ART. 16. Bagatelles, a miscellaneous Production, confifting of original Poetry, and Tranflations, principally by the Editor, Weeden Butler, B. A. of Sydney-College, Cambridge. 8vo. 112 pp. 5s. Cadell and Davies.

1795.

per

Thefe are very agreeable trifles, and are produced by a pen which, probably, will hereafter attempt greater things. The reader will, haps, be pleased with the following fpecimen :

ART.

17.

65 THE BLESSINGS OF SECRESY.

His miftrefs Buckland raifes to the skies,

For flape, complexion, hair, and rolling eyes;
Whilst the perfections of her mind, he says,
Increase his love, and merit all his praife.
But oh! to fix the raptures of his foul,
Fidelity unfbaken crowns the whole.
Alas, good man! his prejudice is blind
And all inadequate we foon fhall find;

To trace her worth, the worth that fills her breaft,
Exceeds his praifes thirty times at leaft;
Full thirty warm admirers live, to prove
How vaft, how fweet, how faithful is her love;
Each for the fair with glowing ardour burns,
And each fond mortal is a god-by turns.
Yet, with fuch fecrefy her favour's shown,
That no admirer is to Buckland known,
Nor to another; thus, though all are bleft,
And tete-a-tete by the dear nymph careft:
Each feems fole object of her fond defires,
Each thinks her faithful to his tender fires;
Whilft fhe ftill roams, to no man's love a flave-
Thus the wide ocean rolls full many a knave
To various fhores, whilft o'er its azure plain
Full many a veffel roves in queft of gain;
The buoyant barks with fwiftnefs fkin the feas,
And every fail invites the favoring breeze;
Each feels the tide, propitious as it goes,

And each enjoys the gentle gale that blows."

Female Senfibility. A pathetic Tale, in Verfe, founded upon an incident that occurred in Flanders during the prefent War, and Strongly exemplifying the perfecuting Spirit of Ariftocracy, respectfully inferibed to that illuftritus Patriot Earl Stanhope. By John Purves. 8vo. 1s. 6d. Berks, Spitalfields. 1795

Oh! can there not 'mongft Europe's kings be found
One with true honour, as with the diadem crowned.”

Out upon it; fend this fellow back to his loom.

ART,

ART. 18. Oatlands; or, The Transfer of the Laurel. A Poem, by John O'Kerfe. 4to. Is.

Debrett. 1795.

A compliment to the Dutchess of York, in verfes like thefe :

"Hail heavenly Frederica! God of all,

Pour every bleffing on the gentle fair;
Should ills affail, anticipate her call,

Who takes the helpless infant to her care.”

The fubject is admirably chofen, and the praise juft; nothing was wanting but a better poet.

ART. 19.

DRAMATIC.

The American Indian.

A Play in three Ads.

8vo,

With Notes 44 PP. 25.

Founded on an Indian Tale. By James Bacon.
Harrifon. 1795.

This play is taken from a poem, written by a lady of Boston in New England, entitled Ouábi, or The Virtues of Nature. It is not without intereft, nor is it ill written. It was offered to the manager of Drury-lane, but refufed; a decifion in which the author himself modeftly and properly acquiefces.

NOVELS.

ART. 20. The obfervant Pedestrian, or Traits of the Heart; in a folitary Tour from Caernarvon to London. 2 Vals. 8vo. 6s. Lane.

1795.

In these volumes fome well-imagined fcenes are fo much injured by an affected turgidity of ftyle, that while we are pleased with the imagination of the author, we are fo difgufted with the foppery of his drefs, that his company is barely tolerable. Let the writer, who is not altogether a novice in his art, only learn that fimplicity is the lovelieft ornament he can wear, and he may exercise his talents, as well to his own advantage as the gratification of the public.

ART. 21. The Contraft, a Novel; 2 Vols. By E. 8. Villa-Real Gooch. 8vo. 6s. Kearsley. 1795.

Of how very few publications of the kind, ycleped novels, can we truly fay, that they will bear a second reading. We are indeed glad, among the multitude which prefs upon us, which we perufe with honeft anguish and an aching head," if any can be pointed out that may be read at all. We can pay no greater compliment to Mrs. Gooch on the prefent occafion, than by afluring our readers, that the performance is of the latter defcription.

3

DIVINITY.

DIVINITY.

ART. 22. An Ejay on religious Fafting and Humiliation. By John Simpson. 8vo. 35 PP. 6d. J. Johnson. 1795.

This is a folid answer to a very fuperficial performance*. Mr. Simpson vindicates the practice of fafting, public as well as private, by arguments which feem to us irrefragable, drawn from its natural good tendency, from the precepts and examples in the Old Testament, from the approbation of it by Chrift, and from the practice of the apoftles, and of the first converts to Chriftianity. We recommend this effay to notice, as well for its other merits, as particularly for the temperate and candid manner in which it is written. Mr. S. never goes a step out of his way, to be fevere upon those who differ from him. In this refpect, he is an excellent pattern for controverfial writers in theology, and especially for his opponent on this question, Mr. Jardine.

ART, 23. A plain Comment on the Catechism of the Church of England. In fix Ledures, delivered in the fix Sundays in Lent, in the Parish Church of Weybridge, in Surrey, for the Improvement in Chriftian Knowledge of the junior Part of the Congregation. By the Rev. Fran cis Haultain, D. D. Rector of the faid Parish, and Vicar of EastHam, Effex. 12mo. 112 pp. is. 3d. bound; or 13s. 6d, per Dozen. Longman. 1795.

The author profeffes to have ftudied and ufed the writings of our beft and most orthodox divines; and the ufe he has made of them is excellent. His comment is plain, found, and judicious; and we ftrongly recommend it to thofe perfons (numerous, and we hope increafing in number) who think a part of their alms well placed, in putting religious books into the hands of young people.

ART. 24. An Addrefs to young Perfons, on the Nature and Benefit of Confirmation. 12mo. 24 PP. 38.

ART. 25. The Duty of Frugality, and the Sin of Wafte confidered, with a View to recommend Chriftian Benevolence and good Works. By Bafil Woodd M. A. Minifter of Bentinck Chapel, St. Mary-leBane, Lecturer of St. Peter's, Cornhill, and Chaplain to the Right Honourable the Earl of Leicester. 12mo. 36 pp. 4d. Watts, Rivingtons, &c. 1795.

The first of thefe little tracts is a plain and pious account of the nature of confirmation; the due preparation for it; the benefits of it; and the common errors respecting it; concluding with fome car

* Seasonable Reflexions on religious Fafts. By David Jardine. See Brit. Crit. Vol, V. P. 303. G

BRIT. CRIT. VOL. VII. JAN. 1796.

neft

neft and wholesome admonitions. Wishing that fuch useful books may come into the hands of many young perfons, and fuppofing that another impreffion of this book may be called for, we must exprefs a hope that the following fentence (the only one of its kind) will be omitted or altered: " Every heart, which had at heart the interests of our Saviour, was elated; petition on petition invaded the fkies." P. 5.

The fecond tract alfo is pious and well-timed; but the texture of it is fomewhat loofe, and the ftyle declamatory. Difcourfes from the pulpit and the prefs, on this fubject, are now much required, and it' would be worthy of our ableft preachers and divines to inftruct the public in this way.

ART. 26. The wonderful Love of God to Men: or, Heaven opened in
Earth. 8vo. 190 pp. 5s. bound.
Vernon and Hood, &c.

1794.

We lately gave the palm for profundity in political queftions to a gentleman who will probably long retain it*; but in phyfico-theology we apprehend that the world never produced an equal to the author before us, Mr. William Peckitt. All our lexicons, dictionaries, and gloffaries, having failed to give us any infight into his language, we can only produce a fpecimen of it, for the ufe of more fortunate readers; and we shall transcribe it very carefully, left our printer fhould not believe his own eyes: "Thefe orders of holy efpirits, fo diffused alfo through the vaftness of the terreftrial univerfe, are called the elements: each one, in these orders respectively, is of the moft perfect form, folid, yet elaftic, fubftance: in area, wonderfully minute!! but vary in proportion; and respectively named accordingly, from the greater, in area and power to the leffer; (yet equal in each order) earths, acids, waters, electaes, airs, and fires the lefs and also the leaft.

"The exindwelling effence of which refpectively, hath innate the perpetual virtue, of life; i. e. a drawing externally of the other efpirits to itself directly, called attraction; and internally, its own body towards its centre, called contraction by which, on indenting contact mutually by other efpirits, is produced an immediate effect within the circumference of its furface called retaining impulfion. Or, when from indenting contact of efpirits flying from projecting force upon it, then an inftant effect perpendicular, or oblique, from its furface, called refraction or rebounding.". P. 14.

Towards the conclufion of his book Mr. Peckitt is undoubtedly pious, and in fome degree intelligible.

Brit. Crit. Vol. VI. p. 316,

ART.

ART. 27. Ancient and modern Republicanifm compared. A Sermon preached on the 25th of February, 1795, being the Day appointed for a general Faft and Humiliation, and published at the particular Request of the Hearers. By the Rev. 7. Morton, of Trinity College, Cambridge, Chaplain in Ordinary to his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales. 8vo. 30 pp. 18. Dilly. 1795.

The preacher shows, 1ft. That the ftate of the Jews, when they were without a king, and left each man to do that which was right in his own eyes, was a ttate productive of oppreffion, immorality, and war. He then marks the coincidence between the republicanism of the Jews, and the licentioufnefs of modern democracy. And he concludes with fome very strong and useful admonitions and exhortations.

This is a very fpirited oration. But in one paffage, it fearcely preferves the gravity and dignity which are expected in fermons. We admire wit in its proper place, but we do not expect or wifh, in the church, to meet with a provocation to fmile, as in the account here given of the robbery committed upon Micah: " And they went into Micah's houfe," and without the affectation of ceremony, gave the 'fraternal embrace to "the Ephod, the graven image, and Teraphim." P. 10. In one refpect, the expectations raifed by the title of this difcourfe, are not completely gratified. There is no mention of any ancient republics, except that of the Jews, when they did " every man what was right in his own eyes.”

POLITICS.

ART. 18. Thoughts on the English Government. Added to the quiet. good Senfe of the People of England. In a Series of Letters. Letter the First. On the national Character of Englishmen The Nature of the English Government The Corruptions caufed in both, by the Introduction of French Principles-The Effects produced by the Reformation and Revolution upon political Principles-The Conduct of the Whig Party The Character of the modern Democrats. 8vo. 80 pp. Owen. 1795.

23.

Without attempting to enquire who might be the real author of this pamphlet, attributed to Mr. Reeves, we cannot conceive, from an attentive examination of its contents, that he could be actuated, in writing it, by any feelings unfriendly to the conflitution of this country. His intention appears to be to ftate, that the characteristic of Englishmen is a calm good Senfe, which feeks not fo much to interfere with the govern ment, as to be protected by it. That, for this reafon they have chofen a form of government, which is effentially monarchical, but restrained by fuch checks as may prevent all abufe of that power. These checks he clearly approves, and is zealous for the conftitution, as by law eftablished; but, to prove how completely it has been the decifion of English good fenfe, that the form fhould be monarchical, he obferves, that the monarchy is hiftorically the most ancient part of the government,

G 2