princes of the Afmodean race, beginning with Ariftobulus, (who is faid by Jofephus to have been the firft who wore the diadem, with his brother Antigonus) and ending with Mariamne, who was married to Herod for when that cruel tyrant had put her and her two fons, together with their uncle Áriftobulus, to death, that race became extinct. The literal accomplishment of this Prophecy, in connection with a judicious abftract of the history which evidently correfponds with the prediction, we recommend to the ftricteft examination both of the friends and enemies of Chriftianity; who, we apprehend, will alfo perceive with what cogent evidence. the Doctor hath invalidated and refuted the different interpretations which Tarnovius, Grotius, and Calmet, have given of the place. The difference between Dr. Sharpe's interpretation and that by Grotius, is, that the former is a literal tranflation of the original, giving the proper and most obvious fenfe of the words, confiftent with the context, and confirmed by events. The other is not a tranflation, but a paraphrafe, in which almost every word is wrefted from its true fenfe and proper application, to figurative and improper purposes. The rules of language are not obferved, the context is difregarded, and the hiftory of events confounded. We therefore cannot but affent to the Doctor's conclufion, that this oracle is applicable to Jefus Chrift, and to him ONLY. [To be concluded in our next.]

F

The Ghoft. By C. Churchill. 4to. 2s. Flexney.

TH

HE ingenious Author of the Rofciad hath here taken the opportunity, afforded him by a late abfurd impofture, to indulge his fatyric vein, by rallying the credulity of the town, and particularly of fome well-known characters, on that ridiculous occafion. He gives a humorous sketch of the hiftory of Superftition and Credulity, which he deduces from the Chaldeans, tracing it through Egypt, Greece, and Rome, to this island.

ENGLAND, a happy land we know,
Where Follies naturally grow,
Where without culture they arise,
And tow'r above the common fize;
ENGLAND, a fortune telling hoft,
As num'rous as the ftars could boat,
MATRONS, who tofs the Cup, and fee
The grounds of Fate in grounds of Tea,

Who

Who vers'd in ev'ry modest lore,
Can a loft Maidenhead reftore,
Or, if their Pupils rather chuse it,
Can fhew the readiest way to lose it ;
GYPSIES, who ev'ry ill can cure,
Except the ill of being poor,

Who charms 'gainst Love and Agues fell,
Who can in Henrooft fet a fpell,
Prepar'd by arts, to them belt known,
To catch all feet except their own,
Who as to Fortune can unlock it,
As easily as pick a pocket;

SCOTCHMEN, who in their Country's right
Poffefs the gift of fecond fight,

Who (when their barren heaths they quit
Sure argument of prudent wit,
Which reputation to maintain,
They never venture back again)
By lies prophetic heap up riches,
And boast the luxury of breeches.

The Satyrift particularizes the famous Duncan Campbell, and ludicrously describes many others, wko,

Seated in Garret, for you know,

The nearer to the stars we go,
The greater we esteem his art,

Fools curious flock'd from ev'ry part.

The Rich, the Poor, the Maid, the Married,

And those who could not walk, were carried.

The BUTLER, hanging down his head,

By Chamber-Maid or Cook-Maid led,
Enquires, if from his friend the Moon,

He has advice of pilfer'd spoon.

THE COURT-BRED WOMAN OF CONDITION,

Who, to approve her difpofition,

As much fuperior, as her birth,

To thofe compos'd of common earth,

With double fpirit muft engage

In ev'ry folly of the age)

The honourable arts would buy,

To pack the Cards, and cog a Die.

The PARSON too (for now and then,
PARSONS are just like other men,
And here and there a grave DivINE
Has Paffions fuch as yours and mine)
Burning with holy luft to know
When FATE Preferment will bestow,

'Fraid of detection, not of fin,
With circumfpection fheaking in,
To Conj rer, as he does to bore,
Thro' fome bye Alley, or Back-door,
With the fame caution, Orthodox,
Confults the Stars, and gets a Pox.

The art of Fortune-telling, in time, however, growing out

of reputation,

When the prudent Laws thought fit

To curb this infolence of Wit;

When Senates wifely had provided,
Decreed, enacted, and decided,

That no fuch vile and upstart elves

Should have more knowlege than themselves;—
Affrighted SAGES were perforce,

Oblig'd to fteer fome other course.

By various ways thefe Sons of Chance
Their Fortunes labour'd to advance,
Well knowing, by unerring rules,

KNAVES ftarve not in the Land of Fools.

The arts they took up in confequence of being obliged to quit their old one, are humorously enumerated; the Poet afcribing to this revolution, our many felf-made Physicians, Critics, Magazine-Writers, Journalists, and the various impoftures that have for many years come in to their assistance. With refpect to that impofture which gave immediate occafion to this Poem, he is not more ludicrous in relating its circumstances, than severe in defcribing fome of the moft diftinguished perfonages that played the principal parts in the farce. A third book, however, is promised, by which the general defign of the work may perhaps farther appear. In the mean time we fhall close this article with the following fenfible lines: Whilft, in contempt of all our pains,

The Tyrant SUPERSTITION reigns
Imperious in the heart of man,

And warps his thoughts from Nature's plan;

Whilft fond CREDULITY, who ne'er

The weight of wholesome doubts could bear,

To Reafon and herself unjust,

Takes all things blindly up on trust;

Whilft CURIOSITY, whofe rage

No mercy fhews to Sex or Age,
Must be indulg'd at the expence
Of Judgment, Truth, and Common Senfe;
Impostures cannot but prevail,
And when old Miracles grow ftale,
JUGGLERS will still the art purfue,
And entertain the world with New.

K

The

The British Lion rous'd: Or, Acts of the British Worthies. A Poem, in nine Books. By James Ogden. 8vo. 5s. Printed at Manchester.

T was the cuftom of a late celebrated Protestant Divine, to include in his public prayer, a clause against the AntiChristian Church of Rome; and one day it chanced that, by a lapfus lingua, he prayed for our deliverance from the errors. and delufions of Poetry. * He immediately perceived and corrected his mistake; but had he been a Reviewer, and obferved fo many poor fouls as we have feen poffeffed by the raging Dæmon of Rhyme, he might have let the petition ftand-lefler evils having often been the subject of many a circumftantially pious addrefs to Heaven.

It is a fad thing, courteous Reader! to be bitten by a mad Poet; for though the flaver be not mortal, it produces me-lancholy effects. When this misfortune happens to honeft pains-taking people, what a change is wrought in them! how do they difdain their lawful callings, fet at nought the good opinion of their neighbours, and, vainly thinking to im→ mortalize their names, become univerfally ridiculous!

Ecce fignum! the unfortunate Author of the British Lion rous'd; bred, we are told, to the laudable occupation of Fuftianweaving: but, feized with this terrible malady, none but poetic fuftian weaves he now! And alas! fuch stuff does he manufacture, that it is matter of astonishment to many how he could think of bringing fuch goods to market! 'Tis true he has had great encouragement for the first produce of his jingling-loom; having, we cannot conceive by what means, procured a very confiderable number of fubfcribers for it. But this, instead of curing, will only serve to increase his diforder; so that his friends may write over his door, as in the time of the plague, MISERICORDIA! If, however, the fymptoms of his malady ftill continue, and he should chance to get another fet of fubfcribers as far gone as himself, the L have mercy on the poor man indeed!—for, after all, as it is probable that this is far from being the best kind of fuftian that has paffed through his hands, it may be apprehended, that, on the whole, he will not find it turn to the most valuable account.

This Rhyme-weaver feems to have taken it into his head to verfify all the news-paper accounts relating to the prefent

Meaning Popery.

war

war with France, in order to turn them into an Heroic Poem. His exordium fets forth, that he fings

Great-Britain's Worthies, an illustrious train,

Who prop the throne in George the Second's reign.

Thefe illuftrious props he celebrates, from the breaking out of the war to the purfuit of the remains of Conflans' vanquished fleet into the river Vilaine; and if this Homer of the North car ries on the work till he lulls his lion to fleep again, he may have an opportunity of making them ferve to prop the throne of George the Third.

But our Lion-rouzer is not fo dreadfully hag-ridden by that witch of Endor who paffes herself upon him for a Muse, but that he can be a little comical now and then; perhaps rather more fo than is confiftent with Epic dignity. Thus, toward the conclufion of the Epifodical ftory, which the Pilot relates to General Wolfe and Admiral Bofcawen, when he comes to recite the rigors of the climate at Hudfon's Bay,

Here paus'd the Pilot, in his tale perplext;
Well, faid the Brigadier, what follows next?
Hold, I intreat you, cries the Admiral, hold,
Our liquor ftands-you hear the Climate's cold.
However glad to fee you entertain'd,

I'll get another bowl, let this be drain'd:

The Captain, just refresh'd and breath'd the while,
Then ends his tale—all nod, affent, and smile.

So will thy Readers nod, O James Ogden !-fo will thy subscribers smile as oft as they view their own names, ranged in fuch goodly order, in thy well-fill'd list;—and in return for the honour thou and thy performance have done them, may they, nemine contradicente, elect thee Poet-laureat of Lancafhire!

MONTHLY CATALOGUE, For APRIL, 1762.

POLITICA L.

Art. 1. An Anfwer to the Obfervations on the Papers relative to the Rupture with Spain. 8vo. 1 s. Hinxman.

This Writer fairly acknowleges his production to be the "work of a few hafty hours, and of a person whofe total unacquaintance with every measure and motive of Government, allows him no other lights than what muft neceffarily ftrike every one, whose political

curiofity