fays Mr. Wilfon, I have feen feveral phials fo effectually repaired, that, after being frequently charged, they were at laft broken by a fpontaneous difcharge, but in a different part of the glass. POETICA L. Art. 24. Sophia to Alonzo; an heroic Epiftle. 4to. Bathurst. 1779. IS: This Epiftle, though conceived with more paffion than tenderness, and expreffed with more force than harmony, is not one of the worlt imitations of Ovid that have come before us. There are ftrokes of nature in it which do credit to the juftness of the Author's pencil. Art. 25. The Lovely Moralift: An Epiftle from a late unfortunate young Lady, to her Lover the M-r-s of C-r-n, a few Hours before her Death, after the News of a late domestic Accident. With Notes and Illuftrations. 4to. 1 s. 6d. Faulder. This Epistle, like the former, is written after the Ovidian model. We have not much to fay in praife of its execution. The impropriety and impertinence, to fpeak in no harfher terms, of making free with private character, merely upon the credit of a newspaper anecdote, are fufficiently obvious. Art. 26. A Collection and Selection of English Prologues and Epilogues; commencing with Shakespeare, and concluding with Garrick. Crown 8vo. 4 Vols. 14 s. bound. Fielding and Co. 1779. The defign of this compilation is to be a refervoir of all the prologues and epilogues in our language, worth preferving, given in a chronological fucceffion, after the manner of Mr. [Dr.] Percy's Collection of ancient English Ballads; fo as to intitle thefe volumes to a place in a library; and by prefenting the various fpecies of them, whether in profe or verfe; in dialogue or declamation; in argument, fupplication, or defiance; to fhew the latitude with which they have and may be used. For our writers have deviated greatly from the original purpose of thefe exordiums and perorations; the licentia poetica of Englishmen partaking the nature of their libertas politica, which fpurns at defpotifm, and would no more be governed by the laws of Aristotle, than by thofe of Alexander.' PREFACE. Art. 27. An Epistle to Jahn Count O'Rourke, Colonel of Horse, Knight of the Royal Order of St. Lewis, and formerly Lord Chamberlain to Stanislaus King of Poland. 4to. I s. Lewis. 1779. A compliment to the Count, reciting his high birth (being de fcended, it is faid, from the ancient Irish Kings), his virtues, his military attainments, and his Military book: fee Review for last June, Art. 41, of the Catalogue. The Poet introduces, likewife, a copious panegyric on the Irish nation; at the fame time lamenting, and enumerating, the great hardships which poor Hibernia hath endured, from the burthens laid upon her by the English; but he gratefully acknowledges the late very favourable regard fhewn to her by government. "Twas thine, great GEORGE, with lenient touch, to calm The foregoing lines are here given as a fair fpecimen of the poetry. 5 MISCEL MISCELLANEOUS. Art. 28. Thoughts on the Times, but chiefly on the Profligacy of our Women, and its Caufes. Addreffed to every Parent, Hufband, and modeft Woman in the three Kingdoms. In two Parts; fhewing First, the Danger of public Incontinence; the Abfurdity of our Female Education; the Folly and bad Tendency of a fashionable Life, and the Evils that arife from French Refinement; and Secondly, how feldom Men-Midwives are neceffary; that their Practice is dangerous-that it is repugnant to Modesty, tends to deftroy the Peace of Families, and endanger Virtue. 12mo. 2 s. 6 d. Bew, &c. An indecent attack upon indecency-on what grounds it is made, we pretend not to judge. Art. 29. The Hiftory of the Royal Abbey of Bec, near Rouen in Normandy. By Dom. John Bourget, Benedictine Monk of the Congregation of St. Maur in the faid Houfe, and Fellow of the Society of Antiquarians of London. Tranflated from the French. 8vo. 3 s. fewed. Conant. 1779. To thofe who are not bleft with the true antiquarian inspiration, this history muft appear as dry and uninterefting, as the register of births and burials in any country church; affording not one curious fact or interesting anecdote: we will not therefore wale either our own time, or that of our Readers, by making any extracts from it. Art. 30. Pictures of Men, Manners, and the Times; interfperfed with Descriptions of the Country, and Rural Enjoyments. Written in the Year 1777. 12mo. 2 Vols. 6 s. bound, Boofey. 1779. These two volumes confift of thirty chapters, each of which treats on fome different topic. They are written in rather a lively manner, and may afford one entertainment, the more, perhaps, because they abound with fatire;-fatire, which, indeed, is frequently too jut, as particularly when it is employed on the remarkable delicacy of the times,' the luxury of the age,' the bleffings of the cardtable,' &c. Art. 31. Lucubrations, Civil, Moral, and Hiftorical. Small 8vo. 1s. 6d. Scott, Chancery-lane. 1779. A man of literary decency would not difgorge indigeftions wantonly in public view, but relieve a weak ftomach from crudities in the utmost privacy. One Shandy in the memory of man is fufficient; but this hodge-podge brother of the fervum pecus tribe has yet to learn, That nine fuch fcribblers will not make a Sterne. Art. 32. Exercifes upon the different Parts of Italian Speech, with References to Veneroni's Grammar: To which is fubjoined, An Abridgment of the Roman Hillory, intended at once to make the Learner acquainted with Hillory, and the Idiom of the Italian Language. By F. Bottarelli, A. M. 12mo. 2 s. 6 d. bound. Nourie. 1778. A work of this kind has been fo much wanted, that it will be a fecient recommendation of thefe Exercifes, to fay, that they appear to be judiciously adapted to facilitate the learning of the Italian lanAge, Art. Art. 33. The Playhoufe Pocket Companion; or, Theatrical Vade Mecum. Containing, I. A Catalogue of all the Dramatic Authors, who have written for the English Stage, with a Lift of their Works, fhewing the Dates of Reprefentation or Publication. II. A Catalogue of Anonymous Pieces. III. An Index of Plays and Authors. In a Method intirely new, &c. To which is prefixed, A Critical History of the English Stage, from its Origin to the prefent Time. With an Inquiry into the Caufes of the Decline of Dramatic Poetry in England. 12mo. 3 s. Richardson and Urquhart. 1779. As great wits are generally faid to have short memories, and may be as liable to have short pockets; they are here offered a memorandum book, filled with names, titles, and dates, equally adapted to the deficiencies of both. Art. 34. The Annals of Europe, or Regal Register; fhewing the Succeffion of the Sovereigns of Rome, Conftantinople, Adrianople, Trebizond, Turkey, Ruffia, Germany, Lombardy, Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, Denmark, Sweden, Hungary, Poland, Pruffia, England, Scotland, and Ireland: Together with the Bishops and Popes of Rome, from the Foundation of their States to the prefent Time: With the principal Events in each of their Reigns, and the Time when they happened. To which are added, Tables of the cotemporary Princes from the Year 800, and an alphabetical Arrangement of all their Names, fhewing the Time of their Acceffion and Death, with concife Characters of all, as handed down by the beft Hiftorians. 8vo. 5 s. Boards. Newbery. 1779. The length of this title-page renders it unneceffary for us to fay any thing in explanation of the defign of this book; and the utility of the defign is too obvious to need illuftration: we have therefore only to remark, that the work feems to be executed with fufficient accuracy to render it a useful manual to the readers of history. In the doubtful periods of antiquity, the common dates are adopted, notwithstanding the decifive arguments by which the Newtonian chronology is fupported. 'Tis attonithing, that in a matter fo clearly decided, and on fuch authority, new writers fhould still blindly follow the beaten track. Art. 35. A View of the Earth, as far as it was known to the Ancients: Being a fhort but comprehenfive System of claffical Geo. graphy, exhibiting, I. A Defcription of the feveral Empires, Kingdoms, and Provinces, their Cities, Towns, Rivers, and Mountains, mentioned in the Greek and Latin Claffics. II. An accurate Abridgment of the Eneid of Virgil and Odyssey of Homer, in a Geographical Defcription of the Voyages of Eneas and Ulyffes. With the Travels and Voyages of St. Paul. Being a Work abfolutely necessary for the right Understanding of the Claffics. Adapted to the Ufe of Schools and Academies, and illuftrated with a new Set of Maps. By R. Turner, junior, of Magdalen Hall, Oxford. Svo. 3s. Boards. Doddey. 1779. As it is probable that the claffics were understood long before this ketch of ancient geography appeared, we cannot, with the Author, pronounce pronounce his work abfolutely neceffary for the right understanding of them: we mult, however, do him the juftice to acknowledge that it is executed in fuch a manner, that it may be very useful to the claffical ftudent. Art. 36. The Dyer's Affiftant in the Art of dying Wool and Woollen Goods. Extracted from the philofophical and chemical Works of Meffrs. Ferguson, Du Fay, Hellot, Geoffroy, Colbert, and Julienne. Tranflated from the French; with Additions and practical Experiments. By James Haigh, Silk and Muflin Dyer, Leeds. 12mo. 5 s. 6 d. fewed. Leeds printed, and fold by Rivington, London. 1778. This appears to be a ufeful compilement, on a fubject concerning which very few books have appeared in this country. The art of dying is, in itself, one of the most curious; and in a commercial view, one of the most important. In a word, it is an art, in the improvement and perfection of which, the philofopher and the mechanic are equally interested. Art. 37. A Dictionary of the Bible; Hiftorical and Geographical; 1778. 8vo. A dictionary of the Bible ought to be wholly confined to the explanation of the proper names and more difficult terms contained in the Bible. Instead of this, we find the technical language of Calviniftic theology, and of puritanical myfticifm, plentifully difperfed in alphabetical fhreds through this volume; the unavoidable confequence of which is, that the literary and fcientific parts of the work are crouded into a very narrow compafs: it may however be of some "ufe to those who have not an opportunity of confulting larger works. Art. 38. Directions to Servants; particularly those who have the Care of Children. 8vo. 6 d. Dodsley, &c. 1779. The Author treats his fubject under the following diftinct heads: -Importance of Servants who have the Care of Children-The real Intereft of Servants-Directions to Servants in regard to Children. On each of these heads the Writer gives a number of fenfible, and fome fingular precepts. Among the first is the following: Take more care in what you fay or do before children than before the world; for they may not only imitate, but misunderstand you.'From the novelties we have felected what follows: Children should have nothing faid to them on religion by fervants. And even parents should avoid it while children are young, and until they have attained all neceffary previous knowledge.'-All prayers fhould be carefully avoided; becaufe children muft mifapprehend them. They should have no idea that a good may be obtained but by a right temper and behaviour;' &c.-As this is a point that merits the moft ample and ferious confideration, furely the Author fhould either have treated it more at large, or have been filent upon it. The little page that he has employed on this fubject, may, perhaps, only ferve to unfettle the minds of many well meaning people, without fatiffying the doubts or fcruples of any individual. Art. Art. 39. Dialogues of the Dead with the Living. 8vo. 4s. Boards. Conant, &c. 1779. In thefe Dialogues, Lord Herbert is conjured up from the vafty deep,' to read his own recantation of his errors, and to perfuade David Hume to do the fame-Shakespeare revisits the glimpfes of the moon,' to give Garrick an opportunity of faying, "Angels and minifters of grace defend us," to praise his merits and reprove his faults, and to cenfure him for making his favourite poet the god of his idolatry' in the Stratford jubilee.-Fielding pays his compliments to Mr. Courtney Melmoth, to whisper in his ear, that he poffeffes an everflowing vivacity, and a fund of genuine wit, which only require that they fhould be chaftened by religion, and curbed by judgment, to render him a molt agreeable writer: that his heart is good, his wit flowing, his language elegantly expreffive; his painting the work of a master, and his powers in the pathetic, fuch as to make every fibre of the finer affections vibrate; that his Pupil of Pleafure is in its defign great and good, and merits the warmest thanks of the friends of virtue-[Oh fie, Mr. Ghoft! furely not!], and that he bids fair to be one of the first writers of the age [O tempora!]—Sherlock leaves the manfions of the bleffed to upbraid Jenyns with infincerity, and to accufe him of arguing weakly with defign, of treating Christianity with coldness and levity, and of throwing out infinuations unfriendly to the Chriftian caufe.-Cowley lays afide his feraphic lyre to reprove Dr. Hurd for publishing a mutilated edition of his works - Mr. Addison steals into the clofet of Dr. Johnson, to give him a gentle rebuke, for rambling into the thorny paths of party, and to hint to him, that his writings would be more pleafing, if he would alter the uncouth drefs of his expreffions, and polish the rugged severity of his thoughts.-The venerable Langton sternly reproaches the courtly Gibbon with having reprefented the Church as unfriendly to the rights of the people, and unjustly depreciated the Christian religion; and to affure him that in the world of fpirits, all believe.' And lastly, Cicely, Duchess of York, does penance for her pride and ambition, by prefenting herself before Lady S. to give an unwilling teftimony to her uncommon merit. In all this, there is neither argument enough to carry much conviction, nor wit enough to afford much entertainment.-Let this fhort outline of these Dialogues then fuffice. MEDICAL. Art. 40. A Review of Dr. Lettfam's Obfervations on Baron Dimfdale's Remarks refpecting Dr. Lettfam's Letter on General Inoculation. By the Hon. Baron T. Dimfdale. 8vo Pamphlet. Owen, &c. 1779. We took the liberty of declaring, with refpect to the piece to which this is an anfwer, that the difagreeable difpute between these ingenious doctors being now become entirely perfonal, we looked upon ourselves as excufed from entering at all into its merits. On this account, we only notify the publication of the prefent reply, for the information of thofe of our Readers who may be inclined to examine both fides of the question. SERMON, |