From that dated hour, Of his new creatures, And gave the word, Be fruitful. To fuch degree man's teeming race The numerous inhabitants were fain And make themfelves new fettlements. As countries grew populous, But hardly make the earth Confefs her treafures. Those who defire a more intimate acquaintance with this Poem, are referred to the work itself; containing twenty fuch ftanzas as the above-quoted. K-n-k Art. 14. An Ode to the Right Hon. the Marchioness of Granby, in the Year 1758. 4to. Is. Newbery. A very high, tho' not a very fublime, performance. It abundantly be praifes the Marquis of Granby; who, in return, we are afraid, will not be very ready to re-pay his Panegyritt in his own coin: but, perhaps, any other may be more acceptable. How much, in more fubftantial payment, our Bard may deferve, the Reader is left to determine from the following fpecimen. STANZA I. With awful port and carriage grand, British drums and fhouts refound: Still Wonder, her finger her ruby lip profing As flow, in order juft-the Heroes march'd along! B b But But when thy manly Soldier came, Conqueft mark his falchion's way." Art. 15. The TIMES. An Epifle to Flavian. 4to. Is. 6d. Pottinger. This Medley, which our Bard has chofen to chriften The Times, might, with equal propriety, have been called by any other name. His Picture of the Times, reprefents Times paft, as faithfully as it delineates the prefent; and will probably bear as just a resemblance to the future. It is, in truth, like one of thofe fign poft Daubings, which may ferve as well for the Duke of Marlborough, as the King of Pruffia, or fome unborn General. Our Bard, by affecting ease, becomes flovenly like thofe fair Nymphs who, to avoid being formal, grow flatternly. His fentiments are, for the most part, trite, and his verfification flat and unharmonious; : we may here and there, however, perceive faint glimmerings of genius, which only contribute the more to expofe the poverty of the piece. An Author who neglects to improve natural talents, has, therefore, lefs title to indulgence. Nec rude quid poffit video Ingenium-But let the following fpecimens determine the Reader's judgment. In his epiftolary Addrefs to his friend, he perfuades him to quit rural retirement; and contrafts the follies of the country with thofe of the town. Speaking of the Paflions, he fays Yes! non exiftent, and from paffions free, Are much the fame. Without their impulfe, we, By his ufing would for fhould, one might fufpect our Poet to be a foreigner: yet, from his intimate acquaintance with our British Bard, we are induced to conclude him a native. That paffions, however, are the gales of life, and what effect they have on our conduct, Pope has already fung, with fuch fuperior ftrength of thought, and harmony of expreffion, that unlefs our Poet could have dreffed his borrowed fentiments in better array, than he found them, it would have been prudent in him, never to have adopted them. After fatirizing the follies of the Chace and the Turf, with other ruftic amufements, which have been frequently ridiculed with much more elegance and keennefs, our Bard proceeds to the follies of the town, and, among others, expofes that of Levee-hunting, which many, like him, we imagine, have defcribed from descriptions, withbut ever having been eye-witneffes to the scene. + Written by Cleland. Would Would you convince yourself how low can fall, Go to that Levee, where, with her own gold, We are afraid, however, that our Author is as forry a Politician aš he is an indifferent Poet, or he would have known, that our State Genius, as he petulantly chufes to call him, has made more frequent and fuccefsful advances for the honour and intereft of his country, than the most zealous Patriot could have expected. Our Bard concludes his poetical Farrage, with fome reflections on female follies. If Women would be taught to take and hold, Of Man, unconftant Man! is heard complain. For years had the fatigu'd each public place; But hate, and cold contempt worfe yet to bear. It is impoffible to endure this coarfe and infipid defcription of a Coquette, when we recollect the following lines of Pope, which our Bard has murdered by his imitation. "Fair to no purpose, artful to no end: Young without Lovers, old without a Friend," &c. In short, our Poet, at beft, only rifes to Mediocrity, which, in Poetry, as Horace fays, Non Homines, non Di, non conceffe e Columne. The following lines, with which we fhall clofe this article, are of the middling calt. Be apathy the boaft of Stoic Drones! Who vie for Senfeleness with ftocks and flones, bb 2 And And would have life refemble glacial feas Where all the veffels ice-bound lie and freeze. Senfelefinefs, however, includes fo many hifling letters, that we may venture to pronounce it a word-od Verfu dicere non eft. RELIGIOUS and CONTROVERSIAL. R-d Art. 16. A Warning to the World; or the Prophetical Numbers of Daniel and John calculated, in order to fhew the Time when the first Refurrection of the Martyrs, and the beginning of the Millennial Kingdom of Chrift will take Place, &c. By the Rev. Mr. Richard Clarke, late Minifter of St. Phillip's in Charles-Town, South-Carolina; and Author of the Effay on the Number 7*. 4to. Is. Townfend. * See our Appendix to the XXth Vol. of our Review, p. 611. Art. 17. Reafons wherefore Chriflians ought to worship God in Singing his Praifes; not with the Matter and Senfe of Dr. Watts's Palms and Hymns; but with the Matter and Senfe of David's Pfalms: Because God hath commanded the latter, but not the former. 8vo. 6d. Cooper. A weak and wrong-headed attempt to fet afide the use of Dr. Watts's Pfalms, &c. in Diffenting Congregations. What this namelefs Writer objects against Dr. Watts's book, is, for the most part, fuch wretched cavil and cant, that we shall not affront the fenfe and tafte of our Readers, (or run the hazard of impeaching our own) by taking any farther notice of this pamphlet. Art. 18. Sin deftroyed, and the Sinner faved: Or, Juftification by imputed Righteousness, a Doctrine fuperior to all other, for promoting Holiness of Life. Defigned as a Vindication of a Sermon, entitled, Encouragement for Sinners, or Righteoufnefs attainable without Works; from the Objections raifed against it by Academicus, in a Letter to the Author. With an introductory Epifile to the Governors of St. George's Hofpital, Hyde-Park-Corner. By the Rev. Richard Elliot, A. B. and late of Bennet-College, Cambridge. 8vo. 1s. Withers, &c. The great principle that runs through this wretched performance is, that the heart of fallen man can have no gadly diffofition in it; no Loly principle of action; and confequently, can bring forth no good fruit in the life and converfation, except it be divinely generated (the Author's own words) and produced there by the facred do Strine of juftification, without works, by the free grace of God, through faith in Chrit, well understood, and heartily believed. No man's obedience, according to this hopeful Divine, can be true, or his love to God finare, who makes his repentance, faith, and obedience, 5 1 obedience, the conditions of his acceptance with God, and the ground of his confidence. In a word, we are told, that a man may be eminently diftinguished for his knowledge, piety, morality, and works of charity, &c. and yet, after all, be damned. - A damnable doctrine this! In the introductory epiftle, Mr. Elliot tells us that he had lately the honor of being diimiffed from the Chaplainship of St Geore's Hofpital, for an obftinate adherence to the truth of the Gefpil, and - the doctrinal articles of the established Church. R Art. 19. Methodism Examined and Expofed: Or, the Clergy's Duty of guarding their Flocks against falfe Teachers. A Difcourfe lately delivered in four Parts. By the Reverend Mr. Downes, Rector of St. Michael, Wood-Street, and Lecturer of St. Mary-Le-Bow. 8vo. 1 s. 6d. Rivington. In the first part of this difcourfe, Mr. Dounes gives a fhort account of the rife and pedigree of the fet called Methodists, and · fhews that their notions coincide with many of the oldeft and rankest herefies that ever defiled the purity, and difturbed the peace of the Chriftian Church from its fit inftitution; particularly, thofe of the Siminians, the Gnoftics, the Valentinians, the Donatifts, the Predeftinarians, and Montanifls. In the fecond he fhews, by fome general remarks upon their doctrines, how flrangely they have corrupted the truth and purity of the Gofpel, and points out the feveral artifices they make ufe of, in order to fupport their opinions. In the third and fourth parts he confiders, wherein the Clergy's care confifts, in order to preferve themfelve, and their flocks from being led away by thofe deceitful workers, the Methodist-Preachers.- The whole is written in a sprightly and fenfible manner. R Art, 20. A Letter to the Monthly Reviewers, from the Author of Sophron. 8vo. 6d. Dilly. In this Letter the Author of Sophron, endeavours to vindicate his performance against the cenfure we paffed upon it, and delires us to re-confider the defign of his work, and to weigh the arguments with which he supports his notions. We have re-condered his work, and weighed his arguments, but find not the leaft realon to alter our opinion. R Art. 21. An Effay on the Divine Prefcience, and Man's FreeAgency. Delivered at a Conference, in which a celebrated Doctor in Divinity was Prefident, April 2, 1741. 8vo. 6d. Noon. We have in this short effay a few thoughts on a very abftrufe fubject, on which the Author, in our opinion, has thrown no new light. He has, indeed, rather multipled difficulties than removed them. That Man is a Free-Agent he endeavours, very briefly, to prove, from the difpenfation he is placed under, and the fanctions of Bb 3 the |