On the fubject of fashionable morality, the writer is parti eularly happy. "In obferving thas largely upon the religion of the fashionable. world, I have furnished, a fufficient clue to their moral character: if, from fome hints which have been thrown out in this and the preceding ch pter, rigid Christians fhould be led to infer that it is no better than it fhould be, they must be reminded, that people of fashion have a ftandard peculiar to themselves; and that therefore what are deviations from our standard, are very often near approximations to theirs. In fact, they have acted in this respect with the faine convenient policy by which they have been guided in framing every other part of their fyftem. Pleafure being the object upon which a life of tashion terminates, it was fagaciously enough foreseen, that an unbending morality would be utterly incompatible with the modes, and habits, and plans of fuch a career; there remained, therefore, no alternative but that of frittering away the ftrength and fubftance of the morality of the Gospel, till it became fufficiently tame and pliable for the sphere of accommodation in which it was to act. The confequence has been, that while they employ the fame terms to denote their moral ideas, as are in ufe among Chriftians in general, yet they limit or enlarge their fignification as expediency requires. Thus modefty, honefty, humanity, and fobriety-names, with ftricter moralifts, for the pureft virtues are fo modified and liberalized by fashionable cafuifts, as to be capable of an alliance with a low degree of every vice to which they ftand oppofed. A woman may expose her bofom, paint her face, affume a forward air, gaze without emotion, and laugh without reftraint at the looseft fcenes of theatrical licentioufnefs, and yet be after all-a modeft woman. A man may detain the money which he owes his tradesman, and contract new debts for oftentatious fuperfluities, while he has neither the means nor the inclination to pay his old ones, and yet be after all a very honest fellow. A woman of fashion may difturb the repose of her family every night, abandon her children to mercenary nurses, and keep her horfes and her fervants in the ftreets till day-break, without any impeachment of her humanity; fo the gentleman of fashion may fwallow his two or three bottles a-day, and do all his friends the kindness to lay them under the table as often as they dine with him; yet if constitution or habit fecure him againft the fame ignominious effects, he claims to be confidered a fober man. "There would be no end of going over all the eccentricities of fashionable morality. To thofe who exact that truth which allows of no duplicity, that honour which scorns all bafeness, and that virtue which wars with every vice, 1 queftion but every thing in the morals of this people would appear anomalous and extraordinary: but to those who confider how neceffary a certain portion of wickedness is to fuch a life of fenfe as these people mult neceffarily lead, it will not be matter of furprise that there fhould be fo little genuine morality among them: the wonder will rather be that there should be any at all." P.40. The The fpirit of the performance is admirably preferved throughout; and is not improbably given to the public by a hand which has before received marks of approbation and reward. However this may be, we have perufed it with great fatisfaction, and recommend it in the ftrongest terms to general attention. BRITISH CATALOGUE. POETRY. ART. 13. The Evils and Advantages of Genius contrafted, a poetical Effay in Three Cantos. By the Rev. William Tindal, A. M. F. S. A. 8vo. 53.pp. 15. 6d. Richardfon. 1803. "To A fhort Advertisement prefixed to this Poem contains, after fome little account of its origin, the following fingular caution. one thing in particular the author requests his readers will attend.-He is in no one inftance to be contidered as delineating his own character, or describing his own feelings. He is deftitute of the merits, as well as, happily, exempt from the misfortunes, of the clafs of beings he has here attempted to characterize. The whole must be regarded as the refult of a pretty close observation of a peculiar race of mortals, whom it has been his odd turn to venerate, but never his ambition to imitate." Notwithftanding this declaration, which is a prudent defence against the imputation of fetting up a claim, that might appear invidious, we fufpect that the author cannot wholly be exempted from the charge. His defcriptions often prove an intimacy with the feelings of genius, which cannot wholly be conjectural. His verfes alfo very frequently teftify against him. For example, take this general picture of the mind instinct with genius. "See yonder gorgeous cloud that fronts the weft; Where joy for ever dwells: where human woes But lo! the change. The orb of day, now funk, Shapele fa Shapelefs and dark: perhaps a magazine A cavern ftor'd with all that fancied woe In hideous, difproportion'd, pageantry." P. 6. One image, towards the clofe of the prefent pages, fhould infallibly be obliterated, in the reft there is much merit. The Poem is judicioufly infcribed to the patrons and fupporters of the LITERARY FUND, and another Canto is promifed fhould thefe fucceed. If our approbation or recommendation could effect it, the Poem should certainly be completed. ART. 14. A Tranflation of Anftey's Ode to Jenner: to which are added, Taa Tables; one herving the Advantages of Vaccine Inoculation, the other containing Inftructions for the Practice. By John Ring, Member of the Royal College of Surgeons in London. 4to. Murray. 1804. Is. 6d. The Alcaic Ode of Mr. Anftey, addreffed to Dr. Jenner, by fome accident, has not come to our hands; fpecimen only, of two ftanzas, appears in the title page to the tranflation. Mr. Ring, the tranflator, is a ftaunch friend to vaccination, on which he has published two ufeful volumes. He therefore wishes to make known the Ode of the venerable bard, by giving it in English. Even here the topic of our prefent national conteft is introduced. What avails it, he fays, to preferve life by the new inoculation, if it is to be destroyed by the tyrant invader? "And now, affembling his unnumber'd hoft, "Let him embark, and quit the Gallic fands Noticed in the Brit. Crit. vol. xviii. p. 667; and xxii. p. 556e fee I fee the combat,-ocean ftain'd with blood, Amid their crimes, and mingle with the dead; Their great exploits, and give new laws to hell." P. 11. The profits of the publication are given to the Royal Jennerian Society; which, we are told, has opened fourteen ftations for gratuitous inoculation, and would open more, if fupported with more liberality. ART. 15. Martial Effufions of Ancient Times; addressed to the Spar tan Hofts, to excite them to Valour and Discipline in their Conflicts with the Meffenians; and prescribed as permanent Recitations by the Republic of Lacedemon, to infpire their Youth with warlike Sentiments. From the Fragments of Tyriæus. 12mo. 19 PP. IS. Hatchard. 1804. We give the tranflator all due credit for his patriotic and laudable attempt to roufe the courage and energy of his countrymen; and, if his little work should have the defired effect of transfufing Spartan fpirit into British bofoms, his mite will be perhaps as valuable as larger contributions. Three of thefe Effufions are univerfally afcribed to Tyrtæus: the fecond is, by fome critics, attributed to Callinus. The tranflator acknowledges to have taken great liberties with the originals, more particularly with the fecond and fourth, which we hefitate not to pronounce the best; and, of the two, we give the preference to the fourth. We were rather furprised to learn from the Preface, that a fcholar, and a reader of the fragments of Tyrtæus, had not feen, till a few months ago, the very elegant tranflation of them by Mr. Pye, the Poet Laureat, which was published in the year 1795 (this tranflation erroneously states it 1796), and was reviewed in our fifth volume, p. 455. ART. 16. The Lyre, or Vocal Museum. A new Volume; containing all the most admired Songs fung this Seafon at the Theatres, and other Places of Entertainment; together with fuch of the old Songs as ought never to be forgotten. Dedicated to the Lovers of Song. 12mo. 28. Badcock. 1804. Many of thefe Songs deferve to be admired and preferved, many others are trifling, many are very old, but none offenfive to delicacy. Moreover, it is very cheap. DRAMATIC. DRAMATIC. ART. 17. The Sailor's Daughter: a Comedy, in Five Aāts, now perfarming at the Theatre-Royal, Drury-Lane. By Richard Cumberland, Efq. The Second Edition. 8vo. 86 pp. 25. 6d. Lackington and Allen. 1804. The literary character of Goldfmith, as given by Johnfon may, in a great degree, be applied to Mr. Cumberland. "Nullum fere fcribendi genus non tetigit, nullum quod tetigit non ornavit". Whether confidered as an Epic, or as a dramatic poet, as a tranflator, as a critic, or as a moralift, he in general claims our admiration; and, in his leaft fuccessful efforts, fcarcely ever fails to command respect. In the prefent drama, the author has laudably endeavoured to stem the tide of falfe tafle, and has never attempted to gain a temporary applause by the facrifice of common fenfe and propriety; but, unless we are mistaken, it will not be classed hereafter among his more fortunate effusions. The plot of the Sailor's Dau hter" confifts of little more than the circumftance of a gallant fea officer, who had privately supported the daughter of his deceafed friend and patron, concealing from her that he has been her benefactor, and gaining her affections under another name. The conclufion may be easily anticipated; and as the other characters have little concern in the plot, the play in general confifts of conversation rather than action; and that converfation has much lefs of vivacity and humour, than are to be found in the fuccessful dramas of this author. By the Advertisement, it fhould feem this play had but an indifferent reception on the stage. It feems, however, as it has already arrived at a fecond edition, that it has been found to give more pleasure in the closet. ART. 19. Th. Counterfeit. A Farce, in Two Acts; as performed at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. Written by Andrew Franklin, Author of the Egyptian Fftival, Wandering Jew, &c. &c. 8vo. 47 pp. 28. Robinfons, &c. 1804. Among the farces we have lately read, whether in two acts or in five, not one has made us lefs inclined to laugh, or more inclined to fleep, than this tiffue of witlefs and vulgar fchemes and converfa tions. NOVELS. ART. 19. A Picture from Life; or, the Hiftory of Emma Tankerville and Sir Henry Moreton. By Henry Whitfield, M. A. Two Volumes. 8vo. 8s. Highley. 1804. Never was a Novel more mifnamed than this. Instead of "a Picture from Life", it is a difgufting caricature of modern manners and converlauon; and it is fo far from being a "Hiftory of Emma Tan kerville |