of England has been increasing in the following proportion: When Hume wrote, the exports of England were,

At the prophecying of 1,396,003
Jafper Wilfon

Thus are we ruined! The increase of the trade of Liverpool is alfo laid before the unenquiring eyes of the afferter, with equal clearnefs. Then afking "What is a commercial nation, but a collection of commercial towns ?" Mr. C. proceeds to inform his old acquaintance, that the fame might be proved of most of our principal towns, would not the ftatement involve him in too much minutenefs. He gives, however, in detail, the increase of the commercial wealth of Scotland within the prefent century, and then fums up this part in the following terms:

"The foregoing pofitions are all facts, inftructive facts. From them we learn, that England, amidst frequent wars, redoubled taxes, and public debts, has grown up as faft and as vigorously as Liverpool, of which you cannot be perfuaded that her traders are poor, or her corporation is on the verge of bankruptcy. Yet, throughout your Letters, you reafon that the merchants of Great Britain are ruined, and that the Corporation of Great Britain is on the verge of bankruptcy.

Oh hateful error, melancholy's child!

Why doft thou fhew to the apt thoughts of man

The things that are not ?"

Thus throughout the dedication does Mr. Chalmers fuccefsfully combat his affumed patron with facts. The drift of his whole addrefs being to maintain, which he does most firmly, against the defponding whinings of Jafper,

That what has happened in our former wars will again happen during the prefent war, in a greater or a lefs degree. That we fhall certainly lofe fome of our external commerce, while we shall probably gain the amount of our loffes from fome other fource; that the spring of our trade may be preffed down by the prevalence of war, but will rebound on the return of peace; that our domestic industry will be little affected by diftant hoftilities, while confumption will run on in its ufual channel, without the obftructions of warfare; and that, upon the restoration of tranquillity, the enterprifing people of this happy land will carry the energy which they have ever derived from war into the ufual occupations of peace, fo as to have hereafter, as they have uniformly had, more trade and more fhipping, and ampler means of acquiring wealth, than they had when they were goaded into unprovoked warfare by a reftless enemy." P. 20.

We

We cannot go into the detail of thefe particulars, but we can affure our readers, that on confulting the book itself, they will find the promife of the author very fully performed.Among other circumftances, nothing can be more completely fatisfactory than the confutation given by Mr. C. of Jafper Wilfon's allertion, that the bankruptcies of November, 1792, were occafioned by the war. Common fenfe, indeed, fufficed to fuggeft that they could not have that origin, fince the war had not had time to operate when they took place, and during its operation they totally ceafed: but facts and figures are still more convincing than a conclufion fo formed. The dogma of Jafper, that the paper circulation did not caufe, but alleviate, the diftrefs of that time, is alfo thoroughly confuted and the funding fyftem is no lefs ably defended against the cenfures of that writer. (See p. lxxii. &c.)

We cannot but admire the fagacity of Mr. Chalmers, when he declares that difcontent alone can effectually ruin Great Britain, and adds,

"It is Tillotson who declares a difcontented mind to be one of the greatest evils of this world. With the recollection of this, I have often lamented to fee wicked men, with their allies the well-meaning men, endeavouring, by various arts, to turn the spirit of the people from their true objects. By fuch men they are continually taught to clamour, like children in the nursery, not for what would do them good, but for what would do them harm." P. lxxxiv.

This pernicious play-thing is the Reform of Parliament, which, as Mr. C. very wifely points out, is exactly of that defcription; and moft true it is, that well-meaning men, deceived by wicked men, are, from the influence of their known character, the most dangerous enemies of a ftate.

We cannot further extend our account of this interesting Dedication, but we can take upon us to affert, that they who read it will find in it as much of folid comfort, as in Jasper Wilfon's Letter there was of empty alarm; and will fee that writer as completely expofed as ever any writer was, by the fair oppofition of plain fact to false affertion.

BRITISH

PRITISH CATALOGUE.

POETRY.

ART. 16. The Maid of the Cafle; a Legendary Tale. In Three Cantos. 4to. 35. Coombs, Chippenham; Lane, London. 1794.

This Poem is announced in the Preface to be the production of a very young Lady, and it is modeftly thrown upon the humanity of the public. Criticifm, like Juftice, has no paffions, and the cenfors of Literature must not be deterred by motives of compaffion from the exercife of an impartial judgment. Verfe muft rife above mediocrity in order to produce its effect, and moderate Poetry is the groffeft folecifm that Language has admitted.

Having premifed thus much, we fhall only remark upon this Legendary Tale, that the ftructure of the fable difplays no great artifice, and the ftyle is adorned with few poetic beauties.

Much allowance muft, however, be made for the first flight of a mufe whofe moral is chafte, and whofe fentiments, fupported by an improved verfification may not hereafter be unacceptable to the public tafte. We would recommend to the fair author, whofe "extreme youth" feems not to have had the most fortunate direction, brevity, perfpicuity, and correctness. The meed of Poetry is no fugitive honour; and though the materials may be furnished by nature, yet it is art and diligence that muft mould them to their juft perfection.

ART. 17. Bagatelles; or Poetical Sketches. By E. Walsh, M. D. 12mo. 3s. 6d. Dublin, Kelly; London, Hamilton. 1793.

A great deal of Poetical tafte and talents is difplayed in this volume. Our objection to it is, that a ftudied preference feems to be given to fubjects of a licentious turn. Indeed the whole are chiefly amatory. The reader will not, we apprehend, be difpleafed with the following fpecimen :

SONNET,

WRITTEN AT THE SEA-SIDE.

Why o'er thefe fands fo frequent do I stray,
Regardless, gazing on the billows hoar,
Or on the landfcape of the rocky hore,
Cr on the furge that foaming rolls away?

<< 'Tis

"Tis FANCY leads me :-she, whofe faery wand
Can people vacancy-fhe paints for me

The blufhing Harriot gliding towards the fea,
While fall the vestments from her timid hand.
"The lovely vifion fills my tranced eye-
I fee her form with gentle terror fhrink,
As fearfully fhe trembles o'er the brink
Of the wild waters, murm'ring as they rise.
Till foftly finking, all her charms fhe laves,
And yields her blooming beauties to the waves!"

ART. 18. Confufion's Mafter-Piece; or Pain's Labour Loft. By the Writer of the Parodies in the Gentleman's Magazine. 4to. Is. Nichols. 1794.

This is a fpecimen of fome well-known fcenes in Shakspeare's Macbeth. The writer calls it a specimen in his title-page-We presume he means a parody. It begins thus

Enter three Citizens.

1. Cit." When fhall we three meet again?
And thund'ring rail against this reign?

2d. Cit. When Convention's plot is done,
When the battle's loft and won.

3d. Cit. And they've murder'd Capet's Son." &c. ̈

We certainly do not find fault with the principles which suggested this publication, but there is not much to admire in the execution.

ART. 19. The Infant Vifion of Shakspeare; with an Apoftrophe to that immortal Bard, and other Poems. By Mr. Harrison. 4to.

Harrison. 1794..

2s. 6d.

The author avows an enthufiaftic attachment to the Muse from his earliest years, nay, even from his infancy.

"Thy fairy vifions, heavenly bright,
A cradled infant blefs'd my fight,
Wreathing my little face with fmiles."

The Mufe, however, does not seem to have returned his fondnef. with equal ardour; yet these productions are, on the whole, by no means contemptible.

ART. 20.

Carmen Seculare: an Ode infcribed to the Prefident and Members of the Royal Academy. By a Mufe more loyal than Peter Pindar's. 4to. IS. Faulder. 1793.

Neither is this contemptible; but why did the Poet use so exceptionable a burden to his fong as the following lines;

ART. 21.

"For ftill they fung, aroufe thy fires,
From thee the age expects its fame:
And know the glory thou acquires,
Adds luftre to thy country's name."

MISCELLANIES.

Funeral Oration for Louis XVI. 4to. pp. 20.
wards, Pall-mall. 1794.

15. Ed

This Oration, formed as if delivered to an English auditory, but without any fictitious vehicle of introduction, or even an advertisement, is faid to come from the pen of a perfon high in rank, and already diftinguished in the literary world. Our information may, perhaps, have its origin in what Dr. Johnson would have called "unauthorized loquacity." Be this as it may, we are not dazzled by the luftre bf a name in pronouncing the performance to abound in masculine fense as well as pathetic eloquence. The points chiefly brought into notice are, the contraft of the conduct, together with the fimilarity of the fate of Charles I. and Louis XVI. The uniform readiness of Louis to affift in reforms that tended to abridge his own prerogatives; the poffible confequences of fuch a Conftitution, modelled on the Britifh, as France might once have had; the removal of the Royal Family from Verfailles, and the virtual imprisonment of Louis from that moment; his attempt to regain his liberty; his acceptance of the Conftitution, which, as the author justly obferves, " either did away all pretended charge of anterior known offences, or we must admit the grofs abfurdity on the part of the people, that they fpontaneously fought the rule of a detected criminal and approved tyrant." Then are noticed, the alienation of the people, the arrival of the Marfeillois, the laft tragical attack upon the Thuilleries, and the final imprifonment and murder of Louis. On most of these topics, we find originality of thought, and elegance of expreffion, without any attempt at amplification. Speaking of the opportunity of obtaining an excellent Conftitution, which was loft in France, this author forbears, out of tenderness, to recall it too ftrongly to the exiles of France. "No forrow," fays he, " is fo fharp as that which ftings with the recollection of error and misconduct, and some may there be among thofe unfortunate men, who may have affifted in loofening the fetters of anarchy and licentiousness, under the fatal mistake, that these fiends, when liberated, would obey their voices, and return at their command to their prifon-houses." p.9. His account of the outrages at Verfailles the author clofes by exclaiming pathetically, "Gracious Heaven! am I to lament that the mercy of death was then denied him ?"

The concluding fentence of this elegant Oration cannot be too ftrongly impreffed on the minds of Britons. Sitring under the fhelter of their own free and happy Conftitution which has covered them and their ancestors with fo broad a fhade, they will not patiently fuffer the petulance of conceit to mutilate its boughs, under the fpecious pretence of improvement: and much lefs the defperate hand of ambition to be bufy with its roots."

ART.