the case stands; and either bring him to a proper equilibrio, or make a downright fool of him.'

Mr. Laft is fettled in the manor-houfe, which had been got ready for his reception: and, at a fit opportunity, vifits his old fweet-heart, Sally Grind, the miller's daughter. He had, it feems, a tranfient glance at Sally's half-concealed tear, when he was first fetting out on his London expedition. It was not forgotten. The tear had funk very deep into his heart.-Sally's father was a fingular fort of a man:- morofe, honeft, and senfible. Mr. Laft knew his difpofition; and, notwithstanding his ten thousand pounds had made him a gentleman, yet he could not reftrain his fears as he approached the miller's houfe. The character of this rough mortal is tolerably well drawn by our Author: and the effect which his behaviour had on Mr. Laft is very naturally defcribed. Mofes Grind was too proud to pay any particular deference to our hero; for he estimated no man by the extent of his fortune. His wife, Deborah, was a little. more ceremonious. She buftled, and curtfied, and fetched a chair, and brushed it down with her apron, left any duft might foil his fuperfine cloth; which he not only eyed, but, accidentally, as it were, firoked, to feel how foft it was; accompanied with "Good Lord! how you have catched us!-all in the rough! I fuppofe you faw many fine fights in London; but folk in the country fee nothing. I had an own cousin who went to live in London above twenty years ago-but most likely he is dead, and you would hear nothing about him.—I wish I had but known of your coming-as one may fay." The modefty and fenfibility of the daughter is delicately touched by the Author. Sally appeared, not without blufhing, and full of fenfibility," tremblingly alive." She had been endeavouring to collect all her refolution, to withstand this meeting with propriety, wishing to appear worthy Mr. Laft's notice, without either a too apparent forwardnefs, or inattention to this friendly vifit by an affected referved nefs. Her fituation was delicate, and required the exertion of all her fortitude.' Chance, in fome measure, effected what her own refolution would have been unequal to. Hearing the found of her daughter's foot-steps, old Deborah, by a fudden turn, was very near overfetting the table, whereon was placed Mofes's fupper: to prevent which, our hero very actively threw himself upon his feet, and prevented it. This action brought the young people nearly together, and face to face. The fituation inviting, fo many circumftances contributing, he could do no less than offer the friendly falute: common-place compliments and civilities enfued, matters were adjusted, and at length they became feated.' After this interview, which was a little more fatisfactory to Mr. Last than his modefty led him to expect, he returns home, to execute his

6

long

long-wifhed-for scheme'-and that was, to relieve the diftreffed, and fet all his neighbours above want. Here the benevolence of his heart again impofed upon his understanding, and betrayed him into fuch meafures of profufe and unguarded charity, that the poor neglected their daily labour; and thofe liberal fupplics of money, which were meant to relieve their neceffities, were only made the occafion of riot and drunkenness.

Thrumb, the man that put out weaving, was the first who, perceived that fomething was fadly amifs, from the small returns of work. He began to reafon, to complain, and talk loud. But one man's voice, however loud, can scarcely be heard in a whole neighbourhood, be his caufe ever fo juft. The time was approaching faft when truth would appear as broad as day-light. The corn-harvest was at hand, when the labourers were defired to perform their ufual task of reaping and gathering in the fruits. of the earth. Inftead of being found at their own homes, they were at their daily rendezvous, the bag-pipes-from whence not one would ftir. For why? They had no occafion. The d-1 a stroke till all the money is fpent..... Things were got almoft imperceptibly to this pitch, from small beginnings..... The evil must work out its own remedy, by fpending all they poffeffed; and, by that means, placing them in the very fituation they first started from.' Mr. Laft's mistake, in the mode of his bounty, was fo vifible in its effects, that he saw it himself in its most aggravated light, and suffered like a condemned criminal' on the occafion. To foothe his agitated fpirits, he walked, in a penfive mood, towards the mill, expecting to meet comfort in the person and conversation of his beloved Sally. Old Mofes was at home. The refusal of the labourers to work-the report of the farmers, and their cenfures, had reached his ears. Without any circumlocution, he told Mr. Laft, that his company was no longer welcome; and that, of all things, he never wished his daughter to marry a fool. The miller's bluntnefs, accompanied with a determined look, scared our hero; and he stood, for fome time, motionless. At last he endeavoured to apologize for his conduct. But all was in vain. The old man's honour, and his child's welfare, were both at stake; and Mofes infifted on his leaving the house immediately.' Poor Laft's diftrefs, on this unexpected ftroke of illfortune, which wounded him in the tendereft part, is well defcribed; together with his rencontre with little Ben, who, halfdrunk on our hero's bounty, was fo ungrateful as to join the common cry against him.

The Author next recounts Mr. Laft's visit to the fenfible and worthy rector of the parish, who had invited him to the parfonage, houfe, for the fake of giving him fome private advice respecting

his

his conduct. The advice is very feasonable; and introduced in fo amiable and genteel a manner, that the most captious mind could not have been offended at it. Our Readers will think, that the rector's difcourfe on the fubordination of ranks in fociety, and the neceffity of maintaining it, for the fake of good order, favours too much of the formality of the pulpit. It nevertheless contains fome judicious remarks: though we must acknowledge, that the whole wants eafe, to make it look like a private lecture; and novelty, both in fentiment and expreffion, to render it pleafing to the general readers of fuch performances as this. This vifit relieved our hero's mind; and was of great fervice to him in other refpects. He attempts to rectify the abufes which his ill-judged liberality had occafioned. The rector joins his affiftance; and the event exceeded their expectations.'

The fucceeding events of this story may be related in a few words.-Mr. Laft goes to a horfe-race. He next vifits the Cock pit, where he is betrayed into what a novice could fcarcely have avoided, with his pockets full of money. He betts-and lofes a confiderable fum. On his return home, he hath the misfortune to be thrown from his horse, and to break his arm. This brings on a fever; and his life is defpaired of. His beloved Sally pines away in filent anguifh. She dared not vifit him. Nature could not withstand the conflict; much lefs fit, like Patience on the monument, Smiling at grief. She drooped the roses forfook her cheeks; her whole frame yielded by little and little, her efforts being too feeble to furmount her paffion. The diftreffed fituation of poor Sally could not escape the notice of her parents. They both gueffed at the cause. The morofenefs of old Mofes relented. He perceived his daughter's life at ftake; and that confideration overpowered more weighty objections.'- Youth, and a good conftitution, with the skilfulness of his furgeon, after some time, restored Mr. Laft to his health, fo far as to walk out. He had heard of Sally's declining health; and his foul yearned to see her, and to fpeak comfort.' An interview of the moft tender kind takes place: old Mofes receives Mr. Laft with a more complacent countenance: a propofal of marriage enfues: Mofes, after fome fenfible obfervations, accedes to it: this happy event at laft takes place; and Mr. Laft receives his bride from the hands of her father, who bestowed the gift as a treasure that was neareft and deareft unto him.'

• Thus,' concludes the Author, .we have attempted an imperfect sketch of the adventures of a man, whom Fortune, in one of her frolicfome humours, fnatched at random out of the medley bulk of mankind-placed him on one of her thrones

there

there tortured him with a few of her freaks-takes him again from the giddy height, and gently places him on ground more fitting the level of his capacity.

• The moral we draw from the whole is, That it is true wifdom to accommodate ourselves to the fituation wherein Providence hath placed us, without repining at our lot, or lufting after riches, which bring certain cares, but uncertain comforts :-concluding with the words of the poet, that

Reafon's whole pleasure, all the joys of fenfe,

Lie in three words, health, peace, and competence.'

The Author of this performance is doubtless a man of ingenuity and obfervation. We perceive in his reflections a ray or two of Shandean genius. He poffcffes a quicknefs of perception; and his mode of expreffing himself is lively and entertaining. But his genius wants force and extent. His invention is narrow; and his wit fuperficial and trifling. Little art is difcovered in this performance. The plot is too fimple to amufe: and the little expectation that is excited, is feldom gratified. In fhort, the ftory, confidered as a ftory, is nothing. The cafy manner in which it is related, with fome ingenious and pertinent reflections which are interfperfed, form the whole merit of Edal Village.

ART. XV. Anecdotes of Painting in England; with fome Account of the principal Artists; and incidental Notes on other Arts; collected by the late Mr. George Vertue; and now digefted and publifhed from his original MSS. By Mr. Horace Walpole. To which is added, the Hiftory of modern Tafte in Gardening. Volume the Fourth and Laft. 4to. 18 s. Boards. Printed at Strawberry Hill.

IN

N the 26th and 30th volumes of our Review, we gave an account of theft, zd, and 3d volumes of this very ingenious and entertaining work. We made some obfervations on the peculiarities of the Author's ftile, &c. which it is needlefs here to repeat.

This laft volume, Mr. Walpole tells us, in an advertisement prefixed to it, has been long written, and even printed; but the publication, though a debt to the purchasers of the preceding volumes, has been delayed from motives of tenderness. The Author, who, like moft biographers, could not refolve to difpenfe univerfal panegyric, efpecially on many incompetent artifts, was ftill unwilling to utter even gentle cenfures, which might wound the affections, or offend the prejudices, of those related

*The date printed at the bottom of the title-page, is 1771; but the publication did not take place till the year 1780.

'to the perfons whom truth forbad him to commend beyond their merits. As his opinion is no standard, he hopes it will pafs for miftaken judgment with fuch as fhall be difpleafed with his criticifms. If his encomiums feem too lavish to others, the public will at least know that they are beftowed fincerely. He would not have hesitated, he fays, to publifh his remarks fooner, if he had not been averse to exaggeration.

'The work,' continues he, is carried as far as the Author intended to go; though he is fenfible he could continue it with more fatisfaction to himself, as the arts, at least those of painting and architecture, are emerging from the wretched ftate in which they lay at the acceffion of George the Firft. To architecture, taste and vigour were given by Lord Burlington and Kent..... They have fucceffors worthy of the tone they gave; if, as refinement generally verges to extreme contrarieties, Kent's ponderofity does not degenerate into filligraine..... But the modern Pantheon, uniting grandeur and lightness, fimplicity and ornament, seems to have marked the medium where tafte muft ftop. The architect who shall endeavour to refine on Mr. Wyat, will perhaps give date to the age of embroidery. Virgil, Longinus, and Vitruvius, afford no rules, no examples, of scattering finery.

This delicate redundance of ornament growing into our architecture might perhaps be checked, if our artists would study the fublime dreams of Piranefi, who feems to have conceived vifions of Rome beyond what it boasted even in the meridian of its fplendor. Savage as Salvator Rofa, fierce as Michael Angelo, and exuberant as Rubens, he has imagined scenes that would ftartle geometry, and exhauft the Indies, to realize. He piles palaces on bridges, and temples on palaces, and fcales heaven with mountains of edifices. Yet, what tafte in his boldness! what grandeur in his wildness! what labour and thought, both in his rafhness and details! Architecture, indeed, has in a manner two fexes its mafculine dignity can only exert its muscles in public works, and at public expence; its fofter beauties come better within the compass of private refidence and enjoyment.

How painting has rekindled from its embers, the works of many living artists demonftrate. The prints after the works of Sir Joshua Reynolds have fpread his fame to Italy, where they have not at prefent a fingle painter that can pretend to rival an imagination fo fertile, that the attitudes of his portraits are as various as those of hiftory. In what age were paternal despair, and the horrors of death, pronounced with more expreffive accents than in his picture of Count Ugolino? When was infantine loveliness, or embrio-paffions, touched with fweeter truth than in his portraits of Mifs Price and the baby Jupiter? What frankness of nature in Mr. Gainfborough's

7

landscapes;