haps this may be thought a falfe reading or typographical erratum for quifnam, though quifnam fhould rather feem to refer to a person than a thing. Some equal and fome inferior authorities may be cited for feveral other words, not to call them very many, which we have found in different Latin Authors, and which are omitted in all the Dictionaries we have at hand. But this is rather a digreffion from Mr. Thomas's Abridgment, and mentioned only as a hint to the proprietors of Ainsworth, or of the present work, upon their next edition of either.

POLITICAL.

Art. 23. The Character and necessary Qualifications of a British Minifter of State. In a Letter to a Member of Parliament, 1759. By a Lady. 8vo. 1s. Cooper.

We read of Poets, Philofophers, nay, of Rhetoricians, among the fair fex. We know likewife, that many ladies have, and do, in fact, govern kingdoms. But perhaps this is the firft theoretic Stateswoman who ever appeared in print. The efforts of a female pen claim all the indulgence which candour can bestow; and a work which owns a Lady for its author, will always escape the severity of every polished critick.

But as we fhrewdly fufpect, that this Damfel in difguife is, in truth, a Politician in breeches, we fhall be free enough to observe, that the Writer, though no Lady, may, figuratively speaking, be very properly called a peevith old woman.

This trifling pamphlet is an oblique caft of malignance on the character of the prefent minifter, who has hitherto done as much as, perhaps, ftatefiman could do, under the like circumflances and till we find his conduct reverfed, we are bound in charity to think that he will continue to exert his talents with the fame prudence and integrity.

What we can chiefly collect from this malevolent sketch is, that the direction of Government does not depend on an immenfe fund of fcholaftic literature, or the moft eloquential flights of imagination, or the accomplishments of the Belles Letters, or the ordinary knowlege of the hiftorian.' No, it depends on the perfect poffeffion of the whole fyltem of figures.' That is, a minifter ought to be a humdrum arithmetician. This, with fome vifionary requifites, according to our pamphleteer, makes up the fum of a Statefman's qualifications. This political finatterer, however, is to learn, that there is a material difference between the council board, and the counting-house..

POETICA L.

Art. 24. Frederick the Great. A Poem. 4to. 6d. Pottinger.

With respect to this article, we are in the fituation of the late Manager of one of our Theatres-royal, who after perufing a manufcript. play, very gravely afked the Author, Pray, Sir, is this your Tragedy, or your Comedy? In like manner, we are equally at a lofs to pronounce whether the poem we have just been reading, is a panegyric

Hh 4

on

on the Pruffian Hero, or a burlefque of his great actions. Poffibly it is a mixture of both fpecies of writing :---however, the fubject deferves no further enquiry.

Art. 25. Tyburn to the Marine Society. A Poem. 8vo. Is. Cooper.

This Poem, written in not the moft contemptible doggrel, contains the fuppofed remonftrance of the Gallows at Tyburn, to the Marine Society, on account of the fervice that truly patriot inftitution has rendered the nation, fince the commencement of the prefent war. It is thus this reverend Oak, as our Author calls it, begins its ha rangue:

"Each thing whatever, when aggriev'd,

Of right complains to be reliev'd.
When rogues fo rais'd the price of wheat,
That few folks could afford to eat,
(Juft as, when Doctors' fees run high,
Few patients can afford to die)
The poor durft into murmurs break;
For lofers must have leave to speak :
Then, from reproaching, fell to mawling
Each neighbour-rogue they found forestalling.
As thefe again, their knaves and fetters,
Durft vent complaints against their betters;
Whofe only crime was in defeating
Their fchemes of growing rich by cheating:
So, fhall not I my wrongs relate,
An injur'd Minifier of flate?

The Finisher of care and pain

May, fure, with better grace complain,
For reafons no lefs ftrong and true,
MARINE SOCIETY, of you!
Of you, as every carman knows,
My latest and most fatal foes.

Your rules and statutes have undone me;
My furcft cards begin to fhun me.
And but for you the fcoundrel line
Had, ev'ry mother's fon, died mine:
That num'rous, nafty generation,
Who fwarm like vermin o'er the nation.

Thefe, fire and fon, by right divine,
Hereditary rogues, were mine.
And each, by difcipline fevere,
Improv'd beyond all fhame and fear,
From guilt to guilt advancing daily,
My conflant friend, the good Old Baily,
To me made over, late or foon,
I think, at latest, once a moon;
But, by your interloping care,
Not one in ten will be my fhare.

Oer

Our wooden Remonftrant next goes on to prove, that not only himself, but the nation in general is injured, by the measures taken by the Society.

Firft, that there is much good in ill,

My great apoftle Mandeville

Has made moft clear. Read, if you please,
His moral Fable of the Bees.

Our reverend clergy next will own,

Were all men good, their trade were gone;
That were it not for useful vice,

Their learned pains would bear no price:
Nay, we should quickly bid defiance
To their demonftrated alliance.

Among other ironical pleas, we find the following.
Yet, one more mournful cafe to put :
A hundred mouths at once you shut!
Half Grub-street, filenc'd in an hour,
Muft curfe your interpofing power!
If my loft fons no longer steal,
What fon of hers can earn a meal ?
You ruin many a gentle bard,

Who liv'd by heroes that die hard!
Their brother-hawkers too! that fung
How great from world to world they fwung;
And by fad fonnets, quaver'd loud,

Drew tears and half-pence from the croud!

There is fomething arch alfo in the following representation of the highwaymen and pick-pockets being reduced to the neceffity of turning Authors.

Blind Fielding too-a mifchief on him!
I wish my fons would meet and stone him!
Sends his black fquadrons up and down,
Who drive my be boys back to town.
They find that travelling now abroad,
To ease rich rafcals on the road,
Is grown a calling much unfafe;
That there are furer ways by half,
To which they have their equal claim,
Of earning daily food and fame :
So down, at home, they fit and think
How best to rob with pen and ink.

Hence red-hot letters and effays,
By the John Lilburn of thefe days:
Hence cards on Pelham, cards on Pit,
With much abuse, and little wit.
Hence fatires against Hardwicke penn'd,
That only hurt when they commend.

Thefe, fingly, contributions raife,
Of cafual pudding and-of praise.

6

Others

Others again, who form a gang,
Yet take due measures not to hang,
In magazines their forces join,
By legal methods to purloin;

Whofe weekly, or whofe monthly, feat is
First to decry, then fteal your treatife.

There may be, and we have occafionally expofed fome, Authors by profeffion, who are little better than pick pockets in practice; but pick-pockets and highwaymen by profeflion, feldom think themfelves neceffitated to turn Authors, till they have proceeded fo far in their career, that Tyburn has no reason to complain. But as our Author, Mr. Butler Swift, (to which name we may certainly clap an alias, after the Old Baily fashion) may poffibly write from experience, we would not be thought to question his veracity. We do not think he acts up to the fpirit of the profeffion, however, by thus impeaching his brethren of the quill. He pretends, indeed, to be in fear for his credit, and property; but this, we know, is all a mere pretence: Writers of his fhare of merit, instead of being really offended at the notice taken of their productions in the periodical works of the times, know very well there are no better means of recommending them to be read, and preferving the very name and titles of them from oblivion.

Art. 26. Verfes written in London on the Approach of Spring. 4to. Is. Dodley.

SPECIMEN.

Early the Sun his radiant axle guides
Sloping his fteep courfe with the Pleiades;
On ev'ry fragrant briar the flowret blooms,
And the wild woodlark chaunts his early fong
In heedlefs carol, to the fmiling hours.

Far more raptur'd greets

Fancy's fond ear, where'er fhe mufing roves
Thy minftrelfy untutor'd, than the trill

And languid defcant of Italian art.

Yet fings the woodlark, and the hawthorn blooms,
Unheard the fong, the fragrance unperceiv'd
By me; though not among the fons of men
There lives, who liftens with more raptur'd ear,
Or feels more lively, nature's varied boon.

For tho' confined in the city walls

To dwell with busy Care, and with him watch
The call of intereft, is my lot affix'd,
Far happier feems to me the peafant's life,
Who treads the furrow lab'ring, yet his mind
Vacant of thought can mufe of what around
Strikes his rapt eye with beauty, or his ear
With pleafing fong.

We fhall decline animadverting on a piece which is not contemple enough to be paffed over in filence, though it is not good enough

to

to merit a criticism.-This, however, we may obferve, in general, that the Author's purpose is truly moral, and that he has a real tafte for his fubject; though his mufe has not done entire justice to his fentiments.

Art. 27. A Father's Advice to his Son: an Elegy.

Dodfley.

4to. 6d.

The Editor pretends that this Poem was written 150 years ago. Poffibly it may be of more modern date, and poffibly too, comes from the fame hand to which the Public was obliged for a very pretty song, inferted in Mr. Cooper's Letters on Tafle, and from thence tranfcribed into the eleventh volume of our Review, p. 456, each piece bearing a near resemblance to the other, in regard to ftile, befide the fameness of the stanza.

The prefent production is, however, inferior to the fong; for tho the fentiments are good, and the poetry in general pleafing, yet the former are mifapplied, and the verification is in fome places very difagreeable. To inftance, in the firft refpect, a Father addreffes his little boy, in a moralizing and philofophical ftrain, which fuch a prattling innocent' could not be fuppofed to comprehend, or even attend to. Among other things he advifes the child to avoid WIT!

Nor let vain Wit's deceitful glory,

Lead you from wifdom's path aftray;
What genius lives renown'd in ftory,
To happiness who found the way ?

As to the defects of the verfification, the following lines are left to the cenfure of our Readers:

An heav'nlier pow'r good-nature bearing, p. 3.

Again,

Looks had means only of expreffing

Thoughts language never could impart. p. 6.

In fhort, the whole, though well-meant, is a folemn trifle; unworthy any further animadverfion.

Art. 28. A Hymn after Sore Eyes. Compofed on Eafter-Day. Folio, 6d. Owen.

The unfortunate Author of these unhappy Verfes, feems to labour under a worse disorder than that of fore eyes. His friends, we hope, will take care of him, and fee that he does no greater mischief than fpoiling a little paper.

Art. 29. Gafconado the Great: a tragi comi, political, whimsical Opera, as it was intended for the entertainment of the Public, but rejected by the managers of both Theatres. 4to. Is. Reeves. However the French, the Auftrians, and other obdurate enemies of our facred religion and country, may figure it in Germany, this Wri

Pref. to Gafconado, p. 1.

ter