nary course of calculation would require twenty minutes to perform. The merit of Tables of every kind confifts chiefly in their being accurately computed, and correctly printed. We have examined this in feveral places, and find it free from error, in all the examples we have tried.

Art. 44. An entire new Work, and Method of proceeding to dif cover the Variation of the Earth's Diameters, with Evidence laid down, amounting to a Demonftration, that its true Ratio is not less variable than as 45 to 46, and shortest in its Pole's Axis 174 Miles, &c. &c. By Thomas Williams, Inventor. 4to. 4s. No Bookfeller's Name. 1786.

As Mr. Williams has given no demonstration of his affertions, we cannot afford our affent to them.

RIVER-FISHING.

Art. 45. The Gentleman Angler. Containing brief Inftructions by which the Beginner may, in a fhort Time, become a perfect Artift in angling for all Kinds of Fish. With feveral Observations on Angle Rods, Artificial Flies, &c. Alfo the proper Times and Seafons for River and Pond-fishing; when Fish spawn; and what Baits are chiefly to be ufed; with the Art of Rock and Sea-fishing; and an Explanation of the technical Words used in the Art of Angling. By a Gentleman who has made it his Diverfion fourteen Years, 12mo. Is. 6d. Kearfley. 1786.

Compiled from former publications on the fubject, with all their fins and tranfgreffions about them. See Universal and infallible Bait; How to make an artificial Fly; The twelve Sorts of artificial Flies; Directions for Roach and Dace Fishing ; Method of Rock-fishing, &c. &c, POETRY.

Art. 46. The Age of Genius! A Satire on the Times. In a Poetical Epiftle to a Friend. By Thomas Busby. 4to. 38. Harrifon. 1786.

This writer, as a profeffed enemy to laboured productions, has acted very confiftently in leaving a few negligences in his piece, left the reader's tafte fhould be cloyed with too much accuracy and elegance. We meet, however, with fome bold ftrokes, and good lines, in the poem, which convince us, that if the Author's fyftem had not prevented him, he would have written an excellent fatire on the folly which is fo ftrongly marked in the following lines:

Cits, Scholars now and rhetoricians grown,
Claim more than ancient titles for their own.
Once, all their care to be well foak'd and fed;
The belly fill'd, ftill empty went the bead:
Careless of praife at council each took part;
Nor got, the day before, his fpeech by heart.
Cool, if not rational, he spoke his fay;
And equal orators bore equal way.

No thirft of letter'd reputation yet

Had e'en begot th' idea of city-wit;
No brawling knew they loud as at the bar;
No blows uncivil bred a civil war :

Each talk'd and dox'd in turn, and that was all ;
No pens and ink yet flew about the Hall :

No

No neighbour to defpoil his neighbour fought,
But all departed with the wigs they brought;
No heads furcharg'd in rash dispute then mix'd,
Like Shrovetide cocks on leaden bafis fix'd;
In weight of belly each his ballaft found,
And, light at top, erectly kept his ground.

But this no more!-We must not now, alack!
Seek the decorum of a cent'ry back :
All learned now, and confequently wits,
Fall cureless into ftrong-conceited fits;
For liberty, and dear diurnal fame,

Rush to debate with more than patriot flame:
To Council call'd, fo furioufly engage,

They scarce at table fhew a greater rage!

At Merchant-Taylor's bred, Hardwareman cries-
"Shall we than men of Paul's be deem'd lefs wife?"
Or, bred at Paul's Shall we in knowledge yield,
"And give to Merchant-Taylor's men the field?—
"Here! where's my gown, lamp, paper, ink, and pen?
"Sleep is for private, not for public, men:
"To my dear country I'll this night devote,
"To-morrow's fpeech indite, and get by rote."
By his wife queftion'd why he keeps from bed-
"England's falvation, child, is in my head;
"How we may rise, her Genius whispers ftill;
"But all depends upon my care and skill:
"Britannia calls! and I must do her will.'
So when poor Crifpin, crazy for the praise
Of pulpit eloquence, to preach effays;
His 'prentice clerk; his cobling-tool his stage;
Flies to the fields with tabernacle rage!
With Rowland's skill erects the orbs of fight,
Or turns them, ravish'd! on the inward light!
Forgets Will's fhoulders are but flesh and bone,
Or thinks at home he's hammering on his ftone;
Now faith, all-faving faith, proclaims aloud!
Now deals damnation on the trembling crowd!
Afk'd why for preaching he deferts his fall,

(Bred at Moorfields, or Tot'nam) hear him bawl,
"Because as how I feels I has a call!"

}

Art. 47. Matlock; a farewell defcriptive Poem. Moft humbly infcribed to her Grace Georgiana, Duchefs of Devonshire. 4to. 1s. Baldwin. 1786.

"Et in Arcadia ego"-We, too, have been at this Derbyshire Arcadia, but never had we the good fortune of meeting, there, with any of thofe blue-eyed Naiads, or green-rob'd Nymphs,' or long-liv'd Dryads,'-none of the pearl-clad Nereids, Satyrs and Fauns, Fays and Goblins'-which fo plenteously abound-in this poem-that it is aftonishing we never met them on the fpot; for we too, have occafionally ftray'd among Dear Matlock's

'Dells darkling, hazel haunts, and graffy glades *.

Nor did we ever hear, in the learned circles at the Hall, or at Lovett's, aught concerning the amours of the Giant Mangelon, and the Nymph Matlocia, which are here celebrated with all the fond fancy of a youthful Mufe, more verfed in Ovidian fable and imagery, than in juft and natural defcriptions of rural fcenery. Matlock is a charming place, and demands the pen of a Denham, or a Pope. Art. 48. Henry and Acafto: a Moral Tale. By the Rev. Brian Hill, A. M. late of Queen's College, Oxford; and Chaplain to the Earl of Leven. With a Preface by Sir Richard Hill, Bart. 3d Edition, with Corrections, Alterations, and Additions by the Author. 12mo. Is. Stockdale.

The Author relates a tender tale, in eafy verfe: it is, however, in our opinion, too strongly tinctured with peculiar religious fentiments, to be acceptable to the generality of readers.

Art. 49. Socrates and Xantippe: a Burlesque Tale, By William Walbeck. 4to. 2s. Bew. 1786.

There is fomething that looks like wit in the poem, and fomething alfo that looks like learning in the notes; but in good truth they are more like Iago's honefty than any thing befides-nothing else but fhew!

Art. 50. The Mirror: a Poem. Addreffed to Lady L***. 4to. Is. Debrett. 1786.

An elegant bouquet, culled from the garden of the Mufes, with which Lady L.-whoever she be-need not difdain to adorn her fair bofom.

Art. 51. The Commemoration of Handel: a Poem. 4to. IS, Cadell, &c.

The process of the Commemoration is here defcribed, and the fubject of the Meffiah represented, in harmonious and elegant verse, which, amidst the triumphs of Music, in fome measure maintains the honours of Poefy.

NOVEL S.

Art. 52. The Innocent Rivals, a Novel, taken from the French, with Alterations and Additions. By a Lady. 12mo. 3 Vols. 7s. 6d. fewed. Bew. 1786.

In the character of Melmoth, a married man, who fuffers another fair one to fupplant his wife in his affections, and thereby involves both the females in diftrefs and wretchedness, and brings upon himself a load of remorfe which he is unable to fupport; this. novel affords a ftriking example of the danger of indulging an illicit paffion. It is a leffon which has been taught in many different forms; but it comes with peculiar weight, as the moral of an interesting tale, agreeably written.

Art. 53 Fanny, a Novel; in a Series of Letters; written by a Lady. Izmo. 3 Vols. 5s. fewed. Richardfon.

This novel, befides that it is agreeably written, and exhibits a variety of characters in interefting fituations, has the uncommon merit of conveying, in its fory, a very useful leffon to young women; which is, that, by treating debauched young men-not, as is too often the cafe, with marked diftinction, but, on the contrary, with a spirited reserve, they have it in their power to contribute very

much

much towards reforming their manners, and confequently providing themselves with good hufbands, and their country with useful citizens.

Art. 54. Juvenile Indifcretions; a Novel. By the Author of Anna, or the Welsh Heiress. 12mo. 5 Vols. 155. Lane.

Those who were pleased with this writer's former production, will probably find amufement in the present, which, in point of style, is, on the whole, better written than Anna. We must however remark, that the characters are more numerous than was neceffary, and are strained beyond real life. The plot is confused, and in many particulars extravagant. The tale is drawn out to an immoderate length, and the reader is fatigued without being interested. The writer is culpable too, in adopting and proceeding upon an idea of a pernicious tendency, namely, that juvenile indifcretions are rather to be regarded as indications of genius and fpirit, than as proofs of an ill-principled or irrefolute mind.

Art. 55. The Tour of Valentine. Crown 8vo. 3s. fewed. Johnfon. 1786.

This volume is not published, we are told, to add another to the many novel adventures, eaftern romances, or fentimental effufions; nor folely to furnish entertainment. Its true defign,' fays the Author, will readily appear: it will mislead none; it may please fome; and, if any, thofe whofe approbation is most valuable.' His profeffed intention is to promote Christian piety; and fome little objection, he acknowledges he felt, against clothing his work in a fanciful drefs. In other books of this kind,' he remarks, loose and paffionate defcriptions are hardly effaced, or rendered edifying, by grave confequences or fupplemental morality. Virtue is indeed propofed, but the means to attain it are not taught; there is, therefore, ftrictly speaking, no example of virtue given.'

It must be allowed that the tendency of the work is such as the writer represents it to be. The scenes and adventures, if not fo numerous, or wrought up with fo much art and paffion as other novels difplay, are yet interefting, inftructive, and friendly to virtue; giving rise to juft and useful reflections and converfations on fubjects of the greatest importance. The dialogue held by Valentine and his coufin concerning duelling, is, in particular, well worthy of attention. More real and edifying fenfe is to be met with here than in several other productions which may probably be better received in the world. The ftyle has fometimes a peculiarity or degree of obfcurity, which might, we apprehend, have been avoided or corrected,

Art. 56. Manon L'Escaut: or the Fatal Attachment. A French

Story. 2 Vols. 12mo. 6s. fewed. Cadell.

1786.

These volumes are far more likely than the preceding Tour to intereft the paffions, to warm the imagination, and, though it ought not to be fo, to engage the heart; for this novel gives us the hiftory of improper amours, and of gambling atchievements for their fupport. If its character is fairly given, while every allowance is made for the invention and ingenuity of the writer, it must probably be this, that it reprefents folly, extravagance, and vice, in colours too favourable and attractive; and while it makes the actors fuffer, even

το

to a high degree, it prefents them to the reader rather as objects of compaffion than of cenfure. The tranflator feems to have been a little fenfible of this, and fomething he fays by way of apology, which he would perfuade himself is fufficient to answer the objection. This little novel, he informs us, fell into his hands in the long winter of 1784, which he paffed in Normandy. For the amufement of fome English friends, who did not read French, he tranflated as he read fome of the most striking paffages, which appeared to them fo interesting, that, fays he, I was induced to tranflate the whole; or rather to write it anew in English.' He acknowledges he has made fome confiderable alterations, as to length of periods, tranfpofition of pages, &c. but all this has been done to render the performance more pleasant to an English ear, and after all he fears the clinquant of the French is ftill very visible.' To this account our tranflator farther adds, It has been thought, that notwithstanding all her errors and failings, the picture of Manon is too captivating, and that vice is not drawn in her character as fufficiently odious. But furely an improper tendency cannot be imputed to a story where every deviation from virtue is immediately and feverely punished, and which is at length closed by a catastrophe fo melancholy as the death of Manon, and the remorfe and defpair of her lover.' is fome truth in this obfervation; but it is yet queftionable whether the book is not fitted to produce bad rather than good effects, efpecially on fome minds; as it will be recollected, that the diftreffes, however deep, are really fiction, and the other parts wear a pleasing and alluring aspect.

MISCELLANEOUS.

There

Art. 57. The Works of M. Le Chevalier de Florian; containing Galatea, a Paftoral Romance; and other characteristic Romances. Tranflated from the laft Paris Edition, by Mr. Robinfon. To which is prefixed, an Effay on Paftoral Romance, in an Epiftle to Mifs C. T. by the Tranflator. 12mo. 2 Vols. 5s. bound. Becket. 1786.

These tales, which are written with much elegance and tendernefs, will afford that clafs of readers to whom they are addressed an agreeable amusement, without the fmallest hazard of perverting their tafte, or corrupting their hearts. The first volume confifts of a beautiful paftoral romance; the fecond, of characteristic tales, in which the fpirit and manners of different countries are reprefented; the Spaniard and Portuguese, as ftill fond of adventures and combats; the Frenchman, as infpired with fentiments of love and glory; the German, as diftinguished by manly fenfe and integrity; the Greek, as a lover of science and arts; and the Perfian, as teaching found leffons of morality under the form of wild romance. The work is tranflated with correctnefs and ease, and the introduction is well written,

Art. 58. Tales, Romances, Apologues, Anecdotes, and Novels; humorous, fatiric, entertaining, hiftorical, tragical, and moral: from the French of the Abbé Blanchet, M. Bret, M. de la Place, M. Imbert, M. St. Lambert, and the Chevalier de Florian. 12mo. 2 Vols. 6s. fewed. Robinfon. 1786.

This is an amusing medley from French Novellifts; but it was, to

fay