the febrifuge qualities of arfenic, as he himself has here presented to the Public. As to the propriety of the practice recommended by the Doctor, we have long fince given our opinion about it. The dreadful effects of this very corrofive poifon have deterred rational phyficians from adopting it as a remedy in any cafe whatever; and the curing any difeafe by fo fiery a medicine, we formerly obferved, was driving out one devil by means of another *. Art. 43 An Euy on Preternatural Labours. By Thomas Denman, M. D. Licentiate in Midwifery of the College of Phyficians. 8vo. 25. Johnfon. 1786. This Effay contains ufeful directions and rules for fuch cafes as belong to the clafs of labours here mentioned. We approve them the more, as they tend, in a great measure, to caution the practitioner against that impetuofity which we have just cenfured in Art. 41. By fome accident this performance was miflaid; otherwise it ought to have been noticed before Article 33 in our Catalogue for July lat, that being the fourth, and this the third clafs of Dr. Denman's divifion. POETRY. Art. 44. Saint Peter's Lodge, a Serio comi legendary Tale, in Hudibraftic Verfe. By the Author of the Regifter Office. 8vo. IS. Davis. 1786. Mr. Reed has thought proper to refume the task fo happily executed a century ago by Butler; though we do not readily conceive what outward call there is for flogging the faints in thefe free and eafy times, when they are not numerous enough to be troublesome. The argument of the tale is thus prefixed: Saint PETER in his eafy chair Sits dozing to his Lodge repair Their Paffports: afks their feveral Sects; Shows each where lies his heavenly station.' After a fufficient fample of different religious perfuafions, St. Feter is applied to by the fpirit of one, who, contenting himself with a general profeffion of the leading tenets of natural religion, difclaimed a connexion with any exclufive pious brotherhood what ever. O'er-fpread with joy th' Apoftle's Phiz is, -And trait the Spirit's hand he feizes, Which shaking heartily, he cries, Welcome, good Sir, to Paradife. Should we your virtuous life proclaim, 'Twould fill the priefly tribe with thame; Or in thefe Bigots raife fome rancour, Whofe hot-brain'd zeal was their Sheet-Anchor. Reafon and not the Prief your Guide, * Vide Monthly Rev. vol. lii. p. 533. All All mental flavery disdaining, To no one spot of blifs confin'd: Range thro' thefe Realms, whofe space immenfe is, The countless wonders Heaven has wrought, So far furpaffing human thought. When you've a leifure hour to spend In focial converfe with a Friend, Think of my lodge, and hither come: You'll find me conftantly at home. You may even stake your Soul to meet here If I had judg'd like you, my fate Had ne'er confin'd me to this Gate.' The reader may now form his own judgment of the plan of St. Peter's Lodge, and eftimate the merit of this verfification of an old jeft. Art. 45. A Defcription of the various Scenes of the Summer Seafon, a Poem. 8vo. Is 6d. Dilly. 1786. In four introductory ftanzas, the Author propofes his fubject, and invokes the affiftance of his guardian angels: Sweet fummer, through creation's realm, I would refound in kindred strains, your aid; You'll not our Sov'reign's works degrade.' Thefe good angels muft certainly have had fome other earnest bufi ness in hand at the time the Author called them; for we perceive no marks of their affiftance throughout the whole poem. ftanza will fhew that he was obliged to proceed alone : Morning, with folitary gloom, Lies drowly in cool Nature's lap : The next Pinions flap! That is, the angels were not come; and furely no angel, unless he had been as drowfy as the morning is here defcribed to be, could have fuffered fuch a degrading line to stand; but would rather have fubftituted, To interrupt the focial nap. That That is the nap of Nature, who like an old nurse, fat nodding over drowfy Morning dozing in her cool lap. We would cheerfully affift our Author farther, in the absence of his truant angels, but other bufinefs obliges us to give him the flip alfo: we cannot leave him however, without advifing him not to think of defcribing the other feafons, till a fecond impreffion of Summer is called for. Art. 46. The Grave; by Robert Blair. To which is added Gray's Elegy in a Country Church-yard. With Notes, by George Wright, Etq. 8vo. 1s. Fielding. 1786. There is fome propriety in publifhing, together, an edition of thefe two celebrated, and, in fome refpects, fimilar poems. Blair's very popular production has been, for fome time, fcarce: though it hath, no doubt, undergone many impreffions fince the firft in 1743.-The Editor is mistaken in referring its original publication to the year 1747.-With refpect to. Mr. Wright's notes, they chiefly confift of parallel paffages from Hervey, Young, &c. Art. 47. The Religion of a Lawyer, a Crazy Tale. 8vo. Is. 6d. Walker. 1786. The mot miferable ballad that was ever ftrung against a wall, is a claffic compofition in comparifon with this execrable mefs of uniform ftupidity; in which we cannot find one couplet good enough to afford us the confolation of knocking down a blockhead with fome of his own nonfenfe. Art. 48. The Vindication of Fame; an Ode in Honour of John Howard, Efq. Infcribed to the Howardian Committee. 4to. Is. Dilly. 1786. A well-meant encomium on the philanthropy and benevolence of the age; with particular reference to the promoters of the scheme for a monument in honour of the excellent JoHN HOWARD. Art. 49. The Triumph of Benevolence; a Poem. Occafioned by the national Defign of erecting a Monument to John Howard, Efq. A new Edition corrected and enlarged. To which are added, Stanzas on the Death of Jonas Hanway, Elq. 4to. 1s. 6d. Nichols, &c. 1786. We gave an accouut of this poem, on the appearance of the first edition: See Rev. for Sept. p. 223. Confiderable additions are now made, by the very ingenious, but unknown *, Author. We obferve not fewer than 22 new ftanzas. The verfes in commemoration of Mr. Hanway appear to come from the fame pen: and they are not unworthy of either the writer or the subject. Art. 50. The Vale of Innocence. A Vifion. Daughter, and Sonnets on feveral Subjects. 4to. 1s. Johnfon. 1785. Verfes to an Infant By the Rev. J. Black. A beauteous NYMPH before the Queen appear'd *To us, at leaft, totally unknown. The Editor's advertisement fpeaks of the Triumph of Benevolence as a prefent from an anonymous author to the Howardian Committee; who commiffioned their Printer to publish it for the benefit of the HowARDIAN FUND.' Оп On her white bofom, which with eafy fwell, And in few words her humble fuit exprefs'd.' The fair Queen might find out who this Nymph was, by fomething that is not expreffed; but we fhould have been long puzzled for her name, if the poet had not informed us in the margin that the Nymph was called PUBERTY. The Abbefs of Quedlinburgh, whom Sterne hath celebrated for her dexterity in drawing of aubikers for the entertainment of the chafte fifterhood, would have hit off the Nymph's likeness with more skill and exactness. He was juftly accounted a forry painter, who having drawn a picture, by which he defigned to reprefent the king of beafts, found it neceffary to explain whom it was intended for, and wrote underneath -This is a lion, left it should be mistaken for a lefs noble animal. DRAMATIC. Art. 51. Richard Cœur de Lion. An Historical Romance. From the French of M. Sedaine. As performed at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane. 8vo. Is. 6d. Debrett. 1786. This Opera (for fo it might have been entitled) is not very delightful to read; but it has maintained, by virtue of stage embellishments, and good performance, a tolerable footing on The boards." It is founded on the ftory of King Richard's imprisonment in the dominions of the Duke of Auftria, on his return from the Holy War; of the romantic difcovery of the place of his confinement, by means of a song, repeated under the caftle walls; and of his confequent deliverance: which is, here, effected by a party of Richard's friends furprising the Governor, and ftorming the castle. NOVEL S. Art. 52. Appearance is against them. 12mo. 3 Vols. 7s. 6d. fewed. Jones. 1786. The main incident in this novel is borrowed, but without acknowledgment, from L'Ecoffaife, a well-known comedy of Voltaire's. The ftory, which is an interesting one, is confiderably heightened by the prefent writer, but his language is poor and weak. At the opening of the performance, indeed, where the Author defcribes the feelings of a person once in affluence, but reduced to nearly a dependent ftate, we discovered a prettiness of thought and expreffion, and which really promised well. We were accordingly prepared to hail the coming good'-but, alas! as our Author obferves, appearances are often deceitful; and when we expected to embrace a Juno, we met with nothing but a cloud. Art. 53. Emily Herbert; or Perfidy punifhed. 12mo. 3 Vols. 7s. 6d. fewed. Jones. 1786. 66 This Novel comes from the fame pen as the preceding Appearance," &c. and like that performance is entitled to very little praife. The ftyle is pert 'and flippant, and the ftory improbable. In the character of Lady Stanley too, the Author has drawn a monster of iniquity;fhe is continually talking with rapture of her malignant and vindictive fpirit, and even priding herself on its fuccefs. But it fhould should be remembered, that the revengeful character will never make its purposes known to any one. Iago would always be confidered as an honeft man. In a word, when fuch a character is fhewn, it should always be done by action, and action only; nothing can be more unnatural than to make it defcribe itself. Art. 54 Albina; a Novel, in a Series of Letters. 12mo. 2 Vols. 5s. fewed. Lane. It has been faid of an ill-written poem "This is not poetry, but profe run mad.” Though the prefent performance has nothing to do with poetry, we ftill pronounce it to be " profe run mad." But our Readers shall judge for themfelves: I have been unwell, but, thanks to kind Fortune, am recovered to the full vigour and life of twenty-one-Oh! charming age! I will enjoy it, tho' 'tis paft; and live o'er thofe dear delicious days, long as health and Spirits grant permit. This over, the haftily retired, followed by that dearest of women, Lady Clifford, who beheld with confcious dread, contending paffions work her Lord and guests. Apropos, Mifs Bingley requested my company in a prowl round the park the other evening, which I agreed. to unwillingly, her spirits being elated at fome periods beyond bounds.' As to the story, it is the usual one for a Novel; "Tom loves Mary paffing well; But Mary fhe loves Harry, &c. &c." Art. 55. Theodofius and Arabella. A Novel. In a Series of Letters, by the late Mrs. Hampden Pye. 12mo. 2 Vols. fewed. Lane. 55. This is fo poor and trifling a performance, that it has only one circumstance to recommend it, which is, that it is very fhort. Art. 56. Arpafia; or the Wanderer. By the Author of the Nabob. 12mo. 3 Volumes. 75. 6d. fewed. Lane. 1786. The artifices of villany to betray and harafs innocence proving abortive, and virtue at length becoming triumphant, is always a pleafing fubject. A moderate artift, who employs his pencil upon a fcheme which fo well accords with the beft feelings of the human heart, cannot fail of being, in fome degree, fuccefsful. The novel before us turns chiefly upon this topic, and, though not abounding with reflection, or remarkable for elegance of language, is a bufy, and not uninterefting tale. Art. 57. Rajah Kifna: an Indian Tale. 3 Vols. 9s. fewed. Debrett. 1786. A wild rhapfody, that tells of Indian gods and goddeffes, of incantations high, and powerful fpells; of giants vaft, and fiery monfters; of royal loves, and groves of paradife, and beds of rofes, and of a thoufand wondrous things, in words of fwelling found, and dark import. On the mystic fcroll we will infcribe, as its motto, "Away! intruding common fense *!" then hurl it down into Tartarian night. * The first line of a stupid Ode to Stupidity, inferted in the work. MISCEL |