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fince tired of this exhaufted fubje&, we shall forbear entering into the merits of this debate, especially as the point in controverfy has been decided by the conclufion of the Peace, and the Votes of a British Senate. It only remains for us to hope, that all our fellow-fubjects are as well fatisfied with the terms of Peace as this Pamphletteer appears to be, and we are ftrongly inclined to believe, that he writes from conviction, though we cannot greatly extol his talent for compofition.

Art. 3. A Letter from a Member of the Oppofition to Lord B----. 8vo. Is. Burnet.

Ironical. The Author, by raifing abfurd objections to Lord Bute, the Preliminaries, &c. endeavours to ridicule the common arguments ufed by the Oppofition. He fupports the figure with tolerable gravity; but his powers are fcarce fufficient to prevent his being now and then a little dull, and fometimes more than a little ambiguous. He is also a very incorrect Writer: so that, on the whole, we may venture to fet him down among the minor Politicians.

Art. 4. An Appeal to Knowledge: or, Candid Difcuffions of the Preliminaries of Peace, figned at Fontainebleau, November 3, 1762, and laid before both Houses of Parliament. By a Member of Parliament. 8vo. Is. 6d. Wilkie.

This Appellant" takes the pen in hand," to difcufs the prelimina res of peace with all "cool candour imaginable." Cool candour! who eller heard of hot candour? "Mott Authors," he premises, "have fame vanity, but his motive," he declares," is his country's good and not their applaufe." Modeft indeed! but let us tell him, that an Author without vanity, will make as little progrefs as a fhip without fails. He profeffes however that this is the first production of his brain; and we are inclined to give him credit, from the inflated ftile in which it is penned. The following paragraph may ferve as a fpecimen of his rhetorical powers. Having expreffed his hope that the reader is convinced we have obtained full compenfation, and established firm fecurity," he winds up the whole with this flourishing recapitulation.

Thus circumftanced, thus fituated, can it be doubted that we have made a glorious peace; glorious, as having obtained beyond our expectations the objects of the war, and having fo placed North America, as to be able for ever to defend herself, and to call no more for armies to be fent from hence at a great expence; glorious, as having put the French fishery and their fugar colonies among the Caribbee lands abfolutely under our power; glorious, as having retained the most valuable of our acquifitions, and rettored to France only those which are dependant now on us; glorious, as having the only conquefts the enemy had made, amply reftored; glorious, as having reltored the buccaneer'd (if I may be allowed that expreffion) kingdom of our most faithful ally, whom we have again fixed on the late tottering feat of his throne; glorious, as having with honour got out of that unfatiable, unfathomable pit the German war, which has fwallowed thousands of British lives, and millions of British treasure; and glorious, as beyond (from our own circumstances and abilities to carry on the war) what we

could

could have maintained and perfifted in, if refused; and if I should say adequate to our fuccefs, might be juftifiable." Was ever peace fo glorified? How glorious is the Author of all this glorification? We would not however totally difcourage a young adventurer, for if this really is, as we are inclined to believe, his firft effay, he may hereafter, when he has learned to reftrain his impetuofity, and lop his exuberances, make no inconfiderable figure.

Art. 5. Scotchman be Modeft: or Albion's Crifis. 8vo.
Printed for the Author, and fold by the Bookfellers.

I S.

Low, crazy, incoherent ftuff, intended to abufe, the great man whom it has lately been fo much the fashion to abufe: even the very mob feem now to have found out the method of flinging dirt from the prefs; and poor Buckhorfe, perhaps, among the reft, when fick felling fails, will turn pamphleteer.

Art. 6. An Addrefs to the People of Great Britain and Ireland, on the Preliminaries of Peace, figned November 3, 1762. 8vo. 6d. Whifton, &c.

The depth of this Politician may be fathomed by the following lines, taken from the beginning of his Addrefs.

Having mentioned the affurances given to the Parliament by his Majefty, that he doubted not they would be fatisfied with what he had done, in regard to the preliminaries, our Author adds, "This fhould make us read the preliminaries with a kind of prejudice in favour of the crown; and if we meet with any thing that comes fhort of our hopes and expectations, to think that poffibly our hopes may be too much raised by a train of extraordinary fucceffes, or that fuch difficulties might arife it the course of negociation, as would prove that our expectations were unreasonable, or could not be gratified.With this fpirit, I confefs that I fat down to read the preliminaries, and upon the perufal of them I think, I see cause to be entirely fatisfied."And with this fpirit we doubt not, fuch an eafy good-natured gentleman would have been as entirely fatisfied with the peace of Utrecht, or with any other peace. Thefe unfufpicious men may prove very loyal fubjects; but thofe who have had more experience of mankind in general, and of courts and flatefmen in particular, will be lefs apt to entertain any prejudice in their favour. The fafeft way is to take the Apoftle's advice, and y all things: neither acquitting nor condemning, 'till after a fair hearing, and a ftrict examination of the evidence on both fides.

Art. 7. A Letter from the Cocoa Tree to the Chiefs of the Oppofition. 4to. Is. Blyth.

The Author affumes the character of a penitent tory, with a view to afperse his pretended party, by fham confeffions of pernicious maxims, and evil conduct: in which, however, there is nothing but a repetition of the trite objections brought against the tory-party, by the whigs He expreffes much averfion to the Scots, and the great favourite; and

con

concludes with a notable bill of mortality of "prime minifters fince the Conqueft, as per all the hiftories of England." viz.

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Those who have more leisure than we have, may, if their curiofity be ftrong enough, fearch our Author's hiftorical proofs for the truth of the foregoing numbers; which may be very accurate for aught we know to the contrary. And if fo, will they not be of fome ufe to future favourites, as data to proceed upon, in calculating the value of their lives?

POETICA L.

Art. 8. The Poetical Calendar: containing a Collection of fearce and valuable Pieces of Poetry: with variety of Originals and Tranflations, by the most eminent Hands; intended as a Supplement to Mr. Dodfley's Collection. Written and selected by Francis Fawkes, M. A. and W. Woty. In twelve Volumes. Vol. I. for January. 12mo. IS. 6 d. Coote.

A choice collection of fecond-hand poetry, carefully culled from Journals, Medleys, Mercuries, Magazines," and all other ancient and honourable repofitories of dullness; confifting of various fcraps pillaged from Tonfon's Mifcellanies, commendatory verses to old plays, and panegyrics on immortal kings and heroes long fince dead; the works of several diftinguished bards, from Tom Tickle down to Dennis and Peter Pinnell.

But though we have little to fay in commendation of the collection, we muft not overlook the elegant manner in which it is printed. We have seen few productions of the English prefs equal to it: and are very forry that Mr. Dryden Leach's care and ingenuity were not better employed.

Mr. Baskerville's excellent performances are not here brought into any degree of comparifon, as the peculiar ftructure of his types renders bis work fo different from any thing printed on Caflon's or the Scotch letter.

Art.

9. On the Success of the British Arms, a Congratulatory Ode, addreffed to his Majesty. By Thomas Newcomb, A. M. 4to. 6d. Davis and Reymers.

It would be cruel to criticife a venerable Bard who has numbered about ninety years, near feventy of which he has spent in the not very lucrative service of the Mufes. Norv, indeed, his poetical fire feems almost exhausted; only affording a little glimmering flame, like that of

an

an expiring taper, labouring for exiftence, with interrupted efforts, and broken gleams.-Age is often called a fecond childhood ; and in truth it feems to be more peculiarly the cafe, with regard to fome veterans of Parnaffus, who are, to the laft, as fond of jingling their poetical bells, as children are of their rattles.-Well! poor fouls, old and young, if it contributes to their happin.efs, e'en let them jingle on; though they do, now and then strain a few harsh difcords and unpleafing tharps,' as Shakespeare fays:-good nature may allow it to pafs for tolerable mufic.

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Art. 10. A Poetical Wreath of Laurel and Olive. 4to. I S. Morley.

Sings, as a body may say, the war, and the peace, and the heroes, and the fhepherd-fwains; and prudently advises the fons of faction to be quiet: hear how pathetically he expoftulates with them:

Why will you thus in mad diversion flrive,

With zeal intemperate to torment yourselves?

This Twister of wreaths has quite mistaken his talent; he had, per-haps, better lay by his Olive and Laurel, and try his hand at a bundle of oziers:-bafket-making is an ufeful employment.But now peace is reftored, the poor Mufes muft fuffer for it: they will be well teized. As Pope fays, after Horace *,

All thofe who cannot write, and those who can,
Will thyme, and fcrawl, and scribble, to a man.
* Scribimus indocti do&tique.-

Art. 11. Rodendo; or the State Fuglers. Canto II. 8vo.

Nicoll.

I S..

We refer to the brief mention made of the firft Canto, in our Review for last month, p. 73 and, for the reafon there given, fhall avoid entering into particulars concerning this fecond part: in which the Author perfeveres in the faine fpirit he fet out with.

Art. 12. The Winter-Piece: A Poem. Folio. 1 s. Briftow.

This Author modeftly acknowleges that Poetry is not his business; and we cannot conceive what bufinefs he had with Poetry. He pleads that it hath been very feldom his practice, and we hope this will be the laft time. 'Tis true, he has not fo far mistaken his tal nt, as to grow vain of his performances; for he seems to expect but a fmall fhare of fame, from the prefent publication: of which he tells us that he is little folicitous whether it may endure the revolution of years to come, or enjoy but the short immortality of a month.'-In brief, there is much more merit in the Author's modefty, than in his verfes; of which take the following couplet as a fpecimen. Old Hyems, he tells us, trembling at the decree iffued by the fovereign goodnef, in behalf of fuffering nature, which the faid Hyems, or Winter, had ufed very roughly, thus

makes his retreat;

Eurus and Boreas turn their tails and fly,
And bear him backward down the northern fky.
M

REV. Feb. 1763.

The

The circumftance of Eurus and Boreas turning their tails and flying, or letting fly, cannot but remind our readers, of the action of the winds in Cotton's Virgil. There are fome other droll paffages in this Poem; but, on the whole, it is too dull to deferve farther notice.

Art. 13. The Oliviad, a Poem.
Mayne, Efq; 4to.

By Thomas Hallie De-la-
Is. 6d. Scott.

Thomas Hallie de-la-Mayne, Efq; may ftand in competition for fame with the elegant Mr. George Pooke; to whofe poetical abilities we have frequently had the honour of bearing teftimony.-The WAR, the PEACE, and GEORGE's virtues, (we do not mean the virtues of George Pooke) are here celebrated, in ftrains that even rival the fweetnefs and fublimity of a Christmas Carol.

We cannot but remark what an happy effect this fine founding monofyllable has in almost every Court Panegyric. How lucky for our poetical Difpenfers of Virtue and Fame, that his Majefty was not chriftened

Aminadab!

MISCELLANEOUS.

Art. 14. The Hiftory of Mifs Harriot Watfon. By Mrs. Woodfin, Author of the Auction. 2 Vols. 12mo. 5s. Lownds.

When a Lady is in the ftraw, after having, not very favourably, been delivered of the burthen of a nine-months conception, the customary question is, "Well, Nurfe, how is it with your Lady and the child " To which Mifirefs Nurfe, willing to put the best face on a bad matter, answers, according to cuftom; "Thankee, Ma'am, as well as can be expected." In like manner, fhould we be asked after our newly-delivered Authorefs and her literary bantling, we should answer, "They are as well as can be expected," after being told, that Mrs. Woodfin (whoever he is) was the Writer of the Auction*.

For an account of this Nove', fee Review, vol. XXI. p. 573.

Art. 15. The Peregrinations of Jeremiah Grant, Efq; a Weft-Indian. 12mo. 38. Burnet.

The Writer of thefe Peregrinations is an ignorant pretender to wit, humour, and learning; whilft, in reality, he is totally destitute of the firit; for the second, he only fhews a turn for ribaldry, fuch as would hardly pafs for humour with a bench of Porters at an ale-houfe door; and for the third, he has not yet learned to fpell.

Art. 16. An Hebrew and English Lexicon without Points: In which the Hebrew and Chaldee Words of the Old Teftament are explained in their leading and derived Senfes, the derivative Words are ranged under their respective Primitives, and the Meanings affigned to each authorised by References to Paffages of Scripture. To this. Work is prefixed, a methodical Hebrew Grammar, without

Points,

H

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