to above, on another fubject on which he has lately exercised his pen, may be seen in the following remark with which his commentary on the first Difcourfe concludes. • Whether the features of the prefent age difcover any of thofe fatal fymptoms which have in former ages portended the fall of empire, we will not pretend to determine; but this we may fafely venture to affirm, that the inroads of fenfuality, luxury, and avarice, will gradually relax the noble finews of our conftitution; and that the confequent decay and lofs of public virtue will complete the catarophe. In the gloomy profpect of our downfal, it is, however, a comfortable reflection, that when the boated conftitution of Britain fhall have funk-as fink it muft-a happy afylum will be opened beyond the Atlantic for freedom, arts, and sciences. We may look upon America as destined, in the courfe of Providence, to be the feat of empire; and it is a confideration which ought to fwell the heart of every generous Briton, that our name, our language, our arts, cuftoms, manners, and forms of education, but, above all, our liberty, are destined to furvive us, and to be spread over the immenfe continent of North America. Greece and Rome live only in the annals of fame; but Britain will revive in America like a Phoenix from her afhes.' C-t-t. The Gentleman to whom the Public are indebted for this publication, is curate of Claybrooke, in Leicestershire. Art. 19. Fabricius: or Letters to the People of Great Britain; on the Abfurdity and Mifchiefs of defenfive Operations only in the American War; and on the Failure in the Southern Operations. 8vo. 2 s. Wilkie. 1782. Befide what the Author fays on the Abfurdity, &c. of our profecuting the American War on defenfive principles only, we have here a strict enquiry into, and an animated display of, the caufes from whence our failures, and the fources of all our national misfortunes, in that part of the world, have fprung. The Author is particularly fevere, toward the conclufion of his correfpondence, on the noble commander in the late unfortunate Southern expedition. Thefe Letters were originally published in the news papers, and are fuppofed to have come from the very able pen of Mr. Galloway, formerly a member of Congress, who has favoured the Public with a great number of fenfible, acute, and interesting remarks on the American Tragedy of "ALL IN THE WRONG!" EAST-IN DIE S. Art. 20. State of India; in Two Letters from Warren Haftings, Efq; to the Court of Directors; and One from the Nabob Afuful Dowla, Subadar of Owde. To which are added, a Series of Explanatory Facts and Remarks. 8vo. I s. 6d. Debrett. od 1782. This reprefentation, which appears to originate on the part of Mr. Francis and Mr. Wheeler, Members of the Council at Fort William, tends to impeach the difcretionary conduct of Mr. Hadings, by charging him perfonally with producing the Maratta war; and with negociating a difgraceful accommodation, by which the treafury there was exhaulted, and the province of Bengal reduced, in three years, from a fecure and prosperous flate, to the utmoft degree of dif 3 trefs trefs and danger. In truth, the Company at home, and especially their agents abroad, feem to extend their views and exertions to undertakings too mighty for, and inconfiftent with, the natural objects of a commercial establishment. Nuring Art. 21. A Short Review of the Tranfactions in Bengal, during the last Ten Years. By Major John Scott. 8vo. 25. Debrett. 1782. This review, authenticated with the name of the Writer, fets the affairs of Bengal, the conduct of Governor Haftings, and the oppofition formed in the Council against him, in a far different point of view from the preceding reprefentations. Which fide is in the right in this contention, or whether either fide can claim the exclufive poffeffion of it, are points that we, whole flock (in grey goofe quills). will not introduce us to the General Courts of the Company, cannot undertake to determine: we only recollect on fuch occafions, the final exclamation attributed to gued King Jamie, when his curiofity once prevailed on him to attend the difcordant pleadings in our courts of law! NAVAL AFFAIR S. N Art. 22. A Seaman's Remarks on the Britif Ships of the Line, from the ift of January 1756, to the ift of January 1782. With fome occafional Obfervations on the Fleet of the Houfe of Bourbon. 8vo. 6d. Debret. According to this fenfible letter, which is afcribed to the son of a late diftinguished Admiral, affifted by his noble father's papers, our prefent naval inferiority to the houfe of Bourbon has arifen from a fatal error in practice, of late years, proceeding from an opinion, that ships fpeedily built, or, as they are termed, green fhips, are unfit for fervice: and that, to render them durable, the frames muft remain a confiderable time on the flocks to feafon. Thus we are told, that the Polypheme of 64 guns, the St. George, and Glory, of 98, and the Royal Sovereign of 100, fet on in 1774, ftill continue on the ftocks; and that the fame blind ill-fated fyftem is fill purfued, which chills every manly effort, and blasts every exertion in the caufe of our country.' In the mean while how have our enemies acted? It is well known, they completed a three-decker of 110 guns in fourteen months at Breft, two fixty-fours in feven months at Toulon; and a feventy-four, in the fleet which engaged Admiral Kempenfelt, was built, launched, rigged, and ftored, in ninety-five days at Breft.’ Thefe facts, for fuch they may now be deemed, having been before ftated in Parliament, are beyond expreffion melancholy, when we confider the time thus loft under an infatuation! If we fuffer ourselves to be vanquished by green fhips until our frames are feasoned, what are we to do then? Shall we not be seasoning fhips for the use of our enemies? But the Writer fhews, from chronological tables of our fhips of war for many years back, that this notion of feafoning fhips is a fpeculative mistake. Were it allowable to defpair of the commonwealth, it might be justly inferred, that quem Deus vult perdere prius dementat. N. POETICAL. POETICAL. Art. 23. Eudofia: or, a Poem on the Universe. By Capel Lofft, Efq. Small 8vo. 2s. 6d. fewed. Dilly. 1781. The magnitude of this Writer's attempt may be gueffed at by the bare enumeration of the subjects of each of the feven books into which his poem is divided. The first treats of the Earth: the Second of the Planets; the third of the Seasons and the Zodiac; the fourth of the Fixed Stars; the fifth of Eclipfes, Phafes of the Planets, fides, Light and Colours; the fixth of Comets, the Elements, and Electricity. The last book is appropriated to the human Anatomy, and the Microscope. Mr. Lofft writes like one who having an extenfive knowledge of the subjects on which he is treating, wishes to communicate that knowledge to others. His work is, therefore, argumentative and preceptive, rather than entertaining and amufive. His great object being to convey information, he rarely digreffes in fearch of adventitious embellishments. As a fpecimen of this performance, with refpect to the poetry, we fhall lay before our Readers the lines with which it concludes, and in which are recapitulated the feveral fubjects that have been difcuffed in it: Here, my EUDOSIA, let us pause: and view The ORDER of the PLANETS view'd, and faw Of Electricity; and laft the Frame, The Powers of MAN; his Duty, Blifs, and End; -As in his works or in his word reveal'd And love, the INFINITELY GREAT AND GOOD: Of every age, and faithful to the voice Of Confcience, and the impulfe of the Heart, X Thy Thy tender Elegance of Form and Mind, And O! to humanife and bless the world, Or be thenceforth obfcur'd. O come, great Day! Thus fhall the renovated Earth with joy To the poem are fubjoined several very useful Tables; and Notes, both inftructive and explanatory. Ct-t. Art. 24. The Royal Chace; a Poem. Wherein are defcribed fome humourous Incidents of a Hunt at Windfor. The whole including an Addrefs to his R-y-1 H-gh-fs the P-e of Wales. 4to. 1s. KearЛley. This poem, if the most infipid verfes that ever were fabricated can be called a poem, contains, notwithstanding the humourous incidents that are promised in the title-page, neither incident nor humour. It is one of the most unmeaning things that we ever were compelled to announce in our monthly bills of mortality. D: Art. 25. Variety, or Which is the Man? A Poem. Dedicated Swift. 1782. 18. to Lady W-fl-y. 4to. Lady Worfley's notorious frailty was a lucky thing for the catchpenny authors, verfemen, and profemen. This Grubean performance comes from one of the first named tribe. One or two others were lately mentioned in our Journal: a distinction which fuch things owe to the univerfality of its plan. Art. Art. 26. The Mouse and the Lion: a Tale. Infcribed to the very reverend and learned The Dean of Glocefter. 4to. Is. Stockdale. The Author of this Tale has done us the honour to adopt an idea which dropped from us in reviewing Dr. Tucker's Treatise on Government, and to make it the ground work of his poem. We are fully fenfible of the compliment: but as it is not in our power honetly to repay it with that share of praife to which the Writer may think himself intitled, it will be moft advifeable to say nothing. Do Art. 27. Jerufalem deftroyed: a Poem, in three Cantos. By William Gibfon, M. A. of Pembroke Hall, Cambridge. 28. Cadell. 1781. 4to. Do This Kiflingbury bard is a lineal defcendant from Blackmore: He, like Sir Richard, rumbling, rough, and fierce, With arms, and Jews and Gentiles crowds the verse, Rends with tremendous founds your ears afunder, With ftorm, fire, frenzy, broiling babes, and thunder. Art. 28. Ryno and Alpin: a Poem. 4to. 1s. 6d. Swift. 1782. A father, under the fuppofition of his fon having been flain in battle, goes to mourn over his grave. In his progrefs to the place, the father and the fon meet; a converfation enfues, and they mutually discover each other. Such are the outlines of a performance, which comes, as we are informed, from the pen of a juvenile (we imagine a very juvenile) Writer. Those who are acquainted with this circumftance will, therefore, peruse it with some indulgence: of which the Author ftands in much need. We do not mean, however, by the foftness of this cenfure, to encourage the young gentleman to proceed, or quit any ufeful calling for this idle trade.' Art. 29. Cloacina Triumphant: confifting of the following Poems; viz. Bett's Wedding; Anticipation; Frowzilinda; Il Famofo Dottore Rodomondato; Hafty Pudding; Tom Tofs-pot; The Mistake, &c. 4to. I s. 6d. Bew. 1782. Witty, and nafty. Art. 30. DRAMATIC. Nathan the Wife. A Philofophic Drama. From the German of G. E. Leffing, late Librarian to the Duke of Brunswick. Tranflated into English by R. E. Rafpe. 8vo. 1 s. 6d. Fielding. 1781. One defign of this drama is to fhew, what furely no perfon was ever filly or illiberal enough to doubt of, or deny, that men of virtue and principle are to be found among the profeffors of every religion. Another object which the Author has in view, is, to infinuate that the Chriftian, the Jew, and the Mahommedan, have each of them equal reason to believe their own religion the true one. The inference from this is, that as all cannot be true, it is most probable that all are falfe. So much for the philofophic candour, which, according to the Preface, breathes through the whole of this compofition. Confidered merely as a drama, whatever may be the Author's reputation in Germany, it is unworthy of notice.-We are forry to fee the time, * Vid. M. Review, Oct. 1781. Artic. IV. X 2 and |