ART. 17. Albio-Hibernia; or, the Ifle of Erin. A Poem. By Job Jofeph Stockdale, Jun. 4to. 15. Stockdale. 1799. We can warmly praise the object, the fentiment, and much of the verfification of this effay, and particularly the defcription of the Cottager feduced from his duty and his home, by a traitor, at p. 8. After relating the defeat of the French, both by fea and land, who difturbed Ireland, the author concludes, by pointing out the good effects of an Union. Rul'd by one Monarch, in one heart combin'd, ART. 18. The Patriot. A Poem. By a Citizen of the World. Svo. 55 PP. 1s. 6d. Debrett. 1798. From the term "Citizen of the World," in the title-page, as alfo the Dedication to Earl Stanhope, we were apprehenfive that this Patriot was of a kind little fuited to our taste or principles; but, on a perufal of the Poem, we fee nothing objectionable in the design or the fentiments. A valiant Irish chieftain is killed in defending his country against the Danes: his wife, rather too fuddenly, it is true, but very affectionately, dies of grief. A tale of this fort, though not new, certainly admits of fpirited verfification; but, although the hero is a Patriot, the author is, unfortunately, no poet. We cannot produce a paffage above mediocrity, and the lines in general fall below it. A few Thorter Poems are fubjoined, but of ftill inferior merit (if poffible) to the principal. In one upon Earl Stanhope's feat at Chevening, it is faid, "There Stanhope rules," &c. furely the patriotic Earl will not ank his poet for fuch an expreffion. ART. 19. Britannia Triumphant over the French Fleet, by Admiral Lord Nelfon, off the Mouth of the Nile, a Poem. By W. King. 8vo. 25 PP. 15. Eufton, Salisbury. A very honeft effufion of loyalty from a peasant, as the author dehominates himself, and the ftyle of his work fufficiently fhows. The beft parts of this publication are the copy of Lord Nelfon's Gazette prefixed, and (for the author) the Lift of Subfcribers fubjoined. DRAMATIC. ART. 20. Neither's the Man; a Comedy, in Five Acts as performed at the Theatre Royal, Chefter. By Mrs. Holford, Author of Fanny, Selima, Gresford Vale, c. 8vo. 82 pp. 2s. Sael. The production of a Comedy, at a provincial theatre, gives no great promife of excellence: we were therefore agreeably difappointed on perufing the piece before us. "Neithef's the Man," though faulty in fome refpects, and not likely, without material alterations, to enfure fuccefs with a London audience, has, in many parts of its dialogue, more more vivacity and neatness than can be found in many plays which have been endured, and even applauded, on our stage. The ftory is indeed rather whimfical and improbable. A young heirefs, of great beauty and wit, has promifed her guardian that, on her coming of age, The will decide on the pretenfions of two lovers (an effeminate Peer, and a Jew) whom he equally favours. Inftead of accepting either," The unexpectedly declares for a young and a poor foldier (as the deems him) who proves to be a Baronet, with a larger fortune than either; his acceffion to which he had concealed, left her preference of him, which however he does not expect, fhould be imputable to an interested motive. The felf-confidence of the two perfons who have been felected by the guardian, is well contrafted with the diffidence and defpondency of the really favoured lover. Should the author think of offering this play to a London theatre, we would recommend the omiffion of her female conjuror, as too farcical; and the fubstitution of a better episode than that of Squire Mortimer and Mifs Haftings. The character of her heroine, which is a good sketch, might be confiderably. heightened and improved. ART. 21. The Caftle of Montval, a Tragedy, in Five Acts, as it is now performing with univerfal Applause at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. By the Rev. T. S. Whalley. 8vo. 80 pp. Symonds. 1799. The author of this Tragedy has chofen a ftriking fubject. It is faid to be founded on a real fact, which happened, not many years ago, in the fouth of France. The fable is, in fubftance, as follows: An old Count had been for feveral years immured in a dungeon of his own castle by his unnatural fon, prompted and affifted by one of his attendants, a moft abandoned villain. They had perfuaded the world that the Count was dead; but the young Count's lady, a perfon of great worth and excellence, to whom he had lately been married, have ing heard that an apartment of the caftle has been kept fhut, and is fuppofed to be haunted, determines, in the abfence of her Lord, to explore it. By accident fhe obtains the keys, and after fitting for fome time in the chamber, is alarmed by groans from a vault beneath; directed by thefe, fhe difcovers a private door, and at length fees the unhappy prifoner, and learns a part of his ftory; when Lapont, the feducer and agent of her guilty hufband, rufhes in with a dagger, determined to destroy the Countefs and old Count, in order to preferve himfelf. In his ftruggle with the Countefs (who also has a dagger) her weapon falls to the ground, and is caught up by the old man, who, unobferved by Lapont, exerting all his remaining ftrength, ftabs the villain juft in time to fave the life of his benefactress. Exhaufted by this effort, and unable to bear the light, from which he had been fecluded during fixteen years, he faints, and foon afterwards dies, having firft pardoned his fon; who, returning in the midst of this fcene, is ftruck with the deepest remorfe and contrition. The Countefs, ftruggling between the abhorrence of her husband's guilt, and her af fection for him, at first rejects his profeffions of repentance and love, but when, driven by her fcorn to despair, he has stabbed himself, fhe relents, relents, accuses herself as having murdered him, and falls into a fwoon on his body. With this the piece concludes. In a Dedication to Mrs. Siddons, the author, with great modefty, afcribes the fuccets of his play to her tranfcendent abilities. Thefe, no doubt, difplayed to the higheft advantage the production of an old and valued friend: but we, who have not hitherto attended the reprefentation, can teft fy that the work has much intrinfic merit. The plot is conducted with skill, and (except perhaps that the young Count appears rather too amiable in his general behaviour, to fuppofe him guilty of fuch an aggravated parricide) the characters are well fupported, that of the Countefs in particular; in which the union of firmnefs with feeling is ftrikingly difplayed. In the early part of the play the language is rather feeble, but it rifes with the subject; and the Tragedy is, upon the whole, fo interesting, that it deferves, in our opinion, a permanent place on the stage, ART. 22. The Noble Lie. A Drama, in One Act. Being a Continuation of the Play of Mifanthropy and Repentance, or the Stranger; now acting, with the greatest Applause, at the Theatre-Royal, Drury-Lane, Tranflated from the German of Kotzebue. By Maria Grifweiller. Second Edition. 43 PP. IS. Robinfons. 1799. From the reputation of Kotzebue, and the fuccefs of his play, the Stranger, on the English ftage, it might naturally be expected that a continuation of that drama, by the fame author, would not long remain untranflated. The fhort piece before us reprefents Baron Meinau (in our English play, the Stranger) as living in great happiness with Eulalia, his repentant wife, and bleft with two children; whom the inftructs to contribute, by every little attention, to their father's recreation and comfort. Still the fond hefband perceives, occafionally, by her demeanour, that remorse for her paft mifconduct preys on her mind. His fcheme to difpel this grief, and reconcile her to herfelf, is fo extraordinary, that we hardly think it would have occurred to any writer but thofe of the German fchool. A fervant girl having been teduced by one of the men fervants, he infifts, on pain of discharge, that the fhall name himself as the gallant, and promifes the shall be married to her lover, and portioned, it fhe complies. He hopes the mind of Eulalia will be more at ease, if the believes her husband as faulty as herfelf. This is the Noble Lie from which the piece is denominated. The fcheme, however, fails of fuccefs. Conrad, the girl's lover, difdaining to be confidered as the skreen of her frailty, avows the deceit. Eu lalia, feeing the generous intention of her husband, embraces him in a tranfport of gratitude, but adds the following juft and ftriking obferva tions: "I thank you for your love; but leave to heaven its justice! Į cannot dare not be quite happy! and was it otherwife, what would virtue be? If I have, by inward repentance and contrition, made fome atonement, I have been rewarded for it. Without every thing fmiles around ine: I have one enemy alone; and that 1 carry within me. That the Almighty fhould attach to a perfect confcience alone, perfec perfect happiness, is juft and right, how dare I murmur? Be fatisfied, my beloved! I am as happy as I ought to be: and, when on my deathbed, my husband and my children will bear me witnefs, that I have `never forgotten my duty fince that unhappy hour,-then, perhaps, a merciful Judge will strike out from the record of my life, the day in which I became a guilty being." This is good morality: and the piece, if we can reconcile ourselves to fuch a dangerous experiment as that of the hufband, will be found pathetic and interesting. NOVELS. ART. 23. Canterbury Tales. Volume the Third. By Sophia and Harriet Lee. 8vo. 75. Robinsons. 1799. We spoke favourably of the two first volumes of these Tales, in our 12th volume, p. 306, to which the name of Harriet Lee was alone annexed. This third volume comprehends the Officer's Tale and the Clergyman's Tale, and is profeffedly written by two different hands; the brit by Harriet, the fecond by Sophia, as appears by the initial letters at the conclufion of each tale. There is a neatnefs and fimplicity in the language and fentiment of the first tale, which inclines us to prefer it. The fecond is very good, but protracted somewhat too much, and of a moft melancholy tendency. The whole, however, forms an agreeable addition to the two former volumes, and will probably be followed by others, which we doubt not will be entitled to the fame commendation of good fenfe, good morality, and good writing. ART. 24. The Man of Nature; or, Nature and Love: from the German of Miltenburg. By William Wennington, after the Edition of Bauer, 1797; with Notes illuftrative and comparative, by the Tranflator. 8vo. 75. For the Tranflator, Thaives-Ian; and for Jofeph Gerald. Vienna. 1799 We have often obferved that few, very few indeed, of the translations from the German, feem, in our judgment, at all likely to benefit the cause of morality, or to form any defirable addition to the literature of our country. The prefent publication is marked by the greatest extravagance and improbability, and is, in many places, highly offensive to delicacy. Yet we will not pretend to deny the author the praife of confiderable ingenuity, and of a variety of well-contrived incidents. This commendation however is confined to the original author; the tranflation is very exceptionable. Mr. Wennington is probably a foreigner, and this circumftance alone can excufe innumerable errors in style and phrafeology. Various words occur, which our language difowns, and which are too frequent for fpecification. Why the work was tranflated we can hardly imagine, unless it were by way of exercise to an individual defirous of becoming an adept in the German language, and in our own. ART. ART. 25. The Young Exiles, or Correspondence of fome Juvenile Emigrants. A Work intended for the Entertainment and Instruction of Youth. From the French of Madame de Genlis. 12mo. Wright. 1799. 10s. 6d. The verfatile talents of this ingenious female have here produced a work of confiderable invention, and no contemptible contrivance, But the incidents, the characters, and the perfonages, are of that defcription, that the performance will alone intereft juvenile readers. The tranflation is well performed, and feerningly by a skilful and experienced pen; the book may, without impropriety, be put into the hands of youth, and this, confidering the licentiousness of the times, is no mean praise. MEDICINE. ART. 26. Reports of a Series of Inoculations for the Variola Vaccine, or Cow-Pox, with Remarks and Obfervations on the Difeafe, confidered as a Substitute for the Small-Pox. By William Woodville, M. D. Phyfician to the Small-Pox and Inoculation Hofpitals. 8vo. 156 pp. 3s. 6d. Phillips. 1799 In the month of January laft, the cow-pox broke out, Doctor Woodville says, in a herd of cows belonging to a dealer in Gray's-Inn Lane, which gave him an opportunity of watching its progrefs, and obferving its nature and appearance, Nearly four fifths of the cows were infected; but whether the difeafe was generated in each of them, or communicated from one to the other by the effluvia or breath, or inoculated by the hands of the milkers, is not diftinctly noticed; although the latter feemed to be the mode by which it was diffeminated, as the cows not in milk did not take the infection. The cows were obferved to be fickly during the continuance of the disease, and the teats of fome of them were confiderably ulcerated. The author's fituation as phyfician to the Inoculation Hofpital, fupplying him with abundance of fubjects, or candidates for inoculation, he determined to try the effects of the vaccine matter upon a large scale, that he might fee whether the difcafe produced by it was fimilar, or in what points it varied or differed from the fmall pox; and whether perfons who had passed through the cow-pox, were afterwards capable of receiving or being infected by the fall-pox. For this purpose two perfons were inoculated with matter obtained from the puftules on the teats of one of the cows, from them others, and in facceffion, until fix hundred perfons were inoculated with cow-pox matter. Four hundred of these patients were inoculated with variolous matter, foon after they had recovered from the cow-pox, but no other effect was produced than is occafion. ally obferved in perfons who have had the small-pox, and been afterwards inoculated; that is, in a small number of them, the arms were lightly inflamed, and a puftule appeared over the puncture, but which foon dried away, without producing any effect on the conftitution. The fact feems therefore established, that perfons who have fuffered the COW |