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over the cliffs, to mufic and by torch-light,a ghoft throwing off her throud to discover drapery of a fine cerulean colour, thert drawn through the opening window,would have been very well for a pantomime. The play has little merit. Mr. Boaden has neglected to notice his obligations to other authors; and we must accufe him of plagiarifm as well as of dullness.

NOVEL S, &c.

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Waldorf; or, the Dangers of Philofophy. A Philofophical Tale. By Sophia King, Author of The Trifles from Helicon." 2 Vols. 12mo. 6s. Jewed. Robinfons. 1798.

Young Waldorf, from affociating with Lok, becomes an atheist. Zenna, a mysterious man, who proves to be the father of Waldorf, warns him against this favourite companion and his fatal principles. He exhibits Lok, in a vifion, furrounded by spectres, who tear him to pieces, and are preparing to feife his pupil. Two young women, induced to doubt by the arguments of the youth, and believing their doubts to be criminal, die in confequence of the ftruggle. Two brothers of one of them vow revenge over her corpfe: the elder follows Waldorf, and falls by his hand. Helena, who adopts his principles, lives' with him as his mistress; but she is at length weary of him, and, as prefent pleasure is her object, feeks another lover. She, however, fends to Waldorf his child ; and in a cottage in Spain, with the little Frederick, and Lok, who is always felf-poffeffed in danger, calm in forrow, and fteady in friendfhip, Waldorf recovers tranquillity; when the fecond brother dif covers them. We extract the fcene that follows.

The broad fun was half funk in the firmament, and the moon was just visible through the clouds—the playful breezes were dimpling-the filver ftreams went limping down the bank-and tired nature was finking into the lap of eve-when Lok, Waldorf, and the child, were roving through the whispering woods in peaceful harmony. Juft as they turned a leafy avenue, a figure darted from behind a tree, and croffed their path.

"Count Gravenitz!" exclaimed Waldorf violently.

"The day of reckoning !" thundered the duke's fon, drawing his bright ftiletto.

he.

Lok rushed between them. "Forbear, young man!" said

"Never, by the God that made me !" replied the count.

"Leave me!" faid the fhrinking Waldorf, as he advanced. "Let me not dip my hands again in blood. My child, my Fre derick, fpare me another murder, nor hunt me to the brink of ruin."

"You and your child die to expiate your crimes this minute !! retorted the count.

"Madmen!" interrupted Lok, "retire, nor ftrive to render a father and a fellow-creature miferable !"

• Waldorf caught up his child.

"The child is innocent-the parent unfortunate!" continued Lok. "Be merciful, nor crufh his hopes with fresh diftreffes!" "He and his child!" ftill murmured the count.

"Waldorf," returned Lok, 66 can fave himself and the child I will protect.. Do you believe in a God, and dare be a vil

lain !"

Waldorf preffed his child ftill clofer, as if to fay, Who dares harm thee?

'Lok turned round. "Waldorf, depart with your fon," faid he; “ shield him in your retreat, and leave the count to me.”: • The agonized Waldorf tremblingly obeyed.

When the appellation "Coward!" from Gravenitz arrested his footsteps, his eyes gleamed in fury-he fprang forwards, and was stopped by Lok.

"Begone, fanatic !" exclaimed he reproachfully; and inftantly Waldorf, with his child, darted through the trees, and disap peared.

Immediately the enraged count rushed on Lok, who parried the thrust with his cane, and fmiled difdainfully. "How dareft thou fay thy prayers, and plan a murder!" faid Lok, folding his arms, and directing a fevere glance to the awe-ftruck madman. "How now! Does thy God fmile on thee? Did he send thee to destroy thy brethren? Sheathe thy weapon, and blush when next you pray! Study the religion of humanity, and become truly pious! What, turn your eyes to heaven, and thruft your dagger in the heart of a fellow-creature! Go home, young man, and learn virtue, not merely to preach it."

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< Lok concluded, and, turning down another path, coolly returned homewards; while the blufhing fanatic, burnt with furprise, rage, and mortification, thrice aimed his uplifted ftiletto towards the back of Lok-yet fear and awe withheld his trembling arm ; and, vowing still to be revenged, he reached his lodgings.' Vol. ii, P. 34.

Waldorf leaves his home for a time, to fecure his child from the vengeance of Gravenítz. As they are returning, the count difcovers, them in a goat-herd's cottage, murders the child, and is himself destroyed by Waldorf, who, more wretched than ever, rejoins Lok. He meets the goat-herd's wife, learns that her hufband has been condemned to death for the fuppofed murder of Graveritz, and haftens to accufe himfelf, that he may fave the innocent. He arrives too late; he accufes himself as a murderer; the father of Gravenitz hears of his imprisonment, and cites him as an atheist before the court of inquifition. Zenna's influence faves him, and Waldorf is reserved for one pang more--he discovers CRIT. REV. VOL. XXIV. Sept. 1798.

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Helena, the repentant victim of her' principles and paffions. She dies, and Waldorf destroys himself.

There are various errors in this work; but the radical defect is, that its philofophy, by which the writer means atheism, is not reprefented as falfe. Undoubtedly, the authorefs was right in making the character of Lok fo pure, because his integrity renders his principles more operative upon Waldorf; but we wish to find at least his equal among thofe of better belief. The inference now is, that, only because atheifin is dangerous, it fhould not at present be diffeminated. The ftyle is fometimes affected; but it is frequently nervous; and, faulty as the work is, it discovers powers that may rife to excellence.

Heaven's Beft Gift. A Novel. By Mrs. Lucius Philips. 4 Vols: 12mo. 145. Boards. Miller.

We are forry that it is not in our power to compliment this lady on her talents for novel-writing. The story is abfurd and inconfiftent, even with all the latitude that writers of fiction may claim; and the characters are made up of the worst traits that are scattered over many novels. Of the writer's language fome judgment may be formed from these short specimens :—

Mrs. Leland and Mrs. Bellandine called her, as heretofore, chit and child; affecting to confider her being made of so much confequence by all around, was thereby to please mifs Fitzhenry, whofe folly it was to doat upon her.' Vol. iv. P. 81.

As fate (that often amufes herself with weaving webs of perplexity for the fons and daughters of mankind) detained the British fleet by adverfe winds, until fuch a change of measures took place in the cabinet, gave Mr. Lindsay leisure to return to town, to remember mifs Fitzhenry, and to recollect that his fifter Stella and her dwelt together under the fame roof; and, which this fame fate prompted him, in conjunction, perhaps, with Mrs. Leland's and Mrs. Bellandine's malign geniuffes, at this precife juncture, to go down to see them.' Vol. iv. P. 82.

Eleonora. Novella Morale fcritta fulla traccia d'un Poemetto Inglefe tradotto dal Tedefco. Trattenimento Italico di Mrs. Taylor. In Londra. Edwards. 1798.

Eleonora, a moral Tale, founded upon an English Poem tranflated from the German.

This ftory must interest in any form; but it is better in English verse than in Italian profe. The present verfion would have been more fpirited, had it been more literal. Bürger is not an author who can easily be amended.

Sadafki; or, the Wandering Penitent. By Thomas Bellamy, Author of Mifcellanies in Profe and Verfe, &c. 2 Vols. 12mo. 6s. fewed. Sael.

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1798.

Mr. Bellamy is not deficient in invention; and he' poffeffes fome

descriptive powers; but he employs these talents too extravagantly in this tale, the general moral of which is not very clear, although ufeful leffons may be deduced from parts. The first volume contains a striking delineation of the effects of defpair; and the whole might have paffed as an inftructive and entertaining allegory, if the author had not mingled probability with the agency of magic, and thus destroyed the interest of the story as it advanced. The conclufion is poor and feeble.

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A Review of the Life and Character of the Right Rev. Dr. Thomas Secker, late Lord Archbishop of Canterbury. By Beilby Porteus, D. D. Rector of Lambeth, now Bishop of London. 8vo. 2s. 6d. Rivingtons. 1797.

The moft proper account of this republication is contained in the advertisement prefixed.

The review of the life and character of archbishop Secker, of which a new edition is here presented to the public, has hitherto been prefixed to the firft of his feven volumes of pofthumous fermons, and could not be purchafed feparately, nor, of course, without confiderable expence. And in this state it would probably have remained, had not a very respectable and learned prelate judged it expedient to introduce into his life of bifhop Warburton, fuch obfervations on the talents, learning, and writings of archbishop Secker, as appeared, both to me and to many other of his grace's friends extremely injurious to his literary character, and the credit of his numerous and ufeful publications; and therefore highly deferving of fome notice from those who loved him in life, and re vered him after death. Accordingly, thefe animadverfions have been ably and completely refuted in a letter lately addreffed to the lord bishop of Worcester, by a member of the University of Oxford, to which the world has given very decided marks of approbation. But as the author of that letter has made frequent references to the review of the archbishop's life and character, I conceived that it might still further promote the important end which both he and I have in view, the vindication of the archbishop and his writings, if I rendered that review of his life more acceffible, by detaching it from his other works, and printing it as a feparate publication. The eftimate there formed of the archbishop's erudition and abilities, is undoubtedly very different from that which the bishop of Worcester has been pleased to give in his life of Dr. Warburton. Both cannot be true. Which of the two, his lordship or myself, has had the beft means of information, and which of the two accounts correfponds beft with the opinion entertained of archbishop Secker by the best critics and scholars of this kingdom, I fall leave to others to decide. Be that decifion what it may, by the publication of the archbishop's life in this form, I fhall not only enable the reader to judge for himself, but shall also

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gratify the warmest feelings of my heart, by the confciouíness of having discharged, in the beft manner I was able, one of the most. facred of human duties to a deceafed friend and benefactor: to whofe kindness, under Providence, I owe my first establishment, and much of my fubfequent fuccefs in life; to whofe instructions, virtues, and example, I am indebted for ftill more important benefits; with whofe venerable name it is my highest worldly ambition to have my own united here, and with whom, (among the fpirits of juft men made perfect,') may a gracious God render me worthy to be more clofely and permanently united hereafter.' P. i.

We have been confiderably disappointed on the perufal of this pamphlet. We had reafon to expect a more copious account, as the primate is faid to have left a manufcript, containing memoirs of his life and times. One incident has been reported from it, which is in itfelf particularly interesting. It is that the archbishop's opinions, which bifhop Porteus mentions as not thoroughly fettled in his mind, were completely fixed by a vifion, fimilar to that which Dr. Doddridge has recorded in his life, of colonel Gardiner, As to the attack of bifhop Hurd, we conceive that the most effeaual vindication of Dr. Secker would be a publication of his notes on the Hebrew text, or of fome of the " very learned MSS. written by himfelf,' which he bequeathed to the library in the pas lace of Lambeth.

An Inquiry into the prefent Condition of the lower Claffes, and the Means of improving it, including fome Remarks on Mr. Pitt's Bill, for the better Support and Maintenance of the Poor. In the Courfe of which the Policy of the Corn Laws is examined, and various other important Branches of political Economy are illuftrated. By Robert Acklom Ingram, B. D. &c. Svo. 2s. 6d. Debrett.

1797.

In this pamphlet are fome good obfervations relative to the state of the poor, and the effects of luxury upon the rich. Tables of the value of corn at different periods, and the amount of our exports and imports, are also given; but, from thefe, it is difficult to draw juft conclufions. We cannot commend the depth of our author's researches, when he fpeaks of the value of commons to the poor; a point which has not been fatisfactorily difcuffed: ftill lefs can we affent to his plan of permitting juftices to enforce the incorporation of parishes for the maintenance of their poor. He embraces too great a number of topics to give due confideration to each. Commerce, the national debt, taxes, tithes, the corn laws, &c. pafs in review before him. On fome of these articles we find judicious remarks, particularly on the policy of abrogating the corn laws. In the following conclufions molt of our readers will agree with him.

To increafe the quantity of food produced at home, to en

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