Author was in his 17th year; but tho' thefe circumftances might apo logize to a friend for its imperfections, what bufinefs has a piece that needs fuch an apology in public? With merit, relative to the age or fituation of the Author, the public has no concern. If the lamplighter's laft Christmas-prefent to his mafters and miftreffes, had been written by a child of fix years old, it would have been extraordinary; but doggerel would not for that reafon have given the pleasure of poetry. The poems that Pope wrote when he was a boy would never have been published, if the age of the Author had been thought a neceffary apology for imperfection. H. Art. 31. The Court of Thefpis; being a Collection of the moft admired Prologues and Epilogues that have appeared for many Years; written by the most approved Wits of the Age. 12mo. I s. 6 d. fewed. Richardfon and Urquhart. 1769. A book containing nothing but prologues and epilogues, detached from the several dramas to which they refpectively belong, having no merit of originality to recommend it, muft depend entirely, for acceptance from the public, on the taste of the collector, and the completeness of the felection. This compilement we apprehend is very deficient in both thefe refpects. With regard to choice, indeed, it is a matter which depends on ideas of excellence, for which we have no ftandard; but what excufe will the Editor offer, for omitting the much-admired prologue spoken by Mr. Garrick at the opening of Drury-Lane Theatre in 1747? and what apology, for this omiflion, can he make, in particular, to Mr. Garrick, to whom his collection is dedicated? DRAMATIC. Art. 32. Richard in Cyprus, a Tragedy. By T. Teres. 8vo. 1s. 6d. Blyth. The Author of this tragedy appears to be a man of good fenfe, but he fails in genius, judgment and tafte. Ն. Art. 33. The Favourite, an Hiftorical Tragedy. 8vo. 1 s. 6d. Bell. An impudent and defpicable attempt to introduce a ftupid play, founded on the intrigues of Sejanus, to public notice, by means of the public difcontent. Such wretches as the Editor of this dull, tho' ftolen, tragedy, deferve the fame punishment with the robbers at a fire. Art. 34. Amintas, an English Opera, as performed at Covent Garden. 8vo. I S. Lowndes. L. Founded on the ftory of Alexander's raifing the poor gardener to the throne of Sidon, in the room of Strato, the tyrant, whom he had depofed. Metaftafio was the first who thought of thus emafculating the Macedonian hero; and, fince him, feveral of our English poetaf ters of the drama, apeing the ingenious Italian as Alexander's courtiers mimicked his wry neck, have alfo prefumed to cut down this il luftrious character to an opera finger. Alexander the Great, Mr. Reinhold!"Was ever military glory fo vilely degraded as in fach inftances! Art. 35. The Brothers: a Comedy. As it is performed at the Theatre Royal in Covent-Garden. 8vo. 1 s. 6d. Griffin. * See Quintus Curtius, B. iv. Ch. 1. The The Author of this play plumes himself on its being an original+. He is much in the right; for there is nothing, that we know of, like it, among all the comic productions of the English theatre. It hath, however, had a good run; and, perhaps, not without reafon. We have not seen it performed, but, we are told, it does not act amifs though, moft certainly, to ufe another town phrase, it does not read at all. : Report gives this piece to the author of The Summer's Tale, a Comedy of three acts: fee Review, vol. xxxiii. Art 36. The Spanish Lady, a Mufical Entertainment, in Two Acts. Founded on the plan of the old Ballad. As performed at Covent-Garden. 8vo. 1s. Cooper. The well-known ballad of The Spanish Lady who woo'd an English man,' is here wrought up into a mufical drama, in which the fimplicity of the old fong is well preferved; at the fame time that the piece, though it fhews but few marks of genius in the compofition, is not ill adapted to the entertainment of a modern audience. NOVELS. Art. 37. The Reward of Virtue; or the Hiftory of Mifs Polly Graham. Intermixed with feveral curious and interesting incidents in the Lives of feveral Persons of both Sexes, remarkable for the fingular Adventures which befel them. To which is added, a brief Defcription of Bounty-Hall, and its Inhabitants. 12mo. 2 s. 6 d. Rofon. A jumble of improbable and ill-connected tales. Art. 38. Fatal Obedience; or the Hiftory of Mr. Freeland. 2 Vols. 6 s. Noble. N. 12mo. Novels in general are calculated for youthful readers, but fome are proper alfo for the perufal of parents; and among thofe of the laft clafs, may be mentioned the affecting hiftory of Mr. Freeland. Age has its vices as well as youth; but the danger of infifting on either, is the affording the other an opportunity of sheltering its follies under the cenfure paffed on the oppofite extreme if matrimonial bargains are fhewn to be productive of fatal confequences, the principle is used as a fanction for yielding to hafty blind attachments, which are equal ly deftructive of conjugal felicity: if the folly of the latter is fhewn, it is used as an argument, aided by age and experience, for making money the only inducement, where affection and fuitable perfonal circumftances alone can enfure domeftick felicity. Thus much however is clear, that the parties themfelves are the perfons mostly interefted in matrimonial connexions, and though affections on either fide may be mifplaced, no marriage can be justifiable where both or either party are averfe to it. We must not enter into the particulars of this ftory; which nevertheless is not ill told, and will greatly intereft any Reader, whofe nature is not deftitute of tender feelings for the diftreffes of other people. From no man's jeft he draws felonious praife, 3 N. PROLOGUE. Art. 39. The French Lady. A Novel. Izmo. 2 Volumes. E s. Lowndes. An amusing flory, but rather abounding too much with chit-chat. . Art. 40. The Ladies Mifcellany. Containing, I. Entertaining Novels. II. Family Pictures: or, Dometic Life, exhibited and contrafted in various fituations. II. Flights of Fancy: or, Original Effays in Profe and Verfe. IV. Modern Characters difplayed: or, Dialogues of the Living. The whole calculated for the Amusement and Inftruction of the British Fair. I 2010. 2 Volumes. 6 s. Lowndes. An infipid medley. N. MISCELLANEOUS. Art. 41. The beauties of history; or Pictures of Virtue and Vice, drawn from real Life: defigned for the Inftruction and Entertainment of Youth. By L. M. Stretch. M. A. 12mo. 2 vols. es. Dilly. The nature of this compilation, may be readily apprehended at firft view from the title. Mr. Stretch has collected from antient and modern authors, the most remarkable inftances of virtue and vice claffed under the refpective heads alphabetically: each head or fubdivifion of the work is introduced with general reflections, of which the fucceeding inftances are given as illuftrations. The whole may be confidered as an inftructive and entertaining mifcellany. N. Art. 42. The Lovers: or, The Memoirs of Lady Sarah B and the Countess of P. Published by Mr. Treyfac de Vergy, Counfellor of the Parliament of Paris. 8vo. 5s. Rofon. 1769. We have perufed, with great indignation, a feries of forged letters, written in the names and characters of feveral perfons of diftinction, and founded on the ftory of Lady Sarah By's elopement with Lord William G--n. So vile an abufe of the prefs cannot be too highly refented; especially as the fhameless Scribbler who has thus dared to impofe on the public, has had the additional effrontery to fign his name, not only in print, but alfo with his dirty pen, in the title-pages of this fraudulent production :-a production which is no lefs, detestable for its licentious principles, than for its fcandalous impolture. After thus allowing scope to our (we truft) laudable refentment of the dishonest authorship of this foreign Scandal-monger, it is not unpleasant, by the way, to obferve how uniformly the Mefdames By and Py, and Mers Lord William G-n, Capt. F- and Sir Charles By, all write in exactly the fame flippant and affected ftyle; and fill more pleasant to hear them all expreffing thenfelves in broken English.-When De Vergy writes English as De Vergy the Frenchman, we eafily pafs over any flight imperfections of language; De Vergy is an adventurer from the continent, who has, for fome years, honoured this country with his refidence; and feems to have taken up the trade (in aid of his counfel'orfhip in the parliament of Paris) of fcribbling, in its moft difreputable branches. Such pests of fociety but too well juflify what was faid of our emporium, by one of our own fatirifts : H but when he perfonates a British nobleman, or a lady of the court of St. James's, the figure he makes is prepofterous, and would be a laughable object, were it not that his impudence and immorality deferve chaftifement rather than ridicule. Art. 43. Another Estimate of the Manners and Principles of the prefent Times. 8vo. 2 s. Kearfly. 179. This author fuppofes the character of the prefent time to be general hypocrify, but His arguments directly tend, Against the point he would defend.' He fays our people of quality almoft univerfally vaunt of their feductions and boaft of their fucceffes even though common fenfe confiders them as fcandalous, below contempt: he adds, that bad nobles who enjoy great eftates, are the greatest enemies to fociety, because, to other mifchiefs is added, a remarkable bad and vicious example. But furely he that boasts of his vices is not a hypocrite; the bad noble, who gives a bad example cannot be fuppofed to conceal his cha racter. The author's book is wholly declamatory, and does in no degree anfwer to its title; he fays, our great men are both rapacious and profufe, that their entertainments are given not for the pleasure of fociety, but for oftentation, and the pride of envious emulation; that they are guilty of gaming and debauchery, and have made matrimonial infidelity fo common, and treated it fo lightly, that it is ceafing to be infamous. He fays our diftributors of justice are venal; that instead of executing, they alter the laws; and that a caufe is not fuccefsful in proportion as it is equitable, but as it is well feed: our practitioners of the law foment differences, and deftroy liberty, property and unanimity. Our juftices of peace are blockheads. "The lives of our clergy, fays this author. give a lie to their leffons," though their precepts are not better than their example: there will be feen, fays he, as much folly, diforder, and irreligion in their families and focieties as any others: they are eminent neither for good example or precept." He proceeds with common-place raillery againft our army and navy, our phyficians, gentlemen, tradefimen and mechanics, all tending to contradict his first pofition, that our national characteristic is hypocrify, afferting that our immorality is grofs and evident. Animadverfion would be thrown away upon a work fo futile and inconfiftent; we fhall therefore difmifs it with one extract as a fpecimen, that the author cannot always fee his way through a fingle fentence, but, however short, lofes fight of the beginning before he gets to the end; "The prefent ftate of the foldiery, fays he, was always bad enough." H. Art. 44. A Review of the Conduct of Pafcal Paoli, addreffed to the Right Honourable William Beckford, &c. 8vo. 13. Bladon. Several bafe news-paper attacks having been made, by the fcribling wretches of a party, who flick at nothing, on the character of the truly refpe&table and noble Italian, fince his arrival in this country, fome honeft Grubean (there is honour even in Grubtreet) hath drawn his indignant quill in the vindication of injured worth and innocence. It is indeed, but a piece of authorifm, that hath been Rav. Dec. 1769. i pro produced on this uncommon occafion, but it is one of the most generous of the kind; and, therefore, we should be forry to hear that the poor pamphleteer is a lofer by his publication: yet there is too much reafon to fear that a defence of virtue, will not go off like a scandalous libel, a fecret hiftory, or a criminal converfation-piece. Art. 15. An Inquiry, whether the Study of the ancient Languages be a neceffary Branch of modern Education? wherein, by the Way, fome Obfervations are made on a late Performance, entitled, Effays on the Origin of Colleges, &c. 8vo. IS. Edinburgh printed, and fold by Knox in London. written by Mr Gillies. his nquiry clearly fhews the Author to be a perfon of good taste and found judgment.-He confiders what thofe circumstances are, with regard to the ancient writers, which ought to recommend them to the ftudy of the moderns in general; fhews that the prefent ftate of literature in this country renders the ftudy of the ancient claffics particularly useful; and makes it appear, from a deduction of facts, that the ftudy of the Greek and Latin authors has, in every country of Europe, been attended with good tafte, and produced excellent writers in all the different fpecies of compofition; and that, on the contrary, with the decay of ancient learning, juft taste and fine writing have likewife decayed. He enquires into the peculiar circumstances of Greece and Rome, which gave them fo remarkable an advantage in point of literary merit; and endeavours to prove, that it is impoffible for us to receive much advantage from ancient authors without understanding the Greek and Latin languages.-In an advertisement prefixed to his Inquiry, he makes fome very pertinent obfervations on the Effays on the Origin of Colleges, c. (fee our laft month's Catalogue) and thews clearly that there is no reason to fuppofe that any of the profeffors of the university of Glafgow was concerned in that publication. Art. 46. A View of the Origin, Nature, and Ufe of Jettons, or Counters: efpecially thofe commonly known by the Name of Black Money, and Abbey pieces with a Sketch of the Manner of reckoning with them, and its Affinity with that of the Roman Abacus, the Chinese Soan Pan, and the Ruffian Shtchota. With Copper-plates. By Thomas Snelling. Folio. 7 s. 6d. Snelling. 1769. Those who have a tafte for this kind of learning, will be no less pleafed with this proof of Mr. Snelling's abilities, than with the other compilations of this accurate and indefatigable Medallist. Art. 47. A Refutation of a falfe Afperfion thrown out upon Samuel Vaughan, Efq; in the Public Ledger of Aug. 23, 1769. 8vo. 6 d. Dilly. Relates to certain difputes and litigations which Mr. Vaughan formerly had, in Jamaica, with one Little John, the mafter of a fhip; alfo a Mr. Huffey; a Mr. Jones, an attorney; and William Chriftopher, a deputy marshal's man. Some mention of thefe affairs having appeared in the news-paper above-mentioned, with intent, as Mr. V. apprehended, to injure his reputation, [already too much brought into question, on account of his late famous overture to the Duke of Grafton] he has, in his own vindication, published this recital of the feveral matters and things alluded to:-but with which we shall no farther trouble our Readers. Altercations of fuch private, perfonal concern, have no title to any distinguished place in a literary journal; 2 although |