fatisfactory of any which has appeared on this great and interefting queftion.

15. A Letter to Lord Clive, on the great Benefits which may refult to the Public from patriotically expending a Small Part of a large private Fortune: particularly in promoting the Interefts of Agricul ture, by forming an Experimental Farm. Containing a practical Courfe of Management, with Effimates of the Expences and Profit. Illuftrated with a Plan of the Farm. 8v0. Pr. 15. 6d. Nicoll.

This performance is addreffed to lord Clive in the character of a Cincinnatus; and however ill-paired the two ideas may appear to fome, we think there is no abfurdity in their being united. Were men of great eminence and eftates to apply themselves to experimental agriculture, as this author proposes, they would foon find the treasure, which, as the apologue expreffes it, their father said was hid in the bofom of the earth.' 16. An Addrefs serious and affectionate to the Voters and returning Officers, at the enfuing Elections of Members to ferve in Parliament. 8vo. Pr. 6d. Wilkie.

Poor patriotism, how art thou pelted about! how numerous are thy votaries, but how feldom doft thou reward them!-In an advertisement prefixed to this Addrefs, which confifts chiefly of the pathos applied to the patriotic paflions, we learn that it was published near forty years fince. The subject is, indeed, a little antiquated; and we cannot help thinking, the more public virtue is tampered with, the more it is tinkered: for, in endeavouring to mend one hole, half a dozen break out.

17. Patriotism: a Political Satire. By Cato Redivivus. 410. Pr. 25. Williams.

This Mr. Cato Redivivus, whatever the reader may suppose, is actually afleep; and charity, as well as our duty to the public, calls upon us to awaken him from his dream of felf-importance. Some time ago, being admitted by the printers of the news-papers, who are commonly as fond of a new correfpondent as a rake is of a new face, from the frequency of his admiffion, he imagined himself a patriot and politician. The fatire (as he calls it) before us, fully proves that he can be as dull in verse as in profe; and he has found out the fecret, known to few except those of his own caft of genius, of libelling with praise and befpattering with panegyric...

After a heavy, yet frantic, profe preface, he proceeds to his fatire, which fets out with flummerizing the noble duke who was the patron of Mr. Gay. He next dɔes Mr. Grenville the

honour

honour to abufe him; but that we may not preclude the reader from judging for himself, we shall lay before him the following lines.

"Does not thy bleeding Country claim thy pen?"
POPE whispers me:" Laws are explain'd by Men.'"
The G-S- RD too, by rancour led,
Vows the moft fignal vengeance on my head ;
To fap the bulwark of our rights intent,
Tortures my words to meanings never meant;
From Freedom's tenets Defpotifm he draws,
And fwears, I rais'd Prerogative o'er Laws.
Pointless fuch charges, impotent fuch rage,
In vain he courts ev'n S-n-ates to engage;
In vain he dooms my writings to the fire,
And labours to exalt their Author high'r.
Oh! let fuch Infects fhoot their stings and die,
Too low for anger, for contempt too high!
But WHO, that makes his Country's good his care,
Unfeelingly could fit, or calmly hear?

What must he think of our once-envied state,
If, in a P-rl-m-ry debate,

The "SALUS POPULI SUPREMA LEX,"

Is deem'd an obfolete, Old Woman's text.”

After this quotation the reader cannot doubt that Cato Redivivus is actually and for ever configned to the cave of public contempt and oblivion.

18. An Efay on the Character of Manilius, in an Epifle to Juvenis. In which is attempted a Defcription of the Diftreffea, the Mifer, and the Liberal. With other Epiftles on feveral Subjects, in blank Verfe. By W. Wyld. 8vo. Pr. 11. 6d. Richardson. This character of Manilius feems to be founded on the private story of a person supposed to be of that name, who affifted a young trader named Evander three times with money, and relieved him from ruin. The execution of this little piece, and the other copies of verses which eke out this pamphlet, does more honour to the writer's heart than to his genius; but that the rea der may judge of his poetical talents, we fhall felect the fol lowing verfes as a fpecimen, on the death of a mifer.

Say, what avail thofe heaps of burnish'd duft?
Since he's no more! the groveling mortal's gone!
And left the idol of his foul behind.

The ftores collected by his anxious toils;
From orphans, and defenceless widows torn.
Who on himself committed conftant thefts,

T'enlarge

Tenlarge the yellow heaps of fun-burnt clay,
Depriv'd by a too parfimonious ufe,

Of the rich bleffings of indulgent heav'n.
Forgetful, or regardless of the curfe;

Which like a canker wastes the miser's wealth,
That for fubftantial fums, his heirs enjoy.
But golden dreams; à vifionary hoard!
The mouldy treasure bilks their budding blifs.
• As evanefcent infects difappear;

So fade the glitt❜ring piles of fordid earth;
Which the late mifcreant fraudulently gain'd.

• Thus when we think with eager grafp to hold
The vivid minʼral, it eludes our hope;
So fwiftly thro' our clofing fingers flips,,
That not the smallest particle is caught.

So fubterraneous Moles oft hillocks raise,
That's ftrait laid level with the flow'ry lawn;
By the fagacious cultivating fwain.'

19. The Gift of Tongues: A Poem. By Charles Jenner, M. A. 4to. Pr. 1. Johnson.

Mr. Jenner introduces this poem with an address to the Holy Spirit; and then proceeds to the circumftances attending the gift of tongues, which he defcribes in this manner :

..

-Now with a fudden burft

A rushing noise through all the facred band
Silence profound and fix'd attention claim'd,
A chilling terror crept through ev'ry heart,
Mute was each tongue, and pale was ev'ry face:
The rough roar ceas'd; when, borne on fiery wings,
The dazzling emanation from above

In brighteft vifion round each facred head

Diffus'd its vivid beams; mysterious light!

That rush'd impetuous through th' awaking mind,
Whilft new ideas fill'd the paifive foul,

Faft crouding in with fweeteft violence.

"Twas then amaz'd they caught the glorious flame,
Spontaneous flow'd their all-perfuafive words,
Warm from the heart, and to the heart addrefs'd
Deep funk their force in ev'ry captiv'd ear.

O fee the crowd, preffing with eager steps
To catch the flowing periods as they fall;
See how, with wond'ring rapture, they devour
The pleafing accents of their native tongue ;
See how with eyes uplifted, they advance,
With out-ftretch'd hands and fmiles of focial love,

To greet the part'ners of their native foil;
O catch the varying tranfports in their looks,
In awful wonder fee each paffion loft,
When ev'ry nation urg'd an equal claim.
Fond men forbear; and know, the voice of truth
By weak restraints of language unconfin'd
Flows, independent, from that radiant fhrine

From whence the day-spring draws her glitt'ring store
To shine on all with undistinguish'd ray,

And scatter dazzling light on ev'ry clime.'

In this extract there are feveral good, lines, and some inconfiderable faults. The idea of a crowd catching the flowing periods as they fall is ludicrous, and the conclufion is encumbered with a load of fynonymous expreffions, a radiant forine, a glittring ftore, an undiftinguished ray, and a dazzling light.

The fubfequent part of this poem contains fome poetical fentiments, well expreffed, on Truth, Infpiration, and Enthufiafm.

The author by this performance gained the prize bequeathed by Mr. Seaton. A collection of poems by the fame hand was publified the last year.

20. An Elegiac Ode facred to the Memory of his late Royal Highness Edward Auguftus Duke of York. By Richard Rolt, Author of Cambria, Eliza, Almena, &c. 410. Pr. 1s. Garland. This ode is a fresh instance of the power of imagination.` The author fancies himself a poet, affumes the Heliconian drefs, and throws himself upon his knees before Melpomene ; but instead of kiffing her hand, he beslavers it; and instead of mourning over the national loss, blubbers like a great boy.

21. The Wooden Bowl. A Tale. To which is added, A LoveMatch. Taken from Mr. Collet's four celebrated Pieces, viz. Courtship, Elopement, Honey-moon, and Matrimony. 410. Pr. 1s. Moran.

This piece ought to be preserved in a public repofitory, that future times may appeal to it as the ftandard of the true doggrel, if the meaning of that term, as is the cafe with many in the English language employed by Shakespear and other antient writers, should ever be disputed. It is deftitute even of originality; the story itself being (if we mistake not) a miserable parody of an incident in Peregrine Pickle, or fome other of Dr. Smollet's pieces.

22. Ald

22. Aldwinckle. A candid Examination of the Rev. Mr. M―n's Conduct, as a Counsellor and a Friend; agreeable to the Principles of Lan and Confcience. 8vo. Pr. is. Bladon.

This is a very fenfible, acute, and accurate examination of Mr. Madan's conduct, as a counsellor and a friend to the unfortunate patron of the rectory of Aldwinckle.

As the generality of our readers are fufficiently acquainted. with all the circumftances of this tranfaction, we fhall only give the following extract from this pamphlet.

If as an extraordinary righteous clergyman, you would not interfere in the fale of an ecclefiaftical living; neither fhould you in recommending a young healthy man to the void presentation. You should have faid, "Mr. B, I as a counfellor and a friend, can suggest several things for the pa'tron's advantage in his prefent ftrait; as this project that is already in his head, of presenting an old man; for there is no more fimony in giving it to an old than a young man, and · many an old man may be found more capable of performing the duty, than our young clergy; or let him prefent one, whofe life (by a weak conftitution or a bad ftate of health) cannot well be insured for more than three or four years; either way the value of the advowfon will fink but little, if at all, and your friend will have good bidders enough for it foon: or, what is still better, as general bonds of refignation have been numerous times decreed good and valid both in law and equity, he will find many a clergyman who will gladly embrace the living with that condition: or, fuppofe one of his creditors, or any other of his acquaintance hath a friend, a clerk, unprovided for, 11007. is a very moderate price for the advowfon, and he may recommend his friend to be presented: or, your friend may go to the bishop, and inform him how he hath been used in the late treaty, and request a little longer time, which is what many bishops have frequently granted to a patron; or that if a lapse should take place, he would be pleafed not to prefent a young man ; or, fhould the bishop's inercy not extend fo far, he may ftill gain fome days if not weeks, for the law is, Burn. v. 2, p. 313, after the church is lapfed, if the patron doth prefent before the ordinary hath filled it, the ordinary ought to receive his clerk; for lapse to the ordinary is only an opportunity of executing a trust, viz. of seeing a cure fupplied in cafe of the patron's neglect, which being performed by the patron, the ordinary can take no advantage of it. Nay, by Hobart, the patron's presentation takes place after the church is lapfed to the king" or if Mr. Kwill not run that rifque, it will be better for him to fell the advowfon at once for nine, feven, or even five hundred C¢

VOL. XXIV. Nov. 1767:

pounds,