of which we fpeak from experience), there are not a few whofe maturer abilities have juftified the decifions that were then made in their favour.

With respect to the prize compofitions of Mr. Alley, if it be confidered, that they were written at the age of feventeen, they The cannot but be thought to have confiderable merit. Widowed Queen is not without her beauties: we could wish, however, that the poem had been written in any other measure

than blank verse.

To write blank verfe, requires not only great powers of language, but also a confummate knowledge of its harmony, together with that nicety of ear, which, though nature muft beftow it, can only be perfected by great and conftant practice.

Hence it is, that fo few young poets have fucceeded in blank verfe. If verfe be but divefted of its rhyme, it is rarely that any thing farther is aimed at; confequently, the tedious monotony of the couplet remains, without any thing being fubftituted in the place of what it has loft.

The Oration of Philippa is well written, and contains many paffages that would not difgrace a more experienced writer: fuch is the following, with which the Oration concludes.

If, fir, I folicited ary thing unreafonable-if my petitions were not fan&tified by juftice, and founded on truth-if it was a Nero, or a Dionyfius I was entreating, my foul might bode a refufal! but, when the equity of my wishes cannot be denied-when Edward is my judge, am Ito fear for the further miferies of the diftreffed? can you

who have been half an age feeking occafions to do good and performing it can you-who, even Envy must confefs, were never the enemy of justice-who added luftre to dignity by humanity and compaffion-whofe generous fympathy extended to all mankind--can you, I fay, with a fordid littleness of mind, forget yourfelf in a ftruggle to overcome that fpirit of philanthropy which ennobles every action-can your thoughts be a moment poifed, when you reflect, that even the prerogative of conqueft gives but a power over the freedom and property of the captive? Yes, my lord, they have a right to the fecurity of life-they have a right to more, much more, than upon an occafion of infinitely greater provocation, you performed without folicitation: when Philip, the haughty Philip facrificed his British captives to a fanguinary revenge-did Edward retaliate-no! with an heroilm, worthy of himself, he tubdued his refentment he left the murderers to the vengeance of heaven, and was rewarded with that labbath of the mind, which is the conftant enjoyment of the truly virtuous.

Still, my lord, my fears inform me, you are riveted to your purpofe-If it be fo-if your generofity cannot determine you-if, in this imaginary plenitude of power, you fcorn adhering to that fyftem, you fo gloriously begun--if the wishes of your people, the prayers and intreaties of your child, and your wife, are unavailing

*The King of France.

if

if you difregard the confequences of fuch an action-the hatred and contempt of France-the difaffection of England, taught no longer to efteem what the once adored-at leaft deceive not yourself with imaginary hopes of advantage; let not the gleam of a momentary thought give colour to fuch a deception-and, though you difregard the imbecility of a woman's arguments, difregard not the reproaches of the injured, or the feelings of a man; thofe feelings which yonder profpect might aroufe, methinks, to tendereft fympathy-See Calais, how fallen!-fee her pride humbled to the duft!-Here, Grief, fitting like an hermit, folicits forrow to himself-there, gentle as a dove, Affection fixes her eyes on the beloved object-bere, Age, in the bitterness of his heart, laments the tardinefs of death-and there Infancy fmiles at its mother's woes -But look! my lord, 'is Patriotifm in the perfon of Vienne! his neck bound with a halter whofe brows fhould be wreathed with everlasting laurel! Hark! he cries to his illuftrious companions-" Is this the meed of an honourable refillance? is it thus the gallant Edward deems of valour? and are we to perish for being men? But, be it fo-he fhall fee we are not to fall unrevenged! and, even in our laft agonies, we will look with contempt on the mercilefs Briton-fmile in a confciousness of our own glory-and convince him that virtue is happiness, even in death; and guilt, at beft, but fplendid mifery!"-If this profpect cannot excite, or this language command your feelings for fuch diftrefs! proceed on your purpofes-emulate the cruelty of Carthage! and while Envy exults in the ruins of your fame, enjoy the certainty of having obtained an immortality of difgrace- Will you not proceed? Will you not perform the deed-and, having tri umphed over the feelings of nature, take Shame and Remorfe for your eternal guests?-Nay, rafh man, you shall not ftir-Crush me! torture me in every nerve-but rufh not upon your own difgrace! By all that is gentle and generous-by all that is merciful and forgiving-by all that is interefting and precious! I conjure you defiftfree thofe captives-fubdue your paffions and return to yourselfBut, what do I fee! a tear in my Edward's eye! and compliance fmiling on his face! Yes! bountiful heaven! I am not deceived! Pierre is free-Philippa has fucceeded, and Edward is the hero: For Edward hath conquered himself!'

ART. IX. A Difcourfe on Commerce; which obtained the Premium in the Academy of Marfeilles, in the Year 1777. By M. Liguier, Merchant of Marfeilles. Tranflated from the French. 12mo.

2 s. DodЛley. 1779.

W

7E have here a very melancholy picture of the evils that flow from extenfive commerce. Whatever exaggeration can lend to eloquence, or mifreprefentation can borrow from facts, and pieces of facts artfully put together, is displayed in this Difcourfe. That opulence is the parent of luxury, and that luxury is the fource of corruption, are fome of the standing maxims of almoft every common-placc-book. Our Readers, therefore, have only to confider commerce as the fource of wealth, and they will poffefs the whole chain of reasoning,

which Monfieur Liguier employs in anfwering the question propofed by the Academy of Marfeilles-" What has been at all times the influence of commerce on the genius and manners of men?"-Nothing can be more hackneyed than this fubject, taken in the connection just mentioned; and yet Mr. L. not fatisfied with retailing the triteft obfervations, embellished with all the tinfel of declamation, ventures to tell us, that no body has yet taken pains to inquire into it' (which, though it be not the only new position in his effay, we could wish were the only er roneous one) and that this great and important queftion was referved for the academy of a commercial city, famous through twenty ages for its glory and existence, the rival of Carthage, and the ally of Rome.'

The whole of this differtation affords an ample specimen of that kind of reafoning, which logicians have marked and condemned, as concluding ex abufu ad ufum, and is much of a piece with his curious affertion concerning the Quinquina, or Peruvian Bark, which he fays, has certainly been productive of more mischief than good to mankind, on account of its adulteration.' We fhall not detain our readers with examining the fallacies of a writer who is fonder of paradox than of truth; and who fubftitutes the language of declamation for the fpirit of philofophy.

The Tranflator of this piece has introduced it with a preface of eleven pages. Though we differ very widely from this Gentleman, in our idea of the utility of Liguier's work, we hall not fupprefs his fentiments:

At a time when the fpirit of emigration has arisen in this country to the height of enthufiafm; the European nations, fill thirsting for the dangerous acquifition of territory, or the falfe glory of conqueft, are plowing the vaft bofom of the extenfive ocean, in fearch of new regions; when the difaffection between our parent country and the American colonies has beat the alarm, from the banks of the Ohio to the banks of the Ganges: I flatter myself this short but fenfible differtation, will not be unacceptable to the candid enquirer, and meet with the approbation of the difinterefted and difcerning philofopher. Though it militates with the common opinion, it breathes fuch a fpirit of liberality and truth, and abounds in fuch pertinent and judicious remarks, as cannot fail to fecure to it the commendation of every impartial reader.'

After this fplendid eulogium on his Author, he proceeds to a pathetic display of the caufes that contributed to the downfal of Rome; and he breathes a claffic figh over the departed virtue, liberty, and grandeur of the Roman people. But as he attri butes their ruin to a thirst for conquest, what he here fays, has nothing to do with commerce, and might ferve as an introduction

to

to any other effay as well as this, and to almost any other fubject as well as commerce. He next makes a tranfition to the prefent State of Spain, afcribing its decline to the discovery and conqueft of South America; and he concludes with a fevere cenfure on the diffolute manners and corruptions of our own countrymen, which he pronounces to be the baneful confequences of overgrown fortunes, haftily accumulated by foreign commerce:' and particularly, of the immenfe wealth amaffed in the East Indies. Hence bribery and corruption have crept into the Senate-house, and bafely counterfeit the femblance of that liberty which they help to deftroy.'-The Translator emulates his original in pomp of diction, they are certainly every way worthy of each other. • Cantare pares.'

ART. X. A Defence of the Reverend Theophilus Lindsey from the Attack of William Burgh, Efq; interfperfed with Remarks on Church Authority; on Reafon as the Judge, and Self-Denial as the Teft, of religious Truth, in Oppofition to him. Addreffed to the Bishops. By a Phyfician. 8vo. 6s. Boards. Johnfon. 1778.

HIS work, as we are informed in the preface, was pub

TH

lished three years ago in Ireland, where the Author at that time refided. It was then incorporated with other theological matters. But as Mr. Burgh has fince thought proper to publish another volume on the fame fubject with his first, and to continue his ftrain of abufe against Mr. Lindsey, and in his endeavours to depreciate reafon as the judge of truth, it has been deemed neceffary to feparate it from the reft, and reprint it in its prefent detached form. It contains a number of fenfible and fpirited remarks on the fubjects specified in the title, expressed in very strong and forcible language. Thefe the Author has applied with great propriety and effect to the doctrine of the Trinity, the conduct of Mr. Lindsey, and the manner in which Mr. Burgh has attempted to undervalue the merit, and to confute the opinions of that Writer. The whole is addreffed to the Bishops of England, in a dedication replete with farcaftic reflections, and bitter invectives against their Lordships, on account both of their ecclefiaftical and of their political conduct.

The Author appears to have read and reflected upon the subjects he profeffes to difcufs: his fentiments are in general rational and manly; and he has given feveral juft rebukes to Mr. Burgh for the temerity with which he has engaged in fuch a controversy, the peremptorinefs of his decifions on a subject he fo lately began to confider, and the virulence of his invectives against all who prefume to differ from him in opinion. But being a man of a lively and luxuriant imagination, rather than of ferious thought and judgment, his compofition is loose and defultory, his ideas are fometimes indiftinct, and his language

is not always correct. We are sorry to add that, in our opinion, he has leffened the merit and usefulness of his work by the low and indecent images and allufions under which he expofes the abfurdities of the Athanafian doctrine, and by a continued train of harth invective against ecclefiaftics, and public teachers of all fects and denominations. It is to be regretted that, writing in defence of Mr. Lindfey, he had not caught more of Mr. Lindfey's meek and charitable spirit. In fact, he has defended that writer too much in the spirit and manner of Mr. Burgh. The beft apology that can be made for our Phyfician is, that his temper has been heated, and his paffions raised by perfecution. In his Preface he fays, I have already experienced a large portion of enraged orthodoxy, in a fifter kingdom.' To this fentence there is fubjoined the following note: In where the Writer practifed feveral years. But there, unfortunately for him, Orthodoxy and Bigotry had pitched their tents. He happened to take a decided part in a theological difpute carried on by two neighbouring clergymen. As it may be fuppofed, he took the fide of liberal enquiry, and generous principles. In confequence thereof, he railed enemies to himfelf of all defcriptions; thofe called High Church, and those called Old-light Prefbyterians; the fame fort of Chriftians both, though differently named, and both Papifts in the strictest fenfe, only that they never killed the Pope's toe. The pulpit teemed with invective against him, while the established clergy, almoft to a man, left no ftone unturned to injure him, not only in his private character, but his public profeffion. The whole exhibited a genuine picture of clerical perfecution, which will never cease till the priesthood, as a common enemy to fociety, to peace, and good neighbourhood, fhall be deftroyed. It ended, however, as matters of this fort, by an happy change in political fcience, now generally end, in blufter and impotence, on the clergy's fide. Rome's bulls have loft their horns.-On the above occafion, he was kept in countenance, next to the goodnefs of his caufe, and the integrity of his intentions, by the fteady and affectionate attachment of all thofe who were efteemed of the beft understanding and private virtue in the place. His opponents were chiefly people who never read beyond the trafh of Wefley or Romaine; and who make it a point of confcience never to think, because their grandfathers and grandmothers, their godfathers and godmothers, thought for them.'

Thus may all clerical perfecution end! And may this in future be a juft defcription and divifion of thofe who countenance and those who decry the ufe of reafon and freedom of enquiry in matters of religion! But we would caution all who fuffer by the intemperate zeal of others, to guard against a like fpirit in themselves;