Again, in the last scene we have the following curious ftring of metaphorical expreffions, not altogether the most precife or fignificant. ASP. A mother's blefling Fall on your heads, as dew-drops on the palms. ASP. In my Afpatia's bosom. Gratitude Reigns o'er my heart, and honour merits love. AL. Thus Virtue's balm extracts Affliction's thorn, The Reader will make his own remarks on this fpecimen of the dialogue; he will learn alfo, that the balm of Virtue is greatly fuperior to most others, poffeffing, with its fanative qualities, the fearching property alfo of turpentine. In the beginning of the third act, Aspatia says to the Usurper, Inhuman monster! has thy favage hand Welter'd again in royal blood! It is common to speak of hands embrued or dipt in blood; but we feldom fay any thing less than a body welters in blood. After all, it is fome encomium on this production, that we have not thought it altogether beneath criticism, which hath been hitherto generally the cafe with performances of this nature. We have fome hopes, however, it will not be fo for the future; especially if the encouragement at prefent given by the town fhould continue to excite the emulation of Writers to excel in this fpecies of compofition. MONTHLY CATALOGUE, For NOVEMBER, MBER, 1764. RELIGIOUS and CONTROVERSIAL. Art. 1. Remarks on an anonymous Tract, entitled, An Anfwer* to Dr. Mayhew's Obfervations on the Charter and Conduct of the Society for propagating the Gospel in foreign Parts. Being a Second Defence of the Obfervations. In which the Scheme of fending Bishops to America, is particularly confidered; and the Inconveniencies that might refult from it to that Country, See Review, Vol. XXX. page 284. of if put into Execution, both in civil and religious Refpects, are reprefented. By Jonathan Mayhew, D. D. Paftor of the Weft Church in Bolton, 8vo. is. 6d. Nicoll. R. Mayhew, of whofe literary abilities the public have seen many fpecimens, treats his learned, and (as fome fay) very dignified Opponent in a manner that does honour to the characters of both parties, as Scholars, and as Gentlemen. We have neither room nor inclination to enlarge on the particulars of an expiring controversy: otherwife, we might select fome curious paffages from the notable performance now before us. POLITICA L. Art. 2. A Letter to the Right Honourable Charles Townsend. 8vo. Is. Nicoll. This is a profeffed Answer to a late pamphlet entitled, " A Defence of the Minority," of which this Letter-writer prefumes Mr. Townsend to have been the Author. The arguments with which he opposes this fuppofed Champion of the Minority, are temperate, candid, and fometimes cogent. The moft material point he controverts is, the Defender's affertion, that the Minority confidered the queftion concerning the illegality of certain general Warrants as a particular, and not as a general, queftion, and that they meant to confine themfelves to the fingle cafe before them. On the other hand, this Letter-Writer undertakes to fhew, 'that the question was understood to be general, not particular: and that the Minority did not even see the diftinction which their Champion fuppofes them to have adopted. But we must refer our Readers to the Letter itself; for were we to epitomize the heads of this controversy, it would lead us beyond the limits allowed to articles of this nature. LAW. Art. 3. The Statutes at Large. By Owen Ruff head, Efq; Vols. VIIth and VIIIth. 4to. 15s. each, in Sheets. Printed by his Majefty's Law Printers. Thefe volumes bring the Statutes down to the end of the second year of the reign of George III. To the VIIIth is prefixed the following Advertisement. The better to accommodate the Purchasers of this work, the Proprietors, at the request of many of the Subfcribers, inftead of concluding at the end of the Parliament 1761, as was at first propofed, have determined to continue it to the end of the laft Seffions. The ninth volume, therefore, will contain the third and fourth years of the prefent King, together with the Table, which will be very confiderably enlarged. The APPENDIX, confiiting of ancient and curious Statutes, fome of which were never in print before, will make a separate volume.. POETICA L. Art. 4. Hymn to the Power of Harmony. 4to. Is. Donaldson. It is no eafy matter to give a juft account of fuch performances as neither please nor difpleafe. Of this kind is the Hymn to the Power of 5 Harmony. Harmony. It has not merit fufficient to entitle it to general applause, and yet its defects are not fo great as to justify unlimited cenfure. The poem by no means anfwers thofe expectations which the fubject, fuited only to the abilities of the first and greatest Writers, naturally excites. The thoughts, in general, want originality; and the peculiar harmony of the blank verfe, is loft in the monotony of the couplet meafure: yet the scenery is frequently pretty, the allufions tender and attractive, and the enthufiafm truly poetical. Art. 5. The Triumph of Genius, a Dream. Sacred to the Memory of the late Mr. C. Churchill. By Mr. Lloyd. 4to. Is. Jones. The Triumph of Genius makes but a forry appearance under the banners of Dullness. This pamphlet is, indeed, nothing more than a very defpicable catch-penny, as deftitute of honefty in the defign, as of merit in the execution; being plainly intended to impofe on the public, under an appearance of the name of Mr. Robert Lloyd. NOVELS. Art. 6. The Hiftory of Mifs Lucinda Courtney. In a Series of original Letters, written by herself, to her Friend Mifs Conftantia Bellmour. 12mo. 3 Vols. 9s. bound. Noble. This is not the worft imitation we have feen of the late Mr. Richardfon's method of novel-writing. The language is above the common famp; and the incidents related, are natural and interefting. MISCELLANEOUS. Art. 7. The Hiftory of the Robinhood Society; in which the Origin of that illuftrious Body is traced; the Method of managing their Debates is fhewn; the Memoirs of the various Members that compofe it are given; and fome original Speeches, as Specimens of their oratorical Abilities are recorded. Chiefly compiled from original Papers *. 12mo. 3s. Fletcher. Chiefly compiled from the catch-penny Author's own fertile imagination. Art. 8. A Defence of the Robinhood Society, from the Calumnies and Mifreprefentations of a late Author, &c. &c. By a Member of the Society. 8vo. rs. 6d. Burd. Equally genuine and important with the foregoing article. We should not be furprised to hear, that both the Hiftory and the Answer to it, are the works of the fame individual, induftrious hand. Art. 9. A feasonable Alarm to the City of London, on the present important Crifis: Shewing, by the most convincing Arguments, that the new Method of Paving the Streets with Scotch Pebbles, and the pulling down of the Signs, must be both equally pernicious to the Health and Morals of the People of England By Za chary Zeal, Citizen. 8vo. 1s. 6d. Nicoll. This is fo poor an attempt at irony, that it will require fome penetration to find out, in many places, whether the Author is in jeft or in earneft. It is withal fo very dull, that, tho' we patiently perufed the whole, in hopes of ftumbling upon one good thing at least, in the space of fifty-one pages, we found nothing to excite a fmile, either of approbation or ridicule, till we arrived at the last page; where it is faid, the Author expires, and the Publisher, Printer, and Printer's Devils off the copy. enter, and carry Art. 10. An Addrefs to the Freemen, and other Inhabitants, of the City of Oxford. 4to. 6d. (Lucern, printed for Abraham Lightholder, and fold by the Bookfellers of England.) Fletcher. An ingenious reprefentation of the inconveniencies which attend the ill fweeping, and the want of proper lighting, the streets of Oxford. The humour will be most obvious to those who are not strangers to the 'place. Art. 11. The School of Virtue, or polite Novelift. Confifting of Novels, Tales, Fables, Allegories, &c. &c. moral and entertaining in Profe and Verfe. 12mo. 2s. Cooke. This is a compilation of various pieces, from various Writers; fome moral, and fome immoral; fome tolerably entertaining, and fome very dull.-As Shakespear's Moth talks of being at a great feaft of languages, and bringing away the fcraps, fo this Compiler feems to have been at a feast of tales, and has brought away the refuse. Art. 12. A Pronouncing and Spelling Dictionary: Wherein, by a new and fufficient Method, the proper Sounds of English Words are exactly afcertained; and by which, both his Majesty's Subjects and Foreigners, may correct an improper, or acquire a right Pronunciation of the English Language, &c. By William Johnfton, M. A. 12mo. 2s. 6d. Johnston. Though this is far from being an accurate performance, yet it contains fome directions for pronunciation, which may be useful to a certain clafs of Readers. The Author concludes his preface in the fol lowing manner. To familiarize the founds of English words, as a praxis on them, fo far as it goes, I have added a difcourfe upon an interefting fubject, preached on Mount Sion at Tunbridge Wells; the proper founds of the words of which I have fignified by the notation: unfeignedly befeeching the God of all Grace, that he would graciously exhibit all faitable aids, for rendering it truly profitable, to every one (won) who shall read it: and humbly entreating every Reader to perufe it, with that seriousness and candour which become the importance of its contents, and the benevolence wherewith it is published. The truths of which, when intimately known, and habitually regarded, are, through the divine concurrence, fo abundantly efficacious to men's holinels and happiness, both here and hereafter, that I fhould think my felicity great indeed, if this work, befides answering its proximate end, fhould lo ferve as an apparatus for promoting fuch a knowlege of thefe truths and fuch a regard to them, in any; and unfpeakable fo if in many, of my fellow-creatures.' The words from which our Author difcourfes are thefe-2 Tim. i. 10. -Who bath abolished death, and bath brought life and immortality to light, through the Gospel. SERMONS. 1. Gratitude to God for the Reftoration, and its confequent Bleffings:before the univerfity of Oxford, at St. Mary's, May 29, 1764. By Thomas Weare, M. A. of Jefus College, Oxford. Rivington. 2. St. Paul's Charge to Timothy, to take heed to bm/elf and to his Doctrine, confidered, at the vifitation of the Archdeacon of Surry, at St. Olave's, Southwark, Sept. 18, 1764. By Thomas Negus, D. D. Rector of St. Mary, Rotherhithe, and late Fellow of Clare-hall, Cambridge. To which are added, fome brief Remarks relative to the charge and folemn ftipulations in the office of Ordination. 3. Religion and Loyalty infeparable,-at the aflizes at Wifbeach in the Ifle of Ely, Augutt 22, 1764; before Mr. Serjeant Forster, ChiefJuftice of the faid Ifle. By John Forter, M. A. Rector of Elton in Huntingdonshire, and of Walfoken in Norfolk. Dod. CORRESPONDENCE. The Letter from the Hague, received a few months ago, is acknowleged. The occafion is regretted; and would be more fo, but for the pleasure received from the perufal of fo candid and genteel an Expoftulation. +++ Frugi's Letter has been duly attended to; but what he propofes, in regard to our inferting the Prices of foreign Books, is found to be impracticable. Civis is certainly right, in general; altho' there are confiderable objections to what he recommends. However, the contents of his Note will not be difregarded. The Reviewers are obliged to him for his Hints. If M. A. will favour us. with her real address, we will endeavour to account to her, for the feeming deviation the fo fenfibly and politely hints at; but there is no neceflity for a public explanation. The plea fure of her future correfpondence is earnestly hoped for. ERRATA in the Review for September. Page 171, 1. 11, for 25, r. 65. 181, 1. ult. of the text, for put in, r. put it in. 220, 1. 7 from the bottom, for his, r. ker. ERRAT A in October. Page 295, par. 3, 1. 1, for experiment, read experiments. 297, par. 3, 1. 10, for contain, r. certain. 301, In the art. of Dr. Lowth's Sermon, par. 2, 1. 3, for affecting, r. Striking. 318, art. 8, 1..1, of the Character, for contents, r. contefts.' 1.6, after oppofed, add will produce the defired effe. The Conclufion of the Philofophical Tranfactions is deferred till our next. |