of that gentleman's performances of this kind, (in which we
queftion if any man living can excel him) is replete with ge-
nuine wit and humour. In the following lines he exquifitely
exposes the fallacy of an author's collecting the opinion of his
friends, from a private communication of his works, and fhews
what different judgments may be given by the fame persons, on
other occafions:

A fingle critic will not frown, look big,
Harmlefs and pliant as a fingle twig,

But crouded bere they change, and 'tis net odd,
For twigs, when bundled up, become a rod.
Critics to bards, like beauties to each other,
When tète à tête their enmity they finother.
Kifs me, my dear; how do you? charming creature!
What shape, what bloom; what spirit in each feature!
You flatter me,-pon honour, no.-

-You do

My friend-my dear-fincerely yours-Adieu!

But when at routs, the dear friends change their tonė

This very bundle of twigs would alone fuffice to fhew the ingenious Author's intimate acquaintance with men and manners, did he not otherwife evince it to the world, by his inimitable representations of human nature, in almost all the infinite variety of her different characters and appearances.

Critical Strictures on the new Tragedy of Elvira, written by David Malloch. 8vo. 6d. Flexney.

OME perfonal enemy of Mr. Mallet's, or fome national

Senemy, enemy of

or

enemy, on account of his being a Scotchman, has here moft invidioufly attacked his Elvira; which, according to this fnarling critic, is a wretched piece of plagiarifm, a bungling patch-work jobb, that nothing but Mr. Garrick's genius in acting could have faved from damnation. The general spirit of these curious ftrictures, may be justly inferred from their Author's infifting fo ftrenuously as he does, in his previous Advertifement, on what he deems the right orthography of Mr. Mallet's name, which he will have to be Malloch, on the authority of Sir David Dalrymple and Mr. Samuel Johnfon.-Though this, no doubt, is a point of the utmoft confequence to the "World of Letters," yet, if we are not mistaken in Mr. Mallet, we may venture to answer for him, that he will never prefume to conteft it against the opinion of three fuch infallible judges as the two gentlemen above-mentioned, and the profound Author of thefe ftrictures; whom, after all, we cannot but look upon as a man of more abilities than honefty, as the want of candour is certainly a fpecies of dishonesty.

MONTHLY

MONTHLY CATALOGUE,

For JANUARY, 1763.

POETICA L.

Art. 1. An Ode to Duke Humphry, imitated from Horace. 8vo. 6d. Hinxman.

A

S we do not think it worth our while to give any explanation of this very fhort ænigmatical piece, our Readers hall have it entire; and the rather, as it may ferve as an inftance of the high price to which poetry has rifen, through the feruerity of the feafon.

I.

Where are the crowds we faw before?
No Flatt'rers now befiege your door,
None to your smiles afpire;
Your Porter once fo brifk in place,
So bufy, bulling, like your Grace,
May with your Grace retire.
II.

The promise-fed, deluded throng,
Who bow'd fo low, who bow'd fo long,
And at your levees waited-
Commons and Peers alike are gone,
Your very Bishops too are flown
To Ges, to be translated.
III.

When age comes on, and bufinefs fails,
The caft off Harlot weeps and rails,
Yet ftill would fain be cooing;
To bring new Lovers to her arms,
Ogles, coquets, repairs her charms,
Old Women will be doing.

IV.

So you ftill fmirk and nod the head,
But all in vain, your charms are fled,
The tongue of Flatt'ry ceases;
In vain you strive to raise a flame,
Tho' paft the pow'r, you love the game-
With age defire increases.

y.

All to St. Ja's now repair,

Where Virtue with her modeft air

Each rapter'd bofom fires

• We must do the Publiber the justice to acknowlege, that be has given with it about twenty lines of Horace's Latin, and (as a Motto) four lines of Pope's English.

F 3

She

Yon op'ning Rofe, fecure from blight,
Will charm the fenfe, attract the fight,
And throw its fweets about-

We fapless wood but makes a blaze,
Which boys attend with loud huzza's,
And then in smoke goes out.

Art. 2. Three Hundred Hymns. By Thomas Spooner, Minister of the Gofpel. 12mo. 3s. Dilly.

It is well for many of our modern Fanatics, that fome distinction is made, in the construction of our laws, between actual and intended blafphemy: we fhould elfe expect to fee fuch Minifters of the Gospel as Mr. Spocner, committed to Newgate, and fet in the pillory, for ridiculing the facred doctrines contained in the holy Scriptures, by fcandalous and contemptible paraphrates.

That illiterate Mechanics fhould fometimes be hurried, by an overheated imagination, into fuch irreverend abfurdities, we do not wonder; but that a man, who quotes Latin, Greek, and Hebrew, and may be fupposed to have fome pretenfions to literature, should have no more regard for the ftyle and fubjects of the facred writings, is fomewhat furprizing.

The Reader may judge of the talents of this wholefale Hymn-monger, by the following ftanzas, extracted from the laft piece in this collection, entitled the Pafchal Lambs; wherein their fimilitude to Chrift is thus reprefented.

The types were roafted after death :
Before the Lord refigned his breath,
He bore divine avending ire,
Like roafting by the scorching fire.

Their obelisk was made of wood,
Their nails of iron; that underflood
Their apparatus well might be,

With crucifixion to agree.

The Reader will fee that these Hymns are much of a piece with Erkine's Gospel Sonnets, and the Hymns of the Moravians; and, tho' not fo obfcene, are nearly as abfurd.

Art. 3. A Collection of original Pieces; confifting of Poems, Prologues, Epilogues, Songs, Epiftles, Epigrams, Epitaphs, &c. By J. Wignel. 8vo. 4s. Printed for the Author, by Subfcription. Sold by Mr. Davies in Ruffel-street.

Mr. Wignel appears to have been a Strolling Player; and, into the bargain, he is also a bit of a Poet. We do not find, however, that an over-fond conceit of his abilities, in the rhyming way. prompted him to appear in print: the fame effect is often produced by very different caufes: books owe their exiftence fometimes to vanity, fometimes to poverty. To the latter, as the Author honeftly confefies, the world is indebted for Mr. Wignel's volume. And truly, fince the poor man wanted it, we are glad to fee his fubfcription-lift fo well filled. We dare fay, he himself will agree with us, that it is the best part of his book.

As to

his verfes, not to difparage the works of one who does not pretend to be a Poet, there are Readers who may like them as well as thofe of Milton or Pope: and let that be the Author's confolation, let Critics fay what they will. For us, we rather prefer his Dedication to his brother Comedian, Mr. Shuter: in which, be not furprized, gentle Reader, he praises the faid Mr. Shuter, for his piety. And, what is more extraordinary, this is no joke, but a very ferious and well-intended encomi um-We have frequently heard, that this admirable comic Actor has, for fome time paft, turned his graver thoughts towards that great concern of all men, with which humour and levity have no connexion; and that, as may very naturally be expected from men who have lived as Mr. Shuter hath done, he is become a frequenter of Mr. Whitefield's affemblies. Mr. Wignel takes notice of this in his Epistle dedicatory, and relates the following anecdote.

"A Gentleman remarkable for his intimacy with a certain fashionable Author, (who, for the diverfion of the world, and his own emolument, has fometimes made too free with the natural defects, and innocent particularities of divers worthy perfons) endeavouring to tempt you by certain offers of advantage, to affift in conveying his low invectives, and perfonal abufe, to the town, was properly reproved by the following answer.

'Sir, Whatever idea you have of me, as an Actor and a Man, give me leave to inform you, I have fo ftrong a regard for Religion, and her Profeffors, with fo grateful a fenfe of the favours the Almighty has conferred on me, that I shall never employ my weak abilities in the

F 4

⚫ ridicule

ridicule of HIM OF HIS Servants.' "This Chriftian-like reply, fays Mr. Wignel, aftonished the Beau. He took fnuff, turned upon his heel, and affured the firft Coxcomb he met, "That Shuter was run mad, and "that he had entered into partnership with the Bishop of Tottenham"Court."

This anecdote, the truth of which we have other authorities for, is here related. Mr. Wignel fays, to obviate the opinion of thofe who may attribute Mr. Shuter's attachment to Mr. Whitefield, to views of gain; to fome female connections; or to a defign of diverting the Town at that reverend Gentlenfan's expence.

Art. 4. Woman. An Epiftle to C. Churchill, on his intended Publication, entitled, Woman: A Satire. By A, B, C. 4to. IS. Williams.

Mr. Churchill having fome time ago intimated a design of writing a fatire, entitled as above, taking it for granted, that his intention muit have been to fatirize the fair tex, the prefent Writer interpofes in the r behalf; pointing out other objects which, he conceives, more juftly

cenfurable.

The field is free: yes, Churchill, draw the pen;
Drain Satire's quiver on the fons of men:
Vice in all ranks let ridicule await,

Players, Plaufibles, and Minifters of State:
But fpare their daughters, nor the random dart
Launch at the foftness of a Lady's heart.

We know not how far the Ladies may think themselves obliged to this their Advocate, or what effect his apology for them may have on the rugged difpofition of the Satirift: if, indeed, the latter had any real intention to be fevere on them at all; which, by the way, is not very certain. It was natural, however, for our Author, who is evidently a very juvenile Writer, to embrace fuch an opportunity of recommending himfelf to the fex, by endeavouring to ward off the ftroke of fo formidable a hand. The merit of the defign may poffibly prevail, alfo, with his fair Readers, to make them overlook the defects in its execution as Critics, however, we must tell him, he hath paid no compliment to their taste, by the many unpolished and difcordant lines which he hath permitted to disgrace his performance.

:

Art. 5. A Declaration, by an old Plebeian. 4to. 3d. Kent.

The request of friends has been affigned in excufe for the publication of many a worthlefs production; it is now urged by this old Plebeian as his fole inducement for laying before the public thefe bis private thoughts but they were not really his friends who advised this honest man to expofe himfelf in print. We hope, however, that thofe who are difpofed to laugh at him for his bad writing, will pardon him for the fake of his principles, for which we have the utmost reverence, although they appear to the greateft difadvantage, cloathed in fuch miferable verfe, as this truly plebeian Writer has manufactured. His de, Sign is, to recommend civil and religious Liberty; to decry all King

craft