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That when in judgment ripe, as ripe in age,
With foul high panting for a world's applaufe,
Refolv'd, he treads the fenate's glorious ftage,

A firm fupporter of his country's caufe,
Each nervous argument may full reveal

A.B.

The ftatefman's depth of thought, the patriot's glowing zeal. Art. 20. A new Collection of Fables in Verfe. By John Tapner. 8vo. 2s. 6d. Bew.

It is impoffible to learn, either from the title-page, or the preface to this collection, whether the fables are the production of Mr. Tapner's pen, or whether they are felected from various authors. They all inculcate moral duties, by fhewing the benefits, advantages, and happiness of a virtuous life, and the evil confequences which attend the votaries of vice.

The Fables are in number 35; of which we have found twelve, namely the 7th, 11th, 12th, 16th, 17th, 19th, 20th, 23d, 29th, 32d, 34th, and 35th, copied verbatim from the Gentleman's Magazine, in which work they were publifhed between the years 1740 and 1750. They are frequently figned J. Greville; Peckham. We know not whether any more of thefe fables are to be found in the fame work.

As to the merit of the poetry, it is various; fome of the fables are below mediocrity, while others are diftinguifhed by a lively fancy, and eafy verfification.

R-m

Art. 21. A Hermit's Tale: recorded by his own Hand, and found in his Cell. By the Author of The Recefs. 4to. 2S. Cadell, 1787.

The Public will be prepared to give this poem a favourable reception; and we foretell, with confidence, that it will not difappoint their expectations. The tale is interefting; and it is related in verfe, which, for the most part, poffeffes the pathetic fimplicity of the ancient ballad.

E. Art. 22. Infructions to a celebrated Laureat; alias the Progrefs of Curiofity; alias a Birth-day Ode; alias Mr. Whitbread's Brewhoufe. By Peter Pindar, Efq. 4to. 2 s. 6d. Kearsley.

In former days, when Kings were tyrants [we have more fenfe than to let them be fo now], it was customary with their Majefties, for want (no doubt) of better amufement, to perfecute their fubjects. -How are the times altered! The fubject now perfecutes the fovereign! and this, too, only by way of amusement.-" Parson-roafting" was pretty much the humour in the two laft reigns, but, now, "King-reafting" is the ton.-How long the Mufe will indulge herfelf, or be indulged, in these freaks and familiarities with the Lord's anointed, who can pretend to fay ?-As yet, however, the diverfion feems to create no ill-blood. The poet laughs; the people laugh; and, we hope, the good-natured monarch laughs too. Vive la bagatelle !-The prefent laugh was occafioned by the late royal vifit to Mr. Whitbread's brewhoufe. All is turned into ridicule-à la mode de Peter, the Pafquin of the age!

Art.

Art. 23. The Moufiad: an heroi-comic Poem. Canto I. By Polly Pindar, Half-fifter to Peter Pindar. 4to. 1s. Ridgeway. 1787. Half-fifter!-no-not so near akin, furely!-She may, however, be a branch of the family. She flies not at fuch high game as Peter boldly pounces. Inftead of KINGS, and fuch GREAT THINGS [as Crazy Hall would fay], Mifs Polly only claws the facred periwig' of a celebrated D. D. whom we will not more diftinctly mark out, becaufe we think the attack an unjustifiable one: it is low, and it is indecent.-As a specimen of her talents, however, we will tranfcribe her Address

6 TO THE REVIEWERS.

If you, GRAVE SIRS! moft kindly will admit
That POLLY PINDAR has a little wit,

When next she earns a SHILLING on the TOWN,
Nor you, nor any PRUDE, fhall wear a frown.
For the most chaffely will her STORY tell.

Then /pare the BARDLING!-burfting from her hell!"

By the way, is not the poetefs a little unfortunate in ftyling herfelf Bardling? The word meets our ear fomewhat like the lapfus lingua of Counsellor G, who, in the warmth of his encomium on a young lady's Beauty, called her " a perfect Adonis." A fecond Canto is announced for fpeedy publication.

The

Art 24. Verfes by John Frederick Bryant, late Tobacco-pipe Maker at Bristol. Together with his Life. Written by himself. fecond Edition. 8vo. 2s. 6d. Author. 1787.

When Savage wrote his famous fatire on Briftol, that city was regarded as the feat of Dulnefs,-the very Boeotia of our island; but her reproach has, fince the time of Savage, been done away; and a ftream from Helicon feems to have found a communication with the falubrious fpring of St. Vincent's Rock. Genius now prevails, where once the fordid spirit of gain alone prefided; and the very milk-woman and mechanics of the place are become favourites of the Muses.

John Frederick Bryant, a poor, uneducated pipe-maker, having indulged, and fomewhat cultivated, a natural turn for poetry, has here given us a collection of his verfes, printed in the order in which they were written. His earlier compofitions are crude enough; but it is curious to obferve the growth and progrefs of his abilities. His later productions are not unworthy the public notice, or the patronage they have gained; as will, we apprehend, appear from the following fpecimen:

A PRAYER.

Amid the ceafelefs din of human ftrife,
The groans of entering and departing life;
Amid the fongs of joy, the wails of woe,
That living nature utters here below;
Amid the harmony of all the fpheres
In concert, unenjoy'd by mortal ears;
Amid Heav'n's trumpets loud, by angels blown,
And lyres of Seraphim, around thy throne,
O Great Supreme! and while their voices join,
Proclaiming praife and glory only thine,

M 4

Prefuming

Prefuming more, perhaps, than angels dare,
A trembling worm of earth intrudes his prayer.
Thou great, eternal, awful, gracious Caufe
Of Nature's being, motion, form, and laws!
That gav'ft me tastes of pleasure and of pain;
That gav'ft me paffions which alternate reign,
And reafon, paffion's riot to restrain:
By whom I first infpir'd this mortal breath;
In whom I truft for being after death:
Should I enjoy thy first great bleffing, health;
And fhould thy Providence beftow me wealth,
And crown me parent of a num'rous race,
Whofe virtues fhould my name and fortune grace:
To love, to duty, fhould my fair adhere;
Should ev'ry friend approve himself fincere;
Should'ft Thou my life referve to ripest age,
And give me all the wifdom of the fage;
O! let no curfed avarice, my ftore

With-hold from friend diftrefs'd or from the poor!
In love, or friendship, or paternal care,

In each enjoyment with the world I share,
Through life, O! give this feeling heart to be
For ever warm with gratitude to Thee!

But fhould thy wifdom the reverse ordain,
And fend me pale difeafe, and life-confuming pain;
Should pinching poverty fill keep me down,
To pine beneath my fellow-mortals' frown;
Did I paternal feelings never know,

Or should my fruitful loins bring future woe;
Should an unfaithful wife difhonour bring;
Should flight of fancied friends my bofom wring;
Should my weak mind endure the fcoff of fame,
And Dulnefs be my fubftituted name;
Should Nature early find herfelf outworn,
And that her earth to earth muft foon return,
Without a friend to comfort or to mourn-
Amidst this gloomy, complicated throng
Of fharp afflictions, while I prefs along
Through each or real pain or feeming ill,
O give me refignation to thy will!'

}

}

The Author, who is about 36 years of age, having met with friendly affiftance, fufficient to enable him to quit his miferable trade of pipe-making, and to fet up a fhop, for the fale of stationary, books, &c. modeftly folicits his benevolent readers, for the favour of their custom, at No. 35, Long Acre, London.-For farther particulars relating to his perfonal ftory, which is not uninterefting, we refer to his own narrative, prefixed to his poems.

Art. 25. Elegies and Sonnets. By Samuel Knight, A. M. of Trinity College, Cambridge. 4to. 35. Cadell.

This publication firit appeared in 1785, without the name of the Author: See Review, vol. lxxiii. p. 121.

Art.

Art. 26. Orlando and Almeyda. A Legendary Tale, in the Manner of Dr. Goldsmith. By John Thelwall. 4to. 25. Hookham.

1787.

The general characteristics of poems of this kind (the productions of the modern Mufe), are, fimplicity and tenderness; but fome of them have only the fimplicity, with no other recommendation: and thofe of this clafs were well ridiculed by Johnfon:

"I put my hat upon my head,

And walk'd into the Strand,
And there I met another man,

Whofe hat was in his hand."

Mr. Thelwall's performance reminds us of Johnfon's lines; yet it is not the worst poem of the kind, that we have perufed: there are, however, no flowers in it that we can felect for our Monthly Nosegay.

Art. 27. The Garriciad, a Poem; being a Companion to the Rofciad
of Churchill. By a Gentleman. 4to. is. 6d. Symonds.
It is probable that this Gentleman' meant to entitle his poem
The Garrickiad; but, alas! he was not up to fo difficult a piece of or-
thography. But if he has failed in his title, he is ftill more unfortu-
nate in his verfes.1 he defign of the work may be fufficiently inti-
mated in his own words:

• Garrick is now no more! that actor great!-
So great! he filled fam'd Roscius' feat!'

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The feat vacated is, and must be fill'd

By one in acting and expreffion skill'd.'.

Accordingly, Fame being umpire, Candour and Envy are appointed to fet forth one the merits, the other the defects of the candidates: but fuch pleadings! fuch pretenfions! fuch decifions! and, above all, fuch poetry!! the lowest bellman would be afhamed to repeat -if he could repeat, the unreadable lines with which this poem abounds: the four that we have transcribed, are fome of the best in the pamphlet.

DRAMATIC.

Art. 28. The Trial of Mr. John Palmer, Comedian, and Manager of the Royalty Theatre, Well-clofe Square, for opening the faid Theatre, in Defiance of an Act made in the 10th of Geo. II. Tried before the Right Hon. Lord Chief Juftice Shakespeare, and the following auguft fpecial Jury, John Milton, Jofeph Addison, Thomas Otway, &c. &c. 4to. Is. Ridgeway.

A piece of wit, from the pen of fome friend of Mr. Palmer's. The Reader will, in courfe, fuppofe, that an honourable acquittal, in fuch a caufe, muft have taken place, where the chief of our dramatic writers were judge and jury.

Art. 29. A Review of the prefent Contest between the Managers of the Winter Theatres, the Little Theatre in the Haymarket, and the Royalty Theatre in Well-clofe Square. 8vo. Is. 6d. Stalker. The circumstances relative to the opening the new theatre in Wellclofe Square have been amply difcuffed and contefted in the Newspapers.

papers. The Author of the prefent Review vindicates Mr. Palmer's conduct, and cenfures that of the managers of the old theatres. His arguments feem plaufible; but with refpect to differences between the managers of theatres, we fhall only obferve, that it is no part of the duty of our tribunal, TALES componere lites. R-m

Art. 30. A very plain State of the Cafe: or, the Royalty Theatre verfus the Theatres Royal. 8vo. Is. 6d. Murray. 1787. This pamphlet is written in anfwer to the former. We refer those who wish for particular information on the fubject, to both these publications.

NOVELS.

2: Art. 31. Spanish Memoirs; in a Series of original Letters. Containing the History of Donna Ifabella della Villarea, Niece to Don John, twentieth and laft Duke of Arandina. 12mo. 2 Vols. 5 s. fewed. Elliot. 1787.

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Some good and virtuous fentiments are scattered through the pages of this performance. But why an ordinary love-ftory fhould be dignified with the title of Spanish Memoirs, we have not been able to difcover. There is, moreover, nothing characteristic of the Spaniard in the book, unless indeed it be the exceffive pride manifefted by the Duke of Arandina; the fatal effects of which are very properly held up to view.

Art. 32. Caroline; or the Diversities of Fortune.

7s. 6d. fewed. Lane. 1787.

A.B. 12mo. 3 Vols.

A pleafing and well-wrought ftory. From the diverfities of fortune which the heroine of this novel experienced, and from the manner in which the conducted herfelf on every occafion, and in every change of ftate, the young and unthinking female may discover that it is as eafy, when armed by virtue and fortitude, to pafs without injury through the thorny, as he may have already proceeded through the flowery paths of life. The moral inculcated in this performance is, that Honour, or Chastity, has nothing to fear amid the fevereft fterms of fortune, however furrounded by perils and dangers; or, as the fublimeft of cur poets expresles himself, when speaking of it: She who has that, is clad in complete fteel,

And like a quiver'd nymph with arrows keen
May trace huge forefts and unharbour'd heaths,
Infamous hills and fandy perilous wilds:
Yea there, where very defolation dwells,
She may pafs on with unblench'd * majesty."

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Art. 33. Lumley-boufe; The first Attempt of a young Lady. 12mo. 3 Vols. 7s. 6d. Lane.

Almoft every female of fenfibility (and we observe it with much regret) is apt to imagine herfelf a Burney, and to believe that she cannot be better employed than in favouring the public with a pretty novel. The performance now before us, intitled and called Lumley-house, is one of thofe agreeable Nothings' with which our circulating libraries abound. We difcover in it, indeed, the traces of an elegant mind; but the work has no difcriminating feature. Not a fingle

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* Unfullied.

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