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on the dawning of my hopes,

is defcends!

metaphor is juft, but, by not being continued ree, there is an impropriety in fuppofing a obedient as the pupil of the hand which

-And SOMERSET

why Scyon, rais'd by princely care,

of your hand, thus kneels obedient--

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Le expreffions are trite, as " hafte to fecure the fome fome are trival, as "Go to. Although fo often made ufe of it, by reafon it was in his ar expreffion; it now being defervedly obfolete, infignificant, we think it trifling in a modern race his works with it; efpecially a tragedy like . OF SOMERSET which has more beauties than

W:

n: a Poem, on the Death of Lord Lyttleton. Infcribed Right Honourable the Earl of Abingdon, 4to. IS. ge.

reading the advertisement prefixed to this poem, we n infinuation that indicates the utmost malice, unless it orthorised by fome greater certainty than mere fufpicion. that Lord Littleton was privately poifoned, by thofe,, ase faid to have dreaded his longer exiftence, as he have put a period to theirs.

Poem itself has that infipidity of defign, thought, vention, that we think it paying it too great a compliby extracting the following,

"My country, oh! my bleeding country fee!

'Tis the implores a fhort reprieve for me;
Ruin hangs hov'ring o'er her drooping head,
Her fons are ftruck with universal dread :
I feel, I feel fair freedom's fpirit glow,
And confcience warns me to avert the blow.

Too

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In regard to the paffions, notwithstanding they want more heightening of expreffion, they are natural to the characters, excepting Overbury in exclaiming.

"Oh, that the gathering ftorm would burst betimes
And crush my greater fears!"

This betray of fear does not accord with that nobleness of foul we fuppofe him to have poffeffed.

The fentiments are most just and beautiful, as may be perceived in the following extracts,

"Not fo, Sir William!

Serv'd I them once!--But 'tis ftill thus

When rifing how they cringe, and court your fervice!
Let but smallest difference with their lord
Slacken the cement of self-founded love,
Down finks their rotten flattery and zeal,
Like a loose fabrick, tumbling to it's bafe!
Forth on the ruins fpring the selfish tribe,
Contending each the merit to deprefs you;
As-like the phoenix---from you afhes fprung
To light and life, they gloried in your fall!
Oh! 'tis their NATURE's vice! and thence it seems,
They knew of my diftrefs."

"How just th' alarm,

When faith betrays to ruin, friendship yields
To female machination ;---If 'tis thus---
Bethink SEDUCTRESS, and mifguided lord!
How fhort-liv'd is the glare of fancied joys,
That feem to fhine upon you! whofe attainment,
Purchas'd by foul DISHONOUR,
melts away,
And finks like drofs before the proving blaze,
As tranfient as impure-founded on vice,
Weak is their bafis, great will be their fall;
And, if I err not, fudden!"

The language would have been more elegant, had it been lefs affected. Inverfion does not fuit the dialogue of tragedy as it does the narration of epic poetry. It fhould be, therefore, as fparingly used as poffible. As our author feems to have had Shakespeare often in view, we wonder he did not. imitate that fimple elegance of diction which conftitutes one of his numberlefs excellencies.

One great fource of bombaft is, when the language is too artful for the paffion. One author has fometimes feared to this error. For instance;

"Even fo---or on the dawning of my hopes,
The SUN of blifs defcends!

The following metaphor is juft, but, by not being continued through the fentence, there is an impropriety in fuppofing a Scyon to kneel obedient as the pupil of the hand which

raised it.

And SOMERSET

The lowly Scyon, rais'd by princely care,

The pupil of your hand, thus kneels obedient--

Some of the expreffions are trite, as "hafte to fecure the means." And fome fome are trival, as "Go to." Although Shakespeare so often made use of it, by reason it was in his day a familiar expreffion; it now being defervedly obfolete, and in itself fo infignificant, we think it trifling in a modern author to disgrace his works with it; efpecially a tragedy like the EARL OF SOMERSET which has more beauties than defects.

W:

The Vifion: a Poem, on the Death of Lord Lyttleton. Infcribed to the Right Honourable the Earl of Abingdon, 4to. Is. Millidge.

In reading the advertisement prefixed to this poem, we find an infinuation that indicates the utmoft malice, unless it were authorised by fome greater certainty than mere fufpicion. It is that Lord Littleton was privately poifoned by thofe, who are faid to have dreaded his longer exiftence, as he might have put a period to theirs.

The Poem itself has that infipidity of defign, thought, and invention, that we think it paying it too great a compliment by extracting the following,

66

My country, oh! my bleeding country fee!
'Tis the implores a fhort reprieve for me;
Ruin hangs hov'ring o'er her drooping head,
Her fons are ftruck with univerfal dread:
I feel, I feel fair freedom's fpirit glow,
And confcience warns me to avert the blow.

Too

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Too late I fee the caufe, why time is giv'n?
Its worth below, and rich reward in heav'n ; -
If us'd in virtue, and my country's caufe,
Which groans beneath oppreffion's favage laws.
Long has my breaft indignant felt her woes,
Yet wanted pow'r their fources to disclose;
But now, my foul determin'd, fcorns the train,
Who with infernal fcourge o'er England reign;
This voice fhall all her fecret foes proclaim,
And wake in British breafts a raging flame;
Whofe blaze to their aftonifh'd fight fhall fhew,
Crimes which not royal roofs fhall hide from viewa
No more fhall freedom's fons my name revile,
As bafely bafking in a tyrant's smile;
Shall I in filence fee her iflands fold,
Her beft blood barter'd for infernal gold;
Her liberties deftroy'd, her commerce fled,
And all her conquefts in oblivion led?
Shall I know this, and lend my voice or hand,
To ftrengthen or to screen an impious band -
Of villains, traitors, who for pow'r or gain,
Brand with foul infamy a Brunfwick's reign
Forbid it, heav'n! and by my father's fhade,
The foul of Lyttelton fhall be displayed;
Oh! fpare me then, 'till the great deed is done,
A deed which fhall for all my crimes atone;
But if on high the fatal mandate's past,

Of each fond wifh---fave England! be my laft."

!

Answers to Correspondents.

If OXONIENSIS will take the trouble to perufe the latest editions of the work in queftion, he will find that we have not mifconceived the author,

Our other Correfpondents, we hope, will not deem us neglectful of their favours if we defer either inferting or answer ing their letters till next month.

THE

LONDON REVIEW,

FOR MARCH 1780.

1

Lectures on the univerfal Principles and Duties of Religion and Morality. As they have been read in Margaret-Street, Cavendifh Square, in the Years 1776 and 1777. By the Rev. David Williams, 2 vols. 4to. 11. 1s. boards. Dodfley.

[Concluded from page 88.]

Were we to trace Mr. Williams through all his erroneous mazes, we should be engaged in a tedious employment. For every lecture abounds with errors. But to do him juftice we must confefs, that this performance is interspersed with many beautiful and ftriking paffages.-As a moralift Our author is poffeffed with spirit and ingenuity; but these, though excellencies, are not fufficient to counterbalance his errors, fome of which are of the greatest magnitude.

The fubjects treated on in the volumes before us are the following:

"Public Worship, 1-Wisdom, Part I. 13-Wisdom, Part II. 23-Knowledge of the Deity, Part I. 34-Knowledge of the Deity, Part. II. 45-On the Creation, 58-The Merit of believing, 71-The Fear of God, 82-Univerfal Religion, 91Univerfal Toleration, Part I. 101-Univerfal Toleration, Part II. 11 Nature and Effect of Prayer, 124-Origin and Nature of Piety, 137-Moral Wisdom, 149-The Nature of Virtue, 160 -Virtuous Satisfaction, 172-Origin and Nature of Truth, 182 -The Principle of Confcience, Part I, 193-The Principle of Confcience, Part II. 204-The Principle of Confcience, Part III. 218-Truth, 227..

"Honesty, 1-Juftice according to Nature, Part I. 14-Juf tice according to Nature, Part. II. 25-Humanity, Part I. 34Humanity, Part II. 42-Humanity, Part III. 51-Humanity, Part IV. 63-Beneficence, Part I. 72-Beneficence, Part II. 80 -Beneficence, Part III. 89-Beneficence, Part IV. 99-MoVOL. XI.

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