Fox's Eaft India bill. So far as affirmation can influerce the public opinion, he seems to be well qualified for the office of a political advocate, or rather indeed of a partizan; for when his purpofe requires plain facts, if they are not to be found, he can make them. On this principle he obferves, at fetting out, It is now become a generally acknowledged fact, that the Portland administration, as it is commonly termed, was fuffered to take place at the time, with a view only to lay hold of fome favourable occafion, when its final overthrow might be more effectually accomplished.' It is the misfortune of unfounded affertions, that they generally hurt the cause which they are intended to serve.

Difcurfory Thoughts on the late Acts of Parliament, viz. Medicine Horie, Window, Poft, Plate, &c. By Francis Spilbury. No. blisher's Name, or Price.

Mr. Spilfbury, whofe intereft excites him to defend the uti lity of advertised medicines, inveighs with great warmth against the act of parliament for granting a duty on the venders of thofe commodities. So far Mr. Spilbury acts upon obvious, and perhaps excufable principles; but having appeared as a champion against the miniftry in one point, this redoubtable opponent belabours them with the pefile for feveral other parts of their conduct; fuch as the commutation-act, the post-act, the plate-act, &c. And all this in open defiance of the old adage, Ne Sutor ultra crepidam.

General Remarks on the British Fisheries, 8vo. 15. 6d. Murray.

The inattention of the legislature to the improvement of the British fisheries is one of the moft furprising, as well as moft blameable circumftances refpecting the public ceconomy. Who can think, without astonishment, that an infular nation, on the coafts of which may be found fo great a variety of fish, hould yet be fupplied with this article of diet almost entirely by foreigners? The author of the prefent pamphlet fhews, by an abftract taken from the custom-houfe-books, that the value of fish brought by the Dutch into the port of London, from February 3, 1783, to November 1, 1784, amounted to two hundred and feventy thousand five hundred and eighteen pounds. Many are the pernicious effects refulting from the toleration of this practice: for not only a great fum of money is drawn out of the kingdom every year, but the price of fish is kept up in the metropolis, at the pleasure of those who now monopolize the trade; and in the northern and wettern islands, particularly, numbers of the inhabitants, who, by employing themfelves in the fisheries, might be enabled to live comfortably, and contribute to the good of the public, are at prefent pining under all the miferies of want and oppreffion. But to render the fisheries of this country flourishing, it is not fufficient that the inhabitants of the coafts and iflands be excited to this useful fpecies of industry: the best manner of curing

the

the fish must be carefully practifed; and even the quality of the falt ufed for this purpose ought likewife to be an object of confideration. The author of the pamphlet before us throws out feveral ufeful hints with refpect to the plan which should be purfued in the improvement of the fheries; and as this important fubject is foon to engage the deliberation of parlia ment, we hope that fuch measures will be adopted, as may enfure fuccefs to a branch of commerce, not only profitable to individuals, but advantageous to the nation in general, and highly conducive likewife to the fupport of our maritime power.

POETRY.

The Profpect; or, Re-union of Britain and America: a Poem. 410. 15. td. Bew.

We find that this poem is written by an American officer; and if his merits as a writer are not very confpicuous, as a wellwifher to both nations he is entitled to our respect and approbation. Some of his ore violent countrymen however will not, in all probability, thoroughly approve of feveral invectives contained in it againit their royal allies; fuch, for instance, as in the following paffage, where we are told that a fecond Pitt,

-Shall frame the great, the blefs'd defign
Again Britannia's fever'd ions to join:
Stern fate propitious on his with shall smile,
And crown with fair fuccefs his gen' ous toil.
Then haughty France hall rue the fatal hour,
When first, misled by boundless luit of pow'r,
To cruth fair Albion all her arts were tried,
To tear the western empire from her fide:
Spain, too, hall curfe the part her monarch took,
And every tyrant from his throne be shook.'

The Haftiniad; an Heroic Poem. In Three Cantos, 4to. 15, 6d.
Debrett.

Of these three cantos, the first only makes its appearance. It is a fatirical performance, of which governor Hattings and his lady are the principal objects. Though we do not much approve publications of this kind, we cannot deny but the author's abilities feem much fuperior to many of our political bards.

Carmen in bonorem Georgii Saville, Baronetti, &c. Autore Johanne Il right. 4to. 15. 6d. White.

• Ergo Savilli blandula luridâ

Clauduntur umbrâ lumina cui rapax
Pepercit Orcus? mors profanam

Unde manum abftinuille gaudet?'

Of the words marked in Italics we fhall only obferve, that

• ergo,' though ufed by claffical writers as an angry interroga

4

tive,

tive, is here totally out of its place. That the infantine epithet, connected with lumina,' would be defcriptive of a Lesbia lamenting her dead fparrow; or a boarding-fchool mifs her drooping goldfinch; but founds ridiculous, when applied to the fenfible and manly Saville.-That unde' is a poor fubfti ́tute for â quo, and that gaudet' is nothing to the purpofe. From thefe opening lines, the reader may form a judgment of the whole-ex pede Herculem.

The Veteran, a Poem. 410. 15. 6d. Debrett.

An old foldier is here introduced, relating to a friend his eventful hiftory during the space of forty years, that he was 'doom'd to fhare

The rudeft perils and fatigues of war.
Of humble birth, but of right honest kin,
He aim'd in youth a warrior's praise to win,
And bore contented with the foldier's name,
His fcanty pittance and contracted fame:

Till now, at length, in life's extremeft ftage,
Grown grey in arms, and chill'd with wintry age,
By wounds retarded, and with want oppreft,
He fought to spend his latter days in reft;
Such reft indeed' as, to his anxious vows,
The gallant foldier's rigid lot allows;
Still in the guife of fleeplefs war to guard
The floping rampart, and the foe retard.'

The lines are in general fpirited and easy; and the author, if not a foldier himself, appears well acquainted with military affairs. Some inaccuracies, and bad lines, like the following, frequently occur.

No fp'rit fo meek, that while the tumult flam'd
Around, could view it liftlefs and be-calm'd.'

On the whole, it is a pleafing performance.

The Dog's Monitor, a Satirical Poem. By Major Henry Waller. 410. 25. Kearney.

The flory here related is the fame we gave an account of in our laft Volume, page o, fomewhat altered, and increased to double its fize, by additional reflections and satirical remarks interwoven with it: feveral of which, though not very deep nor pointed, are lively and amuting. A Latin Proemium, in monkish rhyme, is annexed, in which defiance is hurled to fome monthly Journalists, who treated the major's laft publication, as he apprehends, with improper feverity. It contains fome ftrokes of humour, but will hardly fland the test of grammatical criticifm.

A Wimfical Rhapsody on Taxes and Balloons. 8vo. 3d. Debrett. The author has given the character of this fugitive fheet in the title. It is whimsical and a rhapfody; but as much is faid

about

about Mr. Pitt as of taxes and balloons. The author might alfo add, that he is no more an admirer of the minifter than of the more particular fubjects of the poem. There is however fome fhrewdnels occafionally in the remarks, though we cannot boaft of the powers of our new ally, in oppofition to balloons, We fhall felect a fhort fpecimen.

And what's the end of all this pompous stuff,
Which philofophic fools fo idly puff?

Say what advantage can it bring mankind?
Can it affift the lame, the fick, the blind?

Oh! no! 'tis children's play; the fchool-boy's kitę
Can foar as well, tho' not fo great a height.
We know the principle, and 'twere much better
T'affift the poor, the pris'ner to unfetter

With our fpare wealth, than thus amufe the nation
With ufelefs vanity and vain vexation.'

The Hiftory of Sir Henry Clarendon. 2 Vols. 12mo, 6s. Baldwin. A hero and a heroine, each endowed with every perfection, muft fee each other by chance, and become inftantly enamoured. They muft labour through two or three volumes; and, if no churlifh father, or ambitious aunt, is in the way, they must have a reafonable quantity of doubt and fufpicion, infufed by falfe friends. The lady too, may be forced away by a disappointed lover, and refcued miraculously. At last, one or other must be near death, either by accident or premeditated violence, and may recover or not, according to the difpofition of the author. This is the skeleton of a modern novel: fenti ments, character, or language, are of little confequence; and fuch is the flimfy texture of fir Henry Clarendon, with a very canty share of merit in thefe necefiary additions.

The Conquefts of the Heart. A Novel. By a Young Lady. 3

12710. 95. Baldwin.

เ

Vols.

This young lady endeavours to affift the cause of morality and virtue' with fuccefs. The tale indeed is not very new or interefting; though it be a little fuperior to the common clafs. The character of mifs Adams is a correct outline; but rather too much like that of madame Duval, and we think the might have been employed a little more in deranging the defigns of the heroine. The old fervant of Mr. Denier, and his little ftory, are truly pathetic; and the letter from Diana D'Avila, is written with tendernefs, and a juft acquaintance with the human heart: we hope, in the fcenes of diftrefs, our fair au thor has never copied from her own feelings. We wish to cherith this tender bud; for we guefs that it may expand with a more varied foliage, and more vivid colours, when time fhall have advanced it to greater maturity.

The

The Vale of Glendor; or the Memoirs of Emily Webrook. 2 Volsa 12mo. 65. Noble.

This is a pleafing little hiftory; but with few ftriking excellencies. It is a fimple tale, in fimple guife, and contains a very useful leffon. Let no ambitious fair-one, who wishes to dazzle the Ring with her equipage, or the circle with her diamonds, facrifice to this childish fplendour a real attachment. The affections may be, by this means, før á time concealed; but they will return with double fervour. If it should happen, that the weak attractions for a moment prevail, let her, like Emily, be wife in time, and the will be happy. But, on the other hand, this is no argument to fupport the propriety of a romantic attachment, in oppofition to a prudent attention to futurity. The conteft is between inclination, fupported by reafon, and a title; not between the gay lively fortune-hunter, recommended only by the fancy, and the more refpectable choice of an anxious parent.

MISCELLANEOUS.

Confilia; or Thoughts upon feveral Subjects. Small 8vo. 25. 6d. Cadell.

The author informs us, that he would have great reafon to lament his labour, if he could for a moment fufpect, that they, viz. the remarks, will be perufed with greater attention to the ability of the performance, than to the plain undifguifed advice it contains. We have looked therefore rather at the fubftance than the form; and where we have approved his fentiments (and we have scarcely ever had reafon to difapprove of them) we have only regretted that his obfervations have not been more extenfive. The author's benevolence is indeed confiderable his moral remarks on life at large, and the conduct requifite to make that life happy,' deferve the attention of the younger part of mankind. But we may be allowed to hint, that they would probably be more acceptable to thofe for whom they are intended, if the author had not been fo fparing of or nament. The beauty of virtue is intrinfic; and cannot be known till the is attained. It is the bufinefs of the moralift, therefore, to make the attainment eafy and agreeable. A Treatife on the Principles of Hair-dreffing. Hair-dreffer. 8vo. 15. 6d. Our man of taste *, who seems to have a genius for style,? has really collected fome valuable and ufeful obfervations, on a fubject apparently trifling. The deformities of modern hairdreffing are indeed numerous; and we fear that no approaches to fashion can be made confiftent with true beauty. Yet fo great is the power, fo enchanting the magic of a beautiful woman, that nothing can deform or disguise her. The folly

See page 18.

By William Barker,

Bew.

of