Jin preceding, the ftudent may fee how the law ftood at fucceffive periods, may perceive wherein it was ineffectual, and, by attending to the progreffive alterations and amendments which have been made, he will be more eafily led to the true meaning and defign of the acts under his confideration. The Editor enumerates feveral other advantages which recommend this edition, in preference to any preceding one, to the notice of the public. But for thefe we must refer the Reader to the work itself. With regard to the tranflation he remarks, that "it has been obferved by Mr. Serjeant Hawkins, that the old tranflation hath obtained a kind of prefcriptive authority: and," he adds, "that it is eafy for the Reader to correct the mistakes in it, by the help of the original." But, with deference (continues he) to the Serjeant's opinion in this refpect, it must be obferved, that the tranflation is intended for the benefit of those who are not qualified to refort to the original. For this reafon, the prefent Editor hath taken upon him to correct fuch mistakes as were moft obvious in the old tranflation, and to make it. throughout more conformable to the original. In the early Atatutes, he observes, the errors of the verfion are exceedingly numerous, more particularly in the ftatute de officio coronatoris; and that, in many others, there are frequent and very material miftakes. As he thinks, nevertheless, very modeftly, that it might be deemed prefumption in him to alter the old tranflation in the text, he hath printed it, as it ftands in former editions, and has lerted the propofed amendment in the margin; whereby the learned Reader, fays he, will be able to determine for himself, and may either adopt or reject the marginal alteration, as his better judgment shall direct him. In a collection of this extent and importance, a perfpicuous and correct table is, doubtless, one of the most effential requifites; the Editor propofes, therefore, to make a new table or index, alphabetically arranged, in which he promises, that many general heads, omitted in former editions, fhall be fupplied, and that many particular articles likewife will be added, which are not taken notice of, under the general heads inferted in prior editions; the whole being arranged with fuch order and perfpicuity, that the Reader may be enabled to find all the laws at one view, on whatever fubject he may have occafion to turn his attention. Such is the Editor's defign; in the execution of which, if we may judge from that appearance of great knowledge and affiduity which is difplayed in the prefent volume, there will be ; wanting wanting neither induftry nor abilities, both which are undoubtedly requifite, and that in an eminent degree, to the completion of fo laborious and comprehenfive an undertaking. K-n-k Elvira; a Tragedy. Acted at the Theatre-Royal in Drury-Lane, 8vo. Is. 6d. Millar. A LTHOUGH Mr. Mallet, the Author of this tragedy, has, in his dedication of it to Lord Bute, disclaimed its bearing any immediate relation to public affairs, yet we cannot but think it is too particularly well-timed to have been merely the effect of accidental coincidence. Our connexion with Portugal, where the scene of this tragedy lies; the favourable light in which the court of Lifbon is here placed to cur view; but above all, the pacific fentiments, the idea of a monarch who places his glory, not in that military fpirit which operates to the deftruction of mankind, but in cultivating the arts of peace; are all circumstances which unite to ftamp this play with the character of a political performance. It is, however, not altogether a new work. The custom of building superstructures upon foundations laid by foreign, and particularly by French writers, appears now to be fo thoroughly eftablished with our dramatic poets, that the best of them do not disdain to adopt the practice; which we are forry for, as it feems to acknowledge our want of genius to produce originals of our own. But as borrowing is lefs fcandalous than stealing, our theatrical brokers, who trade fo largely on the capital of others, have always the grace to acknowlege their obligations to their princi-pals. Thus Mr. Mallet, in a poftfcript to the printed copies of this play, fairly owns the ufe he has made of Mr. de la Motte's tragedy, founded on the fame melancholy event; for the particulars of which, as well as for many of the poetical embellishments, both the French and English bard are originally indebted to that excellent poem, the Lufiad of Camoëns. The story was, without doubt, a very proper one for the bafis of a tragedy; and not the lefs adapted for that purpose, by having its foundation in historical truth. The incidents, as they are found in Mr. Mallet's performance, are fimple, natural, and affecting, and arife out of one another with very little intervention of art in the decorations furnished by the poet. In refpect to the language, this piece is at leaft equal to any of our late tragedies; few of which, indeed, have rifen to excellence, but ftill fewer have funk below mediocrity. The prologue is a very good one; and the epilogue, written by Mr. Garrick, like moft F 2 of of that gentleman's performances of this kind, (in which, we queftion if any man living can excel him) is replete with genuine wit and humour. In the following lines he exquifitely expofes 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 perfons, on other occafions: A fingle critic will not frown, look big, But crouded here they change, and 'tis not odd, My friend my dear-fincerely yours-Adieu! But when at routs, the dear friends change their tone 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 reprefentations of human nature, in almost all the infinite variety of her different characters and appearances. G 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 enemy, on account of his being a Scotchman, has here moft invidiously 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 thefe curious ftrictures, may be justly inferred from their Author's infifting fo ftrenuoufly 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 utmost confequence to the "World of Letters," yet, if we are not mistaken in Mr. Mallet, we may venture to anfwer for him, that he will never precontest it again the opinion of three fuch infallible two-gentlemen above-mentioned, and the profound es; whom, after all, we cannot but look elites than honefty, as the want of 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 fhall have it entire; and the rather, as it may terve as an inftance of the high price to which poetry has rifen, through the feverity of the feafon. • We must do the Publisher the justice to acknowlege, that be has given with it about twenty lines of Herace's Latin, and (as a Motto) four lines of Pope's Erglish. F 3 She Yon op'ning Rofe, fecure from blight, While faplefs wood but makes a blaze, Art. 2. Three Hundred Hymns. By Thomas Spooner, Minister of the Gospel. 12mo. 3s. Dilly. It is well for many of our modern Fanatics, that fome diftinction is made, in the conftruction of our laws, between actual and intended blafphemy: we should elfe expect to fee fuch Minifters of the Gospel as Mr. Spooner, committed to Newgate, and fet in the pillory, for ridiculing the facred doctrines contained in the holy Scriptures, by fcandalous and contemptible paraphrases. That illiterate Mechanics fhould fometimes be hurried, by an overheated imagination, into fuch irreverend absurdities, we do not wonder; but that a man, who quotes Latin, Greek, and Hebrew, and may be fuppofed 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 last piece in this collection, entitled the Pafchal Lambs; wherein their fimilitude to Chrift is thus reprefented. The pafchal lambs of ancient Jews, As the infpired volume fhews, For facrificing to prepare: So three prophetic days or years, The lambs on day the fourth were flain: So Jefus did for us obtain, In the fourth year Redemption high, |