"And if we attend to the time at which the Prophecy was delivered,' and the language in which it is conveyed; if we confider, that the defcendants of Abraham were now recently fettled in the land of Gofhen; that they were to continue there in flavery for four generations; and that God thus promifed them a perpetuity of temporal dominion-a continuance of it at leaft, until the appearance of their grea Deliverer; we may conclude, that it was mercifully given to fupport them under the hardships which they were to endure, and to convince them, that the covenant made with their ancestors would be religionfly performed.

"The promife thus limited to the tribe of Judah refted there for feveral centuries: during the whole of the captivity in Egypt, no farther intimations are given of future redemption. But when the Jews had efcaped from their long fervitude, and, after all their trials and fufferings, were entering, under the guidance of their Legiflator, upon the promised land, the Holy Spirit compels a Heathen Soothfayer to confirm and ratify the original covenant in the face of their enemies: Bleffed,' fays Balaam, in the very words which Jacob had ufed before him, Blessed is he that bleffeth thee, and curfed is he that curfeth thee;' and then, in defiance of the refentment of Balak, he breaks forth into a rapturous anticipation of the triumphs of the Meffiah: I fhall fee him, but not now; I fhall behold him, but not nigh: there fhall come a ftar out of Jacob, and a fceptre shall rife out of Ifrael; out of Jacob fhall come he that hall have dominion, and fhall deftroy him that remaineth of the city.'

"That the Holy Spirit, when thefe expreffions were used, might defign in the first inftance to allude to David, and his conquests of the Moabites and the Edomites, I do not deny: but the expreffions evidently prove, that the Prophecy had a farther view to the glories and the univerfal dominion of the Mefliah." P. 127.

In the remaining difcourfes, Mr. Hall has confidered the fate and fortunes of the Jews, and other topics connected with his fubject; and, on the whole, certainly deferves a praise fuperior to that which his humility has announced as his utmoft object," to bring under one view, and to render generally intelligible, topics and arguments, which in the writings of our beft and ableft divines have long ago been feparately and thoroughly inveftigated." This in itself would merit much commendation; but, as an original writer, Mr. H. fhows himself well qualified to hold a respectable, perhaps an eminent fituation.

BRITISH

BRITISH CATALOGUE.

POETRY.

ART. 18. Patient Grifelda. A Tale. From the Italian of Boccacio, By Mifs Sotheby. 4to. 2s. 6d. Longman. 1798.

The ftory of Patient Grifel is familiar to us from our childhood, and we are confequently not difpleafed at renewing our acquaintance with her in very correct and elegant English verfe. We know not whether Mifs Sotheby is related to the ingenious poet of the fame name; but The appears to have had a part of the fame mantle, which the following fpecimen will fufficiently prove.

And now, the Marquis with relenting mind,

Wills that the fuff'rer's woes a period find;
Yet fill fome wand'ring doubts, fome fears arife,
Nor yet Grifelda do thy wrongs fuffice;
Again, his words thy meek endurance prove-
"What think'st thou of our younger, fairer love ?”—
"It, from a perfect form, a faultlefs face,
Or inborn worth, or wisdom I may trace,
How high the merits of Gualterio's choice;
Tranfcending far Grifelda's feeble voice!
But ah! Gualterio, fpare her tender mind,
Nor ftill diftruft the faith of womankind;
Try not this tender maid as erft you tried,
The virgin whom in youth you chofe as bride,
She was, alas, by abject parents bred,
To labour nurtur'd, and in pen'ry fed,
But, with this high-born fair, each paffing day
Has ftole on pleafure's downy wings away;
Too foon her death would terminate the ftrife,
Too foon Gualterio mourn his lovely wife,
Then fpare thy breaft this pain-and, ah! believe
That angel face and form can ne'er deceive."
Thus, e'en a rival's woe Grifelda fhares,
Thus, ftrives to fhield her from corrofive cares,
Nay more exalts each charm, nor fears to raise
Her modeft excellence by gen'rous praise;
No jealous dread, no envy's mean controul,
Can bend her native rectitude of foul,
Nor can the Marquis' all fufpecting mind,
Or chilling apathy, or paffion find,
To virtue warm'd, his foul he thus expreft,
While doubt and anguish fled Grifelda's breast-

1

"The

"The contumelious word with scornful art,
No more fhall deeply wound thy noble heart;
The forg'd divorce, the feign'd affaffin's deed,
No more fhall make thy gentle bofom bleed--
Compell'd to wed-from dire fufpicion rofe
The long drawn tenour of Grifelda's woes;
Well haft thou kept thy piighted vow as bride,
And long, too long, thy conftancy been tried-
Tho' ftill a parent's feelings he fubdu'd,
No infant's blood Gualterio's hands embru'd;
Behold that cherub boy, that beauteous maid,
In him, in her, be all thy wrongs repaid;
No bride is fhe, a daughter's tender name
From thee and thy Gualterio fhe may claim;
Thy hufband I, in whofe enraptur'd eyes,
His wife the proudest of her fex outvies-
Ages to comes, Grifelda's name shall found,
Grifelda patient, thro' the world renown'd."

ART. 19. Cupid and Pfyche. A Mythological Tale.

From the Golden Afs of Apuleius. 8vo. 2s. 6d. Wright. 1799.

This is a truly elegant and harmonious verfion of one of the most popular tales of antiquity. We have reafon to believe that the author has before obliged the world with the animated productions of his pen; but, whether he has or not, the following extract will fhow his qualifications to inftruct and amufe us in verfe. Pfyche having been told by her fifters that she had married an enormous ferpent, is about to plunge a poignard in his breast.

Prepar'd to ftrike, fhe ranges near,

The blue light glimmering from above,
The hideous fight expects with fear,
But gazes on the GOD OF LOVE.

Not fuch a young and frolic child,
As poets feign or fculptors plan;
No, no, the fees with tranfport wild,
Eternal beauty veil'd in man.

His cheeks with bright carnation glow'd,
Like rubies on a bed of pearls;
And down his iv'ry fhoulders flow'd,
In cluft'ring braids his golden curls.
Soft as the cygnet's down his wings,
And as the falling fnow flake fair,
Each light elaftic feather fprings,

And dances in the balmy air..

The pure and vital stream he breathes,
Makes e'en the lamp fhine doubly bright,
While its gay flame enamour'd wreathes,
And gleams with fcintillations light.

There

There loosely ftrung that bow was hung, **Whöfe twanging cord immortals fear, And on the floor his quiver flung,

Lay, ftor'd with many an arrow near.

Grafp'd in her facrilegious hands,

She with the arrows play'd and laugh'd;
The crimfon on her fingers ftands,

She's wounded by the poifon'd fhaft.-**

ART. 20. The Margate New Guide; or, Memoirs of Five Families

-out of Six;

Who in Town difcontent with a good Situation, Make Margate the Place of their Summer Migration. With Notes, and occafional Anecdotes.

Dutton, No. 10, Birchin-Lane. 1799.

12m0 123 PP.

2s. 6d.

The characteristic of good poetry, mentioned by Horace, is never more correctly applicable than to very excellent writing of the humourous kind. The effect of fuch a production is, naturally

Such has been completely the cafe with Anftey's inimitable Bath Guide, which has tempted multitudes to fancy that they could write in the fame ftyle, who, in the attempt, have utterly failed. To this number the prefent writer must be added; though his effort is fomewhat lefs unhappy than that of Mr. Slenderwit laft year. Perhaps his Sapphics are as humourous as any part of his production. A Mercer exclaims:

Boy, fweep the fhop; the chocolate prepare, wife;

Here comes the Countefs rattling down the high-ftreet,
Hark! 'tis her chariot turning round the corner,

Boy, clear the counter.

The Milliner fpeaks in Dactylics.

Jenny and Caroline, Charlotte and Ifabel,
An't that the Countefs of Callico's livery?
That is her carriage, and in it her ladyship.

One of the Notes contains the following anecdote of a young lady enquiring for novels. Pray, Sir," faid the," have you Man as he is ?" "No, Ma'am," replied the affiftant (withing to accommodate her, and with no other meaning) "but we have Woman as the should

be."

ART. 21. The Caldron, or Follies of Cambridge; a Satire. 8vo. Is. 6d. Robinfons. 1799.

The object of this poem is, to defcribe the prevailing follies of the Univerfity of Cambridge; and the author fecins qualified for better undertakings.

undertakings. This poem is, however, very irregularly written; for, among fome very smooth and very spirited verfes, we meet with fuch lines as thefe :

I fee the fire burn, and the caldron bubble.
Hiftory is trash, and criticifm a curfe.
The merits of their feveral choice to prove.
Nor dares reflection page them to the field.

Yet, that the poet is well qualified for the task be undertakes, the
following juft cenfure on the young men, who give those hours to
cards which fhould be devoted to other purpofes, fufficiently evinces.
Ah, no! yon cell no learned tenant knows,
Far other fcenes the powerful fpells difclose,
There round the flag of indolence enlist,
Profeffors of the Graces, and of whift,
Deaf to philofophy, to feeling dead,
A gamefter's cares engrofs the ftudent's head.
Are fuch the duties of thefe facred walls,
Th' exertion this for which your country calls?
Or dream ye that compaflion can furvey,
Without contempt, your reason ftak'd at play;
Fair morning leifure, and your evening toil,
Proftrate in worship at the fhrine of Hoyle?
No-fince thus early your career is run,
And dotage in your op'ning bloom begun,
Avoid the manly circles, and repair
To the gay dupe, or antiquated fair;
They with all converfation will difpenfe,

And for your whift forgive your want of fenfe.

The animadverfion on the frequenters of Newmarket, is also very fpirited and happy. The apoftrophe which follows, would not have difgraced Churchill.

Oh, thou! whofe glories to the duft decline,

While Britain claims the prize that once was thine;
Genius of Spain, whofe fullen anguish lours
O'er Calpe's confines, and Gibraltar's towers,
Soon may thy foul a vengeful tranfport know,
Nor grudge the laurel on old England's brow;
Too foon may Vice thy rival's praise entomb,
And Albion's luxury reverfe thy doom.

Approach, perturbed fhade, to foothe thy woes
Survey the conclave, where our fons repofe,
Princes and Dukes, and Baronets and Squires,
Loft in the croud of jockies, gamefsters, liars,
Hence thy defpair a kindly folace draws,
Yet while our vices thus avenge the cause,

Ο

BRIT. CRIT. VOL. XIV, AUG."1799.

E'en