4to. Chriftopher Smart, A. M. fometime Fellow of Pembroke- As Mr. Smart fo highly refented the manner in which we mentioned fome of his late productions, and as we found he was so sensibly hurt by what we faid of them, however juftly or however tenderly we expreffed ourselves, this confideration drew from us a promife, that he fhould, for the future, have little caufe to be offended with us on that. account: indeed fome unhappy circumstances in this gentleman's life, feem to have given his latter writings a peculiar claim to a total exemption from criticifm. Accordingly, we chufe to be filent, with regard to the merit of the prefent publication. * See Rev. Vol. XXIX. p. 398. Art, 22. Fables in Verfe. By T. Mozeen. 12mo. 5s. Bladon, &c. 2 Vols. Although Mr. Mozeen's Fables are too inconfiderable for criticism, he may think it but bare justice, in a work of this kind, that a fpecimen of his abilities fhould be given: take, then, the following: Where principals are found and true, That is, the king was finely drefs'd and deck'd out with atheism, blafphemy, and bawdy; and a fine figure he must have been! But here comes fomething ftill more brilliant! Who the way to happiness wou'd hit, As we think the third line, in particular, of this laft quotation, inimitable, fome apology may be neceffary for the following humble attempt in the fame way; which we submit to the judicious Reader's correction: ESOP, LOCMAN, PILPAY, FONTAINE, GAY, MOORE, MISCELLANEOUS. Art. 23. Queries; Georgical, Political, Phifiological, and really in fome Inflances bordering upon the Polemical. Becket. Folio. 6 d. From From the fingular manner in which this pamphlet is printed,-without title-page, preface, introduction, capital letter, comma, colon, femi-colon, full-point, note of admiration or interrogation,-we concluded, at firft fight, that the Author must certainly be a little whimsical ;-and on perufing his queries, we were confirmed in the conjecture: with this addition, however, in his favour, that he is undoubtedly a man of genius, and extenfive knowledge. What his particular view in publishing them may be, is not altogether fo apparent; and our Readers, from a perufal of fome of the queries, collected with no more regard to coherence and connection than the Author hath fhewn, will know as much of the matter as we do. ⚫ what benefit hath the irish multitude reaped from the dublin fociety are not the irish peasants partiularly thofe of munfter and connaught the most miserable flaves in his majesty's dominions ⚫ from what causes hath the reformation made fo fmall progress in ireland when doctor berkeley preached up corn-husbandry to the irish did he not advise three fourths of them like the giants in ftory to war against heaven is not the giant's causeway too regular for a frolick of nature too enormous for art what benefit hath accrued to fcience husbandry or trade from the edinburgh focieties are not the tenants of the north of scotland a fawning starvling itchy generation ⚫ how confonant to humanity would be the reply of a cock laird were the mifery of his tenants hinted at god help you man they ken nae better is not the faculty agreed that oatmeal is cooling and wholefome and that the fcotch fiddle is confequent to poverty and uncleanliness are not the fcotch beef mutton fish oats and greyhounds fuperior in quality to the English why don't forty fhillings a year give right to a vote in fcotland as in england and ireland had there been no london fociety would commerce the fine arts and the coarfe have been lefs forward while intending to encourage induftry has not the good fociety in fome cafes promoted idleness in aiming at the useful has the fociety never hit on the frivolous is one hundred pounds an adequate premium for raising five tons of wine in america would not a medal a feather or a nick-name have been rather more proper is genius to be bribed or coaxed into existence hath any academy or literary fociety hitherto inftituted given rife to a bacon a milton a corregio is the circulation of fmattering in each department of science to the advancement of learning in any as many fkippers grudge the expence of a compass what is to be the price of harrifon's time keeper which are of moft ufe to true husbandry the reveries of an ignorant theorift affuming the name of an effex or fuffex farmer or the vapourings of a school mafter with his headpiece incumbered with gimcracks to the detriment of his pupils or the vauntings of a practical farmer who to T ferve ferve his own ends mounts the hobby-horse of the man he has a design прор why are the writers on hufbandry fo given to the marvellous is it because hefiod lilted and maro-fung that they think the subject altogether poetical are not divers weights and meafures difgraceful to a civilized nation is it not abfurd to barter corn by measure of capacity is not our present marriage act adverfe to population are the game laws confiftent with the liberty of the subject is not prohibiting the farmer from killing hares and partridges of that fpecies of folly which defeats its own ends who are most idle boys at blind maus buff or a pack of fquires. disturbing the country by pursuing a little vermine which any man could deftroy for three halfpence are there lefs than three million of horses in great britain don't these confume half as much grain as the people valuing the life of a horse at twelve years don't two hundred and fifty thousand of the brutes die annually would it not be political (at least in times of dearth) to fatten for the fhambles all unferviceable horfes ⚫ would not unfound horfe flesh be equally diftinguishable with meafled pork rotten mutton and turnep fed beef how far were it political to take off the bounty on corn exported have not fome late regulations proved how dangerous it is to innovate rafhly in matters commercial import afide muft not the populoufnefs of countries keep pace with the fertility and cultivation hath not the fcoundrel americus got into the faddle of chriftophilus columbus bedaubed with fanctimonious fopperies hath not hernan cortes got farther into the fog than pelides achilles doth not ynca capac yupanki heave a head of the tyrian hercules from the glimmering of the hiftory of america fince discovered was not mexico much more populous than is any one region at prefent from hudfons bay to cape horn? There are many other queries (the whole number amounting to 115) relating to England, Scotland, Great Britain, and America; to commerce, Agriculture, population, &c. With regard to many of them, the Author's aim may be easily guessed; but to discover the drift, and even the fenfe of fome of them, may require the genius of dipus. Art. 24. The Hiftory of a Corporation of Servants, discovered a few Years ago in the interior Parts of South America. Containing fome very furprifing Events and extraordinary Characters. 8vo. 1s. Dilly. What is here called The Hiftory of a Corporation of Servants, contains a general view of the character and conduct of the clergy, from their first eftablishment to the present times. The Author's design is to expose the clergy in the northern part of our island, and bis history, which is written with some spirit and humour, contains several fatyrical strokes, and allufions to particular proceedings, which thofe who are unac quainted t quainted with the ftate of ecclefiaftical affairs in Scotland will not be able to comprehend. R. Art. 25. The Art of Riding; or, Horsemanship made easy: Exem plified by Rules drawn from Nature and Experience. By J. L. Jackfon, Efq; 12mo. IS, Cooke. Pyratically copied from THOMSON's Rules for bad Horfemen; with a few additions, from other publications of prior date. If there be any fuch perfon as J. L. Jackfon Efq; we fhall only add, that he is a very modeft gentleman. Art. 26. Continuation of the Complete History of England. By T. Smollet, M. D. Vol. the 5th. 8vo. 5s. Baldwin. We have fo often expreffed our fentiments relating to Dr. Smollet's hiftorical performance, that we apprehend nothing farther is neceflary, on the prefent occafion, than barely to inform our Readers, that the Doctor hath compleated his work, down to the prefent year, 1765, inclufive. Art. 27. The School-mafter's moft ufeful Companion, and Scholar's beft Inftructor in the Knowlege of Arithmetic. By D. Fenning, Author of the Royal Dictionary, &c. &c. 12mo. 2 S. Crowder. This is a very plain and easy book for young learners; and is different from most, if not all, other compilations of the kind, in refpect of the fecond part, in which Mr. Fenning gives a short and eafy sketch of book-keeping, by way of common debtor and creditor only. He has also added an appendix, containing rules for cross multiplication, which he has likewife reduced to actual practice in meafuring carpenters, joiners, paviors, thatchers and bricklayers work. Some brief inftructions for gauging, conclude the whole. Art. 28. A Defence of Free Masonry, as practiced in the regular Lodges, both foreign and domeftic, under the Conflitution of the English Grand-mafter. 8vo. Is. Flexney. We often meet with pamphlets about Free-mafonry, but we can never, with certainty, tell what to make of them. We believe they are, for the most part, impofitions on the public, written by the masons themselves, and making fham difcoveries, with the fole view of mifleading their readers. How far the prefent tract is, or is not, to be deemed of this fort, we cannot venture to pronounce. Its profeffed defign is to refute Mr. Dermot's abfurd and ridiculous account of Free-mafonry, in his book, entitled Ahiman Rezon;' and yet it is very poffible that the author of Abiman Rezon, and of this refutation of it, are one and the fame perfon. But, whatever be the fecret of this publication, it may be more material to inform our Masonical Readers, that there is printed at the end of the Defence, a collection of very good Mafon's Odes and Songs, most of them said to be entirely new, and never before printed' Art. 29. Art. 29. Thoughts on the Times, and the Silk Manufacture; Shewing its Utility, and the great Lofs that is occafioned by the Importation of French and Italian wrought Silks. With the Caufe of the Weaver's Diffatisfaction. And a Romedy against any future Apprehenfions of a Disturbance of the public Peace, by their Difcontents. 8vo. I S. Wilkie. Though the Author of thefe thoughts is not an elegant, nor, in all refpects, perhaps, a judicious Writer; yet he feems to be thoroughly acquainted with the real ftate of our filk manufactures: an article of prodigious confequence to the commercial interest of this nation. He clearly fhews, that the weavers have reafon for the complaints they have made, and that their great diftrefs proceeds from two caufes, viz. the importation of foreign manufactured filk, and the prefent dearnefs of provifions: the one, fays he, prevents their being employed, the other, their being able to make jhift with the little they do earn. Thefe caufes of neceffity and of complaint, are fully enquired into, and stated, by this zealous advocate for the weavers; with the view of evincing the neceffity of paffing the bill to prohibit foreign manufactured filks: to which bill, indeed, we think it is here made very apparent, that all good Englishmen ought heartily to with fuccefs. Art. 30. A Letter to the Monthly Reviewers: With a Word of Advice. By Philoveritas, Author of a Short Analysis of Dr. Rheid's Enquiry into the Human Mind. 8vo. 6d. Nicoll. The Author of this Letter, who undertook fome time ago to analyfe Dr. Reid's Enquiry before he knew how to spell the Doctor's name, hath here attacked the Reviewers, for their treating his faid Analysis with contempt.We have already explained ourselves * concerning the manner in which we thought proper to treat Dr. Reid's book when it first appeared; after which we cannot forbear fmiling at the felf-fufficiency of this puny metaphyfician; who, lay ing hold of an equivocal expreffion or two in our work, affumes the merit of having undeceived or inftructed the Reviewers with regard to that performance. What a duft do I raife!' faid the fly on the chariot-wheel.-Print another fix-pennyworth, Mr. Letter-writer, and enjoy your felf-importance at leifure.- Our Readers must do us the juftice to own, we are never backward in defending ourselves against objects worthy of contention; but it would be paying them an ill compliment to spend our time in killing flies. * In anfwer to an ingenious Correfpondent, in Norfolk. See Roview for June laft, p. 485. K-n-k. C |