SO TRUTH proclaims: her awful voice I hear,
With many a folemn pause it slowly meets my ear.

"Attend, ye sons of men; attend and say,"
Does not enough of my refulgent ray
Break thro' the veil of your mortality!
Say, does not reason in this form descry
Unnumber'd, nameless glories that surpass
The angel's floating pomp, the seraph's glowing grace ?

Shall then your earth-born daughters vie
With me? Shall she, whose brightest eye
But emulates the diamond's blaze;
Whose bosom mocks the fleecy snow
Whose cheek the rose's damask glow,
Whose melting voice the warbling woodlark's lays :

Shall she be deem'd my rival? shall a form
Of elemental dross, of mould'ring clay,
Vie with these charms imperial? The poor worm
Shall prove her contest vain. Life's little day

Shall pass, and she is gone: while I appear,
Flush'd with the bloom of youth thro' heav'n's eternal year.

Know, mortals, know; ere first ye sprung,
Ere first these orbs in æther hung,

I shone amidst the heavenly throng,

These eyes beheld creation's day,
This voice began the choral lay,
And taught archangels their triumphant fong.

Pleas'd I survey'd bright nature's gradual birth,
Saw infant light with kindling lustre spread,
Soft vernal fragrance clothe the flow'ring earth,
And ocean heave on his extended bed;

Saw the tall pine aspiring pierce the sky,
The tawny lion stalk, the rapid eagle fly.

Last, man arose, erect in youthful grace,
Heaven's hallowed image stamp'd upon his face,
And, as he rose, the high behest was given,
"That I alone, of all the host of heav'n,
Should reign protectress of the god-like youth."
Thus the Almighty spoke: he spake and call'd me TRUTH.

"

I.

MONTHLY CATALOGUE.

MISCELLANEOUS.

N address to the Jurymen of London. By a citizen. 8vo. 2 d. Corbet.

AN

Though the price of this tract be so small, the subject of it is of great importance to the liberties of this nation. Its intention is, to explode a doctrine of late industriously propagated, that a jury are judges of nothing but fact, and therefore ought always to return a special verdict, when the fact has been proved; but at the same time think, that it is not fuch a criminal fact as is charged in the indictment. To prove that this doctrine, if once established, would root up that fence which our ancestors have provided againft the oppreffion of a malicious or a corrupt court of justice, and that it is also contrary to the opinion of our best lawyers, the author produces fome large quotations from a pamphlet, entitled, The Englishman's right. By Sir John Hawles, follicitor-general to the late king William; and concludes with an oblique application of the whole to the profecution of printers or bookfellers, for libels. *

II. Low-life: or, one half of the world knows not how the other lives. Being an account of what is transacted by people of almost all religions, nations, and circumftances, in the 24 hours between Saturday night and Monday morning: In a true description of a Sunday, as it is usually spent within the bills of mortality. 8vo. Is. Legg.

This article is only calculated for the mob of readers, or that class who value Ned Ward's London Spy, beyond all the works of Tully, Swift, and Pope.

III. A fupplement to the works of dr. Swift. 8vo. 2s. 6d. few'd. Cogan.

This chiefly a collection of anonymous pieces in verse and prose, which have been published at several times, and fome of them generally imputed to dean Swift, tho' never afcertained as fuch. Besides these, the dedication and preface to Sir William Temple's memoirs, and a letter to the Athenian fociety, are here reprinted, from copies that appeared in the dean's life-time, with his name. We have alfo a short piece, called, The history of Martin, which the

* This was published preparatory to Owen's trial for pubLishing Murray's Cafe; of which he was acquitted.

editor says, was inserted in the former editions of the Tale of a Tub, though omitted in the latter. The rest of the prose pieces, are mostly politico-controversial tracts, which the editor supposes to have been Swift's. As to the poetical articles, most them have appeared in the magazines, and other collections; and whether they are really the genuine works of Swift, or not, we apprehend, is an enquiry not worth the making: they are deservedly left out of his works; and in our opinion, he was no friend to the dean's memory, who made this collection; which is, moreover, printed in a barbarous manner, and in a volume of so preposterous a fize, that this supplement cannot be uniformly bound with any edition we have seen of dr. Swift's works : but this circumstance may perhaps be construed, in favour of the editor, as a proof of his compunction of confcience, which would not fuffer him to tempt people to disgrace their sets, by the addition of such a supplement, without a proper mark of diftinction.

IV. Obfervations on the writers of the present age, and their manner of treating each other; more particularly relative to to the treatment of lord Oy and the Inspector, in a pamphlet, entitled, Some remarks on the life and writings of dr. J-. H. 8vo. Is. Sheepey.

The author of this pamphlet launches out as extravagantly in praise of dr. H-, as the author of the Remarks (fee our last) had before done in calumniating and abusing that gentleman. All that we can add concerning this performance, is, briefly, that it is a mere title-page job, affording nothing answerable to the profession of its containing, observations on the writers of the present age, and their manner of treating each other.

V. The Importance of dress; or female rivalry: being a real history, with the proper names of the parties. 8vo. 6d. Sheepey.

The scene of this little history is a country town, in the fouth of France. The actors in it are also of that kingdom, and the subject is a squabble between two ladies, on account of their mutual rivalship in dress. The story is a very trivial one; but the author has enlivened and raised the incidents, by his mock-heroical manner of relating them.

VI. A compleat treatise of mines. Extracted from the memoirs d'artillerie. To which is added, by way of introduction, professor Bellidor's dissertation on the force and phyfical effects of gun-powder. By Henry Manningham, engineer. Handsomely printed, with a variety of copper-plates. 6s. in boards. Nourse, &c. VII. The VII. The fair parricide. A tragedy of three acts. Founded on a late melancholy event. 8vo. Is. Waller. Poor miss Blandy has here fuffered death a second time; but with more cruel circumstances than those attending her legal execution. In a word, never, fure, was any story fo tragically mangled, as that of this unhappy lady, unless we except the unparallel'd Arsinoe, mentioned in our last; a work which our author doubtless kept in view, while he was writing the fair parricide: and, in truth, the two performances are so like each other, that one might reasonably take them for twins, the joint offspring of the same parent.

VIII. A proposal for the amendment and encouragement of fervants. 8vo. 6d. Shuckburgh.

The author proposes to raise a fund, by subscription, for bestowing annual rewards on such servants as have lived long in a place; viz. so much for one year, for two years, for three, and so on. The subscribers to be formed into a society, under proper regulations, which the author has sketched out. This scheme, (which those who will give themselves the trouble to confider it at large, will probably not think altogether impracticable,) the author imagines, will be much more likely to conduce to a general reformation of our fervants, than any laws that are or may be devised for their punishment, upon misbehaviour.

IX. An address to those in power; occafioned by the violence to which the marquis de Fratteaux has been a facrifice. 8vo. 6. Cooper.

A rhetorical declamation, intended to animate the government to take fignal vengeance on those who were instrumental in seizing and conveying the above named marquis out of this kingdom, in which he had taken refuge; but on what account, we are not yet certainly informed.

X. A modern differtation on a certain necessary piece of houfhold Furniture. 8vo. 6d. Kent.

The piece of houshold furniture here meant, is the chamber-pot; a subject which a genius like Swift's would have handled in an entertaining manner: but our author has only shewn an affectation of wit, learning and humour, without producing any thing fit to amuse or divert a reader of any tolerable taste.

XI. The friendly rivals; or, love the best contriver.

A comedy. 8vo. Is. 6d. Mechell.

In the title-page the author informs us, that this co

medy has been offered to the manager of one of the theatres, and been perused by several of our best dramatic critics, and but lately returned, with some few remarks, and the following compliment: "Tho' there are imperfections in it, as are in all first pieces, yet are there great strokes of the genius of true comedy." - Whether this compliment came from the manager, or from the critics above mentioned, does not clearly appear: however, we entirely acquiefce in the first part of it, for the piece has really imperfections enough; but, but as to 'great strokes of the genius of true comedy, they are either too great, or too fine for our apprehenfion; we having read the work thro' without perceiving one of them. In a word, this author seems to be as great a genius in comedy, as the author of the fair parricide, (see ART. VII.) is in tragedy.

XII. An abstract of mr. Lock's essay on human undertanding. 8vo. Is. Sandby.

This abstract is drawn up with a good deal of judgment, by Sir Jeffery Gilbert, late lord chief baron of the court of exchequer in Ireland, and afterwards of that of England. It may be of service, as a remembrancer, to those who have read mr. Lock's essay.

XIII. A poetical epistle from Shakespear in Elysium to mr. Garrick, at Drury-lane theatre. 4to. Is. Newbery.

If this epiftle be genuine, Shakespear has learnt, since his refidence in the shades, to write in a manner very different from that which has so justly made his name immortal in these regions.

XIV. A midnight contemplation in the country. Fol. 6d. Owen,

This small piece is written in verse; but the author is not a greater poet than Homer, or Milton, or dr. Young. XV. Poetical pieces. By several hands. Printed by fubscription, for the editor, J. Stephens. 8vo. 6d.

As we are informed that the editor of the pieces contained in this small collection is an unfortunate man, (formerly a bookseller) we hope he will succeed in this attempt to raise a small fum towards his subsistence. What he here offers, in return for the generous or charitable contributions of his subscribers, is far from being the worst poetry we have lately been obliged to read. However, we are perfuaded that the benevolent readers of these poems will find less pleasure in the perusal of them, than in the reflection, that the trifle expended to purchase them, was a contribution