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Throughout the fickly day;

Thou fhed'ft a luftre on a crown,
Nor doft, when Fates adverfely frown,
Refufe thy lenient fway.

The joys of Learning charm the mind
When roving free and unconfin'd
Along the vale or hill;

They charm in ruftic ftate when laid
Under the hawthorn's grateful fhade,
Or by the pebbled rill.

To Science then direct thy view,
Her angel form with zeal purfue,

While circling years fhall flow;
Increase in knowledge as in days,
And always deem it highest praife,
Her myfteries to know.

Short is the date of human life,
A checquer'd fcene of varied ftrife,
The page of Science wide;
Wifdom by long experience grows,
Great fkill from live-long ftudy flows,
Be Learning then thy pride.

Great Cato, of immortal fame,
That honour of the Roman name,
When now advanc'd in age,
Did not with haughty mein difdain
New fprings of Learning to obtain,
But con'd the Grecian page."

The Ode to Peace opens with thefe lines, which conftitutes an animated apoftrophe :-

"Hail! charming dove-eyed fair,
Serene, engaging, mild,
In beauty far beyond compare,
Heav'n's true angelic child."`
Hear, nor fcorn the humble lay;
Hear a fuitor's ardent pray'r:
To thee my daily vows I pay,
To thee, my love, my joy, my care.

when

O when shall War, of iron heart,

Mov'd with thy beauties, lovely maid,
Sheathe the dire fword, and blunt the dart,
And heal the wounds his wrath has made?
How would it glad my ravifh'd foul,
To fee him proftrate to thee bend,

And own thy fweet divine controul,

And own thee for his mistress and his friend.

The Ode on the Neglect of Humble Merit, clofes with this fpirited addrefs, which, we truft, will conciliate at

tention :

"O ye, the favour'd fons of Britain's ifle,

Whose days are smooth as yon unruffled ftream,
On whom dame Fortune cafts her fweeteft fmile,
Whofe hours with unimpeded pleasure teem:
Seek out for "worth by poverty depreft,"
And kindly aid it by your foftering care,
Nor longer let it lie unknown, unbleft,
But rife, and all its genuine fplendour bear.
Thus fhall your never-dying name,
Enroll'd in all the lifts of fame,

To late pofterity defcend;

Sooner fhall ceafe to fing the virgin-choir,

Sooner Apollo ceafe to ftrike the lyre,

Than the loud voice of Fame forget the Mufes' friend.
Britannia too will thank your tender care,

And you her only fons of genuine birth declare.

We are

With the Satires, particularly the two firft, we are not fo well pleafed. They are too perfonal. forry to see the peaceful Mufe interfering with the troubled politics of the day. Her efforts fhould be to foothe, not irritate the paffions of those whom the ftrives to mend.

The Sonnet to Glory, is well conceived, and happily expreffed. We fhall infert it :

TO GLORY.

"On the proud fummit of yon craggy fteep
Tremendous, towers the golden dome of Fame,
Where thades of heroes ftand in long array;
Emblazon'd on whofe walls the ftoried name
Makes dangers fmile inviting, fteals away
The fenfe of woes, and gives our mortal eyes
To view Death's ghaftly grin, nor turn to weep.
Fired by the voice of Glory's trump fublime,
Mortals yon fu len crags undaunted climb,

While each nerve toils, and fwells each throbbing vein;
As when the fteed, with thunder-clothed mein,
Obfequious to the clanging clarion flies,

Swallows the ground, nor flays his dart-like fpeed,
Till panting, foaming, faint, he reach the place decreed,”

Upon the whole, notwithstanding fome blemishes by which juvenile productions are ufually characterized, and which a more mature genius will enable the Author to correct, this volume difplays a cultivated mind, capable of, and difpofed to ftill further improvements.

A New and General Biographical Dictionary, containing an Hiftorical and Critical Account of the Lives and Writings of the most Eminent Perfons in every Nation; particularly the British and Irish, from the earliest Accounts of Time to the prefent Period; wherein their remarkable Actions and Sufferings, their Virtues, Parts, and Learning are accurately difplayed, with a Catalogue of their Literary Productions. 15 vols. new edition, greatly enlarged and improved. Robinfons, &c. 51. 5s. in boards.

BIOGRAPHY has always been a favourite study with mankind. The domeftic fcenes, the private anec ́dotes, and the interesting situations of individuals, which

are

are here laid open to view, infure to it a welcome reception. We are therefore glad to point out any new publications on fo inftructive and entertaining a fubject.

The plan of this work is drawn out on the most extensive scale, and must on this account be necessarily defective. The last edition of it was made in 1784, and abounded with inaccuracies. Thefe are now rectified, and many new lives added. An Appendix alfo, which accompanied the former edition, has been incorporated into one alphabet. As a work of fuch extent must be fome time printing, oftentimes feveral eminent men die during this period. An Appendix, therefore, containing an account of them, however fhort, must be an acceptable addition. We are forry to find that the prefent work has no fuch addition, fince it would have contributed towards a greater degree of perfection.

The feveral lives are on the whole well written, though evidently by different hands. This circumftance produces both a diverfity of ftyle and fentiment. To fome, fuch a trait of variety will be acceptable, whilst others may think that the uniformity which ought to reign through a biographical performance is hereby deftroyed. Be that as it may, the work will be highly ufeful and entertaining to almoft every defcription of readers.

Of fo large a production it would be impoffible to felect a fpecimen fufficiently ample within the limits of our work, and this is the lefs neceffary, because we intend in the fucceffive Numbers of our Mifcellany to infert fome of the most interesting parts of this extensive Biography.

With refpect to the impartiality with which thefe lives are in general written, there is no reafon of complaint. Juftice, however, compels us to remark, that the merits of diffenting characters are not always fairly appreciated. Hints are thrown out which favour of illiberality. Even the enlightened and bene

$ 3

volent

volent Dr. Richard Price, is accufed of being infected with the modern philofophy. Surely the writer of that article muft have been grofsly blinded by party prejudice to have fuffered fuch an expreffion to escape his pen. Dr. Kippis, in his Biographia Britannica, paid his tribute of applause with the fame cheerfulness to churchmen as to diffenters. This impartiality redounds to his praise, and will reflect an honour on his memory when party prejudices and partial writers fhall be alike forgotten.

An Impartial and Comprehenfive View of the prefent State of Great Britain-containing, I. The Advantages which we enjoy, and which arife from Natural, Moral, or Political Caufes; and have occafioned, or tend to promote, our Strength, Wealth, Health and Virtue, and Liberty as a Nation. II. The Difadvantages which we Labour under, and which affect our National Strength, Wealth, Health and Virtue, or Liberty. III. Methods of improving our Advantages, or turning them to the best Account. IV. Methods of removing or mitigating our Disadvantages, particularly for repairing our Finances. With an Appendix, on the prefent Scarcity of Gold and Silver. By the Rev. G. S. Keith, A. M. Author of Tracts on the Corn Laws, Weights, Measures and Coins, &c. Robinfons.

THE enormous length of this title page must have

given the reader a tolerable idea of the contents of this pamphlet. It is an abstract of the whole-and as fuch entitled to the attention of thofe who perufe it. But the work itself must be examined. It will be however fufficient to say, that it is well written in point of compofition-that its matter is exceedingly interefting, and that it is deferving the statesman's candid attention. It is true, that every thing under the afpect of reform is now ftudioufly rejected-but is not this of itfelf a proof

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