All hail George Pooke, or Sir William Brown, or whatever illuftrious Bard thou art, who haft written this poem, All hail! Bion's Adonis, and Mofchus's Bion, are poor models of Elegiac compofition, compared to this!

When those recreant wights, called Rebels, ran away from George's valiant Son,' how pathetic is the defcription of the dry belly-ach, with which they then happened to be afflicted!

Thro' night's brown 'horrors mixt with wind-blown rain,
They bound away, tho' rack'd with inward pain.

The Cholic of poor Albion is not less affecting :

Scotia's diftrefs'd, all Albion in great pain,
Entreat's that William may command again.

Art. 44. Pynfent, a Poem. 4to. Is. Williams.

S.

By an advertisement of infinite importance prefixed to this poem, the reader is given to understand that it was written in March last.-It would indeed have been of juft the fame confequence to the public if it had never been written at all; for private panegyric is certainly of a very uninteresting nature; and particularly where the merit of the subject is problematical, it is quite impertinent.

Of this poem, the purpofe of which is to facrifice to the manes of Pynfent, and the popularity of Pitt, the following lines, on the acceffion of his prefent Majefty, may ferve as a specimen:

A youth fucceeds, a fight to England new,
Whom Nature, ftrict to Virtue's model, drew
Of manners mildly good, himself fincere,
He gives his heart to whom he trusts his ear.
But dread, unwary kings, the ills that come
From Flattery's lip, a court is Flattery's home.

Curious obfervation,-and altogether new!

Art. 45. The Demagogue. By Theophilus Thorn, Efq; 4to. Is. 6d. Robinson and Roberts.

The ingenious author of the verfes occafioned by the death of the Duke of Cumberland had described Albion as having a great pain in her bowels, but 'Squire Thorn gives her the Coup de Grace, and tears them fairly out. This was done by means of a German vulture,

Whofe cruel talons Albion's Intrails tore;

Whofe hungry maw was glutted with her gore.

The intent of this poem is to abuse Mr. Pitt; and it is, confequently, as impertinent with regard to the public and the cause of letters in general, as that which was employed in his praise.

Art. 46. A Poem to the Memory of the celebrated Mrs. Cibber. 4to. 6d. Dodfley.

Melpomene is introduced in this poem bewailing the Death of her favourite actress, in ftrains by no means unworthy of herself.

Clos'd

Clos'd are thofe eyes which knew each vary'd art,
And could my meaning with fuch force infpire;
Call tears of pity from the melting heart,

Freeze with wild horrour, or with rapture fire!
By Death's cold hand thofe features now are bound,
That once could every change of paffion wear;
Mute is the voice, whofe more than magic found
Stole like foft mufic on the ravish'd ear.

The public is indebted to the Author of this Elegy, for The Alps, and feveral other pretty poems.

* Mr. Keate.

Art. 47. The Methodist and Mimic, a Tale, in Hudibraftic Verfe. By Peter Paragraph. Infcribed to Samuel Foote, Efq. 4to. Is. bd. Moran.

There is humour and fatire in this Hudibrafic conference between Mr. Foote and a tabernacle fint; who taking advantage of the late unfortunate accident which befel the former, and deeming it a proper· juncture to attempt his converfion, repairs to him for that purpofe; but, meets with a repulfe, which is conveyed in a droll reprefentation of the cant and cunning of Squintum' and his difciples: and a bold declaration of the mimic's refolution to renew his hoftilities against them.

Art. 48. The Recruiting Serjeant, a Tale. 4to. 6d. Wilkie.

This political Rhimefter feems to intend to be arch upon Mr. Pitt, and fomebody elle, under the names of Capt. Plume, and Serjeant Kite. The verfes are fmart; but the Satire is too clofely wrapped up, to be clearly difcerned by the generality of readers.

RELIGIOUS and CONTROVERSIAL.

Art. 49. The whole Duty of Youth, with respect to their religious Conduct in Life. By a Divine of the Church of England. 12mo. Is. 6d.

Law.

This little manual of inftruction, being written in the form of question and answer, and in a familiar ftyle, adapted to the capacities of the youth of both fexes, may be of use in forming young and tender minds to piety and virtue.

Art. 50. Sermons on feveral Occafions, preached in Westminster Abbey, and St. Margaret's, Westminster. By Peirfon Lloyd, M. A. Second Matter of Westminster-fchool. 8vo. 5s. Tonfon, &c.

Though there is nothing in thefe fermons, that renders a particular account of them neceffary, yet there is a plainnefs and fimplicity in them, which, to those who are fond of this fpecies of compofition, muft

be

be very pleafing and agreeable.The principal fubjects are.-The fcriptare-doctrine of temptation.The right government of our thoughts. -Every man's life a mixture of profperity and adverfity, and the wildom of God in fo ordering it.-The divine omniprefence.-The intemperate curiofity of prying into the fecrets of God, &c.-Private calamities not to be interpreted into divine judgments.-The duty and advantage of fetting our affections on things above.-The folly of all human confidence, and the wisdom of putting our truft in God.-The proper ufe of fcripture examples :-and a fermon preached at Lambeth chapel, Dec. 28, 1761, at the confecration of the bishops of Lincoln and Bristol.The Author's principles, with respect to a certain very capital doctrine, appear to be what is generally understood by the term orthodox.

--

Art. 51. The Truth of the Chriftian Religion vindicated from the Objections of Unbelievers; particularly of John James Rousseau, In a Series of Differtations. By the Editors of the Chriftian's Magazine. 8vo. 5s. Newbery.

As thefe differtations have already appeared in detail, through the periodical course of the magazine above mentioned, they do not properly fall under our cognizance.-The orthodox may now brandifh their pens, and redouble their attacks on Mr. Rouffeau, (whom they will confider as an infidel, notwithstanding all his earnest profeffions to the contrary *) as he hath repeatedly declared his refolution never more to renew his connexions with the prefs: a declaration, by the way, the rather to be wondered at, as he is now fafely fheltered in that land of Hiberty in which, alone, his writings have neither drawn upon themfelves nor on their author, the perfecution of zeal, nor the prohibitions of authority! We hope he hath not, fince his arrival in this country, feen any thing that may have given him juft caufe to doubt his perfect fecurity. For, though poor, friendlefs, obfcure writer, may dread the rigours of a King's-bench-profecution, yet, furely, fo diftinguished, fo admired a philofopher, fo virtuous a man, can have nothing to apprehend! No, Mr. Rouffeau! We dare venture to affure you, that while you continue to express your fentiments with a decent refpect to the established religion, and legiflative power of the country in which you now refide, you have nothing to fear from the fpirit of the laws, you have no reason to doubt the candour of the people; but may fafely and freely propofe to the public, whatever you conceive may prove conducive to their real inftruction, or their rational entertainment.-Be affured, Sir!, that though TRUTH, and REASON, and a proper exertion of them in that fair FREEDOM OF ENQUIRY Without which no church, no ftate can long fubfift, should be banished from every other nation upon earth,—it is yet the glory and the pride of England, that THEY, and every honeft advocate for them, will find a fure afylum (and we truft will long continue to flourish) in her happy foil!

See the Anecdotes relating to Mr. Rouffeau, in the APPENDIX to our 33d Volume, published in January laft.

Art. 52. A Differtation on the Ancient Pagan Myfteries. Wherein

the

the Opinions of Bp. Warburton and Dr. Leland on this Subject, are particularly confidered. 8vo. IS. Davis and Reymers.

The Author of this differtation defends the Bishop of Gloucester's opinion concerning the ancient Pagan Myfteries against the objections urged by the late learned Dr. Leland, in his work concerning the advantage and neceffity of the Chriftian Revelation.- -He fets out with an explanation of the term MYSTERIES, and tells us, that each of the Pagan Gods had, befides the public and open, a fecret worship paid unto him; to which none were admitted but those who had been felected by preparatory ceremonies, called initiation. This fecret worship was termed the MYSTERIES.

Of these there were two forts, the greater and the leffer. According to the Bishop of Gloucefter, the leffer taught, by certain fecret rites and fhews, the origin of Society, and the doctrine of a future ftate; they were preparatory to the greater, and might be fafely communicated to all the initiated without exception.

The arcana of the GREATER MYSTERIES, Continues our Author, were the doctrine of the unity, and the DETECTION of the error of the vulgar polytheism. These were not communicated to all the afpirants without exception, but only to a small and select number, who were judged capable of the secret.

The initiated were obliged by the moft folemn engagements to commence a life of ftrictest piety and virtue. It was proper therefore to give them all the encouragement and affistance neceffary for this purpose. Now in the Pagan world there was a powerful temptation to vice and debauchery, the profligate examples of their Gods. Ego bomuncio hoc non facerem? was the abfolving formula, whenever any one was refolved to give a loose to his paffions. This evil the Mysteries remedied by ftriking at the root of it: therefore, fuch of the initiated as were judged capable, were made acquainted with the whole delufion. "The Magogue taught them, that Jupiter, Mercury, Bacchus, Venus, Mars, and the whole rabble of licentious Deities, were only dead mortals, fubject, in life, to the fame paffions and infirmities with themselves; but having been, on other accounts, benefactors to mankind, grateful pofterity had deified them; and, with their virtues, had indifcreetly canonized their vices."

The fabulous Gods being thus routed, the Supreme caufe of all things naturally took their place. HIм they were taught to confider as the Creator of the univerfe, who pervaded all things by his virtue, and governed all by his providence. But here it must be obferved, that the discovery of this fupreme caufe was fo made, as to be confiftent with the notion of local, tutelary Deities, beings fuperior to men, and inferior to GOD, and by him fet over the feveral parts of his creation. This was an opinion univerfally holden by antiquity, and never brought into question by any Theift. What the arcana of the Myfteries overthrew, was the vulgar polytheism, the worship of dead

men.

To prevent or rectify mistakes, I shall add, that the Pagan Theology prefents us with two forts of Deities, who had their original here below, and were advanced from the condition of mortality into Gods: the one were denominated Dii majorum, the other Dii mi

5

norum

norum gentium. The firft, or the Celestials, were not generally conceived to have been deceased mortals, but originally beings of the highest rank and order, or true and real Gods in their own right, and not in virtue of any deification, which had raised and exalted them to this ftate; fuch were Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, Vulcan, and many others. As for the Dii minorum gentium; these were known to be only deceased mortals, deified for their public benefactions and fervices: they were often called Heroes and Demons: they were held the proper objects of divine worship and adoration, but a worship and adoration far fubordinate and inferior to that, which was paid to the fovereign and fupreme Gods, or the Dii majorum gentium.

The myftagogue difcovered the error of the vulgar polytheism, and routed this rabble of the greater Gods, by fhewing that they were only dead men deified. By this means he divefted them of their fuperior characters, and put them on the fame foot with the Dii minorum gentium, or the deities of the lower clafs and order. For it is not to be imagined, that the knowledge of their human existence would have totally undeified them, and deprived them of all divine honours and adoration; but only that it must have degraded and reduced them to the lower degree of worship, which was paid to the inferior deities, or the heroes and dæmons.

This is all which the prefent fyftem or explication of the Mysteries requires us to fuppofe. The inftitutors detected the human original of the greater Gods to a few, that their bad examples might not hurt private morals. They were generally esteemed Celestial Deities; and, while regarded as fuch, might be fafely imitated in all things: the Myfteries brought them down to Terrestrial, and then they were to be imitated with caution and reserve.

However, it was natural for these politicians to keep this a fecret in the Mysteries; for, in their opinion, not only the extinction, but even the degradation, of their falfe Gods, would have too much difconcerted and embroiled the established fyftem of vulgar polytheism.'

After giving this concife account of the Bishop of Gloucester's reprefentation of the Pagan religious Myfteries, our Author proceeds to examine Dr. Leland's two propofitions, wherein he contraverts his Lordship's opinion: the first is, that the Myfteries did not detect the error of the vulgar polytheism. The fecond, that they did not teach the unity.- As the fubject cannot be fuppofed to be interefting to the generality of our Readers, we fhall refer thofe who are competent judges of it to the differtation itself, where they will find many plaufible things advanced in anfwer to Dr. Leland's objections, andmore decency in the manner of attack than is usually to be met with in those of the Warburtonian party.

Art: 53. Several Difcourfes preached at St. James's, Weftminster. By George Baddeley, D. D. Curate of St. James's, Weftminster. 8vo. 6s. Keith.

Plain and useful exhortations to a pious and virtuous life.

SERMONS.