Fugitive Poetry. Fears in Solitude. Written in April, By Mr. P. Gent.-Stanzas. Books Reviewed in 1808. By Walter Scott, Esq.-The Exodiad, -The Siller Gun. A poem. By John Dorothea Browne-The Book of Fate! an Ode. By. Philo Britannicus---The Shipwreck of St. Paul. A Seatonian prize poem. By the Rev. C. J. Hoare -The Senses; an ode-Kathleen ; a ballad. By John Edwards, Esq.Corruption and Intolerance; two poems -The Simpliciad; a satirico-didactic poem--Pursuits of Agriculture; a satirical poem--An Heroic Epistle to Mr. Winsor-Little Odes to Great Folks. By Pindar Minimus---The Congress of Crowned Heads; or the Flea's TurtleFeast, and the Louse's Dress-Ball: a satirical poem-T -The Battle of Flodden Field. By Henry Weber---Scottish Historical and Romantic Ballads. By John Finlay--Specimens of English Dramatic Poets. By Charles Lamb-A new Version of the Psalms. By the Rev. Thomas Dennis---Specimen of an English Homer---The Georgics of Publius Virgilius Maro. By the Rev. J. R. Deare--A Translation of the Georgics of Publius Virgilius Maro. By the Rev. W. Stawell---The two First Books of Ovid's Metamorphoses. By W. Mills --The Satires of Juvenal. By Francis Hodgson-Latin and Italian Poems of Milton. By the late William Cowper, Esq.-Petrarch Translated---Partenoper de Blois, a Romance. By William Stewart Rose---The Satires of Boileau -The Test of Guilt. By the late Mr. Joseph Strutt--Musical Dramas. By John Rannie-The Dramatic Appellant. By Eugenius Roche, Esq.-Solyman, a Tragedy---Abradatas and Panthea, a Tragedy. By John Edwards, Esq.---The Fall of Portugal; or, The Royal Exiles, a Tragedy-The Guardians; or the Man of my Choice, a Comedy.--Antiquity, a Farce-The World! a Comedy. By James Kenney, Esq.---Begone Dull Care, a Comedy. By Frederic Reynolds-The School for Authors, a Comedy. By the late John Tobin, Esq.-The Wanderer; or, the Rights of Hospitality, a Drama. By Charles Kemble--Kais; or Love in the Deserts, an Opera. By J. Brandon, Esq.-The Jew of Mogadore, a Comic Opera. By Richard Cumberland, Esq. ---Two Faces under a Hood, a Comic Opera. By T. Dibdin--Plot and Counterplot, or the Portrait of Cervan VOL.I. tes, a Farce. By Charles Kemble Ella Rosenberg, a Melo Drama. By James Kenney, Esq.-The Blind Boy, a Melo Drama---Bonifacio and Bridgetina. By T. Dibdin-Music Mad, a Dramatic Sketch. By Theodore Edward Hook, Esq. Books Reviewed in 1809. Washington, or Liberty Restored. By T. Northmore-The Four Slaves of Cythera. By the Rev. R. BlandSpanish Heroism. By John Belfour, Esq.-Gertrude of Wyoming. By T. Campbell-British Georgics. By J. Grahame-The Goblin Groom. By R. O. Fenwick, Esq.-Lady Jane Gray. By Francis Hodgson-Reliques of Robert Burns. By R. H. CromekElements of Art. By Martin Archer Shee-Poems, by Sir John CarrHora Ionica. By Walter Rodwell Wright, Esq.-Marmion Travestied. By Peter Pry, Esq.-Poems, by the Rev. Wm. Lisle Bowles-Poems, by Samuel Egerton Brydges, Esq.-Philemon. By Wm. Laurence BrowneSonnets. By Martha Hanson-The Mother. By Mrs. West-The Lion and the Water-Wagtail. By CastigatorThe Peacock at Home. By Mrs. Dorset -The Farm House. By James Murray Lacey-A poetical Picture of America. By a Lady-Camilla de Florian. By an Officer's Wife-The Sailor Boy. By H. C. Esq.-The Hermitage. Poetic Amusement. By Thomas Beck-Sonnets of the Eighteenth Century. Ronald, Brighton. By Mary Lloyd-Miscel laneous Poetry. By Thomas GreenRudigar the Dane. By Eaglesfield Smith, Esq.-Monody on the Death of Sir John Moore. By M. G. Lewis-An Elegiac Tribute to the memory of Lieut. Gen. Sir John Moore. By Mrs. Cockle -A Monody on the Rt. Hon. Wm. Pitt. By the Rev. Robert Dealtry-Elegy on Sir John Moore. By the Rev. R. Dealtry-The Bibliomania. By John Ferriar-An Ode on the Death of Lieut. Col. George J. B. Tucker-A Solemn, Sentimental, and Reprobatory Epistle to Mrs. Clarke. By Peter Pindar, Esq.-An Heroic Epistle to G. L Wardle, Esq. By Mentor Britannicus-Europe. By Reginald Heber. 2 K* NO. II. Iberia's Crisis-The Thespiad-Kenneth and Fenella. By the Rev. T. S. Whalley-Faction-Courtship at Oxford The Bellum Catilinarium of Sallust travestied. Sonnets. By Cosmo Triplet, Esq.-The Council of Hogs. Mercy-English Bards, and Scotch Reviewers. By Lord Byron-The Age of Frivolity. By Thomas Beck-The Popish Divan, or, political Sanhedrim. By Erinaceus-The Scotiad, or Wise Men of the North. By Macro-Sir Frantic, the Reformer; or the Humors of the Crown and Anchor. By &c. &c. Esq.-One more Peep at the Royal Academy. By Peter Pindar, Esq.—An exact History of the Battle of Flodden. By Robert Lambe-The Iliad of Homer. By the Rev. James MorriceThe Remains of Hesiod the Ascræan. By Charles Abraham Elton-Poems and Translations. By a Lady-Poems. By Mrs. Ware-The Satires of A. Persius Mr. Bellamy's Defence of his " HISTORY OF ALL RELIGIONS.” THE Critical Reviewers, in giving their opinion concerning The History of all Religions, say: We give Mr. Bellamy credit for great candor of statement and liberality of opi nion. He has written on a subject, which more than any other is apt to call forth the prejudices, to warp the judgment, and inflame the passions: and which it is consequently difficult for any but a sage, whose mind is well ballasted with charity, to perform with an undeviating adherence to truth. We do not think that Mr. B. has purposely caricatured or misrepresented any religionists of any nation, class, or sect. Mr. Bellamy's own notions of religion are very correct and rational, as we may discover from the first sentence in his book, in which it is insinuated that 66 pure religion does not consist in a set of notions or opinions, but in loving God with all our heart, and our neighbour as ourselves." I cannot but admire that spirit of philanthropy, which is manifested by the Critical Reviewers; and I give them credit for "great candor of statement and liberality of opinion," in saying that I " have not purposely caricatured or misrepresented any religionists of any nation, class, or sect." They say that the author of the History all Religions has written on a subject which, more than any other, is apt to call forth the prejudices, to Bellamy's Defence against the Critical Review. *259 warp the judgment, and inflame the passions; and which it is consequently difficult for any but a sage, whose mind is well ballasted with charity, to perform with an undeviating adherence to truth; and that his own notions of religion are very correct and rational. Mr. Bellamy says in his preface, "I should not feel myself excused in sending the following sheets to the press, if they did not contain a variety of information, which has not been made known by any writer, and which I consider a duty to lay before the public." I certainly am much surprised to hear the Critical Reviewers say in answer to this: We have not been fortunate enough to discover that "variety of information which has not been made known by any writer;" and which our worthy author thought of muck magnitude and importance, when he said, that he considered it "a duty to lay it before the public." Perhaps, however, some of Mr. Bellamy's readers may judge that infor mation to be new, which we consider to be old, and may be under great obligations to him, for telling them what they did not know before. But we must stop to ask Mr. Bellamy, if this "variety of information,” which he considered it a duty to lay before the public, has not previously been made known by any writer, whence it was communicated to him? Mr. B. certainly does not lay claim to inspiration; and, with respect therefore to the variety of information which he has produced relative to that multitude of religious sects, or fraternities, whose systems of faith, and modes of worship and discipline were established long before he was born, whence could he derive his materials but from printed or written documents? These were his only sources of information, but to what has been previously printed or written by others, Mr. B. certainly does not mean to lay claim, as coming out of his own store. Mr. Bellamy too, it must be remembered, professes his work to be a History, but we do not know how Mr. B. or any other person, was to write a History of events long prior to his birth, without drawing his materials from written or printed documents. As the Critical Reviewers have said, "some of Mr. Bellamy's readers may judge that information to be new, which we consider to be old," it certainly was their duty to have pointed out at what period of the world, the circumstances which I have laid before the public, were made known. I have consulted very high authorities, and the most ancient writings, and I cannot find that those things, which I call new, have ever been made known for the last 1600 years. The Critical Reviewers say, "But we must stop to ask Mr. Bellamy, if this variety of information, which he considered it a duty to lay before the public, has not previously been made known by any writer, whence it was communicated to him?"I will mention some of the subjects, which I "call new, and how they were communicated." A little attention to The History of all Religions, would have informed the Reviewers how it was that the author got his information, viz. from the Scripture. I have said in the preface, "It has frequently occurred to me when reading that part of the sacred writings, where the first patriarchs are recorded, that the words signifying the names of the men, had also another meaning and application, according to the custom of the Hebrews, and in this instance I have found them to be applied also to signify the state or quality of the church, as well as the name of the man, when each patriarch succeeded to the supreme government, until the church, by successive states, descended, and finally was extinct in the time of Noah, when God gave a new dispensation to him." And again, p. 19. "It perhaps may afford pleasure and information to the reader if I show with what wisdom and effect the venerable patriarchs applied this most significant nomenclature to the different states of the church. I do not know that it has been made known by any author, therefore it may be the more acceptable. It adds a greater beauty to the original Scriptures, because it shows us how the church gradually fell away to the time of Noah, when no new church existed." Thus it appears that the author has been fortunate enough to discover what has not been made known by any writer: and, having given sufficient proof for the truth of what I have advanced, I hope I may be allowed to say thus, far without being accused of vanity. And, though the Critical Reviewers accuse themselves of "a want of sagacity, and a dulness of apprehension," in not being able to see it, I hope they do not mean to charge this acknowledged defect in themselves to the author of the History of all Religions. Again, the real cause of the rejection of Cain's offering, as well as of the rejection of Cain himself, is clearly accounted for, and proved from Scripture, nor can I find that this has been made known by any writer. The cause for the rejection of Esau is equally as new, and, I trust, as satisfactory, which is also confirmed from the Scripture. The interpretation of the names of the pagan idols, their origin and application, throws considerable light also on the pagan theology, for as the Hebrew pronunciation of those words has been retained in the English, and in all the European, translations, by giving the true translation, I have been enabled to form right conclusions concerning the worship of the ancient Babylonians, Persians, Grecians, and Romans; which things have never been made known since the dispersion of the Jews. I have also shown the origin of the Persian, Chinese, and Indian nations, by carrying their antiquity as far back as the immediate descendants of Noah, and which I have confirmed from the Scripture. These are the documents from which I have drawn my information. The apostle John was commanded to write the Revelation to the Seven Churches of Asia, who had departed from the worship as taught by the apostles, with a design to bring them back to the truth, agreeably to the Divine institution. It does not appear, however, in any writings, ancient or modern, to which sects, constituting these churches, the Revelation was addressed. But I have endeavoured to arrive at some degree of certainty respecting this matter; and, in answer to the Critical Review, it will be seen, that I have drawn my information from Scripture, which I thought a duty to lay before the public;" and, though I think that the Critical Reviewers mean well, yet I also am of opinion that they have been mistaken in so hastily concluding that I have not laid before the public a variety of information, which has not been made known by any writer." In all ages, since the dispersion of the Jews, various have been the conjectures concerning the mystical number 666 in the Revelation ; many volumes have been written on this subject for 1700 years, but no real or solid information to be depended on has been communicated to the public by the authors, as they have applied it to signify either kings, kingdoms or popes. These interpretations have been found erroneous, for when the number has been applied to any of the above subjects, time has convinced the public of the error of the writer. And so it has been to the present day: a modern writer has even applied it to mean the English House of 66 |