ditary right could do, on former occafions, though it must be allow. ed that the queftion, at this juncture, comes to us differently mo dified.

Art. 37. Reflections on the Formation of a Regency. In a Letter to a Member of the lower House of Parliament. 8vo. 1s. Debrett. Difapproving the inftitution of a council of regency, this Reflector argues for the admiffion of a fole regent, in the perfon of the P. of W. In fpeaking of Mr. Pitt, he expreffes himself in a manner that betrays the party-writer. Some of his obfervations, however, merit attention; but his style is too much studied, stiff, involved, and obfcure.

Art. 38. An Addrefs to thofe Citizens who, in their public and private Capacity, refifted the Claim of the late Houfe of Commons to nominate the Minifters of the Crown. 8vo. 6d. Debrett. 1788. A fagacious and keen affertion of the Prince's right to the powers of a fole and unlimited regency.

Art. 39. Arguments concerning the conftitutional Right of Parliament to appoint a Regency. 8vo. IS. Debrett.

Thefe arguments are urged in fupport of the right of the heir apparent to become fole Regent, on the prefent unhappy occafion. They first appeared in the Gazetteer, Dec. 11. and are here reprinted for prefervation, which they really merit: the writer is an able advocate for the doctrine which he maintains. His general conclufion is, that from the moment that the incapacity of the Sovereign to govern is eftablished by conflitutional enquiry, from that moment, the heir apparent, lying under no difqualification, is, de jure, Regent of these kingdoms, with all the powers of the prerogative undiminished.' Art. 40. Conftitutional Doubts, humbly fubmitted to His Royal Highnefs the Prince of Wales; on the Pretenfions of the two Houses of Parliament, to appoint a third Eftate: By the Author of "Letters on Political Liberty," in the Year 1782. 8vo. 1s. 6d. Ridgway.

This writer's aim is to warn the P. of W. against accepting the office of Regent by appointment. Under the moderate fhew of political fcepticism, this Doubter is in reality a warm affertor of the question of Right, in the affirmative; but he lofes all appearance of moderation, and temper, when he talks of Mr. Pitt, of whose measures, character, and capacity, he affects to make very flight account; except when he confiders him as the Cromwell of the age. This author writes with great fluency and animation, but his ftyle is too declamatory for the serious afpect of THE OCCASION, on which he has now employed his pen.-- -For our account of his Letters on Political Liberty, fee Rev. vol. lxvi. p. 551.

Art. 41. A Tranflation of fuch Parts of the Rolls of Parliament, as are referred to in the Schedule annexed to the Report of the COMMITTEE appointed to fearch for PRECEDENTS; together with a Copy of certain Acts of the Parliament of Scotland referred to in that Report. 8vo. 2s. 6d. Stockdale.

The Rolls of Parliament being written in an obfolete language, this tranflation of fuch parts of them as are referred to in the Report,

&c.

&c. has been procured by the publisher, with a view to fave the time and trouble of thofe gentlemen, who are deeply engaged in the confideration of the important fubject which at prefent occupies, almoft univerfally, the attention of the Nation.'

This is, no doubt, a feasonable, and may prove a useful, publication. But Precedents, referring to the provifions made by our anceftors, on particular ftate emergencies, in times of violence, and in the infancy of our Conftitution, will not, we apprehend, be much reforted to by the prefent generation.

Art. 42. Report from the Committee appointed to examine the Phyficians who have attended HIS MAJESTY, during his Illness, touching the State of HIS MAJESTY'S Health

8vo. 1s Stockdale.

As there is no date to this Report, nor time referred to when the examination took place, we conclude that this pamphlet was rapidly hurried through the prefs; it appears, neverthelefs, to be accurately printed. With refpect to the opinions of the phyficians, they have already, for the most part, been communicated to the public, through the multitudinous channels of the newspapers.

Art. 41. The Profpect before us Being a Series of Papers upon The Great Question which now agitates the public Mind. To which is added a new Poftfcript. 8vo. 28. Almon.

The materials of this notable pamphlet first appeared in the daily prints, but they are now collected into a regular Book form, with the addition of a poftfcript, founded on Mr. Pitt's declaration in the Houfe, Dec. 10. that the eldest Son of the King had no more right "to adminifter the Government during his Father's incapacity than "any other subject of Great Britain."

The author encounters this doctrine with great vehemence. He appears hoftile to Mr. Pitt, in the extreme of inveteracy, and he is a powerful enemy. He writes with the energy of a Junius; he is well acquainted with our English Hiftory; and (on his own prin ciples) is a good politician: but if the friends of the P. of W. with for his poffeffion of unconditional power, in exercifing the temporary office of Regent, the overflowing zeal of this otherwife very able writer will, perhaps, rather tend to obftruct than promote that end; moderate men will naturally feel themselves more alarmed than convinced, by fo much perfonal heat and party-animofity. His violence reminds us of that of a turbulent Member of the House of Commons, in Walpole's time, of whom Sir Robert faid, His noife prevents "us from hearing his arguments." On the whole, however, this pamphlet is very capital, in its line.

Art. 44. Fox against Fox!!! or Political Blossoms of the Right Hon. Charles James Fox : felected from his Speeches in the House of Commons, on the Omnipotence of Parliament in the Appointment of the Minifters of the Crown. Contratted with his prefent Arguments in favour of Prerogative, Shewing how easily a Staunch Whig may become a Profeffed Tory. To which are added, The Speeches of Mr. Pitt and Mr. Fox, Dec. 10, 1788, on the Subject of a Regency. Embellished with a curious Frontispiece, &c. 8vo. 1s. 6d. Stockdale.

A tranfcript of the advertisement prefixed to this compilement, after having given the very explicit title, will be a fufficient report REV. Dec. 1788. concerning

concerning the nature of its contents, and the view with which it was published,

As a ftriking proof of the political confency of the Right Hon. CHARLES JAMES Fox, and a clear demonftration of the purity of his principles, in the line of conduct acopted by him on the prefent ftate of public affairs, the following Blooms, felected from his, fpeeches, delivered in the Houfe of Commons, is most respectfully fubmitted to the confideration of the people in general, and the friends of that Gentleman in particular.'

Art. 45. Brief Deductions relative to the Aid and Supply of the executive Power, according to the Law of England, in Cates of Infancy, Delirium, or other Incapacity of the King. 4to. 6d. Debrett. Confiders the conftitutional mode of fupplying the executive power, in cafes of fufpenfion through any temporary incapacity in the first of the three eftites; and concludes that the Heir apparent, being of age, &c. hath a natural and legal claim to act as Regent, with full powers, &c. It is confeffedly an hafty performance. The reafoning is rather that of a lawyer, arguing from precedents (such as they are), than of a conftitutional fatefman.

Art. 46. Short View of the prefent Great Queftion. 8vo.

Debrett.

The defign of this VIEW is fimilar to that of the preceding DEDUCTIONS; but the execution is fuperior. The writer appears to understand the conftitution; and he pronounces that it is above law. Those who with for an explanation of this dogma, may confult the pamphlet; which will be foon perufed, as it contains no more than 16 octavo pages.

Art.

POETRY.

47. Poems on Slavery: by Maria Falconar, aged 17, and Harriet Falconar, aged 14. 8vo. 1 s. 6d. John fon. 1788. We have already introduced to our Readers, thefe young favourites of the Moral Mufe: See Rev. for March 1788, p. 245. They have now taken up the popular topic of Negroe-flavery; on which they have faid many good things, in very pleafing numbers. The pictures of Superftition and Hypocrity, by the elder Mifs F. and of a cloifter'd life, by the fame hand, are well drawn, and happily introduced. For example:

Deep in monaftic folitude entomb'd,

The bud of beauty wither'd ere it bloom'd;

The brilliant eye, where love had fought to dwell,
Shed all its luftre o'er the cloister'd cell;

The fmiling lip, of bright vermilion dye,
Grew pale, and quiver'd with the pafling figh;
The mufic floating from each tuneful tongue,
With midnight hymns the Gothic arches rung.
Here thro' Reflection's eye, the penfive mind
Sought with regret for objects far behind;
And fond Remembrance, as fhe heav'd a figh,
Drew back the foul juft foaring to the fky."

We do not think the younger lady one ftep behind her fifter, in her

advances toward the higher regions of Parnaffus; as the reader will

perceive

perceive by the following specimen, from the defcription of the mi

feries to which the fuppofes the Negroe flave expofed:

Amid the horrors of tormenting pain

He feeks for mercy, but he fecks in vain ;
Affrighted Mercy quits the guilty land,
Where grim Oppreffion waves her tyrant hand;
Where, to the favage herd, a harmless prey
Sinks faint beneath the fervid beam of day;
Or, haply trembling in the midnight air,
Sunk in the deepest gloom of low defpair;
Or burning thirst, and furious want, combin'd,
With wild diftraction fire his glowing mind,

Till death reflores him'- - &c.

Perhaps fell would have been a happier epithet than low; but we leave the choice to the good fenfe and taste of this promising young writer; as we likewife do the amendment of what feems a little obScure in that part of the quotation which we have diftinguished by Italics. To her fifter, alfo, we would recommend the difufe of that vile contraction 'reath, for beneath. It is true, that he has feen it in other poetic writers; but not in any whofe example ine should deign to follow.

Art. 48. An Ode on the popular Superftitions of the Highlands of Scotland, confidered as the Subject of Poetry. By Mr. William Collins. Dedicated to the Wartons. 4to. 1 s. 6d. Bell. 1788. This is offered to the Public as a perfect copy of Mr. Collins's beautiful Ode. If it is, indeed, complete, it is to be lamented that the evidence of its authenticity is with-held from the Public. Surely the gentleman, who found it in the drawers of a bureau,' fhould allow his name to be published, and give us the fatisfaction of knowing whether it was in the hand-writing of Mr. Collins; which is, certainly, a material queftion. The lines that fupply the chafm in the whole of the 5th and half of the 6th ftanza, introduce the execution of Charles the First, the rebellion in 1745, the battles of PrestonPans, Falkirk, and Culloden; but the ftyle does not feem, to us, to be in the manner of Collins. For fome obfervations on the Ode itfelf, we refer our Readers to our account of this poem as printed in the Edinburgh Tranfactions: See page 532.

Art. 49. Peter's Prophecy; or, The Prefident and Poet; or, An im- › portant Epifle to Sir J. Banks, on the approaching Election of a Prefident of the Royal Society. With an Etching by an eminent Artist. By Peter Pindar, Efq. 4to. 3s. Kearsley. 1788.

P. P. has declared that his mufe must have kings for his theme; and that kings must be had. It now appears that having no longer a SUPERIOR monarch to attack, in this country, at leaft, he has turned his poetic artillery against the King of the Royal Society.

What this philofophical Potentate hath done to offend 'Squire Pindar, we know not; but we obferve that the mighty bard hath let loofe on him all the united force of his jatire, humour, wit, rancour, and abuse; and against fuch an hoft of affailants, led on by fuch a General as Peter, what king, prince, potentate, or philofopher can ftand?

We

We are forry, however, to fee Peter raking in the cold embers of that diffenfion which broke out in the R. S. a few years paft, and endeavouring to re-kindle the flame of difcord in that learned and truly refpectable body; but whatever may be the fatirift's view in recurring to that forgotten quarrel, we hope that the peace which hath fo happily taken place among the Sons of Science will remain undisturbed.

Peter taxes the Prefident with being an encourager of trifling purfuits, and an enemy to the fublime ftudies of mathematics, aftronomy, &c. We believe this charge to be ill founded; and if fuch it be, all the fuperftructure of railing and invective which he hath raised on this fandy base, must fall to the ground: but we do not mean to ftand forth as the champions of Sir Jofeph Banks: what he hath done, and is daily doing, for fcience, will prove his best vindica

tion.

Other characters, friends of Sir Jofeph, are here introduced and ridiculed; as Dr. Blagden, Sir W. Hamilton, Dr. Herfchell, Mr. John Hunter, Mr. Aubert, Mr. Daines Barrington, and other reSpectable names.

The title of this poem, Peter's Prophecy,' refers to the late St. Andrew's Day, previously to which it was published.

TO CAESAR, who th' advice with fcorn repaid, "Beware the Ides of March," a conj'ror faid. More reverenc'd, let a greater Conj'ror fay,

"Beware, Sir JOSEPH BANKS, St. Andrew's day."

If the poet meant to foretell that Sir J. B. would not be re-elected, as ufual, on that day, the R. S. took care to vote him a falle prophet.

But though we cannot, in this inftance, applaud the fatirift's choice of a fubject, we must admit, that there are in this, as in all his productions, many pleafant ftrokes and lucky hits of wit and humour. As an inftance, we may tranfcribe the following fimile, which we can detach from the poem without giving our circulation to one line of fatire on any character introduced into the work:

Thus when an hoft of grafs-hoppers and rats,

By men undaunted, unabafh'd by cats,

In hopping, and in running legions pours,
Affrights the Papifts, and their grafs devours;

Lo, arm'd with pray'rs to thunder in their ears,

A BISHOP boldly meets the Buccaneers ;

Sprinkles his holy water on the Sod,

And drives, and damns them in the name of God *.

This,' fays Peter, is actually done in Roman Catholic countries by order of the church. In fome places two attorneys are employed in the affair of the grafs-hoppers; one for the grass-hoppers, the other for the people: but it is the fate of the grass-hoppers to have the worst of it, as they are always anathematized, and ordered to be excommunicated if they do not quit the place within a certain number of days.'-The days, we fuppofe, are always calculated with tolerable accuracy.

Whenever