When holy Dulnefs, by fupreme command, Curfes another, added to the feven; But, Comb-brush, fure that curfe will be forgiven! Folly and nonfenfe all it seems to me: Vapours, and difcontent, and fpleen it brings, Kings would declare it did them too much good.' The writer then fubjoins a note, which, fhort as it is, would contain much true moral fatire, were it any way applicable to the prefent times : A government (fays he) fupported by corruption, would be guilty of a moft arrant folecifm in politics, in recommending fupplications to Heaven, to restore public virtue, if there was the leaft chance of fucceeding. I cannot (continues he) conceive any thing more diftreffing to the minister of fuch a state, than repentance and amendment of life in his chief fupporters,' &c. Art. 25. An Epifle from the worshipful Brown Dignum to the avorshipful Mr. Buckhorse: now made public, in confequence of a fpurious Letter from the Hon. C. Fox to the Hon. J. Townfhend. To which is prefixed, a Dedication to the Earl of Sandwich, 4to. 1 s. Millidge. 1779. A facetious parody; but too infignificant to admit of an extract. Art. 26. Unanimity. A Poem. By J. Macaulay. 4to. 1 s. 6d. Cadell. 1780. This poem is an allegorical dialogue between the Genius of Britain and The watchful guardian of the Gallic state.' The scene lies in England upon a chalky cliff ⚫ tremendous, steep, Whose awful front o'erlooks the rolling deep.' The conversation opens with an interrogatory by the Genius of Britain, who for fome reafon or other is now transformed into a British warrior: 'Prefumptuous Power (the British warrior cries)! We then learn that The Gallic Power approaching from afar, Though the writer tells us, but a few lines before, that` before the gliding chariot ftands The facred guardian of the British lands.' So near, indeed, that the courfers backward ftart, Scar'd by the luftre of the glittering dart. But to proceed--Before his Gallic divinityfhip vouchsafes any answer to this and fome other questions, he turns his horfes to grafs; his nags, as this writer perhaps means to infinuate, having but an indifferent pafture at home: The steeds, obedient to their Lord's command, Wait his return, and graze on hoftile land. When thus the Power: "Nor bent on dark emprize What need for me to fhake Britannia's throne? Her fons have done it, and the deed's their own." After a few more lines in the fame frain, he concludes with the following counfel: Fly then this land: and if to Gaul a friend, This advice, as might be fuppofed, is rejected with difdain. Britannia fets him and every other enemy at defiance, telling him, Britain united, all your toil fhall mock, And ftand unmoved amidst the mighty fhock.' We heartily with the may be as good as her word. In the conftruction of this allegory there appears neither novelty nor invention. With respect to the mere matter of verfification (Poetry is a term no way applicable to this performance), our Bard keeps one even tenor, never rifing above mediocrity, and not often finking below it. Art. 27. An Ode to the Memory of the Right Reverend Thomas Wilfon, late Lord Bishop of Sodor and Man; by the Rev. W. Tasker, A. B. Author of the Ode to the Warlike Genius of Great Britain, &c. 4to. 15. Printed for the Author. Sold by Dodfley. From a sprightly fally or two in Mr. Tafker's first publication, we had formed expectations not unfavourable, with refpect to his future performances. Thofe expectations, forry are we to fay it, have not hitherto been gratified. Whether it be, that Mr. Tasker's Pegafus is, as the jockies phrafe it, a jade at the bottom, or that he rides him without judgment, the poor beaft is become as fpiritlefs as a pofthorfe. The ode before us is a very infignificant performance. A Westminster school-boy, though in a hurry to get his tafk over, might farely fcribble fuch verfes as thefe : E'en from his earlier years, To human fcience! perithable lore, Defcendent of the Palatine, Tho' Tho' he drew his ancient blood That boil'd in Norman William's fiery breaft; &c. DRAMATIC. Art. 28. The Artifice; a Comic Opera, in Two Acts. As performed at the Theatre Royal, Drury-Lane. By William Auguftus Miles. 8vo. I S. Cadell. 1780. The Writer of this Comic Opera feems to value himself on the fidelity of his draughts of fea characters. We cannot boast a fufficient degree of forecaftle learning to enable us to difcover their excellence. To us they appear much more lifeless and infipid than Congreve's Ben, or even than the "group of characters in the Fair Quaker of Deal," which our Author affects to defpife. Counterparts of Commodore Flip and Beau Mizen may ftill be found in the navy, and are as fair fubjects of ridicule as any land characters. The ftage generally does justice to "their bravery, their honefty, and their contempt of danger;" and even the Captain Ironfides of Cumberland, attacked by our privateer Poet, cafts no unworthy reflection on the gentlemen of the navy. How far the Lieutenants of our fleet may be pleased to acknowledge Charles as a brother officer," we cannot determine. For our parts, we are more delighted with the farcical jargon of Sir Benjamin Brief, and the military rage of Mrs. Bobbin. 66 Art. 29. The Volunteers; or, Taylors to Arms! a Comedy, of Temporary and trifling! SERMONS. 1. Preached before the Houfe of Lords in the Abbey Church of Westminster, Jan. 31, 1780, by Thomas Lord Bishop of Lincoln. 4to. Is. Owen. A great deal of courtly elegance appears in this difcourfe; the chief object of which is to recommend the duty of obedience to the higher powers. His Lordship hath drawn a friking picture of that fanatic fpirit which occafioned the troubles and confufion that preceded and followed the death of King Charles. The prevalent party, intoxicated with a love of power, no fooner perceived in the King a flexible difpofition, than they began with encreafing vehemence to reiterate their complaints of tyranny. The republican fpirit, which, in conjunction with the fpirit of puritanifm, had fecretly diffufed the poifon of difaffection to the established government of church and ftate, now burft forth. The leaders availing themfelves of the efficacy of this levelling principle, fo adapted to their purpose, inftructed the populace where to direct their feditious invectives; while they themfelves food prepared to fecond their endeavours; to tear down every fence which a reverence for Majefty had planted round the throne; to annihilate every branch of the prerogative; and to wreft by tumul tuous tuous force out of the hands of royalty, the whole executive power of the ftate. So unexpected a convulfion aftonished all ranks of people : those whom a love for their country had at firft prompted to join the popular party, found their paffions fo en flamed by the ardour of controverfy, that they knew not where to draw the boundary, nor how to difengage themfelves from councils in which they had taken fo confiderable a fhare. Some few who faw into the fatal tendency of thefe councils, preferved their integrity amidst the conflict; and with the bravery of untainted loyalty, defended the cause of injured Majefty by the most weighty arguments drawn from history, and the fundamental laws of the conftitution; till overpowered by numbers, and filenced by clamour, they were compelled to confult their perfonal fafety, and to withdraw from fcenes which threatened univerfal ruin to the kingdom The most atrocious, ftimulated by a reftlefs ambition, entertained hopes of future greatnefs in the profpect of impending civil war, and accordingly rendered ineffectual every propofal for an accommodation. Religion in the mean time, that facred friend to union and peace, was, by a fingular perverfion, employed to aid the caufe of fedition and rebellion. Hypocrify, arrayed in the robe of piety, became perfect in the habitual exercife of the arts of deception. The pulpit, the fenate, and even the camp, afforded in fucceffion a theatre for the difplay of her powers, and alternately refounded with the declamations of falfehood, impofture, and treafon. Thefe in their turn operating on the diftempered imaginations of men, produced a gloomy fpirit of fanaticism, which, under the fancied impreflions of fuperior direction, fanctified every deed of wickedness, and ferved the more effectually to adminifter the poiloacus ingredients which hypocrify had prepared. To a combination of thefe principles, however contradictory, may be referred many of the celebrated characters of that age;-the character of ONE in particular, the magnitude of whofe crimes has rendered him confpicuous, and whofe elevation on the ruins of liberty, was not lefs Owing to the dark duplicity of his defigns, than to the strong impulse of the fanatic fpirit which fo rapidly promoted the execution of them. To a combination of thefe principles may be referred the precipitate demolition of our religious eftablishment, which fell the first facrifice to popular fury. The fathers of the church were faithful to the crown, and zealous fupporters of the conftitution: hence they were excluded from their fhare in the public councils, and their order was voted ufelefs. The clergy were in general a learned body, and exemplary in their lives; but they "honoured the king;" and hence they were denominated fcandalous minifters, were haraffed, ejected from their churches, and imprisoned.' Some will think, and perhaps not unjustly, that the bishop's zeal hath led him to colour this picture of fanaticifm with too bold a pencil; but we cannot avoid remarking, that the circumftance alluded to in the concluding paragraph of our quotation is, on reflection, fufficient to provoke the indignation of every friend of the eftablished church; and we trust that not many, in thefe more liberal days, will be found amongst the Diffenters, who can, on ferious conviction, and without a bluth, vindicate that farce of mockery to God, and infult and tyranny to man, exhibited by a fet of gloomy wayward enthu fiafts and dark defigning hyprocrites, who were deputed by Cromwell to fit in judgment on the minifters of the church of England, and infolently affumed the title of TRYERS. One object of their examination, as fpecified in their commiffion, was this;-Whether fuch or fuch minifters had the work of grace in their hearts ?" The names which fhone most illuftriously in this fpiritual committee were those of Stephen Marshall, Philip Nye, Jofeph Caryl; and above all Hugh Peters! Their very names carrying ridicule with them; but at that time of day they were regarded with a reverence that bordered on adoration; and thofe mock difcerners of the Spirit were claffed in the very first rank of the excellent of the earth. II.-Preached in the Parish Church of Welfeby in Lincolnshire, October 3, 1779, by John Whitcombe, A. M. Rector of that Church, and Chaplain to Lord Milford. 4to. Is. Crowder. This is a plain, ferious, and well intended difcourfe on the advantages of the gospel difpenfation, and the obligations under which its profeffors are to exert their influence to promote its propagation. This fermon was preached in confequence of the letters lately addreffed by his Majefty to the Archbishop of Canterbury, and by his Grace to the Diocefan Bishops, &c. &c. for the purpofe of fupporting, by fresh contributions, the millions of the Proteftant clergy into foreign parts, for the propagation of the gospel. The object is of importance, and Mr. Whitcombe is no mean advocate for its fuccefs. III. Preached on the Anniversary of Queen Elizabeth's Releafe from the Tower, at St. Mildred s, London, where the ftopped to hear Divine Service in her Way to the Palace. By the Rev. J. Montgomery, Chaplain to the 10th Infantry. 8vo. 6d. Dilly. A lively, fpirited difcourfe, but a little too inflated. IV. Univerfal Toleration recommended.-Preached at St. John's Church in Hackney, February 13, 1780. By Benjamin Choyce Sowden, 8vo. I s. Cadell. This fermon truly answers its title; and enforces, with folid arguments, and in good language, the striking expoftulation of St. Paul, "Who art thou that judgeft another man's fervant? To his own mafter he flandeth or falleth." The author treats of the late repeal of the penal ftatutes again the Papifts. On this fubject he delivers his opinion with great candour and judgment, and from this part of his difcourfe we with pleasure prefent our readers with the following extracts. I am willing to hope, that few who now wish to protett against repealing thefe itarures are acquainted with the feverity of the penalties they inflict. Thele were, as an ingenious foreigner obferves, fo rigorous, though not profeffedly of the fanguinary kind, that they do all the injury that can be done in cold blood." In fhort, they were odious and deteftable; a difgrace to our ftatutes, and a reproach to our nation! 'It will perhaps be faid, that thofe ftatutes, from the moderation of the times, would never have been exerted; but if this be true, why fhould they not be repealed? It can hardly be fuppofed that any would be fo entirely inconfiftent in their conduct as to petition Government against the abrogation of laws which they intended fhould never be carried into execution. Befides, until these acts were annulled, it was in the power of any contemptible informer to oblige the magiftrate |
