and the doctrine of a future ftate; they were preparatory to the. greater, and might be fafely communicated to all the initiated without exception.

The arcana of the greater myfteries were the doctrine of the unity, and the detection of the error of vulgar polytheism. These were not communicated to all the afpirants without exception, but only to a small and fet.& number, who were judged capable of the fecret.

Dr. Leland, on the contrary, in his book entitled, The Advantage and Neceffity of the Chriftian Revelation, maintains, 1. That the myfteries did not detect the error of vulgar polytheifm; 2. That they did not teach the unity.

The author of this Differtation (the Candid Examiner, if we are not deceived by an appearance of his ftyle and manner) endeavours to fupport the former of these opinions, in oppofition to the latter.

26. A panegyrical Criticism, on an Ode, by Mr. Oxonienfis; which was addressed to the Members of the Mufical Society at Chelmsford, and publifbed in the Chelmsford Chronicle, Nov. 8, 1765. 4to. Pr. Is. Buckland.

1.

There is humour in this piece of criticism; but the author might have employed his time to a better purpose; for if the ode is, in reality, not worth a farthing, few people will think it worth their while to give a fhilling for the comment,

27. A Dialogue in the Shades, between the celebrated Mrs. Cibber, and the no-les-celebrated Mrs. Woffington, both of amorous Memory; containing many curious Anecdotes of the dramatic and intriguing World; the Amours of the modern Rofcius; the real State of the Cafe for which Theophilus Cibber profecuted Mr. S——— c. &c. &c. 4to. Pr. s. 6d.

Bladon.

This is a fyllabub of theatrical scandal whisked up in the form of a dialogue. Though few of the anecdotes intersperfed are unknown to perfons acquainted with the playhouses, yet, to fome readers, perhaps, they may appear novel as well as amufing.

28. Falstaff's Wedding: a Comedy. Being a Sequel to the Second Part of the Play of King Henry the Fourth. Written in Imitation of Shakespeare, by Mr. Kenrick. 8vo. 1s. 6d. Wilkie. Shakespeare perhaps related the death of Falstaff in his play of Henry the Fifth, as Addison is faid to have killed Sir Roger de Coverley in the Spectator, that nobody elfe might murder him. Mr. Kenrick, however, has ventured to revive the old

fat knight, as well as feveral other characters of Shakespeare, in this comedy; which, he tells us, was a juvenile performance, written fo long ago as the year 1751, when the author was young and giddy enough to amufe himself in a stuffed doublet, before a private audience, with an attempt at a perfonal reprefentation of the humours of Sir John Falftaff.'No doubt but the young actor was very perfect in his part, on this occafion, fince fo many of Falstaff's words feem to have cleaved to him, that they have infinuated thémfelves into this piece, where they must be confidered as repetitions, rather than happy imitations. There is a kind of treachery in the memory, that fometimes betrays a writer into inadvertent plagiarism, which perhaps may have been the cafe of Mr. Kenrick; who being extremely converfant with the language and fentiments of Falftaff, while he was profeffedly imitating the manner of Shakespeare, could not always recollect whether his ideas were borrowed or original Upon the whole, we are of opinion, that the admirers of Shakespeare can receive but little pleasure from this imitation, though it is not wholly void of merit, as a kind of poetical exercife, which the author had prefcribed to himself.' Yet however indulgent we are inclined to be towards the comic parts of this play, it must be confeffed that the more ferious fcenes are beneath all criticifm.

29. Ponteach; or, The Savages of America. Tragedy. 8vo. Pr. 2s. 6d. Milan.

Though we very readily embraced the opportunity of doing juftice to the character of major Rogers, as an officer*, and an itinerant geographer, yet we can beftow no encomiums upon him as a poet. The performance before us is the most infipid and flat of any we ever reviewed, belonging to the province of the drama.

30. The Demi-Rep. By N. O. Author of the Meretriciad. 410. Pr. 2s. 6d. Moran.

This author feems to improve by our animadverfions, for his fatire is more decent in the performance before us than in the Meretriciad †. The following lines are beautiful.

Beauty should have a fkilful pilot's care,

Thro' envious rocks and fhoals to fteer her clear;
Beauty the eye of Argus too requires,

To fave her cargo from the pirate's fires;

* See our Review for November last.

† Vol. XII. p. 201.

Beauty's

Beauty's th' Hefperian tree,-and ev'ry brute
Will rifk his life to pluck the golden fruit:
Beauty alas! hath not one friend below
But virtue, which can vanquish ev'ry foe:
She that hath virtue is completely arm'd,
But beauty without virtue may be charm'd.
• A beauteous woman, reputation gone,
Is like a half-pay officer in town;
In virtue she is courted, and defir'd,
In war he's honour'd, and by all admir'd:
Her virgin-flower once torn, her credit's gone;
And he in peace is credited by none.

Such is the foldier's, fuch the virgin's lot,

Alike unpity'd, and alike forgot.'

We are willing to believe, for the honour of the human race, that the author's fatire in many parts of this, poem is exaggerated, though we cannot help thinking it but too juft in other paffages. Had he been lefs perfonal, his performance must have been more pleafing. We know not upon what foundation the author fupposes a late editor of Shakespeare to have written the Memoirs of Churchill, published in Dodfley's Annual Register of 1764; nor do we see any reason why he fhould be abused on that account.

31. The Ocean: a Poem, in Blank Verfe, written by the Sea-fide. 4to. Pr. 6d. Walter.

Though we cannot pronounce this author to be the very beft defcriptive poet we have seen, yet, to make amends, he is very pious and very moral. Inftead of purfuing, he hunts down, his fubject, and then tears it to rags; witness the following paffage.

I love to meditate the trackless maze,
Thefe works of God; his wonders in the deep.
Mark! how uplifted fwells the tumid wave
Impendent, threat'ning yonder craggy cliff!
From off yon beaked promontory bluff,
Whofe lofty brow high-tow'ring, hid in clouds,
Jarr'd by the roaring billows mighty burft,
At each fucceffive dath with hollow roar
Precipitates fome broken ridge: rapid it falls
With headlong whirl into the deep abyss,
And overwhelm'd at once is loft to fight.
With rage redoubled now, the furious deep
The mountain's rooted bafe affails; and hark!
With rattling fweep along the pebbled strand
L 4

The

The frothing furf in thund'ring break drives in,
By half-funk interrupting rocks repell'd

Scarce vifible above the water's edge,——'

The laft line is profaic enough for the forecafle, and the beaked promontory bluff' intimates that the author had not facrificed to the graces.

32. Pride: a Poem. Inferibed to John Wilkes, Efq; by an Englichman. 410. Pr. 15. 6d. Almon.

Notwithstanding this poem is above mediocrity, yet we dare not pronounce it to be a work of genius. The author's manner is evidently borrowed from that of Pope; nor can we say that the thoughts are all original. How far our fentiments are juft, the reader may form fome judgment from the opening of the Foem.

O happiness! thou tranfient, partial good!
By all defin'd, by no one understood;
Thou bafelefs fabric of a poet's dream,
Say what thou art, a fomething or a name?
Art thou on man conferr'd the glorious prize,
Or else referv'd the charter of the kies?
Can virtue win thee, or contentment bring,
Or muft our fearches prove there's no fuch thing?
Thy fplendid dreams life's bufy cares employ,
Certain the pain, but doubtful is the joy:
Where'er we trace thy vague, uncertain course,
Try where we will, the paffions are thy fource;
Thefe to direct by one unerring line
From virtue drawn, their movements to affign
By reafon's juft decree, is all we know,
That gives or cements happiness below.

Of every paffion of its various aim,
The fpur of honour or the fting of fhame;
Whether it tends to pleafure, or the plan.
That gives o'er brutes the dignity to man;
Whether impending ills it bids us fly,
Or beams an op'ning dawn of promis'd joy;
Whether in pity's caufe it drops a tear,
Or breathes a figh o'er Virtue's facred bier;
Nurs'd in whatever foil it ftands confeft,
Or in an hermit's or a courtier's breast;
Whether to focial, mutual, or felf love,
To whate'er point on earth, or Heaven above,
Its daring views extend, of all befide,
This the moft ftrong, moft univerfal, Pride.

We

We are forry to see a writer, who, like this author, certainly enjoys the powers of pleafing, ftoop by turns to vulgar abufe and vulgar panegyric. Could not the brave fpirit of the Corficans be praised without befpattering the earl of B. and all the legislature of Great Britain? Why may not Mr. Wilkes receive his tribute of applaufe, without arraigning the laws of his country?

33. The Powers of the Pen. A Poem. Addressed to John Curre, Efqr. 4to. Pr. 25. Richardfon.

As the powers of this writer's pen feem to be not inconfiderable, we are forry that he fhould chufe to dip it into the ink-horn of literary fcandal. The plan of this poem, like that of many others lately published, is to fatirize feveral living writers, among which it is impoffible to fail to introduce the Reviewers. For our parts, we are so little conscious of having deferved this cenfure, and fo little affected by it, that we shall submit to our readers part of this author's fatire on Reviewers, as a fpecimen of his fancy and verfification.

Each moon their trump they blow, and fit
High arbiters of fenfe and wit;

And in the name of "Candour scrawl,
With defp'rate hands, and hearts of gall."
Poifon'd the ink within the stand,
Deadly the feathers in their hand;
On the Stymphalides they grew,
And butcher in each month's Review.
Sunk twenty fathom under ground,
Paper'd with title-pages round,
A dungeon lies; and plac'd before
Stand printers' dev'ls to guard the door;
To this these envious fiends refort,
To hold their inquifion-court.
Fix'd in the middle of the room,
A glimmering lamp reflects a gloom ;
Cluft'ring above hang scalping knives,
By dulnefs edg'd 'gainft poets' lives.
The skin of many an author's head,
Victims that at their altars bled,
Dangle in parcels at the top,

Like dry'd leaves in a druggift's shop.
Curious the figns by which they know,
Whether a work is good, or no.
For these all-judging critic elves
Form no opinion from themselves ;