Long has the deem'd her " triumphs" vain, And own, reclin'd his penfive head, The Art of Eloquence. A Didattic Poem. Book the Firft, 4to. WE 25. 6d. Dilly. E are told, in an advertisement prefixed, It feldom happens that an anonymous writer can gain even a momentary attention from the public, to any reprefentation which may refpect himself or his motives for publishing: the author therefore of the following poem does not with to detain his readers on a fubject that cannot intereft them in the flightest degree; but as it is poffible that the little piece he fubmits with all diffidence to their infpection, may not be received with utter difregard, he begs leave to fuggeft to them a few obfervations, to introduce it the more readily to their notice. It has frequently occurred to the author, that, among the various fubjects which come within the province of the Didactic Poem, there is no one perhaps better adapted to its genius, than the "Art of Eloquence." That however it has never been poetically treated-And the author, amidst his frequent reflections on fo fingular a circumftance, had many a time conceived a general plan for the ufe of the didactic poet, before he entertained the most diftant idea of affuming that character himself. The fubject (he imagined) might be divided into Four Books. "The firit book might confift of general preceptsthe former part containing-a Delineation of Eloquence, as it appears among ruder Nations-in polished Society-in this Country-amidft its three great Provinces, the Bar, the Parlia ment, and the Pulpit: hence its three effentials deduced, Argument, Ornament, and Pathos. The latter part containing -a Survey of thefe Effentials-as forming an Oration, &c. &c. &c. The fecond Book might be confined to the Eloquence of the Bar-or-the Argumentative fpecies of Oratory. The third Book to the Eloquence of the Senate-or-the Ornamental fpecies. The fourth Book to the Eloquence of the Pulpit-or-the Pathetic Species.' Such is the plan of the author; and, according to the fuccefs of the first Book now offered to the public, the fuppreffion or publication of the others depend. How far he is entitled to encouragement, in the profecution of his undertaking, the reader may form fome idea from the introductory lines, which contain a general eulogium on eloquence. They are are neither the best nor worst in the performance, but will probably fuffer lefs by tranfplantation than any other. T Whilft Britain's Genius bids the fifter-arts Hence the charms Spirit of Athens, over Albion breathe By favour'd Britons! Here religion beams The author feems to poffefs both judgment and learning. Mifcellanies upon various Subjects. By John Aubrey, Efq. F. R. S. A New Editio, with confiderable Improvements. To which is prefixed, fome Account of his Life. 8vo, 35.in Boards. Ottridge. THE change of manners and opinions is fo gradual, that it is of ceflary to step back a hundred years, to per ceive in what we differ from our ancestors. At this time the belief of dreams, impulfes, apparitions, &c. is fcarcely to be found, even among the vulgar: in the last century, perfons of the first rank in letters firmly trufted to the truth of every fort of fu perftitious delufion. It was with reafon therefore, that we lately called credulity the native disease of the mind, when we had occafion to examine fome ftriking effects of the force of imagination. Mr. Aubrey's Mifcellanies, which are now for the third time published, contain a confiderable collection of omens, apparitions, dreams, impulfes, &c. and furnish fresh inftances of its great power at all times, and over minds the beft cultivated. Mr. Aubrey himself was bred at Oxford, ftudied the law, and was early elected a member of the Royal Society; fo that we must fuppofe him mafter of a great part of the fcience at that time known; and, from his letters, he feems to have been intimately acquainted with the first men of that period. But neither his learning, his philofophy, or the converfation X 3 4 of his cotemporaries, could open his eyes fo as to difcern the trifling nature of many of thefe ftories, the connection of fome of his narratives with natural caufes, or the very great deductions, which are at all times neceffary, on account of terror and fuperftition, of a guilty confcience, or a mind naturally weak. The failor's cap was clearly carried off in a gale of wind, and the fchoolboy's top was fo certainly taken up by a whirlwind, that the flory gives a defcription of the phænomenon, with almoft philofophical precifion: fo true is the remark of Bacon, that imagination is next of kin to miracle-working faith. The account of the fecond-fight is more accurately detailed in this book than in any other. We shall only add to it, from our own obfervations, that thofe who now are supposed to poffefs this extraordiary faculty, and they are very few, are gloomy and melancholy, generally the victims of a difordered imagination. So far from valuing this gift of prophecy as an advantage, their life is burthenfome, from the ditreffing ideas which continually arife. They ftili own, as Mr. Aubrey ob ferves, that their art is to be taught; but they earnestly dif fuade every one from attempting to learn it. This fact, while it precludes the fufpicion of a voluntary impofition, feems to fix this ftate of mind among the difeafes of the imagination. Their being often right in their predictions, is no proof of the reality of the faculty; for we well know, that confident pretenders never want profelytes. Since refinement has more generally extended, and focial intercourfe increased, these gloomy vifionaries are almost forgotten. It might perhaps be produced as an argument against all thefe fancies, that fince a collector, fo diligent as Mr. Aubrey, has not been able to compile a larger volume; fince they are in general fo vaguely and indecifively related; many produced by natural caufes; and fome, particularly the pranks played at Woodstock with Cromwell's commiffioners, fince difcovered to be human contrivances; it might be alleged, with little farther examination, that the whole was to be attriboted to fimilar causes. Better arguments indeed are not wanting; but we may fafely leave the subject, already in its wane, to the philofophy, perhaps to the fcepticism, of the prefent age. Either will be equally fatal to the folly and fuperflition, which can for a moment credit the influence of these preternatural phantoms. MONTHLY CATALOGUE. POLITICAL. J. A Reply to the Anfwer to a Short Efay on the Modes of Defence, &c. 8vo. 15. 6d. Wilkie. WE noticed the two former works, viz. the Effay and the Anfwer, in our laft Number, and remarked, that the principal and most important pofitions of the effayift were un fhaken. fhaken. The Reply is acute, fpirited, and fevere: we doubt if it be not too perfonal, and would advife the noble author (we beg pardon if we are mistaken) to curb the exuberance of his indignation, left a general question fhould fink into a perfonal difpute. The replier holds faft his former advantages,, is fully mailer of his own ground, and annoys his antagonist with fo much vigour and addrefs, that it will be no eafy talk to continue the conteft. We need not enlarge on the particular me rits of the difpute, fince that is to be decided by much abler reviewers. If we are right in our conjectures, the duke's prefent antagonist fights with the pen as fuccef fully as he has done with the fword. Impartial Reflections upon the Queftion, for equalizing the Duties, upon the Trade, between Great Britain and Ireland. By the Right Hon. Lord Mountmorres. 8vo. 25. Almon As lord Mountmorres is not undiftinguished for abilities in the legislature of his own country, it affords us pleasure to find that he exerts them on the prefent important occafion. His lordship's reflections difcover a liberality worthy of his rank; and at the fame time he urges, by a juft reprefentation of the commercial laws now exifting between Great Britain and Ireland, the expediency of granting that kingdom the propofed equality of trade. In fupport of his argument, lord Mount morres, in an appendix, produces, from Scobell's Statutes, an act paffed during the time of the Commonwealth in 1651, by which the privileges of the navigation-law were expressly extended to Ireland. Manufactures improper Subjects of Taxation. Svo. 1s. Phillips. Though it must be admitted that great caution is always neceffary in taxing manufactures, we are not thence to conclude, that works of industry ought never to be rendered objects of taxation. This indeed feems to be the opinion of the author of the prefent pamphlet. But he appears to found his fentiments upon the idea, that by laying a tax on manufactures, they would neceffarily be cramped or annihilated. Should the latter of these effects enfue, the tax would doubtless be extremely pernicious; but fo far from this being unavoidable, even the former of the fuppofed effects might, and ought to be avoided, by a taxation prudently impofed. F To fupply the exigencies of government, without hurting the manufactures, the author propofes a tax which would affect all ranks of people in proportion to their expenditure. The tax alluded to, is upon the real rents of lands and houses, to be paid by the tenant or occupier. But if this fhould not be deemed expedient, he thinks that even the most common neceflaries of life, flour and meat, ought to be taxed in preference to manufactures. But would not fuch an impoft ulti XA mately mately affect thofe objects, which the author is fo anxious to exclude from the effects of taxation ? The Crifis; or immediate Concernments of the British Empire. 8vo. 15. 6d. Dilly. This young author (for fuch he acknowleges himself to be) takes an adventurous flight into the regions of politics, where he makes a variety of obfervations, not only relative to the affairs of Great Britain, but of other countries. Though not defective in point of judgment, he appears to have been much affifted in this excurfion by a buoyant imagination. For what reafon he has entitled this production the The Crifis, we know not, unless the name alludes to the experiment he has made of his literary abilities, in which we are glad to find him fo fuccessful. ८ Eironiclafes; or, A Cloud of Facts against A Gleam of Comfort.? 30. 25. Shepperfon and Reynolds. The pamphlet to which this is a reply, was an ironical attack on the members of the prefent administration, against whofe characters, as well as public conduct, the author directed his ridicule. The writer of the production before us, at the fame time that he refutes many of the affertions in A Gleam of Comfort,' vindicates the characters of the minifters, and difplays in a light not very favourable, thofe of their principal opponents. Amongst thofe we are not furprised to find fome marked with the features of republicanifm; but that almost any British fubject, much more à perfon high in office, should now be reprefented as a Jacobite, excites in us a fufpicion that the author is not divested of prejudice. The Danger of violent Innovations in the State exemplified from the Reigns of the two firfi Stuarts, in a Sermon preached at Canterbury, Janury 31, 1785. By George Berkeley, D. L. 8209. 6d. Johnfon. The fubject of this fermon is taken from Prov. xx. 21. My fon, fear thou the Lord and the king, and meddle not with them that are given to change.' The preacher divides his text into two heads; showing, firft, that the civil government is the ordinance of God; and fecondly, pointing out the danger and the fin of making violent innovations in any conflitution of government. With the wildom of the politician he unites the precepts of the divine; and recommends it to all true patriots, as a public duty, that they would apply themselves to perfonal reformation. Plain Falls, fubmitted to the Common Senfe of the People of England. 8vo. 15. Jarvis. This author is a vehement apologift for the last administra tion, which he particularly vindicates with respect to three tranfactions, namely, the coalition, the receipt-tax, and Mr. |