frudies of the rifing generation, the public is chiefly indebted to our induftrious and public-fpirited friend, at the Bible and Sun in St. Paul's Church-yard. Art. 15. A Reply to Dr. Golding's and Dr. Lowth's Answers to the anonymous Letter. By a Wykehamift. 8vo. 1s. Baldwin. This is one of thofe endlefs difputes, which private intereft and perfonal pique, will never let drop. With the general fubject of this conteft, we prefume, our Readers are already acquainted, from what has been faid of this affair in former articles. It is, indeed, no farther interesting to the public, than as the abilities of the difputants on each fide render it of confequence. It must be confeffed, that they are really maters of the art of controversy: and we do not remember ever to have feen bitter invectives dealt on both fides with more elegance and politenefs of ftile. With respect to the merits of this tediCus debate, it would not, perhaps, be fafe for us to determine, withcut reference to the authorities quoted on both fides. This, was it not an impracticable one, would be an ungrateful office. All that we can fay is, that the arguments on each fide feem to be penned fortiter in re; and as to the mod, the parties, as we have hinted above, at leaft abuse one another like gentlemen. We will therefore follow the Spectator's prudent decifion, Much may be faid on both fides. Non noftrum et tantas componere lites. Art. 16. A Letter from M. de Voltaire, to the Author of the Orthan of China. 8vo. 1 s. Pottinger. Some envious or malicious Grubean of our country (and not M. de Voltair, whofe name he has the modefty to affume) has here grofy abafed Mr. Murphy, in an ill-natured criticilm on his tragedy, entitled, The Orphan of China, fee p. 575. Such illiberal publications deferve no further mention, as they are a difgrace to literature, as well as to thcle who write them. A Letter from Mr. Murphy to M. Voltaire, printed at the end of the Orphan of China, afforded the pamphleteer an occafion to make ufe of M. Voltaire's name. Art. 17. Spenfer's Faerie Queen. A new edition, with a glossary and notes explanatory and critical. By John Upton, Prebendary of Rochester, and Rector of Great Roffington, in Gloucefler fhire. 4to. 11. I s. in fheets. Tonton. The Admirers of Spenfer, in the number of whom we include all who have a true tale for poetry, will be well pleafed to hear, that rue t good editions of the British Virgil have lately appeared. For the first we are indebted to the learned Mr. Upton; who has here, as in his former publications, fhewn himself a very judicious critic and annotator. The text in this edition is hand fomely printed, and in the notes, which are detached from the poem, the editor endeavours (as himself exprefies it) to illuftrate the Fairy Queen, both in the general plan, confidered as an epic and moral poem; and likewife in the concealed hiftories of the times and perfons of the Poet's age.' Mr. Upton intends a third volume, for the other writings of Spenfer; which will contain his paftorals, fonnets, &c. together with his view of the state of Ireland, and a tranflation of a Socratic dialogue, entitled Axiochus, or, Of Death: which, we are told, is not taken notice of by any Editor of any part of his works. To this edition of the Fairy Queen is prefixed a preface, by the Editor, giving fome account both of the Author and his writings. He has alfo added a copious gloffary,' explaining the difficult words and phrases that occur in this excellent allegorical poem. Art. 18. The Fairie Queen of Spenfer. A new edition, with notes critical and explanatory. By Ralph Church, M. A. late Student of Chrift Church, Oxon. 8vo. 4 vols. 11. Is. in fheets. Faden.. The pains that have lately been taken to do juftice to this excellent old Bard, by improved editions of his works, in order to make them better understood, and to place their beauties in a more confpicuous light, will, it is hoped, revive a tafte for Spenfer, and occafion his being more univerfally read; which is all that is wanting to his being more univerfally admired. Mr. Church's edition differs fomewhat from that given us by Mr.. Upton. The latter is more of a commentator, and makes a greater difplay of his poetical reading and judgment. Mr. Church feems to have rather confined himself to, and chiefly valued himself upon, a correct edition of his Author. He appears, indeed, to have beltowed great labour in collating and examining all the former impreffions, in order to fettle the genuine reading of the text, and alfo the punctuation, the errors of which he has rectified, in almost numberless inftances. This last circumftance is an article of much more confequence than is generally imagined by fuperficial Readers: fince it but too commonly happens, that by mif-pointing, an Author is made to utter fuch fenfe, or fuch nonfenfe, as in reality never did, or poffibly could, flow from his pen. In his preface, Mr. Church has given fome account of the former editions of Spenfer, and fhewn their defects, in order (for his own juftification) to convince the public, that a good one was wanted :candidly obferving, at the fame time, that after all, a faultlefs edition of fo long a poem, is not reafonably to be expected. The beft we can hope to fee, will have its failings; and we ought, continues he, to judge of the editions of books, as we judge of men: none are abfolutely perfect, and the best are good only by comparison. And that man, and that edition will always be efteemed the best, which is moft ufeful, and has feweft faults.' The life of Spenfer, prefixed to Mr. Church's edition, was given him by a friend. The gloffary feems very correct; and as to the notes, which are inferted throughout at the bottom of the page, they' are chiefly restricted to the bare explanation of the Author's fenfe, ufeful to the mere English Reader; yet at the fame time, and may be very 004 time, we must observe, that the performance of this judicious Editer is not unworthy, to ufe his own modeft expreffion, of the indulgence of the Learned. Art. 19. An impartial Eftimate of the Rev. Mr. Upton's Notes on the Fairy Queen. 8vo. 6d. Baldwin." Charges Mr Upton with having borrowed many curious difcoveries, and interefting remarks,' from Mr. Warton's Obfervations on Spenfert, without acknowlegement. The Estimator attack the Editor of the Fairy Queen with ineer and farcafm; and alfo takes occafion, en paffant, to laugh at a certain paffionate admirer of Ariosto, who lately favoured the public with a tranflation of his Orlando. † See Review, Vol. XI. p. 112. Art. 20. A new Method of propagating Fruit-trees, and Flowering Shrubs; whereby the common kinds may be raised more expeditiously, and feveral curious Exotics increased, which will not take root from cuttings or layers. Confirmed by repeated and Successful experience. By Thomas Barnes, Gardener to William Thomfon, Efq; at Elfbam, in Lincolnshire. 8vo. 1s. 6d. Baldwin. The purport of this curious pamphlet, is thus explained by the Author, in his introductory chapter: The difficulty of propagating fome fhrubs in the common way, and the fmall increase that can be made from others, by all the ufual methods, brought it into my thoughts to try whether fome expeditious manner could not be invented of raising a large number. • Every Nurseryman will be glad to know this; for if he can, when he has got a new fhrub, raife twenty or thirty, instead of three or four, it will be a great increase for his profit: and in the fame way, a gentleman, when fuch a thing falls into his hands, will be better pleafed to fupply all his friends at once, than a few at a time, and not oblige all under the compafs of many years. I thought the thing might be done, and that made me resolve not to be disheartened at one or two trials and my honoured mafter has encouraged me, by giving me opportunities to make the experiments, and looking upon their progrefs himself. It is about a year fince I began the experiments; and between that time and this, I have tried them various ways upon four and-twenty kinds of trees and fhrubs of the fruit and flowering kinds; not trufting to one or two famples of each, but using several dozen of every kind, and trying them in all the different conditions of culture, according to their nature, from the ftove to the open air. By these means the experiments amounted to many hundreds; and as I kept a conftant journal of them all, which I have here faithfully transmitted to the public, every one will fee how far each method fucceeded, and which deferves the preference. • The The propagation of trees by layers and cuttings, fhews, that if a piece of any kind be planted in the ground in fuch manner that it takes root below, the upper part will foon furnish all the reft, and become a perfect tree, If roots can be thus obtained, the reft follows in the course of nature. But this is not univerfal; for fome trees will not take root in either of these ways: and if they would, ftill the num ber is but small that can be obtained by them, because it is but a certain part of the branches a tree can spare for that purpose. On examining the cuttings which have failed, I have always found that the mif-chance happened by the rotting of that part of the cutting which was expected to fend forth the roots; for the danger is when it has been fresh cut, and has no bark to cover it. I thought it natural, that if a method were used to keep that part from decay, all those cuttings would grow, which we ufually fee fail; and communicating my thoughts to a gentleman of knowlege, he not only confirmed my opinion by his own, but gave me a receipt for preferving the ends of cuttings from rotting and defired me to try it after. wards upon fmaller pieces than fuch as are commonly used; and upon fingle buds. Every leaf upon the branch of a tree or fhrub, has ufually a young bud in its bofom; and it is certain each of these buds has in it the ru diment of a tree of the fame kind: therefore it appeared reasonable to think, that every branch might afford as many new plants as there were leaves upon it, provided it were cut into fo many pieces, and and this fame dreffing could prevent the raw ends of each piece from decaying. The advantage of fuch a practice appeared very plainly, for it must give many plants for one; and the thing feemed fo agreeable to reason, that I resolved to try it. • Many mixtures of refinous fubftances have been proposed on this head, under the names of cements, and vegetable mummies, by Agri. cola and others; but the very beft, upon careful and repeated expe rience, I have found to be this: Melt together, in a large earthen pipkin, two pound and a half of common pitch, and half a pound of turpentine. When they are melted, put in three quarters of an ounce of powder of aloes; ftir them altogether, and then fet the matter on fire; when it has flamed a moment, cover it up clofe, and it will go out: then melt it well, and fire it again in the fame manner. This must be done three times: it must be in the open air, for it would fire a house; and there must be a cover for the pipkin ready. After it has burnt the last time, melt it again, and put in three ounces of yellow wax fhred very thin, and fix drams of maftich in powder. Let it all melt together till it is perfectly well mixed; then ftrain it through a coarfe cloth in a pan, and fet it by to cool. • When this is to be used, a piece of it must be broke off, and fet over a very gentle fire in a small pipkin: it must stand till it is juft foft enough to fpread upon the part of the cutting where it is wanted, but it must not be very hot. It is the quality of this dreffing to keep out wet entirely. The part which is covered with it, will never decay while 1 while there is any principle of life in the reft; and this being fecured, nature will do the bufinefs of the growing. This I have found true in practice; and by repeated trials, in more kinds than one, I have found that I could raife from any piece of a branch, as many good plants as there were leaves upon it.' For the experiments made by Mr. Barnes, which are illuftrated by feveral copper-plates, we refer to the pamphlet itself; recommending at the fame time, to the curious, as well worthy their attention, notwithstanding we are perfuaded, that it is not the work of a profeffed gardener: by the writer's manner, it should be the production of the indefatigable Dr. H. POETICA L. Art. 21. The Death of Adonis, a paftoral Elegy. From the Greek of Bion. By the Reverend J. Langhorne. 4to. 6d. Griffiths. This Tranflator, after premifing in a fhort advertisement, that Theocritus, Mofchus, and Bion, have never been attempted in Englifh with fuccefs, from the great difficulty of expreffing, with equal fimplicity, the most affecting poetical images; and of doing juftice in a verfion to the pleafing plainnefs of the Doric dialect, begs the fchools would refpite their cenfures on the freedom of his prefent tranflation, till the public is favoured with a more literal one. On a candid confideration of the whole, indeed, his verfion is no difagreeable refemblance of this celebrated elegy of Bion's, which, extending to ninety-eight lines in the Greek, is rendered into one hundred and twenty English. His verfification is generally fmooth, and his expreffion natural and eafy, as the fubject requires He frequently tranfpofes the order of the original verfes in his tranflation, for the fake of a ftricter connection perhaps, one profeffed inftance of which he has fpecified, p. 7. His remark, that the fcholiafts have miftaken the island Cythera for Venus herself, in the following lines, feems juft,. —a de Kebren Παντας ανα αναμως και ανα πολιν οικῖρον αειδεί But when he supposes her called Kungua from that Ifland, (fee note, p. 8.) he errs in placing an Eta for an Epfilon in the second fyllable, the latter being always ufed there throughout this elegy, and being fhort, as Virgil, too, always makes it in this appellative of Venus, Parce metu Gytherea, &c. while he conftantly lengthens the fecond fyllable in the inland Cythera. As Mr. Langhorne feems to think his tranflation pretty close, we were the more furprized to obferve nothing in the English, correfponding to the following very ardent and pathetic lines of the original: 222865 εμον ήπαρ Αχεις απο ψυχης ες εμον σομα κ Εκ δε πιω τον έρωτα Mr. |