madverting upon Dr. Goldfmith's opinion that the complexion of the present times is unfavourable to literary merit. The author, in his dedication to Sir Joshua Reynolds, makes a very fingular confeffion, not much to the honour either of the painter, or the poet. He fays "I am ignorant of that art in which you are faid to excel."-If a poet, and a poet who chiefly excels in the picturefque, has no taste for fine painting, we must think him a phenomenon." I would not give a farthing," fays Voltaire," for thofe fpecimens of the fine arts, which only engage the attention of artists." Dr. Goldsmith deferves the higheft applaufe for employing his poetical talents in the fupport of humanity and virtue, in an age when fentimental instruction will have more powerful influence upon our conduct than any other; when abstruse fyftems of morality, and dry exhortations from the pulpit, if attended to for a while, make no durable impreffion. VI. The Female Advocate, a Poem. By W. Woty. 4to. Pr. 25, Flexney. ERE this poem as nervous and striking as the fixth fatire of Juvenal, our modern ladies would have the less need to regret the fevere treatment which their fex met with from one of the greatest of poets in the reign of Domitian. However, it is not without its merit. Parnaffus hath its pretty hrubs as well as its towering and majestick oaks. So contracted and illiberal are the hearts of men, that it is to be queftioned whether so long a poem was ever written in defence of women as The Female Advocate. Women indeed have often been the fubject of poetical praife; but rather from flashes of imagination, and gaiety of humour, than from a deliberate, and grateful determination to do honour to their merit. Yet they have a most indefeasible right to the homage of the poet; for to them we owe the sweetest pleasures, the highest raptures of life; and poets, of all others, are most fenfible to their charms. Mr. Woty, however, goes beyond the bounds of reafon in his admiration of the fair fex, and is quite a French idolater of the ladies; for he makes them more innocent and benign beings than we generally find them. His verses are easy, and flowing; and his characters are drawn with a pleasantry peculiar to himself. He supposes the females taking the field against their adverfaries, the men; with himself, as their champion, at their head. The defcription of this mock-heroick engagement contains many humorous circumftances. 'In In thought already I furvey the fair, Range their bright troops, and for the fight prepare. She heaves a gentle figh, and blows 'em down. In the following verfes he attributes the greateft faults of the women to the bad treatment which they receive from the men. There is more of compliment than of truth in these lines. Undoubtedly women are often driven to their most enormous profligacies by the perfidy of their feducers. But in fact they and men are made of the fame frail materials: both the fexes are apt to fall into great misconduct, without any remarkable provocations to impatience or despair. • Woman's my theme-from her I'll not depart, The hardy atchievements of the modern military hero, when lifted under the banners of love are wittily enumerated. Favour'd by whom, the foldier takes up arms, And dares his perfon to a thousand harms, His narrow feet with narrower fhoes adorns, For thee he buckles on the fatal blade, Then fallies outward, refolute of foul, Nor heeds the watchman, or the watchman's pole From hair breadth 'fcapes, and dangers of the night; A round houfe-when the conftable's not by.' The poem is clofed with a poetical imitation of the third, and part of the fourth chapter of the first book of Efdras, in which three young men fupport their three fentences before "wine is the king Darius. The fentence of the first was, ftrongeft;" the fentence of the fecond, "the king is the ftrongeft;" the fentence of the third, "women are strongeft; but above all things truth beareth away the victory." The palm was adjudged to the third young man, who gave truth the preference to all things, and who for his fentiments on truth was most applauded by the king and his courtiers. But the fecond part of the young man's fentence did not make for Mr. Woty's purpofe; and therefore he, prudently, takes no notice of it. A poet is much more warmly at:ached to woman than to truth. He He makes the speech of the third young man to conclude with the praise of woman, the audience join their acclamations in the fame ftrain, and the roofs refound with the praise of woman. He ceas'd-the roofs refounded with applaufe; And woman, charming woman, won the cause.' We wish that Mr. Woty would avoid the low double entendre, and pun, which are difgraceful to poetry, and strong marks of a vitiated tafte. Many inftances of punning are to be met with in this poem. • Profeffors-who Are, by degrees, entitled to degrees? • What groves, ye grovekings, do ye deign to tread? Woman he fays, is, • In fondness equal to the fawning fawn." Darius, in the following infipid line, feems to fink from a king to a lap-dog: the third young orator, speaking of Darius, and his mistress, Apame, fays, Even now the pats him with her barmless hand.' VII. Poems, and Tranflations by a young Gentleman of Oxford. 4to. THIS Pr. 25. Robinson and Roberts. "HIS pamphlet contains lively description, virtuous fentiment, and harmonious verse. The author's imitation of the last Chorus of the second act of Troades is extremely animated, and much fuperior to the original. The changeable and tranfient life of man is forcibly ex hibited in the following beautiful lines: As round the fun the fplendent planets roll, "Till at the northern blast the shadows fly, His pleasures tranfient, and his life a span : Is doon'd to bloffom, and is doom'd to fade.' There are in this Chorus fome philofophical principles on the love of life, and the fear of death, which, on account of their own importance, and the elegant drefs with which they are cloathed, deferve to be tranfcribed. Whenever they are heartily adopted, they certainly preclude much imaginary diftrefs though they cannot well be reduced to practice without two auxiliaries, which one man can feldom boast, an easy, happy constitution, and a mind free from prejudice. No real joys from wealth or fortune flow, Why thou'd we fhudder at this final blow, Which fooths each care, and drowns the voice of woe? His Elegy is very flowing and tender; we shall extract a fpecimen from it. How vain the pageantry of worldly things! And what is grandeur but an empty name? Thus |