tances. It is meant as an anfwer to the directors, who are of opinion, that their whole debts, of every kind, fhould not exceed fix millions; and the proprietors may read this production with great fatisfaction.

26. An Address to the Publick on the Subjea of the Eaft-India Di vidend. 8vo. Pr. 6d. Bladon.

This author is a warm advocate for the proprieters of the Eaft-India stock against the directors. He fets out with fome general reflections upon tyranny, which are levelled against the bill now depending in parliament, relative to the refcinding and reftraining the India dividend. He thinks that if it is carried into execution, the reader will find the arret of the king of France after the peace, refpecting the French funds, which ruined the credit of that country, as a drop of water to a folution of vitriol. From this laft expreffion, we ftrongly fufpect that the writer is a limb of the medical art; and as the cafe is now under the confideration of the state physicians, whọ take it up upon a much broader foundation than is laid down by him, we leave the patient to die or recover fecundum artem.

27. A Letter to a Member of Parliament: concerning the Effects of the Growth of Popery, on the Price of Provifions; by a "Journeyman Shoemaker. With a Preface, by way of Apology. And a Poftfcript, on Credulity. 8vo. Pr. 15. Kearfly.

This arch fon of Crifpin, after fhewing in a humorous preface how well he is qualified for the double duties of a divine and politician, confiders how far our provisions may be affected by the encreafe or fuppreffion of popery in these kingdoms.

This country (fays he) is fometimes characterised by the diforders incident-or common to the inhabitants-fuch as very scorbutic, fcrophulous, phlegmatic habits and difpofitions; nay, the frequent fuicides we are branded with, may be the confequence of this grofs state and flow motions of our juices, &c. and this owing to our exceffive ufe of animal food-if all this be true, Popery is good for the health as well as the pockets of his majesty's fubjects-But to this last argument för PoperyI have an objection of fome confequence to offer-but that by and by.

Some perfons pretend to offer another reafon why Popery is fomehow adapted to people under fuch an inconvenient fett of. circumftances-and that the gloom arifing from our climate. and edibles, would be happily alleviated by the confeffion practifed in catholic countries.-But this obfervation does not relate

tó

to the matter of provifions, and it would lead me aftray to confider Popery in any other light at prefent,

Certainly, the addition of numbers to those who wholly abstain from mutton, beef and pork-during Lent, and certain days and feafons throughout the year-muft bring feveral conveniences, and advantages to those of his majesty's subjects who continued ftaunch proteftants.

I fhould be vaftly concerned, if your honour, or any other perfon, fhould here think of recommending a species of protestantism that fubfifts, I am told in the eastern corner of Chriftendom-the profeffors of which religion are more curious by far in the matter of Lent keeping, than any fert of Catholicks whatfoever-These same proteftant Lents, amount in the whole, to about feven months in the year, and they are obferved without any indulgence, remiffion, or equivocation at all. One of thefe proteftants would rather die of the gripes, than fup a tea spoonful of broth upon a Lent day, even though he had taken phyfic.

But I have no lefs than three good reafons against introducing this fect of Lent keeping proteftants to this countryFirft, because we have fects enough in confcience already.—Secondly, as it would tend to confound the diftinction between catholics and proteftants.-Thirdly, If his majefty must have a number of WEAK fubjects---they fhould rather be of the popish than proteftant perfuafion.

I am not a little confirmed in thefe notions, I am writing about, from obferving the political conduct of our governors,

It was obfervable enough, that the difpenfing proclamation concerning the exportation of corn-and the execution of a few rioters who had committed wafte in feveral commodities requi fite for fubfiftence-was the chief of what was done last winter -now thefe with the operation of growing Popery, during the winter, and through the feafon of Lent-were the expedients done and allowed pro tempore..

The reader from this quotation may form fome idea of this fhoe-thaker's abilities as a writer. He pleads for a permiffion of the propagation of popery, and then apologizes for his having confidered the popifh and proteftant religion as mere temporal, worldly, or carnal concerns, without having any regard to the spiritual sense, or principles of either one or the other. If the author is really a journeyman fhoe-maker, it would be a fpecies of facrilege to tranfcribe any more from his pamphlet ; but whether he is or is not, we recommend it as a laughable performance.

28. The Rife and Progrefs of the prefent Tafe in Planting Parks, Pleafure Grounds, Gardens, &c. from Henry the Eighth to King George the Third. Iu a poetic Epifile to the Right Honourable Charles Lord Viscount Irwin. 4to. Pr. 1s. 6d. Moran.

The motto prefixed to this epiftle, Ars eft celare Artem, re minds us of dean Swift carefully wrapping up a farthing in a piece of paper, as if it had been a half guinea, and giving it to the housekeeper of a family where he had been fome days, Mrs. Abigail, whom the dean moft cordially hated, peeping into the contents of the paper, ran up to him while he was taking horfe, to inform him of the mistake. His reverence knowing the meaning, "Child, child (faid he) I never give lefs;" and away he trotted. We are afraid that the art of concealing art in gardening and laying-out pleasure grounds, may be foon carried fo far that, like Swift's envelop, it may conceal a brafs farthing.A gardener or a furveyor, like an author, has many temptations to be dull by defign; and fome places have fallen under our own obfervation, where art has been fo carefully concealed, that the eye of the moft penetrating connoiffeur could not find her out.

We are far from applying these remarks to the performance before us, which we think is executed in a masterly manner, The writer is of opinion that England contained no gardens of confequence till the reign of Henry VIII. His defcriptions of Nonfuch and Theobalds will give our readers an idea of his defcriptive talents.

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Nonfuch in gay defcription ftill displays,
The falfe magnificence of Tudor's days;
Rich trellis-work the gardens there unfold,
And proud alcoves feftoon'd and gilt with gold;
Large cabinets of verdure, knots of flowers,
And fmall canals, fquare groves, and rofeat bowers,
As thick as trees fantastic structures rife,
And Gothic images with painted eyes;

The faliant fountains (which have had their day)
Thro' beaks of birds ridiculously play;
Trees clipt to statues, monfters, cats and dogs,
And hollies metamorphos'd into hogs;
Here urns and statues in confufion stand,
And one wide wafte of riches fpread the land.
Trifles like thofe at proud Versailles combin'd,
Fools to furprize, and shock the tasteful mind;
That studies nature, lavish of each grace,
When not abforpt in art's deftructive face.

• At

At Theobalds, art disfigur'd ev'ry scene,
Tho' coftly, poor, magnificent, yet mean;
Here fanes and ftatues as at Nonfuch plac'd,
Without the leaft propriety, or taste;

Here marbled bafons limpid ftreams eject,
Which patt'ring fall with infantine effect:
Here narrow ponds the fhady walks divide,
And beds of flowers extend from fide to fide.
You here in vain for diftant profpects look,
Behold the walls-encircled by a brook;
Exclude, whate'er the charming landskip fills,
The flocks and herds, the rivers, woods and hills;
Yet pedant James in this admir'd retreat,
Unconscious how to make the monarch great;
Past half his time with Buckingham and Carr,
As fond of hunting, as afraid of war.'

Our author takes occafion to pay a compliment to Milton's ideas of horticulture at the expence of those of king William and Sir William Temple; and gives us, at the fame time, fome elegant specimens of his own tafte. After flightly furveying and criticising the various gardens in Great Britain, he gives us a description of those of China, which is very pleasing to read, though we cannot answer for the truth of the painting. Upon the whole, a reader who has any notion of the hortulane arts muft read this epiftle with great delight, and confiderable improvement to his own ideas.

29. Le Pour et le Contre. Being a Poetical Difplay of the Merit and Demerit of the Capital Paintings exhibited at Spring-Gardens. 410.

Pr. 15. Williams.

This is one of those poets who (if we mistake not) can express himself with greater facility in verse than in profe. We think, however, he is more happy in his encomiums than his criticifins. Speaking of Mr. Brumpton, a young artist, he fays;

• View Brumpton's heads-Apelles' felf might praise,
And round their temples bind the Attic bays;
Their vigour, energy, their grace and air,
Their eafy attitude and converse clear ;
Where princely York with condescending mien,
Amid the groupe is loy'd, as foon as seen ;
Muft charm the fkilful, and delight the gay,
And Brumpton's talents to the world difplay;
Yet rigid rules fome blemish will detect,
The limbs not perfect, nor the lines correct.

With finaller macula this piece they charge,
But critics have a fondness to enlarge;
On Peccadillos are still prone to dwell,

Diffect what's faulty, and o'erlook what's well.
His works must give the candid strong delight,
Their charms are many, and they strike at fight."

The hint of the imperfection of the limbs is rather hypercritical, as the painter is not fuppofed to draw from the antique but from life. The following encomium on another performer is juft, and full of poetic merit.

• How happy Cotes! Thy happy skill shall shine,
Unrivall❜d in thy class, almost divine ;

For royal Charlotte's finifh'd form is thine!
How on thy canvafs, Cotes, with joy is seen,
The tend'reft mother, and the mildeft queen;
Who can her dignity with meekness blend,
And lofe a while the empress in the friend;
Who makes humility her higlieft boaft,
For then the pious queen commands the moft.
The joy of Britain in her bofom lies,
What inexpreflive sweetness in her eyes!
Maternal fondness and maternal grace,
Breathe in her air, and beam upon her face.

With boundlefs charity from heaven that springs,
The balm of kingdoms, and the crown of kings!
The royal babe in florid beauty glows,

In fond careffes, and ferene repofe ;

Whilft angels hover o'er its blooming head,

And all their dews divine around it fhed.

Now Cotes have done; now close the task of fame,

In George's fun-fhine, and in Charlotte's name.'

This author feems to have poetical talents that may be ap plied to better purposes than upon temporary, diffipating, and diffipated fubjects.

30. The Origin of the Newcastle Burr. A Tale, in Hudibraftic Verje. 8vo. Pr. 6d. Nicoll.

Very Hudibraftic; but had the author confulted Ovid, and been at the pains of perfonifying the burr, he need not have crammed it down the throats of the poor Newcastle people in the aukward fhocking manner he has done.

31. Dorval;

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