wanting neither induftry nor abilities, both which are undoubtedly requifite, and that in an eminent degree, to the completion of fo laborious and comprehenfive an undertaking.

Elvira; a Tragedy. Acted at the Theatre-Royal in Drury-Lane. 8vo. Is. 6d. Millar.

LTHOUGH Mr. Mallet, the Author of this tragedy,

A has, in his dedication of it to Lord Bute, difclaimed its

bearing any immediate relation to public affairs, yet we cannot but think it is too particularly well-timed to have been merely the effect of accidental coincidence. Our connexion with Portugal, where the scene of this tragedy lies; the favourable light in which the court of Lifbon is here placed to our view; but above all, the pacific fentiments, the idea of a monarch who places his glory, not in that military fpirit which operates to the deftruction of mankind, but in cultivating the arts of peace; are all circumftances which unite to ftamp this play with the character of a political performance.

It is, however, not altogether a new work. The custom of building fuperstructures upon foundations laid by foreign, and particularly by French writers, appears now to be fo thoroughly eftablished with our dramatic poets, that the best of them do not difdain to adopt the practice; which we are forry for, as it seems to acknowledge our want of genius to produce originals of our own.

But as borrowing is lefs fcandalous than fealing, our theatrical brokers, who trade fo largely on the capital of others, have always the grace to acknowlege their obligations to their princi pals. Thus Mr. Mallet, in a poftfcript to the printed copies of this play, fairly owns the ufe he has made of Mr. de la Motte's tragedy, founded on the fame melancholy event; for the particulars of which, as well as for many of the poetical embellishments, both the French and English bard are originally indebted to that excellent poem, the Lufiad of Camoëns. The ftory was, without doubt, a very proper one for the bafis of a tragedy; and not the lefs adapted for that purpose, by having its foundation in historical truth. The incidents, as they are found in Mr. Mallet's performance, are fimple, natural, and affecting, and arife out of one another with very little intervention of art in the decorations furnished by the poet. In refpect to the language, this piece is at least equal to any of our late tragedies; few of which, indeed, have rifen to excellence, but till fewer have funk below mediocrity. The prologue is a very good one; and the epilogue, written by Mr. Garrick, like most

of that gentleman's performances of this kind, (in which we queftion if any man living can excel him) is replete with genuine wit and humour. In the following lines he exquifitely expofes the fallacy of an author's collecting the opinion of his friends, from a private communication of his works, and fhews what different judgments may be given by the fame perfons, on other occafions:

A fingle critic will not frown, look big,
Harmless and pliant as a fingle twig,

But crouded here they change, and 'tis not odd,
For twigs, when bundled up, become a rod.
Critics to bards, like beauties to each other,
When tète à tète their enmity they fmother.
Kifs me, my dear; how do you? charming creature!
What shape, what bloom; what spirit in each feature!
Lou flatter me,-'pon bonour, no.—You do-

My friend my dear-fincerely yours-Adieu!

But when at routs, the dear friends change their tone

This very bundle of twigs would alone fuffice to fhew the ingenious Author's intimate acquaintance with men and manners, did he not otherwise evince it to the world, by his inimitable reprefentations of human nature, in almost all the infinite variety of her different characters and appearances.

Critical Strictures on the new Tragedy of Elvira, written by Dauid Malloch. 8vo. 6d. Flexney,

OME perfonal enemy of Mr. Mallet's, or fome national SOM

enemy, on account of his being a Scotchman, has here, moft invidiously attacked his Elvira; which, according to this fnarling critic, is a wretched piece of plagiarism, a bungling patch-work jobb, that nothing but Mr. Garrick's genius in acting could have faved from damnation. The general spirit of these curious ftrictures, may be justly inferred from their Author's infifting fo ftrenuously as he does, in his previous Advertifement, on what he deems the right orthography of Mr. Mallet's name, which he will have to be Malloch, on the authority of Sir David Dalrymple and Mr. Samuel Johnfon.-Though this, no doubt, is a point of the utmost confequence to the "World of Letters," yet, if we are not mistaken in Mr. MalJet, we may venture to answer for him, that he will never prefume to conteft it against the opinion of three fuch infallible judges as the two gentlemen above-mentioned, and the profound Author of thefe ftrictures; whom, after all, we cannot but look upon as a man of more abilities than honefty, as the want of candour is certainly a fpecies of difhonefty.

MONTHLY

MONTHLY CATALOGUE,

For JANUARY, 1763.

POETICAL.

Art. 1. An Ode to Duke Humphry, imitated from Horace. 8vo. 6 d. Hinxman.

A

S we do not think it worth our while to give any explanation of this very fhort ænigmatical piece, our Readers fhall have it entire; and the rather, as it may serve as an inftance of the high price to which poetry has rifen, through the feverity of the feafon:

I.

Where are the crowds we faw before?
No Flatt'rers now befiege your door,
None to your fmiles afpire;
Your Porter once fo brifk in place,
So bufy, buttling, like your Grace,
May with your Grace retire.
II.

The promife-fed, deluded throng,
Who bow'd fo low, who bow'd fo long,
And at your levees waited—
Commons and Peers alike are gone,
Your very Bishops too are flown
To GGE, to be tranflated.
HI.

When age comes on, and bufinefs fails,
The caft off Harlot weeps and rails,
Yet ftill would fain be cooing;
To bring new Lovers to her arms,
Ogles, coquets, repairs her charms,
Old Women will be doing.-

• We must do the Publisher the justice to acknowlege, that he has given with it about twenty lines of Horace's Latin, and (as a Motto) four lines of Pope's English.

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She

Yon op'ning Rofe, fecure from blight,
Will charm the sense, attract the fight,
And throw its fweets about-

While faplefs wood but makes a blaze,
Which boys attend with loud huzza's,
And then in smoke goes out.

Art. 2. Three Hundred Hymns. By Thomas Spooner, Minifter of the Gofpel. 12mo. 3s. Dilly.

It is well for many of our modern Fanatics, that some distinction is made, in the conftruction of our laws, between actual and intended blafphemy: we should elfe expect to fee fuch Minifters of the Gospel as Mr. Spooner, committed to Newgate, and fet in the pillory, for ridiculing the facred doctrines contained in the holy Scriptures, by fcandalous and contemptible paraphrafes.

That illiterate Mechanics fhould fometimes be hurried, by an overheated imagination, into fuch irreverend abfurdities, we do not wonder; but that a man, who quotes Latin, Greek, and Hebrew, and may be fuppofed to have fome pretenfions to literature, fhould have no more regard for the ftyle and fubjects of the facred writings, is fomewhat furprizing.

The Reader may judge of the talents of this wholefale Hymn-monger, by the following ftanzas, extracted from the laft piece in this collection, entitled the Pafchal Lambs; wherein their fimilitude to Chrift is thus reprefented.

The pafchal lambs of ancient Jews,

As the infpired volume fhews,
Three whole days feparated were,
For facrificing to prepare:

So three prophetic days or years,
Chrift, leaving home, abroad appears,
While in perfection high, the will
Of God, the Saviour did fulfil.

The lambs on day the fourth were slain:

So Jefus did for us obtain,

In the fourth year Redemption high,
By bearing death and mifery.

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The

The types were roafled after death:
Before the Lord refigned his breath,
He bore divine avending ire,
Like roafting by the fcorching fire.

Their obelisk was made of wood,
Their nails of iron; that understood
Their apparatus well might be,

With crucifixion to agree.

The Reader will fee that thefe Hymns are much of a piece with Erkine's Gospel Sonnets, and the Hymns of the Moravians; and, tho* not fo obfcene, are nearly as abfurd.

Art. 3. A Collection of original Pieces; confifting of Poems, ProLogues, Epilogues, Songs, Epifles, Epigrams, Epitaphs, &c. By J. Wignel. 8vo. 4s. Printed for the Author, by Subfcription. Sold by Mr. Davies in Ruffel-street.

Mr. Wignel appears to have been a Strolling Player; and, into the bargain, he is alfo a bit of a Poet. We do not find, however, that an over fond conceit of his abilities, in the rhyming way, prompted him to appear in print: the fame effect is often produced by very different caufes books owe their existence fometimes to vanity, fometimes to poverty. To the latter, as the Author honeftly confeffes, the world is indebted for Mr. Wignel's volume. And truly, fince the poor man wanted it, we are glad to fee his fubfcription-lift fo well filled. We dare lay, he himself will agree with us, that it is the best part of his book. As his verfes, not to difparage the works of one who does not pretend to be a Poet, there are Readers who may like them as well as thofe of Milton or Pope and let that be the Author's confolation, 'let Critics fay what they will. For us, we rather prefer his Decation to his brother Comedian, Mr. Shuter: in which, be not furprized, gentle Reader, he praises the faid Mr. Shuter, for his piety. And, what is more extraordinary, this is no joke, but a very ferious and well-intended encomium.-We have frequently heard, that this admirable comic Actor has, for fome time paft, turned his graver thoughts towards that great concern of all men, with which humour and levity have no connexion; and that, as may very naturally be expected from men who have lived as Mr. Shuter hath done, he is become a frequenter of Mr. Whitefield's affemblies. Mr. Wignel takes notice of this in his Epistle dedicatory, and relates the following anecdote.

་

"A Gentleman remarkable for his intimacy with a certain fashionable Author, (who, for the diverfion of the world, and his own emolument, has fometimes made too free with the natural defects, and innocent particularities of divers worthy perfons) endeavouring to tempt you by certain offers of advantage, to affift in conveying his low invectives, and perfonal abufe, to the town, was properly reproved by the following anfwer,

• Sir, Whatever idea you have of me, as an Alor and a Man, give ⚫ me leave to inform you, I have fo ftrong a regard for Religion, and her Profefors, with fo grateful a fenfe of the favours the Almighty has * conferred on me, that I fhall never employ my weak abilities in the ⚫ ridicule

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