MISCELLANIES. ART. 44. A Method of making Abridgements; or, easy and certain Kules for analyfing Authors. Divided in o Two Parts; the Firft, containing preliminary Explarations, and the Rules for making Abriagements; the Second, the Application of the Rules to various deletions from the beft Authors. By the Abbé Gaulier. Part the Second. 410. 130 pp. 10. 6d. Elimfly, Newberry, &c. 1801. The merits of the Abbé Gaultier's improvements in the art of analyfis, were mentioned in the British Critic for S ptember I ft. This Second Part exemplifies the method of the author, by apply ng, it firft, to the eleven con e utive p pers in the Spectator, on the Pleasures of Imagination; fcondly, to the Sermon of B shop Atterbury, on the duty of praife and tha kfgiving; 3dly, to Dean Swift's Propofal to the Earl of Oxford, for correcting, improving, and ascertaining the English language. They are the fame works on which Blair has commented in his Lectures on Rhetoric, &c. and evidently derive a new and material illuftration from this method. The talents of this author, and particularly his fkill in the arts of inftruction, have gained him a patronage highly honourable, among the moft illustrious families in this kingdom, and we doubt not that the present work will materially contribue to extend his general fame. ART. 45. Thoughts on the Frequency of Divorces in modern Times, and on the Neceffity of Legislative Ex rtion, to prevent their increasing Prevalence. By Adam Sibbit, M. A. 8vo. 54 PP. 2. Cadell and Davies, 1800. Mr. S. proposes to confider fone of the caufes which have a tendency to produce the crime of adultery; and then to make a few ob. ferva ons on the adoption of measures to prevent it. (P. 6.) He takes a view of the education, habits, and manners of the women of the pre fent age; prelenting to us a very unfavourable, but, we hope, exaggerated account, of the fyftem of modern female education, in our famhionable boarding-fchools, and indeed all over the kingdom. (Pages 910, &c.) We affent, however, to his reprobation of many books, which tend to relax and deprave the minds of females; fuch as have been furnished by Rouff au, the German novelifts, the English author of the Monk, &c. who feem to have written for the exprefs purpose of corruping the minds of their readers. The Cyprian drefs, and Cyprian manners of [fome among the ladies of our times, and the fpirit of glentation which marks the prefent age," are reprobated with due feverin. (Pages 19, 20.) The prof gacy of Roman women in former times, and of French women in late times, is alledged to have been the principal caufe of the ruin which befel each of thefe people. The measures to be adop ed. tor preventing the crime in question, are not fet forth with fufficient diftinétnefs; and the whole tract, though evidently written with the belt inten ions, is lefs argumen ative and more declamatory and ver bofe, than the friends of religion, morality, and focial order, might defire. ART. 46. The Creation; in Six Books. After the Manner, and as an introductory Companion, to the Death of Abel and Death of Cain. By William Henry Hall, Author of the Royal Encyclopædia, &c. Evo. 145 PP. 25. 6d. Crosby and Letterman. 1801. Poems in profe (if the terms do not, as we think they do, involve a contradiction) are not, even when well executed, agreeable to our taste. They are, for the most part, minute and tedious, or bombaltic and extravagant. Of all thefe qualities, the performance before us has its du: fhare. The fimple and fublime narrative of the creation, in Scripture, is not always dilated to advantage, even by Milton himself. What must it be in the hands of an inferior writer, in a profe compofition, like the prefent, which deferibes the mode and procefs of the creation in minute and aff &tely scientific terms, and puts a number of pompous and vain glorious speeches, inore proper for fome boastful tyrant on the ftage, into the mouth of the Supreme Being? Where, however, a work feems to have been written with good intentions (which the very refpectable patronage implie! by the dedication imports, we refrain as much as poffible from levere cenfures. The Death of Abel, by Geffner (of which this book profeffes to be an imitation) has fome pa hos and intereft; but in that Poem the ftory is, in a great measure, domeftic, and in itself affecting. Here the fubject is above the grafp of human intellect; and the writer's know. ledge favours of pedantry, as his piety is, we fear, not a little tinctured with enthusiasm, ART. 47. Another Effence of Malone, or the Beauties of Shakspeare's The man who invented fecond parts often seems to deferve a share of the anathena which has fometim's fallen upon the inventor of fifth acts. We have here a fecond Effence of Malone, fo extravagantly witty, and fo utterly confuled, that to read it through feems an abfolute impoffibility. Yet the criticifm enveloped in this ftrange vehicle appears almoft uniformly to he juft. The brief refult is this, that the per on attacked is (which cannot be denied, and was well known to accurate obtervers before) in general unfortunate in his remarks on fyllables and rhymes; and that he has bestowed too minu e an attention on the not very important point of the exact spelling of Shakespeare's name; and this attention alfo not always fuccefsful. But why all this eagerness of attack on these po nts; which, after all, will leave Mr. M. the character of a very diligent, and, generally, a very useful editor? We fear chiefly for the purpose of making a book, which certainly is made, in this inftance, with as little kill as temperance. The moft amufing part of this tract is the tale of Abel, the famous mutician, and the Sermon; but told with rather too much ambition of facetioufnefs, and in fact but too literally applicable to the cafe. ART. 48. An Examination of the Merits and Tendency of the Purts of Literature. Part Second, By W. Burdon, M, A. formerly Fellow of Emanuel College, Cambridge. 8vo. 143 Pp. Brown, Newcastle upon Tyne; Clarke, London. 1800. Je tiens," fays Moliere, in one of his prefaces; " auffi difficile de combattre un ouvrage que le public approuve, que d'en défendre un qu'il 1 qu'il condamne." In the former of thefe attempts Mr. Burdon labours hard, against all probability of fucceis; and hopes, no doubt, to perfuade the multitude, who have admired the P. of L. that they ought to have waited for his decifion, before they ventured to form an opinion. We, however, are among the ftubborn readers, who are deter mined to think for themselves; and when we fee that the perfons whom this examiner panegyrizes, are fuch as Mr. Flower, the Cambridge printer (a true account of whom, from his own actions, was given in our Review for Auguft lat, p. 123) we cannot wonder that he fhould be hurt at the popularity of that poem, or conceive that the author of it can poffibly wish for his approbation. How far Mr. B. may find it anfwer to go on lecturing the public, on a question which has been decided ftrongly against him, it is not for us to guefs; but the profpect is formidable, if he is to proceed on the scale he has hitherto employed; for this fecond pamphlet, of 140 pages, takes him only a very little way into the fecond Dialogue. Every thing, which can be made the fubject of a remark or cavil, is taken up. The former part of this publication was noticed in vol. xvi. p. 691. ART. 49. Picturesque Views, with an Hiftorical Account of the Inus of Court in London and Westminster. By Samuel Ireland, Author of a Tour through Holland, Brabant, &c. of Picturesque Vieros of the River Thames, Medway, Avon, and Wye; and of Graphic Illuftrations of Hogarth, &c. Large 8vo. 21. 2s. Egerton, 1800. The author of this work has paid the great debt of nature; it fhall not, therefore, be our part to exaggerate any demerits which cannot now be reformed, or to bring back to the recollection of the reader errors which may well be forgotten. As far as this volume may be confidered as increafing the materials for a fyftematic hiftory of the metropolis, it is certainly acceptable. In other refpects, it feems rather to have been intended as a vehicle for the plates, which are executed with confiderable skill and merit, and indeed are fuperior to those which adorn Mr. Ireland's former productions. The work is dedi̟cated to the late Lord Chancellor, now Earl of Rofslyn. ART. 50. Les Saifons pour l'Enfance et la premiere Jeunesse ou Dia loques amufans, moraux et inftructifs entre une mere et ses enfans par la ·Comte Je de Fauchecour née Grant, dediées à l'Honourable Lady Horyzwood. 12mo. 3s. 6d. Dulau. 1801. A very entertaining and useful little book for children, fomewhat refembling, though on a lefs enlarged plan, the work of Dr. Aikin's, called the Calendar of Nature, which was exceedingly well received, ART. 51. The true Lover of his Country; or, a Treatise on Sovereignty, with Refpect to its Origin, its Object, its Functions, and its feveral Modifications; with a concife Defcription of the Revolutions of the Roman Republic, of the Kingdom of England, and more particularly that of France. By M. Clemence. 12mo. 3s. 6d. Dulau. 1801. This work, which is published both in French and English, is a felection of the fentiments of various authors, upon the fubjects detailed fo circumftantially in the title-page. The intention is obviously good, and is meritoriously executed; it will be ufeful for ftudents in either language; but perhaps it would have been more fo, if the particular paffages introduced had been affigned to their refpective authors. ART. 52. The German Mufum, or the Monthly Repofitory of the Literature of Germany, the North, and the Continent in General. In Twa Volumes. 8vo. 11. IS. Geifweiler, 1800, This collection was originally published in numbers; they are now formed into two volumes, and altogether compofe a moft agreeablemifcellany. They exhibit fpecimens of the best and most popular works circulating on the continent; but we are not forry to obferve, that the English talte for that fpecies of German literature, which for a time was eagerly received among us, is rapidly on the decline. We have long been ridiculed in Germany for the admiration which has been paid to the performances of Kotzebue; an author, who has never been much elteemed among thofe who were the best judges of his real value, and who feems to have little claim to attention beyond that of affected eccentricity of fentiment, of a vapid and false sensibility, and of a fufpicious and defective morality, ART. 53. Juvenile Biography; or, Lives of celebrated Children, inculcating Virtue by eminent Examples from real Life: to which are added, Moral Reflections; addreffed to the Youth of both Sexes. By Mr. Joffe, Profeffor of the Spanish and French Languages. Tranflated by Mrs. Cummyng, Tranflairefs of Eftelle. In Two Volumes. 12mo. 6s. Dulau. 1801. This is doubtless a proper and very entertaining book for children but we think the tranflatres might have employed her time and talents. to a better purpose, ART.54 A Narrative of the Life of Sarah Shade, born at Stok Edith in the County of Hereford, containing many well-authenticated and cu rious Facts, more particularly during her Voyage to the Eaft-Indies, in the New Devonshire Indiaman, in the Year 1769, and in traverfing that Country in Company with the Army at the Sieges of Pondicherry. Velore, Negapatam, &c. c. together with fome extraordinary Accounts of the Ferocity of Tigers, Jackals, Piah Dogs, Vultures, &c. taken down by fome Gentlemen, and published for her Benefit. 8vo. 2s. Hatchard. 1801. If this be what it profeffes, we wish it fuccefs; but it has not much recommendation in itself. ART. 55. The Two Princes of Rerfia. 1801. Addressed to Youth. By In this little volume an Eaftern fage is reprefented as inftructing two Perfian Princes, his pupils, by precepts and fhort ftories applied to every perverfe inclination, or reprehenfible action that he obferves in them. By this mode of education he fucceeds fo well, that the elder of the Princes, Princes, though naturally haughty and paffionate, proves, on his acceffion to the crown, humble in his thoughs, and gentle in his temper; the younger, who at first showed symptom of an indolent and trifling difpofition, becomes active and energetic; and both, although of oppofite characters, unite in firm and affectionate friendship. There is nor, it is true, much novelty in the defign or execution of this hule work; but the maxims laid down are, generally speaking, juft; and the book is not unworthy of admiffion into those useful libraries for children, which the prefent age has produced. ART. 56. A Review of the Mufical Drama of the Theatre-Regal, Dry Lane, for the Years 1797, C8, 99, and 1800: which will tend to develope a Syftem of private Influence injurious to Mufical Emulation, and Public Entertainment; and to elucidate feveral interefting Points of Matter in Mrs. Plowden's late diftinguished Publication. Addressed to the Proprietors of the Theatre. By R. Houlton, M. B. 8vo. 80 pp. 25. Weftley, &c. 1801. A formidable attack upon Mr. Kelly, of Drury-Lane Theatre, as practifing many undue arts, to fecure to himself the exclusive advantages of the mufical department in that houfe, is carried on throughout this pamphlet. In the difpute we have no inclination to interfere. Certain it is, that feveral very curious allegations are urged against the perfon accu'ed; but whether any thing can be faid in reply, remains to be difclofed. The piece which particularly occafioned this if cuffion, is Wilmore Caftle, an Opera, by the author of this tract; of which, as a drama, we found ourselves unable to give much commendation. The "diftinguished publication of Mrs. Plowden,” is an Opera, entitled Virginia, the Preface to which is here reprinted (p. 35) as containing allegations fimilar to thofe of Mr. Houlton. The Opera itfelf, after the diftinction thus attributed to it, we shall take an early opportunity to examine. Acutenefs and vivacity are ranifeft in the mode of urging the charges here made, which are fuch as the public has reason to refent, if they appear to be well-founded. ART. 57. Elements of German Conversation, upon the Plan of Perrins's Elements, By George Crabb. 12mo, 114 pp. 2s, bound. Boofey. 1800, We have already commended fome of Mr. Crabb's publications on the German language. The prefent is a vocabulary divided into fections, each of which is followed by a fet of examples, in which the words are applied. It appears to be a very convenient book to furnish. and direct the ftudies of learners. * The first edition was noticed in March laft, p. 314, and the fe cond very briefly, with three others, in April, p. 434. FOREIGN |