Sallads, that fhame ragouts, fhall woo thy taste; And, know, I've bought the best Champaigne from BROOKS; Who, nurs'd in clubs, disdains a vulgar trade, On that aufpicious night, fupremely grac'd We'll wafte the fleeting hours; far happier themes He beft fhall tell, who ftill unites them most. Me fhall they with fome better fport to gain, And Thee more glory, from the next campaign.' There are a few verbal inaccuracies, too trifling indeed to be noticed in a poem of lefs excellence, which, in the ardour of compofition, have efcaped correction: one or two we have marked in italics. c..t. We believe it is now a needlefs piece of information, that the Public are indebted for this performance to the fame elegant pen that produced the Project, and the Wreath of Fabion Art. 29. Ruin feize thee, ruthless King! A Pindaric Ode, not written by Mr Gray. 4to. 1 s. Almon. 1779. This free parody contains many lines that are humorous, fome that are unintelligible, and a few that are impudent. DRAMATIC. c..t. Art. 30. William and Nanny; a Ballad Farce, in Two Acts. Idle fing-fong, and flimfy dialogue, fuflained by hacknied characters poorly delineated, not enlivened by humour, nor rendered interesting by any circumstances of the fable. C. Art. 31. The Cottagers: A Mufical Entertainment. As performed at the Theatre in Covent Garden. 8vo. 6d. Griffin. The first draught of William and Nanny, the Author of which has thus characterifed the Cottagers. "The fact is, that this little farce was originally written ten or eleven years ago; as it stood then, a real real Baronet was in love with Nanny, who generoufly refigned her to William, on difcovering their attachment; this was thought FLAT Preface to William and Nanny. AND INSIPID." We have only to echo the Author's laft words, flat and infipid! C. Art. 32. The Critic; or, Tragedy Rehearfed: a Literary Catchpenny! by way of Prelude to a Dramatic After-piece. By R. B. Sheridan, Efq. With a Dedication, Preface, and Prologue. 8vo. 1 s. Kingbury. 1779. Many a true word spoken in jeft. This piece exactly answers the defcription in its title-page. "A literary catch penny, by way of prelude to a dramatic after-piece." Art. 33. The Critic Anticipated; or, the Humours of the Green- C. .C. This pantomimical burletta may, for aught we know, be a very diverting Spectacle on the theatre ;-in the clofet it is but a poor en tertainment. C. 8vo, A dramatic travefty of the elegant and affecting tale of Marmontel. The character of Count Trifle is founded, if we recollect rightly, on one of the Proverbes Dramatiques. Most of the other comic characters and incidents are mere counterparts to thofe which have been repeatedly exhibited, with more addrefs, in our late mufical dramas. LA W. Art. 36. Remarks on the Law of Defcent, and on the Reasons affigned by Mr. Juftice Blackstone for rejecting, in his Table of ,, Delcent, a Point of Doctrine laid down in Plowden, Lord Bacon, and Hale. 4to. 1 s. 6d. Brooke. 1779. The point of law here difcuffed, in 47 quarto pages, is, "Whether the heir of the Great Grandmother, on the part of the father, ought to be preferred, in the courfe of the inheritance, to the heir of the Grandmother on the fame fide; or, vice verfa?" Mr. Juttice Blacklone gives the preference to the Great Grandmother, in contradiction (as this Author contends) to the ancient doctrine. Had the learned Commentator on the Laws of England contented himself with fingly declaring his opinion on the fubject, the Public would find little difficulty in chufing between fo weighty an authority, and that of an anonymous writer; but as the reafons on which the former grounds his opinion are affigned at fome length, those reasons are certainly open to the freeft examination. The question is shifted from authority to argument. Our Remarker enters on the difcuffion with temper, and with decency; but with what fuccefs he hath acquitted himself, muit be left to the decision of those who are deep in C. this particular fubject. The investigation of a law-thefis hath no charms for the generality of readers. Courts of juftice do not fit to decide abstract points of law. They require real parties, real interefts, and an actual caufe depending before them; but there is always an avenue to the judgment of men of learning through the medium of the prefs. Ingenuity can here exert itself with no other client than the bookfeller, and find its way to public notice, though the gates of Weftminster-hall are shut. [The above account was prepared for the prefs before we were informed of the melancholy event which has deprived our country of the refpectable Judge, whofe opinion is canvassed in this pamphlet. Criticism may lay afide her pen; and Controversy herself for a while forget her acrimony, to fhed a tear over departed genius and learning. An author's beft and nobleft monument is his writings. Non omnis moritur. And we have the fatisfaction to hear that a pofthumous work is bequeathed, by Sir W. Blackstone, to the profeffion of the law, as well as fome Additions with which his Commen taries on the Laws of England will be enriched.] Art. HORTICULTURE. T. 37. The Garden Mushroom: Its Nature and Cultivation. A Treatife exhibiting full and plain Directions, for producing this defirable Plant in Perfection and Plenty, according to the true fuccefsful Practice of the London Gardeners. By John Abercrombie, Author of the Gardener's Kalendar. 8vo. I s. 6 d. L. Davis. Though this treatife contains nothing materially new, yet, as it enters more minutely into the fubject than any former publication, it will not be without its ufe to the curious gardener, who wishes to cultivate the vegetable of which it treats, in the highest perfection. The rules, as we learn from a gentleman who has had fome experience in these matters, are the fame which are observed by the best gardeners. MISCELLANEOUS. "C...t. Art. 38. Leffons in Elocution; or, Mifcellaneous Pieces in Profe and Verfe; selected from the best Authors, for the Perusal of Perfons of Tafte, and the Improvement of Youth in Reading and Speaking. By William Scott, Teacher in Edinburgh. Izmo. 3 s. Elliot, Edinburgh; Longman, London. 1779. The idea of this compilation is evidently borrowed from Dr. Enfeld's Speaker, a work, the general afe of which is its belt praile. A very confiderable part of the leffons in both are the fame; and where they differ (to fay the leaft), we fee no reafon to give the preference to Mr. Scott's judgment and tafte in felection. With refpect to the difpofition of the materials, the method adopted in the Speaker, of arranging the pieces under the feveral diftin&t fpecies of elocation, narrative, didactic, argumentative, oratorical, &c. is certainly much better fuited to answer the purpose of improvement in fpeaking, than a promifcuous mifcellany in profe and verse; for each branch of elocution has its proper tone and manner, which must be best acquired by repeated exercise. E. Art. Art. 39. An Enquiry into, and Remarks upon, the Conduct of Lieu tenant General Burgoyne. The Plan of Operation for the Campaign, 1777. The inftructions from the Secretary of State. And the Circumftances that led to the Lofs of the Northern Army. Evo. 1 s. Matthews. 1780. This review of the conduct of General Burgoyne, with regard to that unfortunate expedition, which ended in the lofs of his army, is written with keenness and energy, but with a degree of rancour which marks the fpirit of party.-Perhaps, we may infer, without any great pretenfions to fagacity, that if the luckless General had forborne to connect himself with Oppofition, fince his parole return to England, he would have been lefs expofed to the virulent attacks of thofe literary Pandours, who fkirmish under the minifterial ftandard. T I CORRESPONDENCE. To the AUTHOR's of the MONTHLY REVIEW, GENTLEMEN, Did not meet with the late book, intitled, The Church of England vindicated, till I faw your remarks upon it in the Review for laft November; where you justly call the Author a moft illiberal intolerant. One thing I took more particular notice of, that he fays, "The old Will Whifton affirmed, that Jefus Chrift was a mere man, the son of Jofeph and Mary, in the fame manner as he was the natural product of a male and female Whifton." Now, as grandfon to Mr. Whifton, and well acquainted with his opinions, I will take upon me to affirm, that that was not his belief; and the Author has no right to charge him with it, unless he can produce one paffage, at leaft, out of his numerous writings, which fays fo; which I hereby call upon him to do. And if he does not now the difference between a Socinian, which Mr. Whiston was not, und what is called an Arian, which he owned himself to be, this Author is not qualified to write on that controverfy. Mr. Whitton's opinions, which I fhall neither deny, nor am afhamed of, will be beft feen by fome quotations from his own writings: I fhall take them from his Account of the Primitive Faith, in the fourth volume of his Primitive Chriftianity revived; where he fays as follows: Art. 5. Jefus Chrift is the Holy One of God, a Being or Perfon, of fupereminent and divine perfections, knowledge, power, and authority; and fo far fuperior to all fubordinate creatures; i. e. to all the thrones, dominions, pricipalities, powers, cherubim, feraphim, archangels, angels, and men, which are made fubject unto him.' Art. 6. Jefus Chrift is the hoyos e gowns, The first begotten of all creatures, The beginning of the creation of God. i. e. a Divine Being or Perfon, created or begotten by the Father before all ages; or before all fubordinate creatures, vifible and invisible.' Art. 7. God the Father by his Word, by his Son, or by Jefus Chrift, as his minifter or active inftrument, at first created, made, ordered, or difpofed; and ftill governs all the fubordinate creatures, visible and invvisible.' Art. Art. 9. Jefus Chrift, the Word and Son of God, was very frequently fent by the Supreme God, the Father, in the ancient ages; and again, more apparently at his incarnation; as his fervant, his vicegerent, and minifter, into the world." Art. 13. Jefus Chrift, the Word and Son of God, did in his Divine nature, in the most ancient times, properly defcend from heaven, and appear at feveral times, and in feveral places, to the patriarchs; perfonating the Supreme God, or acting wholly in his name, and as his deputy and vicegerent in the world." Art. 14. Jefus Chrift, the Word and Son of God, defcended properly again from heaven, in his Divine nature, and became man; being by the power of the Holy Ghoft, conceived in, and born of, the bleffed Virgin Mary; and increafing afterward in wifdom and ftature like other men.' From thefe quotations, to which more might be added, let any impartial perfon judge, whether Mr. Whiston thought our Saviour a mere man; who he fays was far Superior to angels and men, and as God's minifter created and governs them (Art. 5, and 7.), or that he did not exist before Jofeph and Mary; who, he fays, was before all ages, and in the most ancient times appeared to the patriarchs (Art. 6 and 13.). T. BARKER, Lyndon, Jan. 17, 1780. We are forry that any thing we have faid concerning Dr. Delany, in our Review of the Supplement to the Works of Dean Swift, fhould have drawn on us the fufpicion of hafte or partiality. We respect the abilities and learning of Dr. D. and we elteom his general character. In quoting fuch paffages as occurred in Lord Orrery's letters, respecting the Doctor, we meant rather a compliment to his virtues, than a reflection on his memory. If his Lordhip mifreprefented fome parts of the Doctor's character, at the time when he bestowed fuch liberal encomiums on other parts of it, we are not answerable for the mistake. From the anecdotes preferved of the Doctor, and published by Mr. Nichols, we fee enough to convince us, that the best men have their peevish and fplenetic hours; and unlefs Lord Orrery can be suspected of an illiberal falfehood with refpect to the man for whom he profeffeth fo much good-will, we must give credit to the complaint he made of the harm treatment he had met with from Dr. Delany. Bork. We acknowledge the politenefs of C. D's letter, and thank him for his obliging hint refpecting a General Catalogue. N. B. If C. D. can produce fufficient proofs to invalidate the reflections of Lord Orrery, or will communicate any particulars to illuftrate the character of Dr. Delany, we shall probably have no ob jection to laying them before the public. ++ In your Monthly Review for Dec. 1779, I find a mistake + ia P. 444. It is there related, in the Article "Hiftorical Account of * See Review for November, Art. IX. ↑ Not of the Reviewer, but of the Author there quoted. the |