• Virtue alone refifts the pow'r,
And foils the pointed dart :
She triumphs in the mortal hour,
Rejoic'd from life to part

• In conq'ring death, defies the grave,
An happier ftate explores ;

Seeks the Redeemer, who can fave,

And God, whom she adores.'

In the fifth ftanza, instead of saying, 'should'st thou` reach,* the author fhould have faid,fhould't thou pass autumnal prime;' or rather, the fhould have altered the ftructure of the fentence. It does not follow, that an invalid will make his exit at Bath, because he reaches, or even paffes, the Devizes, in his way to that place. But it is unreasonable, we confess, to expect, that a female poet fhould be a logician, and draw her conclufions with as much precifion, as a fenior foph at Oxford, who has been trained up in the fyllogifms of Ariftotle and Smiglecius.

Sublime poets have been sometimes compared to eagles and fwans; but the gentle author of these pieces modeftly compares herself to a fparrow. This is not a bird of a towering wing, or of an exquifite note; but Catullus has faid many agreeable things in its favour.

Sketches from Nature; taken, and coloured, in a Journey to Margate. Pubufhed from the Original Defigns. By Geo. Keate, Efq. 2 vols. Small 8vo. 55. fewed. Dodsley,

WHEN

HEN an ingenious and enterprizing traveller has visited an unknown climate, and, at his return, amused his countrymen with a minute defcription of its natural productions, its artificial curiofities, and the habits, cuftoms, and manners, of the natives, he naturally excites attention. But when another purfues the fame road, and describes the fame objects, his narrative is received with much more indifference. This is precifely the cafe with authors in every department of literature. The first is more eagerly read than the second though, with refpect to merit, the latter may not be inferior to the former. Curiofity is gratified by the first publication, and the charm of novelty, the charm which ftimulates, delights, and actuates, all mankind, is diffolved.

Stern's Sentimental Journey was univerfally read; and his little fallies of wit, his touches of nature, tenderness, and pathos,, were admired and applauded. But every fucceeding writer will find it extremely difficult to intereft the reader's

af

affections in the fame manner, and in the fame degree. The public have been fatiated with fentimental travels. The idea of the facetious Yorick occurs at the fight of every apparent imitation; and the latter generally fuffers by the comparison.

The work we are now confidering, though formed in some measure on the plan of the Sentimental Journey, has that fhare of originality, and contains thofe agreeable Sketches of Nature, which cannot fail of rendering it acceptable to those who read for amusement. What we have here observed in its favour will probably be confirmed by the following ex

tract.

On entering one of the bathing rooms, where people af femble and converfe, till fuch time as their turns come to take the machines, I was agreeably furprized to find a face or two among the company which I had three years before often seen

in the fame place.

We were reciprocally glad at the interview. It is a pleafing circumstance to invalids to meet after a confiderable absence ;their hopes are mutually fortified, being thereby induced to conceive there is not fo much mortality in their complaints as they may have fufpe&ed.

My lean carcafe was complimented on being plumped out fince we had laft feen each other;-I returned as gracious a falute to the bilious gentleman who had the civility to tell me fo, -but I fear it was in both of us rather the offering of good-nature than truth.

A poor crippled figure, with an eye of languor, was commending the improved looks of a lady, whofe face wore the colour of an India pickle, which was ftrongly confirmed by a nervous old gentlewoman, who fat in the next chair, shaking like a China Joffe.

The flegmatic-the unfeeling, may tax thefe little attentions of humanity with the opprobrious name of diffimulation; but I will ever maintain, that it is among the courtefies of life to keep people in good humour with themfelves;-I am confident it is the fureft method to make them fo with those about them, and the world rubs on pleasantly by it. This difpofition, if analyzed, may be reduced to a modification of flattery, but 'tis divetted of its naufeating quality, rendered palatable, and swallowed with fatisfaction.

Now flattery in the grofs, unmodified, or, as it is commonly termed grofs flattery, afks a moft fortunate coincidence of circumstances to make it go down at all; for if too ftrong to be ftomached, or ill-timed, it never fails to bring disgrace on the perfon who offers it.

Such was the fortune of a French poet, who prefented to Louis the XVIth. an elaborate ode on the many conquefts and

triumphs he had obtained; in which, agreeable to the unintel ligible fublimity of ode writing, he was ftyled of race divine,omnipotent,-immortal. It chanced to be the only piece of paper in his majesty's pocket, when a violent fit of the gripes (which can fully even the fplendor of a French throne) had placed the victor of the world on a chaise percée.

Pinched almoft to death, and detained on his feat in that humiliating fituation, the titles of divine, omnipotent, and immortal, prefented themselves at that inftant, but as mockery and infult-the pride of the monarch yielded to the fenfibility of the man, and the ode was applied to that purpose which fhould ever be the fate of prostituted flattery.

• Most of the company had talked over their own cafe, which invalids are particularly fond of doing, and all had given judgement on the fea; but in general fo contradictory, that had I formed my opinion on theirs, it would have amounted nearly to this-that it thinned and it thickened the blood-it ftrengthened-it weakened-it made people fat-it made them lean-it braced-it relaxed-it was good for every thing-and good for nothing.

It will wash you all clean, however, fays a grave gentleman in the gallery, if it does nothing else.

I had, from my first coming into the bathing room, obferved the perfon who threw out this obfervation, fitting clofe to the balustrade. He was in a night-cap, and gold-laced hat, wrapped in a great coat, with a filk handkerchief tied round his neck. As he remained filent till now, and had uttered his only fentence in a tone of dry humour, I wifhed to fee a little more of him; and as foon as the machines had gradually carried off the company, I accofted him with the trite question of, Sir, don't you bathe ?

Bathe, fir! no truly, not I-'tis diverfion enough to fee others do it. Wet, or dry, none will be out of the fashion-I fee all the folks here, young or old, take to the water as naturally as the duck-they feem to me to make a Popish faint of the fea-What a cackle did yonder women keep about its miracles, and the mad dog was not taken into the account neither. By what one hears in thefe places, if it were not for broken limbs, all our hofpitals might be fhut up. The virtues of fea-water, faid I, may be over-rated-but I ftill think it an inftrument of health to many-you are happy to have no demand on it.

I beg your pardon for that, replied my gentleman-prefenting me fuch an enriched full face, as had not obtained its colouring at a fmall expence-if I have no demand, fir, my phyfician has fent me for three months from London on a fool's errand-and yet he is an honeft fellow too, and I follow his rules-but he prohibits me my morning whet-denies me good fauce and Cayenne pepper with my fish-drenches me with faltwater and mutton-broth,-and obliges me to fit and walk two -hours every morning by the fea-fide, and as many after dinner,

in order to smell the fea mud.-As it was a high tide to-day, I took my ftation in this gallery-but I believe (looking at his watch) I have already fnuffed up my morning service, and shall now go to the coffee house to breakfast.

You fmile, fir (added he) and well you may-for who the devil could perfuade one that a bad ftomach might be mended by any thing, that did not go into it through the natural channel of the mouth ?

-None-but a phyfician, fir.'

The fecond volume, among many other articles, contains the history of the two fpires of Reculver church, called the two fifters, which the author pretends to have extracted from a MS. that he met with at Louvain. According to his account, these spires were erected about the year 1500, in memory of two fifters, Frances and Isabella, the daughters of Geoffry de Saint Clair, a gentleman of an ancient family in the county of Kent. Though this anecdote comes to us 'in a questionable shape,' among fome imaginary tales, yet the author feems to reprefent it as a real fact,

This writer's language is generally correct: but we shall take the liberty to point out two or three trifling inaccuracies, We fat down two paffengers at Dartford,' p. 2, The word fat is here improperly used instead of set- It has been lain down as a maxim,' ib. It should be laid down. I wifh none of the officers of his majesty's revenues, fays a female smuggler, cheated him more than me.' p. 11. She fhould have faid, more than I; that is, more than I do. fbook' [fhaken] p. 29.- Lord Bacon has [written] p. 40, 60.- As the writes me' Had not ran' [run], p. 117. [shaken] p. 114.—You was here before' [were here before] p. 58. This enormous folecifm feems to have taken up its constant refidence in Westminster hall, and courts of law.

My bones have been
wrote-I had wrote
[informs me] p. 49.
England was book'

This work has one circumftance to recommend it, which is of no small importance in compofitions of this kind: and that is, it contains no effufions of fpleen or ill humour; nor any thing that can offend the morals of the reader.

Reports of Cafes upon Appeals and Writs of Error, in the High Court of Parliament, from the Year 1701, to the Year 1779. By Jofiah Browne, Efq. Barrister at Law. 2 vols. Folio. 34. 35. in boards. Uriel.

THIS

HIS work is ufhered into the world with a very formal dedication to Henry earl Bathurst, who, in the opinion of Mr. Brown, filled with dignity and cafe the most exalted

7

station,

ftation in the profeffion.'-The author, after obferving that, ⚫ the determinations of the house of peers, confidered as a court of fupreme and final judicature, cannot but be of the greatest weight, and most unquestionable authority;'-and confeffing his own inability to execute this plan in a proper manner,' proceeds to inform his reader what he is to expect from the perufal of these Reports. Mr. Brown therefore promises a fair and full report, not merely an abridgment, of the whole cafe collected from each party; with a particular attention to dates, and as little variation from the language of the original cafes, as could poffibly be avoided, in connecting the historical facts of both. The printed reafons on each fide, thrown into the form of an argument; the names of the counfel who figned the cafes, inferted in the margin, at the beginning of each argument; and in ftating the decree appealed from, if in the Court of Chancery, the name of the chancellor who made it, which is very frequently omitted in the cafes themselves. The final determination of the cafe, as it appears in the Journals of the house; with a correct reference to the volume and page of thofe Journals. After this account of the manner in which the work is executed, it may, perhaps (fays Mr. Brown) be afked, why it does not commence earlier than the year 1702 ? To this the author can only answer, that he was not able to procure any of the cafes prior to that period :-a misfortune, which he cannot but lament, as many of thofe prior cafes, are faid to have been of great weight and confequence.'

Such being the general fcope of the author's defign, it may not be improper to remark, that to conftitute a judicious reporter, many, and those not very eafy qualifications, are requifite. He should poffefs a competent judgment; great care and equal diligence; added to thefe, he fhould be thoroughly acquainted with the profeffion, of which he ought to have a found and liberal theory;-a candid and extenfive practice. And if the practice of twenty years be but barely fufficient to qualify any one for decifion, how much more must be requifite to form an able and adequate reporter ?-To form fuch a reporter, might poffibly require more than the abilities of the honourable earl, to whom Mr. Brown has thought proper to dedicate the volumes now before us.-The labours of a Coke, a Plowden, a Dyer, and a Moore, were the refult of their own attentions, the reports of determinations, at which they had been steady and filent auditors -To report a cafe, it is certainly neceffary that the author fhould have been present at the decifion-that he should be ennabled to give the fubftance of the argument-to frate what objections were made, and how thofe objections were obviated; to note the cafes which each

party