pany, Nath determined to fhew his refentment the first opportunity that offered. Accordingly, when fupper was brought in, Mr. Nath was remarkably affiduous in helping the Gentleman to the best upon the table, taking care to fupply his plate when he faw it near empty. Upon this one of the company defired to know his reafon for this extraordinary attention to the filent perfon. To which Nash replied, I affure you, it is from the tenderness of my difpofition, for I cannot bear to fee dumb crea tures want. Mr. Nafh foliciting a Nobleman for a fubfcription to a public charity, his Lordship being fomewhat out of temper, put him off, telling him he would confider of it; but Nath begged hard for a pofitive answer then, yes or no. To which the Nobleman replied, No, I tell you, no: I thank your Lordship, fays Nash, taking out his lift, how much fiell I fet you down? What do you mean, faid the Peer, I gave you a negative? My Lord, returned Nash, you said no, tavice; and I need not inform your Lordship, that two negatives make an affirmative. The recital of a piece of a wit, or a jeft, fhould always end with the expreffion or action on which the humour turns; but a dull Story-teller ever concludes with a tail-piece of infignificant circumftances; and fpoils all, with an affurance that the Gentleman was fo well pleased with the • smartness of the repartee, that he put his hand in his pocket (as the prefent performance fomewhere has it) and gave the fellow a crown for his wit. We have taken the liberty to dock this Gentleman's tails, in both the foregoing inftances. Art. 25. The Hiftory of France, from Pharamond to Charles IX. Tranflated from the French of Boffuet, Bishop of Meaux. Edinburgh. 12mo. 4 vols. 12s. Donaldíon. We are given to understand, in the preface, that the work now before us, though it hath Mr. Boffuet's name to it, was the performance of a young perfon of a very extraordinary rank: no less than the Dauphin, only fon of Lewis XIV. and grandfather of Lewis XV. now reigning. This anecdote we have in an extract of a letter from the Bishop of Meaux to Pope Innocent XII. relating the manner in which the Dauphin's ftudies were conducted: the following is pa t of it. "We have taught him hiftory; and as that is the school of human life, and of politics, we have done it with great exactness: but we have been chiefly careful to teach him that of France, which is peculiarly his own. We have not, however, given him the trouble to perule books, and excepting fome national authors, like Philip de Comines, and du Bellai, of which we have made him read the most beautiful paffages, we have ourselves been at the fountain head, and have extracted out of the most approved authors, what might be most useful to make him understand the series of affairs. Of thefe, we recited by word of mouth, as much as he could easily retain; we made him repeat what we had recited: he wrote it in French, and then turned it into Latin. On Saturday, he read over, without interuption, the whole he compofed during the week; and our work increafing, we divided it into books, which we made him read over again very frequently t.' + Vid. the Bishop's whole letter, in tome ii. of Recueil des œuvres de M. Boffuet. of A perfon must be little acquainted with the method in which the ftudies of royal pupils are conducted, not to be able to judge, how far fuch a work as this may properly be faid to be the peformance of the Dauphin: he must be lefs acquainted with the manners of a court and of courtiers, not to know with what address an artful prelate, writing to the Pope, would acquit himself, and in how favourable a light he would endeavour to place the abilities of his pupil; and leaft of all muft he be acquainted with the character of. Mr. Boffuet, not to know what fort of a hiftory to expect, when he was the fountain-head from which it was to flow.-The ingenious writer of the Letters concerning mythology, hath strongly marked the character of this prelate, and, in a very agreeable manner, contrafted it with another, archbishop Fenelon's, in almost every refpect its oppofite: with this we shall difmifs the prefent article. "Boffuet," he fays, "was a prelate of vaft parts, learned, eloquent, artful, and afpiring. By thefe qualities he rofe to the first dignities in the Galican church; while another of finer fancy, and better heart, humble, holy, and fincere, was cenfured at Rome, and difgraced at the French court. Both were entrusted with the edcuation of princes, and acquitted themselves of thofe duties in a very different manner. The one endeavoured to make his royal pupil noble, virtuous, and just, a father to his people, and a friend to mankind, by the maxims of his inimitable TELEMAQUE. The other, in his difcourfes upon univerJal biftory, is perpetually turning his princes eyes from mankind to the CHURCH, as the facred object of his care, from whose everlasting stem whoever feparates is loft; and for whofe interefts, in the extirpation of herefy, and aggrandizement of her minifters, he is like his father, Lewis XIV. to exert all the power he has received from God ‡." ↑ Vid. Let, concerning Mythol. 16th letter ; and Difc. fur l'hift, univerf. part ii. § 12. Art. 26. The School for Wives, in a Series of Letters. 12mo. 3s. DodЛley. To treat this little production with any degree of feverity would be unpardonable, as it is the performance of a lady; and, if we may be permitted to judge from the prevailing fpirit and tendency of the piece, a lady of moft amiable difpofition and character. A critical reader would perhaps be inclined to cenfure the ftyle in which the letters are wrote, as formal and ftiff; deftitute of that eafe, which we always expect from a female pen, and efpecially in compofitions of this kind; and not fufficiently diverfified for the variety of characters that are introduced. The open and unartful manner, in which the fable itself is conducted, will likewise be judged an imperfection. But, if without the fpirit of criticism, and with a difpofition in favour of virtue, the female reader can overlook these defects, and refign herself to the conduct of our amiable inftructor; who, not from the love of fame, but a much nobler principle, is here difpenfing the wifeft and moft important maxims; fhe may hope, if not delighted with the elegancy of her entertainment, to be improved by it. In every attempt to communicate the fage inftructions of virtue and wisdom, and efpe cially to the gay and unthinking part of mankind, for whom this fpecies of writing feems principally intended, we could wish to fee the utile and the dulce, the improving and the entertaining agreeably interwoven at the fame time, where a performance discovers internal marks, that it was the principal intention of its author to promote virtue and good manners, and is in fome good measure calculated to answer this worthy purpofe; we do not think ourfelves at liberty to speak of it in that pert and fiippant manner, which thofe, who value themselves for their critical skill, fometimes do. Art. 27. The Lady's Compleat Letter-Writer; being a Collection of Letters written by Ladies, not only on the more important, religious, moral, and focial Duties, but on Subjects of every other Kind that ufually intereft the Fair Sex. 12mo. 2s. 6d. Lownds. Collected from former compilations of the fame kind, from Richardfon's letter-writing novels, and from our best periodical papers. This book may afford both amusement and inftruction to the young ladies of the prefent age, who have greatly the advantage of their grandmothers, in regard to models for epiftolary writing. In the laft age, the poor pedantic academy of compliments, or fuch like trafh, contained the belt forms and rules for managing every kind of correfpondence ; but in these more cultivated times, the cafe is greatly altered. However, after all, a knowlege of true politeness, and the manners by which perfons, in what is called genteel life, are diftinguished, can only be attained by mingling, and freely converfing, with fuch perfons, upon an equal footing. Art. 28. Every Woman her own Broker; or, a new Guide to the Alley: Illuftrated with Examples in real Life. Containing proper and neceffary Inftructions for every Woman, and plainly pointing out the Method of making the most of her own Charms, without the Affiftance of Female Brokers, Tally-Women, &c. &c. 12mo. 3s. Cooke. Need we inform the reader, that this work has no relation to the tranfactions of Change Alley? The title fufficiently intimates its defig. nation to a different quarter of the town. The ladies of a certain ftamp are much obliged to this writer for his kind hints; but the pimps and bawds will not thank him for endeavouring to fpirit up the faid ladies to the laudable refolution of trading wholly on their own account; and not to fuffer the brokers of Drury Lane and Covent Garden to run away with the greatest part of the produce of their labour and industry. Get a'l you can, and keep what you get, is the moral of this precious performance. Art. 29. Critical Obfervations on the tragic Opera of Orion; in a Courfe of Letters to a Country Gentleman: In which the Poetry, Mufic, Tranflation, Performers, and Decorations of that Piece, are impartially examined; with a Word or two on Artaxerxes. 8vo. IS.. Fourdrinier. The -- The literary compofition of thofe Italian operas that have been exhi bited on the English theatre was always beneath the dignity of criticism; and tho' the opera of Osion approaches fomewhat nearer to common fenfe, it is fufficiently ridiculous to fave its credit as an opera. This letter writer has made fome filly obfervations about it, and about it, and feems in all refpects unqualified for the office of a critic. He tells us, that the moral of this opera is good; would he not find a moral in a puppet-fhew? that this is not the first time an English ear has been delighted with the concord of Sweet Jounds; - how wonderful!— that Mr. Bottarelli's abilities depend on a paltry penfion; great more aftonishing ftill! But let us not be too rafh in our judgment, for this author tells us, that "to be capable of judging right in an affair of this nature, there needs a clear head, that can patiently apply various antecedent incidents to pofterior caufes." If there be any fenfe in this jargon, it means, that we should apply what is before us to what is behind us. We take the hint, and fhall make the application accordingly. Art. 30. The Univerfal Director; or, the Nobleman and Gentleman's true Guide to the Mafters and Profeffors of the liberal and polite Arts and Sciences; and of the mechanic Arts, Manufactures, and Trades, eftablished in London and Westminster, and their Environs. By Mr. Mortimer. 8vo. 5s. Coote. The plan of this work is certainly a good one; and if the defign be not fully completed in this first edition, in which are many defects, there is no doubt that it will, in the future impreffions, be carried as far towards perfection, as the fluctuating nature of fuch a compilement will admit. Mr. Mortimer, to whom the public are alfo obliged for the book entitled Every man his own broker †, has divided his work into three parts; the first of which contains, in alphabetical order, the names and places of abode of the moft eminent artifts in painting, architecture, sculpture, drawing, modelling, engraving, &c. To thefe are annexed, the mafters and profeffors in mufic, medicine, furgery, &c. The fecond part contains the principal mechanic artists and manufacturers; and the third confits of feparate lifts of the merchants, bankers, agents, attornies, brokers, and notaries; with the molt eminent warehoufemen, and fhopkeepers in London and Westminster. + See Review, vol. xxiv. p. 442. Art. 31. The dramatic Hiftory of Mafter Edward, Mifs Ann, Mrs. Llwbuddwhydd, and others, the Extraordinaries of thefe Times. Illuftrated with Copper-plates. 12mo. 3s. 6d. fewed. Waller. An imitation of Triftram Shandy, attempted in low humour, with tolerable fuccefs. The perfons meant by Mafter Edward and Mifs Ann, are Mr. Shuter the comedian, and Mifs Nancy Dawson the hornpipe dancer. The copper-plates are many in number, and most of them very droll ones. The Remainder of the Catalogue, with the Sermons, in our next.) 3 THE MONTHLY REVIEW, For MAY, 1763. Debates of the House of Commons, from the Year 1667 to the Year 1694. Collected by the Hon. Anchitel Grey, Efq; Vols. VII. and VIII. T (Article continued from Page 267.) · HE volumes now under our confideration, contain many curious particulars with relation to a part of the English hiftory, which, perhaps, will ever remain fomewhat dark and obfcure-We mean, the account of the Popish Plot, which diftracted the furious Partizans of thofe days, and has fince divid ed fuch as take blind zeal and prejudice for their guide. They who have taken the pains to examine the evidence with respect to this myfterious affair, will probably entertain no doubt that a confpiracy was formed by the Papifts, though, perhaps, they will not give credit to all the circumftances related by the defperate and profligate Informers, who turned Evidence on behalf of the Crown. : These Informers, however, did not render very acceptable fervice to his Majefty and it is well known, that he was extremely anxious to have fuppreffed the intelligence he received in relation to this confpiracy. He was violently offended with the Secretary, who, contrary to his defire and command, communicated the affair to the Houfe of Commons. Charles, who was not deficient in point of fagacity, well knew, that the Houfe, under the mafk of affected zeal for the fecurity of his perfon, would fift this affair to the bottom, and difcover many VOL. XXVIII. Z fecret |