those two years, the nominal receipt of fuch an incumbent would have been 441. only; equal in real value to an income of 291. 6s. 8d. at the period in which the compofition was made. Nothing is more to be lamented, than the general reception that fome of the fpecious paralogifms to be found in the celebrated work of Dr. Adam Smith, on the Wealth of Nations, have obtained: among the most erroneous of these is the argument by which he attempts to show that the price of wheat determines the value of money; an opinion, however, which did not originate with him. No circumstance at the end of the seventeenth century indirated a fall of corn, and the danger of adopting of á corn rent ; but it is otherwile now. The growing augment of importation it is highly probable, will render potatoes ultimately a very general crop, the initial effect of which will be to reduce the price of wheat with the demand. It would be easy to prove, if this were the place, that the national income will not be diminished thereby; and the payment of foreigners for corn being fo annihilated, and the balance of the precious metals increased, that the price of other commodities will rife with fomewhat of an increased celerity. The commutation, however propofed to be fettled, muft either at first, or ultimately, transter part of the income of the ti.he owner to the landlord or tenant, and Mr. Cove rightly contends, that this is, in either cafe, a transfer of a legal and just right of the preprictor, to a perfon who has never paid the purchase or hire of it; but who, on the contrary, had an abatement made in the fum paid for the land, or the ufe of it, even more than equal in value to the unmodified claim of the tithing man. In the laft divifion of this tract the impolicy of the meagire is amply infifted on. We have confidered the other branches of the fubject so much at large, mixing the analysis of the work with comments on fome of its parts, that in this we must be more brief than its importance feems to dictate. From what a fimilar experiment on church property led to in a neighbouring kingdom, he warns us againit tampering with, it here. The clergy," he tightly urges, and the lay impro priators derivatively from them, hold their tithes by a more ancient and indefeafible title, than attaches, perhaps, to any other landed property in the kingdom," their title being of Saxon origin and if we confider the clergy, in refpect of their benefices, as beneficiaries, duly and perpetually performing the condition of the grant, their title must be of the highest kind. Nor, Nor, as he further ftates, can the incomes of the clergy be diminished without danger to the flate from another caufe. For the church muft, in fuch a cafe, be perpetually fupplied with minifiers taken from a lower clafs of fociety; whose parents will be totally unequal to the expence of giving them a liberal education: and when the profeffors of religion fal fucceffively from refpect to disregard, and from difregard to difefteem: religion will lofe its necellary force in fociety, and government its beft fupport. We cannot avoid obferving, that if a corn rent had been established in the end of the feventeenth century, in lieu of tithes, fuch nearly would have been the ftate of religion in this country, when those peftilent anarchical principles which have brought Europe to the verge ruin, were at their height here. As it was, we have weathered the storm hitherto with great difficulty and exertion, although now it can be only faid to have a little abated, not to have fubfided into a calm. But in that cafe, it would have raged with greater strength, and we should have been lefs prepared to meet it: and what the event would have been, every one may figure to himself. of Even in that part of his inquiry, where we have, without referve,, expreffed our diffent from Mr. Cove, the excellence, of his intention is obvious: as to the others, he has added to the obligation the church and the state were before under 10 him, for his capital defence of the rights of the former. This fupplemental publication abounds alfo with ftrong arguments, and proofs of the writers extenfive research and information. BRITISH CATALOGUE. POETRY. ART. 13. The Pride of Birth: a Satire, in Imitation of the Eighth Satire of Juvenal. With Notes, critical and illuftrative; adapted to the Characters and Manners of the present Age. 4to. 37 pp. Caw. thorne. 1801. Imitations of Juvenal, even though tolerably written, appear infi pid, unless they attain the fententious dignity and energy of the origi nal. In this refpect, the two Satires of Dr. Johnson have hitherto left all competitors far behind them. The writer before us does not often rife above mediocrity; and many of the pointed fentences of the Ro man 1 man fatirift are feebly or awkwardly expreffed by the English imitator. The following lines, which are a paraphrafe of the terfe fentence, Omne animi vitium tanto confpe&ius in se Crimen habet, quanto major qui peccai habetur, are among the best of his imitations: yet fome of them might eafily have been better expressed. "Honour's a torch that cafts a fpreading light, Which none fhould feek whofe deeds would fhun the fight: Or all thy vice produce in broadeft day. Think not it gives that worth it only bows; The infamous ftory of a bet made at Drury-Lane Theatre, even if true, fhould have been omitted, as it could not be related in other than grofs terms. The notes are only remarkable for perfonalities, without much fhrewdness of remark or neatness of observation. The author is both uncandid and unjust in his farcasms on the Poet Laureat; whose New Year and Birth-day Odes are fuperior to what might be expected, even from an elegant and ingenious writer, if we confider the great difficulty of producing any thing like novelty on fuch occafions. They far excel thofe of all his predeceffors fince the time of Dryden, Warton alone excepted; and even the Odes of Warton, though fuperior in particular paffages, are perhaps inferior, upon the whole, to thofe of his fucceffor. Of Mr. Pye's Carmen Seculare, we think very differently from this writer. But he fne rs even at Mr Gifford; an author, who has difplayed more of the fire of Juvenal than any poet of the prefent day, and infinitely more than this gentleman is likely ever to attain. ART. 14. The Vale of Trent. A Poem. 1801. 12mo. 29 pp. 28. Hurft. The Preface of this writer is fo modeft and unaffuming, that we are unwilling wholly to condemn his work. He defcribes himself as "a young author," we may therefore, without offence, fay, that he has much to learn, and above all things fhould attend to the precept of Horace, which makes " good fenfe the foundation of good poetry." Hitherto he has only acquired fome fkill in verfification; but we look in vain, through his defcriptions, for jutt tafte or perfpicuity; and, though here and there we may find a few good lines, it is out of our power to produce a pleafing and unexceptionable paffage, We would not, however, difcourage an author who appears to have a good ear, and an enthufiaftic admiration of the beauties of nature; but recommend to him the ftudy of our beft writers, and a diligent attention to correctnefs and propriety of expreffion, before he ventures on a fecond attempt. See the review of it in Brit. Crit. vol. xv. p. 73. au ART. ART. 15. A Peep at Provincial Routs. A Poem. 4to. 15 pp. 13. This writer (for we fhall not be justified in calling him a poet) is too vehement and indignant in his language, confidering the fubject of which he treats. He juttly reprobates walle, and the indulgence of luxury in the higher claffes of fociety; yet, at the entertainment he defcribes, tea alone appears to have been diftributed. With like juftice he inveighs against ganing, but does not alledge high play to prevail at thofe Routs, which are the fubject of his fatire. In a note at the conclufion, he very properly difclaims the intention of confidering "cards, when reforted to merely as an amusement, in a vicious light;" and we agree with him in condemning them, when they become a bufiness and confirmed gaming." Yet his Mufe will not, we fear, effect the diffolution of the trivolous affemblies he ftigmatizes (of which, wafte of time is perhaps the greatest evil); nor will he cafily outfcold the Dowagers and Tabbies who frequent them. DRAMATIC. ART. 16. Ramah Droog: a Comic Opera, in Three Alts, as per formed with univerfal dpplaufe at the Theatre-Royal, Covent-Garden. By James Cobb, Esq. Svo. 74 PP. 25. Longman and Rees. 1800. Our affociates refident in the country, obferve that operas and farces, and even comedies and tragedies, when referred to their opinion, are almoft fure to be reported of in a way very different from that which had been experienced at the theatres-royal in London. They declare that they cannot confider, nor make allowances for, the plan on which plays feem to them now generally written; that is, not for the audience, but for the actors. If one of thefe (fay our friends) excels in grimace, another in comic action, or a third in ranting; the play is written with the fole defign of exhibiting these respective powers. Humour and drollery, wit and fentiment, real pathos and fublimity, are altogether unflential to the piece itfelf; provided the actor be placed in a fituation proper for fubftitating any counterfeits in their room. The Comic Opera of Ramah Droog, is produced as a complete cafe in point. It is faid to be really performed, at Covent-Garden, with applaufe fo univerfal, that the auditors (or rather the spectators) have fhaken the house by peals of laughter and yet (continue our friends) we may defy any reader to discover in it one particle of humour or drollery (a few trite vulgarifus excepted) or a fingle incident, that can move the muscles of any perfon the most addicted to rifibility. ART. 17. Wilmore Caftle: a new Comic Opera, in Two Alts, as performed with confiderable Applause at the Theatre- Royal, Drury-Lane. The Mufic entirely New, by Mr. Hook. Written by R. Houlton, M. B. Second Edition.y8y0. 36 pp. 16. 6d. Weftley. 1800. ART. 18. The Jew and the Doctor: a Farce, in Two Acts, as per formed at the Theatre-Royal, Covent-Garden. By Thomas Dibdin. 8vo. 32 pp. 15. Longman and Rees. 1800. ART. 19. Having beftowed an ample fhare of notice upon Ramah Droog, we may difpatch thefe three pieces (for they are not worth difcriminating) by faying generally, "He's knight o' th' fhire, and represents them all." ART. 20. Teatro Italiano offia Commedie e Tragedie degli Autori piu celebri. Raccolte da Leonardo Nardini ad, ufo degli ftudiofi della Lins gua Italiana. Three Volumes. 12mo. ros. 6d. Dulau. 1800. The two firft volumes contain feven Comedies; the two first of these are by Gio. Gherardo de Roffi, the third by March. Albergati Capa- celli. The fourth, fifth, and fixth, by Carlo Goldoni, the feventh by Scipione Maffei. The third volume contains Tragedies only. Three by Vittorio Alfieri, one by the Ab. Vincenzo Menti, and one by Sci pione Maffei. Alfieri, the author of three of thefe Tragedies, is alive, and has been diftinguished by his republican enthufiafm; but the part of his works here given, have little or nothing that is exceptionable. The compiler of this work has already reputably diftinguifhed himself by fimilar publications; and thefe three volumes may properly be put into the hands of young perfons as containing nothing pernicious, but, on the contrary, will be found both inftructive and entertaining. NOVELS. ART. 21. The Runaway; or, the Seat of Benevolence. A Novel. In Four Volumes. By Mr. Smith. 8vo. 145. Crosby and Letter man. 1800. We have heard that there are perfons, whofe appetite for novels is fo keen, that, whenever they can find leifure from cards and feandal, they will devour several volumes in a day. It must be fuppofed, that fuch an appetite is not accompanied by a very difcriminating or faftidious tafte, but will be fatisfied with coarfe food and ftrong feafoning. To those who poffefs it, we may recommend thefe volumes; in which they will find plenty of love, fuch as it is, ufually at first fight; characters, adventures, and incidents, exceedingly various and furprifing; a pictures of the inside of a houfe of ill-fame, in which all the vifitors (with "a parfon and a methodist preacher" among them) are alarmed, and brought together, at midnight; a lively ketch of a rape; which is followed, however, by an honourable and happy union of the parties. They who are captivated by thefe famples, may have recourse to the work itfelf; where they will find great extravagance of sentiment, affociated with as much meannefs of language. ART, |