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Ods bobs! how delighted I was unawares
With the fiddles I heard in the room above stairs,
For mufic is wholesome the doctors all think

For ladies that bathe, and for ladies that drink ;
And that's the opinion of ROBIN our driver,
Who whistles his nags while they ftand at the river;
They fay it is right that for every glass

A tune you should take, that the water may pass;
So while little TABBY was washing her rump,
The ladies kept drinking it out of a pump.

I've a deal more to fay, but am loth to intrude

On your time, my dear mother, fo now I'll conclude.

Letter the twelfth contains a ludicrous and fevere, but nevertheless just and pertinent fatire on the head-dreffes of the ladies. One would think it impoffible for the power of fashion itfelf to support its caufe against fuch a description as the following:-Enter the hair-dreffer;

And firft at her porcupine head he begins

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To fumble and poke with his irons and pins, Then fires all his crackers with horrid grimace, And puffs his vile Rocambol breath in her face, Difcharging a fteam, that the devil would choak, From paper, pomatum, from powder, and smoke; The patient fubmits, and with due refignation. Prepares for her fate in the next operation. When lo! on a sudden, a monster appears, A horrible monster, to cover her ears; What fign of the zodiac is it he bears? Is it taurus's tail, or the tete de mouton, Or the beard of the goat, that he dares to put on ? 'Tis a wig en vergette, that from Paris was brought Un tete comme il faut, that the varlet has bought Of a beggar, whofe head he has fhav'd for a groat: Now 'fix'd to her head does he frizzle and dab it; Her foretop's no more.-"Tis the skin of a rabbit.'Tis a muff.-'Tis a thing that by all is confest Is in colour and fhape like a chalfinch's neft. The next letter contains an account of a ridiculous public breakfast; and it is followed by an epiftle from Mifs Prudence, in which the informs her correfpondent that she has been elected to methodism by a vifion; but there is an indecency in this letter for which the humour of it can by no means atone. In the laft epiftle we find little more than the old ftory, that the piper is to be paid, and a melancholly detail of Bath-expences; yet we cannot difmifs the article without making our acknowledgments to the Author for the uncommon entertainment his book has afforded us.

MONTHLY

MONTHLY CATALOGUE,

For JUNE, 1766.

MISCELLANEOUS.

Art. 10. The Hiftory of the Troglodites. Tranflated from the
French of Mr. de Montefquieu. 8vo. 6d. Buckland, &c.

ΤΗ HE celebrated Lettres Perfannes have been twice tranflated into

English, firft by Ozell, and fince by one Mr. Flloyd. The latter of thefe tranflations, it feems, was unknown to the gentleman to whom the public is obliged for the prefent verfion of this elegant fiction,-taken from the 11th, 12th, 13th and 14th letters. It was no hard tafk to excel the former; and, in truth, both are much excelled by the prefent tranflator who, poffibly, has published this story of the Troglodites as a fpecimen of an intended new tranflation of the whole feries. If we are right in our conjecture, it will be fortunate for the reputation of M. de Montefquieu; for that excellent author, in common with the best writers of his nation, hath fuffered not a little from the inelegant pens of our common doers from the French.

Art. 11. The Principles of the English Language digefted, for the
Ufe of Schools. By James Elphinstone. 12mo.

lant, &c.

3. Vail

Mr. Elphinstone has here given an abridgment of his larger work, publifhed about a year ago, under a fimilar title: fee Review for October lat, p. 274.

Art. 12. The Merry Miller; or the Countryman's Ramble to Lon-
don. A Farce of two Acts. 8vo.
IS. Davenhill.

Too poor a performance even for Bartholomew fair.

Art. 13. Witticisms and Strokes of Humour. Collected by Robert

Baker. 8vo.

IS. Bathoe.

The Author of this new jeft-book finds great fault with the dull collections already offered to the public,and he has added one to the rrumber.

Art. 14. Travels through Italy, containing new and curious Obfervations on that Country; particularly the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, the Ecclefiaftical State, the Kingdom of Naples, the Republics of Venice and Genoa, &c. with the maft authentic Account yet publifhed of capital Pieces in Painting, Sculpture, and Architecture; including Remarks on the ancient and prefent State of Italy, of the Arts and Sciences which have flourished there, and of Tafte in Painting: with the Characters of the principal Artists. By John Northall, Efq; Captain in his Britannic Majefty's Royal Regiment of Artillery. Illuftrated with a Map of Italy, a Route of this Tour, and several Copper-plates. 8vo. 6s. Hooper. The Editor of these travels informs us, in his preface, that the Au. was an English gentleman, who undertook this tour of Italy, as the finishing part of a polite education.' From this mauner of mentioning the Author, we conclude, that Capt. Northall is not now liv ing; and fome have even questioned whether he ever did live: locking Rev. June, 1766.

THOR

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on the name as entirely fictitious. Suppofing, however, the reality of our Author's existence to be undoubted, let us attend to what the Editor fays of his character, and abilities for fuch an undertaking as the prefent. The Captain, he tells us, was accompanied by some other gentlemen, who had all the advantages of procuring accefs to the moft valuable curiofities in public places, and private palaces;' that he had a curiofity equal to thefe advantages; that he was not only a gentleman, but a fcholar, a gallant officer, an experienced engineer, a good draughtf man, and a fine judge of paintings, fculpture, and architecture.'With these requifites, and fo ample a field for the difplay of his abilities, the Reader will naturally expect a finifhed production, in Capt. Northall's recital of his travels; and, in truth, the ftyle of his book is by no means inelegant: but with refpe&t to the matter of his obfervations, we meet with very little that is not to be found in Keyfler, Blainville, and other more voluminous writers, whofe performances are made to fubfcribe largely towards the notes with which the prefent work is illuftrated. But were we to confider this book merely as a judicious compilement from the beft Authors who have made the tour of Italy, we should, perhaps, view it in neither a difhoneft nor a contemptible light; and, in this view, it will, we apprehend, be found a very entertaining and a very ufeful poft-chaife companion, for unexperienced travellers in the fame

route.

Art. 15. Reflections on Originality in Authors, being Remarks on a Letter to Mr. Mafon, on the Marks of Imitation; in which the abfurd Defects of that Performance are pointed out; and the abfolute uncertainty of Imitation in general is demonftrated in various Inflances with a Word or two on the Characters of Ben. Johnson and Pope. 8vo. is. Horsfield.

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There is a pedantic pertnefs, and a boorish petulance in thefe Reflections, being Remarks,' that would render them difagreeable to the polished reader, were there any merit in the arguments; but a fpirit of finding fault, and an ambition of attacking the opinions of a diftinguished writer, are the burden of the book. Indeed, the rudeness of the title-page might fufficiently apprife the Reader what he was to expect within. But let us hear what this felf-fufficient hypercritic has to fay, and wherein he points out the abfurd defects he mentions. I prefume, fays the author of the letter to Mr. Mason, to give it for a certain note of imitation, when the properties of one clime are given to another; upon which this Remarker fays, could we furnish one instance to this fage conclufion, any man of common fenfe would place it, not to the fcore of imitation but abfurdity :-very fevere indeed! the ingenious letter-writer is here, by implication, deprived of common fenfe, fince he abfolutely does impute it to imitation; and, what is more, he is abfolutely in the right too; for though abfurdity may be the effect, yet imitation is the caufe:-but the unhappy Remarker's inability to make this diftinction, occafioned this abfurd defect.'-That it is owing to imitation when the properties of one clime are given to another is evident from this, that the paftoral poets of our own country have frequently introduced into our climate the properties of thofe of Greece and Italy, occafioned by imitating the peculiar expreffions and defcriptions of their authors; and of this not only one but an hundred instances

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might be produced, were it worth while to pay any further regard to
475
fuch arguments.
Art. 16. Cafli Innocentis Anfaldi O. P. Placentini in Reg. Taurin.
Athen. S. T. Prof. de Romana Tutelarium Deorum in Oppugna-
tionibus Urbium Evocatione Liber fingularis. Editio quarta. 8vo.
3s. 6d. few'd. Payne.

This is a new edition of Father Anfald's treatife on the evocation of the tutelary Gods in the Roman fieges.-The book had merit enough to go through three impreffions among the Venetians, and it is now reprinted at the Clarendon prefs in Oxford.

Art. 17. An Effay on the Hiftory of Hamburgh, from the Foundation of that City, to the Convention between the Senate and Burghers, in 1712. Tranflated from the French of M. A. Dathe. 8vo. 5s. Osborne.

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This book, which is not ill-written, may afford fome amufement to those who have any connexions with the city of Hamburgh; but will not appear in a very important light to the generality of English readers. Art. 18. Directions for a proper Choice of Authors to form a Library, which may both improve and entertain the Mind, and be of real Ufe in the Conduct of Life. Intended for thofe Readers who are only acquainted with the English Language. With a correct Lift of proper Books on the feveral Subjects. 8vo. ton, &c. Whif

IS.

This is, for the most part, a judicious felection; but, as the judg ments and tafle of men will always vary from each other, we imagine there are many books in this lift which might have been well omitted; and not a few that, in our eflimation, fhould have been added, Nevertheless, as we have no better, indeed no other directory of the kind, this publication may be of ufe to thofe who ftand in need of fuch helps. Art. 19. A Plan for the more fpeedy Execution of the Laws relating to the new paving, cleanfing, and lighting the Streets of Welminfler. By Charles Whitworth, Efq; 8vo. 6d. Walter. Propofes the inftitution of parochial committees, to affift the commiffioners in the infpection of the streets, and keeping them in due repair, according to the intent of the acts of parliament relating to the great improvements now going forward in our flourishing metropolis; the inhabitants of which are much obliged to Mr. Whitworth for his attention to this fubject, and for the judicious regulations which he has planned. Art. 20. The Hiory of Inland Navigations. Particularly thofe of the Duke of Bridgewater, in Lancashire and Chefhire; and the intended one promoted by Earl Gower and other Perfons of Dif tinction in Staffordshire, Cheshire, and Derbyshire. Part the jecond. Illuftrated with a whole sheet geographical Plan, fhewing, at one View, the Counties, Townships, and Villages through which thefe Navigations are or will be carried. 8vo. 2s. 6d. Lownds. Ve have already given our fentiments of these noble schemes for the improvement of our happy country, which, if not checked by our political diffentions, might, in every fenfe, fpeedily bid fair for taking he lead of every other nation on the face of the globe.

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Art. 21.

Art. 21. Mona Antiqua Reftaurata. An archæological Difcourfe on the Antiquities, natural and historical, of the Isle of Anglesey, the ancient Seat of the British Druids. In two Effays. With at Appendix, containing a comparative Table of Primitive Words, and the Derivatives of them in feveral of the Tongues of Europe; with Remarks upon them. Together with fome Letters and thre Catalogues added thereunto. By Henry Rowlands, Vicar of Llandidan, in the Ifle of Anglefey. The fecond Edition, corrected and improved. 4to. 18s. Knox.

In the advertisement which accompanied the propofals for printing, by fubfcription, this edition of the Antiquities of Anglefey, it is obferved, that the Mona Antiqua is celebrated by Tacitus, as being the refidence of the Druids, who were the priests; and, at one time, the legislators, not only of this country, but of France and Germany, indeed of all Evrope, and great part of Afia: and that the Romans, who, wherever they conquered, were enemies to all ancient conftitutions, were unable to abolish the druidical monuments which are to this day to be found ja this inland.

Mr. Rowlands, the Author of this work, (it is farther obferved) was affifted by Mr. Llhwyd and other great masters of the Celtic learning who lived about half a century ago, and who, from very plain deduc tions, fimilarities, and relations of names and things, laid a fourdation for most important enquiries into the etymology and original of the languages that now pafs under the names of Greek and Latic, and we may even venture to fay Hebrew. Perhaps, upon an invest gation into the remains we have of the Phoenician language, it may ap pear to be no other than a dialect of the Celtic. The work before us produces great and irrefragable authorities for this opinion, and it is to be lamented that the learned world did not properly fupport Rowlands, Lhwyd, and many other writers who applied themfelves to this ftudy. Somner, Spelman, Hickes, and Wanley, were profeffed champions for the originality of the Saxon language: and they had great patrons among our leading nobility and men of learning, who did not feltciently confider the radical properties of words. This work, befides the general principles of archæology, eftablishes a rational fcheme of enquiry, which, upon analogical reafoning, may be found applicable to many other places of greater importance than Anglesey. We have here, befides names and words, a most accurate account of laws, conflitutions, and cuftoms; coins and medals; er.tions, monuments, and ruins; edifices and infcriptions; with various obfervations and reflections, which throw a most amazing luftre upon what has been hitherto deemed the darkness of antiquity.

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In all literary difquifitions the credit of this work has always mained unimpeached; becaufe when the author goes upon facts, they are fuch as cannot be difproved; nor indeed does he prefume to make fuch arbitrary wild deductions from his facts as are too common antiquaries even of good note. What he advances commonly Beaks for itself; and his reafoning, if not quite conclufive, muft always pleafing to one who has no object of enquiry but truth.' Thus far the advertisement annexed to the proposals; to which we

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hall

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