have about an hundred thousand new fubjects, all Roman catholics, enthufiaftic, bigotted, and fuperftitious, in proportion to their ignorance. This, undoubtedly, is a circumhance that the Administration will duly attend to; as popifh Priests in general, are too well known to be much trusted by Proteftants; especially thofe Priests who, as our Author juftly remarks, have not only corrupted the native honeft fimplicity of the Indians, but added the horrors of French Christianity to the barbarifm of Savages.

As to the main queftion concerning the Reduction of our Forces, and the number expedient to be kept up in time of peace, it is not debated in this little pamphlet; in which the Author is rather intent upon ridiculing the timidity of thofe who are afraid of a standing army; and on vindicating our military Gentlemen from the afperfions of popular Declaimers, who reprefent them as enemies to civil liberty,―as the ready inftruments of tyranny and oppreflion.

Art. 7. A Letter from a Gentleman in Town, to his Friend in the Country, occafioned by a late Refignation. 4to. 6d. Becket, &c.

This is one of the most fhameless Advocates who have yet appeared on behalf of the late Minifter. He prefages that "fome hard-ruled King will one day arife, and more than revenge the wrongs of his predeceffor." We are not among those who are terrified by this prediction; and we will venture in our turn to foretel, that whenever such a King comes, he will find a hard-mouthed people. Among other merits which he afcribes to the late Minifter, he tell us, "He has retired without place or penfion, difdaining to touch those tempting spoils which lay at his feet." Who but the most flagrant Zealot could prefume to make a merit of this circumstance ? What pretence could the Minifter of a day, make to a place or penfion on his retirement from such a shortlived administration? Away with fuch impudent infults on the understanding of a free and intelligent people! R-d

Art. 8. Le Montagnard Parvenu; or the new Highland Adventurer in England: His accidental Rife from Obfcurity; his glaring Progress to Power; the Ways and Means. 8vo. I S. Morgan.

The Author rails at Lord Bute, and the Scots, with fome spirit; but it is the fpirit of billingfgate. He is a harth, uncandid, and indelicate Writer: if it be not too great a compliment to style him a Writer. Poor Scotland! how unfortunate art thou in having produced a B-! Poor B-! how unhappy art thou in being a Scotfman!

Art. 9. A Definitive Treaty of Peace and Friendship, between his Britannic Majefly, the moft Chriftian King, and the King of Spain. Concluded at Paris the 10th of February, 1763. To which the King of Portugal acceded the fame Day. 4to. 2s. Owen and Harrifon.

A fubject of difcord.

Art.

Art. 10. A Letter to the Right Hon. the Earl of Halifax, on the Peace. 8vo. Is. Newbery.

Moft plentifully lauds and praifes the Earls of Halifax and Bute: his Majelty too, coming in for a royal fhare of adulation.

To what purpofe thefe effufions of flattery are fo abundantly poured forth, may easily be gueffed. But is not this a mean unmanly way of foliciting a great man's favour? In general we may obferve, that did the great man poflefs but half the genuine worth and virtue with which his Flatterers are pleafed to compliment him, his delicacy wou'd never bear with fuch fulfome daubing.

If fatires and libels are deemed an abuse of the prefs, we think these flavish, fawning productions are still more intolerable.

Some Rakes and Libertines are moft fond of preying on beauty and innocence; and fo it is with thefe diabolical Corruptors of the mind, who often endeavour to debauch the most amiable and worthy characters. It is true, their manner is generally fo grofs, and their selfish views are fo obvious, that shallow, indeed, one would think, must be the penetration of those who are duped by them. But, nothing fo credulous as felf-love.

POETICA L.

Art. 11. Every Man the Architect of his own Fortune: Or, the Art of Rifing in the Church, a Satire.. By Mr. Scott, Fellow of Trinity College in Cambridge. 4to. is. Dodfley, &c. "The plan of this poem, fays the Author, confifts of two oppofite characters; one, that of a base, venal, time-ferving Scoundrel, who would defb through thick and thin, to come at preferment; the other, that of a worthy confcientious, honelt man, who cannot pull down his thoughts to the wicked, dirty, peiting bufin fles of life."Very good! though, to be fure, not very elegantly expreffed.

The worthy, confcientious, honeft man here fpoken of, is the Author himself, of whom we are obliged with the following favourable por

trait:

No fly Fanatic, no Enthufiaft wild,

No Party-tool beguiling and beguil'd ;

No flave to pride, no canting pimp to power,
No rigid churchman, no diffenter four,
No fawning flatterer to the bafe and vain,
No timist vile, or worshipper of gain;
When gay not diffolute, grave not fevere,
Tho' learn'd no pedant, civil tho' fincere ;
Nor mean nor baughty, be one Preacher's praise,
That-if he rife, he rife by manly ways:
Yes, he abhors each fordid, felfish view,

And dreads the paths your men of art pursue.

But who are thofe Scoundrels, who dash through thick and thin to preferment? Why, thofe are any, or all of the Clergy befide, except the Author's father, who, he tells us, dignifies the gown.-We are really forry to fee a young man, of no mean parts, fo entirely possessed with the cecus amor fui, as this Writer feems to be, in almost all his works. Y 3

Sorry

Sorry we are likewife, that he ftands not in more credit for his confiftency than for his modefty; fince, at the fame time that he has taken upon him to abuse his brethren for their temporizing arts, and unmanly flattery, he has caft about to compliment the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Earl of Bute. And it is remarkable enough, that this very Mr. Scott feems to have gone out of his way, a patron-hunting, in almost every poem that he has published.

As to the piece before us, it is a feeble imitation of Pope, brightened up a little in fome parts, with fcraps of fentiment, and half lines parodied or picked out of the originial. Unus et alter affuitur Pannus.

L. Art. 12. The Temple of Venus, a gentle Satire on the Times. By the Author of the Meretriciad. 4to. Is. Moran.

A dull dirty rhapfody. "Fruits of false heat, and footerkins of

wit."

L..

Art. 13. Poems on facred Subjects, viz. the Benedicite paraphrased, the Lord's Prayer paraphrafed, Nunc dimittis paraphrafed, Balaam's Bleffing on Ifrael, Numbers xxiv. v. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. A Hymn, the Trials of Virtue, the Ignorance of Man, Verses written originally in Perfic, Matthew xi. 28. Come unto me all. ye that labour, &c. By James Merrick, M. A. Fellow of Trinity College, Oxford. 4to. Is. Dodfley.

The intention of these poems is good, and the execution is tolerable. น.

Art. 14. The Foundlings, an Elegy. 4to. 6d. Flexney.

Scriptorum Chorus omnis amat Nemus et fugit urbem. This Foundlingman locks the door of his garret, as foon as he feels the mufe coming upon him, flies down five pair of stairs, and runs with fuch prodigious hafte out of town, that when he gets into the fields, he is quite out of breath:

Far from the madding tumults of the town,

Which where bright thought should reign ufurp the feat;

Far from those tempests which reflection drown,

I feek with breathlefs bafle a calm retreat.

As foon as he is arrived at this calm retreat, down he lies, fupine upon a mofs-grown bank, where Phoebus himself durft not fhew his face, except when conducted by the matter of the ceremonies, Mr. Breeze: There on fome mofs-grown bank fupinely laid,

Where clofe entwining boughs exclude the day;
Save when by quick fhort fits amid the glade,
Soi feebly darts a breeze-conducted ray.

Sol, however, is not the only impertinent intruder. Mrs. Luna, proud of her filver fpangled pettycoat, makes her appearance, and, like another Lady ***, brings a whole train along with her. Nay, the raifes fpecies and devils and all, enough to fright an innocent Bard out of his wits:

Or

Or when the filver-mantle Queen of night,
In filent pomp leads forth her fhining train;
When fancy'd fpestres guilt-ftruck minds affright,
Then wakeful stretch'd along the defart-plain.

But ample amends are made him by the enjoyment of Lady Lonely Conten plation, who acted as midwife at the birth of Mrs. Science. The heavenly fweets of this Lady it seems, unlike thofe of other Ladies, newer cloyed our vigorous Bard in the leaft:

Thee, lonely Contemplation, to enjoy,

To whom fair Science owes her humble birth;

Thy heavenly fweets to tafte, which ne'er can cloy,
And rapture-borne range far above the earth.

That confounded noife which drove him fo precipitately out of town, is now fo dwindled away, that it has fcarce more effect upon the air than the found of St. Paul's clock upon Windfor terrace :

Now the hoarfe murmurs of the diftant throng
Subfiding, faintly strike the diftant ais;

And that rude din which erft impell'd fo ftrong,

Now scarcely undulates the whispering air.

Now it is that lonely Contemplation begins to work, and the poor town pays for it; a fad fcene, a giddy fcene of wretched grandeur and glittering woe; over which a black cloud is fufpended, like Sancho Pancha hanging by his breeches from the oak:

Here let me rest hence view with thought ferene,

Thofe realms of wretched grandeur, glittering woe;

A fable cloud o'erhangs the giddy fcene,

And sheds dark influence on each mind below.

It is not long, however, before he discovers a chimney on fire, in a houfe that was built by Mr. Virtue, an ingenious Defigner; and the light ftreaming from thence is a great confolation to him. The name of the mistress of this houfe was Charity, and the maid's name Inno

cence.

But fee-pure glory ftreams along the plain,

From yon bleft pile which Virtue's hand did raise;
Where Charity extends her welcome reign,

And Innocence her tender rule obeys.

In the yard belonging to this houfe were two large maftiff bitches, called Cruelty and Neceffity, that wanted to devour a number of poor children, who were fcreaming out to Heaven, in the apartments :

From Cruelty's enfanguin'd jaw fecure,

Whofe rage too oft Neceffity commands;
There rett the helplefs offspring of the poor,

Thence lift to Heaven their aid imploring hands.

These fame children being fnatched from the root from whence their existence rofe, as links broken from the long chain of nature, are like faplings which the tempeft blows down from an oak, and scatters abroad, till the west wind drives 'em into a fnug corner; where they foon forget to mourn, and are ready to burft with gratitude.

ear

Snatch'd from the fource whence their existence rose,
(Links broke abrupt from nature's lengthen'd chain)
Like tender faplings which fome tempeft blows,
Torn from their oak, and scatters on the plain.
Till on the Zephyr's friendly bofom borne,
Into fome fhelter'd covert of the grove;
Where taking root they foon forget to mourn,
And seem to burst with gratitude and love.

Anne fatis eft, Lector? fi plus velis, cape Libellum.

น.

Art. 15. Matthæi Prioris Alma Libri tres Latino verfu donati Opera et ftudio Thomæ Martin, A. B. &c. 8vo. I S. Hawes, &c.

Had Prior's Alma been originally written in Latin verse, a good reafon might have been given for tranflating it into English; but why Mr. Martin has given himfelf the trouble to turn it out of a living language into a dead one, we cannot so easily conceive. If he did it in order to embellish Prior's thoughts, by the fuperiority of claffical expreffion, we doubt he has mifcarried in his design.

Ն Art. 16. The late Adminiftration epitomised; an Epifile to the Right Hon. William Pitt, Efq; 4to. IS. Bathoe.

Worfe, a thousand times worfe, if poffible, than the Bell-man's verfes.

Art. 17. A Song to David. By Chriftopher Smart, M. A. 4to. Is. Fletcher.

From the fufferings of this ingenious Gentleman, we could not but expect the performance before us to be greatly irregular; but we shall certainly charaerife it more juftly, if we call it irregularly great. There is a grandeur, a majefty of thought, not without a happiness of expreffion in the following itanzas.

Sublime-invention ever young,

Of vaft conception, tow'ring tongue,
To God th' eternal theme;

Notes from yon exaltations caught,
Unrival'd royalty of thought,

O'er meaner ftrains fupreme.

His mufe, bright angel of his verse,
Gives balm for all the thorns that pierce,
For all the pangs that rage;

Ele light fill gaining on the gloom,
The more than Michael of his bloom,
Th' Abifhag of his age.

He fung of God, the mighty fource
Of all things, the ftupendous force

On which all ftrength depends;

From