the Bank were granted in confideration of fums of money advanced, from time to time, to the Government; and that its credit hath been constantly supported by the whole body of our Merchants, particularly in the rebellion of 1745, when the demands on it became fo preffing, that it would have been found difficult, if not impoffible, to have kept on a course of payment, even in the manner it then did, were it not for the general affociation and agreement of the Merchants to accept its notes, as money, in all payments. And yet, notwithstanding these fignal fervices of the Merchants, and the privileges granted on the part of the Government, he obferves, that the Directors put a fudden stop, in the year 1758, to their ufual manner of discounting bills; which laid the Merchants under extreme difficulties, threw a general damp on trade, and in its confequences affected the public Funds to a very great degree: a ftagnation in this branch of credit, laying many principal Merchants, who were Subscribers to the Government Loan, under the neceffity of difpofing of their fubfcriptions almost at any price, in order to keep up the regularity of their ordinary payments. Again, their refufing to advance money to the Government, on the land-tax granted by Parliament for the year 1760, a profitable branch, which they had till that time almoft wholly engroffed, he fays, might have been attended with very fatal confequences to the nation, when we were fo deeply engaged in an expenfive war. And tho', continues he, "the Directors might have had very powerful motives for acting as they did, with which the public was not, nor was it prudent it should be, made acquainted; yet I presume the extraordinary influence this body hath acquired, both with respect to the funds, and the commercial credit of the kingdom; and alfo, how far the fafety, or welfare of either may, at any time, be endangered by it, are matters of fuch confequence, as may well deferve the ferious confideration of the Legiflature.” It is for all these reasons, and to make room for a national Bank, that he thinks the Legislature fhould not grant the prefent Bank a farther term, when that of their prefent privileges is expired. But as the discharge of the whole debt due to the Bank, which amounts at present to 11,686,800l. and twelve months notice, are abfolute conditions that must be complied with, before fuch a scheme can take place, he proposes that fum fhall be timely raifed. To this end he would have a great part of the royal Forefts and Chaces, and particularly Enfield Chace and Epping Foreft, put up to fale. By this expedient, however, he proposes, to raise only the fum of four millions toward the purpose intended. How the remainder is to be procured he does not tell us, tho' he intimates that it might easily be done. If If he means in the way of borrowing, however, we doubt it much; as it may be expected, that the ufual Undertakers for Loans, will join all their forces to oppofe a fcheme fo detrimental to their private intereft; and we fear, feven millions could not be eafily raised for this, or any other purpose, without them. Our Author adds many fenfible and judicious reflections, to illuftrate and enforce his fcheme; of the advantages of which we are fully convinced, tho' not to the degree he aims at; particularly in regard to the expences of any future war, the circumftances of which it is impoffible to forefee. Pre-Existence, a Poem. Pra-Exiftentia Poema Latine reditum Bath, printed for Leake and Frederick. Svo. Is. HE origin of the human foul has often employed the con THE jectures of Philofophers. Some have afcribed it to the vivific principles of the Semen humanum; and others have fuppofed, that the foul is infufed into the foetus by the creative power of the Deity. Others again, with what probability we shall not take upon us to fay, have afferted, that all human fouls were originally angelic fpirits, who, having been feduced by the arts of the grand Deceiver, to join his rebel-party, were, for this crime, condemned to fuffer imprifonment in an earthly body. This laft opinion has been efpoufed not only by many of the Heathen Philofophers, by the Sophifts of Greece, the Bramine of India, the Chaldean and the Perfian Magi, but by many of the Profeffors of Christianity also, by Origen, Tertullian, &c. Upon this fyftem the poem before us is founded; and as every fyftem concerning the origin of the foul must be imaginary, it is with more propriety made the fubject of poetry than it could have been of philofophy. The poem contains a narrative of the events which happened. from the conteft of Michael and Satan, till the creation of the world. It opens with the fignal given from the Arch-angel's trumpet, upon which the gates of Tartarus are clofed, and the victorious armies return to heaven. Then follows the account of thofe fpirits who had been feduced, but, being penitent, were not condemned to Tartarus, though they were banished from heaven. The gates of heaven, the throne of God, and the angels furrounding the throne, are defcribed, after which, fentence is pronounced upon the different orders of fpirits. A daring A daring imagination, and an unequal diction, frequently inflated and obfcure, characterife this performance; from which we shall select one fhort paffage, together with its correspondent Latin, as fpecimens of the original, and of the translation. 'Tis therefore my decree the foul return Naked from off this beach, and perfect blank To vifit the new world, and ftrait to feel Itfelf in crude confiftence closely shut The dreadful monument of jutt revenge, Immur'd by Heaven's own hand, and plac'd erect On fleeting matter, all imprifon'd round With walls of clay; th' ethereal mould shall bear Littore ab hoc igitur mens prorfus nuda recedat, Exurgunt motus, reciduntque; ferocia bella We have fedom met with a tranflation fo faithful to its original, and, at the fame time, fo pure in itfelf. It has much claffical fimplicity and elegance, and not only exhibits invariably the fenfe of the original, but, by its purity and precifion, frequently ferves as a comment on what in the English poem was * From the Beach of Lethe. Hither compell'd the fool muft drink long draughts obfcure, obfcure. Upon the whole, the tranflation may, in fome refpects, be thought a much better poem than the original. We cannot quit this article without expreffing our abhorrence of thofe doctrines which reprefent the Divine Being in the character of an Eastern Defpot; which give him the flaming righthand, and the triumphal chariot; as if the Almighty could not be painted truly glorious, but at the expence of the blood and fufferings of his creatures. To humanize the heart, is the peculiar task of the Mufes, and the nobleft employment within their sphere. Whenever, therefore, leffons of humanity are intended to be conveyed in verfe, we must be pleased with the defign, though we may not always approve the execution. We fat down to review thefe Elegies with the fame sentiments we entertain in all our critical labours, defirous, for our own fakes, as well as for the Author's, to find fufficient caufe for commendation. To confer praife on literary merit, is not lefs delightful to ourselves, than it may prove to the Authors whom we thus diftinguifh; and this may be eafily accounted for, as the principal, happiness of mankind confifts in the exercise of the benevolent affections. But to the misfortune of the Reviewer, in the promifcuous multitude of literary productions, little is found either to gratify tafte in the perufal, or to indulge benevolence in the review. The territories of DULLNESS are not lefs extenfive than barren, and her offspring are industrious in proportion to the fterility of their inheritance. Whether the Author of thefe Elegies must be numbered among the Votaries of this Goddefs, we fhall leave our Readers to determine; and, after we have fummed up the evidence for and against him, we doubt not but their verdict will be impartial. First, then, whatever merit the following ftanza may have, we apprehend it is not altogether original, as we remember a little epigram, which it, in fome measure, resembles. Rev. Mar. 1763. Fain Fain would she now retard the parting day; And thus her dear companions fhe bespeaks. The epigram we allude to, was written by Sir Cs B—ck, on the addreffes paid to Mifs C-ft, by Mr. Fane, a very corpulent Gentleman: I Fane would have Mifs Jenny C-st ; Thus it is that the Bee befpeaks her dear companions. Then bid farewel to all thefe bleft retreats, Where oft ye've rov'd thro' many a fummer's day, It is the business of poetry to inftruct as well as to entertain: agreeably to which our Author has very artfully introduced a Jeffon of politenefs in the above ftanza. Meliffa informs her mates, that they ought, in good manners, to bid farewel to, and take a proper leave of the place, where they had eaten and drank fo plentifully. This is agreeable to all notions of good breeding, and we cannot but commend the Poet for teaching his Bees fo much politeness as well as gratitude. All this makes for the Author; but we fear the following verfe will go against him. When the Bees were returning to their hives, fays he, With pleasure all their golden thighs furvey. It is impoffible that fuch a delicate, polite Bee as Mrs. Melissa, hould exhibit her thighs to a gaping mob. For this, however, ample compenfation is made by the following well-tim'd fatire. Man, it seems, who appeared to be Meliffa's friend, turns out her bitter ft for. He determines, in Thort, to rob her hive; and this horrid act, the Author tells us, he contrived to perpetrate, When all was hush'd, and not one watch awake. What an excellent oblique fatire is this upon our London Watchmen, who, alas! are too often afleep, when they should be doing their duty! This Elegy concludes with poetical justice. When the robber had plundered the hives, and, as our Author has it, killed the breed, |