the Mimic) as very pretty, light, fummer reading: to which the Letters of Meffrs. Erikine and Bofwell may be added, as a proper fupplement.

The little pieces in verfe, interfperfed through thefe Letters, have no difagreeable effect, as they are not the least valuable parts of the collection; but of thefe our Readers will require no tranfcripts, as we have fo frequently given them fufficient proofs of the Author's poetical merit. Of his profe-writings too, they have feen an ample fpecimen, taken from his Solyman and Almena*: but here he appears in a new light, and has ventured into the pleafant province of humour. How far he is able to make a diftinguished figure in this province, in which fo few are qualified by nature to fucceed, may be in fome meafure inferred from the following fhort Letter, which is neither the brightest nor the dulleft in the feries.

LETTER XXXV. Vol. I.

"YOU must not expect the news of the world from hence: though fo near London, we are as much fequeftered as you are in the woods of ***. No couriers pafs through this place, except fuch as are difpatched from the lowland Farmers to the Salefmen in Smithfield. We know no more about the Peace than the Compilers of news-papers, or the Authors of weekly lucubrations; and the Aura politica, the whisper of the day, dies long before it reaches D.

"Of late, however, we have been honoured with the prefence of two eminent perfonages. One of thefe I take to have been a foreigner; for though he was himself dreffed like an Englishman, yet the garb of his fervant was very particular. He wore a fhort coat, variegated with fhreds and patches of feveral colours, and his breeches were partly in the form of trowfers, defcending to the middle of his legs. This fellow always proclaimed the approach of his mafter by found of trumpet, upon which fummons the whole village affembled to meet him. He was richly apparelled in velvet and gold, and seemed to be of a very benevolent difpofition; for he would frequently condefcend to talk to the poor inhabitants of this place, and to give them inftructions concerning their health. I was much edified by hearing him fpeak, which I could, even in my chamber, for his voice was loud, and he ufually afcended a fcaffold'; but as he was a foreigner, his language was fomewhat hard to be understood. I am told that he makes it his bufinefs to go from

• See Review, vol. XXVI. page 254.

town

town to town, to preferve the health of mankind; and that, notwithstanding the magnificence of his dress, he is fo humble, that he will sometimes vouchfafe to pull out the aching tooth of a Mantua-maker, or a milk maid. What an honour to human nature is fuch benevolence and humility! One thing, however, I could not but behold with indignation. This was the infufferable impertinence of his fervant. The domeftics of foreigners, I know very well, are admitted to greater liberties than those of our own country; but this rogue in the long breeches, was eternally playing tricks with his Mafter, and mimicking him even in his moft ferious and humane fpeeches.

"The other eminent perfon who honoured us with his prefence, was no other than the celebrated Mr. Powel. A moft. wonderful man this! who, I fuppofe, has formerly existed in fome comet, and dropped from its tail, upon too near an approach to the earth. His common food is fire and brimstone, which he licks up with the fame avidity as a hungry peasant would a mefs of peafe-pottage. This he has done before Princes, Peers, and Potentates, to their no fmall emolument and fatiffaction. This Audax lapeti genus, has not only literally eaten afhes for bread, but even red hot cinders, and glowing charcoal; nay, fuch is his paffion for this terrible element, that were he to come hungry into your kitchen, and find a Sir-Loin upon the fpit, he would eat up the fire, and leave the beef. It is very furprizing that the friends of true merit, as he expreffes himself in his bill, have not thought of promoting him. We live in an age that is by no means unfavourable to men of genius. Mr. Johnfon has been honoured with a royal penfion, for writing well, and Mr. Sheridan for speaking well; but Mr. Powell, for eating well, is ftill unrewarded; obliged to wander from place to place; and, inftead of indulging himself in private with his favourite element, is under the uncomfortable neceffity of eating in public, and helping himself from the kitchin fire of fome paultry ale-house. O Tempora! O Mores!"

As we proceed through thefe little tomes, their contents feem to rife in importan e; and in the fecond volume we find a variety of ingenious criticism, and remarks on the ftudy of poetry, which evince the Author's abilities as a claffical Scholar, and his good tafte in polite literature.

MONTHLY

MONTHLY CATALOGUE,

For JUNE,

1763.

RELIGIOUS and CONTROVERSIAL.

Art. 1. A Difcourfe on Freedom of Thinking in Matters of Religion; with its juft Limits and Temper, neither indifferent nor intolerant. 8vo. 5s. Fletcher. Printed at Oxford, 1763.

WE

E have here a new edition of a treatife once held in great repute, written by the famous Dr. Taylor*, on The Liberty of Prophecying. Shewing the Unreasonableness of preferibing to other Men's Faith, and the Iniquity of perfecuting different Opinions. It was formerly printed with the Author's other works, but is now re-printed feparately, with a view, fays the Editor," of promoting thofe principles, with which, in proportion as they are promoted or discountenanced, Chriftianity mu itfelf flourish or decay." For the alteration of the title, the following reafon is given, and we think it sufficient to excufe the liberty taken with the good old Divine of the laft age, viz. "The old Title feems to have caufed a prejudice against even enquiry after the book, as the Editor owns was the cafe of himself, and every one of his acquaintance." It is very true, that many have been prevented from looking into this truly fenfible and candid performance, through a diflike of the original title; a title too, which was not fo properly adapted to the work, as that now given it by the Editor: whofe benevolent view in re-printing it, at this juncture, deferves the acknowlegements of all true friends to religious freedom-Notwithstanding which, as fo many excellent treatiles of this kind have appeared fince Dr. Taylor's time t, written in a ftyle and manner more agreeable to the present tafte for literary compo. fition, it is to be feared, that our Editor will not find fo quick a fale for his impreflion as he probably expected, and we fincerely with him ;more efpecially do we with it, as productions of this flamp do not commonly ifue from the Oxford prefs; which we hope to see henceforth

Bishop of Downe and Connor in Ireland. This voluminous Writer died in the year 1667.

Notwithstanding the ftyle of Bifhop Taylor's writings may now be thought fomewhat exploded and uncouth, his books have been deemed not inelegant; and the efteem in which he was held, may be gathered from the following character given of him by his fucceffor, Bishop Ruft. "This great Prelate, fays he, had the good humour of a Gentleman, the eloquence of an Orator, the fancy of a Poet, the acuteness of a Schoolman, the profoundness of a Philofopher, the wisdom of a Chancellor, the fagacity of a Prophet, the reafon of an Angel, and the piety of a Saint. He had devotion enough for a cloifter, learning enough for a univerfity, and wit enough for a college of Virtuofi: and had his parts and endowments been parcelled out among his poor Clergy that The left behind him, it would, perhaps, have been one of the best dio cefes in the world."

abounding

abounding in good works, fuch as may tend to promote the best interes of mankind, their liberties, civil and religious.

Art. 2. The Scheme for erecting an Academy at Glasgow, fet forth in its own proper Colours. In a Letter from a Society of the Inhabitants of that City, who are not yet tainted with a Tafte for Literature, to their Brethren of the fame Principles at Paifley. 8vo. 6d. Glasgow, 1762.

Some wicked Wag at Glasgow has amufed himself with jeering the tafte and difpofitions of his townfmen, and the little regard fhewn by them to a judicious tract lately publifhed, entitled, "The Defects of univerfity Education," &c. which referred particularly to the improvement of education at that place: the fmall inclination the people of Glasgow and Paisley manifeft to profit by the fcheme therein recommended, this unfound Member of the Kirk has ridiculed in the character of one of a fociety united to oppofe the advancement of literary knowlege. He here fuppofes the establishment of an academy would open the narrow minds of his countrymen, and infpire them with generous fentiments, which he confiders as incompatible with their prefent greedy attachment to trade; but more especially as tending to wean mankind from an implicit reverence to good old found prefbyterian orthodoxy; which, beyond all things, they ought carefully to guard againft.

At first view, this pamphlet may feem confined to a local application, which, in fact, it is, in fome parts; but the general characters therein ridiculed, are to be found in many places befide Glasgow and Paisley.

Sse Review vol. XXVI. page 234.

Art. 3. A View of the Glory of the Meffiah's Kingdom: Containing a brief Commentary on feveral felect Paffages of the Book of the Revelations, compared with the Old Teftament Prophecies, &c. &c. By Alexander Clarke. 8vo. 2s. 6d. Keith.

It cannot be faid of Mr. Clarke, as was faid of St. Paul, that much learning hath made him mad, for he is a poor ignorant Gardener, from Drumcrief near Moffat in Scotland. It appears from a part of his book, which he entitles, A brief Account of an extraordinary Revelation, and other Things remarkable in the Cowfe of God's Dealings with Alexarander Clarke, that this perfon had fome diforder, probably a fever, in the year 1749, which, we fuppofe, unhappily affected his intellects. "When the Lord, fays he, was pleased to challife me greatly in a bed of affliction, and in the midst of my great trial, it pleafed the Almighty God wonderfully to furprize me with a glorious light round about me; and looking up, I faw ftraight before me a glorious building in the air, as bright and clear as the fun; it was fo vaftly great, fo amiable to behold, fo full of majesty and glory, that it filled my heart with wonder and admiration; the place where this fight appeared to me, was juft over the city of Edinburgh; at the fame inftant I heard, as it were, the mufic-bells of the faid city ring for joy.

" After

"After this, particularly one day in the morning, about the rifing of the fun, as I was mufing on my bye-paft furprizing fight, immediately the spirit of the Lord God fenfibly was poured upon me to fuch a degree, that I was thereby made to fee things done in fecret, and came to find things loft, and knew where to go and find thofe things which were loft."

Poor man! happy had it been for him could he have known where to recover his loft reafon! The book of Revelations was not a likely place for him to find it in. There, however, unfortunately for him, have his researches been chiefly employed; and the result is, that like Bell, the preaching Life-guard man, he is continually raving about the end of the world, and the great and terrible day of the Lord. But this is not the only fubject of his book. Original fin, the doctrine of the Trinity, the fall of Antichrift, and various other topics are difcuffed, in fuch a manner as may be expected from a perfon thus ftrangely qualified to fet up for an Author. It is a misfortune to many people, that ever they were taught to read. Had Alexander Clarke never known the ufe of letters, he might ftill have kept his fenfes, and his place near Moffat in Anandale, which he loft by fetting up for a Prophet; he might alío have faved the "confiderable expence" which he now feems to complain of, in his Apology, of printing the prefent volume, which he muft defray out of the little he has earned with the sweat of his brow." Indeed, we think it scarcely honeft in thofe Printers who are acceffary to fo many wrong-headed and crazy people throwing away their money, in a manner fo abfurd, and which can only ferve to proclaim to the world, the weakness or infanity of the unfortunate Scribblers who refort to them.

MEDICA L.

Art. 4. Receipts for preparing and compounding the principal Medicines made ufe of by the late Mr. Ward; together with an Intro duction, &c. By John Page, Efq; to whom Mr Ward left his Book of Secrets. 8vo. 6d. Whitridge, &c.

Though we may reasonably suppose, the curiofity of the public after fecrets, and especially after fuch medical fecrets as have been thought of frequent and confiderable fervice, may have circulated á fmall pamphlet fufficiently, to render our account of it fuperfluous; yet, in compliance with our plan, we have judged it proper to fay, briefly, of thefe Receipts, that they are introduced by a fenfible Addrefs to the public: from which it is evident, Mr. Page could have no poffible motive, but the good of his fpecies, for publifhing this part of Mr. Ward's book, the whole of which was left entirely to his difpofal.

With refpect to the efficacy of thefe Medicines, he relates only fuch events as had occurred either to himself, to a very few of his acquaintance, or to fome of his domeftics, who had taken them. With regard to the Pills, particularly, he cautions thofe who have unfound Vifera, or Bowels, against the ufe of them..

He acknowleges the Receipts for preparing the Pill and Drop, have not been as yet difcovered in the book. He has given them, however, according to the procefs communicated to him by Mr. White, a Che

mist,