Varbel. I'll tell you; it means, that the good people here aren't fond of company who are not invited; and this is civilly to give us notice, that if we don't decamp in a moment, we shall have the rest of the caftle to carry away on our shoulders. Count. (Taking up the first fione.) What do I fee? writing!-Varbel-read, read what is fcratch'd here. Varbel. (Reading.) Oh, Florefki!-It is Florefki !-Are you fure there are no witches in this wood? Count. Who can know me in this folitude?-Ha! give me the other. Varbel. (Giving the 2nd ftone.) Ha! here's a paper. Count. (Snatches the paper, and reads.)" Inform my father that Lovinski has abus'd his confidence, and confines his Lodoiska in this" (Drops the note.) Oh, Varbel! fhe is immur'd in that horrible tower. Varbel. Poor lady !-What a damn'd rogue that fellow must be. Count. My Lodoika! my life! my foul; I will release or die for thee. Varbel! Varbel. My lord. Count. Where is my friend? Where is my Kera Khan ?-call him; now, now I demand his help. I rave, I rave-alas! he's far away. Varbel. Ay, so most friends are when you want 'em. ART. 19. Heigho for a Hufband! a Comedy, as performed at the Theatre Royal in the Hay-Market, on Tuesday, January 14, 1794. 8vo. Is. 6d. Arrowsmith,, 1794. A comedy which profeffes to be a parody of the Beaux Stratagem. Farquhar's comedy, with material objections to its plot and its conduct, had fome wit in its dialogue. Here extravagance and vulgarity mark the dialogue, and a total deviation from nature and probability, the plot and incidents of the drama, NOVELS. ART. 20. The Myftic Cottager of Chamouny. A Novel, in two Va lumes. 12mo. 6s. Lane. 1794. It is difficult to speak in accurate terms of the production before us. It presents a few gleams of fancy and feeling, amidst a wide chaos of abfurdity. The ftory it conveys, is loft in the wilds of common place fentiment and extravagant diction. But the appetite of noyel readers is gluttonous; and this will probably be digetted with as little difcernment of its faults and beauties, as the generality of productions in the fame line. Charity is a merit no one can difpute; and the support of an orphan, incapacitated by blindnefs for the bufinefs of life, is a motive which will not, we prefume, lofe its effect upon the public. The writer must however be told that the ftructure of a novel requires a talent more condefcending to ordinary circumftances and language, events more natural, and diction more fimple. The novel is interfperfed with fome poetical sketches, in which the writer appears to greater advantage. Making due allowance for a want of strict correctness, we regard the following as deferving a place in a better collection. THE MULETEER. When o'er the moon a mifty veil, His twinkling lamp he cautious bears, Joyous he views the rifing dawn Break from the thick-rob'd fhades of night; With fluid gold the blushing morn Sheds her foft ambient beam of light; O'er craggy fteeps afcending flow, The early songstress sweet reclines Yet, tho' fevere the toil he braves, Then traveller his care repay, And let him turn his ragged mule, Back to his hovel bend his way, From fervid heats to fhades more cool; For thus your bounty through the year ART. 21. Count Roderic's Caple: or, Gothic Times, a Tale, in z vols. 8vo. Lane, 1794. They who read books of this kind folely for amufement, may be pleafed with thefe volumes. Almost every page contains fome event very marvellous and alarming, and yet not altogether improbable. The efcapes of the feveral parties from dangerous fituations, are alfo very wonderful, and at the fame time are conducted with confiderable addrefs and ingenuity. The work is properly ftyled A Tale; being a tiffue of incidents, with little or nothing of character, fentiment, or manners. We do not perceive any thing in the morality of it that can offend a good man, nor any thing in the ftyle that need be cenfured by a critic. DIVINITY. ART. 22. This work contains many proofs of the extenfive reading, folid learning, and found judgement of its author. The defign of it is ftated to be this: p. 17. to produce fome of the leaft doubtful evidences of Chrift's eternal Divinity; to reprefent them in the fimpleft manner; and, particularly, to contraft them with the fceptical notions of the prefent times, in fuch a way, that the honeft inquirer may be confirmed in the truth." The design is well executed. It is fcarcely poffible to give any other abtract of this performance, than is exhibited in its table of contents. But we choose rather to give some short extracts, fufficient to recommend the whole to the attention of ferious perfons; adding only, that the style of the tranflation is plain, perfpicuous, and forcible. "There is a general complaint, with refpect to the loofe and unchristian manner in which youth are educated. The diligent and daily ufe of God's word, both in the family and the clofet, fo much in efteem among the Proteftants immediately after the Reformation, is exceedingly rare. A torrent of new writings, lefs adapted to convey ufeful instruction, than to afford amufement, to gratify an idle curiofity, and to encourage a frivolous waite of precious time, has banifhed the Bible.-Children, after a fhort and defective education, and fuch as they are apt to defpife, are allowed to make a public profeffion of the religion to which they have been accuftomed, by joining in the holy communion: but this is done in fo flight and fuperficial a manner, that the least banter, in a libertine company, is fufficient to unhinge every good principle, and efface every good impreffion." P. 7. "What zeal, as to articles of faith, can be expected, for instance, from people, who never dared to converfe with their children and families concerning their eternal falvation? What can be expected from thofe, who are indifferent about what is said of their Redeemer; who are content, when their teacher defcribes his hearers as in a ftate of condemnation in the fight of God, folely with a view to lead them to the merits of Chrift for falvation, and reprefents them and himself as fuch in prayer; but who with as much fatisfaction hear a teacher that, in the pulpit, is almost filent about Christ, and who does not fet fo much value on the dignity of the Saviour's perfon, or on the necef fity of his work? What love for the truth can thofe teachers have, who very differently from Jefus and his apoftles, very differently from the great luminaries of the church in the fixteenth century, think it lawful to undertake the office of the miniftry, and to receive falaries from churches, to whofe confeffions of faith they conform, without believing them, till the way is prepared for spreading contrary fentiments?" P. 10. "If the expreffions and inferences of the Athanafian Creed, be not approved; let every one, at least, seek that which the word of God teaches, and let the best expreffions for profeffing it be ufed; of which, if they be good, we also shall take the advantage." P. 175. "The doctrine in queftion does not depend on one or two texts, perhaps, of an improper and doubtful fignification. It is not like any great and difputable point between the church of Rome, and Proteftants; which, on the one fide, is founded on a fingle word of Jefus, which, doubtlefs, is infallible; but, against the literal meaning fo which, a great number of reafons, on the other fide, may be deduced from both nature and fcripture. On the contrary, the doctrine of Christ's eternal Divinity is founded on a vast number of fcriptural texts: texts, which fupport one another, by a variety of phrafes; by the different lights in which the doctrine is reprefented; by particular emphafis of expreffion, not confifting barely in vague allufions and diftant comparifons, but in direct and pofitive affertions and which, by doctrines, rules of duty, incitements, warnings, and confolations, direct our religious efteem, fubjection, prayers, gratitude, and hope, to Chrift. In a word; it is founded on the entire connection, the whole contents, and great aim of the doctrine of falvation; and, particularly, as it is contained in the New Testament." P. 177. "But, according to the temper of our times, (and mournfu! experience begins to confirm it) the denial of a providence, and of a future ftate, would boldly appear in the world. The running down, and perfecution, of all ferious religion would be let loofe; and (as even a VOLTAIRE warned a DIDEROT) fpeculative Atheifim, becoming general, would grow into practice: and, contaminating every thing, would foon destroy domeftic, civil, and national happiness; till men, imprefled with a fefe of their dreadful mifery, and feeking for better principles in the midst of their ignorance and perplexity, would be thrown again into the dangerous arms of a dark fuperftition. O that our young divines, that our novices in fcience and literature, that the Chriftian people, would make themselves familiar with the word of God, and adhere to it!" P. 182. ART. 23. Theophilus; or, The Pupil inftructed in the Principles, the Obligations, and the Refources of the Roman Catholic Religion. By the Rev. Mr. Appleton. From the French La Dorine Chretienne. 8vo. pp. 463. 5s. Coghlan, 1794. Though we differ from this author, toto cælo, in many points of doctrine, yet we willingly do him juftice by faying, that his book. is well calculated for the purpose it holds forth, the instruction of of young Roman-Catholics. It contains 104 fhort lectures; in each of which fome duty, or doctrine, is stated and enforced; or fome vice, or fault, is expofed in its proper colours. Then follows a devout addrefs to God, fuggefted by the fubject of the lecture; which concludes with a very thort practical inference. In these lectures we have found much useful inftruction, and many cloquent effufions of piety and devotion, ART. 24. A Sermon preached at the Tower of London, on Wednesday the 25th of February, 1795. Being the Day appointed for a General Faft. By the Rev. John Grofe, A. M. F. A. S. Minifter of the Tower; Lecturer of St. Olave's, Southwark; and Chaplain to the Right Hon. Countess Dowager Mexborough. 8vo. 17 pp. 6d. Rivingtons. Though there is unavoidably a recurrence of fimilar topics in the fermons preached on the occafions of the fafts, yet ingenuity ftill claims its privilege of ftriking out fomething which diftinguishes it from the herd. Mr. Grofe writes in clear and manly language, which, in our opinion, does not want the aid of thofe numerous Italics with which he has allowed his printer to set it off. This is an expedient which was much practifed 50 years ago, but is now justly disapproved. His text is Ifaiah, xxv. ver. 9. ART. 25. Chriftianity the only true Theology; or, an Anfewer to Mr. Paine's Age of Reafon. By a Churchman. Svo. 73 pp. is. 6d. Rivingtons, 1794. Among the inftances of good arifing out of evil, may be reckoned thee of books of infidelity, one of which, however futile, generally produces feveral found and able books of divinity in anfwer. The misfortune is, that the antidote does not always reach altogether fo far as the poison, and they who are eager to take up the attack, will throw afide the defence without perufing it. This fenfible and well written pamphlet is one of the many which have been occafioned by Paine's Age of Reafon. It exp fes his fophiftry and ignorance with fuccefs, and will do credit to the author whenever he shall cease to be concealed. In p. 7 he compares Republicanifin and Deifm as proceeding from the fame principle, which is true; but that principle would have been better expreffed by the fimple term Pride, than by the periphrafis he has ufed," a high, but false idea of the uniformity and perfection of the human character." He might have added that Socinianifm, the half brother of Deifm, proceeds from the fame fource, and naturally seeks the fame affociates. The author fpeaks of himself as "poor and obfcure:" we hope that this is not exactly stated; if so, we can only fay that he feems to us to deserve that both particulars fhould be rendered untrue. ART |