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pended, to mind fufficiently how far his own was at ftake; and what Thare it deferved in his attention, for the better execution of his falutary defigns. He wou otherwife have inftructed and authorized his friends, from the beginning, publish fuch truths as he alone was poffeffed of, and entitled to communicate, to the ruin of falfhood, before it had made fuch deep and lamentable impreffions on the minds of the people. He would, in imitation of Mr. Pitt, not have fcrupled to difclofe whatever fecrets he might have thought proper, in order to inftruct the public with his motives, firft, for refigning his public flation, and afterwards, for totally withdrawing his affiftance from his fucceffors, and his advice from his king. He would not have confided fo long in the notion, that his integrity, and the purity of his intentions, with fuitable conduct and deportment in his retreat, would be fufficient to withstand, and at last overfet all the efforts of inveterate envy and malice: and he would not have been fo reluctant in furnishing his friends with thofe few materials which they have latterly thought it neceffary to extort from him; and to publish (as I am offured by fome of them of undoubted veracity) without his knowledge or confent, not merely in vindication of his character, but of the bigheft and facredeft one amongst us.'

As to the Author's explanation of the fecret Springs of the late changes in the miniftry, as he hath improperly expreffed it in his title-page, thofe who, at this time of day, may be curious of farther information, we refer to the pamphlet at length.

Art. 14. A Candid Review of the New Adminiftration. 8vo. Is. Wilkie.

An acrimonious anfwer to a pamphlet, entitled, The Merits of the New Adminiftration, mentioned in our Review for September. The prefent anti-ministerial Writer affe&s the moft fovereign contempt of the gentlemen now in power; whofe removal he confiders as the firft ftep to our fafety :'-but, by the way, he has not fhewn what degree of danger we are threatened with, fhould they continue in the places they now fill;-and that they will continue, there is now very little room to entertain even the smallest doubt.

Art.

15. A Vindication of the Ministry's Acceptance of the Admini-` fration; with an Expofition of the real Motives of a noble Lord's declining it. In Anfwer to A Letter from a Son of Candor to the Public Advertiter. With a Propofal to establish the Public Tranquillity, to the Satisfaction of all Parties. In a Letter from a Citizen to his Friend in the Country. 8vo. Is. Coote. In this answer to the Principles of the late Changes, &c. the Author. undertakes a great deal, and performs little. He is an indifferent writer, and his attempts at pleafantry are coarse and awkward. His manner of accounting for Lord Temple's declining to embark in the ftate veffel, are no better than mere cavils against what was faid on that fubje&t by the author of the PRINCIPLES: who, perhaps, is equally out of the fecret. In short, it is happy for the prefent miniftry, that their permanency does not depend on the abilities of their literary advocates.

See Review for the last month, p. 399.

Art. 16.

Art. 16. A. Free and Candid Addrefs to the Right Hon. William Pitt, on the prefent Pofture of Affairs, both at home and abroad. Folio. 6d. Cooke.

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Mr. Pitt is here warmly folicited, in the name of the difnterefted and truly loyal fubjects of Great Britain, in Europe, 'Afia, Africa, and America,' to refume the reins of adminiftration. The Author appears to be of opinion, that nothing less than the influence and credit of this great commoner can restore our diforder'd national affairs to that hopeful and profperous ftate in which they were, at the time of that minifter's retirement, particularly in regard to the difcord which hath unhappily broke out, in the American colonies. We trust, however, that this is a miftake; and that means will be found to restore the wonted harmony between the mother and her children, whether Mr. P. doth or doth not chufe to refume the feals,'-as it is here expreffed,-with too little refpect to the dignity of the crown.

Art. 17. The Grievances of the American Colonies candidly examined. Printed by Authority, at Providence in Rhode-Island. London, re-printed. 8vo. Is. Almon.

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A modeft yet pathetic recital of the hardships laid on our American brethren, by an act, limiting, reftricting, and burthening the trade of the colonies, as alfo for greatly enlarging the power and jurifdiction of the courts of admiralty in the colonies, and likewife establishing, by another A&t, certain ftamp-duties.'-Much hath been faid in regard to the last mentioned act; but, perhaps that for enlarging the power of the admiralty-courts, (though it will be lefs generally felt) is not of a lefs grievous nature; if we may depend on the account here given of the hardships which individuals may experience, from the natural tendency of an act which will let loofe upon the people, a fwarm of those worst of vermin INFORMERS for the fake of the reward: wretches who have been the peft of every fociety, and the curfe of every country which they have infefted.

Art. 18. A Letter to a Member of Parliament, wherein the Power of the British Legislature, and the Cafe of the Colonifts, are briefly and impartially confidered. 8vo. Is. Flexney.

The fenfible writer of this letter, endeavours to prove, that, in paint of law, the colonists are bound to pay obedience to every act of the parliament of Great Britain, wherein they are expressly named. He confiders the extent and diffufiveness of parliamentary jurifdiction, throughout all the British dominions; he adverts to that chain of connexion and dependance which has ever fubfifted between the mother countries and colonies of ancient and modern times; he examines the plea of non-reprefentation, fo much urged by the advocates for our North American colonies, in regard to their oppofition to the ftamp-act; and he finally concludes, that the legiflature hath done nothing but what it had full and conftitutional power to do: confequently, that the colonifts, by having denied and refifted this power, have been hurried into a conduct, tinctured with an offence, bordering too nearly upon the worst species of

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treafon;-a treafon against the flate." -So far, as to LAW. With refpect to POLICY, the Author is clearly on the other fide of the queftion. He condemns the stamp-act, as one of the worft measures of the late miniftry; a fatal addition to the blunders of their inglorious predeceffors, the peace-makers; and he speaks with the highest refentment of that plan of policy which aims at the attainment of an end, at the fame time that it profcribes the means;' -the exaction of a payment in money, when the most effectual minifterial fratagems had been purfued, to incapacitate the colonists from getting any. He conceives hopes, however, that the prefent administration will apply themselves diligently to the removal of all our inteftine troubles and perplexities; and that however arduous and difcouraging their predeceffors in office may have contrived to render this duty, yet they will enter upon this affured of the hearty concurrence and co-operation of all good men.'great work, We fincerely believe all good men will concur in wifhing and hoping that Our Author's expectations may not be disappointed.

* This alludes to what our Author calls, the degrading the British navy into fmuggling cutters and pirates upon our own commerce;' and depriving the colonifts of the enjoyment and profecution of a trade, not only lucrative to themselves, but in which the whole traffic of this kingdom is deeply and effentially interwoven.?

Art. 19. The Neceffity of repealing the American Stamp-aɛt demon-
Arated: Or, a Proof that Great Britain must be injured by that
Act. In a Letter to a Member of the British House of Com-
mons. 8vo. I S.
Almon.

This is one of the most confiderable publications on the fubject of the prefent difagreeable fituation of affairs in our North-American colonies and contains, indeed, more information than all the reft put together. Among other important particulars, the very ingenious and fpirited Author thus takes notice of the popular affertion, that the colonies, are faid to be greatly in our debt, for the blood and treasure we have, fpent on their account, during the late war: that we may be able to, form a proper judgment on this fubject, it will, fays he, be neceffary to review the caufe and event of that war: the facts are thefe: North-American colonies, fays he, are extended along the fhore near Our 2000 miles, and backward not 200 miles, upon an, average: the limits of these colonies are fixed by charter, and feveral of them are already fully though not very thick fettled. An immeasurable territory lies behind thefe colonies, which is not theirs, nor did they ever claim it; their charter gave them no pretenfions to fuch a claim: it is the territory of Great Britain, never yet located, nor granted to any particular fubject. It was natural to suppose and expect, that as foon as the bounds of her prefent colonies were all peopled, the would also divide this wilderness into other colonies, which might become a new fource of riches and power. But the French had perfidioufly furrounded our prefent colonies by a chain of forts, and thereby muft have cut off all hopes of future increase to our dominions: in this case it was the interest of Great Britain," it was abfolutely neceffary for her to remove the French; and removed. they were, by a glorious and fuccefsful conflict; but did the Britons

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alone bleed during that war, or did they alone bear the expence? No, Sir, brave and generous as the Britons were, the colonists have not been a whit behind them.

A fingle colony which was planted about ninety years ago, paid near half a million towards the general expence: the four New-England colonies alone raised and fupported 20,000 men per annum, and it appears from good evidence, that they, loft near 30,000 men during the fervice. In general, this war has made fuch havock from one end to the other of our infant colonies, that the flower of their youth are deftroyed, and the furvivors loaded with taxes, to pay the debts which were then contracted. In return for this profufion of blood, our colonists have obtained the fecurity of their prefent eftates; they have alfo acquired perpetual honour to the British arms, and a vast addition of empire to the kingdom, whofe fubjects they are. But all thefe acquifitions being chiefly imaginary, can never help them to pay greater taxes than formerly; and I confefs, it does not appear that they have made any other acquifitions. It is true, that several French and Spanish colonies are added to our dominions upon the continent, together with a vast extent of wilderness, but that is nothing to the prefent colonists: their land is decreafed, and not increased in value by these additions, and their trade is worse instead of better; for the more land is to be purchased on the continent, fo much the less will any purchaser give for what is now occupied; the greater poffeffions we have on the continent of North America, and the greater quantity of indigo, rice, tobacco, hemp, flax, fur, and timber that are thence imported, fo much less muft each colony gain by her trade in thefe articles, and these are the commodities with which they pay their taxes. Who then have been gainers by our late war in America? The answer is plain, Great Britain has gained exceedingly.'

There are many other particulars, of great curiofity, as well as importance, in this very valuable tract; to which we must refer our Readers for farther fatisfaction. The fum and conclufion of the Author's whole chain of reafoning is this: that our English fubjects on the continent of America are very little in our debt.-That if the debt were much greater, we should recover no part of it by the late ftamp-act; on the contrary, that we fhall lofe, inftead of gaining by that tax, because the colonists being univerfally discontent, not without fome appearance of reafon, will no longer confume our manufactures, and even though they were defirous of confuming them as formerly, they cannot poffibly pay for them under fo heavy a tax, but whatever fums we receive in the way of tax, we shall lofe at least as much in the way of trade, and with this immenfe lofs of trade we shall fuftain a fimilar lofs of our best subjects. Therefore repealing the stamp-act is the most probable way of securing the ftrength, and increasing the riches of Great Britain and America.'

POETICA L.

Art. 20. Pollio, an Elegiac Ode, written in the Wood near R→→→ Cafle, 1762. 4to. 1s. T. Payne.

There is genuine enthusiasm, vigour of thought, and natural expreffion in this little poem, which is a tribute to the Author's brother. The defcription of the caftle, that is a principal object in the scene, has dignity and characteristic propriety:

High

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High o'er the pines that with their darkening shade
Surround yon craggy bank, the castle rears
Its crumbling turrets: ftill its towery head
A warlike mien, a füllen grandeur wears.
So midft the fnow of age, a boastful air

Still on the war-worn veteran's brow attends;
Still his big bones his youthful prime declare,

Though, trembling o'er the feeble crutch, he bends.
Wild round the gates the dufky wall flowers creep,

Where oft the knights the beauteous dames have led;
Gone is the bower, the grot a ruin'd heap,

Where bays and ivy o'er the fragments spread.

These, and every other object in those retreats, where the Author had experienced with his brother the happy amufements of young Simplicity, naturally renew his grief and complaints for his lofs, which, indeed, appear by no means unreafonable, when we are told of this brother, that Him with her purest flames the Muse endow'd, Flames never to th' illiberal thought allied;

The facred fifters led where Virtue glow'd

In all her charms; he faw, he felt, and died.

Nervous, and elegant both in the fentiment and expreffion!-There is;
Likewife, confiderable merit in the following ftanzas:

How dreary is the gulph, how dark, how void,
The tracklefs fhores that never were repast!
Dread feparation! on the depth untried

Hope faulters, and the foul recoils aghaft.
Wide round the fpacious heaven I caft my eyes;
And fhall thefe ftars glow with immortal fire,
Still fhine the lifeless glories of the skies,

And could thy bright, thy LIVING foul expire ?
Far be the thought-the pleafures moft fublime,
The glow of friendfhip, and the virtuous tear,
The towering with that icorns the bounds of time,
Chill'd in this vale of death, but languish here,
So plant the vine on Norway's wintry land,
The languid ftranger feebly buds and dies:
Yet there's a clime where virtue shall expand
With godlike ftrength, beneath her native kies.
The lonely fhepherd on the mountain's fide,
With patience waits the rofy-opening day;
The mariner at midnight's darkfome tide

With chearful hope expects the morning ray.

Thus I, on life's ftorm-beaten ocean tost,

In mental vision view the happy fhore,

Where Pollio beckons to the peaceful coaft,

Where Fate and Death divide the friends no more.

This Poem was printed at the Clarendon prefs in Oxford, and is, Cherefore, probably the production of some gentleman of that university.

L.

Art. 21.

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