and Gardens, as may be thought worthy the attention of the cu rious Traveller. 4to. 2s. 6d. Buckland. London. The plan of this publication is too circumfcribed to fatisfy the inquiries of the curious traveller.' We believe that it is in general tolerably correct, as far as it goes. We cannot however avoid mentioning one or two inacuracies which we have met with. • At Houghton-park, near Ampthill, the earl of Upper Offory has a fine feat, which was built by the countess of Pembroke. The house • is a noble and venerable edifice, containing many fine rooms, and the gardens are laid out with much tafte and magnificence. There is ftill a large pear tree here, under which the celebrated Sir Philip Sydney is faid to have written part of his Arcadia.' The editor has here confounded together two houfes, of which he has made one of his own, and bestowed upon it the attributes of both. The one belongs to the Duke of Bedford, and was fome time the refidence of the late amiable marquis of Tavistock; it was built by the countess of Pembroke, and is a venerable edifice, but it has no fine rooms, and a patch of fhrubbery round the houfe is all the garden it can boast of: in the park is the pear-tree, which the name of Sir Philip Sydney has rendered venerable. The other house is really the property and actually the refidence of the Earl of Upper Offory, it is a modern built houfe, upon no very extended feale, and therefore has no pretenfions to the appellations of a noble and venerable edifice :" the garden is laid out with great tafte, though not with much magnificence. The other example fhall be taken from Scotland. AllowayHoufe (Alloa-Houfe) near Sterling, was the feat of the late Earl of Mar. This fine feat was formerly called the Caftle of Alloway; (Alloa) but is now fo completely modernized that no appearance of a castle remains. We can affure the editor that the houfe is not fo completely modernized, on the contrary, the principal entrance is through the centre of an immenfe tower, now in complete repair, and which still forms a confiderable part of the building. This is fo much the cafe that John Erskine, Efq, grandfon of the aft earl of Mar, and the prefent proprietor, never gives any other name to his feat than the Tower of Alloa. To pafs over in filence Inveraray, the noble manfion of the Duke of Argyle, is an unpardonable omitlion; as, confidering its extent, together with the beautiful and fublime fcenery around it, nothing perhaps of equal magnificence can be pointed out in Britain. Art. 20. Hypercriticifm on Mifs Seward's Louifa, including Obfervations on the Nature and Privileges of Poetic Language. 8vo. 1s. Dilly. 1785. A defence of Mifs Seward's Louifa from the strictures of a monthly reviewer. The author wants wifdom, otherwite he would have known that his attack is a compliment to the review, whofe proprietor wants it to be noticed; no matter whether favourably or not, To that it attracts attention. If Louifa is the offspring of genius, the malevolent ftrictures of any reviewer will do it little prejudice; if that performance is the offspring of dulnefs, no praise or commendation will ensure its fuccefs. Art. Art. 21. A Letter to the Earl of Coventry; by Philip Thicknesse Containing fome extraordinary Letters of the noble Lord's to the Author, written in the Year 1780, and 1782. With an Appendix, containing a ftill more extraordinary Note of the noble Lord's. Written in the Year 1785. 8vo. is. 6d. Debrett. Mr. Thickneffe obtained for Lord Coventry fome parcels of feeds of different kinds and a quantity of flower roots, which were collected on the mountain of Montferrat in Catalonia; and taking a difguft at the behaviour of his Lordfhip, he endeavours to expose him to contempt in the prefent publication. It appears, however, to us that Lord Coventry was difpofed to behave not only with juftice, but with liberality; and it is our opinion that the complaints of Mr. Thickneffe are every where most improper and ill founded. He difcovers an extreme peevifhnefs, and a most incurable rancour; and this defperate effort of his pen is no more than a melancholy proof of the violence of his paffions, and of his ignorance in the art of compofition. He was folicitous to wound his Lordfhip; and he is fevere only against himself. The public, no doubt, will do him justice; and its juftice must be neglect and contempt. Art. 22. The Misfortunes of Love. A Novel. Tranflated from the French. 2 vols. 12mo. 5s. fewed. Lane. In these volumes there is a degree of vivacity; but they exhibit no marks of genius. Though by no means dull, they are without interest. The characters are out of nature; the incidents are extravagant; and the conduct of the work is without art. Art. 23. Report of Dr. Benjamin Franklin and other Commif fioners, charged by the King of France; with the Examination of the Animal Magnetifm, as now practifed at Paris. Tranflated from the French. With an Hiftorical Introduction. 8vo. 2s. 6d. Johnson. 1785. Having already laid before our readers a copious account of the fubject of this pamphlet, we can only at prefent lay before our readers a brief extract from the introduction, as a specimen of the abilities of the perfon to whom it is indebted for its English drefs. In the mean time it can no longer be concealed, that the fyftem of the animal magnetifm is to be regarded as an imposture, and it may therefore be asked, why it should be thought neceffary to give to the public a tranflation of papers, which may be thought interesting only to perfons who have been witneffes of the imposture. To this inquiry feveral good anfwers may be given.' But the argument upon which we would place the principal ftrefs, is the effential importance of this fact in the hiftory of the human mind. Perhaps the hiftory of the errors of mankind, all things confidered, is more valuable and interesting than that of their difcoveries. Truth is uniform and narrow; it conftantly exists, and does not feem to require fo much an active energy, as a paffive apti tude of foul in order to encounter it. But error is endlessly diverfi hed; it has no reality, but is the pure and fimple creation of the mind that invents it. In this field, the foul has room enough to expand itself, to display all her boundless faculties, and all her beautiful and interesting extravagancies and abfurdities. It is obferved, of civil history, that it is properly the record of human calamities; the fame thing may be obferved of ecclefiaftical hiftory, it is the record of our errors. For this reafon a well written ecclefiaftical hiftory, is a fpecies of compofition that we fufpect does not exist, and would perhaps be the most instructive study in the world.' Upon the whole the publication is executed, in a style somewhat fuperior to the common run of translations. Art. 24. The Reporter, or the Subftance of a Debate in the Houfe of Commons, May 10, 1785. Speakers, Mr. Pitt, Lord Mahon, Mr. Dundas, Mr. Martin, Sir Jofeph Mawbey, Sir Richard Hill, Mr. Wilkes, Lord North, Mr. Fox. London: Printed for the Author, at the Logographic Prefs, fold by J. Walter, 8vo. Is. 6d. 1785. The pamphlet entitled "Anticipation" has produced a crowd of imitations. The Reporter is perhaps not the worst of them. Mr. Pitt is made to propofe a tax upon falt, in imitation of the Gabelle in France; a debate enfues, in which a ridicule is endeavoured to be thrown upon ministry, and their adherents; the premier is left in a minority, and precipitately quits the Houfe with his friend Mr. Dundas, while Lord North, Mr. Fox, and "the phalanx of oppofition" remain to feaft their ears with the huzzas of the gallery. The publication concludes with announcing, that it is univerfally believed that Mr. Pitt will retire" by the first of June next." Art. 25. An Hiftorical Rhapsody on Mr. Pope. By the Editor of the Political Conferences. The Second Edition, corrected and enlarged. 8vo. 2s. Cadell. London. 1782. To prevent the reader from being disappointed, the author of the Rhapfody, Mr. Tyers, has very honeftly characterized his own performance in the advertisement to the first edition. Protected by the title of this Effay, which difdains method, the writer has faid fomething of every thing that has the most diftant relation to the Life and Writings of Mr. Pope. He has laid before the reader all the anecdotes, obfervations, and reflexions, which offered themfelves for that purpose. Perhaps he has called off the Reader's attention from the main fubject, by a profufion of quotations, which occafion tautoligies, to remark the pains that are taken to record what other people have faid. Memory, like a coy female, has suffered herself to be wooed,' but not to be compleatly won. By turning to the original authors, many errors are difcoverable, though no very important ones. The Effay has, without defign, all the negligence of converfation, inftead of the correctness of a claffical performance. But this compofition is not for the learned, for they are above it; it is only for those who love to be amused, and are fonder of warm fentiments than of grammatical perfection.' Such being the nature of the work, Mr. Tyers with a modesty by no means natural to an author, elsewhere expreffes himself in the following words. ENG. REV. Vol. V. 1785. U • As As there are readers of all forts, and thoufands who are not yet become readers, this volatile performance may have a chance to be taken up, from a parlour window-feat. and occupy an hour of indolence or leifure; and a reader, not acquainted with what others have faid upon this fubject, may get fome information from this piece.' To the readers who demand a correct and well arranged performance it will not be acceptable. The anecdote hunters, amidst the mafs of hackneyed matter, may perhaps pick up one or two things to add to their collections. N. B. Accident has prevented us from paying an earlier attention to this publication. Art. 26 Provifions for the more equal Maintaining of the Clergy, without Alteration of the prefent System, or affecting the Property of Individuals. 6d. G. and T. Wilkie. London. 1784. The fhameful inequality of income fo notorious in the Church of England, calls loudly for redrefs; but the period of reformation feems, hitherto, at a distance. A worthy and enlightend father of the church fometime ago offered a plan to the public, which we lament was not received with the cordiality it deferved. The author of the pamphlet before us will, we are afraid, find his fcheme of provifion treated with inattention and neglect. We fhall, however, lay it before our readers, as we think it merits confideration. 'I PROPOSE, that a tax be laid by act of parliament (with the confent of the clergy) upon all eclefiaftical benefices, or preferments whatever, not under the clear yearly value of 200l. in manner following, viz. £.2 5 per Annum. 500 6 600 IO IO Upon the two Archbishopricks, eachp. ann.30 two fmalleft English, and all the 20 O 'Alfo upon all tithes in lay impropriation, at the rate of 11. per cent. This will produce the grofs fum of 10,000l. per ann.* 'This (if agreeable to their lordships) I would have lodged in their hands, as trustees, to become a fettled fund. I next propofe: 'First, That the account be stated annually and laid before the public. Secondly, That fuch annual meeting be called a bench. Thirdly, That the principal be applied to the purchafing livings of lay patrons, fuch livings to be added to the diocefe to which they belong; or that it be applied in the fame manner as Queen Anne's bounty, in making landed additions to fmall livings. Fourthly, That the interest (which in the courfe of twenty years will be very great) be applied to the rendering more comfortable *At a very moderate computation indeed, perhaps it may produce half as much more. I fmall finall curacies, or to the fupport of deferving clergymen, who have large families, and fmall incomes. Fifthly, That any one who petitions for an addition to his income, out of this fund, apply at the ufual vifitation in the diocefe to which he belongs; and the majority of the clergy prefent approving fuch petition, in refpect to character and circunftances, let it be by the Archdeacon prefented to the Bishop, and by him laid before the an nual bench.' The author makes fome fenfible remarks upon each of his own propofals; tending to evince their propriety, and to prove that they are adequate to the end in view. But there are difficulties in the execution of his plan, which he feems not fufficiently aware of, and which would prevent its taking place, evenwere there thoughts of re formation. G. Art. 27. Elegy to the Memory of Capt. James King, L. L. D. FRS. By the Rev. William Fordyce Mavor. 4to. Is. Nicol. 1785. Mr. Fordyce's lines are fufficiently finooth and correct, and the common-place topics of elegy are well enough introduced; but we cannot recommend his elegy as a work of genius. The author has many obligations to Mr. Gray, which he has no where acknowledged. So much imitation in a fhort poem, raifes fufpicions either of unwarrantable hafte, or incurable fterility. Art. 28. The Patriot Soldier; a Poem. By John Edwards, Efq. Major of Light Dragoons in the Volunteer Army of Ireland. Nottingham printed. 4to. 2s. Longman. 1784. The following lines contain the only poetical idea we have been able to discover in this bulky collection of rhymes. Nor let the friend of firm refolves fuppofe His foldiers rights the citizen foregoes; And light'ning ftorms, and thunders they retain. The illuftrious fimile in the four laft lines is happily conceived, but the author has not been equally fortunate in his mode of expreffion. Major Edwards may be a very good Martinet, but as to poetry." nefcit verfus, tamen audet fingere." Art. 29. Verfes addreffed to Sir G. O. Paul, Bart. on his Benenevolent Scheme for the Improvement of the County Prifons. 4to. Is. 6d. Glocefter: Printed by R. Raikes. 1785. It gives us real pleafure whenever we find the Mufes, inftead of floundering in the mire of politics, finging the praifes of virtue and humanity. Sir G. O. Paul has been zealous in endeavouring to fup- prefs the enormities which prevailed in our prifons, and in promoting regulations more fuited to the benevolent and enlightened character of the British nation. The prefent poem is a tribute to the merits of this real patriot. The author's conception of his fubject is commendable, it affords room for variety, intereft and pathos; as will appear from the Argument.' U 2 Argu |