This Heroic Poem, as it is called, is happily conceived in the truly elevated ftyle, though not the measure, of the loyal old ballad, which thus fublimely begins:

86

Britons rejoice! Prince Frederic is come,

"The glory of Old England, King George's eldest fon!" Our amiable Queen's intended excurfion to Portsmouth is the fubject of this little Heroic Piece.'

Argument to HEBE. Art. 28. The Myftic Miracle; or, Living Grave: a Poem. Infcribed to the Rev. Mr. Lindsey. 8vo. 1 s. French. Myftic nonfenfe, about Mr. Lindfey, and the wickedness of churchinnovations, and the ftory of Jonah and the whale.

Art. 29. Aglaura, a Tale, taken from the French of Marmontel's Moral Tales. By Mr. Trapaud, Author of the Oeconomy of I s. Brotherton. 1774

Happiness. 4to.

This affecting Tale is miferably spoiled by a fpiritlefs transfufion

into blank verfe.

Art. 30. Modeft Exceptions from the Court of Parnaffus, to Mrs. Macaulay's Modeft Plea. By the Author of the Dear Difeded†, a Poem. 4to. IS Bew. 1774.

No character can be given, where no meaning is expreffed. It is all-nothing,-except a few faint efforts at dirt-flinging.

Art. 31. Mirth, a Poem, in Answer to Warton's Pleafures of Melancholy. By a Gentleman of Cambridge. 4to. 1 s. 6d. Johnfon. 1774.

There is confiderable merit in the title-page of this poem, which is neatly engraved, with elegant emblematical figures in the trophy, festoon, and vignette forms. But is this then nothing more thana pompous fign,

T'invite dull fots to wretched wine?

We fhall not pass fo fevere a fentence upon the Gentleman's poem; but this we must fay, that the aptos numeros atque modos dicendi, he has unfortunately neglected. Fantefic mirth requires a meafure very dif ferent from the folemn and formal march of blank heroics, which, however, is well enough adapted to the Pleasures of Melancholy. It is not very material to inquire into the merits of a mifapplied verfification. Art. 32. Plays and Poems. By William Whitehead, Efq; PoetLaureat, and Regifler and Secretary to the moft Hon. Order of the Bath. 8vo. 2 Vol. 9 s. bound. Dodsley. 1774.

The well-established reputation of Mr. Whitehead as a poet, which, in fpite of the moft illiberal attacks, and the equally illiberal neceffity of writing annually on the fame fubjects, has ftill fupported it felf in the opinion of the Public, renders any difquifitions on that fubject unneceffary here. Moft of thofe poems which the Public has been in poffeffion of, with a few felect birth-day odes, and fome new pieces, are to be found in thefe volumes. Among the latter, if we mistake not, are several very agreeable fpecimens of that easy elegance and fenfibility which diftinguith Mr. Whitehead's mufe. N. B. The first edition of Mr. W.'s poems was published in 1754, in one vol. 8vo.

ASTRONOMY.

Art. 33. Aftronomic Doubts: or, an Enquiry into the Nature of that Supply of Light and Heat which the Juperior Planets may be fuppofed to enjoy. By Philip Parfons, B. A. Rector of Eaftwell in Kent. 8vo. Is. Printed at Canterbury, and fold by Johnson in London. 1774.

It is no uncommon thing to meet with feeptics in religion, who have very little religious knowledge: but we can hardly allow a man to be a feeptic in aftronomy, who is not acquainted with the firft principles of the fcience. if any one doubt (and publish his doubts to the world), whether the light and heat which the remoter planets receive from the fun be fufficient to the purposes of vegetation and animal life, and the accommodation of their inhabitants, we fhould naturally expect, that he would be able to ftate the true diftances according to the latest observations, or at least give us the true proportional diftances, and that he would know how to estimate the quantity of light and heat they feverally enjoyed. The latter of thefe computations is effentially connected with the former. But we are at a lofs to conjecture, by what method of calculation Mr. P. has found that the fun would appear to Mercury only three times as large as to us, and to Saturn only feven times lefs. A fchool book of aftronomy would have given him very different proportions, and proportions much more to his purpose, than those which he has affigned. However this Author is very ready to give up to the "fcrupulous mathematician," a million or two miles in eftimating the vaft diftances of the planets; and, "like good-natured Sterne, with his mule, he never will argue a point with one of that family as long as he lives;" but when he proceeds to fetch his fupply of light and heat from the fixed fears, a few millions of miles which bear a much lefs proportion to the whole distance, is a matter of very great confequence. We fhould be forry if Mr. P. fhould be provoked to trace out any kind of relation between an inoffenfive Reviewer, and the grave and fimple family to which he alludes in the above paragraph: and we fhall therefore refer him to the following extract from a popular book on this fubject, which, we imagine, he has not yet seen. It contains a fufficient folution of his difficulties.

"The quantity of light, (fays Mr. Ferguson) afforded by the Sun to Jupiter, being but th part, and to Saturn onlyth part of what we enjoy, may at first thought induce us to believe that these two planets are entirely unfit for rational beings to dwell upon. But, that their light is not fo weak as we imagine, is evident from their brightness in the night-time; and alfo, that when the Sun is fo much eclipfed to us as to have only the 40th part of his difc left uncovered by the moon, the decrease of light is not very fenfible: and juft at the end of darkness in total eclipfes, when his western limb begins to be vifible and feems no bigger than a bit of fine filver wire, every one is furprised at the brightnefs wherewith that fmall part of him fhines. The moon when full affords travellers light enough to keep them from miftaking their way; and yet, according to Dr. Smith,it is equal to no more than a 90 thousandth part of the Optics, Art. 95.

Y 4

light

light of the Sun: that is, the Sun's light is 90 thousand times as ftrong as the light of the Moon when full. Confequently, the Sun gives a thousand times as much light to Saturn as the full Moon does to us; and above three thousand times as much to Jupiter. So that thefe two planets, even without any Moons, would be much more enlightened than we at firft imagine; and by having fo many, they may be very comfortable places of refidence. Their heat, fo far as it depends on the force of the Sun's rays, is certainly much less thanours to which no doubt the bodies of their inhabitants are as well. adapted as ours are to the feasons we enjoy. And if we confider, that Jupiter never has any winter, even at his poles, which probably is alfo the cafe with Saturn, the cold cannot be fo intense on these two planets as is generally imagined. Befides, there may be fomething in their nature or foil much warmer than in that of our earth: and we find, that all our heat depends not on the rays of the Sun; for if it did, we fhould always have the fame months equally hot or cold at their annual returns. But it is far otherwife, for February is fometimes warmer than May; which must be owing to vapours and exhalations from the earth." See Ferguson's Aftronomy, p. 23, 24. POLITICAL.

Art. 34. An Addrefs to the Freeholders of the County of Cumberland, and Freemen of the City of Carlisle. Shewing how the House of Commons confift, and an Abstract of the Qualifications (by Law) of the Electors for Counties, Citics, and Boroughs, and also of the Elected, according to the Places they reprefent, and the Proceedings (and Law againft Bribery) at Elections; and who are, and are not, proper Perfons to reprefent them in Parliament. By a Freeholder of the County. 4to. I s. 6d. Allen. 1774. No fooner does the opportunity approach for British electors to adopt the example of Efau, who yielded his birthright to the temptation of a mefs of pottage, than the national commotion begins. We are stunned with the din of patriots, who lose their time and labour in difplaying what we ought to do; with the hackneyed profeffions of candidates, who tell us what they will do; and with the beaftly uproar of drunken electors, who fuffer themselves to be kept in a continual ftate of intoxication, that they may be incapable of knowing what they do. Such is the exercise of our feptennial return of liberty; which, according to Voltaire, we do not deferve to enjoy!

Can it be expected in fuch degenerate times, that dry inftructions, like thofe in this pamphlet, which call for eighteen-pence out of our pockets, will prevail against bank notes, beer notes, and the benign influence of the royal countenance fhining full in our faces, from bright guineas poured into our pockets? One hint of advice, fuited to the prefent ftate of affairs, may however be of service to freemen of boroughs; which is, never to be without gold weights and scales in their pockets at thefe feasons. Verbum japienti fat; we shall not affront their understandings by defcending to particulars; concluding only in the empirical file There are more reafons for this caution, than good people are aware of.

If we have wandered from the direct object before us, it was because there was little temptation to dwell upon it. It is mere compilation, and very crudely done; good matter has fuffered by paffing

through

through flovenly hands for flovenly indeed, that we are told the method of voting among the Romans, was either by centuries, or by bribes and left this fhould pass as a mere typographical error, it is added that the method by bribes, was gradually introduced by the tribunes of the people! With fimilar accuracy we are informed, among the qualifications of perfons to be members of the Houfe of Commons +, that they must be aliens born or minors!' Our Cumberland freeholder would do well to mind what freehold he may have, as it is not very probable he will ever raise a copyhold by his pen.

Art. 35. A Collection of Rules and Standing Orders of the House of Commons; relative to the applying for, and paffing Bills, for inclofing and draining of Lands, making Turnpike Roads, Naviga tions, and other Purposes. The Standing Orders which have been made this Seffion of Parliament, for previous Notice to be given at the Michaelmas Quarter Seffions of the Peace, and in the County News-Papers, by Perfons intending to apply for Private Bills, were the Occafion of this Collection being published; as these Orders are indifpenfably neceffary to be obferved by all Gentlemen who intend to inclofe their Estates, and by all Surveyors, Engineers, Agents; and Solicitors, who are likely to be employed in the Profecution of Bills for Turnpike Roads and Navigable Canals. 4to. Is. Hingeston. 1774.

As fuch a collection as this is very eafily made, when the last regulations, which revive the confideration of the former, are recent, it may be prefumed to be correct; though an order of the House for the publication, does not appear to authenticate it. The last long fentence of the title is very awkwardly framed, in the advertising ftyle of amplification, and is unfuitable to the dignity with which the orders of a legislative body ought to appear.

Art. 36. Vox Populi; or, Old England's Glory or Deftruction in 1774. Being a choice Collection of Hints, found in the Cabinet of a late worthy and noble Lord, to the Freeholders of Great Britain, in their Choice of Members to ferve in Parliament at the enfuing General Election. With Comments upon them. By an Old Member of the Lower House, but no Placeman, Pensioner, or Title. To which is added, by the fame Nobleman, an Hint to his Majesty. 8vo. Is. Parker, &c.

A great deal of good, patriotic advice is here, we are afraid, thrown away, on the freeholders, &c. of this kingdom.

If fuch publications are confidered as pearls, we need not say what thofe are before whom they are fo unprofitably caft.

Art. 37. The Freeholder's Political Catechifm; or, the Duty of Voters for Members of Parliament: Delivered in a plain, clear, and concife Method. By Henry St. John, L. V. Bolingbroke. 8vo. 6 d. Davies. 1774.

Reprinted from Bolingbroke's tracts. It contains not only the duty of voters, but gives a concife view of the political conftitution

* P. 6.

† P. 12.

of

of this country; of which our common people are, in general, very ignorant. This tract, therefore, ought to be largely circulated among our freeholders, &c. And with this view the Editor has given a N. B. at the bottom of the title page, specifying the confiderable allowances which are to be made to thofe who are difpofed to promote the circulation.

MEDICAL.

Art. 38. Infant Relief to the Afthmatic, e. From a MS. of the late Dr. Lucas. 12mo. 6d. Folingby, 1774

We

It is enough to fet a poor afthmatic, of an irritable fibre, a wheezing, merely to read that the noftrum here recommended to be fucked into his lungs, is a volatile acid falt, extracted from a combination of the ftrongest acids;' did not the learned Writer feasonably come to his relief, and give him time to take breath again, by affuring him that the overacting' power of this volatile, a therial, antifeptic, acid falt is properly dulcified according to the rules of art. fhould beg his pardon, indeed, for treating him as a nostrum-monger. His medicine, he declares, cannot be called a quack noftrum,—as he honeftly tells the world his procefs.' This process however is not here divulged, but we are told that it is one of the most tedious, difficult, and expenfive in chymistry,' and that indeed very few chymifts can go through it all.'

But paffing over this fmall overfight-the Reader may have the medicine itfelf, at certain places named in the last page, in bottles of 5 s. 3 d. half a guinea, and a guinea each. The Author prefers and recommends our purchafing the guinea bottle; for, faith he,Blefs his benevolent heart!-the choice is of no confequence to him the larger the bottle, the stronger the æther, and more efficacious its effects.'-Confiderate creature!

NOVELS and MEMOIR S. Art. 39. The Earl of Douglas, an English Story. Tranflated from the French of the Countefs D'Anois. 12me. 3 Vols. 7 s. 6d. fewed. Baldwin. 1774.

The talents of the celebrated Countess D'Anois, for this fpecies of compofition, are univerfally known. Her romances, though wild and improbable, like the reft of thofe marvellous details that were fashionable in her days (in which the fpirit of chivalry was not quite evaporated) abounded with that fort of invention which never fails to interest and captivate the reader. We had a former tranflation of this ftory, printed in 1741, under the title of, The Hiftory of Hippolitus, Earl of Douglas; but that was a wretched piece of work. The prefent tranflation is much more just to the fame of the ingenious and romantic Frenchwoman.

Art. 40. Memoirs of an unfortunate Lady of Quality. 12mo. 3 Vols. 7 s. 6d. Snagg. 1774:

A romance founded, chiefly, on the ftory of Lady Jane Douglas, fifter to the late Duke of Douglas. It is a poor performance, affording little of fentiment, and lefs of character; and yet the Author, (or pretended Editor) has the affurance to Ayle it an entertaining work, not unworthy a place on the fhelf with the productions of a Fielding, a Smollett, or a Goldsmith.' Thus a draggle-tail'd nymph,

from