perceive by the following fpecimen, from the defcription of the miferies to which the fuppoles the Negroe flave expofed Amid the horrors of tormenting pain Till death reftores him'. - &c. Perhaps fell would have been a happier epithet than low; but we leave the choice to the good fenfe and tafte of this promifing young writer; as we likewife do the amendment of what feems a little ob Jcure in that part of the quotation which we have diftinguished by Italics.--To her fifter, alfo, we would recommend the difufe of that vile contraction 'neath, for beneath. It is true, that he has feen it in other poetic writers; but not in any whofe example she should deign to follow. Art. 48. An Ode on the popular Superftitions of the Highlands of Scotland, confidered as the Subject of Poetry. By Mr. William Collins. Dedicated to the Wartons. 4to. 18. 6d. Bell. 1788. This is offered to the Public as a perfect copy of Mr. Collins's beautiful Ode. If it is, indeed, complete, it is to be lamented that the evidence of its authenticity is with-held from the Public. Surely the gentleman, who found it in the drawers of a bureau,' fhould allow his name to be published, and give us the fatisfaction of knowing whether it was in the hand writing of Mr. Collins; which is, certainly, a material queflion. The lines that fapply the chafm in the whole of the 5th and half of the 6th ftanza, introduce the execution of Charles the First, the rebellion in 1745, the battles of PreftonPans, Falkirk, and Culloden; but the ftyle does not feem, to us, to be in the manner of Collins. For fome obfervations on the Ode itfelf, we refer our Readers to our account of this poem as printed in the Edinburgh Tranfactions: See page 532. Art. 49. Peter's Prophecy; or, The Prefident and Poet; or, An important Epifle to Sir J. Banks, on the approaching Election of a Prefident of the Royal Society. With an Etching by an eminent Artist. By Peter Pindar, Efq. 4to. 35. Kearsley. 1788. P. P. has declared that his mufe muft have kings for his theme; and that kings must be had. It now appears that having no longer a SUPERIOR monarch to attack, in this country, at leaft, he has turned his poetic artillery against the King of the Royal Society. What this philofophical Potentate hath done to offend 'Squire Pindar, we know not; but we observe that the mighty bard hath let loofe on him all the united force of his fatire, humour, wit, rancour, and abuse; and against fuch an hoft of affailants, led on by fuch a General as Peter, what king, prince, potentate, or philofopher can ftand? We are forry, however, to fee Peter raking in the cold embers of that diffenfion which broke out in the R. S. a few years paft, and endeavouring to re-kindle the flame of difcord in that learned and truly refpectable body; but whatever may be the fatirift's view in recurring to that forgotten quarrel, we hope that the peace which hath fo happily taken place among the Sons of Science will remain undisturbed. Peter taxes the Prefident with being an encourager of trifling purfuits, and an enemy to the fublime ftudies of mathematics, aftronomy, &c. We believe this charge to be ill founded; and if fuch it be, all the fuperftructure of railing and invective which he hath raised on this fandy base, must fall to the ground: but we do not mean to ftand forth as the champions of Sir Jofeph Banks: what he hath done, and is daily doing, for science, will prove his best vindication. Other characters, friends of Sir Jofeph, are here introduced and ridiculed; as Dr. Blagden, Sir W. Hamilton, Dr. Herschell, Mr. John Hunter, Mr. Aubert, Mr. Daines Barrington, and other respectable names. The title of this poem, Peter's Prophecy,' refers to the late St. Andrew's Day, previously to which it was published. To CESAR, who th' advice with fcorn repaid, "Beware the Ides of March," a conj'ror faid. More reverenc'd, let a greater Conj'ror fay, "Beware, Sir JOSEPH BANKS, St. Andrew's day." If the poet meant to foretell that Sir J. B. would not be re-elected, as ufual, on that day, the R. S. took care to vote him a falfe prophet. But though we cannot, in this inftance, applaud the fatirift's choice of a fubject, we must admit, that there are in this, as in all his productions, many pleafant ftrokes and lucky hits of wit and humour. As an inftance, we may tranfcribe the following fimile, which we can detach from the poem without giving our circulation to one line of fatire on any character introduced into the work: Thus when an hoft of grafs-hoppers and rats, By men undaunted, unabash'd by cats, In hopping, and in running legions pours, Sprinkles his holy water on the Sod, And drives, and damns them in the name of God *.? This,' fays Peter, is actually done in Roman Catholic countries by order of the church. In fome places two attorneys are employed in the affair of the grafs-hoppers; one for the grafs-hoppers, the other for the people: but it is the fate of the grafs-hoppers to have the worst of it, as they are always anathematized, and ordered to be excommunicated if they do not quit the place within a certain number of days.-The days, we fuppofe, are always calculated with tolerable accuracy. Whenever Whenever this ingenious writer chufes to make vices, mischievous follies, and errors, not MEN, the fubjects of his poetical flagellations, we will venture to prophecy that his works will stand a fairer chance of being tranfmitted to pofterity, with the plaudits of every reader who has a taste for this fpecies of comic poetry. Churchill is already forgotten the reafon is fufficiently obvious. His fatires were perfonal; and the common lot of mortality hath swept away the very foundations on which they were raised. Art. 50. Birch for Peter Pindar, Efq. A Burlefque Poem. By Pindaromaftix. 4to. 2s. 6d. Robinsons. 1788. With many unpoetical lines, and execrable rhimes, this Mr. Px has fome invention, and not a little drollery. He has diverted us with Peter's trial for high treafon before the privy council; and it is impoffible not to laugh at his defcription of the wreck of the fhip which was carrying Peter to Botany Bay. To give humour to a catastrophe of that kind, certainly requires fome genius. Had we wanted matter to fill up with, we fhould have been tempted to extract this laft mentioned paffage; but this is a month of business, and we have before us many objects of much higher importance. For a former poem by this writer, entitled " Sop in the Pan for Peter Pindar," &c. fee Rev. for October, p. 368. Art. 51. Royal Magnificence; or the Effufions of Ten Days: a Defcriptive and Satirical Poem, in Three Cantos. 4to. Bew, &c. 1788. 2s. 6d. With fome good, and many inferior lines, with a little wit, a little humour, and a multitude of explanatory notes, this Writer has contrived to eke out a very tedious fatire on the feftivity produced by the King's late vifit to Worcester, and on the innocent and very natural curiofity of the multitude affembled on that novel occafion. The gentry, the magiftracy, and the mob, are all fubjected to the lafh of ridicule, but happily the Great Perfonage him felf, from whofe wellmeant excurfion all the hurly-burly sprang, hath not found a Peter Pindar in this Worcestershire bard. NOVELS. Art. 52. The New Sylph, or Guardian Angel. A Story, 12mo. 2s. 6d. fewed. Lane. 1788. This little ftory difplays a tolerable fhare of invention; but the denouement is much too eafily and too early forefaen. Ars eft celare artem: the bufinefs of art is to conceal art; an obfervation that holds with refpect to every work of fancy, though very rarely attended to. Art. 53. The Adventures of a Speculift; or, a Journey through London. Compiled from Papers written by George Alexander Stevens (Author of a Lecture upon Heads). With his Life, &c. by the Editor. 12mo. 2 Vols. 7 s. fewed. Bladon. 1788. If it be true, that "Vice, to be hated, needs but to be feen," the prefent volumes may go far toward rendering it generally deteftable. They exhibit nature in fome of her ugliest and most unfeemly fhapes in the perfons of highwaymen, gamblers, female prostitutes, and bawds. We can fcarcely accede, however, to the poet's propo, fition 003 fition respecting the bideousness of vice. Its operation on the fenfible mind is, no doubt, certain: but with the weaker it may have a different effect. Deformity may be concealed by a splendid dress, and may even put on the appearance of beauty. We mean not, by this, to infinuate that Mr. S. has at any time endeavoured to render the monster amiable; on the contrary, from the reflections which accompany his narrative, it is evidently compofed on Mr. Pope's principle. But, fill, we are of opinion that fuch publications are attended with danger; and that the writer, while thinking to warn by precept, may encourage by the example which he exhibits. MISCELLANEOUS. Art. 54. Curious Particulars and genuine Anecdotes, refpecting the late Lord Chesterfield and David Hume, Efq. with a Parallel between thofe celebrated Perfonages, &c. 8vo. 28. Kearney. 1788. Thefe curious particulars, and genuine anecdotes' are chiefly collected from magazines and other periodical prints. The pamphlet may, however, anfwer the editor's purpofe, fince it ferves for the vehicle of abufe both general and particular. General, as it refpects the great, the fashionable part of mankind, who, we are here informed, are but too commonly the leaft of all God's little atoms; and particular, as it affects Mr. M (a very ingeniouswriter and refpectable character), who is reprefented in the prefent pages as an hungry editor; a man who has facrificed his patron's reputation at the fordid altar of Plutus.' A copy of David Hume's laft will and teftament, and Lord Chefterfield's fpeech againft licenfing the ftage, are among our editor's curiofities. The parallel' amounts to nothing: and how could it be otherwife? Art. 55. A Review of the Affairs of the Auftrian Netherlands, in the Year 1787. 8vo. 25. Murray. 1788. The late difturbances in Flanders, occafioned by the attempt of the Emperor to fubvert the ancient and free order of government in that country, are too well known to require, at this time, any particular detail. But with the meafures which created thofe disturbances, many, we prefume, are unacquainted. We have therefore to obferve that the prefent writer, after having particularly defcribed the forms of adminiftration in Brabant, and other principal provinces of the empire in the Netherlands, has stated thofe measures with truth and accuracy, and in a very correct and pleafing ftyle. He praifes the moderation of Jofeph in yielding to the oppofition which was made to his authority; but we think with no great fhew of rea.. fon. His Imperial Majefty may rather be faid, in this his moderation, to have made a virtue of neceffity. The Brabanters of the prefent day, are not the characters reprefented by Erafmus in his moriæ en This excellent piece of oratory is not uncommon. Theophilus Cibber republished it, in 1756, at the end of his Two Differtations on the Theatres; together with fundry other papers again licenfing the stage. See General Index to the Monthly Review, vol. ii. comium comium. They boldly and virtuously maintained their rights; and Jofeph in his conflict with the brave and warlike Turks, is perhaps better employed than in coercing his fubjects. Every idea of fuch proceedings, we, as Englishmen, have reafon to reprobate and con temn. We cannot take leave of this intelligent writer without remarking, that, in one particular, we think him fomewhat deficient: namely, the not having ftated to the world the probable motive of the Emperor for his projected change in the conftitution of the Netherlands. It fhould be remembered that this monarch, in the year 1785, propofed to the Elector-palatine, to cede to him the dominion of the Low Countries, with the title of king, in exchange for the Dutchy of Bavaria and its appendages, and which had devolved to the faid Elector on the death of Maximilian Jofeph: but this was ftrenuously oppofed by the King of Pruffia, on the plea of fupporting the laws and conflitution of the German Empire. Frederick, however, being dead, it was apparently the intention of Jofeph, by an abolition of the power of the ftates of Brabant, and by placing it in the hands of his minifters, to pave the way for a revival of his fcheme, notwithstanding the confederacy fo lately entered into by the Princes of Germany to preferve inviolate the established order and government of their refpective ftates. But whatever the defigns of the Emperor might be, the execution of them is fufpended. He is now engaged in an expenfive war, and in fuch a fituation, fubfidies are agreeable things. Art. 56. A Letter to the Right Honourable the Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, on the Subject of a Petition (now before him) relative to the Proof of a Bill of Exchange, under one of the late Bankruptcies. 4to. 2s. Richardfon. 1788. This pamphlet is evidently not written by a profeffional man; it relates to a fubject very interefting to the commercial world, and the Chancellor's decifion is waited for with confiderable anxiety. The question now before him (which is never stated in this letter) is fhortly this; Whether the holder of an accepted bill of exchange ought to prove the hand-writing of the first indorfer by direct evidence, before he can compel the acceptor to pay it. The Court of King's Bench, in the cafe of SMITH V. CHESTER, has decided this queftion in the affirmative; but the confequences of this determination are by most commercial men fuppofed to be fo exceedingly injurious to the interefts of trade, that it has been thought advifable, in a cafe that lately happened, to petition the Chancellor for leave to prove a bill under a commiffion of bankruptcy, the hand-writing of the first indorfer not being proved. The Author of this letter controverts the decifion of the Court of King's Bench, by inftancing a number of cafes frequently, or rather conftantly, occurring in regular bufinefs, wherein the existence of fuch a law would be productive of much mischief. The following extract contains an account of one of the most material inconveniences, which would arife from the principle in queftion becoming a fettled maxim of law:. When poft bills are iffued at the Bank of England, they are very frequently made payable to the order of one perfon, when the value 004 |