The Author has raised Vernon from the dead for no better purpofe than to make him talk nonsense, in a fort of drawling measured fufttan, which we have frequently feen impofed upon the public for blank verfe. Art. 18. Verfes occafioned by the Victory at Rofbach. 4to. 6d. Owen. This verfifier is like a kindred genius described by Mr. Pope, who, rumbling, rough, and fierce, With arms, and forms, and Fred'ric crouds the verse, With gun, drum, trumpet, blunderbufs, and thunder. * We have fubstituted forms in the room of the word George, in Mr. Pope, as the Rofback poet is a great dealer in storm and tempeft. The King of Pruffia bears upon the form-forms the rampart; and even the very found of a Pruffian trumpet Wild as a whirlwind tears its rapid way, Roots up the rock, and sweeps the plain away! Art. 19. Ode to his Grace the D. of B, on a late very partieular addre's from the kingdom of Ireland; being an allufion to the tenth ode of the fecond book of Horace. Folio, 6d. Scott. A very pretty, fmart, humorous, fatyrical fling at the Lord Lieutenant, alluding to the fpirit of oppofition and enquiry, which lately appeared among the Commons of Ireland. Art. 20. Le Delaffement de la Guerre; ôu la Philofophie des Heros. Poëme, &c. i. e. The Relaxation of War; or, the Hero's Philofophy. A Poem, in French and English. Wrote by his Majesty the King of Pruffia, during his refidence at Breflaw. 4to. 6d. Brindley. This English title we fee afcribes the poem in both languages to the Pruffian Hero and Monarch. However this might happen, from error, or by defign, or whatever foundation there may be for afcribing it to him in either, the performance is not without some merit, whether we confider the reflections it abounds with, the expreflion, or the numbers. The reflections, indeed, are like fo many axioms, whole truth is admitted the moment they are enounced. For instance, Love by hope is ftill fuftain'd, wins, L'Amour fe foûtient par l'espair, The The fource of wit, however, if applied to writing, appears conteftable, from the different opinion of Wits about it. Ovid and Juvenal seem nearly of our Poet's opinion, when they affirm leifure and retirement, which have been fuppofed neceffary to content, to be conducive to the happieft exertion of wit and poetry. Carmina feceffim fcribentis et otia quærunt. Scriptorum chorus omnis amat nemus et fugit urbes. Ovid. Juv. But Perfius feems to think differently in his prologue, and fuppofes hunger may be a frequent fource of it. It seems, indeed, as if both were true in different fituations and habits. The perfection of a confiderable piece appears incompatible with much folicitude or craving, which might prevent the faculties from being permanently attentive to the fubject proposed; while in thofe who are very ingenious, and yet fo indolent as to have but a moderate anxiety even about fame, fome more loud and urgent ftimulation feems neceffary to an exercise of their faculties.-But this en paffant. The following fentiments feem juft, delicate, and well expreffed : Maids, to fan a lover's fire, quire; Arts will lefs than virtues tend, Plus de douceur que de beauté Plus d'éclat que Dans un auteur ne me plaît guère; From hence the Poet is led to atteft his love of moderation in almoft every circumftance. This the partifans of Auftria will hardly allow the Royal Poet. The general inference, however, from many fubfequent reflections is, that moderation in many respects is both wildom and virtue; and that all excefs in circumftances, habits, and in fome of the virtues themselves, is either weak and vitious, or conducive to depravity and unhappiness. This, indeed, is no more than the old axiom of, Omne nimium malum: and in this part we imagine the French has, in fome places, the advantage of the English. For what discovery is it to inform us, that i Too much frife diftracts mankind? Trop de fracas nous étourdit. Or what mighty contraft, or meaning, indeed, is there in saying, Too much negligence is flath? Trop de froideur eft indolence. Whence Whence it fhould feem that fracas should not be translated into ftrife, but that it rather means here, that eclat made by a perfon of figure and eminence, which may even incommode a great lover of his eafe. Faire un grand fracas dans le monde-to make a great figure in the world. Quand on est belle on fait bien du fracas-When a woman is handfome, what a route is made about her. Neither fhould froideur be rendered by negligence, nor indolence by floth, the French spelling the first juft as we do, and fignifying the last by oifivete or pareffe. In fhort, the fenfe here appears to us to be, that too much indifference is infenfibility. We might note fome other improprieties in the Englifh, and poffibly a few efcapes even in the French; but as the titlepage utters them both for royal productions, we are fearful of arguing too much against the very found of a name, the shadow of a hero, who animates fuch invincible legions. We confefs we do not clearly apprehend the connexion of the tranfition from this praise of moderation to the efficacy of trifles; though the following lines upon them, which conclude this little poem, read agreeably in both languages. Trifles to the great commend, Un rien nous pouffe auprès des grands, Art. 21. Epitre de fa Majeftè, &c. i. e. An Epiftle from the King of Pruffia to Monfieur Voltaire. Tranflated into Englifh from the original French. 4to. 6d. Dodfley. The French original, as it is called, is printed in the page oppofite to the English; and if that Hero and Poet to whom it is afcribed has not wrote it, undoubtedly the real Author concludes, that he might have wrote it, without dishonour to a King. It appears to us, however, lefs worthy of his Pruffian Majesty than the former, as it has lefs energy and fentiment: and though the following reflection, which is far from new, is neither expreffed nor rhym'd amifs, we think the profeffed contempt of glory must be either not fincere, or not graceful, in the mouth of an Hero. And though a Prince and Poet born, And rank'd me with th'unconscious dead. Qr Or that th' uncertain tongue of Fame Weighs more than ages of renown, &c. This blissful moment is quite out of the character of a Prince, who is allowed to be no voluptuary; and is said to relax from his amazing enterprizes of danger, and almost inceffant, and unparalleled fatigue, only with the amusements of poetry and mufic. The English Tranflator feems to have committed a further impropricty in making an abfolute Monarch praise the facred freedom' that loves to dwell in a republican government, when there is not a word in the French original to warrant it, as may be feen by comparing the -conclufion of the Epiftle in both languages: from whence the Reader will alfo obferve, that this is a more paraphraflical verfion than that in the preceding article, the French here amounting but to forty one lines. The conclusion is poetical and spirited in both idioms. We might animadvert here occafionally on the late frequent pubJications of French poetry, as we conceive they do not admit English reciprocally at Paris, in confequence of any poetical cartel: and perhaps a people we allow to be politic, might be at least as worthy of our imitation in this point, as in fome others. However, the prefent ftate of Letters is more tolerable than any licenfer could make it; and if French rhymes fhould become fill more modifh, it will not greatly injure our trade: nor will it leffen our diverfion, to join the cry fometimes with a-Vive la Bagatello! RELIGIOUS and CONTROVERSIAL. K Art. 22. Friendly Admonitions to the Inhabitants of Great Britain in general, and to the Clergy of the Church of England in particular. By Britannicus. 8vo. 1 s. Baldwin. Thefe admonitions are chiefly of a declamatory nature; conceived in great warmth of refentment for the vices of the age; and delivered with an uncommon, but becoming force and pathos of expreffion. The Author appears to have been animated with a truly patriot fpirit, and a laudable concern for the fate of his country, which he appre hends to be verging apace towards the termination of all that honour and that happiness, for which the was once fo juftly admired, and fo greatly envied, by her neighbours. But, But, though he looks upon us as extremely degenerate, he does not think us abfolutely profligate; and therefore hopes we may yet be roufed to a due fenfe of our condition, and confequently, to a timely redemption from our impending fate. To this end he warmly addreffes himself to all orders and degrees among us, points out the reigning vices and depravities in each refpective clafs, and pathetically recommends a reformation to all. Some may, perhaps, think, that he bears too hard upon the clergy, on whom, indeed, he has animadverted with great feverity and spirit; but we cannot help thinking the apology he has made for this, and his diftinction between a worthy and an unworthy clergyman, to be very reasonable. I can fay with great fincerity,' fays he, that there is no charac<ter on earth I refpect fo much as that of a pious and worthy clergyman, whofe delight and pleasure it is to difcharge, with fidelity and diligence, the important duties of his ftation: I could almoft bow the knee to fuch a perfon; whereas, on the other hand, I look upon a worthless clergyman as the most despicable wretch that lives, and an object of juft contempt, in what station foever he is placed, Archbishop, Bishop, Dean, or Curate. To the former, therefore, I fhall be extremely forry if my freedom gives any offence; as for ⚫ what the latter may think or fay of me, it fhall give me no • manner of concern. But waving our Author's controverfy with the Clergy, we shall conclude this little article with a fpecimen of the performance, from that part of it in which the abfurd and defpicable vice of Gaming. the bane and the disgrace of the prefent age, is admirably expofed. The rage of Gaming, fays he, is a paffion which feems to have totally fwallowed up fenfe, virtue, converfation, and the whole train of private and public affections; to have overturned the am⚫bition of excellence; extinguifhed the flames of patriotism; crushed · all emulation but that of fraud? and which threatens, in its further progrefs, to destroy all diftinctions, both of rank and fex With what deep concern muft it affect every generous mind, to fee perfons of the highest ranks in life wafting their time, fquandering their fortunes, voluntarily degrading themfelves to the low level of profeffed gamefters, and herding with these as their chief intimates, ⚫ and bolom friends! 6 It is impoffible to defcribe the complicated and fubftantial Infiferies, the variety of diftreffes, that flow from this fource. When ⚫ the tide of fortune ebbs, every gloomy, every malignant paffion of the mind, is awakened; and then the poor wretch, who is under the influence of this fashionable extravagance, is often heard cursing himself, and blafpheming his maker. Fury, horror, and despair, take poffeffion of his breaft; if he looks back, he is filled with re⚫ morfe and anguifh; if he looks forward, mifery ftares him full in the face his eftate is spent, his credit exhausted, his wants are numerous, and he has no means of fupplying them; what can he do? He |