ODE TO SILENCE. Written at 10 Years old Far in the wood-imbosom'd deep? While Zephyrs calm the billows' roar ? And thine, O Peace, a life divine I lead.' Solvitur acris hyems gratâ vice veris et Favoni; Trahuntque ficcas machine carinas. Nec prata canis albicant pruinis. Junaeque Nymphis Gratie decentes Vulcanus ardens urit officinas. Aut fore, terra quem ferunt folutæ. "ODE TO SPRING. Of kid, or lamb, beneath the shady wood.' * "'The Reader is defired to pardon this daring expression, and to understand by ie“ the groans proceeding from the lux w Osu pasasay, the wretched Ghost," a on legal in poetry, and which may, per: haps, be juftified by the following line from Thomson's Winter, " Mix'd with foul Shades and frighied Ghosts they howl." We We have observed, in several places, a freedom of translation, and an expansion of thought, rarely to be met with in so young a writer ; and which we should have ascribed to Mr. Ale's touching up the MSS. had he not assured us (and we do not question his veracity) that they are the genuine productions of Mafter John Browne, a youth but 12 years old !!! TH ART. XVI. An Esay on the Depravity of the Nation, with a View to the Promotion of Sunday Schools, &c. of which a more extended gy, the natural progress of national depravity, and de Jineating, perhaps with too sombre a pencil, the present manners, expresses his warm approbation of the inftitution of Sunday schools, as the most probable means of drying up the sources of that torrent, which seems ready to overwhelm the nation. • The expectation (says our Author) is not too sanguine. For if children be taken early to the schools, where it cannot be but good impressions' must be made, they will grow up with the happy bias. The subordination in which their exercises must be performed, will habituate them to discipline. The Sunday they will learn to keep holy. If their parents, fortunately, should be induced to co-operate, then may themselves be in part reformed, and in their houses, during the week, will be strengthened, by good example and advice, the scheme of instruction which began in the schools. Perverse and obfinate, should they continue to neglect their children, ftill something will have been learned, which may serve to resist the influence of bad example. In our days should the good be but partial, we know that the next generation will experience more happy effects, in a fuccellion of parents, on whose mincs had been fown the seeds of early virtue. This alone will more than compensate every exertion. Already these schools are become very general, and great good has been experienced from them. This is a full answer to all objections. It has been objected, that learning in the lower ranks of life is seldom of any use, and is sometimes hurtful.- Is religious inftruction then of no avail ? Or can instruction be effectually conveyed, where the ordinary talent of being able to read, has not been first acquired? More than this is not neceffary. It has been objected, that all societies of Christians are careful to instil into their children the elements at least of religion, and that it is the duty of their respective ministers to attend to it. This being done, Sunday schools are unnecessary.---The existence of the evil we complain of thews too evidently with what incaution the objection has been made. Blame I mean not to cast on any order of men, because it is my wish to conciliate, and not to irritate the minds of any. The evil exists ; let us unite to repress it, for the cause is common.' Mr. Beringion, however, is of opinion, that the present method of conducting Sunday schools is capable of one material improvement. improvement. From a convi&tion that religious animosity is of all affections the worst, and has more than once been the occas fion of the greatest political evils, he proposes that these inftitu. tions should be rendered subservient to the deftruction of this spirit, by opening them on a more extended plan, than has hitherto been done, and admitting to them children of all religious professions. In this business let us,' says he, 'for once forget that we are Church of England-men, Presbyterians, Baptifts, Roman Catholics, or Quakers. This is to ask much, I know; but let the experiment be tried. Let elementary books of inAtruction be prepared, which shall contain nothing contrary to the peculiar tenets of any Chriftian society: let these be taught in the schools; and let children attend their respective places of worship, agreeable to the mode of faith in which they are bred, The consequence will be, that from often hearing of God, and of a future ftate, impreffions will mechanically be made; and they will operate in due time. They will create a reverence for religion, and for its general dictates; and a foundation for the principle of conscience will be laid, that will always act as a check upon yice and immorality. Now let us see, whether we have not gained, with these trea. sures of moral instruction, the other grand point I mentioned, that is, in the minds which this plan has tutored, a privation of all religious animosity, and a fund of general benevolence and liberality ? I am sure we have. Our elementary books have ever inculcated these virtues ; they have never alluded to party-names, or discriminating opinions ; but they have invariably said, that all mankind were brothers, and that it was their first duty to love one another. They spoke of diffenfions, of quarrels, and of rancour as inimical to the spirit of Christianity, and as debasing to the heart of man. Their instructors, by word and conduct, were careful to strengthen the fame impresions : while the sight of the visitors, men of different religious persuasions, but all co-operating in the same plan, would. most effectually promote the important work. The last circumftance, in every point of view, is interesting. Here I only wish to mention, that as children are always much moved by the conduct of their superiors, the effect on their minds must be pleasing, when they begin to reflect, that they who from pure benevolence became their benefactors, were men of different persuafions.' The proposal is truly liberal, and promises much public benefit; and it is not surely the less deserving of attention becaufe it comes from a Roman Catholic clergyman. MONTHLY MONTHLY CATALOGU E, For OCTOBER, 1788. POETRY. Art. 17. The Choice. 4to. 15. 6d. Crecch, Edinburgh; Murray, London. 1788. HRine , rafter having refifted, as he feelingly describes, the en ticements of ambition and avarice, and fixed his Choice on sacred Poesy, as Joy's sweet companion and the friend of grief,' -should he fail of obtaining the only meed after which he aspires. Could a grey-headed band of Critics have any influence in the Court of the Muses, we should certainly solicit for his honourable reception, in return for the pleasure we, have received from the natural sentiments and the flowing numbers of his poem, and particularly from the following verses: • Yes, thine I am, Seraphic Maid, And as more of Life I knew, Which space can ne'er confine, With phrenzy half divine. And thine the dulcet Lyre ; And thine the Soul of Fire. The The Phantams fair of elegant Degre, Northine alone the mimic Art And thine the balm of soft Relief. And all is Music to the raptur'd Ear.' containing an humble Description of the Trial of Warren Hastings, Esq. with Simon's Answers. 4to. 2s. 6d. Bell. 1788. The many witty passages, and excellent strokes of irony and parody contained in these Epiftles, would incline us to ascribe them to Mr. Anfly; whose Bath-Guide ftyle is tolerably well-preserved throughout; but, on the other hand, the defective lines which we frequently meet with, incline us to give the performance to some other writer. Thele Letters appeared originally in the daily paper entitled The World ; and their design was to burlesque the proceedings and orations of the managers of the prosecution of Mr. Hastings.-Of the wit and the poetry, take the following specimen : • One man had, it seems, the presumption to state, " Has } |