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port the king and parliament,' we are afraid his addrefs will have but very little effect either upon the great and rich, or the poor and clamorous; as he is not master of that species of rhetoric which is perfuafive, nor that kind of reasoning that is conclufive.

15. Balaam and bis Afs; a Parody. Addreffed to the Freeholders of Middlesex. 8:00. Pr. is. Griffin.

The verfe preceding our author's text, might, with fome propriety, be applied to himself. And the Lord opened the afs's mouth, and he spake.'

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Never before this time were the freeholders of Middlefex addreffed in fuch unintelligible figurative jargon. I am aware,' fays this learned politician, this old ftory has already opened a vifo which reveals at one view the termination of my prefent defign, and the object of my intended improvements: but as vifion is under the partial direction of the optick nerve, which acts differently in different regions of fight, varying its motion, according to the medium through which the matter is feen, I fhall endeavour to throw every object in true perspective, that the difpofition of light and fhade may stand the teft of examination, in fpite of the dioptrical device which has lately perplexed the direction of our civil government, and refracted our moft excellent conftitution; and will (I doubt not) attempt to break the right line of truth, by fome diapbonous expedient, which an oracular mufti, or implemental prieft, will obtrude upon the publick eye, to confound the light I fhall throw upon the several figures which may be difperfed as points of view to embellish my prefent undertaking.'

16. Ode to Palinurus.

4to. Pr. Is.

Wilkie.

The old ftale allegory, that the fhip Britannia is in a terrible condition, and must certainly be ruined, unless there is a total change of the mariners. Poor Britannia! how much art thou vexed with mutiny, and toffed in the imagination of fcribblers! But be firm, Palinurus, and every tempeftuous cominotion will foon cease.

17. Sedition; a Poem. 410. Pr. 15. Nicoll.. A jingle of founds, without coherence or meaning. The fulfome flattery which clofes this piece, could, in these delicate times, only proceed from a dull, undiftinguishing mind. We fhall difmifs this author by applying to him his own motto; Non tali auxilio, nec defenforibus iftis

Tempus eget.

The times require a defence very different from this.'

18. Reve

18. Reveries revived.

A Poem. 8vo. Pr. 15.

This is the production of fome mad Wilkite, who fancies himfelf a poet, and believes himself a patriot; but those who have the patience to perufe the poem, will probably doubt his pretenfions to either title. This fhort quotation will certainly acquit him of the first imputation,

• Doubts to create within the royal breast,

Then by profeffions our innocence protest.'

And when we inform the reader that he confiders Mr. Vaughan as an exalted character, his political principles may be ftrongly fufpected.

19. The Importance of the British Dominion in India, compared with that in America. 8vo. Pr. Is. Almon.

This writer, with a very fcanty knowledge of the productions and commerce of either country, endeavours to explain that Great Britain derives much greater advantages from her late acquifitions in India, than from her colonies in America. Sudat multum, fruftraque laborat.

20. The Expediency of a free Exportation of Corn at this Time : with fome Obfervations on the Bounty, and its Effects. By the Author of the Farmer's Letters to the People of England. 8vo. Pr. 15. Nicoll.

This writer is a warm advocate for the free exportation of corn, and opposes the vulgar prejudices about the high prices of labour. What he fays on both fubjects, however paradoxical it may appear, has, we think, great weight.

As the fubject is of the greatest importance to this nation, we are glad it has fallen into the hands of fo experienced and able a judge.

21. Obfervations upon the Report made by the Board of Trade against the Grenada Laws, 8vo. Pr. s. 6d. Flexney.

Thefe ftrictures upon the report of the board of trade regarding certain acts paffed by the affembly of Grenada, and tranfmitted for confirmation to the king by governor Melville, display an accurate knowledge of the rights and interests of the colonies, and very fevere animadverfions upon the conduct of A-n.

22. Efays on the Game-Laws, nor exifting in Great Britain; and Remarks on their principal Defects, &c. 8vo. Pr. 15. Becket This pamphlet contains feveral fenfible remarks on the defeas of the prefent game-laws. The author confiders the subject under feven different heads; namely, of qualifications,

poachers,

poachers, dog-breakers, thepherds dogs, vermin, birds of prey, and beasts of prey; and proposes, as the most effectual means for preventing the deftruction of game, that all farmers should be allowed fuch privileges, as might render it their interest to preferve the game on their own ground from the depredations of poachers and vermin; which, it must be owned, is a scheme that appears both equitable and rational.

23. Letters from Lothario to Penelope. To which is added, Lucinda, a dramatic Entertainment of Three A&s. 2 Vols. 8vo. Pr. 5. Becket and De Hondt.

This publication may be confidered as a haché of dishes that have been already ferved up to the public. It is of very little importance to our readers, whether the editor's account of Cyrus, which employs three letters, has been publifhed already or not, as all the part in it that is valuable is taken from wellknown authorities. The account he gives us of the nature of the Lacedemonian government is defpicable and partial; and had it been more just and accurate, it would have only ferved to fhew, that it tended to render the Lacedemonians infenfible of all focial virtues in private life, and to introduce into their republic a system of morals that would have difgraced the Hottentots. The rest of the publication is a medley of trite, vulgar stories, anecdotes, and fentiments, that have already appeared in print. It is furprising that a writer, who composed the fongs in the dramatic entertainment called Lucinda, tacked to those two common-place volumes, fhould intermix it with the vileft profe plot that ever difgraced Grub-ftreet.

As the above catch-penny method of vamping up old publications under new titles, feems to be coming into fashion, we shall presume to give the following hint to their best customers, the circulating library readers: if their contents have been published, and but little known, you are pretty fure they are not worth reading; and if they have been well received, it is a hundred to one that you have not read them before.

24. A Trip to Scotland. As it is aed at the Theatre-Royal in ́ Drury-Lane. 8vo. Pr. 1. Dodsley.

This is the first dramatical performance we have feen, that, without a character which has the smallest pretenfions to fenfe, wit, or fentiment, is rendered paffable, nay pleafing, by its condu&t. Mifs Grifkin, niece to Mr. Grifkin, a wealthy citizen, runs away to Scotland with Jemmy Twinkle, a city ap prentice, with the connivance of Mrs. Fillagree, housekeeper to Mr. Grifkin, and governefs to Mifs. They are purfued, when it is too late, by Mr. Grifkin and Mrs. Fillagree, who has a

fecret

fecret defign of the fame matrimonial kind upon her mafter; and manages him, by pretending that her dear reputation must be ruined with their neighbours, the family of the Flacks, and the public, by trufting herself alone with him in his excurfion. Slap dash (as Triftram Shandy fays) they go; and the scene changes to an inn on the road, full of young couples, driving to and returning from Scotland; and among the latter, Mifs Griskin (who is now Mrs. Twinkle) and her spouse. It is foon feen that they have undergone a great transformation by their marriage; for Jemmy is peevish and thoughtful, and madam heedlefs and amorous. Scarcely are they arrived at the inn, when Grifkin with his housekeeper arrives; and he is quite in raptures with her prudence and virtue. The whole fcene of the inn is very laughable. Grifkin discovers his niece and her husband; and Mrs. Fillagre, with fome difficulty, precures their pardon, but fecures the fuccefs of her own design. upon Griskin.

Mean while, the immaculate and virtuous Mifs Flack ap pears at the fame inn, on her way to Scotland, attended by her inamorato, and to be fuppofed future husband, Tom Southerton, a ftrolling-player; but both of them much in the dumps. Tom, it seems, had received intelligence on the road, that Mifs Flack's fortune was both diftant and precarious. This gives him fome qualis of confcience. He repeats the circumftances of his courtship, and Mifs is perfuaded to return to her father.

Now, reader, you long to know in what manner the author of this farce has fcrupulously preferved the unities of time and place; by the most natural claffical expedient in the world:

He converts Cupid into a poft-boy, and that poft-boy into a chorus, who explains all that is to be understood; and perhaps no Greek poet ever employed a chorus with greater probabi. lity or propriety, than our author does his little urchin.-The piece of itself is fo fhort, that we cannot in confcience plunder it by making any extracts.

25. Lionel and Clariffa; or, a School for Fathers. A Comic Opera. As it is performed at the Theatre Royal in Drury-Lane. 8. Pr. 1. 6d. Griffin.

Our readers will find this piece characterifed in the Critical Review for April, 1768.-Mr. Bickerstaff obferves, in an advertisement, that the principal alteration it underwent, in confequence of its removal from Covent Garden to Drury-Lane, was occafioned by Mr. Garrick's bringing out a new finger, and employing other performers, with voices of a different compals from those who originally acted the parts. By this means

f

the

the greatest part of the mufic unavoidably became new. This is, indeed, the only alteration made in the Opera.-The School. for Fathers is added to the title, because the plot is double, as the reader will easily perceive.

26. The Life, Adventures, and Amours of Sir R

P

who fo recently had the Honour to prefent the F- Addref} at the English Court. 8vo. Pr. 1s. 6d. Brough.

To this fuppofititious piece of biography is prefixed a dedication to the d- of G-, replete with abuse, fcandal, and invective, principally founded on extracts from the famous letters of Junius. This production can be confidered in no other light than a Grub-freet catchpenny, as it contains little more than a compilation of fome letters which appeared in the Newfpapers relative to this extraordinary adventurer, hashed up by the writer into the form of an eighteen-penny touch.

27. Allegories and Vifions for the Entertainment and Inftruction of younger Minds, felected from the most eminent Autbars. 12mo. Pr. 3.

Pearch.

A compilation from the Spectator, Tatler, Rambler, Adventurer, and other well-known writings; and therefore muft be amusing and inftructive to those who have not had the opportunity of perufing thefe pieces in the volumes that contain the other parts of those useful and celebrated works.

28. The Trial of Mungo Campbell, before the bigh Court of Jufticiary in Scotland, for the Murder of Alexander Earl of Eglintoun; extracted from the Records of the Court; with the learned Pleadings on both Sides. 2d Edit. 8vo. Pr. 6d. Wilfon and Nicol; and Robinson and Roberts.

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35.

As this trial is authentic, and has occafioned much speculation, we have read it with attention; and must confefs, fuch is the peculiar difficulty of the cafe, that, if we had made part of the jury who tried the prifoner, we fhould have been extremely doubtful in giving our judgment. Perhaps it is impoffible to conceive a criminal cafe, where more could be faid on both fides of the queftion; or indeed a cafe where more has been Jaid, than in that before us. The counsel on both fides have difplayed uncommon erudition in general jurifprudence, joined to a thorough knowledge of the human heart; and we may venture to pronounce Mr. Maclaurin's pleading for the prifoner, printed in this trial, a masterly performance, which, abftracted from fome peculiar terms and phrafes of the Scotch law, will, we are certain, give univerfal fatisfaction.

29. A Letter to a great Peer concerning the late Earl of Eglintoun. 8vo. Pr. 6d. A. Henderson.

Written in a peer-lefs ftile.

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