verfe would, perhaps, run better if extended to an Alexandrine thus,

Which kings can never grant, nor courtiers oft require,

The ode, itself, tho' unequal, is in many parts extremely well written, and worthy of that great reftorer of English liberty to whom it is dedicated. The Genius of Britain is reprefented as flying over his favourite ifle, and viewing the foreign troops with indignation, which is exprefs'd with great fpirit in the three following stanzas.

• Lo! where my Thames's waters glide

At great Augufta's regal feet,

Bearing on each returning tide

• From diftant realms a golden fleet,

• Which homeward wafts the fruits of ev'ry zone,
And makes the wealth of all the world your own.

• Shall on his filver waves be borne
• Of armed flaves a venal crew?
Lo! the old God denotes his fcorn,

And fhudders at th' unusual view,
• Down to his deepest cave retires to mourn,
And tears indignant bathe his crystal urn.
'O! how can vaffals born to bear

The galling weight of flavery's chain,
A patriot's noble ardor share,

• Or freedom's facred caufe maintain ?

• Britons, exert your own unconquer'd might,
A freeman beft defends a freeman's right.'

The fecond and fifth ftanzas are remarkably picturesque and poetical.

The epithet fire mantled joined to vengeance in the laft ftanza, is, literally speaking, a verbum ardens, which, perhaps, the feverity of criticifm will fcarce approve. The ode, however, has merit fufficient to make the reader amends for faults so inconfiderable.

Art. 14. An Addrefs to the Electors of England. 8vo. Pr. 1 s. Cooper.

We recommend the perufal of this pamphlet to all thofe Englishmen who with well to their country. The fpirit of true patriotifm glows through the whole performance. The author, as an individual of this once happy nation, feels for the degeneracy, corrup tion, and difgrace of the community. He propofes a bill for annual parliaments, and a general national militia, as the only means by which we can fave ourselves from ruin, and have any chance for retrieving that power, character, and importance, which once render'd us the terror and envy of our neighbours. He inforces the neceffity and proves the efficacy of thefe meafures by obfervations drawn from the hiftories of Greece, Rome, Carthage, Swifferland, Holland, and our own country; and writes like a man who with an

Hh 4

Leneft

honeft regard and warm affection for his fovereign, ftill remembers and adheres to the noble maxim, that the prerogative of an English monarch is founded upon a mutual contract between the king and people.

We with, however, that in anfwering the objections to a national militia, he had pointed out a method for etablishing it, without throwing an additional power into the scale of the crown, or putting arms into the hands of difaffected people.

Art. 15. Some further particulars in relation to the Cafe of Admiral Byng. From Original Papers.

Fiat Juftitia!

By a Gentleman of Oxford. 8vo. Pr. 1 s. Lacy.

If the defign of this Oxonian was to befpeak the candour of the public in favour of Mr. Byng, he might have faved himself the trouble of writing fuch a long pamphlet; for the people in general were already cured of that refentment and prepoffeffion which had glared fo warmly against him immediately after his return to England. Impartial obfervers will be apt to repeat what they said on perufing the Appeal; namely, that it was not fo much a vindication as a recrimination; that inftead of purifying the character of Mr. B-g, it ferved only to beípatter that of the my. They took notice of one flagrant inconfiftency in the appellant, who fets out with a claim of victory over the French, and afterwards endeavours to demonftrate that fuch a victory could not be obtained! they asked, if the victory declared in favour of the Englife, why was not the advantage profecuted? If there was any doubt about the practicability of landing men at Fort St. Philip's, why was not that doubt removed by fending fhips to reconnoitre the harbour, according to the admiral's own intention before the engagement? They aid, that granting the harbour had been fortified by French batteries, thofe batteries might have been filenced by the fuperior fire of the fhipping; at leaft the experiment might have been tried tho' it had not fucceeded. After all, Mr. B-g's charge will probably be limited to mifb haviour on the day of battle, and his defence in this particular he prudently referves for the occafions of his trial. In the mean time, the pamphlet before us is written with fpirit and accuracy, and in our opinion acquits the admiral of the following imputations: That he was dilatory in his preparations for the voyage; that he loitered in his paffage to Gibraltar; that he loft time in taking in water and neceffaries at that place; and did not make the beft of his way to Minorca; and laftly, that he fled back for fhelter to Gibraltar.

In this performance we likewife meet with the detail of fome cir.. cumftonces not at all favourable for the ad-n; and among other particulars, with the following determination of the council of war, in confequence of which ad-1 B-g, returned to Gibraltar. Having laid before this council the ftate of the fick and

⚫ wounded

wounded men on board the fhips of the fleet, he propofed the following questions, viz.

1. Whether an attack upon the French fleet, gives any prospect of relieving Minorca?

Unanimously refolved that it would not.

2. Whether, if there was no French fleet cruifing off Minorca, the English fleet could raise the siege?

Unanimously of opinion that the fleet could not.

3. Whether Gibraltar would not be in danger, by any accident that might befal this fleet?

Unanimously agreed that it would be in danger.

4. Whether an attack with our fleet in the prefent state of it upon that of the French, will not endanger the fafety of Gibraltar, and expose the trade of the Mediterranean to great hazard?

Unanimously agreed that it would.

5. Whether it is not moft for his Majesty's service that the fleet fhould immediately proceed for Gibraltar ?

We are unanimously of opinion, that the fleet fhould immediately proceed for Gibraltar.

Art. 16. A Modeft Remonftrance to the Public.

Occafioned by the Number of Papers and Pamphlets published about Admiral Byng. Evil Communication corrupts good Manners.

4to. Pr. 6d. Cooper.

The author of this production puts us in mind of the fat publican in the throng, who curfed the people for mobbing in fuch a manner, not confidering that he himself was one of the most infignificant individuals that conftituted the very mob against which he exclaimed.

He begins like a friend to truth, but foon introduces a barber haranguing against the admiral for not beating the French although they had been two to one, in imitation of Jobny Malbrough.

This orator, we are told, had fhaved his cuftomers before he bagan to trim the admiral's reputation: if his razor does not carry a better edge than his wit, we should not chufe to submit our beards to his mercy; in the mean time we would advife him to fend both to the grinder.

Art. 17. Lilliput. A dramatic Entertainment, as it is performed at the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane. 8vo. Pr. is. Vail

lant.

Eadem cupient, facientque minores.

Juven. Sat. 1.

This facetious performance is of that kind of burlesque which first appeared in the mock heroic poem of Homer, known by the name of Barga xoμvoμaxia, The battle of the Frogs and Mice, in which we find the fentiments of men and heroes proceed from the mouths of thofe inconfiderable animals. The ridicule confifts in the difproportion between the importance of the fpeech, and the infignificance of the fpeaker. It appears like the garb of a giant upon the back of a dwarf; and gives us the additional pleasure of mimickry or imitation: for, nothing can be more ludicrous than a pigmy aping the gravity and confequence of a nobleman or fenator. The author of Lilliput had likewife a moral end in view. He lays the scene of his drama in Lilliput, that he may with the greater freedom cenfure and fatyrize the vices and folly of the age. The piece is introduced into the world, with a letter from the author to the editor, which is a diverting imitation of Swift's ironical way of writing. It has the fame effect that generally arifes from an humorous story told with a grave afpect, and the quotation from the language of Lilliput is an uncommon stroke of ridicule.

The prologue by Mr. Garrick abounds with the fire and pleafantry fo peculiar to that author. The characters are well sustained; and the dialogue replete with fpirited fatire. We could have wifhed however that the author had left out fome double entendres, which we understand have given offence to the fqueamish part of the audience; tho' we must own thofe expreflions which have been cenfured might very well pafs with a fingle meaning, except in an imagination that delights to brood on double objects.

Art. 18. An Anfwer to a pamphlet called, The Conduct of the Miniftry impartially examined. In which it is proved, that neither imbecillity nor ignorance in the M-r have been the causes of the prefent unhappy fituation of this nation. By the author of the Four Letters to the People of England. 8vo. Pr. 15. 6d. Cooper.

This performance puts us in mind of a fifhwoman, who having been detected in vending ftinking mackrel, takes poft at the corner of fome alley, and in defpair reviles her detector with all the tropes of obloquy the had learned in the univerfity of Billing fgate,'till at last fome parish officer introduces her to the next juflice, who commits

her

her to Bridewell, where fhe fweats out her refentment in hard labour.

Indeed we have never feen fuch a feries of fcurrility and false reafoning as is here prefented to the reader. The author of the Conduct of the Miniftry examined is a liar, a mifcreant, a tool, a fool, a coward, a drunkard, and a thief. French memorials are brought in, to refute the declarations of an English ambaffador. Sentences are tortured to free Dr. S from the imputation of having uttered falfhood in his fourth letter. Colonel Washington is a confeffed affafin: even the King of Pruffia, our best ally, is in totidem verbis accufed of fuperb thieving and Lord A ftands condemned as a blafted poltroon. We expect to fee this author with an urinal instead of a pen in his hand, running a muck like a frantic Malayan.

:

Mean while we cannot help laughing at his profeffions of attachment to the conftitution of his country; and his looking upon himself as one of the faviours of the nation, knowing as we do, his loyalty and importance. Perhaps, indeed, he imposes upon himself; and we might take the trouble to undeceive him; but, that we do do not choose to deprive him of fuch an agreeable reverie: in that cafe he would have reafon to exclaim with the Argive lunatic mentioned by Horace, who being blooded, bliftered, and purged out of fuch delufion, cried,

Pol me occidifiis, amici,

Non fervaftis,

-cui fic extorta voluptas,

Et demptus per vim mentis gratiffimus error !

My friends, he cry'd, pox take you for your care!

That from a patriot of diftinguifh'd vein,

Have bled and parg'd me to a grub again.'

Art. 19. The Lofs of the Handkerchief. An heroic-comic Poem, in four Cantos. By Mr. Wright. 8vo. Pr. 1s. Marshal.

This is a very foolish poem written on a very foolish subject, being no more than an idle tale of a parfon's taking off a young lady's work'd handkerchief, and running away with it. This notable history the author has fpun out into four Cantos, in humble imitation of the inimitable Rape of the Lock. The verfes are extremely poor, flat, and infipid, as our readers will fee by this fhort specimen;

Say, Cupid, regent of the female heart,

• Source of our woe, and parent of our smart;
That arms pert Peggy with uncommon fpears,
To make her parfon blunder in his pray'rs.
Are other mifchiefs left for human race,

• To injur'd fail by fomething more than face?'

A little after, our author acquaints the ladies with this new discovery, that,

What fmall-pox don't, yet years will furely do.

The