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anachronisms make us queftion it. Mention is made more than once of the Royal Society, and the Philofophical Tranf actions, neither of which had any existence in 1654; and even Sally Salisbury, a noted courtezan in the reign of George the firft, is coupled with Jane Shore. Mr. Holland the player is introduced in the part of Bajazet in Tamerlane, and Pyrrhus in the Diftreft Mother; nor are Elizabeth Canning nor the Cock-lane Ghoft forgot.

Upon the whole, though we know not what to make of this publication, yet there is a species of readers who may be entertained with the variety of puns, connundrums, jokes and anecdotes which it contains.

IX. The Vifiting Day. A Novel. 2 Vols. 12mo. Pr. 6s. Lowndes.

HIS novel begins with its catastrophe, or rather, it be

Tgins where it ought to end. Mifs Southern, a young

lady of beauty and fenfibility, is through want of fortune and friends thrown, in fome measure, upon the hospitality of one Mrs. Derby, whofe character is well drawn. She is one of thofe female mortals who infult distress while they seem to relieve it, make a parade of every act of beneficence which a generous mind would conceal, and are perpetually repeating, "How I pity the poor wretches! I really have too much fenfibility!-I feel too much for others, ever to be happy!" While poor mifs Southern is attending in the character of a toad-eater, and obliged to put up with every gibe and insult of this oftentatious dame, the following scene happens. The reader need not be informed that mifs Southern speaks in her own person.

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When the parties were forming, my affistance was found neceffary. I was defired-or rather, ordered to make one, and accordingly took my feat.I was attentive-not from any pleasure I have in the game-for cards are, of all things, my averfion; but I looked upon it as my duty, left others fhould fuffer by my negligence.-Just as one of the ladies and I were on the point of winning a vole, and her every faculty engroffed by that delightful hope, enters a fervant, and approaching me with unaccustomed refpect--" A letter for your ladyship,”-bowing-" the man waits below.". "For me!"-and down dropt the cards." Fiddle-fadle !" cried my partner, "What has the to do with letters now ?— "I hope at least you will not be so rude as to read it."—

"Your

"Your ladyship!" cried another, laughing; " did you "mind how cordially fhe took the compliment ?"

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"If you, Madam," said the man, looking at me, lady Somerville, as I was just now informed, I have made "no mistake.”

"Lady Somerville !" exclaimed I, ftarting up. "Good "heavens! what do I hear! Give me the letter-it is indeed ❝ for me. My God! what can'this mean ?”

I looked at the direction-well did I know the dear handwith trembling emotion I opened it.-Oh, my friend, judge of my tranfports, on reading the delightful contents-but I forgot, all this is a mystery to you-have patience! you shall now know every event of my paft life.

Let me lead to that relation.—Mrs. Derby had cut outseeing me read the letter, amazed at my rudeness, came to chide me for it—but I was no longer in a condition to profit by her rebuke. Surprize and joy overcame my fenfes; and I funk back in my chair, almost fainting.-One of the ladies condefcended to apply her falts-I recovered.

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"This is a very unaccountable behaviour of yours," faid Mrs. Derby; I am quite ashamed of you-see what trouble "and confufion you have caused. If you found yourself ill, why did you not retire ?—I did not think you could have fo far forgot yourfelf; but I fhall know better another time how to treat people of your rank. I beg your pardon, ladies, this is pretty entertainment for you!"

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"You fay, madam," returned I, a little disdainfully, you "fhall for the future know better how to treat people of my "rank!I hope you will; for, upon my word, hitherto it "has not been quite fo polite, as might have been expected "from one who pretends to good breeding.It is true, you "were ignorant of my quality-but a person of true genero"fity would treat every one they converse with, with affability "and good manners. However, I fhall no longer be fubje& "to mortifying infults-that letter, madam, is from my huf"band," presenting it to her, "you are at liberty to read " it."

She coloured

"fhould be married ?"

Your hufband! Why, is it poffible you

"Poffible!" repeated I, fmiling. "Every one does not "eftimate my worth by your judgment-Lord Somerville

difdains not to call me his for fome time, it was neceffary "to conceal our marriage-but I am now at liberty to divulge "the fecret-You will find, madam, by his letter," pursued I, "that I may foon expect him at D-."

'How the company ftared!-for by this time they were all gathered round me.-The fervant was still in the room.

"Who

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"Who brought this letter ?" faid I.

"His lordship's gentleman, my lady," with a low bow; "he waits to "speak with your ladyship."

I arofe." If agreeable to you," faid Mrs. Derby, stammering, and in great confufion," I'll order him to be called

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If you please, madam," was my answer.'

The above scene is well drawn, because it is painted from life. Mifs Southern going home, overwhelms her mother with the news of her good fortune; and our heroine takes occafion to inform her correfpondent, the lively Sophy Weftbrook, in what manner his lordship and fhe became acquainted; which was by the vulgar accident of his lordship's breaking his arm by a fall from his horse, and being carried into the house of one Mrs. Ballaston, with whom Mifs Southern then lived.

A courtship, a trip to Scotland, and a marriage follow of courfe ; but the bridegroom's father cannot be reconciled to the match, for which reason it is kept a fecret. He offers her any terms if she would difown her marriage, as his fon was not of age; but all was to no purpose. Mean while fhe was brought to bed of a daughter, while her husband was obliged to go to Paris. His father fell ill, relented, called for his fon, and in his last breath befought him to make a tender and indulgent hufband to our heroine.

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After a great deal of small-talk and eternal panegyrics upon the two fair correspondents, written by themselves on pretence of what was faid to them by others, (the most nauseous circumftance in modern novels) a miss Wallgrove, a woman of great beauty and fortune, is introduced, who entices Somerville from his spouse's arms into France, or some other foreign country, no matter which. Our heroine, his wife, is left in dreadful fituation by his elopement, especially after he had confented to marry his mistress (as he was under age at the time of his first marriage); and fhe is in danger of being reduced to her primitive nothing, when Mifs Wallgrove's lightness and infidelity opening his eyes, he returns to England, and after fome management by the friends of both parties, he throws himself at the feet of his wife, and a perfect reconciliation enfues.

We fhall not trouble the reader with the chit chat, little incidents and underplots of this publication. It is fufficient to fay, that the character of the heroine is tolerably well fupported, and that a reader of a contemplative turn for courtship and intrigue may read it in a hot summer's day with the fame benefit to his mind, that he enjoys in his perfon by a glafs of lemonade after walking, or a negus while he is dancing.

X. The

The Adventures of Mifs Beverly. Interfperfed with genuine Memoirs of a Northern Lady. 12mo. Pr. 6 s.

Bladon.

T

2 Vols.

HIS publication is evidently fabricated in the cave of Poverty; for though the ftile indicates fome talents for writing, yet the execution is fo miferable, that nothing but the neceffity of the author's writing something could have produced it. The story of this fame Mifs Beverly is filled not only with improbabilities, but impoffibilities; for though the is one of the most abandoned wretches that ever difgraced human 'nature, › The has prefentiments either from dreams or vifions of the chief events of her life.

We should, as usual, give our readers an analyfis of Mifs Beverly's hiftory; but it refembles the feparate parts of a polypus; for though each crawls about, they cannot be reduced to a whole. No order, no confiftency is obferved. The adventures are detached from each other, the groffcft anachronisms and mifnomers are introduced, and as uninterefting a group of figures is prefented to our eyes, as perhaps ever came from the prefs.

In order to eke out this publication into two volumes, the author pretends to be a champion for Mr. Douglas, who claims the estate of the late Duke of Douglas; but fo inconfiftent is Mifs Beverly with herself, that the reprefents the cause of that young gentleman in a light which is for him equally unfair and unfavourable. The moft tolerable part of the compofition, and even that is very despicable, is her account of the state of the French mufic and drama, and the fantastical characters of the French ladies and authors. She is so extravagant, that she enlifts Mr. Voltaire in the number of her admirers; and perhaps the reader may find fome entertainment in the following quotation, though it is certain that the writer, from the description fhe gives of Voltaire's perfon, never had feen him.

A few days after I happened to go with a lady of my ac- · quaintance to the French comedy, to fee the tragedy of Merope. We happened to fit in the feconde loge; and no fooner had we taken our places, but the tall meagre perfonage, whom I had before met fo often, and who happened to be feated next me, accofted me with the greatest politenefs imaginable. As there was fomething very particular in the air and appearance of this perfon, I fhall here defcribe him. In ftature he was tall, but he appeared taller than he really was, as he was fo extremely thin that a puff of wind was almoft fufficient to throw VOL. XXVI. Sept. 1768.

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him down there was fomething extremely comic and grotefque in his caft of features, and his countenance would have difpleafed by its uglinefs, had it not been for the sharpness and penetrating vivacity of his eyes, which feemed to be emblematical of his genius. He looked extremely old and emaciated, but I understood afterwards, that he was not so old as he looked; but that this was owing to his intense application to ftudy. When he entered into conversation with me, I could not but admire his lively wit, and the fallies of genius which seemed to come from him naturally. His discourse first turned upon the characters of the several persons whom we had seen at the countess D'Albicrac's Hotel. He began by diffecting Rouffeau. "That comical mortal, faid he, who harangued fo much in favour of the fimplicity of pure nature, is a compofition of oddities and contradictions. He is remarkable for maintaining paradoxes, and fupporting, with all the force of eloquence, pofitions fo abfurd, that every rational man must reject them as foon as ever he hears them propofed. His father, who was a citizen of Geneva, kept a mufic-fhop there. He was at great expence to give his fon a learned education, which indeed was not thrown away, as Rouffeau has given several proofs of his being an exalted genius; but these are all funk and obfcured by the affectation and fingularity of his character. He profeffes to hold the public in fuch contempt, that he has often declared that his ambition was to be hiffed.

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His whimfical fingularity of character was never more confpicuous than at the time of the controversy concerning the French and Italian mufic: it was occafioned by the arrival of a company of Italian ftrollers that were fent for from Italy by the director of the opera, who finding his theatre deferted by the public, thought that the bait of novelty would have powerful charms for the French, who from a natural levity run after every thing new, whether good or bad. The fuccefs answered his expectation; the Italians, who played twice a week, never failed to draw numerous audiences, whilft the fingers of the French opera performed every night to empty benches.

This piqued fome of our countrymen, who think patriotifm zonfifts in extolling the genius of their own nation, and depreciating the people of all other countries as Barbarians, the party-spirit grew stronger every day, and its influence drew crowds to the French opera, which would have fallen, no doubt, if it had had no other support but its own merit.

• About this time Rouffeau's Devin du Village was performed with unparalleled fuccefs; and this greatly contributed to counterbalance

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