Her hand fhe gave, and with it gave her heart, With wit accomplish'd, and with virtue bleft: Ere twice the fun perform'd his annual round, In one fad fpot where kindred ashes lie,' O'er Wife, and Child, and Parents, clos'd the ground; The lofs of fo much excellence and innocence is pathetically deplored in the following extremely tender, yet animated ftrains: -My thoughts rov'd frantic round, No hope, no wish, beneath the fun remain'd; With pity, meeknefs, charity infpir'd. The face with rapture view'd, I view no more, Yet the lov'd accents fall on Mem'ry's ear. Should the Author's anguifh of mind permit him ever to revise this little piece, and give it any farther polish and finishing, we should be glad to fee, in a fecond edition, that the last line but one hath undergone the file: To virtue's path our vague fteps to controul. The public was, a few years ago, obliged to the mufe of Amwell, for Elegies Descriptive and Moral.' See Review, vol. xxiii, p. 68. Art. 27. Original Poems on feveral Occafions. By C. R. 4to. §s. fewed. Harris. 1769. The fair Author of thefe poems is undoubtedly a woman of sense; for there is nothing very filly in her whole collection. She writes a pretty fong. Art. 28. Poemata, Au&tore Oxon. nuper Alumno. 12mo. 1 s. 6d. Bathurst. 1769. Thefe Latin poems are moftly tranflations, from fome of our best English poets; but they are unfaithful in the worst sense of the word; for they not only fail, very often, to give us the beauties of the original, but they even change the ideas. Thus that picturefque line in the Church-yard Elegy, The The plowman homeward plods his weary way, is rendered by Lata domum fectit veftigia feffus arator. This is faying quite another thing. And of that fine line, Slow thro' the church-way path we saw him borne, no notice is taken. Useless epithets are often introduced to fill up the verse : Finitimis læté vox repetita jugis. Anheli would not have made its entrance here, had it not confifted of one short fyllable and two long ones. Nor is the Author more correct in his original poems. Thus he talks of feeing the cries of children : Aft ego jam video rixas, variofque tumultus, The collection concludes with a puerile poem on the birth of the Prince of Wales, which was justly refufed a place in the Oxford poems on that occafion. Art. 29. Temora, Liber primus, Verfibus Latinis expreffus. Auctore Roberto Macfarlan, A. M. 4to.. 1 S. Becket. 1769. There is fomething in the genius and ftyle of Offian's poetry fo very different from the fubdued fpirit and unadventurous manner of the Roman claffics, particularly the chafter claffic poets, that Mr. Macfarlan has, certainly, no very eafy tafk in this verfion of Temora: for to fucceed in his attempt, it is neceffary that he should unite the native eafe and perfpicuity of Virgil with the fire of Lucan and the luxuriance of Claudian. How he has thus far fucceeded, the following description of the Evening and of a Celtic Spectre will give our Readers fome idea: Occidui folis jam fumma cacumina Dora Ille fed in proprio vanefcens flamine tranfit, This poem is intended as a fpecimen of a Latin translation of all the poems of Offian, which will be published by subscription, with Mr. Macpherson's notes. Art. 30. The melancholy Student. A Poem. Written at Queen's College, Oxford, in the Year 1765. 4to. 6d. Rivington. This little piece, which is written in ftanzas of four verses, each conLifting of ten fyllables, deplores the Writer's great weakness of body, and dejection of mind: it was written during a lingering illness, when the. Author Author was in his 17th year; but tho' these circumftances might apologize to a friend for its imperfections, what bufinefs has a piece that needs fuch an apology in public? With merit, relative to the age or fituation of the Author, the public has no concern. If the lamplighter's laft Christmas-prefent to his masters and miftreffes, had been written by a child of fix years old, it would have been extraordinary; but doggerel would not for that reafon have given the pleafure of poetry. The poems that Pope wrote when he was a boy would never have been publifhed, if the age of the Author had been thought a neceffary apology for imperfection. Art. 31. The Court of Thefpis; being a Collection of the most ad mired Prologues and Epilogues that have appeared for many Years; written by the most approved Wits of the Age. 12mo. 1 s. 6 d. fewed. Richardfon and Urquhart. 1769. A book containing nothing but prologues and epilogues, detached from the several dramas to which they refpectively belong, having no merit of originality to recommend it, muft depend entirely, for acceptance from the public, on the taste of the collector, and the completeness of the felection. This compilement we apprehend is very deficient in both these refpects. With regard to choice, indeed, it is a matter which depends on ideas of excellence, for which we have no ftandard; but what excufe will the Editor offer, for omitting the much-admired prologue spoken by Mr. Garrick at the opening of Drury-Lane Theatre in 1747 and what apology, for this omiffion, can he make, in particular, to Mr. Garrick, to whom his collection is dedicated? DRAMATIC. Art. 32. Richard in Cyprus, a Tragedy. By T. Teres. 8vo. 1 s. 6d. Blyth. The Author of this tragedy appears to be a man of good fenfe, but he fails in genius, judgment and taffe. Art. 33. The Favourite, an Hiftorical Tragedy. 8vo. Is 6d. Bell. An impudent and defpicable attempt to introduce a ftupid play, founded on the intrigues of Sejanus, to public notice, by means of the public difcontent. Such wretches as the Editor of this dull, tho' ftolen, tragedy, deferve the fame punishment with the robbers at a fire. Art. 34. Amintas, an English Opera, as performed at Covent Garden. Ŏvo. I S. Lowndes. Founded on the ftory of Alexander's raifing the poor gardener to the throne of Sidon, in the room of Strato, the tyrant, whom he had depofed. Metaftafio was the firft who thought of thus emafculating the Macedonian hero; and, fince him, feveral of our English poetafters of the drama, apeing the ingenious Italian as Alexander's courtiers mimicked his wry neck, have also presumed to cut down this illuftrious character to an opera-finger. "Alexander the Great, Mr. Reinhold!"-Was ever military glory fo vilely degraded as in fuch instances! Art. 35. The Brothers: a Comedy. As it is performed at the Theatre Royal in Covent-Garden. 8vo. I s. 6d. Griffin. See Quintus Curtius, B. iv. Ch. 1. The The Author of this play plumes him felf on its being an original†.— He is much in the right; for there is nothing, that we know of, like it, among all the comic productions of the English theatre. It hath, however, had a good run; and, perhaps, not without reason. We have not feen it performed, but, we are told, it does not act amifs though, moft certainly, to ufe another town phrafe, it does not read at all. Report gives this piece to the author of The Summer's Tale, a Comedy of three acts: fee Review, vol. xxxiii. Art. 36. The Spanish Lady, a Mufical Entertainment, in Two Acts. Founded on the plan of the old Ballad. As performed at Covent-Garden. 8vo. 1s. Cooper. The well-known ballad of The Spanish Lady who woo'd an English man,' is here wrought up into a mufical drama, in which the fimplicity of the old fong is well preferved; at the fame time that the piece, though it fhews but few marks of genius in the compofition, is not ill adapted to the entertainment of a modern audience. NOVEL S. Art. 37. The Reward of Virtue; or the Hiftory of Mifs Polly Graham. Intermixed with feveral curious and interesting Incidents in the Lives of feveral Perfons of both Sexes, remarkable for the fingular Adventures which befel them. To which is added, a brief Description of Bounty-Hall, and its Inhabitants. 12mo. 2 s. 6d. Rofon. A jumble of improbable and ill-connected tales. Art. 38. Fatal Obedience; or the Hiftory of Mr. Freeland. 12mo, 2 Vols. 6s. Noble. Novels in general are calculated for youthful readers, but fome are proper alfo for the perufal of parents; and among those of the laft clafs, may be mentioned the affecting hiftory of Mr. Freeland. Age has its vices as well as youth; but the danger of infifting on either, is the affording the other an opportunity of fheltering its follies under the cenfure paffed on the oppofite extreme If matrimonial bargains are fhewn to be productive of fatal confequences, the principle is ufed as a fanction for yielding to hafty blind attachments, which are equally deftructive of conjugal felicity: if the folly of the latter is fhewn, it is used as an argument, aided by age and experience, for making money the only inducement, where affection and suitable perfonal circumstances alone can enfure domestick felicity. Thus much however is clear, that the parties themselves are the perfons mofily interested in matrimonial connexions, and though affections on either fide may be misplaced, no marriage can be juftifiable where both or either party are averfe to it. We must not enter into the particulars of this ftory; which nevertheless is not ill told, and will greatly interest any Reader, whofe nature is not deftitute of tender feelings for the diftreffes of other people. + From no man's jeft he draws felonious praise, 3 PROLOGUE. Art. 39. Art. 39. The French Lady. A Novel. izmo. 2 Volumes. Lowndes. 6 s. An amufing ftory, but rather abounding too much with chit-chat. Art. 40. The Ladies Mifcellany. Containing, I. Entertaining Novels. II. Family Pictures: or, Domeftic Life, exhibited and contrafted in various fituations. III. Flights of Fancy: or, Original Essays in Profe and Verfe. IV. Modern Characters difplayed: or, Dialogues of the Living. The whole calculated for the Amusement and Instruction of the British Fair. 12mo. 2 Volumes. 6 s. Lowndes. An infipid medley. MISCELLANEOUS. Art. 41. The beauties of biftory; or Pictures of Virtue and Vice, drawn from real Life: defigned for the Inftruction and Entertainment of Youth. By L. M. Stretch. M. A. 12mo. 2 vols. 6s. Dilly. The nature of this compilation, may be readily apprehended at firft view from the title. Mr. Stretch has collected from antient and modern authors, the most remarkable inftances of virtue and vice claffed under the refpective heads alphabetically: each head or fubdivifion of the work is introduced with general reflections, of which the fucceeding inftances are given as illuftrations. The whole may be confidered as an inftructive and entertaining mifcellany. Art. 42. The Lovers: or, The Memoirs of Lady Sarah B- and the Countess of P. Published by Mr. Treyfac de Vergy, Counfellor of the Parliament of Paris. 8vo. 5s. Rofon. 1769. We have perufed, with great indignation, a series of forged letters, written in the names and characters of feveral perfons of distinction, and founded on the ftory of Lady Sarah By's elopement with Lord William G-n. So vile an abuse of the prefs cannot be too highly resented; especially as the fhameless Scribbler who has thus dared to impofe on the public, has had the additional effrontery to fign his name, not only in print, but also with his dirty pen, in the title-pages of this fraudulent production :-a production which is no lefs deteftable for its licentious principles, than for its fcandalous imposture. After thus allowing fcope to our (we truft) laudable refentment of the dishonest authorship of this foreign Scandal-monger, it is not unpleasant, by the way, to obferve how uniformly the Mejdames By and Py, and Mers. Lord William Gn, Capt. F― and Sir Charles By, all write in exactly the fame flippant and affected ftyle; and ftill more pleasant to hear them all expreffing themselves in broken English.-When De Vergy writes English as De Vergy the Frenchman, we eafily pafs over any flight imperfections of language; * De Vergy is an adventurer from the continent, who has, for fome years, honoured this country with his refidence; and feems to have taken up the trade (in aid of his counsellorship in the parliament of Paris) ribbling, in its moft difreputable branches. Such pefts of fociety but too well justify what was faid of our emporium, by one of our own fatirifts: "London, the needy villain's general home, The common-fhore of Paris and of Rome." but |