whose name is certainly respectable in the republic of letters, made it abfolately neceffary. Every addition of praife to any work beyond its real and intrinfic merit, will always be found in the end prejudicial to it; as the fame moisture which feeds and nourishes the plant, may, if poured on in too great abundance, overwhelm and deftroy it. We fhall conclude this article, by quoting the following lines from the epilogue [76], which, though very fhort, is one of the beft which we ever remember to have heard on the ftage. After briefly obferving, that there is nothing fo abfurd as a ludicrous epilogue, our author fadly fays, that pity is the best, The nobleft paffion in the human breast: For when its facred ftreams the heart o'er flow, In gufhes pleasure with the tide of wo; And when its waves retire, like thofe of Nile, They leave behind them fuch a golden foil, That there the virtues without culture grow, There the sweet bloffoms of affection blow. This furely is infinitely more rational after a tragedy, than the pert jokes, witticisms, and loofe conceits, which an unfeeling audience generally meets with, to help them to wash away the little tincture of virtue which they may poffibly have received from a serious performance. MONTHLY REVIEW, May 1757When the town, by a tedious fucceffion of indifferent performances, has been long confined to cenfure, it will natu rally wish for an opportunity of praife; and, like a lofing gamefter, vainly expect every laft throw muft retrieve the former. In this difpofition, a performance with but the flightest share of merit, is welcomed with no fmall fhare of applaufe; its prettineffes exalt us into rapture; and the production is compared, not with our idea of excellence, but of the exploded trash it fucceeds. Add to this, that the leaft qualified to judge, are ever foremost to obtrude their opinions; ignorance exclaims with excefs of admiration; party roars in its fupport; and thus the trifle of the day is fure to have the loudest voices, and the most votes in its favour: nor does it cease to be the finest piece in nature, till a newer (and confequently a finer) appears, to confign it to oblivion. Do these men of applause, who can fo eafily be brought To wonder with a foolish face of praife? deferve our envy, or our cenfure? If their raptures are real, none but the illnatured would with to damp them; if fictitious, ftupidity only can fympathife with their pretended felicity. As, in company, the loudeft laugh comes generally from the person least capable of relishing the converfation; so, in criticifm, thofe are often moft eafily pleafed, whofe fenfations are leaft exquifite in the perception of beauty. The glutton may like the feaft, but the delicacy of the epicure alone can diftinguish and enjoy the choice, the difpofition, the flavours, that give elegance or fpirit to the entertainment. To direct our tafte, and conduct the poet up to perfection, has ever been the true critic's province; and though it were to be wifhed, that all who aim at excellence would endeavour to obferve the rules he prefcribes, yet a failure in this refpect alone should never induce us to reject the performance. A mechanically exact adherence to all the rules of the drama, is more the bufinefs of induftry than of genius. Theatrical law. givers rather teach the ignorant where to cenfure, than the poet how to write. If fublimity, fentiment, and paffion, give warmth, and life, and expreffion to the whole, we can the more eafily difpenfe with the rules of the Stagyrite; but if languor, affectation, and the falfe fublime, are fubstituted for these, an obfervance of all the precepts of the ancients will prove but a poor compenfa. tion. We would not willingly have applied this laft obfervation to the performance now before us; but when a work is obtruded upon us, as the confummate pic. ture of perfection, and the standard of tafte. Ne, quodcunque volet, pofcat fibi fabula credi! Let candour allow this writer mediocrity now; his future productions may probably intitle him to higher applaufe, Glenalvon's character is ftrongly marked, and bears a near resemblance to Shakespear's Richard. It is thus delineated in the first act. Anna. Why speaks my Lady thus of Randolph's heir? Lady Rand. Because he's not the heir of Randolph's With respect to his prefent tragedy, much below every fubject they underwe could, indeed, enter on a particular take to treat upon. examen of the beauties or faults difcoverable in the diction, fentiment, plot, or characters; but, in works of this nature, general obfervation often characterifes more ftrongly than a particular criticifm could do; for it were an easy tafk to point out thofe paffages in any indifferent author, where he has excelled himself, and yet these comparative beauties, if we may be allowed the expreffion, may have no real merit at all. Poems, like buildings, have their point of view, and too near a fituation gives but a partial conception of the whole. Suffice it, then, if we only add, that this tragedy's want of moral, which fhould be the ground-work of every fable; his unfolding a material part of the plot in foliloquy; the prepofterous diftrefs of a married lady for a former husband, who had been dead near twenty years; the want of incidents to raise that fluctuation of hope and fear, which intereft us in the catastrophe, are all faults we could easily pardon, did poetic fire, elegance, or the heightenings of pathetic diftrefs, afford adequate compenfation but these are dealt to us with a fparing hand. However, as we have perceived fome dawnings of genius in this writer, let us not dwell on his imperfections, but rather proceed to fhew on what particular paffages in his performance we have founded our hopes of his brightening, one day, into stronger luftre. Thofe parts of nature, and that rural fimplicity, with which the author was, perhaps, beft acquainted, are not un happily defcribed; and hence we are led to conjecture, that a more univerfal knowledge of nature will probably increase his powers of defcription. The native innocence of the fhepherd Norval, is happily expreffed. It requires fome art to drefs the thoughts and phrafes of the common people, without letting them fwell into bombaft, or fink into vulgarity: A fault generally charged upon the English authors, who are remarked by their neighbours of the continent to write too much above, or too The following paffage is an oblique panegyric on the union, and contains a pleafing gradation of fentiment. The lines marked in Italics demand particular diftinction. La. Rand. War I deteft: but war with foreign foes, By fancy drawn, divides the fifter kingdoms. As twins are to each other, It may not be improper to obferve, before we take our leave of this performance, that it was firft acted with great applaufe in Edinburgh; but made its appearance in England under a peculiar difadvantage. The commendation a man of tafte and learning had beftowed on it [293], previous to its reprefentation here, perhaps raifed too much expectation in fome, and excited a spirit of envy and critical prejudice in others. Poffibly, indeed, that gentleman, in fome degree, facrificed his tafte to his friendfhip. However, if this was the cafe, he will fuftain no great lofs with regard to his reputation; fince he may gain as much on the one hand, as he can lofe On on the other: the worst that can be said, amounting only to this, that the benevolence of his difpofition prevailed over the rectitude of his judgment. EDINBURGH PAPERS, June 25. fent, but that of itself sufficient, which our ftaple manufacture affords, and to which most of our young people have been accustomed ; or if not, may easily learn it in a few days; I mean fpinning. So eafy and fo faleable are the coarfer kinds of this work, that even Among all the regulations of wife the young, the old, and the infirm, may governments, there are none more effential than those which concern the induftry and fubfiftence of the people. An attention to the former generally fecures the latter. There must then be fome very remarkable defect in the police of a country, when a number of its inhabitants willing to be induftrious, cannot get work; or when they are induftrious, cannot maintain themselves and families by the product of that induftry. This is our fituation at prefent in Scotland, and calls loudly for redrefs. The greatest number of poor who afk charity, declare, that they are able and willing to work; and the whole commonalty declare, that their industry is not able to maintain them at prefent. It is not impoffible but that our fituation may be more deplorable for the two enfuing months; and perhaps the fubfiftence to which our people are most used, may fail altogether, as it has already done in fome parts of the highlands. Amongst all the maxims of politics, there feems none more certain, than that the public fhould find work for fuch as are willing to work, and fubfiftence for thofe who do. On what particular branch of the legislature of this country, and of our towns, fo neceffary, fo humane, and therefore fo agreeable a task lies; and who fhould immediately fuperintend its police, is no very difficult queftion to determine. How to remedy it, is perhaps more difficult. I must confefs, it is not easy to find a fpecies of labour for a promifcuous number of poor, collected from the streets and roads, by which they may be enabled to fupply themfelves, in part, or in whole, with provifions. Had the prefent fituation been thought of fooner, many different kinds might have been cftablished, which would have ferved this purpofe. One occurs to me at pre do a great deal towards gaining a livelihood. What deficiencies there will be, we may affert, from the humanity of this country, which has fhewed itfelf remarkably at present, even though ill directed, that they will be chearfully made up by the public. Suppofe, then, that certain houfes,viz. poor-houses, hofpitals, churches, &c. were appointed, to which the poor might refort, and there find flax, wheels, and perfons to teach, and keep them bufy. They might work from fix in the morning to eight at night, and receive à certain proportion of wholefome food. This would be the only material charge upon the public, and their work would go a great way towards the discharging of it: fpinning-miftreffes could be found amongst themfelves. This plan might be fo eafily executed, that I can fee no material objection to it. It would free us effectually from all beggars, reprefs idleness, and promote induftry: for which advantages any country may think themfelves happy to pay. As to the fecond article, of diet, our great bufinefs, in the present fituation, as we have no magazines, is to fupply and keep down the markets as much as poffible, by introducing different kinds of grain, which are wholesome and cheap. Amongst these, I know none that will ferve the purpose better than rice. It cofts indeed about a half more of original price than what oat-meal does; but then it appears to compenfate this difference, by the greater quantity of nourishment which it contains, and the ease with which the ftomach extracts it; while the oat-meal not only contains lefs, but, being too ftrong for the ftomachs of fedentary people, affords not all the nourishment which otherwise it might do. That rice affords more nourishment than other grains, appears appears from the proportion of it used by the people in the Eaft Indies, from its binding quality, from its greater fpecific gravity, and from their foldiers carrying provifions for a longer time than ours: That it does it more easily, appears from this fact, that when boiled according to the following receipt, it increased in bulk five times; while barley, ufed in the fame way, only increased betwixt three and four times. That we may know of a refource in case our grain fails; that we may keep down the markets by bringing it there; that those who can afford a variety may have a change; and that those whofe ftomachs do not agree with oat-meal, may know how to fupply its place at nearly an equal expence, I fhall fubjoin the method of preparing it, as published in the city of Bristol; for there, if what has been faid needs any further confirmation, the poor at prefent are maintained by diftributions of rice; being a scheme of the Rev. Mr Tucker, a name well known in trade, and in many polities which concern the good of the people. From him I had the following receipt. The East-India manner of dressing rice; which is earnestly recommended to be ufed by the poor of this city and country, as one of the best and cheapest methods of fupporting themselves and families in this time of univerfal diftrefs, and of making the charitable donations which they now receive to go the fartheft. Take a pound of rice; wash and pick it clean from ftones, chaff, and duft, if there be any in it; add three chopins of water and a spoonful of falt; put it over the fire; and when the rice is fo far boiled as to begin to be soft, take it off, and strain it through a hair-fieve; then let the ftrained rice, being clofely covered down, remain to foak over the fteam of the water for an hour or up. wards. The rice, by that time, will be greatly fwelled, and will feel dryish, and is fit to be eaten directly. To make it relish the better, and go the farther, it may be seasoned with pepper or onion, mixed with milk, or eaten inftead of bread with herring, falt fish, or any coarse kinds of fresh or falt meat. The liquor, ftrained from the rice, is preferable to common water, as it is nourishing, and very wholesome. Some account of a letter to Lord B- -y, inquiring into the merit of his defence of Minorca. [28.] IN [See our plan of St Philip's, vol. 18. p. 221.] 'N this letter a charge is brought against Lord B, confifting of the following articles. I. That inftead of going his rounds at ftated times, to vifit the feveral works, and fee that every man was alert and in his poft; or fhewing himself in time of action at the batteries or ramparts; he kept himfelf fhut up during the whole time, in his own houfe, giving directions about things which he never went to fee, and relying for his knowledge of what was doing, or done, both within and without the place, wholly upon the intelligence of others, whom his example might at once induce and encourage to neglect their duty, or execute it by deputies. To prove the fact alledged in this ar ticle, an extract is made from his Lord fhip's evidence on the trial of Adm. Byng, in which his Lordship declared, that it is the duty of a governor to remain in one fixed place, to receive his intelligence, and to give his orders; becaufe if he goes to the outworks, it is impoffible to fay how long it may be before he is wanted." That this is not the duty of a governor during a fiege, is proved from the most celebrated military writers, who have given particular directions concerning his vifiting the works, and infpecting all things with his own eye; and by the examples of the greatest commanders in fimilar cir cumftances; particularly, Marshal Bouflers, in the defence of Namur and Lifle; Charles III. in Barcelona; the Duke of Savoy, in Turin, and the Prince of Heffe, in Gibraltar, who had more men killed about his own person, than the garrifon of St Philip loft during the whole fiege; yet he held out, and killed the befiegers 10,000 men. II. That II. That fo far from keeping a journal of the fiege, as the celebrated Fauquier advifes every governor to do, he did not take a fingle minute of any event, as he publicly declared in court; from which it is inferred, that a journal of the fiege would have fhewed, what it was his Lordship's intereft to conceal. III. That inftead of laying all the country open to the cannon of the ramparts, which is a rule of war fo well known and established, that an attempt to explain or defend it would be equally abfurd, he fuffered a number of houfes to ftand within 150 yards of his principal outworks; which in this cafe was the more inexcufable, as the foil about St Philip's is almost a bare rock, in which no trench could be funk, and the enemy therefore could have had no other cover than these houses, which his Lordfhip's courtefy left them; of which they were fo fenfible, that they could not forbear afking, after the capitulation, "How came your governor to leave these houses standing for us?" An attack upon the works of a fortified place can never fucceed, except the affailants are near; the affailants were not near, nor could come near any work but the Queen's redoubt and the Argyle, which they approached under favour of these houfes; and when the general affault was made quite round the place, all the attacks but thefe failed, because they were made from a great diftance; and thefe fucceeded, because they were begun almost close to the works, and the enemy got over the palifadoes before they were perceived. But if thefe hou. fes had been destroyed, the attack of the Queen's redoubt and the Argyle would have failed like the others, for the fame reason. The fuccefs of the attack on thefe works was therefore owing to the houses; and the lofs of the works was, at least in his Lordship's apprehenfion, the lofs of the place; for the next day he beat a parley, and furrendered. The neglecting to deftroy thefe houfes was therefore the cause of the loss of the place. It is alfo remarked, that all the batteries of cannon which did real hurt to the befieged, were placed among these houfes; and and all the mortarbatteries, which killed most of those that were killed, were raised juft behind them. They ferved for trenches, for a lodgment within the works, for barracks and quarters of refreshments, for masks to the batteries of cannon, and a cover to the mortars and bombardiers from all the fire of the fort. IV. That instead of employing a proper number of peasants to deftroy the roads, to imbarrass the enemy in their march, and prevent their bringing up their heavy artillery, the powder was left unfired under many parts of them that had been undermined, and might have been spoiled by the touch of a match; and this very powder the Minorquins ftole away, after the foldiers had left the ground under which it was depofited. V. That inftead of driving the cattle into the garrifon, or otherwise putting them out of the enemy's reach, the whole ftock of the island was left to accommodate the enemy with food and draught, at the fame time that the foldiers in garrifon juftly complained that they were in want of fresh provisions, and could not procure fo much as a mess of broth for the fick, though there were places enough in the fort, where a flock of fheep, at leaft, might conveniently have been kept. VI. That the garrifon was fuffered to be without wine by the most unaccountable and inexcufable neglect and improvidence. The houfes of St Philip's were deferted upon the first news of the enemy's landing, and the cellars were left full of wine, which the foldiers were ordered to throw away, merely that they might fill the casks that contained it with earth, and use them for blinds and traverses. VII. That the enemy, after they had taken the Queen's redoubt, were left in the quiet poffeffion of it, though by a vigorous and timely effort they might eafily have been driven out. VIII. The enemy was fuffered, under pretence of burying their dead, to pour in, through the palifadoes, double the number that had at first entered. IX. That |