the taking measures against the paffage of the Pruffian army through Saxony,by-affembling an army in the Circles of Bohemia, and ordering Marthal Brown to concert fecretly with Marfhal Count Rutowski, are cited: as alfo Count Flemming's anfwer, of July 7, importing, that Count Kaunitz had affared him, that the Generals who were to command, would be forthwith named ; and that one would be appointed to form the concert with M. Rutowski. Moreover, that M. Kaunitz had farOther encouraged the court of Saxony, not to betray any dif may, or uneafinefs, but, on the contrary, to fet a good face on their affairs, by providing against the worft; as he heard, with pleafure, the King of Poland had begun to do, by the orders he had already given to the faid Count Rutowfki: and two paffages more are added; one, a piece of advice from M. Flemming, to grant a paflage to the Ruffian troops; and afterwards to take fuch measures as fhould be most proper; the other, a Declaration from the Emprefs-Queen to the faid Minister, in o'the terms following That the required nothing, for the pre

fent, from the King of Poland, as fhe was very fenfible of his ticklish fituation. That, however, the hoped, he would," in "the mean while, put himself in a good pofture, in order to be prepared, at all events. And that in cafe any breach fhould "happen between her Majefty and the King of Pruflia, the would, in time, not be averfe to concur, in cafe of need, in the neceffary measures for their mutual fecurity."

Thus we have given fuch a Review of the principal grounds and reafons affigned by this great Prince, in juftification of his Conduct, as we thought the importance both of the cafe and the crifis deserved. And upon the whole matter, we may be allowed, we hope, to fay, that Saxony was, on the one hand, the dupe of her own avidity and irrefolution; and, on the other, of the haughtinefs and ftiffness of the court of Vienna: having enough embroiled herself, by her negociations, to furnish Pruffia with fufficient matter of complaint against her; and yet not perfected any one ftipulation at either of the courts, fhe had been fo long caballing with, for her own fecurity, or indemnification. As allo, that Pruffia, befet on every fide with fnares and dangers, has acted agreeably to the most perfect rules of policy, in redeeming time at her enemy's expence, in chufing to make Saxony the feat of war firft, and keeping the calamities refulting from it, as long as poffible from burfting in upon her

But, it may be alfo here obferved, that if ever a powerful diverfion on the Continent could be of any fignal fervice to Great Britain, it would be now. If ever it fhould, or could, be worth our while to pay largely for it, it would be now: Yer, while the union of the Germanic Body, by which alone it can be obtained, is thus miferably broke to pieces, the Commodity is not to be bad, were we ftill able to pay the price of it: fo that which fide foever shall be victorious in the prefent conteft, France will have as much caufe to exult, as Great Britain may have to mourn.

The

IV. The Counterpoife: or, B-g and the My fairly ftated. By a By-Stander. 8vo. Is. Robinfon.

This By Stander knows nothing of the matter: his performance is too low, and infignificant, to deferve more particular notice.

V. The Memorial of his Pruffian Majefty, exhibiting the Conduct of the Courts of Vienna and Drefden. To which are annexed, the original Papers found in the Cabinet of the King of Poland. 8vo. Is. 6d. Bizet.

This is only another translation of the fourth article of the Four important Pieces, &c. See its title, p. 641; the last paragraph. POETICA L.

VI. The Genius of Britain. An Iambic Ode. Addreffed to the Right Hon. William Pitt, Efq; 4to. 6d. Cooper.

The Mufes are never fo amiable as when they appear on the fide of Liberty; in which cause the unknown Author of this Ode is no contemptible Volunteer*, as the three following ftanzas, with which the Genius of Britain concludes this poem, will

evince.

Look back on ev'ry deathless deed

For which your Sires recorded ftand;

To Battle let your Nobles lead

The fons of Toil, a hardy band;

The fword on each rough Peasant's thigh be worn,
And Wars green wreaths the Shepherd's front adorn.

But fee! upon his utinoft fhores
America's fad Genius lies;

Each wafted province he deplores,

And cafts on me his languid eyes;

Blefs'd with Heaven's favourite ordinance I fly,
To raise th' opprefs'd, and humble Tyranny.

This faid, the Vision weftward fled.
His wrinkled brow denouncing war;
The way, fire-mantled Vengeance led,
And Justice drove his airy car;

Behind firm-footed Peace her Olive bore

And Plenty's horn pour'd bleffings on the fore.

* In his Dedication to Mr. Pitt, he thus fpeaks of himself,
Above Temptation, and unaw'd by Pow'r,

Pleas'd with his prefent lot, nor wishes more,

Save that kind Heav'n would give his warm defire,

What Kings can't grant, nor Courtiers oft require,

From each low view of felfifh faction free,

To think, to fpeak, to live, O PATT, like thee.

Altho

Altho the word Vates fignifies, both a Poet and a Prophet, time can only discover how far the Author is intitled to the latter appellation; and, therefore, we fhall only remark, that the imagery of the first stanza, is an imitation of an Ode, which was written in the year 1744, on the battle of Prefton-Pans, by a Gentleman of S Scotland.

VII. A Poetical Epistle, occafioned by the late Change in the Administration. Addreffed to the Right Hon. William Pitt, Efqs 4to. 6d. Hinton.

On the perufal of this dull piece, immediately after the foregoing very different performance, we could not avoid recollecting the Fable, wherein the Afs, with his hideous braying, and aukward gambols, takes upon him to carefs and fawn upon his owner, in imitation of the favourite Spaniel; but unhappily was repaid with a drubbing-Whether the Great Man, in this pa rallel fituation, may think of the like means of rewarding a miftaken Panegyrift, is a circumflance best known to himfelf: but it is not improbable, that his good-nature may rather difpofe him to excufe a well-meant endeavour to pleafe; tho', as in the cafe of the poor beaft in the Fable, Nature may have unkindly barred the way to fuccefs.

VIII. The Metamorphofis of a Prude.

The Author is no Ovid; yet is his Prude not unpoetically metamorphofed into a Cat. When this Bard enters the poetical lifts again, he would do well to facrifice to the Graces.

IX. The Tenth Epistle of the first Book of Horace imitated. 4to. Is. Rofs.

This Imitator knows too little of the Latin to understand Horace, and too little of English, to give any tolerable fatisfaction to a Reader in either language. However, by the time he has learnt to spell, he may, poffibly, appear to more advantage, as he feems to have youth on his fide, and, in fome fmall degree, a natural turn for poetry: tho' what Nature has done for him, is not yet fufficiently cultivated to excufe his prefuming to appear in print.

X. A New Verfion of Paradife Loft; or, Milton paraphrased. In which the meafure and verfification are corrected and harmonised; the obfcurities elucidated; and the faults which the Author ftands accufed of, by Addifon and other of the Criticks, are removed. With Annotations on the original Text, to fhew the reasonablenefs of this New Verfion. By a Gentleman of Oxford. 8vo. 1s. Baldwin,

Altho' we had long laid it down as a maxim, not to be furprized at any of the literary attempts of the prefent race of Authors, yet we muft confefs, that this title-page aftonished us. We could not conceive, what occafion the Paradife Loft had for a Paraphrastical Verfion; its obicure paffages had been long ago explained,

plained, and never were difficult to the fcholar: and if our ear did not greatly deceive us, Milton, notwithstanding fome unmufical lines, had carried the harmony of Blank Verfe, as far as the English language would admit. It is very true, indeed, that Mr. Additon, and the Author of the Rambler, have accused that great . Genius of fome trivial inaccuracies; but if fuch are to be lopped off, by every little pretender to Criticifm, what author will defcend, unmaimed, to pofterity? Not a fecond irruption of the Goths and Vandals, would be more deftructive to learning, than fuch a critical barbarifm, if permitted to rage with impunity. But let us fee,

Quid dignum tanto feret hic promiffor hiatu ?

We, therefore, attentively perufed the New Verfion and Notes, and foon found, that if the late Dr. Bentley lopped off, now and then, one cf Milton's fingers, cur Oxford Drawcanfir hews away, not only his extremities, but chops his very head off, leaving Milton a lifelefs and disfigured trunk. Bentley every where fhewed an Acumen ingenii; and fome of his objections are not to be answered. It is true, the Doctor was no poet; but then our Oxonian, is not only a moft wretched verfifier, but his remarks no where difcover any critical fagacity; they are ever illfounded, and, in general, difplay that ill-mannered kind of arrogance fo confpicuous in molt of the proficients in the Bathos. But as it would be making this reptile too important, to track him through all his windings of abufe, illiteracy, and abfurdity; and as we think it a kind of poetical profanation, to mention Milton and him together, we shall defile our page with no part of his Paraphrafe, but refer thofe who can read fuch ftuff with lefs indignation than we can, to the pamphlet itfelf: applying to the Author what Milton faid of a much better writer:

Gaudete O Scombri, et quicquid eft pifcium falo,
Qui frigida hyeme incolitis algentes freta,

Veftrum mifertus ille

Bonus amicire nuditatem cogitat.

From the title page, we imagined, that the Gentleman of Oxford had given a new verfion, as he calls it, of the whole of the Paradife Loft, but were agrecably furprized to find, that he has only fallen upon the firit book.

XI. The Levee, a Poem. Clergy at the Duke of N Cooper.

Occafioned by the Number of 's laft Levee. Folio, 6s.

This fhort poem is introduced with a very facetious application of Horace's-Qui fit Mecenas, ut nemo? as a Motto; which happens to be very nearly the cafe; as the word Number in the title page appears, in the conclufion of the poem, to fignify but one Ecclefiaftic, whom Horace would fcarcely have allowed to fay of himfelf-Nos numeri fumus. Perhaps the only preacher qualified to affume this style, must be fome fair Quaker-Speaker. The

2

verfe

verfe is Hudibraftic, and the defcription of his Grace's Levee, by no unfriendly Mufe, is humourous, and not more fatyrical, on the Groupe, than juft. The former great refort of the Clergy, from the Prelate downwards, to this weekly Convocation, as the Poet calls it, makes a high contraft to the catastrophe of a poor bo Unit's figuring in the last act of the Levee; which clofes with the following juft reflection, and certain prophecy.

and

lo By Nature's friendly Inftinct led,

Thofe Birds of Paffage all are fled;
And now prepare their throats to fing
The Matins of the coming Spring.

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XII. The Fifteenth Ode of the first Book of Horace imitated, d applied to Mr. F. on his being appointed S- of S, and taking on him the conduct of the. Folio, 60. Scot,ad & font jud Prov. In that Ode, which this writer pretends to imitate, the Venuaufian Bard artfully anticipates the fatal effects of Anthony's at191 tachment to Cleopatra, by reciting the example of Paris, and the ruinous confequences which, attended, his paffion for Helen. The fubject, therefore, made it acceptable to the friends of Auguftus, while the delicate manner in which it is handled, could conot difplease even the followers of Anthony. But this Imitation raris widely remote from the beauties of the original: Sh and

Horace are not more different. The English Ode is by much no too perfonal to be pleafing, to thofe who have no connection with either party; and is too indifferent, in point of verfification, to -nimerit any regard from the genuine Critic.

XIII. A Narrative of the Proceedings of Admiral B-g, and his Conduct off Mahon, on the 20th of May. By an Officer of the Squadron. 8vo. 6d. Owen.

Againft the Admiral; but affording no difcoveries.g

XOXIV, The History of Reynard the Fox, Bruin the Bear, &c. p2mo. 38. Smith Jrov ved at bay wor addA Thing which feems to have been written in exprefs contradiction to the confident affertions ufually found in Quack-Bills, To concerning Lofs of Time, and Hindrance of Bufinefs.

XV. The Juvenile Adventures of David Ranger, Efq 12mo. 2 vols. 6s. Stevens.

00

SoThe title of this Novel feems to have been contrived to pre

poffefs the public with expectations of its containing anecdotes re51lating to the celebrated Manager of one of our Theatres-Royal; 1but this, to borrow a late fashionable phrafe, was all a Humbug. For the reft, however, the work is by no means the most contemptible of the kind we have lately been obliged to perufe: It abounds with adventures, and is not altogether ill-written; the Author

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