Yeoman of the Queen's Guard: Woodstock Palace, 1555: Map of London in 1558: Woodcroft Houfe, 1566: Burleigh Houfe, ib. : Shotover, ib: Cecil Houfe, ib.: Giddy Hall, 1568: Moultham Hall, ib.: Richmond Palace, 1569: Vertue's Hunfdon Houle 1571: Modern Hunfdon Houfe, ib.: Croydon Gateway, 1573: Dartford Priory, ib: North View of Croydon, 1574: Kenelworth Caffle, 1575: Kenelworth modern Church, ib. The fecond volume is introduced by an account of the expences of the Queen's vifit, in the year 1577, to Sir Nicholas Bacon, at Gorham-bury, in Hertfordshire, where the continued from Saturday 18th May until Wednesday after dinner following. Sir Nicholas found the charge of these three or four days fufficiently heavy: it amounted to 577. 6s. and d. befide 15 bucks and 2 ftags. A very fhort defcription is given of this venerable manfion, which was purchafed by Sir Harbottle Grimftone of the heir of Sir Thomas Meautys, fecretary to Francis Lord Verulam. The editor, in his Preface, laments the deftruction of this memorable edifice; for his tafte in the prefervation of which, fome few years ago, Mr. Walpole had complimented the late poffeffor. Among the Achates (or dainties) of the feathered kinds, enumerated in this entertainment, we obferve, Herons, Bitterns, God wittes, Dotterds, Shovelers, Curlews, and Knots. Here, we may add, that in the relation of her Majefty's vifit to Cowdrey, Suffex, where the spent fome days, we find it faid" the proportion of breakefaft was three oxen, and one hundred and fortie geefe." This volume, like the other, contains, befide a relation of vifits, progreffes, &c. a variety of conceits, devices, poems, foogs, fpeeches, orations, eulogiums, dialogues, conferences, maiques, &c. which accompanied the excurfions, or were exhibited on other occafions: among thefe, fome are of a graver, fome of a loofer kind; fome odd or humourous, fome learned, witty, or inftructive; all marking a period in which men were emerging from the barbarity and ignorance wherein they had long been held, both by the church and the ftate. They had not, at that time, paffed far beyond the dawnings of real knowlege and fcience: what they attained was ftill disfigured and interrupted by the jargon, the quidlibets and abfurdities of the fchools, which, under a parade of learning and inftruction, really promoted ignorance, and have been too fuccefsfully employed for fuch baneful purposes. The principles of liberty alfo, and of religious reformation, which began to take place, were as yet but imperfectly understood, and their benefits but incompletely enjoyed. The Queen herself had a degree of her father's domineering fpirit, and, though a true friend to the reformation, retained a love to fome kind of Popifh pomp and ceremony, to K 3 gether gether with high notions of the facred rights of royalty: thofe were most likely to obtain her favour who cherished, or appeared to cherish, fuch opinions; and with fuch perfons her court was furrounded, and fimilar fentiments very much pervaded the minds of the people. A fuperftitious awe of majefty produced unmanly adulation and fervile attentions. The ill effects of fuch principles were displayed in a fucceeding reign, when the whole kingdom was thrown into confufion; in confequence, on the one hand, of that defpotic power which the prince had been made to believe he poffeffed, and on the other, of the worthier notions concerning their juft rights, which the people had, by that time, more generally imbibed, Miferable was the ftate of those days; yet, at prefent, we perceive and enjoy the fruits of that and other revolutions, under a government, which, we hope, we know how to value, and for which, we truft, we are duly grateful. Her Majesty's wardrobe, together with a detail of Gifts prefented to her, or by her to others, and fometimes figned by the Queen's own hand, of which we have engraved autographs, form several pages of this volume. Characters of Elizabeth are added, drawn by Sir Francis Bacon, Edmund Bohun, Efq. and N. Breton in the latter, we obferve the following words-"All under God and her fcepter cannot chufe but remember her: and therefore though the Pope held her an heretique, and like a devill did curfe her, and the devills of the world fought many wayes to annoy her, yet while the Popes were accurfed, and the devill was dampned, the fafely lived, graciouflie reigned, and peaceably died." The plates in this volume are, Standen Houfe; Long Melford; Audley End; Royal Arms; The Queen's Fans; Theobalds; Lord Burghley's Monument; Ditto, Hofpital at Stamford; Whitgift's Hofpital at Croydon; Holland Houfe; Saltcellars and Knife; with feveral others. Here we must conclude, referring the reader to the work itself for farther information and amufement; abundance of which is there prefented to his at tention. ART. X. Poems, by Charles James, Efq. 8vo. 2 Vols.-about pp. 130 in each. 6s. fewed. Cadell. 1789. T is a very old, and, with many people, a very favourite the battle. Mr. James is decidedly of this opinion; and meaning to have a fet to with the critics, he has aimed a defperate ftroke at his adverfaries; and, doubtlefs, expects that it will tell. In other words, to drop the language of the schools*, *The boxing fchools, we mean. the author author charges the prefent race of critics with wanting either judgment or candour, or both. He tells us, that it is the peculiar habit of the day, to analyfe every little fault, and by holding it partially up, to murder piece-meal,' what collectively might be faved.' We fhall not attempt any vindication of critics or criticism, but fhall leave our author, after reading the prefent article, to fit as judge in his own caufe, and to determine whether his cenfure will apply to us. Before we examine the poems contained in the volumes before us, we shall offer a few remarks on the doctrines laid down in the preface. Mr. J. is defirous of exculpating himself from a charge, which, he fuppofes, may be brought against him, of imitating the writings of his predeceffors. Should fuch fimilitude be found, it came, he tells us, unlooked for. But left this apology fhould be infufficient, he proceeds to fhew, that what may be thought a want of originality in him, arifes from Nature being already exhaufted. Let us however give his own words: The three fifter arts have already reached the utmost limits of inventive genius. Nothing now remains for a modern but a happier method of expreffing, or a more lively way of colouring what has been flightly touched before. Thus, for inftance, we fee Virgil not only adopting the paftoral ideas of Theocritus, but, in fome places, affording a literal verfion. The fame neceflity which obliged Virgil to imitate the Grecian, made Pope and Addison the faithful copiers of both. Pope foon felt, from his intimacy with the ancients, the neceffity of following their footsteps. The non antea trita via, he well knew, could no more be found. To fupply therefore the want of originality, he very cautiously felected from others whatever images could fuit his purpose, &c.' From this famenets of animal nature, he adds, or rather from its exhaufted ftate, the only praife we can look for, must be found in fortunate adaptation and felicity of terms: nor can it be expected, that, ranfacked as every part has been, a writer whofe aim is more to intereft than furprife, fhould be fo pecularly happy, as never to paint what others have conceived before him.' To confirm thefe fentiments, the following note is extracted from Mr. Pye's Ariftotle: "The poet being an imitator equally with the portrait painter, or any other artist who forms likeneffes, it is evident he must chufe out of these modes of imitation: be muft either draw things as they were, or are, or as they ought to be; and he muft form thefe imitations either by plain language, or by foreign words and metaphors." Thus, then, according to Mr. James, we must be contented if future poets retail that which their predeceffors have already given in the lump: a fentence as unpleasant to us, as it would be to a glutton by profeffion, to learn that nature could no K 4 longer longer furnish him with fresh fupplies of venifon, but that he muft dine on fcraps collected from former meals, and made into a hafh. Fortunately, however, the cafes are, both, unlikely to happen. Though we might object to any statement which makes the poet an imitator of Nature equally with the painter; yet, for the prefent, we will fuppofe it to be fo. Let us then ask, Is Nature fo exhaufted, that the painter cannot produce an original picture? Is the fo copied, that every future tranfcript from her muft appear to be a copy from fome preceding artift? Will any one aflent to this? If not, why then deny that originality to poetry which is allowed to painting; the objects of whofe reprefentation, when compared to thofe employed by poetry, are confined within narrow limits? But obferve,' we are told, what advantages the ancients poffeffed over us moderns: they had opportunities for originality, of which, by employing them, they have deprived us.' True, they had. But who are these ancients? for, unless we go up to the very head, it will appear that they had juft the fame caufe of complaint against thofe who went before them. But waving this, if our predeceffors had any means of arriving at originality, of which we are deprived, we, in our turn, havec materials which they could not poffefs; and thefe materials, too, furnished by themfelves: fince, by making familiar to us thofe ideas which to them were original, they have increased our flock of knowlege; and, confequently, enabled us to bring that to light, which has not yet been obferved +. Let the poet then view Nature with his own eyes, and think for himfelf: he will find no reafon to complain of her being already exhaufted by the labours of his predeceffors; nor need he fear that, by increafing the drain, he will take all chances of original thought from those who are to follow him. In proportion to the extent of his acquaintance with what is already known, will be his probability of adding to the general ftock; while he will be enabled to diftinguish between what is really his own, and what is borrowed. But we must quit this fubject, on which indeed we should not have dwelled fo long, but that the arguments which we have been combating, ftrike at the very root of improvement; and tend to make us fit down the fpiritlefs copyifts of thofe whom we should be ambitious to equal, and even ftrive to excel. *Of all the fine arts," Lord Kaims obferves, "painting only, and fculpture, are in their nature imitative." + Our readers may find the arguments, contained in this and the preceding paragraph, much augmented and ftrongly enforced is Dr. Young's Conjectures on original Compofition. The The poems in the prefent collection were compofed during the interval of fixteen and twenty-feven:' of courfe, they are unequal in their merits. We may learn, however, from some pieces written before the author had quitted fchool, that he had formed an early acquaintance with many of our beft poets. These have every merit which can reafonably be expected in fuch juvenile efforts, and muft afford pleafure to thofe who wish to trace the progrefs of a youthful bard: at firft, while employed in the ftudy of Virgil's Eclogues, filled with paftoral images; till, with Prior or Hammond, lighting on fome Cloe or Delia, he fickens at being offered the use of a fan,' and is thrown into poetical extafies by a bow from a carriage.' At last, and it is too often the fate of poets, neglected by his Delia, and angry with the blockheads of the world, who do not prize his genius as they ought, he finds wisdom the fureft entrance into woes; and, lamenting his own knowlege, expatiates on the bleffings of ignorance!' The poems with which the author feems to have taken most pains, and which principally demand our attention, are the Vanity of Fame,' an Epiftle from Petrarch to Laura,' and the Year 1800, or, It will be fo:' though, whence the latter obtains its name, we know not, as it defcribes what, the author tells us, at prefent exists. 6 Mr. James has taken Pope for his model; and perhaps a better could fcarcely be found; but he has followed him too closely. Inftead of thinking for himself, he has too often fuffered Mr. Pope to think for him. No one can read the Vanity of Fame,' without being perpetually reminded of Pope's Moral Effays; and Petrarch to Laura,' is Eloifa to Abelard. In the Year 1800,' we have parts of the Effay on Criticifm: though not fo plainly marked. Out of many, we fhall felect a few inftances of refembling paffages; after obferving, that we do not think the militude, between trifling parts fo blameable, as that which we can trace running through whole poems. At p. 27. vol. i. we read, A child in innocence, in fenfe a man.' Pope fpeaking of Gay, calls him A: p. 68. "In wit a man, fimplicity a child." -whofe great and only figh, Is juft to breathe, be fparing, and to die.' "-fince life can little more fupply, Than just to look about us, and to die." At p. 76. The frugal crone Fope writes, Pope. Grieves at the candle's half-extinguifh'd beam, At |