may, perhaps, be thought, by many, to exhibit fomething like a contradiction in terms; but when it is remembered that the ordinary novel-reader looks for nothing but a train of love adventures, with elopements, duels, and all the various et cetera thereunto belonging, and not for any thing like rational investigation, or philofophical truth; the juftness of our obfervation will, fcarcely, we think, be queftioned. The fact, indeed, is, that the volumes before us have nothing in them to elevate and furprize.' They contain no relations of hair-breadth efcapes: they prefent to our wondering eyes no monsters, either of an amiable or an ugly kind. All, in fhort, is nature; while the ftory is fimply intended to fhew the fatal effects of a deviation from the paths of rectitude and virtue, although that deviation fhould be but for a moment ;-and thence deducing a train of moral reflections and obfervations which evince, as we have before infinuated, that the fair writer is imbued with a fpirit of philosophy and rationality, not always to be met with in her sex, even where the mind has not been destitute of culture.

Art. 25. Honoria Sommerville. 12mo. 4 Vols. 125. Robinsons. 1789. The lady who prefents us with this novel has fo repeatedly gone over the ground, which we, as her knights or fervants, are now again obliged to tread with her, that we begin to be weary of the attendance; and though we remember to have formerly stood forward in her fupport, we cannot any longer think of engaging in her cause when challenged on fubje&ts to which we have fully and completely answered. In other words, the production now before us is nothing but a tiffue of adventures which the writer has before prefented to the public in a variety of fhapes, although the materials and colouring are nearly the fame in all. For inftance, and to bring our readers acquainted with the outline of the ftory-the heroine of the present performance, after experiencing very many changes of fortune, is, in the conclufion, happily fettled in life. She was found, by accident, on a common, when only three months old, by Mr. and Mrs. Fortefcue. Her parents were, for many years, anknown to her, and her principal anxiety, like that of Prince Prettyman, feems to have arifen from the confideration that he might be thought to be nobody's child at all. She is at length, however, difcovered to be the daughter of fomebody (Lady Clarendon), and confequently fomebody herfelf: a matter of no mall importance in the prefent temper and difpofition of the world; for it is not now as in former times, when virtue and merit, as well, as riches could entitle a perfon to DISTINCTION.-It can only be acquired by money or birth." Pay your court to Pecunia (faid Menander); obtain her favours, and the very gods themselves will be at your service." And

"Room for my Lord! Virtue, ftand by and bow!"

faid a late ingenious writer. Men of talents, however, are generally faucy fellows, and will bend neither to Pecunia, nor to my Lord,

"Un homme d'efprit, et qui eft né fier, ne perd rien de fa fierté et de fa roideur pour se trouver pauvre ; fi quelque chofe, au contraire, doit amellir jon humeur: le rendre plus doux, et plus fociable, c'eft un peu de profperité." La Bruyere.

unlefs

unlefs indeed it should so happen that goodness and affability are found in their train.

Art. 36. The Cottage of Friendship. A legendary Paftoral. By Sylviana Paftorella. 12mo. pp. 254. 2s. 6d. fewed. Bew. 1788. It is wonderful to obferve the progrefs of genius. In the days of our Richardfons and Fieldings, fuch was the poverty of invention, that it was thought neceffary to spin out a fingle ftory through fix or eight volumes, in which the reader was fo far from being furprifed with new characters in almost every page, that he was obliged to converfe with the fame people, volume after volume, till he was, perhaps, as much tired of their company as if he had been one of the family. But in these more inventive days, our novellists find nothing more eafy, than to weave three or four different stories into one small volume, and connect them by fhutting up the parties together, no matter how, in a little fnug cottage, till they have told their tender tales. All this hath Sylviana Paftorella done!

POETRY.

Art. 37. Abelard to Eloifa, Leonora to Taffo, Ovid to Julia, Spring, and other Poems. Infcribed, by Permiffion, to her Grace the Duchefs of Devonshire. 4to. pp. 71. 35. Debrett, &c.

Publications of great merit, whether in poetry or profe, that force themselves through feveral editions, are foon brought to us by our diligent collector; we are therefore furprifed, that the first copy of thefe poems which he has been able to procure for us should bear the mark of the fourth edition, especially as, in perufing them, they do not appear to have merit equal to fuch a fale.

The Abelard to Eloifa, might perhaps have been printed feparately, and noticed in our Review, as in vol. Ixvii. p. 238. there is a poem mentioned, with this title; and our account of which fuits the prefent performance. It courts a comparison much to its difadvantage. Can any lover of elegant poetry admit, on the fame shelf with Pope's Eleifa to Abelard, a poem which has the following couplet?

Then I recall that fatal scene of night

But what you know too well, why fhould I write?'

If the first of these poems will not contribute to rank the author with Pope, neither will the fecond and third place him on a par with Ovid.

In the following poem, entitled, The Relapfe, we read of

the fun-burnt winds,

In the Rejected Shepherd, we are told,

Kings you will find, if you in verfe will look
Lefs happy than the mafter of a crook.'

And this irrefiftible offer is made to the cruel fair one,
O would you live in rural scenes with me,

To please you I would climb the loftiest tree.'

The poem entitled Spring, tranflated from the French of M. St. Lambert, is by much the longest in this collection; but we cannot,

• For our account of the beautiful original of this poem, fee Rev. vol. xli. p. 488.

with respect to the tranflation, mention it as the best. We have obferved in it the fame negligences, and want of poetic energy and elegance.

The following lines will give our readers fome idea of the tranflator's poetical painting:

Leaving the crimson eaft, that ftar's fair light
A vapour thin invested from the fight,

Which rofe aloft, poffefs'd the hemifphere,
And darkness threaten'd, though no ftorm was near.
The willow's verdure fpread a shade ferene,
The pliant reed to tremble was not seen.
None yet had heard the howl predictive blow,
The sheep defir'd not meadows to forego,
The voice-offended bird's melodious note,
From bushes in the air was ftill afloat.'

On the tranflation from Tibullus, we have to remark, that
But dragg'd to camps, e'en now perhaps the foe
Aims the pois'd jav'lin with the fatal blow:'

is not a just translation of

Nunc ad bella trahor, et jam quis forfitan hoftis
Hæfura in noftro tela gerit latere.

• See him mark with wine his bold' career,'

does not fufficiently exprefs the beautiful idea of Tibullus: In menfa pingere caftra mero.

you hear the charmer (wear

By the refentment of a blundering bear,'

is not a tranflation of Tibullus; his words are,

Flet teneras fub fufa genus.

Art. 38. A Congratulatory Epiftle to his Grace the Duke of Portland, on his Majesty's Recovery. 4to. 1s. pp. 18. Scatcherd and Co. 1789.

A warm and fpirited expoftulation with his Grace of Portland, on his political connections with a party, whofe principles and conduct the poet deems highly reprehenfible, regarding, efpecially, fome of its moft diftinguished leaders,-whofe characters he execrates in the ftrongest terms,-one or two excepted, to whofe fine parts and great abilities due honour is paid.

*

When the fatirift adverts to the grand circumftance of the King's late illness, he is molt fevere on the Duke, on account of the support and countenance which he is fupposed to have given to the councils of Cn H, in the late regency bufinefs. The poet's feverity, however, with regard to his noble correfpondent, is tempered with mercy, from a due refpect to his private character; in deference to which, he seems more than half inclined rather to accufe his Grace's head' than his heart.'

Yes, PORTLAND! I will own, howe'er my mind

To give thy virtues credit is inclin'd;

Meffrs. Fox and Sheridan, particularly.

Yet

Yet while fuch conduct my attention draws,
Candour herself gives up the dubious caufe;
While Faction's hand thy name recorded fhews
'Mid the black fquadron of thy country's foes.'

There is good sense, and energy of thought, in this poem, as well as [with a few exceptions] harmony of numbers; but we cannot allow fuch rhymes as guest and luft;-there are not, however, many fuch glaring defects of this kind in the performance.

Art. 39. Ode to his Majefty, on his happy Recovery. 4to. pp. 20. 15. Wilkie.

This poet has, loyally and laudably, tuned his lyre to a very interefting and popular occafion; and has succeeded - as well as moft of his brother bards, who have exercifed their abilities on the fame difficult and delicate occafion.-See our late Reviews.-This Ode is written by Mr. Puddicombe.

Art. 40. Sonnets and Odes. By Henry Francis Cary. 4to. pp. 50. 1s. 6d. Robfon and Co. 1788.

Sonnets are a fpecies of poetry, to which, in the English drefs, we confess ourselves not extremely partial. Even Milton, who wrote them in imitation of Petrarch, did not fucceed fo happily but that they were inferior to his other writings. Thefe now before us, being the production of a youthful bard, who, in the 27th fonnet, tells us, that fcarce his fixteenth fummer dawns,' muft be treated with fome tenderness; for the author appears to have genius, and to be in love with the Mufe; but that he may not be spoiled, we will just wave the red of correction over him.

The first fonnet begins thus:

How fweet to roam abroad, when twilight grey
O'er the dank fields her dufky mantle throws,
When close the woodbine and the briar rofe,
At the departure of the finking day!'

Something is evidently wanting to make the sense of this paffage complete, and there is likewife fome obfcurity in the 20th fonner; we must therefore inculcate, in all young poets, a ftrict attention to perfpicuity. We likewife difapprove extremely of dreffing a youthful Mufe in the apparel of her forefathers, and confequently with modern poets to avoid obfolete words and hackneyed fimiles, epithets, and expreffions. We are fatigued with groves among, freams among, woods among, what time, gray flies, gad-flies and their fultry horns, twilight grey o'er the dank mead throwing her dufky mantle, and in fhort all the paraphernalia of the ancient Mufe; whom we recollect, on these occafions, only by her old clothes

** See this young author's former publication, Rev. vol. xxviii. p. 81.

Art 41. Conjugal Infidelity, a Poem. Infcribed to married Perfons of both Sexes. By a Votary of Hymen. 8vo. Is. Abraham. 1785.

We are always forry when we fee morality making fruitless attempts to engage the mufes in her fervice. When both happily unite in their efforts, the cause of virtue is always benefited by their junc REV. July, 1789.

G

tion;

tion; but when they act with separate views, the contrary effect is too frequently produced.

Where a writer refolves to make verse, without the aid and embellishments of POETRY, little good is to be expected. Wanting the art to charm the ear, the heart remains untouched; and ridicule is too often excited, where reformation was intended.

Thus, in the prefent inftance, the fober and refpectable talents of this author, which might, perhaps, have produced an edifying fermon, or a valuable effay on fome moral subject, are unfortunately employed in the fabrication of what he ftyles a Poem; in which he has been unaffifted by the powers of imagination, and the inspirations of fancy-When fuch is the cafe, vain must be every attempt to captivate the public attention, and fruitlefs every effort to attain the good end at which the writer may have very laudably aimed.

In this faire, we meet with none but praife-worthy fentiments; but they are prefented to us with no advantages of drefs and decora tion. They are clothed in measured lines, and detailed in tolerable rhimes; but this is not POETRY: and poetry is always expected, when the title-page invites us to perufe a poem.'

The defign of the author is, however, commendable. Conjugal Infidelity feems to be "the fin that moft eafily befets" the age; [we aliude, chiefly, as the author does, to people in the higher ranks] and what inftance of human depravity can be more juftly reprehenfible?

To expofe to our abhorrence this fashionable species of vice, the author recites a number of inftances *, firft, of men unfaithful to good wives, and, fecondly, of wives who have fhamefully forfaken, even the beft of hufbands, and attached themselves to their profligate feducers: -in all of which, Divine Juftice has at laft overtaken the guilty, who have undergone the dreadful punishments naturally attendant on their crimes; and who are here very properly held up as beacons, to warn the unwary, and preferve thofe who are in danger of shipwreck on the fame rocks.

The plan of this work is certainly unexceptionable; and had the author poffeffed the powers of a Pope or a Young, or even of a Parnel or a Shenftone, we might have hoped that his labours would not have been wholly unfuccefsful; but the taste of the age, whatever may be the ftate of its virtue, is, furely, too much refined to tolerate fuch lines as

AMANDA long liv'd in a happy state,

Her nuptials feem'd tied by a fav'ring fate.'

It is true, that there are not many lines to be found in this piece, fo very faulty as the fecond in the above couplet; but neither are there many that can be deemed of fufficient excellence to counterbalance the defects which we have obferved, in various parts of the performance. In brief, we are truly concerned to difmifs a publication fo well intended, with fo little commendation.

We know not whether real or imagined.

Art.