. 2 Vols.

Allen. 1788.

5 s. fewed. Quoufque tandem abutere, Catilina, patientia noftra? How long, O Novelift! wilt thou abuse our patience? How long wilt thou continue to perfecute us by the publication of Nothings,' and thofe too info range a ftyle'-So non fenfically, fo ftupidly written, that even Laughter is unable to exercife his functions on them.-How long, we fay, wilt thou continue this?-Why wilt thou put us under the disagreeable neceffity of feizing the whip?-of lafhing thee

-"Naked thro' the world:

Even from the Eaft to the Weft."

Art. 40. Death's a Friend.

Izmo. 2 Vols. 4s. fewed. Bew. 1788.

Felo de fe. What may have induced the unhappy gentleman to commit fo rafh an action, we cannot pretend to fay. 'Tis pity, however, that his friends did not hinder him from feizing on that dreadful weapon-a pen *.

MISCELLANEOUS.

Art. 41. Remarks on the Speech of Lord Thurlow, on a Motion for the Houfe to refolve itfelf into a Committee on the Infolvent Debtors Bill. Wherein the Impolicy and Injuftice of Imprifonment for Debt, are clearly demonftrated. By Charles Clifford, Efq. 8vo. 19. Ryall. 1788.

Lord Thurlow has given great offence to fome perfons by his oppofition to an infolvent debtors bill, and, among others, to Charles Clifford, Efq. who undertakes to write in the cause of humanity, but does not appear to understand, that ill language is injurious to that caufe. But overlooking his manner to attend to his matter, it may be observed, that were it poffible to difcriminate accurately between the cafes of debtors, every degree of humane attention would be clearly due to unfortunate industry and frugality: this, however, is impoffible in general regulations; and we are apprehenfive there is but too much caufe for one offenfive declaration, that for one cruel creditor that appeared in the courts of law, there were twenty cruel debtors.' If there are now three thoufand perfons confined for debt in the different prifons of this free kingdom,' we may fafely, in a general view, look to the diffipated manners of the times, and to the attendant unwarrantable and desperate schemes of fpeculation, for the caufes, rather than to unforeseen accidents intervening between the time of contracting the debt, and that fixed for payment.' If young perfons at their firft fetting up, on precarious foundations, will anticipate wealth by launching out in the style in which prudent men, long established in profitable trades, leave off, to enjoy the well earned

The hero of this novel, after taking a dofe of poison, writes a paltry letter to his friend in juftification of the heinous act.'

Hh 2

fruits

fruits of progreffive induftry; a vice which is but too prevalent every where; their ruin cannot claim the indulgence of being ascribed to unforeseen accidents.' But this is a very tender fubject to touch on in particular inftances; friendly caution in due time, during the heyday of their career, would be fpurned at as infult; and when it is too late, reproach is ufelefs, and however juft, will be termed cruelty; fo that events must take their natural courfe, and according to the homely proverb, as men brew, fo they muft drink.

To trace the caufes, would be ftraying too widely from the prefent subject; but, in fact, the country is over-run with retail traders in all branches, or with idle interlopers who live between the importer, the manufacturer, and the confumer; who confider the, exemption from handicraft labour, and the receiving articles with one hand to deliver them with the other, as a fort of claim to gentility, and who affume the privilege accordingly. The eagerness of competition between thefe ufelefs transferers of goods, facilitates the obtaining of credit by any man who will avail himself of it; but the power of imprifonment is nevertheless too much for one man to have over another; he ought not to be fuffered to revenge his own temerity on the community, by locking up an infolvent member, who, in one capacity or other, might fill be ufeful. Setting, therefore, humane confiderations afide, the laws refpecting debt ought to be wholly new modelled, inftead of being patched up to perpetuate the ftruggle between those who want prudence, and thole who want principle, for the emolument of the bar. Were imprifonment for debt abolished, it would give a wholesome check to exceffive credit; and if tradesmen were obliged to be more circumfpe&t in parting with their goods, it would not be the worfe for fair trade, however it might affe& what ought to be checked, a man rifking his own and other people's welfare on fpeculation, and trusting to lucky hits for fnatching a rapid fortune against the ordinary courfe of human events.

Art. 42. Continuation of Yorick's Sentimental Journey. 12mo. 2s. 6d. fewed. Symonds. 1788.

The Author is very happy in imitating the breaks and dashes, and fcanty pages of the other wife izimitable Sterne. In these refpects he even excels his original: his breaks and dafhes are much longer; and his pages are replete with nothing. Sterne bad but one blank leaf in volume; bet this book (if you measure by meaning) is all blank, from the beginning to FINIS.

Art. 43. Royal Recollections on a Tour to Cheltenham, &c. in 1783. 8vo. 2s. 6d. Ridgway.

The perufal of this fatire might have entertained us, had the ridicule been aimed at an object lefs refpe&table than the character of a moft worthy prince; whofe virtues will be remembered and revered when all the fquibs that have been darted at him by the wits of the age will be extinguished, and forgotten for ever.

1788.

Art. 44 An authentic Detail of Particulars relative to the late Dùchefs of Kington. 8vo. 3s. 6d. fewed. Kearley. Thefe Memoirs appear to have been drawn up by a perfon well informed, with respect to the life and adventures of the celebrated lady who is the fubject of them. Fie has related the particulars with

fkill, as an obferver and develloper of the human character,-and with elegance as a writer; and has indeed given us a very pleasing piece of Biography.

The greatest part of our Author's account of this noted and notorious Dame of Quality, was firft detailed in the public papers; but it is here augmented, finished, and fitted for a more permanent addition to the public ftock of literature. The work is likewife enriched with a copy of the will of the Duchefs; which is, as the herfelf was, a moft extraordinary compofition; and a print of this heteroclite Being is prefixed; by way of frontifpiece, in the character of Iphigenia: but whether the elegant fancy dress in which she is here exhibited, is exactly fimilar to the undress in which, when Mifs Chudleigh, he is faid to have made her yery fingular appearance at the masked ball, about forty years ago, is a circumftance, concerning which we have no fatisfactory information. The name of Gainf borough, as the painter, ftands at the bottom of the engraving.

A curious literary anecdote is given, by way of note, in p. 49, relating to a well-known book, publifhea in 1759, as the work of the late Edward Wortley Montagu, junior, Efq; under the title of The Rife and Fall of Ancient Republics. This book, it is here afferted, was, in reality, the work of the Rev. Mr. Fofter, who was private tutor to that excentric mortal, the reputed author. This in nocent impofture, it is faid, was no other than a good-natured ftratagem to lay the clofe-fifted old gentleman, father to Mr. Montagu, junior, under contribution for a neceffary Supply, which they knew no other means of extracting from him. The contrivance fucceeded; and the perufal of the book gave the elder Mr. E. W. Montagu fo favourable an opinion of his fon's erudition, and application to his ftudies [to which, in fact, it is faid, he never applied], that he opened his purfe, and behaved liberally on the occafion. Mr. M.'s name continues in the title-page of all the editions of the book; of which he thus had the credit, and the advantage of the publication, although, according to this anecdote, he did not write a line of it. Mr. Fofter was afterward domeftic chaplain to the Duchefs of Kingston, and accompanied her to Ruffia. He died at the age of eighty-fix.

THEOLOGY.

Art. 45. A Practical Effay on the Death of Jefus Chrift. By William M'Gill, D. D. one of the Minifters of Ayr. 8vo. 6s. Boards. Edinburgh printed, and fold by Robinfons, London.

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The Author of this fenfible, judicious, and useful work, very properly remarks, that, whatever the particular ends of Chrift's death are, its general and main defign coincides entirely with that of his coming into the world, and is the fame with it: confequently, no effect inconfiftent with that defign, or not favourable to it, can be justly afcribed to his death, or expected to flow therefrom; nay, no effect which doth not clearly tend to promote the fame falutary

*A note, p. 39, afferts that the frontispiece is an exact delineation of her drefs," Query the date here affigned to the jubilee ball? was it fo long ago as the year 1744♪

defign.'

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