POETIC ALL.

Art. 29. Party Diffected; or Plain Truth: A Poem. By a Plain Dealer. 4to. 2 s. Bell, &c. 1770.

Prefixed to this rhyming declamation against Faction, the Reader will find an Apology for the Author, addreifed to the Reviewers; in which are the following verfes :

Long has the Author of the following lines,
Amus'd himself in coupling ruftic rhymes;
But never dar'd t' appear in print before,
Or of effects, the caufes to explore:
At last, expofing the unfinish'd page,

He dreads your cenfure, and expects your rage;
A juft decree his reafon will reftore,

If you command, he ne'er will fcribble more:
To your decifion, he submits his caufe,

With due obedience to your mental laws.'

We are forry that truth and integrity will not fuffer us to declare ourfelves as much pleafed with the poetry as with the modefty of this young writer (for fuch he profeffes himself to be) and that we cannot even think of injuring an ingenuous well-meaning youth fo much as we certainly fhould do, were we to encourage him to perfift in an application to the Mufes, of the fuccefs of which we have, indeed, very little expectation.

Art. 30. The Poetical Works of W. Woty.

Flexney. 1770.

12mo. 6s. fewed.

Yet if good-nature afk one fprig of bays,
Pardon the trifles which you cannot praise.

Vet. Anon.

Art. 31. The fecond Chapter of the Prophet Jael verfified. By T. A, Student of Trinity College, Cambridge. 4to. 6d, Beecroft. The production of fome young man who has, probably, been fpoiled by the indulgence of his parents. His tutor, however, if he knew of this publication, ought to have faved both his unfledged pupil, and the learned fociety to which he belongs, from the dif grace of it.

Art. 32. The Summer Day: A Poem, in four Cantos. Morning, Neon, Evening, and Night. 8vo. 2 Parts. 45. Robinson and Co. 1769.

The Author of this defcriptive poem is by no means deficient in imagination, but we can fay nothing in praife of his verfification. Art. 33. Julia to Pollio, upon his leaving her abroad, Written fome Years ago, and now first published from the original Manufcript. 4to. 2 s. Robinfon and Co.

This poem is written under the idea of real characters.. The well known amour of Lord P and Mifs H is the subject.-Julia complains with fome paffion, but with little poetry.

HUSBANDRY,

HUS BA N. DRY.

Art. 34. Efays on Husbandry. Eflay I. A general Introduction, fhewing that Agriculture is the Bafis and fupport of all flourishing: Communities; the ancient and prefent ftate of that useful art; Agriculture, Manufactures, Trade, Commerce, juftly harmonized; of the right Cultivation of our Colonies; together with the Defects, Omiffions, and poffible improvements in English Husbandry. Effay II. An Account of fome Experiments, tending to improve the Culture of LUCERNE by Tranfplantation, being the first Experiments of this Kind hitherto made and published in England; from whence it appears that Lucerne is an Article of great Importance in English Hufbandry. The Whole illuftrated with five. Copper-plates, and 25 Reprefentations cut in Wood. To which is prefixed an Epiftle Dedicatory in Verfe. By the Rev. Walter Harte, A. M. Canon of Windfor, and Chaplain to the Earl of Chefterfield. The fecond Edition. 8vo. 5 s. 6d. in Boards. Bath printed, and fold by Johnston, &c. in London.

Of this ufeful and entertaining work an account was given in our 32d vol. p. 81, et feq. It was then published without the Author's. name; and its being now acknowledged by Mr. Harte, is the reafon of our mentioning the prefent edition.

Nov. EL S.

Art. 35. The Maid of Quality; or, the Hiflory of Lady LucyLayton. 12mo. 2 Vols. 6 s. Vernor.

Lady Lucy Layton is led through a long laboured labyrinth of lamentable diftreffes, before her title to nobility is difcovered; and, the intricate adventures of her and her friends, until terminated by a cluster of marriages, may prove very agreeable to fuch readers as love to have their expectations kept continually on the ftretch, and to be perpetually furprifed. In this view the story is not unentertaining, though the viciffitudes are brought about by fome very queftionable and, we hope, unnatural characters. Libertines, indeed, are too frequently feen; and if among these fome may be found perhaps totally corrupted, to the eradication of every moral principle, it is hardly doing youth any good service to fingle out fuch difgraceful pictures of human nature; and ftill lefs fo, to heighten the colours by what is certainly a proftitution of the powers of imagination. It is true there are fpecious arguments ufed in favour of fuch exhibitions; but all the wit in the Beggar's Opera does not atone for the representation of it. ̧ ́

Art. 36. The Younger Sifter. 12mo. 2 Vols. 5 s. fewed.

Lowndes.

Could the generality of novel writers be fuppofed to labour in that department in hopes of reputation, their cafe would be unfortunate;. as, after a tranfitory perufal, the adventures they form are commonlythrown afide with diffatisfaction, and are never thought of more. But as folid pudding is no contemptible gratification to us authors, if the critic cannot in confcience beftow the empty praife alfo, let him not deny the charitable wish of a comfortable portion of the former, fhould the hiftory of Mifs Somerset, and her numerous

I i4

friends,

friends, huddled together in the prefent narrative, happily furnish any to the induftrious biographer. If a with of this fort, which is far from being a niggardly one, will excufe us to the Author for not entering into the particulars of a tale fo very like other tales, nor to extend the comparison to real life, we are fatisfied too. Art. 37. Fatal Friendship; a Novel. By a Lady. 12mo. 2 Vols. SS. fewed. Lowndes.

The friendship between two young ladies, which operates to an incredible degree of refinement, is, by a rivalship for the fame gentleman, and his attachment to one of them, rendered fatal both to him and her. Thus the catastrophe is affecting, while the letters are written in a lively agreeable style.

Art. 38. The Life and extraordinary Adventures, the Perils and critical Escapes of Timothy Ginnadrake, that Child of chequered Fortune. In 3 Vols. 12mo. Vol. L. 3 s. 6d. fewed. Bath printed, for the Author, and fold by Dodfley, &c. in London.

As this work is printed by fubfcription for the Author, and only the first volume has made its appearance, we shall defer our account of the work till it is completed.

Art. 39. Henrietta, Countess Ofenvor; a fentimental Novel, in a Series of Letters By Mr. Treyfac de Vergy, Counsellor in the Parliament of Paris, and Editor of the Lovers*. 12mo. z Vols. 6s. bound. Rofon.

Mr. de Vergy has, for once, tried his hand at a decent novel. Here is no lewdness; nothing vicious nor favourable to vice: yet, in truth, the Author feems to be gotten fo far out of his element, that he has given us a work in which, at the fame time that there is little to cenfure, there is nothing to praife. Readers advanced in life may perufe it without pleafure or difguft; and thofe of younger years. will run it over without entertainment or inftruction. We do not, however, mean to pronounce it abfolutely a dull performance. There is fomething fprightly in this Writer's manner; and yet, unhappily, this book is neither delightful nor interefting. In fhort, it is an out-of-the-way production; and if our Readers defire to know more of it, they muft perufe it themselves: for, be it honeftly acknowledged, we are quite at a 'lofs to delineate its character: nor will Mr. de Vergy's own very brief account of it be much more fatisfac tóry. Speaking of it himself, in his preface, he fays, of Henrietta I'll fay but this-all the characters are new-if good, the public will do it justice; if bad, to commend it would be ridiculous. For the novelty of his characters, however, we hardly know how to take the Gentleman's word; as we think them all common enough,-except that of Henrietta's mother. She, indeed, is the oddest compofition of pride, ambition, and female fophiftry we ever met with a fort of unprincipled fine lady, intended, perhaps, for a copy of one of thofe notorious originals, the Vs or the Hs of the prefent age..

See Review for December laft, p. 489.

Asta

Art. 40. The Hißory of Sir Charles Dormer and Mifs Harriet Villars: In which are exemplified, from a late Catastrophe in real Life, the Contraf of Virtue and Vice, and the dangerous and fatal Confequences arifing from Confidants and Intermeddlers in Family Affairs. By a Lady. 12mo. 2 Vols. s. fewed. Rofon.

Mr. Boyle, in his Occafional Meditations, fpeaking of plays and romances, which even in his days, he faye, made up the libraries of gallants, and filled the clofets of the ladies; immediately adds, that the Devil is not only a liar, but the father of lies, that is, the great patron and promoter of falfehood. And truly to whatever good purpofes fiction may be fometimes applied, the long established demand for the manufacture gives fome degree of credit to the patronage Mr. Boyle mentions.

The romance now before us (which though ingeniously. ftretched to two curious open-worked volumes, would hardly fill a good oldfashioned twelvepenny pamphlet) reads with fome decency till the hero and heroine are married; when a character, depraved beyond all credibility, is introduced to disturb their repofe, under the name of Kitty Thornton. The ftory is terminated fo abfurdly as not to be, worth attention; and tho' it is faid to be written by a lady, it is hardly probable a lady (of any decency, which indeed was not added) would defile her pen with fuch deteftable fentiments, and fuch prophane exclamations, as those which mark the character of this Mifs Thornton; unlefs, indeed, we firft fuppofe that there may be fuck ladies as Mifs Thornton exifting,

MISCELLANEOUS.

Art. 41. Impartial Obfervations on the Reigns of the Kings of Great Britain, of the illuftrious Houfe of Hanover. With the Behaviour of the English in each Reign. Evo, od. Jones in the Strand.

This Obferver fpeaks of the misbehaviour of our countrymen to their princes of the Hanover-family, from his memory, having, he fays, lived in five reigns. It does not appear what countryman our Author himself is; but it is evident that he is no way difpofed to judge too favourably of the English, whom he reprefents as a factious difcontented people, ever diffatisfied with thofe who bear rule over them. But it is no wonder that he, deems thus feverely of this nation in particular, fince he does not feem to entertain a more favourable opinion of the human nature in general. For, fpeaking, of the late Duke of Cumberland (who, he fays, was, at his firft going to refide at Windfor, looked upon there with derifion and. contempt, till they found, by experience, his natural, humane, and benevolent difpofition, when he became as it were their idol")

This fhews, fays our notable Philanthropist, a depravity of human nature, in refufing to think well of another [who or what ?] till it it is impoffible to think otherwife.'-So here is a writer abufing a people for not thinking or fpeaking too well of their governors, while he is, himfelf, traducing the whole rational creation!

Art.

Art. 42. The Destruction of Trade, and Ruin of the Metropolis, prognoflicated from a total Inattention to the Confervancy of the River Thames. Addreffed to the Mafter, Wardens, Aflitants, &c. Elder Brethren of the Trinity, by their affectionate Brother Mercator. 4to. 1s. Newbery.

This important fabject was lately confidered by Sir Stephen Theo- : dore Janffen, in a letter to the late Lord Mayor*.. Mercator thus predicts the tendency of the embankments now carrying into execution:

Embank the north fide of the Thames, that will throw the current over upon the fouth fide-The fouth fide will then be deluged ;Embank that alfo-That will force the filth down to London Bridge, and dam up the paffage.-Rebuild that Bridge, then a free paffage will be formed for the filth into the Pool; the shipping will then reft · on the ebb, as in other tide harbours.

Finis coronat opus.”,

The neceffary confiderations in fchemes of fuch extenfive influence are various, and include a number of relative particulars. Thus he obferves in a cafe of this nature, of fo general concern, a regard muft neceffarily be had to the opinion of thofe, who are thoroughly converfant in the state and navigation of the river, the windings, fhoals, depth of water in various parts, operation and effect of tides, winds and downfalls, as likewife is well to be confidered the utility of craft above, and of the fhipping below bridge, the true confequence of varying, accelerating, or impeding the courfe of the main ftream, and various other requifite enquiries; for though even the Legislature may, as lately has been often done, pafs acts for widening ftreets, or fuch like commodities, and in fuch cafe happen undefignedly to injure this or that individual, it is nothing in confequence like the cafe before us, where the whole navigation of the Thames is in queftion, and where it becomes at beft a moot point, whether the navigation, to anfwer the purpofe of individuals, be improved or ruined. It is a point too delicate, I fay, even to be determined in Parliament, without the utmost care and caution, much less may it be prefumed by the Common-council of London, who have no legal concern in the propofition, or by the Court of Confervancy, whofe only power is to prevent all kind of variations, and this more particularly when neither have duly confidered, or in any degree well informed of the nature and confequence of the point in question."

A continuity of thefe embankments, will however have an obvious ill confequence, which has perhaps already withheld particular perfons from carrying the optional powers they have accepted, into execution. Nor does it feem clear-that any harbour or inlet will remain for the coal lighters, or craft of a larger dimension; for if they are pushed out into the mid-ftream, it must be of fome confequence to thofe who employ them, as alfo an interruption to the paffage of boats and veffels laden with fire-wood, timber, corn, meal, vegetables, &c. the turning to windward, with the aid of the tide,

• See Review, p. 328. ante.

for