Whenever this ingenious writer chufes to make vices, mischievous follies, and errors, not MEN, the fubjects of his poetical flagellations, we will venture to prophecy that his works will stand a fairer chance of being tranfmitted to pofterity, with the plaudits of every reader who has a tafte for this fpecies of comic poetry. Churchill is already forgotten the reafon is fufficiently obvious. His fatires were perfonal; and the common lot of mortality hath swept away the very foundations on which they were raised. Art. 50. Birch for Peter Pindar, Efq. A Burlefque Poem. By Pindaromaftix. 4to. 2s. 6d. Robinsons. 1788. With many unpoetical lines, and execrable rhimes, this Mr. Px has fome invention, and not a little drollery. He has diverted us with Peter's trial for high treafon before the privy council; and it is impoffible not to laugh at his defcription of the wreck of the fhip which was carrying Peter to Botany Bay. To give humour to a catastrophe of that kind, certainly requires fome genius. Had we wanted matter to fill up with, we should have been tempted to extract this laft mentioned paffage; but this is a month of business, and we have before us many objects of much higher importance. For a former poem by this writer, entitled "Sop in the Pan for Peter Pindar," &c. fee Rev. for October, p. 368. Art. 51. Royal Magnificence; or the Effufions of Ten Days: a Defcriptive and Satirical Poem, in Three Cantos. 4to. Bew, &c. 1788. 2s. 6d. With fome good, and many inferior lines, with a little wit, a little humour, and a multitude of explanatory notes, this Writer has contrived to eke out a very tedious fatire on the feftivity produced by the King's late vifit to Worcester, and on the innocent and very natural curiofity of the multitude affembled on that, novel occafion. The gentry, the magiftracy, and the mob, are all fubjected to the lash of ridicule, but happily the Great Perfonage himself, from whofe wellmeant excurfion all the hurly-burly fprang, hath not found a Peter Pindar in this Worcestershire bard. NOVELS. Art. 52. The New Sylph, or Guardian Angel. A Story. 12mo. 2s. 6d. fewed. Lane. 1788. This little ftory difplays a tolerable fhare of invention; but the dencuement is much too eafily and too early forefeen. Ars eft celare artem: the bufinefs of art is to conceal art; an obfervation that holds with respect to every work of fancy, though very rarely attended to. Art. 53. The Adventures of a Speculift; or, a Journey through London. Compiled from Papers written by George Alexander Stevens (Author of a Lecture upon Heads). With his Life, &c. by the Editor. 12mo. 2 Vols. 7 s. fewed. Bladon. 1788. If it be true, that "Vice, to be hated, needs but to be feen," the prefent volumes may go far toward rendering it generally deteftable. They exhibit nature in fome of her ugliest and most unfeemly fhapes in the perfons of highwaymen, gamblers, female proftitutes, and bawds. We can fcarcely accede, however, to the poet's propofition 003 fition refpecting the bideoufness of vice. Its operation on the fenfible mind is, no doubt, certain: but with the weaker it may have a different effect. Deformity may be concealed by a fplendid dress, and may even put on the appearance of beauty. We mean not, by this, to infinuate that Mr. S. has at any time endeavoured to render the monster amiable; on the contrary, from the reflections which accompany his narrative, it is evidently compofed on Mr. Pope's principle. But, ftill, we are of opinion that fuch publications are attended with danger; and that the writer, while thinking to warn by precept, may encourage by the example which he exhibits. MISCELLANEOUS. Art. 54. Curious Particulars and genuine Anecdotes, refpe&ting the late Lord Chesterfield and David Hume, Efq. with a Parallel between those celebrated Perfonages, &c. Svo. 25. Kearsley. 1788. Thefe curious particulars, and genuine anecdotes' are chiefly collected from magazines and other periodical prints. The pamphlet may, however, anfwer the editor's purpofe, fince it ferves for the vehicle of abufe both general and particular. General, as it refpects the great, the fashionable part of mankind, who, we are here informed, are but too commonly the least of all God's little atoms;' and particular, as it affects Mr. M (a very ingenious writer and respectable character), who is reprefented in the prefent pages as an hungry editor; a man who has facrificed his patron's reputation at the fordid altar of Plutus.' A copy of David Hume's laft will and teftament, and Lord Chefterfield's fpeech against licenfing the ftage, are among our editor's curiofities. The parallel' amounts to nothing: and how could it be otherwife? Art. 55. A Review of the Affairs of the Auftrian Netherlands, in the Year 1787. 8vo. 28. Murray. 1788. The late disturbances in Flanders, occafioned by the attempt of the Emperor to fubvert the ancient and free order of government in that country, are too well known to require, at this time, any particular detail. But with the meafures which created thofe difturbances, many, we prefume, are unacquainted. We have therefore to obferve that the prefent writer, after having particularly defcribed the forms of adminiftration in Brabant, and other principal provinces of the empire in the Netherlands, has ftated those measures with truth and accuracy, and in a very correct and pleafing ftyle. He praifes the moderation of Jofeph in yielding to the oppofition which was made to his authority; but we think with no great fhew of reafon. His Imperial Majefty may rather be faid, in this his moderation, to have made a virtue of neceffity. The Brabanters of the prefent day are not the characters reprefented by Erafmus in his moriæ en *This excellent piece of oratory is not uncommon. Theophilus Cibber republished it, in 1756, at the end of his Two Differtations on the Theatres; together with fundry other papers against licensing the itage. See General Index to the Monthly Review, vol. ii. tomium. They boldly and virtuoufly maintained their rights; and Jofeph in his conflict with the brave and warlike Turks, is perhaps better employed than in coercing his fubje&ts. Every idea of fuch proceedings, we, as Englifhmen, have reafon to reprobate and con temn. We cannot take leave of this intelligent writer without remarking, that, in one particular, we think him fomewhat deficient: namely, the not having ftated to the world the probable motive of the Emperor for his projected change in the conftitution of the Netherlands. It fhould be remembered that this monarch, in the year 1785, propofed to the Elector-palatine, to cede to him the dominion of the Low Countries, with the title of king, in exchange for the Dutchy of Bavaria and its appendages, and which had devolved to the faid Elector on the death of Maximilian Jofeph: but this was ftrenuously oppofed by the King of Pruffia, on the plea of fupporting the laws and constitution of the German Empire. Frederick, however, being dead, it was apparently the intention of Jofeph, by an abolition of the power of the ftates of Brabant, and by placing it in the hands of his minifters, to pave the way for a revival of his fcheme, notwithstanding the confederacy fo lately entered into by the Princes of Germany to preferve inviolate the established order and government of their respective ftates. But whatever the defigns of the Emperor might be, the execution of them is fufpended. He is now engaged in an expenfive war, and in fuch a fituation,. fubfidies are agreeable things. Art. 56. This pamphlet is evidently not written by a profeffional man; it relates to a fubject very interefting to the commercial world, and the Chancellor's decifion is waited for with confiderable anxiety. The question now before him (which is never ftated in this letter) is fhortly this; Whether the holder of an accepted bill of exchange ought to prove the hand-writing of the first indorfer by direct evidence, before he can compel the acceptor to pay it. The Court of King's Berch, in the cafe of SMITH V. CHESTER, has decided this question in the affirmative; but the confequences of this determination are by moft commercial men fuppofed to be fo exceedingly injurious to the interetts of trade, that it has been thought advifable, in a cafe that lately happened, to petition the Chancellor for leave to prove a bill under a commiffion of bankruptcy, the hand-writing of the first indorfer not being proved. The Author of this letter controverts the decifion of the Court of King's Bench, by inft ncing a number of cafes frequently, or rather conftantly, occurring in regular bufinefs, wherein the existence of fuch a law would be productive of much mifchief. The following extract contains an account of one of the most material inconveniences, which would arife from the principle in queftion becoming a fettled maxim of law: When poft bills are iffued at the Bank of England, they are very frequently made payable to the order of one perfon, when the 004 value value is received of another: and as the cashiers are without any knowledge of the payee, or of his hand-writing; fo, if a fhopkeeper happens to have received in payment one of thofe bills, the payment may be refused, with the expreffion of a doubt as to the indorsement of the payee: and the holder of the bill fuffers the lofs, because of the impoffibility of his proving that which the law requires he fhould prove, before payment can be recovered. Apply this principle only to the Bank of England poft-bills; require the holders to prove the first indorsement, and not one half of the number now in circulation could be legally recovered.' THEOLOGY. Art. 57. A true Eftimate of the Light of Infpiration, and the Light of Human Learning, before and fince the Apoftolic Age: fubmitted to the Candidates for Holy Orders, &c. 4to. 1s. 6d. Faulder. 1788. A zealous advocate for the doctrine of ordinary as well as extraordinary infpiration, here expreffes much diffatisfaction, on account of the confequence given to human learning in Bp. Horsley's late difcourfe on that fubject. Human learning (according to this writer) not being the infpiration of the Almighty, can never give any man the right understanding of the things of God and religion: minifters ought to take their learning from the bible, and not bring their learning to it, or make use of the Ignis Fatuus of earthly science to illuminate that which is from heaven: and it is abfurd, and almoft impious, to fuppofe that the light of human learning or philofophy is neceffary for the right understanding, or clear communi'cation, of chriftian doctrine. The intelligent reader will eafily perceive, to what School this writer belongs, and for what order of teachers his work is intended as an apology. Art. 58. Characteristics of Public Spirit and National Virtue: Occafioned by the honourable Union of Nobility, Clergy, and Gentry, in Support of a late Royal Proclamation. 4to. Is. 6d. Faulder. 1788. A piece from the fame fchool, and probably from the fame pen, with the preceding article. The first object of the writer's zealous wifhes, without which he expects little public benefit from the Royal Proclamation against prophanenefs and immorality, is, the univerfal reception of the fundamental doctrine of the gospel, juftification by faith in Chrift. Art. 59. Three Letters to bis Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury, on the Prayer for his Majefty's Recovery. Containing a Comparison between it and that of the Jews, fome Thoughts on Sunday Schools, on the bad Provifion for the Inferior Clergy, and feveral Anecdotes of former Archbishops. By a Prefbyter of the Church of England *vo. 6d Stalker, &c. 1788. This prefbyter of the church is extremely diflatisfied with the prefor bed form of prayer for the King's recovery. He flyles it a wretched compofition of dulnefs and inconfiftency, inelegance and abfurd ity; and he pities his brethren, for the diffatisfaction and indignation which they must feel, as he did, on being obliged to read it. But his charge against this production is not merely that it is languid, inanimate, and ungrammatical; he arraigns it alfo, for its want of orthodoxy grounding this o jection on the claufe which prays for the removal of that vifitation, with which, for the punishment of our tranfgreffions, it has pleafed God to afflict the King. The writer is very fevere in his animadverfions on this part of the compofition; and (without interpofing our fentiments on this fubject) we must ob ferve, that he is not fingular in his disapprobation of this claufe; for in whatever companies we have heard it mentioned (and our circle in fociety is not the smallest that may be conceived), that hath happened to it, which befel the first Chriftians; it hath been every where fpoken against.' The angry author of thefe letters has contrafted our church-prayer with that which was compofed by the Jewith high-prieft, on the fame occafion, and delivered, with great fervour, at the fynagogues. He has printed both in oppofite columns; and in deciding the preference, he warmly pronounces in favour of the latter. In his third letter, the Author remarks on fome abuses, refpecting the provision for the inferior clergy; but for his thoughts on this topic, and on Sunday schools, we refer to the pamphlet: concerning which, in general, we have only further to remark, that if it had been written in a more liberal style, it would have been more entitled to our approbation. Art. 60. Plain Sermons on Practical Subjects, adapted to different Characters. By the late Thomas Gordon, Minister of the Gofpel at Speymouth, near Elgin. z Vols. 8vo. IOS. Boards. Cadell. The above title gives a just account of these sermons: they are plain and practical: they fhew that the Author had natural good fenfe, improved by learning and obfervation: and they manifest an unaffected piety, and earnest defire to ferve the interefts of virtue and true religion. His religious opinions are faid to have been those of the church of Scotland. The ftyle, though unornamented and rather diffufe, is yet, on the whole, manly and agreeable, though sometimes, indeed, introducing phrafes not wholly fuited to printed difcourfes; in refpect to which we infert the following lines from the Editor's preface: Having ftudied not only he characters of his people, but alfo their ways of thinking and fpeaking, he was happy in the talent of adapting himself to their capacities and touching their confciences. And his folicitude to do fo will perhaps account for fome peculiarities of expreflion in this work, which as they occur not in his other writings, it may be prefumed he would not have ufed in his fermons, if he had not by experi nce found that they were profitable to his hearers, either by engag ng their attention, or affiling their memory, or perhaps by facilita ing their comprehenfion of his doctrine To the common people, who in most congregations are the majority, and who have the greatest need of inItruction, a pious and judicious clergyman wil be particularly careful to adapt his exhortations.' The reader will now be able to form fome |