rage, that nothing but his blood would fatiate. Yet all this cruel un grateful treatment he fuftained with heroic fortitude, with placid tranquillity. Though he was infulted in this outrageous manner; though all his miracles were afcribed to a confederacy with the Prince of Demons; though his doctrines were vilified and contemned; though his pretenfions to the character of a Prophet, delegated to them by the Deity, were rejected; though all the ftriking evidences and proofs he gave of his commiffion from God were flighted; though he was obliged, more than once, to elude their murderous defigns, by rendering himself invifible; yet he bore all this flagrant infult and contempt of his perfon and doctrines, with a greatness of mind that can never fufficiently be admired.’ For an account of fome other pieces by this Writer, fee Review, vol. XXV. p. 479, and vol. XXVI. p. 453 Art. 3. An Explication of the Church Catechifm. With a Morning and Evening Prayer. For the Ufe of the Parish of CliftonCampville, Staffordshire. 8vo. 10 d. Birminghan, printed by Sketchley, and fold by Becket in London. From the great number, and copious expanfion, of Explications of the Church Catechism, one would imagine that compofition to be extremely ambiguous or obfcure: and, in fact, it is by no means free from inperfections. But, faulty as it may be, few of its learned Expofitors have left it much better than they found it. Its concifenefs is, furely, not among the number of its defects. Some Commentators, however, and Compilers of new Forms, have dwelt upon the fubject, till the mole-hill has grown into a mountain, fit for the fhoulders of an Atlas: inftead of being a light and eafy burden, adapted to the strength of a child. A Catechifm fhould be as fhort, as plain, and as fimple as the defign of fuch compofitions can poffibly admit; nevertheless, we are not for recommending Rouffeau's model [in his Emilius]; which our Readers would rather be difpofed to fmile at, than to imitate: but we think, that Protestant Divines would do well to reform their Catechifms, in like manner as the College of Phyficians have reformed their Difpenfatory; from which all fuperfluous ingredients, and exploded prefcriptions, are happily difmiffed, and the whole reduced into fo reasonable a compafs, that the Tyro in phyfic might well confider it as his medical Catechifm, and, perhaps, learn it by rote, with as much ease as he before learnt his religious one. The prefent Expofition of the Church Catechifm, is neither so voluminous nor fo compendious as fome other productions of the fame kind. The Compiler feems to be a moderate, fenfible, and pious Paftor; who, from a tender regard to his flock, has chiefly defigned this publication for their use, when he fhall be able to fpeak to them no more; as well as to fupply at prefent, in fome measure, what is wanting in him to expound every Lord's-day a portion of the Catechifm, fo as that the whole may be finished within the year: being difcouraged from purfuing this method with conflancy, by the general neglect of fending young perfons to receive inftruction-and likewife often finding it too great a fatigue to expand after the other duty of the day.' He candidly acHowleges, knowleges, that this is rather an abftract of what others have written, than a compofition wholly new; and he profeffes, that he has been careful to reject all unmeaning or abfurd expreffions, and imaginary proofs from Scripture, which are no proofs: his aim being to give a plain Expofition, fuited to common capacities-in which defign, we think, he has been as fuccefsful as can be expected, on fo nice and dif ficult a fubject! Art. 4. An Efay on Gratitude, confidered as a religious Duty, or focial Virtue In Two Parts.. By Edward Watkinson, M. D. Author of an Effay on Economy, Sheffield printed for the Author, 1763. This little tract abounds with excellent moral fentiments, which are the natural produce of a good and generous heart, and correspond to the fenfe of holy Scripture, to which the Author makes, all along, marginal references. In this view we heartily recommend it; but cannot 10 entirely approve his doctrinal fentiments: particularly we wish him to reconfider one expreffion, which appears to require at least fome foftening Stupendous proof of the unlimited love of the Suprême Being, that He underwent the moft ignominious death,' &c. Will our Author think it a proper faying-That the Jews killed GOD ALMIGHTY? Art. 5. Epiftola fex ad Amicum de Divinitate Chrifti. Autore Eheu! Quantum eft in Verbis inane! Art. 6. Sermons on the following Subjects; viz. The Refurrection of Chrift illuftrated, and improved-The Gofpel hid from the Wife, and revealed to Babes-The Pharifee, and the Publican The Superiority of the Ways of God to thofe of Men-The Duty of working out our Salvation explained and enforced-Idolatry and Vice alike unmanly-Good Men the Excellent of the Earth-The apoftolical Benediction-Self-examination The Duty of praying for, and confulting the Profperity of our Country. Vol. IId. By the late reverend and learned Mr. John Barker. 8vo. 5s. Buckland. In a fhort advertisement prefixed to this volume we are told, that the, Author, in his life-time, intended publishing a fecond volume of Sermons, and had transcribed several, with a view of revifing them for the Prefs; that a very acute disease, which feized him in advanced life, prevented his compleating his defign; and that the Editor, to whom he left all his papers (with a difcretionary power to publish any of them he thought proper) has felected thofe which compofe this volume, from many others. In regard to the Sermons, they are plain, fenfible, ferious Difcourfes; but contain nothing that demands a more particular account. Rev. April, 1763. Y Art. Art. 7. Sermons on various practical Subjects. By the Rev. John Young, D. D. 12mo. 2 Vols. 6s. bound. Becket. There is nothing in the ftyle or manner of these Difcourfes, that diftinguithes them from the many productions of the fame kind which are daily offered to the public. The Author appears to be a man of fenfe and judgment, and the Reader, who has a keen spiritual appetite, will find good wholefome nourishment in his Sermons. Art. 8. The Conciliator. 4to. Is. Harrison. A folemn, unintelligible rhapfody. Art. 9. Ignorance the Deftruction of God's People; and the Ways and Means to prevent it: Being the Subftance of Two Difcourfes on Hofea iv. 6. My people are deftroyed for lack of knowlege. Preached in the Parish Church of Sutton-Coldfield, in Warwickshire, 1763. By the Rev. John Riland, M. A. Curate of the faid Parish. 8vo. Is. Baldwin. Mr. Riland's principles, and prefent performance, are congenial with thofe of Mr. Walker, of whofe Sermons we gave an account in our Review for November laft, page 362. POETICA L. Art. 10. The Ruins of Netley Abbey. A Poem. By George Keate, Efq; 4to. 6d. Dodfley. • The remains of Netley Abbey, which afford a fubject for the following poem, are fituated on the fide of the Southampton river, about three miles from that town. It was a monaftery, founded by King Heary the third, in the year 1239, for Ciftercian Monks, and dedicated to St. Mary and St. Edward. The grand and extenfive ruins which are fill exifting, added to the beauty of the fcenery around them, much attract the curiofity and admiration of Strangers.' With regard to the execution of this poem, we were fomewhat dif appointed. We had entertained a favourable opinion of Mr. Keate's defcriptive powers, from his ALPS, a Poem, and hoped, from his NETLEY ABBEY, fomething new and ftriking, both in the picturesque and the moral part-Both, however, are, in general, very trite: Now funk, deferted,.and with weeds o'ergrown, Yon aged walls their better years bewail; Low on the ground their loftieft fpires are thrown, Again: Thefe fpeaking ftones one facred truth maintain, That duft to duft is man's predeftin'd lot; See Review, vol. XXVIII. page 376. But But there is one most beautiful froke of pairing in m. line which is worth the whole beide! au de Now fainter to the view each chan In the clear Weft, the Day's at ream re in, Art. 11. Liberty in the Suds, or Modern Cheref philus Hogarth, Gent. 4:0. 15. 62 Natl The modern characters here exhibed, are Wise and Ch If the appetite of the pabic is not already cityed wa ka fare, let it regale itself at this eighteen-penny ordinary: for our par we have had enough of it! Art. 12. A Sketch of the Beau Monde. 472. 15 Bri Or rather,―The Groans of an empty Stomach: for this Art. 13. A Hint to fuch as would be wife. 470. 21 62 This is, faving the abufe of the term, a poetical work could ven chapters, the fubjects of which are.—the Supreme Bang, kijka 2 the Fall of the disobedient Spirits-Creation-Rege Minerals-Man and Magnetifm. To the whole is prefsed a Proía e sé some length; and every thing might have been very well, but for little misfortune not unfrequent in tears attempts to see h thor is utterly incapable of writing either proie w poety. Art. 14. The Contest. A Pum.. 11. 64. Almon. The subject of this trafh is the late Cambridge eliiton. The Asthor is an induftrious old cock, and fouton for a dinner, in the college bog-houses. Art. 15. Privilege. A Prem. 4to. 1s. 6d. Almon. Agreeably to the present mode of pushcation, a book has no more connection with its title page than a woman of rafhin with her Lord. A title is the object of both; and that obtained, every thing is ob tained. Privilege, a poem, contains nothing more than fome impertinent abufe of living Poets, and dead Kings. Art. 16. Extract of a private Letter to a Critic. By J. Carr. Folio. 6d. Flexney. This poem is conceived in no difigrecable numbers; but the purport of it is fo very private and particular, that the generality of Readers cannot poffibly be entertained by it. Art. Art. 17. Happiness, an Epifle to a Friend. 4to. 6d. Dodfley. This poem, confidered as a piece of compofition, has but little merit; but a spirit of manly benevolence and piety, which runs through the whole, muft at least recommend the Author, as a man, to the favour of those who cannot praife him as a Poet. The following paffage, which contains a dutiful tribute to the memory of a parent, may be read with approbation: Yet fill ARISTUs with a weight of years, POETICAL-PROSE. * Art. 18. The Trial of Abraham, in Four Books. Tranflated from the German. 12mo. 2 S. Becket. Stop! flop your flying quills, ye high-inhabiting Tranflators! alas! poor Profe! expiring, fee! it bleeds beneath your merciless hands; like Ifaac, blooming child, when Abraham raised the bloody knife, and faid, Now, fon, hear what lamb God hath chosen: tremble not, my dear Jehovah has ordered, and he is Lord over all; he has ordered me to facrifice-thee-thee-to him-thee, mine only fon by thy mo ther-there is no gainfaying his command, though with a bleeding heart I execute it-God gave thee to me; to him thou belongest-he now takes thee away-but it is for thy happiness.Weep not, my child; rather rejoice, that the Most High chufes thy blood preferably to that of the lambs in the vale !' Forgive, Father of Truth and Wifdom, the impious piety of thy poor erring creatures ! THEATRICAL. Art. 19. Ifrael in Babylon. An Oratorio. The Mufic felected from the Works of George-Frederick Handel, Efq; 4to. Is. Kearfly, The fubject of this Drama may be found in the fecond, third, and fourth chapters of the first book of Efdras. The Mufic is Mr. Handel's, except fome of the Recitatives; the Author, however, in order to give the public a collection not common, has borrowed but two movements from the Oratorios of that great Mafter: the other parts are taken from his Anthems, and his Operas; to which are added, fome favourite fugues and airs from his Concertos. As to the poetical merit of the piece, the Author thinks the difficulty of writing to this kind of |