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Papers relative to the Rupture with Spain. In French and Englife. Publifhed by Authority. 8vo. 3 s. Owen.

IN

N the arrangement of thefe Papers, the Editor has fhewn uncommon negligence and inattention. Some are difpofed contrary to their due order, and others printed twice over; fb that he feems induftrioufly to have contributed all in his power to render ftill more confufed and embarrassed, a collection of itself fufficiently perplexed and obfcure.,

As to the matter of these Papers, fo far as they relate to the juftice of the Spanish Claim to the Newfoundland Fishery, and other demands, we cannot form a clear and precife judgment, fince many documents feem wanting to connect the chain of Negociation on thefe heads. But fo far as they regard the mode in which the Spanish court preferred their Claim, and their collufive practices with our enemies, they afford the clearcft conviction. of a fecret compact between them, with a view of forcing us to accede to unequal and difadvantageous terms of peace. Indeed, from the moment that the Spaniards avowed the Memorial fo irregularly and infolently prefented by the hands of M. Buffy, it required no deep political penetration to perceive that their long-concealed jealoufy was ripened into profeffed enmity, and that they only waited a favourable opportunity for an open rupture. The Inftructions of Mr. Pitt, to our Ambaflador at the Spanish court, relative to this Memorial, are fuch as not only prove him a fpirited patriot, but an able politician.

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Although (fays he) in the course of this Inftruction to your Excellency, I could not, with fuch an infolent Memorial from France before me, but proceed on the fuppofition, that, infidious as that court is, he could not dare to commit in fuch a manner the name of his Catholic Majefty, without being authorized thereto; I must not, however, conceal from your Excellency, that it is thought poffible, here that the court of France, though not wholly unauthorized, may, with her ufual artifice in Negociation, have put much exaggeration into this matter: and in cafe, upon entering into remonftrances on this affair, you fhall perceive a difpofition in M. Wall to explain away and difavow the authorization of Spain to this offenfive tranfaction of France, and to come to categorical and fatisfactory declarations, relatively to the final intentions of Spain, your Excellency will, with readiness, and your ufual addrefs, adapt yourself to fo defirable a circumitance, and will open to the court of Madrid as handsome a

retreat

retreat as may be, in cafe you perceive from the Spanish Mimitter that they fincerely wish to find one, and to remove, by ad effectual fatisfaction, the unfavourable impreffions, which this Memorial of the court of France has justly and unvoidably made on the mind of his Majesty.".

The judicious, moderate, and politic ftyle of these Inftructions, is alone fufficient to refute the enemies of this Minister, who have invidioufly infinuated that he was eager in promoting a War with Spain. If, upon notice of their having figned a fecret Treaty with France, he recommended measures, which by the majority were deemed rash and unadvifeable, yet the event leaves us room to wish that temerity had prevailed over moderation. Indeed, under the circum-. ftances in which we ftood in relation to the Spanish court,. who had given the clearest demonstrations of their fecret enmity against us, and endeavoured to delude us by temporizing arts, the moft effectual method of obtaining a prompt and fatisfactory explanation, feems to have been that of making the demand by perfons armed with power to refent equivocation and delay immediately.

It does not become us to enquire into the reafons which may have influenced thofe, who preferred the Languór of legatine Negociation, to the more fpirited propofal of a naval equipment, which, if it could not have obliged them to have been fincere, would, at least, have compelled them to have been juft. But, as fuch meafures were thought most expedient, it would be unjust not to acknowlege, that the dif patches of Lord Egremont on this occafion are precife, animated, and judicious; and afford the moft favourable inftances of his Lordship's Ministerial talents. The dispatches likewife from Lord Bristol do great honour to that nobleman, who, throughout this nice and difficult part of his Embaffy, feems to have conducted himfelf with great vigilance, judgment, and difcretion, and to have known the art of relaxing occafionally, without departing from the dignity of his character.

In few words, thefe Papers bear, honourable teftimony of the parts and abilities of the feveral Minifters, whofe names are fubfcribed to them and fuch fpecimens give us ftrong reason to hope, that, when the bleffings of peace fshall be reftored, the treaty, which fecures that long wifhed for and defirable end, will free us from the reproach of lofing by the pen, what we have won by the fword. Q3

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MONTHLY

MONTHLY CATALOGUE,

For MARCH, 1762.

POLITICA L.

Art. 1. Obfervations on the Papers relative to the Rupture with Spain, laid before both Houses of Parliament, on Friday, the` 29th of January, 1762, by his Majefty's Command. In a Letter from a Member of Parliament to a Friend in the Country. 8vo. Is. Nicoll.

TH

HESE Obfervations are many of them very fpirited, and fome of them extremely pertinent. The Writer very juftly complains that fo much is withheld from our knowlege, that we cannot pretend with clearness to unravel the thread of the Negociation. Had the Public, he obferves, been gratified with a fight of the Memorials and Papers, relating to the Demand of Liberty for the Spanish nation to fish on the Banks of Newfoundland, (a matter held facred) and to the other Claims equally unjust, made by the Count de Fuentes, we might, with a tolerable degree of accuracy, have known fomething more of the merits of the prefent quarrel with Spain. But not one of thefe, he adds, appears; nor are other Memorials or Papers, which he afterwards takes notice of, to be found in the printed collection. With regard to his comment on those which are published, it favours too much of party zeal, and is little more than a profeffed panegyric on Mr. Pitt, with fome oblique farcafms on his fucceffors in the adminif tration. We cannot, indeed, but applaud the juft tribute which he pays to Mr. Pitt's active and vigorous adminiftration; but it is not neceffary to depreciate his fucceffors, in order to extoll him. Perhaps at the time of his refignation, it were to be wished that we might not have run the hazard of a change; hitherto, however, we have had the good fortune to find, that the alteration in the Ministry has not produced any relaxation of that ardor, activity, and vigilance, to which we may attribute all our fucceffes. And the late happy reduction of Martinico, is a proof that victory is not altogether chained to the chariot-wheels of any particular Minister.

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Art. 2. A Continuation* of the Address to the City of London. 8vo. 1 s. 6d. R. Davis.

This gentleman gives hard, very hard knocks, and feems deter mined to follow his blow. Mr. P-, it feems, is to pay fauce, as the phrafe is, for his entertainment at Guildhall, at the memorable festival there, in the year 1751.- But, a truce with thefe difagreeable retrospects: why should they interrupt our rejoicings for the conquest of Martinico?

See the first part, Review for February laft, page 149.

Art. 3.

Art. 3. The Rofciad of Covent Garden. By the Author. 4to.

is. 6d.

Gretton.

This unequal imitator of a late celebrated piece, abuses the lower actors of Covent-Garden Theatre, with more than Churchill's illnature; and praises the better fort with lefs, far lefs, than Churchill's Poetry. He alfo falls outrageoufly on the Reviewers; from whence we conclude he has had fome former production condemned by them. We wish it were in our power to make him amends on the prefent occafion; but, in truth, we can neither honeftiy approve either his fubject or his writing: however, it must be acknowleged, he has fome good lines; and if, as we conjecture, he is but a stripling in Poetry, here are indications of genius that time may improve into fomething confiderable enough to exempt him from the censure of those fellmonsters the Reviews, of whom he afferts, that they crush the products of each infunt Mufe. An infant Mufe, however, like other froward brats, may not be the worse for a little proper correction; although, while fmarting under the lafh, it miftakenly confiders wholefome difcipline as unmerited chastisement, and unwarrantable cruelty of which, the Reviewers truft, no juft accufation can be brought against them. But it is not to be expected that thofe, whofe works they difapprove, should ever acquiefce in a judgment given against themfelves.

Art. 4. The Four Farthing Candles, a Satire. 4to. Is. Morley.

Thefe Farthing Candles are lighted up to finge the poetic plumes of Meffrs. Lloyd, Churchill, and Coleman; with whofe names the . Author has thought proper to join that of Sh-l-y: with what propriety we cannot pretend to fay.There are fome smart things in his Poem; but his denying the applauded Author of the Refcias any fhare of genius, is enough to make every difcerning Reader question that of our Satyrift himself; or, at leaft, to pronounce him utterly deftitute of candor. Can any thing be more abfurd than the following lines, applied to Mr. Churchill?

-When a rough unweildy wight

Turns Bard-infpir'd-by nought but fpite,
Tho' here and there a ftolen thought

May prove the Blockhead not untaught,

Yet, by his aukward bobling gait

We eafily difcern the cheat;

And in each fpleen-fraught line can trace

His want of Genius, as of Grace."

Surely this can be no other than that very mean abuse with which our Author charges the gentlemen he has here taken upon him to correct, for the fame offence!—

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Art. 5. An Epistle to the Author of the Four Farthing Candles. By the Author of the Rofciad of Covent Garden. 4to. 6d. Nicoll.

Haft thou not obferved, Reader, when the great powers of Europe fignify their hoftile intentions toward each other, and the recruiting parties begin to rattle their drums about the town, how the little grenadiers of every ftreet clap on their paper caps and wooden fwords, mimic the fpirit-ftirring found with their Bartholomew toys, and ftrut, and play the hero with almost as good an air as if they were paid eight-pence a day for their performance ?-In like manner, when real Poets on any, or on no provocation, bran difh their adverfe pens, and with more than martial rage, fall to tearing each others laurels from their frowning foreheads, then do the puny witlings and verfifiers, with mimic fury, go pell-mell t gether by their affes-ears, and Fool! Puppy! Coxcomb! Blockhead! are alternately given and received,-to convince the laughing by. ftanders, that if these Poets, or Bards in miniature, have not the gemius of a *********, or a **, they can boast, and rave, and rail, and call names, and abuse, as manfully as thofe who for their fuperior talents, are allowed to take the lead of the mob.-But these angry boys, who have the impudence thus to pretend to squabble and difpute with each other for the Bays, while none of them have any real claim to the smallest fprig, deferve only a good whipping with a bush of nettles; to quiet them; or, if it should appear that the idle gentry thus difturb the neighbourhood, for want of fome lefs offenfive employment, let them take a hint from the prefent Epiftle, and, Leaving all poetic strains

To those whom Heaven has blefs'd with brains;
Some honest occupation chufe,

As, fweeping treets, or cleaning shoes.

Art. 6. Songs in the new Burletta of Midas. As it is performed at the Theatre-Royal in Crow-fireet, Dublin. 8vo. 1 s. London, re-printed by Nicoll.

Whether fuch phænomena as Oratorios, Operas, Cantatas, Burlettas, &c. can be confidered as acceffions to the republic of letters, and whether they merit a place in a literary journal, more than a new magazine or a polite fongfter, is a difputable point with us. Of this ftrange droll thing called Midas, we know not what to make, unless, as fome thought of the Beggar's Opera, it has a political meaning. Ay, ay, it must be fo. Arrah! ye Irith wags, ye Crow-ftreet Politicians, we know well enough whom you mean by your Pan and Sol and Midas and Silenus's wife.- But mum.

L

Art. 7. Horace's firft Satire modernized, and addreffed to Facol

Henriques. 4to. Is. Cooke.

This excellent Satire on Inconftancy and Avarice, is here humorously and pleasantly applied to our own times and manners.

The infa

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