The canker time will eat their charms away, And eye-brows black must turn to eye-brows gray.' In his third Canto he compliments the clergy by obferving, that, Where the girls the black-gowns gathered are:" Which remark the reader will perhaps allow to have in it more truth than poetry, as well as the following lines; • When out of hearts the fair they cannot teaze, So gamfters-like, that almoft are undone, They'll play fmall games before they'll play at none.' The lady, who had loft her handkerchief, thus pathetically complains; No talk of fashions can the spleen fupprefs; 'No future conquefts, nor a new head-drefs. No more fhall youths their adorations bring, Nor the wide world into my praises ring.' Ringing into praife is certainly a new and elegant expreffion, but the poem is thick-strewed with flowers of this kind: we shall therefore difmifs the handkerchief in our author's own words towards the end of his last canto: In vain thou fay'ft, then more defift to say, • Avert our anger, and depart away.' Art. 20. The fifteenth Ode of the first Book of Horace imitated, and applied to Mr. Fon his being appointed S of Sand taking on him the Conduct of the Folio, Pr. 6d. Scott. There are perhaps no two things in nature more diffimilar than poetry and politics; which notwithstanding, the wrong-headed writers of our age, who feem to understand neither, are perpetually endeavouring to affociate; an inftance of which is now before us. This ode has already, it feems, paffed through three editions, and we fhould not be in the leaft furprized to fee the twentieth, as it is full of much perfonal abufe of fome who were lately in power, and as much fervile flattery to those who have fucceeded them. Such productions as thefe can have no other effect than to keep alive the flame of party spins, and produce difcord, at a time when unanimity feems ch y gellary to the general welfare. We shall extract only two lanzas of this favorite ode, merely to convince our readers that its fuccefs is not owing to any intrinfic merit, to the harmony of its numbers, the wit of its allufions, or the beauty of its fentiments, but that very caufe for which it moft certainly deserves to be univerfally condemned. Meannefs and pride betray thy birth, 'A A noxious vapour from the earth; We are informed in a note to this that Mr. F's father was a fhepherd's boy on Salisbury plain. Can any thing be fo mean as fuch reflections? A little after we meet with this, • Doft thou not hear the thunder roar, When P-t infpir'd does all inspire, The flaming bolt that's hurl'd at you. You and brow are excellent rhimes, but we have faid enough to give our readers a proper idea of this admired performance. Art. 21. The MIRROR. A Comedy. In three Acts. With the Author's Life, and an account of the Alterations. 8vo. Price 1 s. 6d. Scott. This is only an alteration of the Mufes Looking-glafs, a comedy written by Randolph, a pretty good Poet, who flourished about the year 1630. The Editor alter'd it with fome view of feeing it on our stage, where, in our opinion, it would never fucceed. Art. 22. The parable of the dry bones interpreted in a Sermon, preached at St. Olave's, Southwark, October 24, 1756. By William Romaine, lecturer of St. Dunstan's in the west. Publifhed at the request of the church-wardens, and of a great part of the congregation. 8vo. Pr. 6d. Worrall. The present fashionable method of fermonizing is to pick out fome uncommon text, and to give it a still more uncommon explanation, by which means a writer has the advantages of bringing any thing out of any thing, of introducing his favourite tenets, and wrefting fcripture to the fupport of his own hypothefis. This is the conftant practice of the Hutchinfonians, who, with the author of this fermon at their head, are perpetually hiding truth by their pretended discoveries, and obfcuring every doubtful paffage by their illuftration of it. Mr. Romaine's text is, "O ye dry bones, hear the word of the "Lord." Ezek. xxxvii. 4. He acquaints us in his procemium, that God doth in fcripture apply the book of nature to illuftrate the book of grace, and that accordingly in the old teftament, every word ftands for fome fenfible object which conveys the ideas of fome correfpondent fpiritual object. Every Hebrew word therefore teaches heavenly things, under the expreffive figures of earthly. First then, fays Mr. Romaine,-the parable of the dry bones was applicable to the Jewish church carried away captive into Babylon,. and afterwards restor'd to the life of their civil and ecclefiaftical polity. : polity. This we know is a common interpretation; but this, (ays our author) is not fufficient, we must look for another, a fpiritual interpretation-and this is it-in the parable of the dry bones we have (Jays be) an affecting reprefentation of our loft and dead ftate, while we are in the bondage of fin, and of our happy revival to newness of life, when we are born again of the Spirit of God. The exceeding drinefs of the bones fignify'd the exceeding deadnefs of a finful foul and as to the prophet's preaching to the dry bones, Ezekiel (fays Mr. Romaine) did not confult carnal reafon which wou'd have fhewed him the abfurdity of doing what God 'commanded; but he inftantly obeyed, and began preaching to the dry bones, and calling upon them to hear the word of the 'Lord. Would not fome of you, my brethren, have taken him 'to be quite difordered in his head, if you had feen him preaching in a church-yard to a great number of dead dry bones? Would not you have thought Ezekiel as mad as any of our modern enthufiafts? But he preached as he was commanded, and so do we.-Behold, fays the prophecy, there was a fhaking among the dry bones and fo, (fays Mr. Remaine) is there a great shaking in the foul of a finner, but after the baking, "the bones came to"gether, bone to his bone. And when I beheld, lo the finews " and the flesh came up upon them, and the fkin covered them a"bove, but there was no breath in them.' Here is in the letter of the parable the outfide and shape of a man-a body, but it is inanimate-there is no life in it. So in the fpiritual fenfe, if the soul should rest in the externals of religion, and fit down content with any thing fhort of the vital influence of the holy Spirit, there is no life in it. Whatever may promise to animate it, still it will remain dead. Good works, ordinances, orthodoxy, are but the letter that killeth, unless the Spirit that giveth life be in them. You may belong to the best conftituted church upon earth, which has found articles and creeds like ftrong bones and finews, and flesh upon them, and which has a good liturgy, and decent public worfhip, like a fair fkin to cover all; and yet in this communion your foul may be dead for thefe external privileges cannot give the breath of life to the foul." It is the fpirit that quickeneth, the "flesh profiteth nothing." But when the prophet breathes upon the Dain, they lived and ftood upon their feet.-Glory be to God for daily fulfilling this part of the parable. His good Spirit daily awakens poor dead finners, and puts the breath of divine life into them; and this he does by the weakeft means, even by the foolishnefs of preaching, that it may appear the power comes from him, and that all the glory may return to him. "It Such is Mr. Romaine's ingenious interpretation, which he concludes with what he calls a word to the dry tones by way of inference; here he cries out, O almighty Saviour! if there be any 'perfons here prefent in this ftate, fpeak to the dry bones, fend thefe words home to every dead finner, that he may awake and fhake like the dry bones: O that the almighty Spirit may put the breath of life into you.' But is not this (Jays Mr. Romaine) talking like enthusiasts? Moft certainly it is. But if it tickles the ears of the congre congregation, and fills the middle ifle with fighs and groans, it anfwers the end of the preacher; however contemptible it may appear in the eye of every fenfible reader, when committed to the prefs, and brought before the impartial judgment of the public. Art. 23. A Letter to the university of Cambridge, on a late refignation. By a gentleman of Oxford. 8vo. Pr. 6d. Cooper. The title of this pamphlet fufficiently intimates to us what we are to expect from the performance, which contains a few fmart farcafms on his grace, together with fome fevere animadverfions on the conduct of the univerfity, to whom in the latter part of his letter our author thus addreffes himself: Never (fays he) was there fo fair a field for patience and gratitude to fignalize themselves in, on your part; for fortitude and refignation, on the part of your illuftrious benefactor. You might convince an unbelieving world, that you know how to fet bounds to your defires after power and preferment; be, ftill higher in virtue as in dignity, that he could part with all he has to long, and fo defervedly poffeffed. Fired with the bustle and factions of a court, he may betake himself to your peaceful retreats, and, after furpaffing Solon in the ftate, may rival Plato in the academy. • Receive then your much-loved chancellor, now wholly yours, with open arms and joyful acclamations; as on that day, (which I, a wondering witnefs of its celebrity, well remember) when Mafon's mufe and all your academic choir, ufhered him triumphant to your fenate; and when you have gazed long enough upon him, now made greater by his fall, if long enough can be, turn 'your eyes and thoughts upon yourfelves.' No more will mutual recriminations be heard amongst you: attempts to reftore difcipline, no longer will be blackened with the odious name of calumny on your paft and prefent manners; nor will freedom of debate then be reckoned oppofition to his grace. Whatever he fhall propofe, after it has been maturely weighed, and candidly approved, will pafs into a law; without your either being blustered into compliance by an imperious prebendary, or coaxed and wheedled into it by a foft and gracious 'prelate. This is pretty fevere; but as the fatire alludes to facts and perfons in that univerfity, it can be understood and relished by none but the members of it. We shall therefore only add, that this pamphlet is written with spirit in a good and nervous style, and that the, author, whoever he is, will be still more agreeable and entertain, ing on fome better subject. Art. 24. The Levee, a poem. Occafioned by the number of clergy at the Duke of Ne-le's laft levee. Folio. Pr. 6d. Cooper. It having been reported (with what degree of truth we know not) that a certain duke's laft levee was entirely deferted by the clergy who? 4 who us'd to make no inconfiderable part of it. The author of this little poem has rallied that venerable body with fome humour on the occafion, as our readers will fee by the following fpecimen. The conftant attendance of black gowns at his Grace's levee is thus de fcribed. The chaplain with no big preferment, Right Reverend prelates took their stations, But no fooner does Ne fall, than Thofe birds of paffage all are fied; And now prepare their throats to fing The matins of the coming fpring.' If there was really, as our author afferts, on that day' Of ecclefiaftics but one face,' it is not greatly to their honour. For, as our poet says, No man was more the clergy's friend; And all agree he did his best To flatter fome, and serve the rest. In whatever light therefore his conduct as a minister may be confidered, he has certainly a right to the warmest returns of gratitude from the clergy whom he preferred, and the univerfity which he hath effentially served, and which he ftill continues to patronife and protect. Art. 25. The fatal Confequences of the want of Syftem in the Conduct of public Affairs. 8vo. Pr. Is. BALDWIN. All that we can gather from the harsh, ungrateful ftile, and longwinded periods of this performance, is that minifterial influence, operating through all the public offices, may produce a dangerous dependency and confufion in the national accompts. That all the public offices ought to center in the fovereign. That the method of tranfacting affairs in council, has undergone divers revolutions fince the reign of Henry VII. That regular reports of the proceedings in council, oht to be laid before his Majelly; and that it will be impoffible for any adininistration to fupport the dignity of the crown, or pay attention to the concerns of the nation, unles they have recourfe to the first principles of the conflitution, by renewing the fyftem |