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ceremony as were the members of the rump parliament, by Oliver Crom well. Thus reduced, and perhaps better adapted to the ftage, Mr. Love, an actor of confiderable merit, ventured on the part of Falstaff, for his own benefit; and the performance, notwithstanding the boldness of the attempt, with refpect both to the Author and the Player, was not ill received. A fuitable prologue and epilogue were added, on this Occafion which are printed with this edition of the play.

This performer was, however, no novice in the part, having be fore frequently played Shakespeare's Falftaff, with more fuccefs than any other who hath attempted it can justly boaft, fince Quin entertained the town with his inimitable exhibition of this very difficult and fingular character.

POETICA L.

Art. 28. The Race. By Mercurius Spur, Efq; With Notes, by Fauftinus Scriblerus. The second Edition. With large Additions and Alterations. 4to. 2s. 6d. Flexney.

We have heard that Mr. Mercurius Spur Efq;' hath objected to the flight cenfure we paffed on his firft edition, because we gave no fpecimen of his poem, in fupport of the judgment we prefumed to form of it. We fhall now, therefore, (partly in regard to this young Bard's complaint, and partly on account of his large additions and alterations,'and more especially because we really think there is confiderable merit in his performance) proceed to a more particular account of it.

The fubject and defign of this poem, are thus explained by the bard himself:

The fubject is, a Race.

Unlike the Race which fam'd Newmarket boasts,

*

vye

Where pimps are P-'s companions, whores their toasts,
Where jockey-nobles, with groom-porters
Who beft can hedge a bett, or cg a dye.
Nor like the Race, by ancient Homer told,
No fpears for prizes, and no cups of gold:
A poet's Race, Lfinga poet's prize
Who gold and fighting equally despise.

To all the rhyming brethren of the quill
Fame fent her heralds to proclaim her will.

Since late her vot'ries in abusive lays

"Had madly wrangled for the wreath of bays;
"To quell at once this foul tumultuous heat,

"The day was fix'd whereon each bard should meet.
"Already had fhe mark'd the deftin'd ground,
"Where from the goal her eager fons should bound,
There, by the hope of future glory fed,

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Prove by their heels the prowess of the head;
And he, who fleeteft ran, and first to fame,

"The chaplet and the victory should claim."

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The proclamation thus iffued, the several writers and fcribblers of the age become candidates for the prize, and severally refort to the place appointed for the contest.

* What does the Author mean by groom-porters? There is fuch an officer at court, as the Groom-porter: but we never before heard of Newmarket groom-porters!

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To view the various candidates for fame,

Bookfellers, printers, and their devils came.

Many of the trade are accordingly introduced, as fpectators, with fatirical glances at the diftinguishing characteristics of each individual bookfeller and printer: but not a word more of the devils,-whether from fear or favour, is best known to the Author himself.

The field on which the race is to be run, is next defcribed; and here,

High on a hill, enthron'd in ftately pride,
Appear'd the goddefs; while on either fide
Stood Vice and Virtue, harbingers of fame,
This ftamps a good, and that an evil name.
On flow'rs thick scatter'd o'er the moffy ground
The nymphs of Helicon reclin'd around;
Here, while each candidate his claim preferr'd,
In fiient ftate the goddess fat and heard.

Not far from hence, across the path to fame,
A horrid ditch appear'd-known by the name
Of Black Oblivion's Gulph. In former days

Here perifh'd many a poet and his lays.

Clofe by the margin of this horrible ditch, ftood the Reviewers, armed with dreadful clubs to knock poor authors into the fable fod.— Mr. Spur, in revenge of past provocations, is very alert in his frequent attacks of the Reviewers; efpecially in his preliminary addrefs to the critics. He defcribes them (with what truth it may not become as to enquire) as the implacable foes to literary merit; and it is acknowledged, he retaliates on them the affronts he may have received, with fpirit and vivacity. Wit is of no party; and we freely allow, that fome of the fmartest things in this performance, are to be found in the Author's ridicule of the critics. We think him particularly happy in the latter of the two following couplets;

Merit, alas! with them is no pretence;

In vain the pleas of poefy and fense:

But ftrange! to Dules they deny the crown;

And damn even works as ftupid as their own!

A good hit, Mr. Spur! in return for which, you fee, we have gene roufly taken care, by this article, to fave you and your poem, from the Gulph of Oblivion.

But, room for the candidates!-thefe are fucceffively characterised as they appear, addrefing themfelves to the goddefs, and imploring her favourable regard. Of this part of his work, the skill, and the defcriptive powers of our bard, the reader may form fome conception, from the following fpecimens:

*Does this epithet relate to their poverty as authors or as men? If the former, it was no great injuftice if they did get a tumble into the ditch, in reward of their vanity and prefumption in aiming at the wreath if the latter, we confefs, they were rather objects of charity; and it would have been more commendable to have recommended them to the overfeers of the parish workhouses.

Here

Here Johnson comes-unbleft with outward grace,
His rigid morals ftamp'd upon his face,
While ftrong conceptions ftruggle in his brain
(For even wit is brought to bed with pain)
To view him, porters with their loads would reft,
And babes cling frighted to the nurse's breast.
With looks convuls'd he roars in pompous ftrain,
And, like an angry lion, shakes his mane.
The Nine, with terror ftruck, who ne'er had feen
Aught human with fo horrible a mien.
Debating, whether they should stay or run-
Virtue fteps forth, and claims him for her fon.
With gentle speech the warns him now to yield,
Nor ftain his glories in the doubtful field;
But wrapt in confcious worth, content fit down,
Since Fame, refolv'd his various pleas to crown,
Though forc'd his prefent claim to disavow,
Had long referv'd a chaplet for his brow,
He bows; obeys-for Time fhall first expire,
E'er Johnson stay, when Virtue bids retire.

Those who are perfonally acquainted with the excellent author of the Rambler, will perceive that our poetical painter has, in one or two refpects, rather over-charged this picture: particularly in the 10th line: but the Doctor is amply made amends by the compliment at the close of the description.

There are fome exquifite touches in the following sketch :

Next Wilkes appear'd, vain hoping the reward,

A glorious patriot, an inglorious bard,

Yet erring, fhot far wide of Freedom's mark,
And rais'd a flame, in putting out a fpark:
Near to the throne, with filent ftep he came,
To whisper in her ear his filthy claim;
But (ruin to his hopes) behind stood near
With fix'd attention and a greedy ear,
A fneaking priest, who heard, and to the croud
Blab'd, with most grievous zeal, the tale aloud.
The peaceful Nine, whom nothing less could vex,
Flew on the vile affaffin of the fex,

Difown'd all knowledge of his brutal lays,

And scratch'd the front intended for the bays.

But we cannot truly fay, that our Author hath dealt equal juftice to every character he hath here attempted to draw. Some fevere and invidious ftrokes are aimed at feveral perfons, against whom the Poet hath perhaps conceived an unjust prejudice; and we are forry that any thing which hath the appearance of fpleen or spite should interfere, to substract from the merit of the lefs malignant parts of his production :-which, though not a correct and highly finifhned piece, is greatly improved in the prefent edition; and, on the whole has no inconfiderable claim to the approbation of the public: there is, for the most part, genuine wit in the Author's conceptions, ftrength in his expreffion, and harmony in his numbers,

Art. 29.

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Art. 29. Yarico and Inkle, an Epifle. By the Author of the Elegy written among the Ruins of an Abbey. 4to. Is. Dodsley. We have more than once expreffed ourselves in favour of this Author's poetical abilities; we thought he had tenderness and melody, and we think fo ftill; nevertheless the epiftle before us has not answered our expectations. Though the fituation of Yarico was peculiar, there does not feem to be an adequate peculiarity of fentiment; and fhe complains in too trite, if not too feeble a manner.-All epistles of this kind, however, lie under great difadvantages, by making us unavoidably remember that of Eloifa to Abelard. L Art. 30. The Ocean, a Poem in Blank Verfe. Written by the

Sea-fide. 4to. 6d. Walter.

A fpirit of contemplative piety runs through this little poem; which, though not written in the best taste, is not without fome kind of defcriptive merit and fancy.

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The following defcription of a poor captive confined in a fort by the fea fide is pathetic, and the painting just to nature:

Th' imprifon'd captive of fome neighbouring fort,

Who, in his lone abode confin'd, furveys
The raging ftorm, as oft before He's done
For twenty mournful years in grief confum'd,
Since first condemn'd to pine remaining life
In fetter'd folitude, remote, forlorn,

As round his tower he hears the whiftling winds
And fees the foaming deep in wild uproar
From forth his dusky cafement half-obscur'd
With the dim vap'ring mifts, extends his eye
Along the raging main from hour to hour,
Inur'd to woe.

4.

Art. 31. Hackwood Park, a Poem. By Richard Michell. 4to.
Is. 6d. Hawes and Co.

Young poets, like young painters, fhould be careful to withhold their productions from the public eye, till their judgment is ripened and their execution perfected by time and experience. This poem is quite a puerile performance, and yet there are fcattered through it fome fparks of genius; therefore, without farther difcouraging the Author, we only advife him to defer a little his addresses to Fame. 1. Art. 32. A Caveat to the Will of a Northern Vicar. Addreffed to the Rev. W. C*****, Rector of K**** W****. 4to. 25, Flexney.

In our Catalogue for Auguft laft, p. 164, we mentioned The Will of a certain Northern Vicar; in which we, at this distance from the neighbourhood of Newcaftle, could difcover very little meaning, though we had the mortification of reading a number of very bad verfes.-In this Caveat, we are ftill under the fame local disadvantage; and have been plagued with three times as many wretched lines-Why are people in this part of the kingdom to be peftered with fquabbling rhymes which are intellible only on the other fide the Trent?

POLITICAL

POLITICAL and COMMERCIAL.

P

Art. 33. An Addrefs to the Pt, in Behalf of the ftarving Multitude. Pointing out the Caufe of the prefent high Price of Provifions with easy and effectual Methods how to make them cheap. 8vo. IS. Baldwin.

Although this old-fashioned farmer, as he ftiles himself, is evidently too tenacious of old opinions, merely, as it should feem, because of their antiquity; and although he affects to sneer at the new improvements in husbandry and agriculture, yet we cannot but think he is very right in his obfervations on the prefent general neglect of tillage; the engroffing of farms; and fome other growing evils of the like kind. As to his advice, offered to parliament, for remedying the grievances of which he complains, we are of opinion, that if he can convince the right honourable and honourable gentlemen, that it is their intereft, as landlords, to adopt his propofed regulations, they will not fail to lend a favourable ear to his representations. Art. 34. A Parallel drawn between the Adminiftration in the four laft Years of Queen Anne, and the four first of George the Third By a Country Gentleman. 8vo. IS. Almon.

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This country-gentleman imagines that he fees the most striking parallel that ever exifted in any period of the English hiftory,' between the four last years of the Queen, and the four first years of his prefent Majefty. In the former period, the principal perfons in the great political drama, were the Lords Oxford and Bolingbroke, and that great general, the Duke of Marlborough. To these he adds Mrs. Masham, who, he fays, was the fecret manager in the closet, and the artful contriver of all thofe fatal changes that were brought about in the year 1709. From the first moment this tory-administration fat at the helm, they determined to make peace with France at all events, and to run into mea fures directly oppofite to thofe of their predeceffors.

In the great scene that has been fo lately exhibited, we may reckon the principal actors were the Earl of B, the Duke of B. and that great commoner, Mr. Pitt. In this fcene a fimilar female character must be introduced, which directly correfponds with that of Mrs. Masham. She was the fecret fpring that directed all the late political operations, and ferved Lord B in the fame capacity, as Mrs. Mafham did Lord Oxford, by poffeffing the royal ear, and whispering every thing they could hatch up to the difcredit of the great commoner; in the fame manner as Lord Oxford and Mrs. Masham had done to the difcredit of the great general. They procured their vile fycophants, the tools of any men in power, to proclaim it aloud in all companies, that we had conquered too much, and that more victories and conquefts, like thofe of Pyrrhus, would quite undo us.'

The Author continues to run this parallel, in a manner which may be eafily gueffed, from the fpecimen here given; and he concludes with fome strictures on the neglect of all our whig-adminiftrations, with refpect to our national conftitution in the church, to which he fays they have never paid due regard; although he owns they have always taken proper care of the conftitution in the ftate.-The interests of the church, as he expreffes it, is a point about which he seems very folicitous; and he reminds us of the great effect which the notion that the church was in

danger

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