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Art. 15. Impartial Character of the late Dr. Goldsmith; with a Word to his Encomiats. A Poem. 4to. I s. Kearfly. 1774. It is curious to obferve how much the dead Bard has been praised by people who seem not to have known the living Man. This Writer has been enabled to come fomewhat nearer to the truth, by venturing to step a little out of the beaten high road of panegyric. The following lines are a proof that he (who is, however, as much the Doctor's encomiaft as the warmeft of the weepers and wailers that have attended his bier) was not unacquainted with the failings of the fingular mortal whom he profeffes impartially to characterize and

celebrate :

So fimple from Truth-So ingenuously kind,
So ready to feel for the wants of mankind:
If an author once held but a popular quill,
This flux of philanthropy quickly ftood ftill;
Transform'd from himfelf, he grew meanly fevere,
And rail d at thofe talents he ought not to fear.'

Goldsmith was undoubtedly a man of parts; but he was a peculiar character; and his literary painters have not, in any degree, been equally fortunate with Sir Joshua Reynolds in drawing his likeness. Art. 16. La Fête Champêtre. 4to. I s. Almon. 1774A fatire on the rural entertainment given in June last, by Lord Stanley, at the Oaks, in honour of his approaching marriage: View yonder motley scene,

Yon fête champêtre, odious glean
Of Folly's idle.clafs;

Their vices thofe of Rome outvie,

In airy dance they hither hie,

I'll paint them as they pafs.

Perhaps, in the hurry of invitation, the Poet was forgotten.
Art. 17. The Apoftate Ecclefiaftic, &c. 4to. I s. Bew. 1774-
This abufer of Parfon Horne appears to be a violent favourite
with that "brave Jersey Mufe," fo juftly celebrated in the Dunciad.
Here are rhimes equal to any of Pryn's:

Then the priest challeng'd (willing fure to fhew his
Hatred ftill more) the meek Sir Watkin Lewis.-

Refus'd; fo fill furvives th' Ecclefiaftic,

Shorn of his beams, and grieves this fruitless laft-trick.

Art. 18. Theatrical Portraits, epigrammatically delineated; wherein the Merit and Demerit of most of our Stage Heroes and Heroines are excellently painted, by fome of our best Masters. 4to. I s. Bew.

1774• Pert and dull.

Art. 19. Poems by a Youth. 4to. 2 s. Hoggins. 1774

A forward youth, this, we'll warrant him! but he should, at leaft, have learnt to rhyme, and fean by his fingers, before he prefumed to trouble the Public with his-what-d'ye-call-ems-verses he, no doubt, will style 'em.

Art. 20. The Coal-Heavers, a Mock-heroic Poem; in Two Cantos. Infcribed to the Inhabitants of Lynn-Regis in Norfolk. Folio. s. Newbery. 1774.

Founded on an infurrection which happened at Lynn, and embellished with a good fhare of poetry and pleafantry.

Art. 21. Freedom; a Poem. Infcribed to John Wilkes, Efq; By a Native of the West Indies. 4to. 6d. Plummer, in Fenchurch street. 1774.

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The Author pleads for the indulgence due to a very juvenile attempt.'

Very juvenile, indeed; and much indulgence requifite.

DRAMATIC.

Art. 22. Macbeth; a Tragedy: And Julius Cæfar; a Tragedy. Both by William Shakespeare; collated with the old and modern Editions. 8vo. 3 s. each. Owen. 1773.

This fedulous Collater goes on, with his fo's and qu's, and handfome froatifpieces :-fee Review for March, 1771; and May, 1773. NAVIGATION.

Art. 23. The British Mariner's Affiftant; containing Forty Tables adapted to the feveral Purpofes of Trigonometry and Navigation. To which is prefixed, An Effay on Logarithms and Navigation epitomized, &c. By Benjamin Donn, Master of the Academy at Kingfton, near Taunton, &c. 8vo. 6s. Law. 1774.

Navigation is now become a very important and lucrative branch of school education; which will, in fome meafure, account for the variety of publications on this fubject that are frequently iffuing from the prefs. Every teacher finds it most convenient to adopt a method of his own; and we have therefore almoit as many different books (if different they may be called) as we have public inftructors. Mr. D. however, ftands high in his profeffion; nor do we mean to convey any reflection on the prefent performance by this general remark. His Effay on Logarithms contains a clear account of their nature, construction, and ufe; his Compendium of Navigation is reduced within a very narrow compafs, on account of a defign he had formed of adding a feparate volume on that fubject. His tables are more numerous than any which have yet been published in a fingle volume; and no direction is omitted that may ferve to render them generally useful.

MATHEMATICAL and PHILOSOPHICA L. Art. 24. A Synopfis of all the Data for the Conftruction of Triangles from which geometrical Solutions have hitherto been in print. With References to the Authors where thofe Solutions are to be found. By John Lawfon, B. D. Rector of Swanscombe in Kent. 4to. 1s. Printed at Rochester, and fold in London by Nourfe, &c. 1773. An ufeful companion to thofe who wish to know what has been already done towards the construction and folution of triangles, and where the feveral conftructions and folutions are to be found. This is a work, however, which he can best execute who has leifure and opportunity for confulting the greatest number of mathematical books. After all, a fummary of this kind requires fo many fymbols and contractions, that few will be fond of the labour of decyphering them.

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Art. 25. A Propofal for determining the Longitude at Sea by Obfervation, independent of any Time-keeper, or, of the Truth of the Magnetic Compafs; wherein is demonstrated, that the true Diftance of the Meridian at Sea from the Beginning of Aries, and also the true diftance of the firft Meridian from the Beginning of Aries, can be afcertained when at Sea with eafe and certainty. By Ifaac Boyer. 8vo. 6d. Sold at No, 12. Cow Crofs, Weft Smithfield.

Mr. B.'s propofal is fufficiently declared in his title page; and we fhall only obferve, that the longitude would long ago have been difcovered with the utmost accuracy, were it as eafy to execute as it is to project. The propofal before us feems to be a vifionary fcheme, which can anfwer no good end to the Public, nor, we apprehend, to the Author himself.

AMERICAN AFFAIRS. Art. 26. A Speech intended to have been spoken on the Bill for altering the Charters of the Colony of Majachusetts Bay. 8vo. I S. Cadell. 1774

This unfpoken fpeech, which is attributed to a right reverend Member of a High Affembly, does equal honour to the understanding. and to the heart that dictated it. Why it was not delivered on the occafion for which it was calculated, is not declared; but that it was not, is much to be regretted: for we cannot form fo injurious an opinion of the illuftrious audience, as to think that a difcourfe fo convincing and fo perfuafive, could have paffed over without producing fome effect. We are even willing to hope it may have fome influence now, in preparing the minds of men for more conciliatory meafures, when proper opportunity offers; and fuch opportunity cannot be wanting whenever we are happily pre-difpofed to make ufe of it. · For thus, fays this worthy Prelate, as I apprehend, stands the cafe. They petition for the repeal of an act of parliament, which they complain of as unjust and oppreffive. And there is not a man amongst us, not the warmest friend of adminiftration, who does not fincerely with that act had never been made. In fact, they only ask for what we wish to be rid of. Under fuch a difpofition of mind, one would imagine there could be no occafion for fleets and armies to bring men to a good understanding. But, my Lords, our difficulty lies in the point of honour. We must not let down the dignity of the mother-country; but preferve her fovereignty over all the parts of the British empire. This language has fomething in it that founds pleafane to the ears of Englishmen, but is otherwife of little weight. For fure, my Lords, there are methods of making reafonable conceffions, and yet without injuring our dignity. Ministers are generally fruitful in expedients to reconcile difficulties of this kind, to escape the embarraffments of forms, the competitions of dignity and precedency; and to let clashing rights fleep, while they tranfact their bufinefs. Now, my Lords, on this occafion can they find no excufe, no pretence, no invention, no happy turn of lan guage, not one colourable argument for doing the greatest service, they can ever render to their country? It must be fomething more than incapacity that makes men barren of expedients at fuch a feafon.

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as this. Do, but for once, remove this impracticable stateliness and dignity, and treat the matter with a little common fenfe and a little good humour, and our reconciliation would not be the work of an hour. But after all, my Lords, if there is any thing mortifying in undoing the errors of our minifters, it is a mortification we ought to fubmit to. If it was unjust to tax them, we ought to repeal it for their fakes; if it was unwife to tax them, we ought to repeal it for our own. A matter so trivial in itself as the three-penny duty upon tea, but which has given cause to fo much national hatred and reproach, ought not to be fuffered to fubfilt an unnecessary day. Muft the intereft, the commerce and the union of this country and her colo nies, be all of them facrificed to fave the credit of one imprudent measure of administration? I own I cannot comprehend that there is any dignity either in being in the wrong, or in perfiting in it. I have known friendship preferved and affection gained, but I never knew dignity loft, by the candid acknowledgment of an error. And, my Lords, let me appeal to your own experience of a few years backward (I will not mention particulars, because I would pass no cenfures and revive no unpleasant reflections) but I think every candid minister muft own, that adminiftration has fuffered in more inftances than one, bath in interest and credit, by not chufing to give up points, that could not be defended."

How much more fafe and profitable, is it for powerful brethren feparated by a vaft ocean, to maintain a political union founded on natural affection, than to act toward each other according to the dark schemes of Machiavelian craft!

Art. 27. A True State of the Proceedings in the Parliament of Great Britain, and in the Province of Maffachusetts Bay, relative to the giving and granting the Money of the People of that Province, and of all America, in the Houfe of Commons, in which they are not reprefented. Folio. 2 s. Bingley. 1774.

The nature of this publication is fufficiently evident from the title; it contains a chronological fummary of the difputes between our par liament and our colonies, but more especially with that of Massachu fetts Bay; and of the events that took place in the course of thofe difputes together with fuch remarks as naturally arofe from them, on the part of the Americans.

Art. 28. The Speech of the Right Honourable the Earl of Chatham in the House of Lords, upon reading the Amendments in the Quebec Bill, on Friday the 17th of June, 1774. Together with his Lordfhip's Speech, on the third Reading, in the House of Lords, of the Bill for providing with Quarters, the Officers and Troops in America. Folio, 6d. Johnfon,

Left higher expectations fhould be formed from this title than the publication will anfwer, it may be proper to hint that thefe speeches come from no better authority than the common News-papers; being reprinted in the fame loofe form that the Public have long fince read them in, partly extracts, and partly a report of the general heads only, of Lord Chatham's orations.

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Art. 29. Thoughts on the Act for making more effectual Provision for the Government of the Province of Quebec. 8vo. is. Becket.

1774.

Though the Quebec act is here juftified on principles that muft occur to any man of reflection, who confiders the circumstances of that colony with a tolerable degree of attention; yet as the genera lity of political declaimers in public companies, are not diftinguished by the deepest penetration of thought, a clear explanation of matters that become premature fubjects of popular outcry, may be of great ufe in rectifying the apprehenfions of those who rave at things before they understand them.

NOVEL S.

Art. 30. The Locket; or, Hiftory of Mr. Singleton. By the Author of Emily; or the Natural Daughter. 12mo. 2 Vols. 6s. Snagg, 1774.

One of that numerous clufter of novels which, as the Author of Juliet Grenville fays, rarely feem to have any intention, but to wafte or kill the time of those who are enemies to fentiment and reflection. Art. 31. Edward, a Novel; dedicated, by Permiffion, to her Majefty. Izmo. 2 Vols. 65. Davies. 1774. Another of the cluster; but not deftitute of fentiment; fee the foregoing article.

MIS ELLANEOUS. Art. 32. The Evidence (as taken down in Court) in the Trial wherein the Rt. Hon. John, Earl of Sandwich, was Plaintiff, and J. Miller, Defendant, before William, Lord Mansfield, and a Special Jury, in the Court of King's Bench, July 8, 1773. 8vo. I s. Kearly. 1774.

This trial is very remarkable for the exceffive damages given against the Printer of the London Evening Poft, for libelling Lord Sandwich. It seems, now, to be the general fenfe of Juries, that the licentious fpirit of the news papers must be quelled. The papers have, undoubtedly, proceeded to very unwarrantable lengths; but whether the restraint of them, by profecutions, and heavy fines, will be attended with any benefit to the Public, is a queftion which merits great confideration. Perfons in office, and power, may indeed wish to fee an end of the public difcuffion of all political fubjects, or the conduct of public men. Such men, as in the cafe of Lord S. may, indeed, be unjustly and falfely afperfed; but ought we to hang up every watchiul mattiff in the kingdom, because one of them, in the excefs of his hurry and vigilance, has happened to mistake an innocent man

for a thief?

Art. 33. The Fugitive Mifcellany. Being a Collection of fuch Fugitive Pieces, in Profe and Verfe, as are not in any other Collection. With many pieces never before published. 8vo. 3 s.

Almon. 1774

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A literary hodge-podge," in which all the "tag-rag, rif-raf, fcribble fcrabble, wifhy-wafhy," fcraps of profe, and ends of verfe, are ming led together, "Higgledy-piggledy, harum-fcarum, hubblebubble, rantum fcantum, pell-mell, hugger-mugger, hoity-toity,

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