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leaft blood. And though they go fair upon their legs, they have neither fpeed nor action. Art. 39. Heroic Epifle from Serjeant Bradshaw, in the Shades, to John Dunning, Efq; 40. I.S. Wilkie.

The artifice of representing all those who profefs themselves advocates for the people, as enemies to Majefty, has been played off by minifterial advocates time immemorial. These difingenuous politicians chuse not to fee that, constituted as our government is, no man, who means to befriend the people, can poffibly do otherwife than confult the real interefts of the Crown. Stale, however, and futile as this artifice is well known to be, by all the difpaffionate part of mankind, it is upon this ground the prefent writer makes his attack. He endeavours to draw a comparison between the memorable Bradfhaw, who prefided at the trial of the unfortunate Charles (truly, indeed, unfortunate in bringing on his fate by his own criminal mifconduct), and the celebrated Mr. Dunning.

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This Writer, though not a mean verfifier, is as deficient in argument as in his affertions he is bold and confident His poverty of argument may be easily gueffed at, when, by way of holding up one of the moft refpectable characters in the kingdom to ridicule, he mentions as a circumftance of infinite reproach, that his grandfather was a footman. How far there may be truth or falfehood in this affertion, is with us, and we should fuppofe with every one elfe, a matter of perfect indifference. Our opinion, however, of this Writer's veracity is not fo established, that we should, in this case, implicitly rely upon his word. Nothing, furely, can be more foolish or illiberal, than to ftigmatise a man for what he has it not in his own power to avoid, and what, at the fame time, is not in its own nature difgraceful. That meannefs and fervility which can prompt a man to make court to power, by defcending to the bafe arts of calumny and detraction, are infinitely more degrading to the dignity of human nature than any defect in the pedigree of his anceitors. There are many, even in elevated ftations, whofe merits would never have intitled them to have been footmen, had they poffeffed no other recommendation than their integrity.

Art. 40. The Afcenfion. A Poem. By the Rev. James Atkins, M. A. Fellow of St. Mary Magdalen College, Cambridge. 4to. 6 d. Rivington, 1780.

Prefixed to this Poem, is the following Advertisement :

'The following Poem was made as a trial for Mr. Seaton's prize in the University of Cambridge. But" There were feveral "reasons, which concurred to determine the judges not to give the pre"mium last year to any of the candidates."

What these reasons were, Mr. Atkins feems to have been at a loss to comprehend. And we do not wonder at it. Whoever could write a poem fo truly original as the prefent, must have a mode of thinking (if, peradventure, he can think) peculiar to himself. The critical art has no terms by which this lufus moria (for it is no regular ·

Extract of a Letter to the Author from Dr. Colman, Vice-chancellor at the time, and one of the judges,

production

production of folly) can be defined ; therefore, gentle Reader, make your own comments upon it:

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The Son I fing returning

From earth to heaven, after

The vengeance bearing, doom'd to
Mankind, till God recall'd him?

What the Author aimed at in writing this curious piece is beft known to himself. He could hardly print it for any other obvious reafon, than as a lampoon upon the Fellows of his College, for ad-’ mitting fuch a brainless bard into their fociety.

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We are truly glad, that the ftewards of the Kiflingsbury eftate have at length given it a fallow. We hope it will be upon the principles of the Virgilian husbandry:

Illa fegis demum votis refpondet avari
Agricole, bis quæ folem, bis frigora fenfit.

The two laft words, how applicable to the general mode of cultiva-~ tion on this unfortunate farm!

Art. 41. The Deferted City. A Poem. 4to.

4to. I s. 6d. Sold at No. 3. Chapter Court, St. Paul's. With what peculiar pathos and fublimity does this bard defcribe the downfall of London!

• Where fhall we now defcry the churches' spire
Rifing their varied forms around their fire?

Paul's fon'rous bell the deaf'ning peal now rings,
As warning of the fate which time thus brings.
Now th' intant come! bell, fteeple fee! they fall,
Dome, crofs, and even the capacious ball
Come tumbling down, with a mountain's weight
The graves dug, fill'd at once-fo vast the height,
Of falling fhafts, capitals, and bafe,

With all thofe effigies of holy race,

Paul now is buried in his own church-yardHis ruins for his tomb, fee how they're rear'd!' Alas! he is not the Amphion that will rebuild it.

Art. 42. The Comforts of Matrimony; or, Love's Laft Shift; confifting of Matrimonial Dialogues between People of all Ranks and Degrees, from the Peer to the Peafant. By Ned Ward, jun. 12mo. 3 s. Fielding and Co. 1780.

As this bard has the honefly to avow his poetic lineage, and the modefty to aim at nothing higher than the Moorfields † rank of fuch bards as honeft, merry Ned Ward, we can have no fault to find with his funny Dialogues; which, in point of merit, may fairly vie with the best productions of his predeceffor, the author of the pieces mentioned in the note.

+ Ned, as Cibber informs us, in his Lives of the Poets, kept a public house in Moorfields. 'He was thought to be a man of strong natural parts, and poffeffed of a very agreeable pleasantry. His most celebrated productions are his Nuptial Dialogues, and his London Spy but he wrote many other things of the burlesque kind. :

Art.

Art. 43. The Poetical and Dramatic Works of Oliver Goldsmith, M. B. Now firft collected. With an Account of the Life and Writings of the Author. 12mo. 2 Vols. 6s. fewed. Riving

ton. &c. 178c.

Of the pieces here collected, all except the smaller poems have been feparately mentioned in our Review, as they first appeared in print. An elegant engraving of Dr. Goldsmith is prefixed; which very much refembles him.

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Art. 44. The Law and Modern Practice of Ejectments; with the latest Determinations both in King's Bench and Common Pleas; felect Precedents; and three distinct Tables to the whole. By a Gentleman of the Inner Temple. 8vo. 55. Brooke,

1779.

This Work cannot claim any fuperiority over those which the public is already in poffeffion of upon the fame fabject, but on the ground of its containing the later determinations of the courts. In' juftice to the Author or Compiler, we muft fay, he has given many cafes which are not to be found in other treatises on the law of ejectments; and in juftice to our Readers we must add, that these cafes are fo loosely cited (most of them being without the names of the parties), that as authorities they cannot be relied on; according to the legal fcale of credit, very little attention being due to the anonymous cafes of an anonymous writer.

МЕРІСАL.

Art. 45. A Differtation on the Bark, wherein a new Preparation is recommended to the Public, called Hunt's Tincture. By a Friend of the Proprietor's. 8vo. 6d. Macgowan. 1779.

The proprietor here has been lucky enough to light on a friend, who fpeaks as handsomely for him as he could have done for himself. PAMPHLET relating to the late Riots in LONDON. Art. 46. The Hiftory of the Roman Catholics, &c. With an Account of Lord George Gordon, his Affociators, and the Rioters, &c. By a Gentleman of the Law. 8vo. I s. 6.d.

Bull. This gentleman of the law is a miferable fcribbler. His pamphlet is fo full of Scoticisms, and vulgarifms, that his readers will be at no lofs to guess what rank of lawyers the Gentleman belongs to. If you afk a bailiff's deputy what is his profeffion, he will fay, Sir, I follow the law.'

RELIGIOUS and CONTROVERSIAL. Art. 47. A Short Reply to the Kentish Curate's Letter to Archdeacon Law. 8vo. 6 d. Rochefter, Fisher; London, Crowder.

The Kentish Curate * here meets with the caftigation which his unprovoked and wanton attack on a good man, for modeftly expreffing judicious opinions and liberal fentiments, merited. The Archdeacon's able advocate has fo fully refuted the accufations, and exposed the unfairness of his adversary, that he has fome reason to

*See Review for April, p. 326.

triumph

triumph over him, and to bring against him the heavy charge which concludes his letter:- As a man, you have ftruck at a worthy character in the dark; as a chriftian, you have violated that charity, without which your religion is nothing; as a proteftant, you have pleaded for perfecution; and as a clergyman, you have set an example of bitterness and rancour. The tranfient laugh you may raife, will not compenfate for your feelings under fuch reflections as thefe. That we give to every buffoon. We fmile at his mimicries; defpife his proftituted talents; and deteft his mercenary malignity.' Art. 48. Reflections on the Oppofition made by certain Proteftants to an Act lately paffed in favour of the Roman Catholics. By a Chriftian. 8vo. -I S. Payne, at the Mews-gate, &c. 1780. Thefe reflections are juft, pious, and candid; they are conceived in the true fpirit of Chriftian and Proteftant moderation. The Author tells us, that when, the petition against the late A&t abovementioned, was brought to him, with an invitation to fign it, he with-held his confent, at the fame time, giving reafons for his refufal. But,* fays he, as I could do it then only in a curfory and confused manner, I fhall now attempt it more diftinctly, and more at large; contenting myself, however, with those reasons which I think myself best acquainted with, and which I have now more present to my mind."

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As this very feasonable pamphlet is written in a plain and convincing manner, we think it well calculated to produce a good effect, by fhewing the narrow-minded zealot, who has either promoted or approved the violent oppofition that hath been made to the late ac in favour of our fellow-fubjects of the Roman Catholic perfuafion, how far he has departed from the genuine spirit and temper of that religion which profeffes to promote ON EARTH PEACE-GOOD-WILL TOWARDS MEN, &C.

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Preached at the Ordination held at Chrift's Church, Nov. 21, 1779. by John Lord Bishop of Oxon. Published by his Lordship's Requeft. By John Randolph, M. A. Student of C. C. 4to. Is. Rivington.

This fermon treats of the importance of human learning, and its fubferviency to the ftudy of the Holy Scriptures. The Author obferves, that the modern enthufiafts are ufually those who have come to the ftudy of facred learning with minds ill prepared for its reception and have built their errors upon misinterpretation, or upon that common mistake of arguing from detached paffages, feparated from the context.' The want of folid learning is alfo confidered by the Author, to be as much the caufe of modern infidelity as of modern enthufiafm. However,' fays he, it may plume itself on its fuperior talents, ftill it hath its foundation in grofs ignorance, and often in an ignorance of plain elementary principles. All this is very easily faid and in fpite of a hundred ordination fermons, filled with common-place remarks on general and worn-out topics of declamation, the world will confider Mr. Gibbon as poffeffed of more knowledge, and more learning, than ten heads of houses. We are forry for it!

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COR

CORRESPONDENCE.

To the AUTHORS of the MONTHLY REVIEW.
GENTLEMEN,

the Leicestershire Memoirs have had neither their requiem

Afung, or their oblivion publicly announced, by you fage and

venerable critics, it gives their Author, Editor, or what you please to call him, fome confolation that, amidst the almoft general wreck of books configned to the peaceful fhades, by the learned judges of literary merit, his Obfervations or Hints may live to be ferviceable to fome future topographer.

But to be ferious. Being furprised to find an account of the Memoirs of Leicestershire, in your Review for June 1780, three years after their publication; I am folicitous to be informed in what manner you came by a copy, as I purpofely withheld them from the Reviewers, for reafons best known to a diffident man. Had I taken the advice of fome people, I might, by eagerly aiming at approbation, have seen an early difplay of your wit at my expence; but as you have spoken with tendernefs of the publication, in language unlike what the vain deferve, and often meet with, I feel my fituation easy under rather forbidding circumftances.

The profeffions of candour, which generally accompany your Arictures, give me reafon to expect that you will condescend to answer my request, in your next Review. If it be only a line in the remoteft corner of your work, it will be confidered of mighty import to the l'iney Author of the Leicestershire Memoirs.

Leicester, July 6, 1780.

ttt We can affure this Tiney Author,' as he is pleased to style himself, that we obtained a fight of his Leicestershire Memoirs by boneft means. For a farther explanation, we refer him to the bookfeller, who, in the fpring of the prefent year, advertised the faid Memoirs which being the first time, as we apprehend, that the publication was announced in the London News-papers, we deemed ourfelves obliged, in course, to take fome notice of the work; and forry we are, that we could not fay fo much in its praife, as the natural partiality of an Author might lead our Correfpondent to think was due to its merit.

GENTLEMEN,

July 20, 1780.

I HAD not an opportunity, till within these few days, of feeing your Review of April laft, but was then much furprised at meeting with a very fevere criticifm (in page 317.) upon the fpeech of Leonard Smelt, Efq; published at York; as till that time I had looked upon it as drawn up with remarkable accuracy, particularly if the affertion in the preface might be depended upon, "That it was ta"ken from notes only; but I was ftill more furprised at finding the only apparent grounds for this feverity proceeded from your high opinion of Mr. S.'s account of fome particulars that passed at the mees ing. I was prefent at the meeting at York when the fpeech was delivered, which has fo often called forth the attention of the public; and fo advantageously fituated in the room, that I believe I may

Mr. Lowndes, in Fleet-ftreet.

truly

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