**** A ART. XXV. POEMS. By 8v0. 35. Dodsley. N advertisement prefixed to this volume, informs the public, that most of the following pieces having been published at different times, separately, haftily, and some of them incorrectly ; it is now thought proper to collect them together, revised and amended, with the addition of several others, by the same hand. The greatest part of these poems are to be found in the the third volume of Dodfley's miscellanies; where they are said to be written by S. 7. esq; Among the principal of the pieces is, The art of dancing, an excellent poem, in two cantos; written in the year 1730. An essay on virtue ; to the hon. Philip Yorke, esq; The first epistle of the seventh book of Horace imitated; written in 1748, and address’d to the lord chancellor. Some humorous verses, entitled, The Squire and the Parfon, (see Review, vol. 2. p. 112.) are likewise in this collection. Mr. is also the author of a fatyrical piece, entitled, The modern fine Lady; publithed sepatate last winter, and now here join'd to another performance of the same kind, called, The modern fine Gentleman. The public is already so well acquainted with the poetical abilities of this very ingenious gentleman, that it cannot be thought necessary for us to give any other than a short fpecimen of the present collection; and that only for the sake of such of our readers as have not seen Mr. Dodsey's three volumes. The fingle piece we shall select for this purpose, is a translation of some Latin verses on the camera obscura ; which we do not remember to have seen before. The various powers of blended shade and light, Divine APOLLO, let thy facred fire But now the muse's useful precepts view, Firft First chufe a window that convenient lies, But from what causes all these wonders flow, See then what forms with various colours stain wonder much how they securely go, And not fall headlong on the heavens below. The charms of motion here exalt each part On On all we seize that comes within our reach, Again behold what lovely prospects rise ! Enough we've seen, now let the intruding day ART. XXVI. MISCELLANIES in Prose and Verse. By Mary Jones. 8vo. 55. Dodsley. and the truly admirable Mrs. Cockburn, (See Review, the preceding volumes we have now the pleasure to add that of Mrs. Jones ; whose name will not be less an honour to her country, and to the republic of letters, than her amiable life and manners are to her own sex: to that sex whose natural charms alone are found sufficient to attract our tenderest regards; but which, when joined to those unconimon accomplishments and virtues this lady is mistress of, fo justly command our highest admiration, and most ardent esteem. An advertisement introduces this volume to the reader with a modest apology for its publication ; intimating that the pieces it contains being the produce of pure nature only, and most of them wrote at a very early age, fland so much in need of apology for their appearance in the world, that the author allures her readers, they would scarce have been troubled with them upon any consideration of her own Her friends had often desired her to collect something of this sort for the press ; but the difficulties, or more properly, the dread of such an undertaking, together with the respect she had for them, the world, and herself, always kept such a thought at the greatest distance imaginable. Nor had the at length prevailed with herself to fet about so disagreeable a talk, but for the fake of a relation, grown old and helpless, thro' a series of misfortunes ; and whom she had no other method of effectually assisting. This, her numerous and generous subscribers, have put it in her power to do; and therefore she took this public opportunity of giving them their thare of the fatisfaction; as well as of acknowledging the favour done to herself. The author dres not seem to be at all vain of her own performances. Her poetry she mentions with a very slight regard, as the mccrly accidental ramblings of her thoughts into rhyme. "As to the letters, fays she, the ladies to whom they are addressed having thought proper to prelerve them, is the best apology I can make for them.'-We must however do this lady's poetical abilities the justice to observe, that her compositions in verse are superior to those of any other female writer since the days of Mrs. Catherine Piila lips. She seems to have read Mr. Pope closely, to have peculiarly followed his manner, and indeed often to have prefer'd the using his very words and sentiments, to her own. In fine, the has evidently made great u'e of her reading, without appearing to have been under the least neceffity of borrowing from others, from any infertility of genius in herself. Whether this is to be attributed to her difregard of fame, or to an averfion to studious and laborious writing, or to whatever cause, we leave those to determine who have the happiness of a more intimate acquaintance with our author than we can boast, Mrs. Jones's prose writings, particularly her letters, are perhaps fuperior to any pieces of the kind that our own country has produced, from the pen of a She is mistress of a perpetual fund of wit, which she always expresses with a freedom and negligence peculiar to herfelf; ever sprightly, good - humoured, gay, yet never trifing, afrected, nor injudicious; her reflcctions are fenfible, folid, and truly moral; her ftile clear, natural, animated and flowing; and her language enriched by an extensive woman, extensive reading, from whence it borrows the graces of learning, at the same time that she preferves all the freedom of her native humour, and easy elegance of expression. Among this lady's poetical Works, the most considerable in point of length, is an ethic epistle on PATIENCE ; addressed to Lord Masam; which abounds with just and striking observations, and excellent moral conclufions: the rest of her pieces, of which the number is not small, are more considerable for their goodness than their length. It is remarkable that among them all, there is but one fong; and that is the well known Lass of the hill : the only specimen she has given us of her genius for pastoral poetry. Her epistle to lady Bowyer is an attempt in the Horatian ftile, and exbibits such a lively picture of the author's disposition and turn of sentiments, as cannot fail of entertaining such of our readers as are yet unacquainted with this lady's works. An E PISTLE to Lady BOWYER. arise, And yet you'd have me write! --- for what? for whom? Well P 4 |