1

Art. 35. The Parish Oficer's Companion ; or a new and complete

Library of Parish Law. By Somerville Dingley, Esq. Author of the Appendix to Barn's Justice. 12mo.

12mo. 25. 6d. Lifter. 1786. Though the laws relative to parish affairs are pretty generally known, yet the many new acts that are passed, and the cases that are adjudged in the different courts, render new editions of works of this kind necessary for instructing church-wardens and overseers in their duty. We have not at hand the last edition of Shaw's Parish Law, for the purpose of comparison.

2 m Art. 36. Obfervations on the Statutes relating to the Stamp Duties,

particularly on professional and mercantile Proceedings, &c. By John Rayner, of the Middle Temple. 8vo. 25. 68. Flexney. 1786.

These Observations tend to shew the difficulties and inaccuracies, and sometimes the partiality with which, in Mr. R.'s opinion, the statutes relative to the stamp-duties abound. He thinks that other modes of increasing the revenue might have been adopted, which would have answered the purpose of the state as well, and, at the fame time, have convinced mankind, that the legislature had much more at heart the ease than the burthen of the subject.' The tax on attorneys is particularly disliked by this experienced observer, on ac. count of its obvious inequality and oppreffive partiality.

EDUCATION, SCHOOL BOOKS, &c.
Art. 37. Reading made most Easy; confifting of a Variety of use-

ful Lessons. By W. Rulher, Master of the Charity School at Ban-
bury.

6d. Gough. 1786. Those who know the difficulties and trouble of teaching chil. dren the rudiments of reading, will find this little composition not ill calculated for rendering that laborious talk more simple and easy.

De Art. 38. A Vocabulary of the most difficult Words in the English

Language, teaching to pronounce them with Ease and Propriety; thewing their various Significations; and, where neceffary, are spelled so as to indicate the true Articulation ; also, Names of Perfons and Places, more particularly those in the New Testament : together with several common Phrases from the Latin and French, translated into English, &c. &c. By William Fry, Teacher of Languages and Mathematical Sciences. 12mo.

. 25. 6d. Boards. Buckland, &c.

That this is a whimsical medley, the reader will easily conclude from the title. Of the Editor's qualifications to write a di&tionary, he may form some judgment from the following specimens :

Abandoned, given up.to, &c. Authority Juvenal.
Ab hoc et ab har, at random.
Ad patres, the abode of the juft ; death.
Alma mater, chaste mother.
Argumentum ad hominem, a convincing argument.
Argumentum ad ignorantiam, a foolish argument.
En bon point, pronounce ang bung poing.
Locum tenens, one officiating for the Lord Mayor,
Qui pro quo, a mistake of an apothecary in giving or mixing

medicines, &c. &c.

I 2mo.

. Aste

.

Art. 39. An Esay on pronouncing and reading French : to show,

that by Study and Application the English may acquire, with Certainty, and in a short Time, the true French Accent. By Mr. Des Carrieres. 8vo. 35. 6d. Boards. Elmily. 1787.

This Essay seems to be better calculated for instructing Englishmen in the French pronunciation than any of those numerous publi

cations, for that purpose, which we have seen. There is a great diffi· culty in giving definitions of such ideas as are the objects of sense

alone ; sounds therefore, like colours, are but ill defined by words. To persons entirely ignorant of the French pronunciation, the present performance can be of little service; but to those who have acquired some knowledge of that language, it will afford very considerable alliitance. The Author appears to be a man of taste and ingenuity; his observations are founded on just grounds, and are the result of an extensive knowledge of language in general, and an intimate ac. quaintance with the best authors on the subject. L'Abbé d'Olivet and M. Bouillette have afforded him great assistance ; he acknowledges, indeed, to have freely used the latter's Traité des fons de la Langue Françoise, a book of considerable reputation among the French.

mo EAST INDIES. Art. 40. Observations on the Defence made by Warren Hastings,

Esq. Part I. 8vo. 25. Debrett. 1787. Contains many severe animadversions on the Defence, and on the conduct, of Mr. Hastings, particularly in regard to the Rohilla war. - This is the tract concerning which an unavailing complaint was made, in the House of Commons, by Major S. (the active friend of Mr. H.) on account of its “ malignant principle and tendency."The pamphlet is well-written : its author unknown, though shrewdly guessed at.

POETRY Art. 41. Blenheim, a Poem. By the Rev. W. Mavor. 400.

39.

Cadell. 1787 We cannot apply to this poem, on Blenheim House, what Mr. Pope faid of his Windfor Forejt

" Where pure description holds the place of sense"for there is much good fonse and laudable sentiment in this descriptive poem; and both are agreeably arrayed in easy and (in general) harmonious numbers. The whole is introduced to the reader by a very modest Preface, in which he is informed that · The Poem was not written amid philosophic ease and literary conversation. It originated,' says the writer, from local attachments, and was prole. cuted at those intervals when ill health gave a necessary relaxation from professional avocations, or when the cares of life drove the Author to che innocent alleviations of verse. Under such circumItances, had he possessed real poetic genius, it muft have been de. pressed; and as he lays claim to little more than poetic inclination, he is too sensible his production is much unequal to the subject.'

Such becoming diffidence never fails to interest the reader in an author's behalf : whatever merit may appear in his produclion, ample credit is given him for it; and candour throws her friendly veil over Rev. Feb. 1787

N

thore

those imperfections which, from the pen of Arrogance, might have been judged worthy of the severeft criticism. Art. 42. The New Rosciad: A Poem, 400. 15. 6d. Hookham.

1787. From the “Seffion of the Poets," written by Sir John Suckling, in the reign of Charles the Second, down to The Diaboliad, in the reign of George the Third, we have had several poems on the same plan:-a vacant laureat/hip, or a' vacant throne in the infernal fhades, or, &c. &c.

This new work is to be confidered as a vehicle, to convey, to the Public, the Author's sentiments relative to the merits of the present set of actors on the London boards,—as the cant of the times has it.

“ Garrick deceas'd, each high-aspiring play'r

Afferts pretensions to the vacant chairCOLMAN is, very properly, appointed judge; and the several performers are characterised, in advancing their several claims. Mrsa Siddons obtains the preference,

- you, great Siddons! must possess the chair, Nor quit it till thou'ít plac'd an equal there." The Author appears to have formed a tolerably just conception of the respective talents and merits of all the candidates ;' but his Mufe hobbles, if possible, a thousand times worse than Suckling's: and me was but a sorry Trapes. Art. 43. The Maniacs: a Tragi-comic Tale. By Nicholas

Nobody. 4to. IS. Ridgway. 1786. Mr. Nobody, viewing Margaret Nicholson's attempt on the life of his Majetty in a ludicrous light, has made it the subject of a ballad, to the tune of Catharine Hayes; but the story being rather barren of incident, the Author supplies that deficiency by his invention. He introduces the Lords in Council, at the examination of the Maniac ; who, in a scufie with the Chancellor, deprives him of his wig, and provokes him to a plentiful display of his skill in the vulgar tongue : and the humour of all this is allitted by a copper-plate frontispiece. Art. 44. The Callina, a Poem. 4to.

4to. Is. Becket. In a happy imitation of the easy style of Anity's Bath Guide, this (to us] unknown author describes the agreeable company which he met witlt, laft fummer, at Weybridge: not over-looking the pretty fcenery of the place from which this very pleasing poem takes its Art. 45. The Fallen Coitace. A Poem. By T. C. Rickman.

400. 29. Od. Kearlley. 1987. Rustic scenery, and ruftic life, not unnaturally described, in rusic verre. Mr. R. though blessed with no extraordinary powers of poetry, seems to feel, and to enjoy, the fiinplicity of his subject: we hope, too, that he enjoys the goods effiets of his numerous and refpectable lit of fubfcribers.

DRAMATIC.
Art. 26. The First Floor; a Farce. 11 two Alts.

sented at the Theatre Royal in Drury I.ane. 8vo. 15. Dilly, 1787.

This piece is inscribed to Mr. King, as an acknowledgpient of the utility derived to the Author (Mr. Core, irom that gentleman's

naine.

As repretheatrical experience, and knowledge of dramatic effect. Mr. King has been so long in the service of the comic muse, with credit to him felf, and the general eleem of the Public, that a better adviser, in all that regards the cunning of the scene, could not be found upon any theatre,

The advantage of having such a critic, contributed,
most probably, to the great propriety, and, indeed, brilliancy, with
which the piece appeared in the representation. The same effect
cannot be expected in the closet. To judge of a First Floor, it must
be seen; and so it is with the piece before us. It does not aim at
success by the production of those foibles, or humours, which consti-
tute character.' Mrs. PartYPAN's love for Tim Tartlet is not
distinguished by any kind of peculiarity. Mr. Baddely, by the hap-
piness of his close and natural style of acting, gave distinctive features
to OLD WHIMSEY, but his countenance and tone of voice cannot
be printed. The Author intended to divert by incident, and free
quent turns and counterturns of the business. In this he has fucceed-
ed so well, that we shall not object to him the want of probability,
with which many circumiances are brought forward. O1.D WHIM-
SEY brings his daughter to town, to keep her safe from MONFORD:
he is to have the use of his son's lodging. YOUNG WHIMSEY is
turned out of his lodging, and this does not seem to be well manag-
ed. MONFORD happens to take that very lodging, and OLD
WHIM EY goes thither with his daughter. This premises weil; buc
the very man, whom the father withes to avoid, is too soon discovers .
ed; and, for the sake of carrying on the plot, Old WHIM EY is
made to believe that a match will be concluded between MONFORD
and Mrs. PATTYPAN. In this notion he is confirmed by listening in
a conversation, every word of which he misunderstands, and turns
his own way, Mr. Coba lias a fertile invention, and has had the
address to make a number of incidents grow out of one another.
That an úpho sterer should furnish apartments for a man he never
faw, is not within the strict rule of probability; it seems, however,
to make room for the whimsical adventure of the father's being fup-
posed to be the son in the disguise of an old man. Under inat mil.
take he is arrested, and the scene is carried on with pleasantry. A
good use is made of the window curtain, and the doors that lead to
different apartments. From the agreeable jumble of all together,
the result is a pleasant farce, of that kind, which is called by the
critics Comedy of Intrigue. Mirth is excited, and, as Horace says,
eft quædam tamen hæc quoque virtus. But we prognosticate from the
vivacity and natural curn of the dialogue, that Mr. COBB will, at a
fature period, give the Public fomething of higher value. In the
mean time, every friend who takes a peep at the First Floor, will hea
Four it with his approbation.

THÉOLOGY.
Art. 47. Sermons on Religious and Practical Subjeans. By the

Rev. A. Blackitone Rudd, M. A. late of University College, Oxo
ford, Vicar of Diddlebury, in the County of Salop, and Reader at
Ludlow. 8vo. Ludlow, printed. 1706. 'No Price mentioned,

U nor London Bookleiler.

The subjects of these discourses are the following : 1. The design apylenry and object of Christianity, Prov. iii. 17. 11. The divinity of Chrilt

M-y.

aflested poves

lubroquent Information

asserted by the evidence of the Centurion and his attendants at the crucifixion, Matth. xxvii. 54. III. A fixed belief in the divine attributes the true support of man in the present life, Pfal. lviii. 10. IV. End and design of baptism, Colof. ii. 11, 12. V. Chriftian warfare, Matth. xxiv. 42, 43. VỊ. Divine jutice appeased by contrite guilt, Luke xv. 10. VII. Importance of an early virtuous education, Prov. xxii. 6. VIII. Benefits of general infirmaries, Prov. xiv. 31. IX. John, i. 17. The law came by Moses, &c. X. Funeral sermon, from, i Theff. iv. 13, 14. XI. Sacrifices of the law figurative of the death of Christ, John, i. 45. XII. Double sense of prophecy, Psal. ii. 8. XIII. Caution of Christ, in not declaring himself to be the Messiah, stated and accounted for, Mark, xv. 2, 3, 4, 5. XIV. Elijah triumphant, i Kings, xviii. 21. XV. Day, of judgment, 1 Cor. xv. 24. The eighth of these dircourses has been before published, and is taken notice of in the 67th volume of the Review, p. 160. The second seems to affert the divinity of Christ's doctrine, rather than what has been generally un. derstood by the phrase, the divinity of Christ. The twelfth sermon, On the double sense of prophecy, is followed by some pages of notes, giving a short account of the most considerable authors who have written on the subject, together with • an abstract of some of the Psalms which chiefly refer to our blessed Saviour.'

The Author of these sermons has shewn, in their composition, much
good sense and ingenuity. His style is generally correct; but what
is most important, his discourses are all directed to practical and
useful purposes. Sometimes, perhaps, while attentive to bis lan-
guage, he may not so thoroughly investigate the sentiment. One
instance of halte, however, candour will not allow us wholly to
pass without notice ; it is in the last sermon, when the preacher
js discoursing on the resurrection and future life,- here he breaks
out into an apostrophe— what then shall we say - to a fellow
who calls himself a philosopher, and tells us that he is convinced
that the soul of man is material.'— This is a kind of language un-
worthy of the pulpit, and unsuitable to the scholar and the Chrisian;
beside which it is to be considered, that the Author to whom most
readers will suppose a reference is made in the above pasage, iş as
firm an advocate for Christianity, and a life to come, as Mr. Rudd,
and though he may be mistaken in his opinions, is not deftitute of
ability to maintain them. This remark we think due tp justice,
and we are persuaded it will be fairly and candidly interpreted, by
every moderate and impartial reader. As to the opinions or cen-
fures of zealots and bigots, of whatever denomination, we give our.
selves no concern about them.
Art. 48. Sacra Privata : or private Meditations and Prayers of

Bishop Wilson, accommodated to general Use. 12mo.
Bound. Dilly. 1786.

The motive afligned by the Editor, for this publication, is to render this part of Bishop Wilson's works more exten fively useful, Locked up in the large voluminous edition, they can have, compatatively, but a limited circuit. In the present fize they may fall into many other hands. Those meditations and prayers, which are more peculiar to the Bishop's station and ofice, are here omitted. It is

25. 6d.