Not fo the other: with recital dread We take leave of this performance, with a well-meant hint to its ingenious Author, in regard to a defect which frequently occurs in his Verfification, arifing from his want of attention to the accentuation of particular words. This has given a harfhnefs to fome of his lines, which this young (as we are informed) and modeft Gentleman will do well to avoid in any future publication. The redundancy of the particle of in the fecond line, has an effect peculiarly unlucky, as every Reader may not observe that it can be no other than an error of the Prefs. Fables for groun Gentlemen: Or, A Fable for every Day in the Week. 4to. Is. 6d. Dodfley. HESE drofl Fables are uttered in very irregular, ar Tbitrary Metre and Rhymes, which may not conftantly fymphonize with the regulated ear of an over-delicate Connoiffeur, though they are well adapted to the comic fatyrical turn of the Fable and its Moral; and to the defultory style and manner of the whimsical Fabulift. Dean Swift feems to have been an original adventurer in a fort of licentious Verfification, in his Petition of Frances Harris: but these verses confifted, almost invariably, of very long, though generally équal lines, in a kind of rough trochaic measure, with immediately correfponding, and often double rhymes. Our prefent Verses are much more various both in the metre of different lines, and in the correspondence of the rhymes; notwithstanding fuch Verfes, or Verficles, (as the frequent Lilliputian ones among them may be termed) could not be composed by a writer who had not a poetical ear; neither will they be read off at once in their proper cadence, by a Reader fo unqualified. Indeed they are pretty exactly in the Atructure of an acknowleged Shandean production in rhyme, and of that happy imitation of it, which we gave at length in our Review, Vol. XXII. p. 437. Neither are the comic Ipitit, the knowlege of men and books, that often sparkle out out in these little sketches; with the ludicrous, yet juft defcriptions, the frequent digreffions, and apt double fimilies, that abound in them, diffimilar to thofe of the celebrated Triftram. As we do not pretend, however, to the mystery of decyphering the names of Writers, who chufe to have none, we fubmit our fuggeftion in this point to the judgment of the Reader: though we fhould think it not unlikely, that the Author of a burlefque novel might chufe to try his hand at fome more connected sketches in odd rhymes. There can be no doubt, however, but the prefent performance is either the production of that gentleman, or of fome ingenious friend, who admires his manner, and is a fuccessful imitator of it.But to give some specimens. The Thames being fuppofed to petition Jupiter, that the fea might return her nothing but the pure unadulterated stores The tranfmitted to it; after the God has anfwered her, that without her importations from the fea, fhe would prove as infignificant as the Tiber or Seine, Led through Parterres, or roll'd down a cascade, Our humorous and fenfible Mythologist thus fimilizes and 'Tis thus the Highlander complains, Inftead of cruel oat-meal gruel, Inftead of rags and heritable blows. Thus Dr. BROWN was taken with the fpleen, And fancied we were all undone, Raving about a carpet and a fkreen, As he fuppofes, For men to run in winter time Into the fun to warm their noses. • 'Tis an egregious want of fenfe, And luxury the fame. Luxury, in a ftate, is a difeafe, Becaufe 'tis partial and obstructed wealth; Is univerfal happiness and health. The Fable of the Dog and Cat is very fhrewd, and contains fome pregnant and picturefque comparisons, with fome reflections, which are certainly farcaftical, and poffibly may be just. Close by a kitchen fire, a dog and cat, Each a famous politician, Were meditating as they fat, Plans and projects of ambition. The frailty of a finner. Clear prurient water ftream'd from Pompey's jaws, Fer fear of a furprize, When both have fomething to propofe, Or like two maids, though fmit by different fwains, Pompey, endow'd with finer fenfe, Discover'd in a caft of Tabby's face, A fyftem of concupifcence, Which made it a clear cafe. When ftraight applying to the dawning paffion, Both you and I with vigilance and zeal, All that we get for this, Heaven knows, Is a few bones, and many blows. Let us no longer fawn and whine, Since we have talents, and are able; Let us impofe an equitable fine Upon our Master's Table: And to be brief, Let us each chufe a fingle dish, I'll be contented with roast beef. Take you that turbot -you love fish. Thus every dog and cat agrees, When they cap fettle their own fees. Thus Thus two contending chiefs are seen, ~- The other of the nation's treasure. For the nominal applications, we chuse to refer to the Pamphlet. After the feven Fables, for there is one for every day in the week, which would at leaft be indecent in a Clerical Writer, though it may be only fashionable in a Laïc; our Fabulift, whoever he be, introduces a character intended for Mr. Shandy's, under the Name of Tray, a good-natured, frolickfome young puppy, who Oft when he meant to have amus'd His friends with a conceit, or harmless jeft, By many he was fnarl'd at, and abus'd, This Tray is fupposed to confult his Grandfather, an old fpaniel, who thus advises him to have nothing to do with those of his own profeffion : Say, dupe of a rash confidence and trust, That vigilance fhould be rewarded? Unless you learn To have no weighty intereft or concern, Unless you learn, (if it is not too late) That they are neither worth your love nor hate. If this be a layman's advice, it requires no particular remark; but if it were the resolution of Mr. S―, it would naturally remind us of the gueft, who being turned out of doors by his hoft, for fome real or fuppofed indecorum, swore, in revenge, he would never spend a fhilling under his roof as long as he lived. MONTHLY CATALOGUE, For JANUARY, 1762. POLITICA L. Art. 1. Conftitutional Queries, humbly addressed to the Admirers of a late Minifter. 8vo. 6d. R. Davis. we war in Germany, are here revived, HE principal objections which have been made to Mr. P THE with additions, and are thrown into the concife and striking form of queries; a form, which is often made to carry more appearance of proof and conviction than the strongest and boldest affirmations. Art. 2. A Letter to the Right Hon. Sir Matthew Blackifton, Knt. Lord-Mayor of London. By a Merchant of London. 8vo. I s. Scott. Contains an encomium on the late inftructions given by his lordfhip, the court of aldermen and common-council, to their reprefentatives in parliament; together with a brief view of the conduct. of the prefent war, in order to fhew, that, fince the days of Crom. well, there has been no period of time wherein the reputation of the British arms and nation has arisen to fuch a pitch of glory, as during the late adminiftrat on. The author is certainly right as to his facts; but he enlarges upon them in a very tedious manner, and is, upon the whole, an unpleafing and inelegant writer. Art. 3. A confolatory Epifle to the members of the old Faction ; occafioned by the Spanish war. By the Author of a confolatory Letter to the noble Lord difmiffed the military Service. 8vo. Is. 6d. Williams. By the old faction this whimfical writer feems to mean, the gentle, men who went out when Mr. P came in; fome of whom may now be fuppofed, Mr. P being out again, to have retained their influence at the helm. He is very arch and fatyrical upon the Great Man's antagonists, and evidently fets up for the character of a humorous writer; but he is wanting both in erudition and ftyle: and in fine, has neither the genius of a Cervantes or a Swift, a Rabelais or a Butler. In time, however, he may rival the fame of the noted Ned Ward, or his name-fake Tom, whofe burlesque hiftory of the Reformation has, by fome, been admired as a fecond Hudibras. Art. 4. A Third Letter to the Right Hon. the Earl of B***. In which the Caufes and Confequences of the War between Great Britain and Spain are fully confidered; and the Conduct of à certain |