Art. 19. A Letter to Edmund Burke, Efq; occafioned by his Speech in Parliament, February 11, 1780. 8vo. Is. Bew. An attack on the principles and tendency of Mr. Burke's celebrated fyftem of political economy, which is already under the review of the great council of the nation. Art. 20. Obfervations on Mr. Burke's Bill for the better Regulation of the Independence of Parliament, and economical Reformation of Eftablishments. By a Lady. Addreffed to Lord North. 8vo. Is. Becket. 1780. There is fufficient internal evidence to verify the declaration in the title-page, that these are the obfervations of a lady; and fince the quondam Mrs. M. has fuffered private concerns to withdraw her attention from public affairs, this lady is ready to fucceed her. But the must correct her principles, a little, before the can hope to be installed in Alfred-house. Art. 21. Mr. E--B--'s Answer to his own Speech of the 11th of February, with Mr. Fox's Animadverfions thereon. Taken in Short-hand at the C- Tavern, in the Strand, February 2, and now first published by Lovel Tomlinfon. 8vo. is. White. Mr. T. informs his Reader, that he overheard the conversation he has here published, through a partition, while he fat drinking fixpennyworth of punch at a tavern; and that he took it down in hopes of its paying for his punch. Probably he did not then recollect that the Printer and Stationer would ftand between the Publisher and his expected reimbursement. As he profeffes brachygraphy, he may in future find it more profitable to wait for employment in that branch, than to exercise his talents upon fpeculation. Art. 22. Reflexions on a Pamphlet, entitled, "A fhort History " of Oppofition;" with fome Obfervations on the Views of the Minority, and Reflexions on the prefent State of Affairs. By a Country Gentleman. 8vo. 23 Pages. No Price, nor Bookfeller's Name. The Writer does not give this tract as a full anfwer' to the pam phlet mentioned in the title-page, but only as a curfory animadverfion on fuch parts of it as he deems the most exceptionable.' His defign is to wipe off fome of the afperfions thrown out againft, and to vindicate the characters of, a fet of men [the gentlemen in oppofition], whofe views, in general, the Author is convinced, have been directed toward the public good! And I muft own, fays he, I feel a pleafure in doing this at a time, when it is fo unfafhionable a thing to fpeak well of them, and when their advocates can expect to reap little other reward for their trouble, than the pleasure of being fuch, when almost every pen is employed, and every art which proftituted abilities can invent is made ufe of, to blacken and mifrepresent their characters!'-This may be a well-meant, but it is a very flight and curfory performance. *This pamphlet is dated, December 11, 1779, but the publication did not then take place. Art. Art. 23. The Affociators Vindicated, and the Protestors Anfwered. 8vo. 1s. Johnson. Contains the fober and judicious remarks of one who appears to be a fteady friend to what we commonly understand by revolution principles. The Author, after defending the county affociations, reminds the freeholders, &c. of Great Britain, of the opportunity that will be afforded them by the next general election, of confulting the fecurity of our national rights, &c. in their choice of fuch men for our reprefentatives in parliament, as have given the fairest proofs of their due regard to the fenfe of the people, as expreffed in the county petitions. And he particularly exhorts them to beware of those who prefume to file themselves The King's Friends; he confiders the tenets usually maintained by these arrogant gentlemen, &c. From those tenets, he pronounces them to be enemies, not only to the conftitution, but even to the King himself. For his arguments in proof of this point, we refer to his pamphlet. POETICAL. Art. 24. Unanimity. A Poem. Moft refpectfully infcribed to that truly patriotic Nobleman the Duke of Leinfter. 4to. 1 s. 6d. Bew. Art. 25. Rebellion and Oppofition; or, the American War. A 2 s. 6d. Bladon. Poem. 40. It is the property of fome poisons to counteract each other's virulence. It will not be thought ill-judged, then, that the two poems above mentioned are claffed together, that, as bane and antidote, they may accompany each other. Though dictated by very oppofite principles (if, indeed, they are dictated by any principle), they are, notwithstanding, fo much of a complexion, that they ought to be infeparable. Whoever has patience to read the one, cannot poffibly think his time ill employed in a perufal of the other. Qui Bavium non odit, amet tua carmina, Mævi. The former poem is as ftupidly fcurrilous as the latter is gloomily malignant: one of the Writers is a minifterial inquifitor, who laments the ill timed lenity of Government in not putting a stop to the turbulence of the times by death and confifcation, and then exclaims, O! eternal Jove! Forgive a vengeance dictated by love To this fair ifle-when fcattering wide defpair, To those fame fubjects whom they rous'd to arms, And I could fee them prove the torture's ftings, Rebellion and Oppofition, page 18. The other is a filthy calumniator, lineally defcended from the honeft gentleman in Hudibras, who rode upon a pair of panniers, Full-fraught with that which for good manners Shall here be nameless, mixt with grains, Which he difpens'd among the swains, And bufily upon the croud At random round about bestow`d, For For want, however, of due skill in the management of his noisome materials, he rarely defiles any one but himself.-Here he comes, bufily employed in his vocation of throwing dirt indiscriminately at all who ftand in his way: Profeffions minifterial who believes? Saint St-ph-n's Chapel's but a den of th―ves; And M-kh-m thinks grofs treachery no fin. Th-rlow, whom N-th had deftin'd for a Dean. "A Dean!-What! fneak in crape? (how strange it feels!) 66 By G-d fays Pilate (let Jove fwear by Styx). "Thefe outward figns of grace enforce my plan: Unanimity, page 20. } Would any man imagine the principal object of this foolish ribaldry is as confpicuous for his abilities and learning, as in his private character he is refpectable? But with this Writer it is a fufficient crime, it seems, even to be related to a person in office; as it would be with his mild and amiable companion to be in any degree connected with thofe in Oppofition. With refpect to the literary merit of this par nobile fratrum, our opinion is, in great measure, included by the fpecimens we have given : our Readers will eafily perceive that the poetry of thefe congenial fouls is, at least, equal to their moderation Art. 26. POETICAL EFFUSIONS. To which is added, the War of Inis-thona; a Poem, from Offian: In English Verse. 4to. 2 s. 6 d. Hand, Bew, &c. Though ftrict impartiality will not permit us to acknowledge that thefe Effufions are pofitively poetical, yet that they are negatively fo, we will readily own: in fhort, they are not unpoetical. There is one pleasant effufion, in the manner of Hall's Crazy Tales of which take the following specimen : Talking of ADAM, makes me wonder, Whether or no Our first Great-grandmother below Was Was Mifs, or Madam; Or whether our Progenitor thought right, To fay Mifs Eve, or Mrs. ADAM: She was a naughty piece of clay; Acted as Priest, There was no marriage worth a farthing. And he, to help the farce on, Art. 27. Matrimony, a Tale; with an Apology. 4to. 1 s. 6d. Exeter printed, by Truman; and fold in London by Payne, &c. 1779. Dr. Doddridge, fpeaking of South's Sermons, fays, fomewhat harthly, that many of them appear to have been written by the infpiration of the devil. The Author of this performance pretends to infpiration, and being Mufe-valiant, founds his high pretenfions on two lines of Horace : "Spiritum Phoebus mihi, Phoebus artem But this poetafter mistakes the fource of his infpiration: the devil was in him when he wrote this abfurd and invidious tale. Not South's devil:-but the most filly of all poffible devils. Had this performance, indeed, been as witty as it is nonfenfical, its malignity would have precluded us from faying one word in its praise. We remember not to have read a more ridiculous, or a more diabolical piece, notwith@anding the immenfe loads of trash which we have, for fo many years, been compelled to examine and account for to the Public. We do not deliver this opinion of the prefent performance from the flightest refentment which we have conceived at this Author's awkward attempt to difparage and ridicule the judgment of • Meffieurs The periodical Reviewers,' No! in truth for we always count on the hatred of foolish and wretched fcribblers of every clafs; and fhall ever prefer their abufe to their commendation. "Oh! (fays the patient Job, who, by the way, feems to have been admirably qualified for the office of a Reviewer) that my enemy had written a book!” TER. Utinam male qui mibi volunt, fic fient! Art. 28. The Religion of the Times; or, a new Mirror for the dignified Clergy. By an Enemy to Tyranny, Perfecution, and Hypocrify. 4to. I S. Wallis. 1780. The power of ridicule (fays this Writer) hath often been found to work miracles, even upon arbitrary difpofitions; and the dread of being araigned at the tribunal of the Public hath had its effect, REV. Apr. 1780. Y when when every other confideration hath been totally rejected.' We believe our Readers will give us full credit, when we affure them that we are no enemies to ridicule. We have often been its advocates against those who have decried it through dulnefs: and would equally wish to exert our abilities in refcuing it from the hands of the fpiteful and malignant, who, through prejudice or impudence, profitute and abuse it. With Mr. Pope (who, like Horace, plays round the heart, and yet gives fatire its full ftrength) we confider ridicule as a facred weapon! But then (as he observes), it must be used in Truth's defence; and is denied to all but heav'n directed hands. If our Author's ridicule be examined by this teft, it will be found deficient in the most effential quality; nor is he fo complete in the fubordinate qualities as to make the flighteft recompence for fuch a defect. He calls himself the Enemy of Tyranny, Perfecution, and Hypocrify and yet the prefent performance bears ftrong marks of a tyrannical-perfecuting-and we think we may fay-hypocritical fpirit. Could a tyrant or a perfecutor exprefs the rancour of his foul in more merciless and invidious language than this Writer hath done in the following paragraph, extracted from the Preface? As to thofe mifcreants, the Methodists, &c. whofe impudence can only be excelled by their ignorance, we would wish them, instead of being able to avail themselves of the clemency of the laws, to be fent to the House of Correction till they be brought, by hard labour, to a fenfe of that duty, which they owe, not only to their own families, but to the community.' This is the Enemy to Perfecution! Out of thine own mouth thou art condemned, thou brat of bloody Bonner! As to this Writer's hypocrify, we think it very obvious from the general defign of this piece; and more efpecially fo from a comparifon of detached paffages. He profeffes himself to be a Friend to the established Church of this kingdom'-and, in the conclufion of his poem, gives a pious charge to minifters, in the language of St. Paul: Exhort, reprove. Fight the good fight of Faith, and live to die.' Yes! this very Writer becomes a pious monitor of the clergy of bis ●wn church, and delivers his admonitions in apoftolic language, who, but a few lines before, had thrown out fome very indecent and profane hints respecting the love-feafts of the Methodists; and, in the beginning of his poem, had ironically pleaded for craft, diffimulation, and knavery, on the authority and example of St. Paul: Flatt'ry your highest card is fure to win, And at this game no cheating is a fin. Be all things to all men, and ne'er contend This Writer's poetry may rate well enough with his charity and fincerity. It would fuffer by any other comparison. As to wit, we can trace out nothing that bears any refemblance to it:-unless, perchance, it be found in the following notice, fuck up at the back of the preface: The Painter's pictures are now exhibiting for fale: if any one is ftruck with his own likeness, he may purchase it |