the power of the different climates they inhabit. The American ought therefore to love this country much better than that wherein either he or his forefathers were born. Here the rewards of his induftry follow with equal fteps the progrefs of his labour; his labour is founded on the bafis of nature, Jelf-intereft; can it want a stronger allurement? Wives and children, who before in vain demanded of him a morfel of bread, now, fat and frolickfome, gladly help their father to clear those fields whence exuberant crops are to arite to feed and to clothe them all; without any part being claimed, either by a defpotic prince, a rich abbot, or a mighty lord. Here religion demands but little of him; a small voluntary falary to the minifter, and gratitude to God; can he refuse these? The American is a new man, who acts upon new principles; he must therefore entertain new ideas, and form new opinions. From involuntary idleness, fervile dependence, penury, and useless labour, he has paffed to toils of a very different nature, rewarded by ample fubfiftence.--This is an American." [To be concluded in our next ] ART. XI. Obfervations on Dr. Johnson's Life of Hummond. 4:0. Is. 6d. Brown. 1782. UNW NWILLING to acquiefce in the decifions of Dr. Johnfon against the poetical pretenfions of Hammond, our Author has gallantly entered the lifts with him, and has, notwithstanding the Goliath of Literature is his antagonist, very ably defended his favourite bard from the furious attacks of the critic. The Elegies of Hammond, fays he, have hitherto been allowed to exprefs the paffion of Love in the language of nature. The determination of Doctor Johnfon, therefore, cannot be heard without furprize, when he declares, that they have neither paffion, nature, nor manners; and the admirers of thete poems must be ready to conclude, if his opinion be juft, that there is no inconfiderable defect both in their feelings and their judgments. It is remarkable that the learned writer fhould not have mentioned (for it could not have escaped his extensive reading), that thefe Elegies are clofe imitations, and in many parts exact tranflations of fome of the Elegies of Tibullus. But, perhaps, if he were determined to condemn him, he might be aware, that fo near an alliance to the Roman poet would obviate the force of his feverity, and deftroy the acrimony of his centure. • Tibullus, whole tame the admiration of ages has rendered facred and inviolate, has confeffedly defcrived the paflion of love in a manner fuperior to every other poe'. But there is, perhaps, a period, beyond which the description of what we ceafe to feel, however delightfully reprefented, can no longer amute; end it is even poffible, when pathion thali nave totally fublided, we may forget there ever was a feafon when the charms of beauty were enchanting. • Where • Where their merits, in other refpects, are nearly equal, imitative is doubtlefs inferior to original compofition; and the admirer of Hammond cannot but confefs, that the luftre of his poetry would be diminished, were the rays which he has borrowed from Tibullus restored to their original fource: it may, however, with juftice be contended, that they fuffer no diminution of fplendour from the medium through which they pafs. To connect the fpirit with the fentiments of an original, conftitutes the chief excellence of a tranflation. By this union, Hammond certainly obtains a peculiar diftinction. The filence of his biographer in this respect, has conferred upon him the highest praife. If he were ignorant of the Elegies being imitations, they must bear uncommon marks of originality to elude the penetration of fo fagacious a critic; and if he were apprized of it, fince his obfervations breathe nothing but cenfure, it is evident that an acknowledgment was not confiftent with his plan. I fhall first examine the Ninth Elegy, from which Doctor Johnfon has impartially selected a quotation. He is very fevere upon Mr. Hammond's mode of courtship. A lover who threatens his mistress with dying, he fays, furnishes her with a fufficient excufe for rejecting him*. Though many have doubtless obtained the affections of the fair by milder and more gentle expedients; and probably the Doctor has been one of the happy number † ; yet should not humanity have prompted him to exprefs fome pity for thofe whom fate had driven to fuch defperate extremities? Haud ignara mali, miferis fuccurrere difco. VIRG. EN. Touch'd with misfortunes I myself have known, * The fentiments of Rouffeau upon this fubject are different from thofe of Doctor Johnfon; and he, I believe, is generally acknowledged to have known fomething of the female heart. To this refolation of her lover--Demain vous ferez contente, & quoique vous en puiffez dire, j'aurai moins fait que de partir--the charming Eloifa makes the following reply-Infenfé! fi mes jours te font chers, crain d'attenter aux tiens. + An inference drawn, we fuppofe, from fome love-verfes of Dr. Johnson's (for even the Door has written his love-verles; et in Arcadia ego, he may fay), in which, among others, are the following chafte and Arcadian ideas: While all my with and thine complete, By turns we languish and we burn, Our fighs let fighing gales repeat, Our murmurs murmuring brooks return. MIDSUMMER'S WISH, Pearch's Collection. The The critical Reader, on a perufal of this well-written pamphlet, will agree with us, that the arguments it contains are fpirited, ingenious, and conclufive. MONTHLY CATALOGUE, For AUGUST, 1782. POLITICAL. Art. 12. A Speech of William Jones, Efq; to the affembled Inhabitants of the Counties of Middlefex and Surrey, the Cities of London and Westminster, &c t. May 28, 1782. 8vo. 6 d. Dilly. IN N this judicious and fpirited oration, Mr. Jones attacks, with fkill and fuccefs, the only specious argument' which, he says, he hath any where heard, against a change in the parliamentary reprefentation of the people,' viz That "a Conftitution, which bath flood for ages, ought not to be altered." This objection,' he adds, appears, on a superficial view, so plaufible, and applies itself fo winningly to the hearts of Englifomen, who have an honest prejudice for their established fyftem, without having, in general, very diftinét ideas of it, that a detection of the fopbijm, for fuch I engage to prove it, becomes abfolutely neceffary, &c.' This very difcerning orator admits that the Spirit of the Conftitution ought not to be changed; but he proves that the form wants correction and then proceeds to demonftrate, that the spirit of our Conftitution requires a reprefentation of the people, nearly equal, and nearly t univerfal.' After quoting, among other authorities, in proof of this hypothefis (in the fupport of which the Author is countenanced by MANY other able advocates), an act of the English Legislature, paffed near four hundred years ago §, and af.er justly exploding and execrating the baneful feudal principle, which confined the right of Englishmen, with refpect to the choice of their reprefentatives in parliament, to landed * Celebrated for his oriental learning, and other literary accomplishments. + At the London Tavern. Our Author fays nearly univerfal; for he admits, that our Conftitution, both in form and fpirit, requires fime property in electors, either real or perfonal, in peff. ffion or in action; ' but I confider,' fays he, ́ a fair trade or profeffion as valuable property, and an Englishman, who can fupport himself by honeft indulry, though in a low ftation, has often a more i dependent mind than the prodigal owner of a large encumbered eftate.' § The feventh of Hen. IV. 'What,' he asks, caufed the abfurd, yet fatal, diftinction be. tween property, perfonal and real? The feudal principle. What created another odious distinction between free and base holdings, and thus excluded copy helds of any value? The feudal principle. 6 What landed property only,ne cites the opinion of Judge Blackstone (a man who was never fufpećted of holding democratical fentiments), who openly allows, in his Commentary," that the fpirit of our Conflitation is in favour of a more complete reprefentation of the people." As to the fashionable doctrine of virtual reprefentation, he treats it with the numont derison. I hold it, fays he, to be actual folly; as childish as if they were to talk of negative reprefentation, and to contend that it involved any positize idea Subtitute the word delegation or deputation, instead of reprefentation, and you will instantly fee the ablurdity of the conceit. Dies a man, who is virtually, not actually, reprefented, delegate or depute any perion to make thole laws, which may affect his property, his freedom, and his life? None; for he has no fuffrage. How then is he reprefented according to the principles of ou. conflitution? As well might a Roman ɩyrant have urged, that all his vaffals were reprefented in his perfon: he was augur and high priest; the religious ftate was, therefore, reprefented by him: he was tribune of the people; the popular part of the nation were, therefore, reprefented: he was conful, dictator, mafter of the horfe, every thing he pleafed; the civil and military ftates were, therefore, concentrated in him; the next deduction would have been, that the flaves of his empire were free mer, There is no end of abfurdities deducible frem fo idle a play upon words.' We need not here add a word in fupport of our learned Orator's contemptuous idea of virtual reprefentation. The absurdity of that doctrine was clearly fhewn by us, in a former review, when difcuffing the claims of America, with refpect to the great question of reprefentation and taxation. Art. 13. Thoughts on the Propriety of diffolving the prefent Par liament. 8vo. Is. Fielding. 1782. The Author expatiates in behalf of that branch of the prerogative by which the Crown can occafionally fhorten the duration of Parliaments, in order, by a change of men, to procure a change of meafures, when the public weal may feem to require it; and he infits on the expediency of his Majefty's exercising that right, at this juncture [the beginning of July, 1782], with a view to give full effect to the popular plans of the ministry: toward whom he fuppofes the prefent Houfe of Commons to bear no cordial affection. His opinionbut the fpeculations of any private individual, on the fubject of fuch a flate-manœuvre, can be of little confequence to the Public. What introduced an order of men, called villains, transferable, like cattle, with the land which they flocked? The feudal principle. What excludes the holders of beneficial leafes? The feudal principle. What made perfonalty, in thofe times, of little or no estimation? The feudal principle. What raifed the filly notion, that the property, not the perfon, of the subject was to be reprefented? The feudal principle. What prevented the large provifion in the act of Henry IV. by which all freeholders were declared electors, from being extended to all holders of property, however denominated, however inconfiderable? The fame internal principle, which then fubdued and Rifled the genuine equalifing fpirit of our conftitution.' L 3 Art. Art. 14. A Letter of Congratulation from Britannia to the King, on the Change of the Miniftry. 8vo. 1 s. Debret. Britannia had, in June laft, when this pamphlet was published, the most extravagant expectations from the new Miniftry. By this time, perhaps, the may have learnt the old fong of Alteration,'and- Moderation.' Art. 15. The Revolution in 1782, impartially confidered. 4to. i 1 s. 6d. Debret. The Author feverely arra gns and condemns the late adminiftration, and is extremely fanguine in his ideas of the virtue and wisdom of the new ministry. This tract was published, perhaps too precipitately, in April 1782. AFFAIRS OF IRELAND. Art. 16. A Speech intended to have been spoken, on the Apellant Jurifdiction of the House of Lords of Ireland. By Lord Vifcount Moun morres. 8vo. I S. Evans, Strand. 1782. As this Speech was not delivered in the Houfe, we must confider it as a fmall treatise on the subject above mentioned. As fuch it may be recommended to those who are curious in inquiries relative to the jurifdictive power of the Irish Parliament. Lord Mountmories traces the fubject, and enters into its hiftory, from the earliest annals of Ireland, fubfequent to the æra of her firft connection with England, in the time of our fecond Henry. He decides the question entirely in favour of the legal independency, the chartered rights and fupreme jurifdiction, of the Irish Houfe of Peers. The act of the 6th of Geo. I. is no fun bling-block to his lordship; who takes proper notice of that declaratory law, and has exploded it, with a force that will operate at least to the full conviction of every patriotic Irish man. РОЕТ ICA L. Art. 17. Hymns adapted to the Circumflances of Public Worship and private Devotion. By John Fawcett. Small 8vo. 2 s. bound. We doubt not but thefe effufions of the pious Mufe will be highly acceptable to thofe for whofe entertainment and edification they were immediately defigi ed. I hey are orthodox, though not deeply fhaded with the horrors of Calvinifm: they are warm and animated, though they do not run into the exceffes of enthufiafm To mark their faults would be an ungrateful employment; and the piety of the Author' delign repreffes the rigour of criticifm.-As a fpecimen of Mr. Fawcett's talent for poetry, we give our Readers the following Hyma on Spring: I. Lo! the bright, the rofy morning Calls me forth to take the air; Cheerful Spring, with fmiles returning, Uthers in the new-born year. Nature, now in all her beauty, II. See! |