interpose a power to stop the swelling torrent of the press. But alas! Rusticus expectat, dum defluat amnis ; Labitur et labetur, in omné volubilis at ille ævum. There is one distinction, which which may not be uninteresting to we have never before met with, and our agricultural friends. It is in act II. sc. 1. of " The Father of an only Child"; (by the by, we are very glad this family was no lar ger.) Susannah, in showing Platoon the gardens, tells him, there's "pumpkins, potatoes, and turnips, " and apples and ingons and sich "like, and that's round sace; and "there's carrots, and cowcumbers, 66 parsnups, and beets and sich; and "that's long sace. But whether "mortars grow round or long, "when you plant them in a tulip “bed, darn me if I know." leading their attention through Mr. Dunlap's endless labyrinths of nonsense. If it can be any satisfaction for him to know, that we have waded through his work, he is assured of it; and we mention it particularly, because it is proba ble he will never hear the like again. We believe, that we have consulted his interest, when we con demn it en masse; for,as he threatens the publick with ten volumes, an analysis of the first would never excite a curiosity to behold its brethren. It is absolutely scandalous to the republick of letters, that works like this should be suffered to issue from the press. It reflects no credit on Mr. D. that, " after eighteen years attachment to the drama, and having revised these plays to the best of his abilities," he should now intrude them, unmeaning as they are, upon the patronage of the publick. The facility of publication in this country and elsewhere, by which the shelves of the booksellers are crowded with double tiers, is one of the causes, which increase the obscurity of works of merit. We have considered this work as to its stage effect and as to its closet effect, and the only effect, which it seems likely to produce, is, that it may make "the unwary laugh," but it will make the judicious grieve"; and we are as fully persuaded, that every intelligent reader, who will take upon himself the task of a Reviewer and put this decision to the proof, will acquiesce in the judgment. After he has become acquainted with the "Father of an only Child," the horrours of "Leicester," passed through "Fontainville Abbey," and sees "Darby's Return," he will most devoutly wish, that some proper authority would or could Mr. Dunlap will reconsider this matter. The work is adorned with a portrait of Mrs. Wignall, paiated by W. Dunlap and engraved by D. Edwin. ART. 58. An Address to the Merrimack Humane Society, Sept. 2, 1806. By Samuel Cary, A. B. Svo. pp. 31. Newburyport, Blunt. AFTER a pertinent introduction, the orator deviates from the general topick of benevolence to confine himself to the precise objects of the institution. He then dilates upon the modes of excitement in cases of apparent death; bleeding, which was long approved in Holland, and the application of the electrick fluid, which has prevail a ed in England. To many of the The idea in the author's mind audience this might have seemed is not always conveyed with digparade ; and the speaker unhap- nity or perspicuity. “ No tongue pily encourages the opinion, when indeed can convey to the underhe says, “ I have taken the liberty standing the satisfaction, enjoyed to make (of making) these general by the friends of humanity, when observations, gentlemen, with no they have delivered an apparently hope of communicating any new lifeless corpse, alive and intelligent, information.” On the assignment to the embraces,” &c. “ But this of rewards the remarks are judi- pleasure, from its distance, and recious ; and against the plunderers fined nature, often loses its influof the beach huts of the society ence.” Brevis esse laboro. they rise to animation. But the These are minor faults, and may general tenour of the address is pass unobserved by the majority even and stately. The diction is of readers in a hasty perusal; but never vulgar, and seldom easy. the author, we presume, wishes We find no original thought to en- to stand the scrutiny of the obsergage us ; no artful combination of ving, and to receive the approbaold ones to amuse or to surprise. tion of the learned. There is little to censure ; much In the oce to Humanity, for to approve ; but nothing to admire. 1806, is a line of unjustifiable bold. Pompous language in descrip- ness. tion of humble things may be Thou canst restore the mystick flame, stared at awhile ; but when it is And aid the efforts of a God. understood it becomes ridiculous. Professus grandia, turget. A sneer involuntarily rises at the affectation of an unusual phrase in such ART. 59. a manner as the following. “The Home. A poem. 12mo. np. 144. leading object of the society is the Boston, printed for S. H. Parrecovery of persons apparently ker, 1806. E. Lincoln, printer. dead, whether this appearance is (be) occasioned by submersion, If there be one theme more suffocation by noxious vapours, or favourable for poetry than another, the cord,” &c. “ For this purpose, it is this perhaps,which our author it is common to apply friction, the has selected. “At the mention of feather, and powerful salts.” Is home, a thousand images, congenany particular feather intended, or ial to the muse, possess the fancy is the phrase adopted to dignify at once, and we are in greater dar.the object? “ The first object of ger of being distracted by the fuithe operator is to employ blankets, ness of matter, which the subject the heat of a living body, the jire, presents, than troubled to conceive or the warm bath." “ It is there- about what we shall write. The fore supposed, that it possesses the winter fire-side circle, convened by power of renewing the customary the inclemency of the season, all actions of the system.” Custom the domestick amusements and implies volition. These, and oth- duties that grow out of the year, er examples, resemble the strut of the pastimes of childhood, the oce youthful imbecility, imitating the cupations of age, the intercourse dignified gait, but regardless of the of friends, the attachments of kineasy motions, of manhood. dred, the history of love, with in With a field so extensive before him, enlivened with every flower that can gratify sense, it is natural to suppose, that our author would have gathered a bouquet not un worthy to be laid at the feet of the Nine. But in examining his selec tions, we have met with what is common to other personages than criticks...the disappointment which follows expectations too exalted. We do not deny that he has collected some gems, which are delicately marked and prettily coloured, but he has fewer rose-buds than leaves, and more knot-grass than pinks. He does not present us with a remembrance to be worn in our bos oms on a sabbath or gala, though he affords something perhaps medicinal, and something that is sav. oury. In one of his notes, our unknown observes, that dissonant rhymes may be occasionally employed with happy effect; and quotes Pope and Gray for the correctness of the remark. Whether or not poetry contribute to her harmony, by interrupting in this way the chime of her bells, as all ears are not constructed on a similar model, we leave it to our readers to determine for themselves. We would re mind the prosodian, however, that Swift regretted, that he had not inspected the translation of the Iliad before it was committed to press, because he wished to have had corrected some unsociable rhymes, which he considered as offensive to cultivated tympanuns. What the censor of Homer would have said to our poem, whose author appears, in his critical notices, to speak one word for rhyme, and a couple for himself, will be readi ly imagined, when we quote concords like the following. Revive, live; tie, joy; blooms, comes; voice, joys; break, check; heard, appear'd; flood, good; roam, home; foam, home; bloom, home; and many more, that are as distant from chimes as a sheep-bell and cymbal. Had home, this unhappy text-word of the poet, which continually falls on the end of a line, by a small metrical mapœuvre, been otherwise disposed of, great pains might have been saved, and less melody murdered. It is at best but a bad part of speech to ring the changes upon, and would have answered much better differently placed in a couplet. Another ground of objection against our poet is, he weakens his versification with a profusion of expletives. Ere while less sweet, they now delight the eye. My heart, that, when the tempest, echo ing, past. Here not a sound is heard but boasts a charm. and he has too much to say about Edwin and Emma; who have sustained, poor unfortunates! the bur den of song for rather more than a century, and were deserving before the date of this performance of a quiet interment in the tomb of the Capulets. But to sprinkle a little praise upon this severity of remark, for we wish not to be cruel where we Stern on their frontiers, pale Suspicions cannot be kind, we acknowledge Relentless watch, that knows not rest keep the poem is very far from contemp or sleep. tible ; it possesses some passages There Danger joys his fiery bands to that may be read with a degree of form, complacency, and whatever it pos- His glance the flash of heaven, his step sesses is very evidently its own. the storm ; To prove that we are sincere, we There Hate, whose day-dreams scenes of blood defile ; give the following selection. Deceit, who wears a dagger and a smile; Soon the favouring breeze inspires and fierce Destruction, opening from The swelling sails no more, but sad re beneath tires ; The mine, in whose dark chambers While rising fierce, with terrors all his revels death. own, The scowling south-wind mounts his The stanzas on the Tomb of my cloudy throne ; Bids his black squadrons darken all the Fathers, Victory, and to the Even. pole, ing Star, have nothing remarkable And fires descend, and deep-toned in thought or expression; and thunders roll. might be spared in a bunch, withThe attendants on wealth and out loss or regret. The fact is, power, too, are decently conceived, poetry has no middle character ; and tolerably drawn. it must be either decidedly good, or decidedly bad ; middling verse Dark, as yon clouds o’er Pentland's hills is middling nonsense ! that lower, Appear the legions guarding wealth This work is neatly executed. and power. MONTHLY CATALOGUE OF New PUBLICATIONS IN THE United STATES FOR OCTOBER. Sunt bona, funt quædam mediocria, funt mala plura.-MART. NEW WORKS. of the state of Connecticut, in the years 1802, 1803, and 1804. By Thomas No. 1. Vol. I. of Flora Carolinæensis; Day, counsellor at law. Vol. I. 8vo. or, A Historical, Medical, and Econom- $3 calf. Hartford, Conn. Hudson & ical Display of the Vegetable Kingdom, Goodwin. according to the Linnæan or sexual Means of preserving health, and presystem of Botany. Being a collection venting diseases : Founded principally or compilation of the various plants on an attention to air and climate, hitherto discovered and made known drink, food, sleep, exercise, clothing, by the several authors on Botany, &c. passions of the mind, and retentions and By John L. E. W. Shecut. 8vo. pp.88. excretions. With an appendix, conThis work will consist of at least 12 taining observations on bathing, cleannumbers, of about 80 or 90 pages each, liness, ventilation, and medical elecwhich will form two hexades, that may tricity, and on the abuse of medicine. be bound in two octavo volumes. Price Enriched with apposite extracts from to subscribers 50 cents, each number. the best authors. Designed not mereCharleston, S. C. printed for the author ly for physicians, but for the informaby John Hoff. tion of others. To which is annexed, Reports of Cases, argued and deter- a glossary of the technical terms conmined in the Supreme Court of Errours tained in the work. By Shadrach Rick : : pp. 502 etson, physician in New-York. New- man's end and happiness ; encourage. York, Collins, Perkins & Co. ment to early seeking; self-dedication ; Lectures on Natural and Experi- prayer ; observation of the Lord's day; mental Philosophy, considered in its the excellence of religion ; the happi. present state of improvement ; des- ness of life ; the standard of honour ;. cribing, in a familiar and easy manner, good company recommended ; caution the principal phenomena of nature ; against bad company ; caution against and shewing that they are cooperate in bad books ; frugality.; dissipation ; the displaying the goodness, wisdom, and instability of life : procrastination ; re. power of God. By the late George demption of time; reflections on Adams, mathematical instrument ma- death ; judgment; the person and chaker to his majesty, &c. In four vol- racter of the judge ; the state of those umes. Illustrated with 43 large cop- who die in sin ; the future blessedness perplates, elegantly engraved. This of the righteous. To which are addAmerican edition printed from the last ed, prayers for young families. Also, London edition, edited by Wm. Jones, sermons, 1. on religious education ; 2. is carefully revised and corrected by answer to the objection, that education Robert Patterson, professor of math. in religion shackles the mind; 3. reematicks and teacher of natural philos- fections of the aged on the early choice ophy, in the university of Pennsylvania. of religion. By James Dana, D.-D. Vol. I. To this volume is subjoined, by New Haven. Increase Cooke. 1806. the American editor, A brief outline or compendious system of modern The Clergyman's Companion, conchemistry : compiled from the latest taining the official offices of the Protespublications on that subject. Price to tant Episcopal Church, used by the subscribers $11,50 the set. Philadel. clergy of the said church in the disphia, Woodward. charge of their parochial rites. To Travels in Louisiana and the Flori. which are added, Extracts from the das, in the year 1802, giving a correct writings of distinguished divines on the picture of those countries. Translated qualifications and duties of the clerical from the French, with notes, &c. By office. 12mo. Price $1,25. NewJohn Davis. 12mo. pp. 182. New York, Peter A. Mesier. York: Printed by and for I. Riley & Co. A Chart, entitlod, Tables for com Columbian Eloquence ; being the puting the effect of refraction on lunar speeches of the most celebrated Amer distances. Published by Peter Delaican orators, as delivered in the late mar, No. 81, North Second Street, Phitrial of the Hon. Samuel Chase, before ladelphia. the senate of the United States. 3 vols. Psalmodist's Assistant : containing 12mo. Price $1,50. Baltimore. an original composition of Psalm and Discoveries made in exploring the Hymn Tunes ; together with a number Missouri, Red, and Washita rivers, and of favourite pieces from different aucountries adjacent, by Captains Lewis thors. To which is prefixed, An Inand Clarke, Dr. Sibley, Wm. Dunbar, troduction to the Grounds of Musick. Esq. and Dr. Hunter ; with an appen- By Abijah Forbush. Price 62 cents. dix, by Mr. Dunbar, not before pub. Boston, Manning & Loring. lished, containing list of stages and dis- A favourite selection of musick, atances on the Red and Washita rivers dapted to the Piano Forte ; consisting to the Hot Springs ; lists of the most of the newest and most fashionable obvious vegetable productions of the songs, airs, marches, &c. comick and Washita country, which are indigenous sentimental. Designed for practition. or growing without culivation ; notice ers. By O. Shaw and H. Mann. $1. of certain vegetables, part of which are Dedham, H. Mann. supposed to be new ; of the medical A Collection of Divine Musick, conproperties of the salt springs, &c. sisting of Psalms, Hynins, Chants, and 8vo. Natchez, Louisiana. Anthems, for one, two, three, and four Sermons to young people ; preached voices, with accompaniments for the A. D. 1803, 1804, on the following organ and piano forte. pp. 120. Price subjects : faith and practice ; inquiry $1,75. Philadelphia, John Aitken. concerning eternal life ; religion our The American Reader ; consisting own choice ; indecision in religion ; of a selection of familiar, instructive, the principle of virtue ; God's glory and entertaining stories. By Herman a |