addition of what has been published by the laudable focieties of Berne, Lions, Tours, Rouen, Edinburgh, Dublin, and London.-Nor has the Museum Rufticum been forgot, from whence large extracts frequently occur. In order to facilitate the ftudy of husbandry, as much as may be, they have inferted what belongs to the same subject in one article, and the whole is ranged in alphabetical order. Upon the whole, we think the present a very judicious compilation; and more fatisfactory than many others, on account of most of the articles, whereof it confifts, being quoted, as the undoubted property of their original authors, whofe name are fairly given at the end of each. Inftead therefore of giving any extras from a work of this nature, which (however ufeful) may not, perhaps, be calculated for general entertainment; we fhall content ourselves with recommending it to the notice of every practical farmer, who may be candid enough to own himself not above paying a proper regard to the obfervations of thofe, who have endeavoured, at least, to improve that useful profeffion, to which the prince, as well as the peafant, is beholden for no small part of his neceffary fupport.-Vid. Ecclef. v. 9. POETICAL. P. Art. 27. The Banished Patriot; or the Exile returned. An Heroic Mr. Wilkes's poets are as indifferent as his profe-writing champions, noticed in a fubfequent article. This Author aims at Epic dignity, and his genius would fcarce fuffice to turn an hymn for the Moravians. Art. 28. The An's Letter to the L-d Ma-r, relative to his .n. An humorous Hudibraftic, founded on the Letter to Mr. Harley, mentioned in our last month's Catalogue. Art. 29. The Effence of Theatrical Wit: being a felect Collection of the best and most admired Prologues and Epilogues that have been delivered from the Stage: with the Addition of fome that were never made public before. 8vo. I S. Wicks. The fancy of collecting prologues and epilogues is not new;—the wonder is that it fhould ever have been repeated. Art. 30. Precepts of Conjugal Happiness. Addressed to a Lady on her Marriage. By John Langhorne, D. D. 4to. Is. Becket. One of the most important and most delicate fubjects in which human nature is interested, is here feelingly and elegantly, though perhaps too briefly, defcanted upon, by a mufe whofe productions are well known to the prefent age, and feem to stand a fair chance of not being wholly unknown to the future, The precepts here laid down are addreffed to a fifter of the Author's Jady, on her marriage; and they are conceived in a strain equally tender, polite, and friendly: Friend, filter, partner of that gentle heart, + By Momas Hallie De la Mayne, While While love's foft raptures thefe gay hours employ, Will you, Maria, mark with patient ear, The moral mufe, nor deem her song severe. The exordium proceeds with fome friendly compliments; and then the Poet affumes his preceptive character: we shall give a few of his obfervations, by way of specimen : Love, like the flower that courts the fun's kind ray, Diftruft's cold air the generous plant annoys, If heart-felt quiet, thoughts unmixt with pain, The fenfe of pleasure, and the power to pleafe, Hence all the woes he found that peace destroy, The rectitude of these rules and obfervations, muft be obvious to every thinking, every fentimental reader; and the poetry is truly harmonious. The poem concludes with the following delicate compliment to the lady to whom the precepts are address'd : Long, beauteous friend, to you may heav'n impart Art. 31. Appendix to the Patriot, containing the Author's Converfation with his Bookfeller, &c. &c. 4to. 1 s. DodЛley. This Appendix is more en ertaining than the Patriot itself.-— The character of the bookfeller is well drawn-The dialogue is humorous and easy; and here is plenty of double entendre for the chuckle of raw gown men and cemireps. Art. 32. Life, a Poem, to Christ Church, Oxford. dent of Chrift Church. น the Rev. 7** C**, M. A. Student of By James Parfons, M. A. late Stu4to. 1 s. 6d. Fletcher. The Poet defcribes feveral scenes and circumstances of modifh life; but to exhibit all, he fays, Would ask a hundred mouths, a hundred tongues, Throats cafed with iron, and with brafs the lungs. And when the lungs fhould flag, and tongues fhould tire, The learned Reader need not be told that the last couplet is an improvement upon Homer; nor that from fuch a genius he may expect no fmall entertainment. Art. 33. Poems by Mr. Gray. 12mo. 3s. Dodfley. All that we find new in this collection is, The Fatal Sifters, an ode, the Defcent of Odio, an ode, and the Triumphs of Owen, a fragment. Thefe turn chiefly on the dark diableries of the Gothic times; and if to be myfterious and to be fublime be the fame thing, thefe deep-wrought performances muft undoubtedly be deemed fo. For our parts, we shall for ever regret the departure of Mr. Gray's mufe from that elegantlymoral fimplicity fhe affumed in the Country Church-yard. L Art. 34. Two Elegies. Folio. Is. Flexney. There is not much either to praife or to blame in thefe poems. They are like indifferent paintings, which one paffes by without either pleafure or difgult, and which are forgotten as soon as they are seen. Art. 35. The Lyric Mufe revived in Europe, or a critical Difplay of the Opera in all its Revolutions. 12mo. 2 S. Davis and Reymers. The Author of this performance is evidently amongst the number of the conofcenti, and, were there not fomething finical in his flyle, might be faid to write very well on his fubject. His obfervations are in general judicious and ingenious; but in fome inftances we cannot prevail upon ourfelves to be of his opinion. Speaking of Handel's symphonies, he fays, the choir in many inftances (and the fingle fongs in fome) is not fudden enough in its intervention, being generally prepared by a correfpondent fymphony of inftrumental mufic, which creates expectation and prefentiment, deftrovs furprize, and thas leffens the impreffion and the effect' Now thefe fymphonies, in our opinion, inftead of leffening the effect, increase it; and this they do by introducing the ear to a more perfect tale of the air that follows. Most of the writers on mufical compofitions have been laid under contributions by the Author of this differtation; but for this we blame him not, as his book is thereby rendered more perfect, and more entertaining. L Art. 30. Art. 36. The Chriftiad, a Poem in Six Books, tranflated from the Latin of Marcus Hieronimus Vida. By J. Cranwell, M. A. Rector of Abbot's Ripton in Huntingdonfhire. 8vo. 6s. Beecroft. This poem was written at the request of one of the Popes, by the very elegant and ingenious Vida; but, not being free from the errors of popery, it has little reputation in the reformed part of Europe. Mr. Cranwell, however, feems to wonder that it has not hitherto been tranflated: for our parts, we are forry that it makes its appearance even now. The reason we have mentioned more than once, that what is an object of faith should not be made an object of fiction; which, when any thing like an epic poem is formed, must be the cafe.-To confound religious with poetical credibility muft for ever have a bad effect; and in this respect even Milton has hurt the cause of orthodoxy more than Bolingbroke. We with well however to Mr. Cranwell, and that he may reap the reward of his labours; for indeed he has been at great pains, and has not tranflated his Author amifs. L Art. 37. The Parables of our Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift. Done into familiar Verfe, with occafional Applications for the Ufe of younger Minds. By Chriftopher Smart, M. A. fometime Fellow of Pembroke-Hall, Cambridge. 12mo. 2s. 6d. Owen. This verfion of the parables is, with great propriety, dedicated to Master Bonnel George Thornton; a child of three years old. SPECIMEN. What woman, that retains Ten filver pieces, all her gains, With candle-light, and fweep the floor, The coin on which the fets her mind; Repentig all his evil ways. Familiar verfe, indeed! as the title-page jufly intimates. Art. 38. Elutheria, a Dream. AN Infcribed to Mrs. Macaulay. 4to. 6d. Kearsley, &c. A poetical compliment to our celebrated female hiftorian, on the noble fpirit of liberty which breathes in her writings. The allegorical machinery introduced into this little piece, fhews to fome advantage the anonymous writer's imagination; but his numbers are too profaic to entitle him to any confide able rank as a poet; of this the whole poem is one continued inftance; but the conclufion may fuffice for a fpecimen. LIBERTY, after her defcent from Olymps to Dover-cliffs, looks out -for fome proper human form in which to take up her refidence. The goddess goddess at last fixes on one, whofe breast, replete with divine virtues, was deemed a proper manfion for the heavenly gueft: Joyful the enters into this bright FORM, And faid, her ORACLES fhe now would give RELIGIOUS and CONTROVERSIAL. Art. 39. A Catechifm for Children and young Perfons. By Joseph The method of communicating inftruction by catechifing, feems to be peculiarly adapted to young minds, as it approaches to the ease and freedom of converfation. Many persons have, however, entertained an averfion to it, in confequence of the style and contents of fome particular catechifms, which were drawn up foon after the reformation from popery, and which were, therefore, neceffarily encumbered with the technical terms of a metaphyfical fyftem, that had its rife in times of great darknefs and fuperftition. This inconvenience is avoided in the prefent casechifm, the first part of which, being intended only for children, is as concife, plain, and fimple, as can well be imagined. The fecond part, which is defigned for young perfons, is lefs theoretical, and more practical than, perhaps, any other catechifm that is extant. Nothing is here admitted but the obvious truths and duties of natural religion, together with fuch principles of the Chriftian doctrine as are received by all who have any belief in revelation. K: Art. 40. A new Concordance to the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Teftament: or a Dictionary and alphabetical Index to the Bible, together with the various Significations of the principal Wards, by which the true Meaning of many Paffages is shown. By the Rev. Mr. John Butterworth of Coventry. 8vo. 6s. Johnfon and Davenport. 1767. 'The ufe of Concordances and Indexes is fo obvious to all men who are converfant in books, that we need not take up much of our Reader's me in expatiating upon it. We fhall only obferve, with regard to this work before us, that it is a judicious and cheap abridgment of Mr. Cruden's large quarto, which has been fo well received by the public.R-n Art. 41. Sermons on feveral important Subjects. By the Rev. Sloane Elfmere, D. D. late Rector of Chelfea. Printed for the fole Benefit of the Charity-girls School of the Parish of Chelfea. 8vo. 2 Vols. 10s. Wren. 1767. 1 hefe difcourfes are published with two very good defigns, viz to promote the knowledge and practice of religion; and to add to the fund for fupporting the charity-school of Chelfea. Each volume confists of fifteen fermons on important fubjects, which are treated in a judicious and useful manner: and we hope will fully answer the good intentions of the charitable Publisher. R--n Art. 42. The Words of the Wife, defigned for the Entertainment and Inftruction of younger Minds. 12mo. IS. Newbery. This is a collection of detached fentences on several moral subjects, trite in themselves, and expreffed in a vile, inflated and fantastic ftyle. |