mate knowlege of his fubject, and not a very limited one of men and things; his work abounding with curious and interesting anecdotes. He is impartial enough to allow their usual failings to men of his own class and turn; and as they are a class very interesting to ourselves, (having fometimes obligations even to fuch of them as we cannot honeftly thank with a good word) we have allotted much more room to this pamphlet concerning Authors, than we ufually do to pieces of the fame bulk. Being confiderably entertained with it ourfelves, we have been willing to prefent our Readers a liberal tafte; and we may venture to affure them, that notwithstanding there feems now and then fomething vague and immethodical in the detail and order of the performance; and tho' the Author must be confidered as speaking ex parte, and confequently fometimes aggravating the hardships of his Clients, yet, upon the whole, it is the beft twelve pennyworth of Wit, good Senfe, and just Satire, that has been lately offered to the public; and will not relifh the worse for a little rumination, to which we have found it apt to dispose its Readers.

K

An Eftimate of the Manners and Principles of the Times. By the Author of Eflays on the Characteristics, &c. Vol. II. 8vo. 4s. Davis and Reymers.

I

T is the nature of little minds to be inordinately inflated with popular applause, and ever to attribute the measure of fuccefs to their own extraordinary merit: but men of sedateness and folidity remain compofed amidft the capricious plaudits of the town, and eftimate their worth rather by the fcale of felfexamination, than of public opinion. The stream of popularity bears the light and frothy fons of vanity along its giddy current, and whirls them into the vortex of contempt; but ftrong and vigorous minds can play with the swelling furges, and ftem the tide with steadfast equanimity.

Perhaps nothing fooner intoxicates a weak brain, than the ftrong fumes of literary fame. A work has no fooner received the fanction of repeated impreffions, than the raptured Author grows delirious with felf-importance. From that time the Writer fwells into an Oracle, and glows with all the God. His affertions gain the validity of arguments; and he no longer thinks himself obliged to debate, but affumes a right to dictate.

The vain-glorious Doctor now under our confideration, affords a melancholy inftance of this lamentable frenzy. Tranf

3

ported

ported with the too favourable reception of his firft volume, the poor man now raves in a fecond. He no longer pays homage to the fuperior Genius whom he profeffed to adore: he has now out-topped the Coloffus himself, and beftrides the literary Repub lic, fole Arbiter of the religious, moral, and political world.

Alas! a moment's cool reflection would have brought him to have fufpected the value of his work, even from its fudden and hafty circulation: for treatises of folid merit, do not make fuch a rapid progrefs. Works of fuperficial tafte, and modifh elegance, find an easy paffage to the imagination, and are prefently diffufed among the unthinking multitude: but productions of found and fterling worth, which appeal to the understanding, make flower advances; and do not find their way to the public, till they have been thoroughly digefted in the closets of the judicious. Milton's Paradife Loft mouldered in obfcurity, till the hand of a curious Critic unfolded its latent beauties: and even Homer's felf lay long neglected, though fucceeding ages have done that justice to his memory, which was denied to the living Bard.

We would not, however, be too fevere upon the Doctor. violent attacks upon a man in a ftate of delirium might be deemed inhuman: nevertheless, as we hope he is not incurable, we may be allowed to fport a little with his malady; as ridicule is the beft medicine for the cure of frantic vanity. The fymp toms of his disorder are so very apparent throughout this volume, that we need only play himself against himself, and, from the work before us, prove him to be Non Compos.

This fecond volume, which is in truth little more than a recapitulation of the first, opens with a striking proof of its Author's integrity. Had the firft volume of this work,' fays he, met with a lefs favourable reception in the world, a fecond had not 'been offered to its perufal.'-That is, in other words,-I and my Bookfeller, have found our account in the public caprice, and, therefore, Si populus vult decipi, decipiatur.

But he runs wild in the next fentence, and pays himself the following compliment, In those topics,' he fays, which relate to the moral or political happinefs of man, the general voice of a people is, perhaps, the best criterion of Truth and Falfhood.'

Experience, we are afraid, contradicts this general reflection, however juft the Doctor may be in the modeft application of it to himself; for we have often heard Writers extolled as Oracles one winter, who have been defpifed as Blockheads the next. Befides, if he has justly defcribed the literary tafte of the age, he

has little reafon to boaft of the fuccefs of his labours; for it will follow, from his own words, that his compofition is of that meagre kind of literary diet, fuited to weak digeftions, and not that folid and wholefome nourishment which is fit for found and vigorous minds. So that he is reduced to this unlucky dilemma: he must either retract his character of the age, as a false one, or give up the merit of his performance *.

The Doctor proceeds to explain the fimple intent of the prefent volume. He hath heard,' he fays, of certain written Criticisms on his Eftimate: but if he does not read, how can it be expected he fhould answer them? Yet this he believes, from the report of fome of his friends, that if his temporary Critics had applied to him for cccafions of cenfure or reproof, he could have furnished them with a jufter catalogue than what they have produced against him in their ftill-born Effays. As therefore thefe Gentlemen, it feems, profefs themselves the fervants of the ungrateful public, it must needs be agreeable to them, that an Author fhould alleviate their defpifed labours, and fet himself to criticife his own Writings.

This therefore is declared to be the fimple intent of the prefent volume: and that his Readers may more clearly comprehend the main drift of a work which, from its nature, cannot admit of form, he thinks it expedient to premise the several claffes, under which his remarks will fall.

C First, they will contain Retractions of fuch mistakes as the Writer thinks he hath committed.

Secondly, of Proofs in fuch points as were affirmed and not proved.

Thirdly, of Illuftrations in thofe particulars which were hinted, but not explained.

Fourthly, of Replies to fuch capital objections as have been ⚫ made to his general system, by preceding Writers on the fame • fubject.

66

In a book lately publifhed, intitled Characterifics of the prefent political State of Great Britain, we meet with the following judicious Note." It is easy to account for the popularity of fuch pieces as the "Eflimate. The Writer of it had no reason to imagine that his defign was not popular. Few things are more popular than Severity againit national Vices. Thofe Divines who paint their audience "blackett, raife the most dreadful spectres, and speak the worst of "the Times, and of Human Nature, are frequently most popular. "One may often obferve whole companies more highly entertained "with frightful tales, and horrible relations, than with the most just "defcriptions of nature and of human life."

• Fifthly,

Fifthly, of the Confequences which may be fairly deduced from his principles, and thro' a designed brevity were omitted in the first volume.'

It is worth our while to mark the language of this meek Divine, and calm Philofopher. How carefully he avoids all arrogance and prefumption! With what charity he speaks of his temporary Critics, and their ftill-born Effays? It is a pity that fo much moderation fhould ever be mortified, and therefore we cannot help wishing that his Eftimate had likewife been fillborn; for, in all probability, that forward Brat, who has been fondled by the public for its malapertness, will live to reflect fhame on its parent.

The Reader will obferve, that the fimplicity of his intentions are specified under five claffes. The fourth of which, appears to us to be an arrant Bull; for we cannot conceive how Objections can be faid to have been made to HIS general fyftem, by preceding Writers. This is like the language of the Irifhman who, defcribing a long intimacy with his friend, concluded with saying, "Aye! upon my faith, I knew him before he was born."

As to the five heads, we will venture to tranflate them, and place his fpecious addrefs to his Readers in the following plain terms.-Gentlemen, I wrote a book in which I committed

miftakes; in which I affirmed things without proving them; "in which I hinted things without explaining them; and in "which I took no notice of any thing which had been faid be"fore upon the fubject.-In few words, I made you pay three "fhillings and fix pence for the first volume, in which I impof"ed upon you, and if you will give me four fhillings more for "the fecond, I will tell you where I cheated you." Well faid, honeft Doctor! But how fhall we be fure that, in a third volume, you will not retract your Retractions, and try to laugh at the public once more? It is more than probable, that you are mistaken now; and how can your fond and credulous admirers draw any profit from your reverend precepts, which change with every volume?

Having viewed the Doctor's apology for his Writings, let us now hear him apologize for his Life, and account for his frequenting places of the moft public refort and diffipation.

First,' he fays, fuppofing all that is alledged or infinuated, to be true; he apprehends, the conduct of his life cannot affect or weaken the reafoning of his work.

Secondly, He hath caufe to believe, that they who thus ac cufe him, are fuch as themselves frequent thofe fcenes of fafhionable folly. Now, let but thefe Gentlemen as loudly and 'publicly

A a 3

publicly declare against the modern fpirit of effeminacy and diffipation, as he hath done; and then the world may poffibly believe, that he and they are there upon the fame principle.

Thirdly, He hath reafon to fufpect, that if he writ altogether from the closet, these Objectors would then affume ano⚫ther tone. They would fay (and indeed with good reason) Yes; we defpife the man to books confin'd, Who from his ftudy rails at all mankind. The coxcomb bird, fo talkative and grave, Who from his cage cries cuckold, fool, and knave; Tho' many a Paffenger he rightly call, We hold him no Philofopher at all.

POPE.

Lastly, Therefore, if he mixeth in public life, the candid world will judge for what end he does it, not from the railing of angry men, but from the tenor of his writings; the best indications of his mind and character. There is an effential diftinction between those who love diffipation, and those who • view, in order to expofe it. There is an eflential distinction between the Provost of an army, who goes out on duty, and the Marauder, whom he hangs upon the next tree.

To conclude; every man's fphere of observation and experience should be, as far as poffible, of the fame extent with the objects of his attention. The Painter, if he would give the truth, muft copy from nature. The retailing Tradesman keeps to his shop; the private Officer to his platoon; the Sailor to his gun: but the Merchant, the General, the Admiral, if they be wife, will take a larger tour of observation. The Writer neither defpifes nor neglects the duties of his private ftation: but as he hath taken upon him not only the task of a parochial, but the more important and arduous one of a national Preacher, he hopes thefe Gentlemen will excufe him, if he goes a little out of the common road, and endeavours to un• derftand his fubject before he talks upon it. With their leave therefore (nay, without their leave) he will continue to vifit the feveral parts of his larger diftrict; and intends not to con⚫tent himself with a narrower fphere of remark, than that of his Majesty's dominions.'

This is fuperlatively modeft! From henceforth let no one prefume to prescribe the Doctor's walks. Should he be found indulging in a bagnio-should he be caught, like Sampson, in the lap of wantonnefs,-yet let no malevolent tongue attack his chaftity. No! it must be fuppofed that the Doctor haunts the brothel with the fame view that the Fanatic, in the play, picks up a Harlot-To gain upon the ungodly. It must be remembered,

that