A death-like flumber shall a refpite give • Proud Beauty will not own thee! her loud boast Miftaken Caufe, the frozen Fair denies Mortals can never know. What's the vain boast In her beft tranfports lives a latent fting, Which wounds as they expire. On her high heights She gives too large a fhare; but thou, more kind, For endless ages. Oh! her points have pierc'd Till Death fhuts out the Hour: here down I'll fink IDEA fmother'd leaves my mind a waste, At At page 83 we meet with Verfes occafioned by the Author's being prefented with a filver Pen.' The gift may be confidered as a compliment to her genius, though it cannot be admitted as expreffive of it. The agate mentioned by Pliny, on which, as he informs us, Apollo and the Mufes, with every fymbol of their characters, were reprefented-rudely indeed, but entirely by the hand of Nature, is the juft and proper emblem of Mrs. Yearfley. There are undoubtedly faults in Mrs. Yeardley's Poems; but they are "faults which true Critics dare not mend." We fhall therefore conclude our account of this extraordinary woman, and her literary compofitions, with faying-that the juftness of the obfervation, Poeta nafitur, non fit, was never more powerfully 'exemplified than by herself. MONTHLY A.B. CATALOGUE, For DECEMBER, 1787. AMERICA N. Art. 16. Plan of the new Conflitution for the United States of Ame rica, agreed upon in a Convention of the States. 8vo. Is. Debrett. 1787. S the fudden rife of a new empire in the world, conftituted on principles of government effentially different from the old, cannot fail to draw the notice of European politicians; every circumftance relating thereto, muft neceffarily become interefting and important.' So fays the Writer of the Preface to this republication; and the obfervation is juft: we do not know a fubject that is more likely to attract the notice of an attentive fpectator of what paffes on the grand theatre of the world, than the progreffive fteps of the new American republic, toward the completion of a well-regulated government. As to the articles contained in this plan for a new conftitution, &c. we refer those readers to the pamphlet, who have not already perused them in the news-papers. The Preface-writer alfo gives us the fol lowing refutation of a groundless report, which, indeed, we never credited, as it appeared totally repugnant to all our ideas of the unbounded influence which the great character of Dr. Franklin has obtained throughout the American states: Some of the London News-papers mentioned a strong oppofition between General Washington and Dr. Franklin for the Presidency; and that General Washington was elected by a majority of one vote. We have authority to contradict this account. The fact is, that General Washington was elected with one voice, and not by a majority of one. Dr. Franklin, as the fenior perfon of the Convention, and who is already Prefident of the State of Pennsylvania, was the member who put General Washington in nomination, and he was conducted to the Chair with a unanimous voice.' REV. Dec. 1787. LI TRADE, TRADE, &c. Art 17. Obfervations on the Corn-Bill; wherein the proposed Alteration in the Laws for regulating the Exportation and Importation of Corn, is fairly examined. 8vo. 1s. Debrett. 1787. Ac In this pamphlet, the alterations propofed to be made by the new corn bill, are stated in a plain, difpaffionate manner, by one who feems to be well acquainted with the fubject of the corn laws. cording to his account, the propofed bill is intended to produce alterations in refpect of the following particulars: ift, It alters the mode of verifying the returns of the London cornfactors.' Every cornfactor is ordered to deliver, upon cath, a weekly account of his fales, and the prices. 2d, It alters the term of forming the average prices for the purpose of importation, from three months, to fix weeks. And it rectifies a fmall error refpecting the entries for exportation.' The alteration refpecting the entries here noted is, that the export and bounty fhall be governed by the returns of the preceding week, inftead of the preJent week. 3d, It divides coaft counties into districts, and directs how the prices fhall be collected and afcertained, to prevent abuses in the importations and exportations, at the out-ports.' Directs that the average prices of grain fhall be collected every week, from a number of market towns, not lefs than four, nor more than eight in each county, for the purpose of governing the exportation and importation at all the ports in each diftrict. The exportation by one week's average, and the importation by the aggregate average of fix weeks preceding every quarter feflion. 4th, It directs what weight of wheat, when it is fold by weight, fhall be deemed equal to a Winchester bufhel.' viz. Fifty-feven pounds. 5th, It prohibits the importation of flour, except from Ireland, when wheat is importable at the low duty.' Thefe, we are told, are the principal heads of the bill; on each of which our obferver proceeds to offer fome remarks, in order to fhow that the regulations propofed will have a beneficial tendency. In this refpect we are difpofed, in general, to acquiefce in the opinion of our Author, though we are by no means convinced that they will remove future complaints concerning the corn laws. The radical evil of thefe laws we remember once to have feen pointed out, in a book that fell under our notice fome years ago, which has now escaped our particular recollection. It is the abfurdity of allowing the fame rate of bounty on the exportation of grain the moment it falls ever fo little below the rate at which exportation is permitted, as can be obtained were it to fink to one fhilling, or under, per bushel. Were the bounty in all cafes to rife, in a certain ratio, in proportion to the fall of price, and vice verfâ, we can easily conceive, that with the help of the regulations here propofed, and perhaps a very few others, this branch of commerce would become more ftable than hitherto, and far lefs liable to thofe abuses to which it has heretofore been fo peculiarly obnoxious. An POETRY. Art. 18. Poems, chiefly in the Scottish Dialect. By Robert Burns. Second Edition. 8vo. 6s. Creech, Edinburgh; Cadell, London. 1787. We are glad to find, by the numerous and refpectable lift of fubfcribers prefixed to the volume before us, that this Bard of Nature has no reason to complain that "a poet is not honoured in his own country." It appears that he has been very liberally patronized by an indulgent Public; and we rejoice to fee that he may now have it in his power to tune his oaten reed at his eafe. Whether this change in his circumstances will prove beneficial to the caufe of literature, or productive of greater happiness to the individual, time alone can difcover; but we fincerely with it may prove favourable to both. Having given a pretty full account of the first edition of these poems, in our Review for December laft, we only announce the prefent republication as an article of fome curiofity, and mention that in this edition, feveral new poems are added, which bear evident marks of coming from the fame hand with the former collection. The most entertaining of thefe additions appeared, to us, to be, "John Barleycorn, a Ballad," which gives a very entertaining allegorical account of the whole progrefs and management of barley, from its being fown in the ground, to its affording a warm, exhilarating liquor. The thought is not altogether new; but it is delivered in a ftyle of great pleafantry, and native humour. As this piece is written in English, it will be relished alike by the fouthern and the northern reader. Ann Art. 19. A Poem written during a Shooting Excurfion on the Moors. Claim'd what the ALMIGHTY's liberal hand bestow'd Was crown'd the banquet's Lord-Such once was fam'd Rufh'd on th' invading foe, till ROME's proud hoft Unconquer'd Unconquer'd long, from Cambria's rugged brow, In defultory war they ftill maintain'd The heron's flight, or ftrike the trembling hare. His ravening maw, glut with intemp❜rate food, His eye's weak glances, and refus'd the flight.' After this quotation, the poetical Reader, especially if he be a fportfman, will not need our recommendation, to induce him to give this poem a place in his collection. Some of the lines are profaic; but this is a defect which few poets have been able wholly to avoid, in the compofition of blank verfe. B. Art. 20. Poems. By John Macgilvray, A. M. Mafter of the Grammar School of Leftwithiel. 4to, 4s. Boards. Bew. 1787. Although this writer's Mufe feems unable to conduct him into the higher regions of poetry, the now and then leads him, pleasantly enough, along the fmooth vale of humble rhime: witnefs, the following eafy verfes on English poetry: To pleafe our rough illiterate Sires Though |