better breed.-What an excellent reason this for the carnage and devaftation which fome people hope may take place in America the enfuing fummer! But unfortunately it is not quite confiftent with facts. The Colonists who migrated from hence on account of their diflike to the government of this country, were the Diffenters, who planted New-England, and the time of their migration was just before the commencement of the civil war which brought Charles the First to the scaffold. The numerous infringements, both of civil and religious liberty, which then prevailed, were ill fuited to the character which the Writer gives of our government, nor do we think that a dislike of such infringments will be confidered as a proof that thefe emigrants were' enemies to every established government,'—And with regard to convi&s, the Author fhould be told that in feveral of the Colonies, and particularly thofe of New-England, none have ever been admitted, nor were they received into any of the other provinces, until after they had been peopled by honeft industrious fettlers, who by the good order and morality preferved among them, were able to correct and reform even the criminals of our own country. This expedient for "better peopling the Colonies," has been long complained of by them as an infult and a grievance, and therefore if the number of convicts thus fent to America had been much more confiderable than it really is, and were it true (though contrary to all experience) that the vices of individuals defcend to their pofterity, it would be cruel to reproach the Colonists with the contamination which we have thus forced upon them.

Art. 22. A Plan of Reconciliation between Great Britain and her Colonies; founded in Juftice and Conftitutional Security: By which the Rights of Englishmen, in Matters of Taxation, are preserved to the Inhabitants of America and the Islands beyond the Atlantic. By the Author of "The Historical Essay on the English Conflitution." 8vo. Is. Johnfon. 1776.

• The whole effence of this political controverfy, will be found, fays the Author, by all honeft impartial men to confift in two objects. Firft, in obtaining juftice for England by an American taxation. Secondly, in obtaining conftitutional fecurity for America in the operation of our taxation laws.

The true and only conftitutional principle, continues the Author, upon which the Parliament of Great Britain can tax the people of America, is to tax them in common with the people of England, where the nature of the tax will permit.

Unhappily for Great Britain and America, administration have never thought proper to confine them felves to this constitutional rule. They began in error, with the ftamp act; and they have continued in error, by every taxation law they have thought proper to impose upon our diftant provinces.'

The Author afterward proceeds: I hope that fome gentleman, then, in the House of Commons, will move for leave to bring in a bill," To quiet the minds of his Majesty's fubjects refiding in America, and other provinces beyond the Atlantic Ocean, againit all fears and jealoufies grounded upon the apprehenfion, that if they are fubject to the payment of taxes, and other impatis granted to his Majefty, by the Parliament of Great Britain, as a feparate and

diftinct

diftin&t people from his fubjects refiding in England, they may, in time to come, be exposed to a very arbitrary and unequal diftribution of taxes."

• Upon this ground I would move, That they may receive the full benefit and fecurity of the English conftitution, by being taxed in common with his Majefty's fubjects refiding in England; and that all taxation laws intended to affect the Colonies, become fo far general laws as to affect England and the Colonies alike; fo that no tax may be paid, by our diftant provinces, but what we fhall be obliged to pay in the fame manner and proportion in England.'

This is our Author's Plan of Reconciliation.'-It has, however, been several times propofed and recommended by others--and even fo lately as in Auguft laft, in our account of a volume of "Remarks on the principal Acts of the Thirteenth Parliament of Great Britain," we noticed a plan exactly fimilar to the prefent; and we then gave reafons why it could not be expected to prove fatisfactory to the people of America. In addition to those reasons we might further add, that whilft the Colonies themfelves defray the expences of their own respective governments, it can hardly be thought juft that they should alfo contribute to the fupport of ours, in equal proportion with ourfelves and even were this difficulty removed, equity feems to require that before we fubject them to British taxes, they should be relieved from those commercial restraints by which we now monopolize their trade, and permit them to become as rich as ourselves. Equal burthens ought to be accompanied with equal benefits and abilities. To impofe the former and deny the latter is to exact money from thofe whom we have deprived of all means and opportunities of ac quiring it. It is not our defign, however, to encourage the people of America to refufe an equitable fhare of that part of the national expences from which they fhall derive protection and benefit; but we think that they may be left to make their just contributions in fuch a way as will confift with the fundamental principles of our conftitution, and the effential inherent rights of property. And we do not know that they have ever refused us affiftance when properly afked to grant it in this way.

The latter part of this publication contains feveral of the argu ments which were delivered in the Review of the American Controverfy-Taxation no Tyranny, &c. for fupporting the claim of Parlia ment to tax the Colonies; but if, notwithstanding what has been urged to the contrary, the Author really thinks these arguments are in any degree juft and conclufive, we venture to say (from good information) that he will shortly have abundant reafon to relinquish that opinion.

Art. 23. Seafonable Advice to the Members of the British Parliament concerning conciliatory Measures with America, and an Act of Perpetual Infolvency, e. 8vo. I S. Bew.

This Writer warmly and fluently declaims in favour of the Colonifts and of confined Debtors.

Art, 24 Reflections, on the prefent State of the American War. -8vo. 15. Payne. 1776. s.

The chief view of this Reflector, is to fhew us the great danger that will attend our holding forth the olive branch toward the revolted Americans. Any propofal,' fays he, of a treaty, any offer of compolition or accommodation, in the present circumftances and flate of the war, would be a measure the molt pernicious that could poibly be adopted or devifed. Such a proceeding would throw a lafing dishonour upon this country, it would, in the inflant, be productive of dangerous mifchief, and, in the end, would be use lefs, unavailing, and without any effect.-To prove this doctrine, is the general bulinefs of the pamphlet. The Author feems refolutely bent on the conquest or extermination of the devoted Colonists. Yet he graciously gives them to understand that if they will lay down their arms, the horrors of war will ceafe.' Let them,' fays he, aban. don the leaders of the revolt to the juft vengeance of an infultedempire, and a veil may be indulgently caft over the delinquency of the reft. Let them come as fuppliants, and they may obtain through intreaty what can never be extorted by force.'-This is great language, indeed! and well does it comport with our Author's high fentiments of the relation between fovereign and fubje&t:- on the one fide unlimited authority; and obedience unreferved on the other.' -We wonder how much time it would require to effect an accom→ modation with America, if the bufinefs were referred to this Gentleman and Dr. Price!

DRAMATIC.

Art. 25. Airs and Choruffes in the Mask of the Sirens. As performed at the Theatre-Royal, Covent Garden. 4to. 6d. Becket. &c. 1775.

The fongs of thefe Sirens are not very enchanting: at least it must be most excellent music that makes them fo. For a moment, gentle Reader, liften to their notes!

AIR, PARTHENOPE.
Ye elves and fairies, green and blue,
That fip the fpangled morning dew;
That in the blue bells cups repose,
And drink the effence of the rofe,
Attend my call !

RECITATIVE.

Ye wizards, witches, old and bare,

That ride upon the frifking air,
Put on your kirtles, wind your spells,

Come from your bogs, heaths, woods, and dells,
Come all, come all.

DUET, CORNELIA and CARLOS.

CARL. Pleafures court us to this island,

Faithlefs feas may tempt in vain ;

Knots, and bows of love fhall bind me,
Fair Cornelia's faithful fwain.

CORN.

CORN.

O, tranfporting, fweet idea,
Courteous Cupid, God of Love;
Realize imagination,

And thy vot'ry's pray'rs approve.

AIR, GRENADE.
She was fair as the Queen of the Skies,
And chafte as Diana believ'd;
I thought myfelf bleft with the prize,
Ah! well-a-day, I was deceiv'd.
She was pure as the Goddefs of Health,
She was Nature's furpaffing defign;
I call'd her my treasure of wealth,

Ye gods, when her heart wasn't mine!
AIR, CORNELIA.
Thrice hapless fate, when torn away,
From him we love, for whom we fue!
To cares, to fighs, to tears a prey,

And yet to love, to virtue true!
But when repofed on Friendship's breaft,
The beating heart is lull'd to rest.
Thus when the bird forfakes her neft,

Her mate, he guards the brittle store;
What griefs the while invade his breast,
For fear fhe may return no more:
But when reftor'd, he fpreads his wings,
And jocund on the tree top fings.

The Author, we are told, is a failor, who follows both Neptune and the Mules: his poetical bark, however, feems now and then in danger of being overfet by a Squall:

"But when reitor'd, he fpreads his wings,

"And jocund ON THE MAIN-TOP fings."

Art. 26. Airs, Ballads, &c. in the Blackamoor Wash'd White. A new Comic Opera. As performed at the Theatre Royal, DruryLane. 8vo. 6d. Corral. 1776.

Of these Airs the two following may ferve as a specimen :

AIR V.

The ftream that environ'd her cot

All the charms of my deity knew;

How oft has its courfe been forgot,

While it paus'd-her dear image to woo?

Believe me, the fond filver tide

Knew from whence it deriv'd the fair prize,
For filently fwelling with pride,

It reflected her-back to the skies.

VI. BALLAD,

I.

When firft I came hither to far-vice,
I thought I wou'd learn how to woo,
So at Lammas I courted Doll Jarvise,
Oh, there was the devil to do!

R 4

Tho'f

Tho'f at firft my poor heart fhe deny'd it,
She made it as fick as a dog,
And like a Jack Lantern decoy'd it
With her eyes,-over briar and bōg.
II.

Odfooks, but the tit beat me hollow,
She run me fo foon off my wind,
For the more little Jerry did follow,
She left him the further behind;
But one moon-fhiny night made me happy,
For home in a tiff did I jog,

And left Doll for to find a new Sappy,

To dance over briar and bog.

The idea, on which the firft of thefe Airs is founded, is, in our opinion, rather forced; and the barbarifms in the fecond, though intended as characteristic, are not happily hit off. On the whole, thefe ballads contain no great portion of poetry or humour.

POETICAL.

Art. 27. The Heroic Epifle anfwered. By the R-H- Lord C. 4to. 18. Wilkie.

This is not quite fo fevere a fatire on his Lordship as the Heroic Epiftle addreffed to him. That made him appear a very indifferent kind of man, this only an indifferent kind of author. But it is not improbable that both the Epistles are productions of one pen. Art. 28. Infancy; a Poem. Book the Third. By Hugh Downman, M. D. 4to. I s. Kearsley.

This part contains fome excellent precepts with regard to the general nurture of children, after they have been fome time taken from the breaft. The poetry, too, is fpirited and elegant, and the philofophical principles on which the didactic part is founded, appear to be perfe&ly just :

remove

Far from thy children each high-feafon'd dish,
Each fauce impregnate with the feeds of fire,
Each spice, and pungent vegetable, none
Admit, of foreign, or of native growth

Heed well thy child, O parent, he will teach
Full oft the diet fuited to his frame.
See with what marks of loathing he at first
Rejects the hot and acrid; inftinct dwells
Within, a faithful guard; his rapid pulfe
And native warmth by these are quickly urged
Beyond their bounds. He relishes the bland,
And to thy tafte th' infipid; these controul
Each motion, nor, permit his heat to rife
Above its due degree-

Art. 29. Afmodeus. 4to.

Afmodeus is Samuel Foote, Efq; concerning whofe affair with the Dutchess of Kingston the Author has taken moft fcurvy pains,-for a dinner,