The above paffage contains one of the beft (if not the very best) defcriptions of a naval engagement which we recollect having read. We could cite with pleasure feveral other parts of the Poem. In fome few paffages, however, the ingenious author has not given it all the correctness and polish which we could have wifhed; and, in fome fentences, has not been fufficiently attentive to grammatical arrangement. In this refpect the fpeech in p. 19, beginning with the words "If matchlefs worth," is peculiarly faulty. We think the author could fcarcely have read his Poem after he had compofed it. The concluding paffage fhould also be retouched, as it is remarkably tame and feeble. Upon the whole, fhould this Poem, in a fubfequent edition, receive thofe corrections and improvements of which it is eafily fufceptible, it will, in our opinion, be at least equal to any, in modern times, which a temporary fubject has produced."

ART. 18. Poems. By Percival Stockdale. 8vo. 39 PP.

Wallis. 1800.

Is. 6d.

In examining the compofitions of any writer, it is unpleasant to ftumble on the threshold. Yet we cannot avoid noticing the peevishnefs and afperity, the conceit and arrogance, difplayed in the Dedication to thefe Poems. Mr. S. after complaining that "his independent fpirit," and, as he evidently infinuates, his merits, have produced the "unrelenting frowns of power, and of its numerous and fervile imitators and retainers," thus expreffes himself: "Their hireling archers have often shot their arrows at me; they were dipped in poison, but they had no effect on the immortality of my nature: they have injured the appendages, the trappings of my existence; but they have not fubdued, they have not weakened, the vigour, the exertions, the luminous. images of my mind."

Whether we, who thought it our duty, on a former occafion*, to reprehend this writer for his uncandid and ill-founded attack on a most refpectable Prelate, are included among thefe "hireling archers," we will not trouble ourselves to enquire: but we are forry it is not in our power to trace the "luminous images" of Mr. S.'s mind, in the compofitions now before us; nor can we flatter him with the notion, that his poetical talents will at all increase "the immortality of his nature." The first Poem, which is the Chorus to the second Act of Taffo's Aminta, is the leaft exceptionable. The fecond, which attacks a late very worthy gentleman, in the most violent terms (calling him not only ftupid and covetous, but even a wretch and parricide) for a mere negligence in not having preferved and beautified the tomb of his anceitor, the poet Waller, is degrading only to the author of fuch illiberal and unfounded abufe. The Rival Flowers, appearing by the modeft prefatory explanation to be a favourite with the author, we will extract it, as a fpecimen of his poetical talents.

* See the review of his Letter to the Bishop of Durham; Brit, Crit, vol. xv. p. 689.

"Even

"Even partial to a northern clime,
Where Nature ftrews her frugal sweets,
And fmiling on the poet's rhyme,
The generous Flora flow retreats.

Fair Leonora, dangerous maid,

Who reared, and wore, each beauteous flower,
Took, one day, for fuperfluous aid,
The rofe's and the jafmine's power.
Clitander, with adventurous choice,
To fpecious warfare feated nigh,
Inhaled foft mufick from her voice,
Delicious poifon from her eye.
Cupid, to whom all archers yield,
Perched in her breaft ;-the bright bouquet
Before him glowed; and thus concealed,
The God, in charming ambush lay.
Unfeen, a fmall, but piercing dart,
Flew from his unrelenting bow;
I need not tell you, that the heart
Is always reached when he's the foe.

Some blufhing leaves, transfixed, and borne
On the dread arrow winged their way;
Now, beyond cure, the heart was torne;
Compleat the triumph of the day.
The fragrant foliage of the rose,
But more decifive made the wound;
In Kent fuch foliage never blows,
Nor yet on Sharon's holy ground.
Unfading flower! the Sibyl's leaves,
Fraught with Jove's friendship, or his hate,
As every feeling foul believes,
Were never charged with furer fate!
Oh! dire effect of beauty's pride!
As POPE, in his immortal strain
Hath fung, the haplefs lover died,
Entranced, "of aromatick pain!"
The God of keeneft joys, and woes,
Exulting, to Olympus flew ;

And envious of the honoured rofe,

The jafmine drooped, and paler grew." P. 16.

Our readers will judge for themselves of the luminous mind which produced the foregoing ftanzas. Of the remaining Poems, the best that can be faid is, that they contain a few tolerable lines. Thofe on Mr. Wilberforce's View of Religion convey a juft compliment to that writer; but are polluted by a note, containing the moit uncandid and unjuft invectives on Mrs. Hannah More, because the has dared to ad

vance an opinion contrary (it feems) to that of Mr. Percival Stockdale; namely, that an adultrefs, however the may, on her apparent repentance, be confoled and cherished by her friends, fhould not (for the fake of example) be received into the public fociety of the good and virtuous. But let the reader turn to the paffage in Mrs. More's book (vol. i, p. 53-4-5) and then judge of the writer who has compared her to Philip of Spain! We envy the feelings as little as we do the talents of this angry author.

ART. 19. Tintern Abbey; with other original Poems. By Clericus. 8vo. 33 PP. 2s. Phillips. 1800.

Tintern Abbey is in blank verfe; and contains, though very fhort, fome paffages of merit. The other small Poems are in rhyme, either paired or alternate. They are very fmall and twinkling ftars, but now and then emit a ray of genius. The brighteft, perhaps, is this.

"TO THE EOLIAN HARP.

"Eolic Harp! I love thy dying ftrain,
Thofe founds replete with pleafurable pain;
The zephyrs play upon thy quiv'ring ftrings,
Wafting thy notes away on airy wings:
So yonder moth plays round the lambent flame!
So the foul lingers in the expiring frame.
Alas! the glim'ring lamp too foon expires,
Like founds that die upon thy tuneful wires!
Thus, all alone, at folemn hour of night,
I've watch'd the flender taper's wav'ring light;
Pleas'd with the varying rays its luftre threw;
But, ah! its little radiance foon withdrew.
Hark! now a dulcet found falutes my ear,
Like diftant mufic in the heavenly sphere;
It dies away-I lose the aerial found:
Yes-fo delufive are our pleasures found!
Ye paffing gales! fweep o'er the chords again,
My thoughts expand with that sweet swelling strain!
Like winged founds we mortals pafs away,

From thee we learn the moralizing lay." P. 22.

It may be objected, that Æolic feems to point rather to the Doric Mufe than to the Harp of Æolus: with more reason than Gray, on the other hand, in his "Awake, Æolian Lyre, awake," was fuppofed, by fome unskilful readers, to mean the little inftrument here celebrated.

ART. 20. Poems, written E. S. J. 18mo. '1s. 6d. Jordan. 1799. This very small book contains four tales of fome little intereft, but not remarkably well told; for example:

"Eltruda fat at the hall fire,
And fung both blithe and gay;

1 with my brother was come back,
That's been fo long away.

Scarce

Starce had the faid-she heard a noise,
The found of arms without,

She started from her ftool, and cry'd
What can it be about?

This is meant as fimplicity; but it is, unfortunately, ridiculous. Such alfo are many other paffages.

DRAMATIC.

ART. 21. Maximian, a Tragedy: taken from Corneille, and dedicated to William Lock, Efq. 8vo. 98 pp. 35. Leigh and Sotheby. 1800.

This tragedy is, as we are told in the Dedication, not a literal tranflation from Corneille's Maximian. The author fays, fhe has endeavoured to give it more bustle and variety, in order " to render it interefting." In this great object however the has, in our opinion, failed. The play has fome bustle, but little intereft. It is throughout feebly written. We will not therefore compare it with the original; it being our general rule, where we cannot commend a well-meant attempt, to fay as little as poffible,

ART. 22.

The School for Honour, or The Chance of War. A Comedy, in Five Alts. Tranflated from the German of Leffing. 8vo. 106 pp. 2s. 6d. Vernor and Hood. 1799.

This tranflation from Leffing has already appeared in English, under the title of the Baronefs of Brufchal, or the Disbanded Officer, Instead of two tranflations, the story does not appear us to deferve one, being highly improbable itfelf, and almoft wholly barren of incidents. A difbanded officer, fuppofing himself to be poor, determines (from a romantic fenfe of honour) to break with his miftrefs, a young jady of high birth and beauty, because the has become rich. To preferve him, the, abruptly and without the lealt andrefs, feigns herself poor, and an outcaft from her family. This has the defireds effect; for in a moment he becomes as eager to poffefs, as he hau been determined to reject her. In the end it appears that both are affluent, and they are of courfe united. This is the leading feature of the plot ; but there are, in the inferior characters, a few feeble attempts at comic humour. Upon the whole, we have never met with, even in a German drama, more extravagance, or more infipidity; but the former is not, as in fome of the productions of that nation, a relief to the latter, by introducing a few interefting fcenes, and ftriking fituations, the pathos of which, in fome degree, atones for their abfurdity; the whole is here flat as well as improbable,

ART. 23. Wilmore Castle; a new Comic Opera, in Tavo Aŭs, as performed with confiderable Applause at the Theatre-Royal, Drury Lane. The Mufic entirely new, by Mr. Hook. Written by R. Houlton, M. B. 8vo. 37 PP. 19. 6d. Weftley. 1800.

In an Advertisement prefixed to this Opera, the author tells us, that it" uniformly received, during five fucceffive nights, the warmeft tri

butes

butes of applaufe throughout the performance, without a fingle inftance of difapprobation or oppofition, excepting to the encore of a particular fong, and as uniformly received on its conclufion a hoftile attack from part of its auditors. To attempt to folve this conduct," he adds, "by any principles of reason, justice, or confiftency, would be a futile efTo us, who, not having been prefent at the reprefentation of this piece, can judge only from the perufal, the mode of oppofition appears not difficult to be accounted for. The mufic of Mr. Hook is, on all hands, admitted to have been excellent; probably the pleasure the audience received fom it, made them at the moment pafs over the defects of the piece; but, when this charm was paft, the recollection of thofe defects produced a final fentence of condemnation. As the piece is now laid afide, we will only say that its fable, characters, and dialogue, might perhaps, for the fake of the mufic, have been endured by a good-natured audience with patience; but are not, on their own merits, entitled to applaufe.

ART. 24. Marie Antoinette'; Tragedie en Trois Alles, et en Vers. Par le Viconte D...... 8vo. 59 PP. Dulau. 1800.

The unhappy ftory of Marie Antoinette is too recent (perhaps too uniformly fhocking) for the ftage. This performance muft, however, be confidered rather as a dramatic poem than a play. The first act confifts of scenes well-written, but without action. In the fecond, an ineffectual attempt is made to overthrow the power of Robespierre, and fave the Queen; the laft confifts, of her trial, the parting with her family, and the account of her execution. The compofition, fo far as we can undertake to criticize French poetry, does credit to the talents, as well as the feelings of its author. Of his style, the following fpeech of the Queen to Robespierre, will afford a proper specimen : "Tu triomphes jouis du fuccès de ton crime; Contemples dans les fers ton illuftre victime, Les cœurs de tes pareils, d'un triple acier couverts, Fermés à tout remords, ont doublé mes revers, Tyran lâche et cruel, puifque la barbarie Eft un affreux befoin nécessaire à ta vie, Au gré de tes défirs nage dans notre fang: De tous tes ennemis, monftre, perce le flanc. Puiffe bientôt le Ciel, fecondant mon efpoir, Détruire, anéantir ton coupable pouvoir! Puiffe le Peuple un jour déchirer fon bandeau, Et devenir alors ton juge et ton bourreau ! Vas! puiffes-tu périr au milieu des fupplices, Toi, tous tes conjurés, et tes lâches complices! Puiffe enfin ton trépas, digne de tes forfaits, Faire pâlir d'effroi les rebelles fujets!" P. 39.

The behaviour of the Queen, at her trial, is also dignified and refolute; and her farewel interview with her fifter and children, tender and affecting. The merit of this performance deferved, in our opinion, a larger lift of fubfcribers.

NOVELS.