ART. 22. BRITISH CATALOGUE. POETRY. The Poems of Walter Savage Lander. 8ro. 200 PP. 45. Cadell. 1795. The first thing which ftruck and difgufled us on opening this velume, was the illiberal abufe of a worthy and accomplished man, the favourable reception of whofe Bampton Lectures gives the most direct contradiction to the infinuations of Mr. Landor. The poems confift principally of the Birth of Poefy, an Apology for Satire, Pyramus and Thibe, an Epiftle from Abelard to Eloifa, fome smaller pieces, . and fome Latin verfes. The author is evidently a young and negligent writer, but is certainly not deftitute of poetical talent. The Birth of Poely fhews a lively fancy, but betrays evident marks of negligence, and occafiona! imbecillity. "His arm encircled now her polish'd waist, Hers mantling higher his glowing neck embraced.” We are frequently difgufted with expletives, and with words of one fyllable, against all authority, protracted into two; yet we are not feldom gratified by fuch lines as thefe. "Thou to whom Pleafure leads the laughing hours, "Anear with radiant eye and dimpled fmile, Fill their pink horns with nectar from her charms, Enjoys the prefent in the future feaft, The The author's political prejudices are avowed in his Apology for Satire, and his friendship for Meffrs. Tooke, Holcroft, &c. difplayed in no very animated numbers; nor is the feverity with which he lathes fome exalted characters at all formidable. The Latin poems have the fame running title of Hendecafyllables, though fome are Sapphics and foe Hexameter and Pentameter; among these we have found nothing fufficiently striking to transcribe for our readers amufement. ART. 23. Touchstone, or the Analysis of Peter Pindar; with curfory Remarks on fame modern Painters. 8vo. Is. Crofby. 1795. This gentleman is evidently a lover of poetry, but there is love loft, for poetry does not love him. He confulted his courage rather than his ftrength when he ventured to affail the doughty Peter. His motto afks indulgence for the fake of the caufe: but, alas! « non Dii non homines"- If he is a very young writer, (as we should guess) fomething may be hoped; if not, the cafe is defperate. At beft he is, in this inftance, ART. 24. Infelix puer, atque impar congreffus-———— A Poetic Epifle to a Prince. 4to. 18 pp. Is. Jordan, 1795. Very falutary admonition conveyed in verfe, which is by no means deflitute of fpirit. ART. 25. A Call to the Country, inferibed to the Right Honourable W. Wyndham, Secretary at War. 4to. 15 PP. Is. Stockdale, 1795. This is alfo a fpirited poem, calling upon our countrymen to ex hibit increafing ardour and intrepidity in the hour of danger. ART. 26. Poetic Epifle from a little infolvent Debtor to a great infoivent Debtor. 4to. 16 pp. 1s. Jordan, 1795. A duller compofition, in feebler rhymes, we never faw; witness the following. "No midnight orgies his chafte p-1-e filled, Temprate his meals, and prayer his midnight fill'd: No rakes, buffoons, no parafites were there; No graceless wantons, with dramatic air, A ftoic 'gainst Venality's extreme, An epicurean Virtue being the theme." &c. &c. DRAMATIC. ART. 27. Crotchet Lodge; A Farce, in Tavo Acts. As performed at the Theatre Royal, in Covent Garden. Written by Thomas Hurlftone, Author of Just in Time, a Comic Opera, in Three Acts; The British Recruit, c. The Second Edition. 8vo. 15. Longman, 1795. From the compofitions which ufually come before us under the tide of farces, we are led to imagine that their refpective authors are leagued leagued in a confpiracy against juft delineation of character, probabi lity of incident, and propriety of language. In the performance which is the prefent object of our criticism, our wish to find fomething which we may commend, induces us to fix our applause upon its brevity. ART. 28. The Welch Heirefs; A Comedy. Second Edition. 8vo. Is. 6d. White, 1795. Mr. Jerningham, whofe polifhed and tender ftrains have frequently contributed to our amufement, now appears in the new character of a writer of comedy. The Welch Heiress has wit and humour, and the character of Mifs Plinlimmon is both novel and well drawn; but the incidents are perplexed, and, though they fometimes furprise, they do not frequently intereft. It was withdrawn from reprefentation, but has paffed through two editions, a proof, that if it does not delight as a fpectacle, it will amufe in the clofet, and with this the author will probably be fatisfied. ART. 29. Fenelon; or, The Nuns of Cambray. A fericus Drama, in Three Alts. Altered from the French by Robert Merry, A. M. 8vo. 1s. 6d. Parfons, 1795. Of this pathetic tale more we think might have been made. The reverfe of what we have faid of Mr. Jerningham's comedy feems to be true of the Nuns of Cambray. It might probably pleafe as a fpectacle, but, as a compofition, will be found tame and languid. A lady confined in chains for feventeen years in the dungeon of a convent, finds her daughter and husband, and is reflored to both by the interpofition of Archbishop Fenelon. A Jerious drama by Mr. Merry has an odd found. DIVINITY. ART. 30. A Sermon, preached at Knaresborough, before the Royal Knarborough Volunteer Company, on Sunday, October 12th, 1794. By Samuel Clapham, M. A. Vicar of Bingky. 4to. 21 pp. IS. Johnfon. 1794. The preacher defcribes, ft. the power of chriftianity in diffufing perfonal happiness, among, those who embrace it and fulfill the duties of it, in the feveral relations of life. In this part of the difcourfe there is much useful inftruction. The beneficial influence of chriftianity among political bodies is then noticed. In the remainder of the difcourfe, the miferies of France, the purpofe of the auditors to avert thofe miferies from our own country, and the defigns and artifices of Reformers (as they ftyle themfelves) of the British Parliament, are fet forth with vigour and acuteness, but in a ftyle fomewhat declamatory. In general this difcourfe bears evident marks of a claffical pen, directed by no ordinary hand; but it is certainly inferior to fome other performances, which have come before us, from the fame author. A preacher like Mr C. fhould be prepared for a requeft that his fermon ay be printed; and we hope to fee no more apologies on this fcore. ART, ART. 31. Antichrift in the French Convention; or an Endeavour to prove that fame part of the Prophecies of Daniel and St John, is now fulfilling in Europe. Addrefed to all Mankind who believe in the Old Teftament. To the few as well as the Chriftian. 8vo. 33 pp. Cadell. 1795. IS. Though we defpife moft heartily, the fanatical and fantastical attempts at prophefying, or interpreting prophecies, with which the public is too frequently infulted, the conjectures of a fenfible writer, modeftly propofed as fuch, will always be received by us with attention and refpect. It is rather extraordinary that this author, fhould not notice Mr Jones's Sermon on the Man of Sint, though the fabject of it approaches fo nearly to that of his own fpeculations. Is it poffible that he, who complains of having endeavoured in vain to excite the attention of the learned to his own fuggeftions, fhould have overlooked a writer fo eminent as the author of that fermon? We fay not this, however, by way of accufing him of want of candour, but to remind him that even the most attentive may chance to overlook what seems to be very fully offered to notice. This author, though he entitles his tract Antichrift in the French Convention, does not feem inclined to rob the Pope of the distinction of being the Man of Sin. Perhaps, as he contends for two beasts in Rev. xiii. he means also to divide the Man of Sin and Antichrift into two diftinct perfonages; but on this point he does not feem to us to be fufficiently explicit, either in the book, or in the MS. queries with which he has honoured us. To this we should be much more ready to affent, than to any transfer of the predictions referred by Mede and others to the Papacy, which feem to us fo pointedly fixed, as not to admit of Beafonable doubt. It has always weighed ftrongly in our minds, among other arguments, that the Fathers, prior to the rife of the Papal power, pronounced Rome, à priori, to be the feat of that event; and that which letteth to be the Imperial power, though ignorant of what should fucced to it.‡ The chief points on which this writer particularly infifts are thefe, first, that in the 13th chapter of the Revelations two distinct beafts, are pointed out. In this we are inclined to agree with him, though contrary to the opinion of Bp. Newton and others, who make the ten horned beast the Roman ftate in general, and the two horned beast the Roman Clergy in particular. In the expreffions of St. John, there are strong reafons to understand two beafts entirely distinct, "and 1 beheld another beast," and he "exercifeth all the power of the firft beaft before him." 2d. That the rife of the papal power is to be dated from the year 536, when the Goths were driven out of Italy, + See British Critic, March, 1794, Vol. III. p. 341. f Chrysoftom fays on τὸ κατέχον. Τὴν Ρωμαϊκὴν ἀρχὴν λέγει. Hom. 4. and Theodoret, ἡ Ρωμαϊκὴ ἀρχὴ ὅταν ἀρθῇ ἐκ μέσω, τότε ἐκεῖνος ἥξει. P. 726. Y BRIT. CRIT. VOL. VI. SEPT. 1795. which which brings the expiration of its term, or 1260 years, exactly to the year 1796. This is more difputable, but the termination of the period approaches fo near, that it muft very freedily be decided. 3. He explains the ten horns of the first beaft, to be the ten Kings who have fupported the Papal power, which he thus enumerates. France, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Poland, Sardinia, Naples, Tufcany, Genoa, Venice. But instead of Genoa, which comes in very lamely as a king, fuppofe we were to fubftitute England, which till the reformation fupported the beaft; and find a fubftitute also for Venice in the fame manner and for a fimilar reafon. 4. The two witneffes he interprets of the Old and New Testament. This is not here firft fuggefted, a very ingenious writer, though anonymous, (who in 1787, published an explanation of the Revelation, from allufons to the Temple service at Jerufalem,) thus writes on the fubject. Other commentators have fuppofed the Old and New Teftaments to have been fignified by the witnesses, but in what sense or by what bold figure they can be faid to be flain, rife from the dead, and afcend into heaven, is not eafy to explain." p. 133. This difficulty, if any, is done away by the prefent interpreter, for the abolition of worship at Paris, may well be figured by the death. of the witneffes, and the rule of that power which flew them is actually dated August 10, 1792, and confequently, allowing it three years and a half, (or a time, times, and the dividing of a time) will expire in 1796. So far the numbers well coincide, The fame author who objects to the Old and New Teftament as the witneffes, proposes the Mofaic and Chriflian Churches. It is odd he did not fee that what is faid figuratively of them, might be faid equally of the books of their two laws. 5. The prefent writer contends that Paris is more likely to be meant by Sodom (where the dead bodies of the witneffes are to lie) than Rome, which has the prophetic name of Babylon. In this we perfectly agree. These are the most remarkable circumstances. But the attentive reader will find throughout this publication, much curious matter for fpeculation, with many remarkable coincidences, and will certainly give it his refpect if not his full affent. In fuch difficult matters we must not be precipitate. We hesitate not to recommend it to ferious confideration. ART. 32. A Sermon preached before the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, in the Abbey Church, Westminster, on Wednesday, February 25, in 1795. Being the Day appointed by his Majefty's Proclamation for a General Faft. By Henry Reginald, Lord Bishop of Bristol. 4to. 15 PP. 1S. Robfon. The Bishop inculcates, with found fimplicity, the fear of God, the neceffity of prayer and repentance, and reliance on the great attonement, He notices alfo, the vices incident to wealthy and flourishing nations, and thofe particularly obfervable among ourfelves. He directs us to rely on Providence, and to adhere to the conftitution, whofe excellence we have fo fully experienced. His text is Dan. ix. v. 9, 10. ART. |