on the dawning of my hopes, his descends!

** metaphor is juft, but, by not being continued

...é, there is an impropriety in supposing a I obedient as the pupil of the hand which

and SOMERSET
wiy Scyon, rais’d by princely care,

de of your hand, thus kneels obedient...

e expreffions are trite, as“ hafte to secure the . fome fome are trival, as " Go to.”. Although

so often made use of it, by reason it was in his as expression ; it now being deservedly obsolete,

j) insignificant, we think it trifling in a modern prrace his works with it; especially a tragedy like OF SOMERSET which has more beauties than

W:

:12: a Peem, on the Death of Lord Lyttleton. Infcribed · Right Honourable the Earl of Abingdon, 4to. 1S. ge.

reading the advertisement prefixed to this poem, we a infinuation that indicates the utmost malice, unless it atthorised by some greater certainty than mere suspicion. --that Lord Littleton was privately poisoned by those, are said to have dreaded his longer existence, as he : 11 have put a period to theirs.

Poem itself has that insipidity of design, thought, issvention, that we think it paying it too great a complisi by extracting the following,

55 My country, oh! my bleeding country see!
'Tis the implores a short reprieve for me;
Ruin hangs hov'ring o'er her drooping head,
Her fons are struck with universal dread :
I feel, I feel fair freedom's fpirit glow,
And conscience warns me to avert the blow.

Тоо

In regard to the passions, notwithstanding they want more heightening of expression, they are natural to the characters, excepting Ovesbury in exclaiming.

" Oh, that the gathering storin would burst betimes
And crush my greater

fears !" This betray of fear does not accord with that nobleness of foul we suppose him to have pofseffed.

The sentiments are most just and beautiful, as may be perceived in the following extracts,

6. Not so, Sir William !
Seri'd I them once!..But 'tis ftill chus
When rising how they cringe, and court your

service!
Let but smallest difference with their lord
Slacken the cement of self-founded love,
Down sinks their rotten flattery and zeal,
Like a loose fabrick, tumbling to it's base!
Forth on the ruins spring the selfish tribe,
Contending each the merit to depress you ;
As-like the phenix--- from you ashes sprung
To light and life, they gloried in your fall!
Oh ! 'tis their NATURE's vice! and thence it seems,
They knew of my diftress.?'

“ How just th' alarm,
When faith betrays to ruin, friendship yields
To female machination ;--- If 'tis thus...
Bethink SEDỰCTRESS, and misguided lord !
How short-liv'd is the glare of fancied joys,
That seem to shine upon you ! whose attainment,
Purchas'd by foul DisHONOUR, melts away,
And finks like dross before the provirg blaze,
As transient as impure-founded on vice,
Weak is their basis, great will be their fall;

And, if I err not, sudden!" The language would have been more elegant, had it been lefs affected. Inversion does not suit the dialogue of tragedy as it does the narration of epic poetry. It should be, therefore, as sparingly used as poffible. As our author seems to have had Shakespeare' often in view, we wonder he did not imitate that simple elegance of diction which constitutes one of his numberless excellencies.

One great source of bombaft is, when the language is too artful for the passion. One author has sometimes loared ta this error. For instance ;

« Even fo- -or on the dawning of my hopes,
The Sun of bliss descends !

The following metaphor is juft, but, by not being continued through the sentence, there is an impropriety in supposing a Scyon to kneel obedient as the pupil of the hand which raised it.

And SOMERSET
The lowly Scyon, rais’d by princely care,

The pupil of your hand, thus kneels obedient...
Some of the expressions are trite, as “ hafte to secure the
means.” And some some are trival, as “ Go to." Although
Shakespeare fo often made use of it, by reason it was in his
day a familiar expreffion; it now being deservedly obsolete,
and in itself so infignificant, we think it trifling in a modern
author to disgrace his works with it; especially a tragedy like
the EARL OF SOMERSET which has more beauties than
defects.

W:

The Vision: a Poem, on the Death of Lord Lyttleton. Inscribed

to the Right Honourable the Earl of Abingdon, 4to. 1S.
Millidge.

In reading the advertisement prefixed to this poem, we find an insinuation that indicates the utmost malice, unless it were authorised by some greater certainty than mere suspicion, It is--that Lord Littleton was privately poisoned by those, who are said to have dreaded his longer existence, as he might have put a period to theirs.

The Poem itself has that insipidity of design, thought,
and invention, that we think it paying it too great a compli-
ment by extracting the following,

“ My country, oh! my bleeding country fee!
'Tis the implores a More reprieve for me;
Ruin hangs hov'ring o'er her drooping head,
Her fons are struck with universal dread :
I feel, I feel fair freedom's spirit glow,
And conscience warns me to avert the blow.

Too

Too late I see the cause, why time is giv'n!
Its worth below, and rich reward in heav'n';.
If us'd in virtoe, and my country's cause,
Which groans beneath' opprefion's favage laws.
Long has my breast indignant felt her woes,
Yet wanted pow'r their sources to disclose;
But now, my foul determin'd, scořns the train,
Who with infernal scourge o'er England reign;
This voice shall all her secret foes proclaim,
And wake in British breafts a raging flame 3
Whofe blaze to their astonish'd light shall Thew,
Crimes which not royal roofs shall hide from viewa
No more shall freedom's sons my name revile,
As basely balking in a tyrant's smile;
Shall I in filence fee her islands fold,
Her best blood barter'd for infernal gold";
Her liberties destroy'd, her commerce Red,
And all her conquests in oblivion led ?
Shall I know this, and lend my voice or hand,

To strengthen or to screen an impious band
Of villains, traitors, who for pow'r or gain,
Brand with foul infamy a Brunswick's reign ?
Forbid it, heav'n! and by my father's shade,
The foul of Lyttelton shall be displayed ;
Oh! spare me then, 'till the great deed is done,
A deed which shall for all my crimes atone;
But if on high the fatal mandate's past,
Of each fond wifh---fave England ! be my laft."

Answers to Correspondents.

If OXONIENSIS will take the trouble to peruse the latest editions of the work in question, he will find that we have not misconceived the author,

Our other Correspondents, we hope, will not deem us nego le&tful of their favours if we defer either inserting or answers ing their letters till next month.

THE

LONDON REVIEW,

FOR MARCH 1780.

Lectures on the universal Principles and Duties of Religion and

Morality. As they have been read in Margaret-Street, Caven-
dish Square, in the Years 1776 and 1777. By the Rev. De-
vid Williams, 2 vols. 4to. Il. is. boards. Dodsley,

[Concluded from page 88.]

1

Were we to trace Mr. Williams through all his erronea ous mazes, we should be engaged in a tedious employment. For every lecture abounds with errors. But to do him juftice we must confess, that this performance is interspersed with many beautiful and striking passages.--As a moralist nur author is possessed with spirit and ingenuity; but these, though excellencies, are not sufficient to counterbalance his errors, some of which are of the greatest magnitude.

The subjects treated on in the volumes before us are the following:

“Public Worship, I-Wisdom, Part I. 13-Wisdom, Part II.
23-Knowledge of the Deity, Part 1. 34-Knowledge of the
Deity, Part. If. 45--On the Creation, 8-The Merit of be-
lieving, 71–The Fear of God, 82-Universal Religion, et
Universal Toleration, Part I. 101-Universal Toleration, Part
II. 111Nature and Effect of Prayer, 124-Origin and Nature
of Piety, 139–Moral Wisdom, 149—The Nature of Virtue, 160
- Virtuous Satisfaction, 172-Origin and Nature of Truth, 182
- The Principle of Conscience, Part I: 193—The Principle of
Conscience, Part II. 204-The Principle of Conscience, Part III.
218-Truth, 227.

Honesty, 1-Justice according to Nature, Part I. 14-jur.
tice according to Nature, Part. II. 25-Humanity, Part I. 34
Humanity, Part II. 42--Humanity, Part III. Si-Humanity,
Part IV. 63-Beneficence, Part 1. 72--Beneficence, Part II. 80
Beneficence, Part Ill. 89-m-Benckicence, Part IV, 99--Mo.
VOL. XI.

U

desty,