Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB
[ocr errors]

force fent over to fupprefs the rebellion has been, by no means, equal to the object."

This attempt, as foon as made, appeared to the Writer of the following Letters to involve several matters of the utmost consequence to the nation. It was intended to conceal from the public eye the fhameful misconduct of the American war,-to place to the account of administration all the national misfortunes, which were founded only in that misconduct,-to prove that the rebellion cannot be fuppreffed by the force of this country-and, of courfe, to demonftrate the difgraceful neceffity of fuffering two thirds of the British territory to be difmembered by rebellion from the dominion of the British ftate.

To prove the reverse of these propofitions; to place the prefent national danger to the account of thofe to whofe conduct alone it can be with juftice imputed, and to expose to public view an attempt fo inconfiftent with the fafety of the empire, is the defign of publishing thefe Letters.'

In the first Letter the very able and animated Writer difcuffes the ftrength and practicability of the middle Colonies, in respect to military operations. The Author frankly profeffes that he has no idea of any country being impracticable in a military fenfe; he confidently maintains, that every country, however ftrong, will afford mutual and alternate advantages to contending armies; while fuperior skill, force, and exertion alone, can enfure fuccefs;' and he demonftrates that in kill and force the British army had, beyond all comparison, the fuperiority.-Our Author, however, muft allow, that in a country naturally ftrong, and difficult with refpect to fituations, an army acting on the defenfive, will, in many respects, have greatly the advantage over an enemy who must proceed offensively, or give up the object of the war. This Letter-writer, nevertheless, concludes, from the military operations which actually have been carried on in this part of the country, fince the commencement of the prefent unhappy war, that the Colonies in question cannot be deemed very trong or impracticable;' and that, in fact, our army, under the command of General Howe, have not experienced any material difficulties on this account. We have feen, fays he, the British army penetrating into the heart of this country in a circuit of near 200 miles, from Long Island, by the White Plains, to Trenton, and from the Elk Ferry to Philadelphia in defiance of the utmoft efforts of an enemy perfectly acquainted with the ground; and we have feen that army taking, with eafe and litte lofs, every ftrong poft poffeffed by the enemy, who have always fed on its approach.'

Letter II. inquires how far the general difpofition of the inhabitants of the revolted Colonies, was, in reality, hoftile to the British government; and he appeals to facts, of the utmost notoriety, in order to fhew that a very great MAJORITY of the people are wellaffected to their fovereign, wishing for nothing more cordially than a re-union with the mother-country. On this head, however, it is to be feared, we have been too often misled by fallacious. nforma tion; and perhaps our Author is himself among the number of the deceived,

[ocr errors]

The third Letter contains a warm, fpirited, and very critical review of our manner of profecuting the war in the Colonies of NewYork, New-Jersey, and Pennfylvania; in which the Author totally condemns the whole conduct of the honourable Commander in Chief, as nothing better than a series of the most egregious blunders, negligencies, and, in fhort, every fpecies of mifmanagement of which an incapable general can poffibly be guilty. In a word, the accufation here brought against Sir W. H. is couched in fuch ftrength of language, and appears to be fo powerfully fupported by undeniable. facts (as far as we, at this diftance, can judge of them), that we cannot help thinking the General's reputation highly concerned in this bold impeachment of his character and conduct; and that if neither he, nor his friends, offer any vindication of his proceedings while at the head of our army in America, the world may be apt to conftrue fuch filence * into an admiffion of the charge.-And we are afraid, notwithstanding the good opinion we have entertained, and repeatedly expreffed, of this Commander, that the mildeft cenfure which men will then pass upon him, will be expreffed in the words of our Author, That he preferred the pleasures of the Long room and the Faro-table, to the profpect of glory, and the duty which he owed to his fovereign and the nation.'

To the three Letters is fubjoined an Appendix, confifting of what may be called American State-papers; and which are here given as illuftrations and proofs of the arguments ufed by the Author, in the Letters. No I. contains Extracts from the Inftructions to the Reprefentatives of the different Colonies in Congress, Sept. 1774. From which we are to infer the averfion of the people, in general, to the violent measures adopted by that body. N° II. exhibits a View of the British and Rebel Force operating in the Middle Colonies in 1776, 1777, and 1778; fhewing the great and conftant Superiority of our Army, in Numbers, as well as Appointment, Difcipline, &c. From all which the great question naturally arifes Whence, then, our inadequate progrefs in the war "The Author is at no Jofs for an anfwer;-and adminiftration flands fully exculpated :which, poffibly, was an object of which the ingenious Letter-writer was not unmindful.

Art. 17. Confiderations on the American Inquiry. 8vo.

Wilkie. 1779.

I Sa

-page,

A performance fimilar in its defign to the foregoing Letters, but written with lefs afperity. The Inquiry alluded to in the title-p is the late parliamentary examination into the proceedings of our army in America, under the command of General Howe.-It has been much infifted on, that "it is impoffible to fubdue the Colonies." The main intent of thefe Confiderations is to prove the falsehood of that affertion. The Author writes nervously, and reafons as well as can be expected from fuch information as he and the rest of our home politicians are poffeffed of: but his chief fource of information feems to be Mr. Galloway's evidence; on which, however, others

An appeal to the evidence produced by Sir W. H. before the Houfe of Commons, on the American Inquiry, will fcarce be deemed fatisfactory by the readers of this fevere investigation. 4

think

think we should be cautious of laying too much stress: it being obviously Mr. G.'s intereft to perfuade this nation to continue the war at all events. And this may poffibly be the cafe with most of those vehement writers, who are loudest in the cry of havock, and are the moft eager to let flip the dogs of war: For, when peace returns, where will then be their IMPORTANCE and their GAINS? Swift pronounced party to be "the madness of many, for the gain of a few." Change the word party for war, especially civil war, and the maxim will lofe nothing of its energy. Many competent judges of the fubject, in this country, as well as all moderate people in the Colonies, are now convinced, that from a peaceful and honeft intercourfe with North America, we have every thing to hope that is valuable to a commercial nation; while, from a war with America, we have nothing to expect, but a continuance and increase of that enormous expence of blood and treafure which hath already reduced a great and flourishing empire, to a moft alarming appearance of declenfion!

[ocr errors]

Art. 18. An Addrefs to the People of Great Britain. 8vo. 6d. Cadell. 1779.

A warm and feasonable exhortation to the gentlemen and commonalty of these kingdoms, to exert themselves, at this threatening juncture, in defence of their country, against the hoftile attempts of its enemies.

EAST-IN DIE S.

Art. 19. A Speech intended to have been spoken at the General Court of the East India Company, May 28, 1779, on the Opening the Trade. 8vo. I s. Bew.

Strongly recommends the furrender of the Company's charter, for the laudable purposes of opening the commerce of the Eaft to all his Majesty's fubjects; of thereby enabling them to fupport his government; and of refcuing the Indian provinces, now unhappily fubjected to us, from the tyranny of the Company's fervants, by placing them under the regular adminiftration of the executive power of the ftate, whofe long established laws are fo well known, and fo well adapted to prevent or punish any abuse in the immediate fervants of

the crown.'

This pamphlet is written with a generous warmth, and a compaffionate feeling for the fufferings of the numerous natives of Bengal, &c. who have been too long groaning under the yoke, the avarice, and the rapacity of the English :-of a vile, corrupt race, who seem to think that no people on earth but themselves have a right to the protection of equal laws, or the free enjoyment of the common bleffings of nature.

If any of our Readers fhould think this cenfure of our Eaftern plunderers too fevere, let them read this honeft pamphlet, and then view them in a more favourable light-if their hearts-if virtue, juftice, and humanity, will permit them.

[blocks in formation]

Art. 20. A candid Examination of the Reasons for depriving the Eaf-India Company of its Charter, contained in "The History and Management of the Eaft-India Company, from its Commencement to the prefent Time." Together with Strictures on fome of the Self-contradictions and historical Errors of Dr. Adam Smith, in his Reasons for the Abolition of the faid Company. 8vo. is. 6d. Bew, &c. 1779.

Defends the exclufive charter of the Company, chiefly on commercial principles founded in local circumstances; but what are fuch principles, if they operate against the common rights of humanity? -This candid Examiner feems to combat the Writers above mentioned, (and "The Philofophers," against whom he is particularly piqued) with more captioufnels than candour; and he appears to plume himself on having convicted the excellent Adam Smith of fome inconfiftencies in his reafonings. But if ten thousand errors could be found in the writings of those who ftand forth in the cause of truth and juftice, the principles of truth, and of juftice, will remain eternally the fame.-Will the cold-blooded arguments of those who vindicate the Company's rapacious agents and fervants, restore to life the many thousands of poor Bengalians who have miferably perished through the wickedness of our European Nabobs ?

DRAMATIC.

Art. 21. Albina, Countefs Raimond; a Tragedy, by Mrs. Cowley As it is performed at the Theatre-Royal in the Haymarket. 8vo. Is. 6d. DodЛley, &c. 1779.

From the preface to this tragedy we learn, that it was in its very infancy feverely reviewed by certain theatrical generals, who having refufed the fair militant of Parnaffus comfortable winter quarters, fhe refolved to try her ftrength in a fummer campaign, in which, however, he does not feem to boaft of any fignal triumph. To drop the metaphor,-how Mrs. Cowley's play might appear in the reprefentation we cannot fay, but if it was delivered on the ftage exactly as it is printed, we think there are many fcenes, as well as paffages, extremely reprehenfible; and almoft fufficiently fo to justify the rejection of the piece by the managers of Drury-Lane and Covent-Garden theatres, if we had not perufed feveral plays produced under their aufpices much inferior to Albina.

The tragedy of Albina is, on the whole (notwithstanding a bril liant paffage here and there, one particularly towards the conclufion of the first Act), crude and deficient in its fable, characters, and diction. Much is borrowed, not very judicioufly, from other popular tragedies; and while the Authorefs is labouring to prove that the main incidents of her piece have been unaccountably anticipated by the writers of Fatal Falsehood, and the Law of Lombardy, we might refer all the parties to Shakespeare, and remind them of Much Ado about Nothing-the bafis of their difputes and performances.

* For an account of" The Hiftory," fee Review for April last.

Art.

Art. 22. The Flitch of Bacon; a Comic Opera, in Two Acts; As it is performed at the Theatre Royal in the Haymarket. By the Rev. Henry Bate. 8vo. I S. Evans. 1779.

This comic opera might poffibly amufe in the theatre, but the Reader must feel disappointed at the manner in which the fubject is treated. The exhibition of the several claimants of the Flitch af forded fcope for a diversity of character, of which the Writer has not taken the leaft advantage, though it feemed almoft impoffible for a poet not to avail himself of fo obvious a circumftance. The fable has little relation to the famous Dunmow Flitch of Bacon, and the dialogue is coarse and inelegant.

POETICAL.

Art. 23. Select Satires of Horace, tranflated into English Verfe, and, for the most part, adapted to the prefent Times and Manners. By Alexander Geddes. 4to. 5 s. Cadell. 1779.

However jult Mr. Geddes's obfervations may be, that concifenefs, perfpicuity, and an elegant fimplicity are the great and leading characters of Horace as a fatirift, yet we can by no means agree with him that these excellencies are likelieft to be retained by adopting the Hudibraltic measure, in preference to that of ten fyllables with legitimate rhymes.

However well adapted Hudibraftics may be to fubjects that are ludicrous and low, yet, furely, the jingle and quaintnefs of doggrel verfe must be totally incompatible with every idea of fo exquifitely graceful a writer as Horace, whofe wit is always elegant, and whofe very pleasantry is philofophical.

With refpect to the tranflation itself, though the verfification in general be easy and familiar, it is too frequently feeble, inelegant, and vulgar.

In those parts which are adapted to the prefent times and manners we meet with nothing peculiarly ftriking, except, indeed, it be in the application of the following paffage :

Quidam notus homo, cum exiret fornice: Mate

Virtute efto, inquit, fententia dia Catonis, &c.

When, late, a rev'rend prelate faw

A priest from Drury's haunts withdraw;

"Courage! (he cry'd) fince wh-re you must,
"Far better there to quench your luft,

"Than form wild projects in

your head

"How to profane your neighbour's bed."

A former tranflator, in commenting upon the above-quoted paffage in the original, remarks how defective must be the fyftem of Heathen morality, when a philofopher could encourage a man in the commission of one vice, merely that he might avoid the chance of falling into another. Mr. Geddes feems to have viewed the paffage in a different light, otherwife, in adapting it to the present times and manners, he would fcarcely have applied it to a reverend prelate. Were it poffible to fuppofe that a thought fo fubverfive of that purity which Chriftianity injoins, could by any means gain admittance into the breaft of a reverend prelate, he muft certainly be loft to all propriety and decency of character who could utter it. But thus it

« AnteriorContinuar »