Mr. SHERLOCK's letters from Vienna are amufing:-they talk much of Beaux and Belles, good eating, and pleasure in all its forms. The objects, fays he, that peculiarly ftrike a ftranger in that city, are the affability of the court, the magnificence of the entertainments, and the beauty of the fex. This is the fum and fubftance of his three letters from Vienna, which are fhort, and would have been reduced to nothing, had it not been for the three pretty faces of the Counteffes Ditheim and Wurmbrand, and the Princefs Lichtenftein; and for the two excellent tables of Prince Kaunitz, and the Baron de Breteuil: thefe defcriptions receive a fmall feafoning of a more intellectual flavour, by fome very curfory accounts of Metaftafio, of the Pope's Nuncio, and of Sir Robert Keith.

But that which furpaffes any thing of the kind we have ever feen, is his letter from the Hague. By his account of the climate, of the manners, and of the ftate of the arts in Holland, we conclude, for his honour, that he has paffed but a few hours in that country. He talks of the Flemish painters with a degree of ignorance, that we pardon in an enthusiast for the Italian fchools: but we cannot fo eafily lavish our indulgence on the decifive and imperious tone with which this ignorance is accompanied.—It happens often, indeed, (and no great marvel!) that a true Dilletanti, who comes from the Vatican, Bologna, and Parma (and meets in Holland with the ignoble reprefentations of degraded nature, that we find in a Brower, an Oftade, and a Jan Steen, and the infipid ones that are exhibited in the pictures of a Teniers), may be prejudiced against the Flemish and Belgic artists, and be little curious to see their productions.All this is tolerable though it be rather a kind of bigotry in virtú: But it is intolerably rafh in Mr. Sherlock to fay, in print, of the Flemish painters in general, that they fervilely copy nature in her unpleafing aspects,—that none of their pictures excites a defire of feeing it a fecond time,—that the antique is in their esteem a ridiculous thing,-and that an artist, who followed its tone and manner in Holland, would die of hunger. All this is exaggerated, and favours of illiberal prejudice-it is not true. The real connoiffeurs, who have feen the representations of rural nature by Adrian Van de Velde, Bot, Carle de Jardin, Wynants,-thofe of private and domeftic life by Gerard, Dow, Metzu, and many others of that class-not to fpeak of Rubens and Van Dyke, who were born only in the next neighbourhood of the Seven Provinces, will find the decifions of Mr. SHERLOCK neither juft nor candid.

Mr. SHERLOCK's panegyric on the English Ambaffador at the Hague is warm and juft; and it would have loft none of its merit and truth by being lefs exclufive. It leaves the reader to form conclufions with refpect to the Dutch nation. We know

I

little

little of Holland in its prefent ftate: its profperity feems to be of a more obfcure kind than in former times, when its rulers and minifters were as magnanimous and high-fpirited as its merchants were active and induftrious.-As to its prefent ftate, Mr. SHERLOCK tells his correfpondent, that there is only one object in that country, that will please him, and that is Sir Jofeph Yorke.' We have the highest idea of the merit of Sir Jofeph, who is the worthy branch of a family illuftriously distinguished by capacity, genius, talent, and virtue, and who (as we know from good information) does honour to his family and country, by his eminent abilities as a minifter, and his humane and upright character as a man. Nevertheless, we cannot but fuppofe, that our Author is chargeable with injuftice and exaggeration in the exclufive terms only one object. We fhould be as forry, as we are unwilling to believe, that a country, whose history, in time paft, exhibits fuch fhining examples of patriotism, of valour, and of public and private virtue, fhould at prefent have nothing worthy to attract the eye of an obferver. We do not like to fee a whole people wantontly annihilated in a fingle phrafe, by a man whose information feems to be very imperfect.

The letters from Rome are the moft interefting part of this collection they contain several strokes of elegant criticism, and a very good defence of Shakespear against the farcafms of fome Frenchmen. The letters from Naples are not totally infipid, though they are very far from being inftructive. In thofe dated from Ferney, we picked the, almoft, bare bones of Voltaire's converfation with the men of learning, tafte, or curiofity, that vifit him in their tours. Of these pickings we shall give here only the following, which we think favoury and found: HUME (faid Voltaire to Mr. Sherlock) wrote his History that he might be praised; RAPIN, that he might inftru&t; and both gained their ends.- Lord BOLINGBROKE had fomething commanding in his air and voice: In his works there are many LEAVES, but little FRUIT, they are full of wire-drawn and intricate fentences, and phrafes, that one defpairs of getting at the end of.

Upon the whole, from feveral fplendid pieces, that strike us in the patch-work of these letters (which are more miscellaneous in their contents than those of any other traveller known to us), we conclude, that Mr. SHERLOCK is a lively, fingular, fenfible man, who has a good taste and a warm fancy. At the fame time, it must be owned, that these letters convey very little inftruction; and we do not believe, that among the generality of those who peruse them, the Author will obtain the end he feems to have propofed to himfelf, by felecting a small number from two hundred, viz-that they might be read twice.

REV. Dec. 1779.

H h

MONTHLY

MONTHLY CATALOGUE, For DECEMBER, 1779.

POLITICAL.

Art. 14. A Short Hiftory of the Adminiftration, during the Summer Recefs of Parliament. 8vo. I s. 6d. Fielding, &c. 1779.

THE

HE Writer is even with the Hiftorian of Oppofition, during the laft Seffion,-from whom he feems to have borrowed the hint of his title page; and, like him, hath, perhaps, drawn his bow with too much ftrength, and overfhot the mark. They are both able Writers, but we credit neither of them in the violence of their blackening reprefentations. One afcribes the impending ruin of this country to the active malignity of the anti-minifterial party; the other gives a monstrous catalogue of the enormities of adminiftration, from whence he deduces the inevitable deftruction of the British empire, unless we are faved by a speedy change of ministers, as well as meafures. It may be fo; and perhaps we should hazard nothing by the experiment. Yet, after all, it is the opinion of maderate men, that our minifters at home, as well as our commanders abroad, have been more unfortunate than criminal. The voice of Moderation, however, is not likely to be heard, amidst the din and tumult of the times.

Art. 15. Anticipation, for the Year 1779. Containing the Subftance of his M- -y's Speech to both H-s of P——— on the Opening of the approaching Seffion; together with a full and authentic Account of the Debate which will take place in the H-e of Cns on the Motion for the Addrefs and the Amendment. With Notes. 8vo. I s. 6d. Bladon. 1779. O imitatores! fervum pecus. This, like most imitations, is much inferior to the original. A few gleanings of humour the Author has collected; which, however, are fo poor and fcanty, that they deferved not to be prefented to the world in the formality of a feparate publication.

Art. 16. Anticipation continued. Containing the Substance of the Speech intended to be delivered from the Te to both Houfes of P-r-m-t, on the Opening of the ensuing Seffion. To which is added, a Sketch of the Debate which will take place in the H-fe of L-ds, on the Motion for the Address and Amendment. 8vo. I s. 6d. Bew. 1779.

This is a ftill nearer imitation of Mr. Tickell's admirable pamphlet, of ludicrous memory. Sed quantum diftat ab illo?

Art. 17. The Cabinet Conference; or, Tears of Miniftry. PRESENT the KING-Duke of Richmond-Earl of Shelburne-Lord North, Lord G. Germaine. 8vo. 1 s. 6 d. Kearny. 1779. Another thing, of the Anticipation kind: ill imagined, and worfe written.-The Author makes his Majefty become a convert to the opinions of the Duke of R. and Lord S. In confequence of which,

*For our account of the Short Hiftory of Oppofition, fee Review, July, p. 68.

the

the Lords N. and G. G. are turned out. The first of these events is juft as likely to happen as the fecond.

Art. 18. A Letter to the Right Honourable Lord Viscount H—e, on his naval Conduct in the American War. 8vo. 1 5. Wilkie. Charges the noble Ad-I (as his brother, the G-1, had been charged before) with the moft palpable and criminal negligence and misconduct, in regard to the profecution of the American war; leaving the Reader to account for it, if he can, from connexions with oppofition at home,-from fecret favour to the American defection,from views of private intereft,-or from the co-operation of all these unworthy principles. The feveral charges are diftinaly drawn from a feries of well known facts; and they are urged with great force of expreffionthe greater, perhaps, for the care with which the intelligent Writer avoids all perfonal abufe and fcurrility.

Art. 19. An Addrefs to the Reprefentatives in Parliament, on the State of the Nation. 8vo. 19. Almon. 1779.

After a difplay of the nefarious and ftudied arts of adminiftration, to mifreprefent and blacken the cause of oppofition, and to fupport their own ruinous fyftem, the Author, with great earneftness, and in no contemptible language, points out to the reprefentatives of the people, at the opening of the feffion, the principal and immediate objects of public concern-the war with France, Spain, and America. He wishes parliament to confider the two former, only, as the enemies of Great Britain; and he advises, that by a decifive vote, the latter fhall be declared free and independent; and that the King be addreffed to withdraw his troops: by which measure, the Americans, he apprehends, will be affured of our good faith and fincerity.-The natural confequence, he is strongly perfuaded, will be, an happy union between both countries. For his reafonings on this fubject, . we must refer to his Addrefs; as well as for what he fays on the conduct which we ought to purfue, in regard to the difpute with Ireland;-into which he enters circumftantially. He argues in favour of the Irish claims; and concludes his pamphlet with the following paragraph:

When you have confidered and difpofed of the two material objects which have been mentioned in the beginning of this letter, America and Ireland, you will be at leifure to investigate the causes which have hurried us to this brink of ruin; and when you have difcovered the movers or promoters of them, with the fame spirit which has given liberty and peace to a continent, and the participation of commercial benefits to your fellow-fubjects, you will execute that final act of justice, which will be a worthy accompaniment to fuch an exercife of your power, and which will be revered by a grateful pofterity!'

Art. 20. An Addrefs to the People of Great Britain, on the Moeting of Parliament. 8vo. Is. Cadell. 1779.

Among the other arts of adminiftration, we have often heard complaint made of their employing their literary emiffaries to imprefs the minds of the people with an idea, that patriotism is mere pretence; that the active affertors of their liberties and rights are only the tools of faction; that obstruction to state-measures is nothing but fedition; and that private intereft is the real motive, while Hh 2

public

public good is the fpecious language of thofe of our nobility and gentry who diftinguish themselves, by what is called Oppofition, in either House of Parliament. Thus, "by fcattering the feeds of diffidence and miftruft, if administration can induce the people to withhold their countenance from those who by their meritorious fervices are in full poffeffion of it, the confequence appears certain, that the contempt of the patriot will counteract the effect of his fervices; and the advantage and fecurity proffered by him will be rejected, because the hand prefenting them is become fufpected."-Something like this is obferved by the Author of the tract which is the subject of the preceding Article; who likewife adds, that by thus continuing to treat the minority with ridicule and contempt, the minifterial party flatter themselves that the people will, in time, be drawn in to conclude, as an undoubted fact, that the profeffion of patriotifm has its foundation only in private advantage, or perfonal enmity that the patriot of this day would be the tyrant of to-morrow; and that ALL are united in the approbation and purfuit of one arbitrary fyftem of power."-Thus will the deluded people be perfuaded to difarm their champions; not once recollecting that when the mastiffs are muzzled, the wolves have nothing to do but to ravage the fold at their pleasure.

The Author of this Addrefs to the People, harangues them in the ftrain above alluded to. According to him, the nation, whatever it may imagine, is happy in a miniftry almost faultlefs. He feems indeed to question whether any part of their conduct be reprehenfible; but if, in any thing, they are to be blamed, it is, that inftead of lopping the branches, no ftroke has been aimed at the root of rebellion; that the voice of fedition has been fuffered to prevail in the very heart of our kingdom, unnoticed, and unpunished; that traitors and incendiaries have not been dragged forth to public view, and facrificed to public juftice.'-This is openly and bravely faid; and we have only to regret that the worthy Author has not favoured the Public with the names of thofe incendiaries and traitors' to whom he alludes; for, doubtless, if he knows that fuch men are among us, he could tell who they are.-If ever his lift appears, we hope fuch names as HAMPDEN, SIDNEY, RUSSEL, or even poor ALDERMAN CORNISH, will not be found in it.—We have only to add, that we perfectly agree with this admirer of our most excellent adminiftration, in admiring their lenity. See p. 15. Art. 21. Addrefs to both Houses of Parliament. 8vo. 1 S.

Murray. 1779.

The perufal of this little piece of zealous loyalty reminds us of Scenes in paft times, when the purlieus of Grub street were not uqknown to Martinus Scriblerus. Take, Reader, a sample:

Enter BOOKSELLER.

Book. Well, Sir, have you finished the third sheet?

AUTH. Not yet, Mr. Curl; but I hope to fend you feven pages of copy before the end of the week; which you will early bump out into fixteen of your print.

Book. End of the week! Zds, Sir, the House will be up before we shall be ready to publish, and then, perhaps, it won't felt enough to pay for advertising! If this is to be the cafe, pray how am I

to