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out fome indignation at the principles and practices of the prefent miniftry.

We are given to understand from a note the Author has fubjoined, that the fubftance of this argument was spoken in one of those debating focieties which were fo much in vogue laft winter; thofe grand refervoirs of found fnfe and finished oratory, which so plentifully watered this metropolis with their refreshing streams. It was natural to expect, that fome of them would overflow upon the prefs, and that a rage for speaking would be converted into rage for writing. Upon the whole, this is by much the most refpectable performance that hath iffued from this fource.

Art. 21.

MISCELLANEOUS.

An Address to the People of England on the Increase of their Poor Rates. Dedicated to the Earl of Shelburne. By John Burnby. 8vo. Is. DodЛley.

To redrefs grievances which immediately opprefs us, feems not to be the difpofition of the prefent times. The carelefs method of maintaining our poor; the ill management of the revenue raised for that good end; and the partial mode of affeffing it, have been fubjects of appeal to thofe men in authority, whom the conftitution has delegated to watch over our concerns, to liften to our complaints, and to remove our diftreffes. Yet, notwithstanding thefe grievances have been repeatedly urged, not one of our national guardians has attempted to leffen the growing evil. Mr. Burnby, the Author of the pamphlet before us, from feeling the abufes, has renewed the complaint, and addreffed his book of Lamentations to the Earl of Shelburne, a nobleman of great understanding, and of an active spirit, who wants nothing but inclination to bring forward an inquiry fo important to the relief of the people in general.

Mr. Burnby has exhibited fome frightful charges against the wicked policy of certain parifh-officers. There is a horrid practice ufed in too many parishes, to difencumber themfelves of an idle diffolute female pauper, by giving 51. or 10l. to fome worthlefs object of another parifh to marry her; the union of corruption produces a mutual life of infamy,' &c.-The fervants of a parifh feem as wicked as the fervants of the Crown! Mr. Burnby knows no difference!

Our Author mentions another infamous perverfion, which ought to be inquired into, and thofe magiftrates who connive at it punished. By the militia-act, no poor man who has three children born in wedlock, shall be compelled to ferve perfonally, or to provide a fubftitute." And yet I find, fays our Author, it is a very common thing for fuch perfons, when drawn for militia-men, to claim this benefit, and immediately afterwards, through the connivance of the deputy lieutenants and juftices, fuffered to receive a confiderable bounty as a fubftitute, and thereby fix his family upon the oppreffed parish!'

Every publication directed to a good purpofe has its ufe; and though Mr. Burnby, from not being intimately acquainted with the fubject, has not entered largely into the caufes of the evil he remonftrates against, he has nevertheless contributed his mite towards the accomplishing a very defirable end.

Art.

Art. 22. Some Memoirs of the Life of Dr Nathan Alcock, lately deceased. 8vo. 1 S. Buckland. 1780.

Dr. Alcock was a phyfician of confiderable ingenuity and eminence. His life, however, does not feem to have been fufficiently diverfified, by remarkable incidents, to make it any way an object of public curiofity. Some indulgence may neverthelefs be allowed. for the partiality of friendfhip. Upon this principle, we prefume, the Writer of thefe Memoirs means to reft his apology for communicating to the world a narrative which can be very little interesting to those who were not perfonally acquainted with the fubject of it. Art. 23. An Hiftorical Account of the Virgin Islands in the Weft Indies, from their being fettled by the English near a Century paft, to their obtaining a Legislature of their own in the Year 1773 and the lawless State in which his Majesty's Subjects in thofe flands have remained fince that Time to the prefent. By George Suckling, Efq. 8vo. 2 S. White. 1780.

The Virgin Islands, confifting of upwards of thirty illands and keys, are fituated in about 18 degrees of north latitude, and 63 of weit longitude from London, lying between Saint John de Porto Rico and the Leeward Caribbee lands, and are poffeffed by the English and Danes. Sir Francis Drake failed through them in the year 158c, and, it may be prefumed, in honour of Queen Eliza beth, named them The Virgin Islands. In the first divifion of those poffeffed by the English, is Tortola, the principal, formerly inhabited by the Dutch, who built a strong fort in the bay of that island, but the English expelled them from thence in the year 1666.'

The defcriptive part of this performance is very brief; the hiftorical detail is more ample; but the main defign of the publication bears reference immediately to the affairs of the Author, Great inconveniences having been experienced by the inhabitants of these islands, for want of a regular eftablishment of civil government under conftitutional courts of justice, fome endeavours were used, in the year 1773, to remedy the evils complained of; and Mr. Suckling was appointed chief justice. It has been, however, this gentleman's misfortune to fuffer a diminution of his intereft with the fecretary of state for the American department; and much cause of complaint has enfued on the part of this mortified and disappointed officer, who appears to have been injured in his fortune, rather than benefited, by his appointment.-Mean time, from the caufes here fet forth, his Majefty's orders for establishing conftitutional courts of justice in the Virgin Islands have been rendered of no manner of ufe or benefit to the people, who are likely to continue in the fame lawless ftate they have been reduced to for feveral years past, although they fill continue to pay the four and a half per cent. duty towards the increase of his Majefty's revenue; and those merchants, by whofe means and credit the Planters have been enabled to raise those duties, muft give up all hopes of obtaining the means of enforcing payment of their long out-ftanding debts, unless from what may happily be effected by a public and lawful inquiry into the grievances and lawless state of his Majefty's fubjects in the Virgin lands.'

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Art. 24. The Parfonage Houfe. By a young Lady. In a Series of Letters. 3 Vols. 12mo. 7 s. 6d. Macgowan. 1780. This fmall Novel (for fo it must be called, though by the aid of the printer's art it is drawn out into three volumes) contains feveral diftinct narratives, chiefly to fhew the hazard of female credulity, written on the whole in an agreeable manner, and adapted to afford entertainment, without leaving any improper impreffion.

AGRICULTUR E.

Art. 25. Rules and Orders of the Society inftituted at Bath, for the Encouragement of Agriculture, Arts, Manufactures, and Commerce, in the Counties of Somerset, Wilts, Glocefter, and Dorset, and the City and County of Bristol. To which is added, A Lift of the Society's Premiums for the Year 1780. 8vo. Cruttwell. 1780. The Rules and Orders of the Bath Society may ferve as an excellent model for fimilar Societies in other parts of the kingdom. premiums are divided into three claffes: the firft is appropriated to agriculture, planting, the increase of live stock, and induftry in fervants; the fecond to manufactures; and the third to arts and mechanics. They are judiciously adapted to the infancy of the fociety and the prefent ftate of the counties for whofe benefit they are intended. We are particularly pleafed with the following:

The

To the person who, in the fummer of 1780, fhall gather and prefent to the Society the largest quantity of the following graffes in the blade, (when the feed is ripe) or any eight of them, five guineas.

Vernal Grafs,

Fine Bent,

Meadow Fox-tail,

Common Poa,

Great Poa,

Annual Poa.

Sheep's Fefcue,
Meadow Fescue,
Flote Fefcue,
Yellow Oat Grass,

Crefted Dog's-tail.

Each species of grafs to be kept feparate, and fent in the blade, as foon as gathered, to the fecretary, who will give fpecimens of each kind to any perfon that will undertake to gather them. The quantity gathered of each fpecies to contain not lefs than four ounces of feed.'

It is much to be regretted, that the feveral graffes here enumerated have never (that we know of) been cultivated feparately. It certainly would be much for the benefit of both pasture and meadow ground, if the herbage could be fuited to the foil, and weeds, and graffes of an inferior kind, could be excluded. How many acres of very valuable land have been materially damaged by the admiffion of rabbish that has come in the hay-feeds with which the land has been laid down for grafs !

TRADE and MECHANIC S. Art. 26. Thoughts on the Ufe of Machines in the Cotton Manufacture. Addreffed to the Working People in that Manufacture, and to the Poor in general. 8vo. 2 d. or 15 s. per 100 to those who are difpofed to give them away. Manchefter. 1780. In our Review for March, we gave an account of a very fenfible and ingenious pamphlet "on the utility and policy of employing

machines

machines for fhortening labour." The prefent performance is of a more limited nature, and entirely confined to the cotton manufacture. It contains, however, nearly the fame arguments and obfervations, expreffed in a plain perfpicuous ftyle, well adapted to the capacities of the poor, to whom it is addreffed, and to whom the Author fub fcribes himself a friend. The whole ftrain of his reafoning feems justly to intitle him to this most honourable appellation; and he has fufficiently proved to the meanest understandings, that the employing of machines to facilitate the production of our cotton manufactures, whatever temporary inconvenience it may occafion to a few individuals, must yet increase the demand for our goods in foreign markets, open new fources of trade and industry, and thereby promote the intereft of the poor at large, as well as the ge neral advantage of the community..

POETICAL.

Art. 27. Heroic Epifle from Hamet the Moor, Slipper Maker in London, to the Emperor of Morocco, &c. 4to. 2 S. Cadell.

It is not every man-it is not every Author, that can happily convey his meaning to others: Hamet the Moor is of the number of thefe. There may be meaning-there may be wit, in his poem ; but we have not "fenfe enough to find it out."

Art. 28. Poems on various Subjects. By Eliza Reeves. Dedicated (by Permiffion) to his Grace the Duke of Manchester. 4to. Ios. 6d. fewed. Dilly. 1780.

Thefe poems, no doubt, may give much pleafure within the circle of the Authorefs's private acquaintance; but to the public, who are unbiaffed by perfonal attachments, they will perhaps appear less interesting.

Art. 29. Eugenio; or, The Man of Sorrow. A Legendary
Tale. By a young Gentleman of seventeen. 4to. I S.
Erratum. For feventeen read seven.

Wilkie.

Art. 30. An Heroic Epistle to the Rev. Richard Watfon, D. D. F. R. S. Archdeacon of Ely, late Profeffor of Chemistry, now Regius Profeffor of Divinity, in the Univerfity of Cambridge. Enriched with elaborate Notes, and very learned References. 4to. 's. 6d. Becket.

This Writer endeavours to make himself, and his readers, merry. at the expence of a very worthy and refpectable character.-With regard to ourselves, we cannot fay that he has fucceeded.

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Art. 31. Catiline's Confpiracy: A Mirror of the Times, Part

the First. Recommended to the Confideration of the Freeholders of Great Britain. 4to. 2 s. 6d. Faulder. 1780.

Salluft's elegant profe put into inelegant verfe, and adapted to the malevolent purposes of party.

Art. 32. La Belle Affemblée: or, The Female Praters. A Satire. 4to. Is. Flexney. 1780.

S.

.

Iliterate and vulgar, written in valiant defiance of grammar and good manners. Art. 33. The Triumph of Affectation. A Poem. 4to. Is. Bew. 1780. This Writer, in attempting fatire, feems to have mistaken his talent. As a verfifier, he is tolerably correct and harmonious; but

F 4

when

when folly is to be laughed at, and expofed, he should have recol lected that sprightliness and wit are as requifite as correctness and harmony.

These indeed are not the only points in which he betrays a deficiency. In the characters he has introduced there is, in general, nothing peculiarly appropriate or ftriking: for inftance;

But, oh! what glittering forms of heroes bold

The plains of Effex and of Kent unfold!

With air terrific, but in veftments fine,

Like blazing ftars, they threaten and they shine;
The fmart cockade, the hat en militaire,
The epaulet, and gorget's fiercer glare;
The martial queue that's negligently ty'd,
The sword that carelessly adorns the fide;
In ftrong mark'd characters at once express
A thirst of glory, and a tafte for drefs.

A young officer may furely have a tafte for drefs without incurring the charge of affectation. There is nothing more natural in early life, than the wish to engage attention by personal embellishments. Art. 34. The Britoniad. A Poem. 4to. Is, 6d, Kearsley, America, ftand forth, to thee I fpeak

Exalted nonfenfe in a Bourbon trap,

Led on to rue thy glittering mishap,

Thou hadft true friends while argument fedate
Pronounced thee kindred to a British State,
Pleading thy citizonian rights in vain,

While all thy cries feem'd buried in mortmain,

Of this exalted nonfenfe the above will be fpecimen enough. Art. 35. An Ode to the Memory of the late Captain James Cook: By W. Fitzgerald, of Gray's Inn. 4to. I s.

Robinfon, &c.

This little poem, though far from being a first-rate performance, is not without its merit. Its merit, however, is of that kind which is derived from the fenfibility of a benevolent mind, rather than the vigour of a poetical imagination. Art. 36. The Maid of Orleans. Tranflated from the French of Voltaire. Canto I. 4to. I s. Kearfly. 1780.

A licentious poem, licentiously tranflated.

Art. 37. An Epifle to the Right Honourable John Earl of Sandwich; or, The British Hero difplayed. A Poem. 4to. I s. Rivington. 1780.

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This Writer, in point of poetical merit, may rank with that longforgotten bard of whom Dryden fays,

He faggotted his notions as they fell,

And if they rhym'd, and rattled, all was well. The poem is a panegyric on Lord Sandwich, and on our naval commanders, &c. &c.

Art. 38. Hobby-Horfes, Read [rode] at Bath-Eafton,

4to. DodЛley.

I Se

Thefe Hobby-horfes do not feem calculated to make any great figure upon the Parnaffian turf. There does not appear to be the moft diftant cross of Pegafus in the breed, as they do not few the

least

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