The Rolliad. Part the Second. 12mo. 15. 6d. Davies. A Second Part of thefe Criticifms are now collected from their fugitive ftate, and they appear with the fame advantages of fprightly wit, and acute difcriminated fatire, but are deformed with the fame virulence and ill-nature. We now lofe Merlin; but the Saxon drummer, the redoubtable spouse of Shiptonia, of the great mother of the Rollos, is fuppofed to poffefs in his dying moments, like all other dying heroes, the gift of prophecy. He defcribes a future houfe of lords, into which a future Rolle appears ambitious to gain admiffion. Every reader will understand the following lines. Learn, thoughtless Debbeige, now no more a youth, The woes unnumber'd that encompass truth, Nor of experience, nor of knowledge vain, With fofs, with rampart, flick, and stone, and clay, Or to protect his fovereign's bleft abode, Bid numerous batteries guard the turnpike road; This is fufficient for a fpecimen. Next follows a political eclogue called the Lyars,' in which a claffical reader will perceive many paffages of Virgil's third Bucolic, parodied with much fpirit and wit: the political reader will treat it according to his own opinion of the parties; but every friend to propriety and decorum will be difgufted with the groffnefs of the abufe. It was plainly written before the laft New Year's Ode, or the following line would not have appeared : "Or Warton's odes with juftice claim the bays.' It is but juftice to acknowledge, that the ftrength, the fpirit, and true poetical ardour in Mr. Warton's laft production, have feldom animated a fimilar performance. The Epithalamium on the Marriage of Mr. Elliot with lady Harriot Pitt, is fpirited, but, as ufual, too virulently satirical. We fhall felect the leaft offenfive lines. Trio, by Lord Lonfdale, Lord Elliot, and the Duke of Northum berland, From boroughs, grand the things that grow; Hail Cornwall, richer than Potofi ! Hail Cumberland, a fairer quarter ! Hail Liskeard, Appleby, and Launceston, May no rude hand invade our charter, -Titles to buy, and burgage rights to barter.'— On the whole, we must repeat our regret, that brilliant talents are fo flagrantly mifapplied; but it will be fome compenfation, if difappointed ambition exhaufts its fury in thefe wordy wars,' and the fpirit which might destroy a kingdom, is contented with only abufing its governors. Poems on various Subjects, by Ann Thomas. 4to. 35. Law. Mrs. Thomas, it feems, is the widow of an officer in the royal navy; and in feveral of her poems fhe celebrates events during the last war. He would be an ungenerous critic who should discover severity of remark towards the relict of an officer that fought in defence of his country, The English Garden: a Poem: in Four Books. By W. Mafon, A. M. A new Edition, corrected. 8vo. 45. Dodfley. To this elegant edition of the English Garden, are added a Commentary and Notes, by W. Burgh, Efq. and LL. D. The remarks and illuftrations are inftructive and entertaining, and cannot but prove acceptable to all who have a taste for the fubject. Poems, by Robert Alves, A. M. 8vo. 45. Cadell. Thefe Poems confift of odes and elegies, the former gay and ferious, the latter moral and defcriptive. If we except an Elegy on Time, they are not objects of praife; being generally debased with barbarifms, obfcurity, and inharmonious "verfification. Second Thoughts on the prefent Miniftry, or new Coalition. 4to. Is. Debrett. A poetical, and feemingly much interefted, but not very formidable opponent of the prefent administration. DRA DRAMATI C. The Mutual Deception, a Comedy, as it was performed at the Theatre-Royal, Dublin. 8vo. 1s. 6d. Dilly. This mode of deception has been fo common on the stage, that we can scarcely expect a new fituation; but we have neither new characters, nor new language. The author is however ingenuous, for he tells us his fource; a piece of honefty the more commendable as it is unufual. The story is fhortly this a young gentleman returned from his travels, is engaged to marry a lady, whom he has never feen. Anxious to know fomething of his deftined bride, without the constraint neceffary to his fituation, he exchanges characters with his fervant. The lady, from the fame motive, takes the drefs and place of her fuivante. As may be expected, the new fervants fall in love with each other, and both fear to defcend from their dignity by fuch low connexions. This embarraffment is not very interesting, because it is not well managed. The pretended lady and gentleman, on the other hand, are eager to deceive each other by a fecret marriage, and they fucceed. In their courtship there is fome humour, but no great novelty. The epifode is very trifling, and is the invention of the author. The dialogue is feldom fprightly, and never witty; fo that, on the whole, we fear it would prove a very infipid performance. It fucceeded on the Dublin ftage; but there are many local circumftances, which might have contributed to this diftinction: we would not advise the managers of either house to repeat the experiment. The Genius of Ireland, a Mafque, in Three Acts. By John Macaulay, Efq. 8vo. 15. Dilly. This little poem poffeffes merit, both in a political and dramatic view it is not ftrictly a mafque, but perhaps fomething better, for the only part which may deserve this title, is the appearance of the Genius of Ireland. The ftory of Sylvia and Pat Ploughfhare is fimple and pastoral; and the fongs are pleafing and poetical, though the greater number are of the humorous kind. The defcription of the Genius is a ftrain of higher mood.' We shall select it, but must add, that the bright zone' fhould not have outfhone the luftre of her eyes, which it must have done if it pierced the darkness of the fhade. This leffens the idea, and may perhaps be ftyled an Hybernicifm: but, on the whole, there is dignity in the image, and propriety in the defcription. • Thyrfis. Yes: laft night I stopp'd I ftopp'd and liflen'd. Then, methought I heard I flood: I was all ears; till from the brake, Dorilas. Was it of manly form, or fofter fex? Thyrfis. Of female fhape. Around her graceful waift DIVINITY. Dr. Watts's Hymns and Moral Songs for the Ufe of Children, revifed and altered. To which are added, Prayers for the Use of Children. 12mo. 6d. Marfhall. Dr. Watts's Divine Songs, as revifed and altered by the prefent editor, are now rendered more fuitable than formerly for the inftruction of young children. That they are unexceptionable in point of doctrine, and may anfwer the purpose intended, is fufficient to recommend them; for, as mere compofitions, we do not confider them as objects of criticifm. A few prayers are fubjoined to the poetry; and to render the work more pleaing to young minds, every hymn and fong is ornamented at the beginning with a cut. Primitive Candour: or the Moderation of the earlier Fathers towards the Unitarians, the neceffary Confequence of the Circumflance of the Times. 8vo. 15. Buckland. This author obferves that the teftimonics of the earlier fathers in confirmation of the divinity of Chrift, are not so numerous and ftrong as might have been expected from men of their acknowledged principles. But he afcribes this conduct to prudential reafons; alledging, that had they openly afferted the divinity of Chrift, they might have feemed to countenance the herefy of the Gnoftics, who denied the fupreme power of the God of Abraham. Whatever probability there may be in this conjecture, the author's defign in investigating the subject appears to us a little problematical. If, on the one hand, he really favours the Gnoftic herefy, he betrays extravagance of theological fpeculation; and if, on the other, he believes the Trinitarian doctrine, he difcovers a levity not very compatible. with the difpofition, and utterly repugnant to the duty, of an orthodox writer. MISCELLANEOUS. Letters to a Young Planter; or, Obfervations on the Management of a Sugar Plantation. 8vo. Is. 6d. Strachan. Thefe Letters are very trifling in every respect: in fome inftances, they are certainly erroneous. The greater part of the directions may have been eafily written without having feen the West India islands, and the reft may have been collected from books; for there really are books on the fubject, though the author feems not to have known them. An effay on the management of the fugar cane, in particular, appeared fome years fince, in the Philofophical Tranfactions. It is not neceffary to dwell on the errors of the author, both in philofophy and common husbandry; for this work will never attain a high rank in the lift of scientific productions. A candid and impartial Sketch of the Life and Government of Pope Clement XIV. containing many interefting Anecdotes during that Period of Church-Hiftory. In a Series of Letters from Rome. Vol. II. 12m0. 25. 6d. Symonds. Of the former volume of this work we gave an account in our Review for November laft. The prefent volume traces the public conduct of Ganganelli after he had mounted the papal throne. This being an event which places his character in a more confpicuous point of view, we henceforth behold him in the capacity of a fovereign, adminiftering the affairs, and directing the councils of a powerful flate. With regard to the Catholic courts, he appears to have conducted himself in general upon the principles of good policy. He faw the expediency of purfuing peaceful measures, and feems to have followed the most prudent means for that purpose. In refpect of his domeftic government, particularly the choice of proper minifters, we cannot confider him as equally entitled to approbation. He was more the patron of fome profligate men than was confiftent with the character of a good prince; and entrusted the administration of the state too much to thofe who were not qualified either by virtue or education for fuch offices. This is the more furprising in a person who, though educated a Romith ecclefiaftic, appears to have been well acquainted with mankind. But he knew that the paffive difpofition of the papal fubjects could not eafily be provoked to refiftance. The liberality of Ganganelli with regard to religious diftinctions, is the moft confpicuous virtue. in his character; though it expofes him, more than any real blemish, to the odium of bigotted catholics. English |