The incidents of her phrases, we are inclined to credit the affertion. are not very happily conceived or combined; and, though few in number, are expanded to the enormous magnitude of five volumes. The diftreffes of the heroine are, indeed, fingular; for it is highly improbable that they have ever happened, or will ever happen, to any human being. Some of the characters are natural, and well fuftained; and fome of them are uninterefting and infipid. The cataftrophe is disagreeable, as virtue and vice are equally punished. The chief merit of the author lies in the powers of expreffion; fhe excels in the variety, and fometimes the felicity, of her diction. Some natural fentiments are well expreffed; but nature is too often heightened and discoloured by the rouge of artificial fentiment. There is an attempt to draw high life; but it is evident that the painter had never feen the original. It would be more useful, as well as eafier, for the common run of novellifts, to give a picture of familiar manners and characters on a level with their own, than, by vainly grafping at the higher fphere of life, to give a defcription of a defcription. The epiftolary form, in which moft novels are now writ ten, is extremely favourable to prolixity; and has been prudently adopted by thofe manufacturers for circulating libraries, who know that it is as cheap to advertise five volumes as one. ART. 24. A Defence of Mr. Bofwell's Journal. 8vo. Is. Swift. London. 1786. After Mr. Bofwell had fo generously entertained the public at his own expence, and the expence of his hero, nothing remained for him but to have wished his guests a good night, and a happy repose. If any thing can add to the abfurdity of endeavouring to revive a deceafed reputation, it is the attempt of this defender, who gravely tells us, that Dr. Johnfon wrote more original poetry than Mr. Pope, because he tranflated two fatires of Juvenal. We are accuftomed to the conjunction of Sternhold and Hopkins, as well as Tate and Brady; but we hope the new coalition between the names of Johnfon and Bofwell will foon be diffolved. ART. 25. A Table which reduces Deals, as imported from the Baltic, to Standard Deals. Sherwing the Quantity of Standard in any Number of Baltic, or common Deals, from one to 1000, of any Length, from 6 to 16 Feet long, and from 7 to 12 Inches broad; Thickness being 1, 2, 2, and 3 Inches. Aud for White Deals imported from Norway, when fold by the Hundred, at 12 Feet long and 3 Inches broad, which is the cuftomary Method. To which is added, a Table of Solid Measure, hewing the Contents, in Feet and Quarters, of any Piece of Timber, from 1 to 60 Feet long, and from 5 to 24 Inches the Girt, to every halffoot in Length, and quarter-inch in Girt. Calculated by Ifaac Sandys. 4to. 6s. boards. Hodgfon. Liverpool. 1786. The above title-page is a fufficient account of the work. The tables do not appear to be very exact; but may, with a little corsection, be of fervice to the purchafers of deals. ART. 26. A candid Defence of the Appointment of Sheriffs' Brokers, as originally inftituted by Sir Barnard Turner, Knt. and Thomas Skinner, Efq. late Sheriffs of the City of London and County of Middlefex. K 4 Humbly : Humbly addreffed to the Public at large, but more particularly to This author has turned his attention to topics of public police; and he delivers his fentiments with great moderation. He has, however, no turn for literature; and it would oblige the public, if those patriotic citizens, who have any thing now to communicate, would be careful not to employ their own pens, but those of men who have made fome advances in the art of compofition. ART. 27. The Way to Keep Him: a Comedy, performed at the Theatre in Drury Lane 8vo. 1s. 6d. Cadell, London, 1785. A critique of a comedy which the public has been in poffeffion of for many years, and on which a decided opinion has been long formed, would be contrary to the defign of our publication. We have only to notice, that this edition has been retouched by the author, who has likewife prefixed to it a well-written addrefs, or dedication to Mrs. Abington; replete with compliment to her, and breathing nothing but humility with regard to himself. We have our doubts, however, whether Mr. Murphy would be pleased should his expreffions of selfdenial be interpreted à la lettre. ART. 28. Genuine Memoirs of Jane Elizabeth Moore; Late of Bermondsey, in the County of Surry. Written by herself. Containing the fingular Adventures of herself and Family. Her fentimental Journey through Great Britain; fpecifying the various Manufactures carried on at each Town. A comprehenfive Treatise on the Trade, Manufactures, Laws and Police of this Kingdom, and the Neceffity of a Country Hofpital. To which is prefixed, a poetic Index. 3 vols. 12mo. 7s. 6d. fewed. Bew, London. 1786. The intentions of the author were to amufe, to inftruct, and to reap profit by her performance. In the last we hope fhe has fucceeded, as, from what appears in the work, her finances do not feem to be in the most flourishing condition. On the amufement and inftruction which are to be drawn from this publication, the friends of the lady will thank us for our filence. We fhall only juft hint to Mrs. Moore, that the appears more fitted for the buftle and detail of bufinefs, than calculated to fucceed in the labours of the closet, 4to. 2s. ART. 29. Royal Tears! Sacred to filial Piety. By William Whitmore. To explain the quaint title the author has chofen for his performance, it is neceffary to inform our readers, that "Royal Tears, &c." means to paint the ftate of mind of James II. on the night of his abdication. His queen likewife, and his natural fon the Duke of Berwick, are introduced. The poem confifts of narrative, monologue, dialogue, long verfe, fhort verfe, and no verfe; it is in every refpect, down to the prefs-work, (over which we conjecture the author has prefided a child of whim and affectation, where not a spark of genius is difcernible. To give an idea at once in what manner it is written and and printed, two ftanzas, exactly copied from the publication, will be fafficient. A trumpet blew !-He started!-Strove to go!- ; Again the trumpet blew-Tremendous hour!- A fhout from thousands, blefs'd the new made Pow'r- To enter into more minute criticism is unneceffary: that attention can only be claimed by works of fome merit. ART. 30. The Hiftory of a Revolution that happened at Naples, owing to an oppreffive Tax. Small 8vo. 1s. Ridgeway. The kingdom of Naples, in the year 1647, was under the dominion of Philip IV. King of Spain, of the house of Auftria. The Duke of Arcos was viceroy. The Spaniards had long exercised over their fubjects all oppreffion of conquerors; and the Neapolitans had long felt and refented their injuries. They had not only the mortification of being governed by a neighbouring country, and of feeing their firft offices filled by foreigners, but laboured under the most heavy taxes. Not only every elegance of life, but almost every necessary was taxed their houses, their clothes, their bread. Maffaniello, a young fisherman, about four-and-twenty, endowed with all those qualities that are the most fitted to gain upon the populace, with great warmth joined the people, on the occafion of a new tax which was impofed on fruit, joined the people in their curfes against the government, and cried aloud that he would deliver them. A concert was formed among the people; and Maffaniello, whofe mind expanded with his fituation, and who difcovered the latent powers of an orator, a general, and a ftatefman, led them on with fuccefs, in oppofition to all the force and fraud of the Spanish viceroy, to freedom. The oppreffive taxes were abolished, and the liberties of the people by the moft folemn edicts recognized and confirmed, and the ftorm fubfided. The ftory of Maffaniello is at this moment revived, for it has many years fince appeared in English, manifeftly to inflame the public against the fhop-tax, which is undoubtedly both partial and oppreffive. ART. 31. A Trip to Holland. Small 8vo. 2s. 6d. fewed. Becket. London. 1786, The title of this volume promifes little pleasure to a reader of voyages and travels. The influence of a Belgic sky is not fuppofed to be very favourable to genius; Batavia was never efteemed claffic ground; nor does the character, the manners, or the customs of the Dutch, offer very inviting materials for description or imitation. But, whoever can bestow half an hour on this " Trip to Holland," will find himself agreeably furprised, and meet with very innocent, though not rapturous recreation. The following chapter will serve as a specimen of the author's manner, Packet ་ Packet at Sea. A very heavy gale. The voice, however, of a Frenchman, finging a petit chanfon, ftruck upon my ear. Strange! exclaimed I, that a man fhould be thus eafy, nay, even merry, during a ftormand a form at fea! My curiofity was raifed. I inquired for the finger, and was conducted to him by the mate. He was lying on the bed, and evidently difordered by the motion of the veffel. Stranger ftill, thought I, that the animal fpirits fhould thus triumph over the bodily affections; and I rallied him accordingly. Ah! Monfieur, cried he, on m'a dit que le vaiffeau eft en danger, 'eft pourquoi je chante pour chaffer la peur. Pour chaffer la peur ?" Oui, Monfieur, car je n'ai jamais l'air trifle-en un mot je ne fuis pas Anglois. You think an Englishman, then, the dulleft of human beings? Sans doubte, returned he, loud enough to be heard by his friend, a Dutchman, who was not a little pleased with the reply. C I complimented him, on his voice, and on his excellent ftile in finging. Is it poffible that you can be Jerious, faid he?—I am an Englishman, replied I. He fmiled, and faid no more; but he was evidently pleafed. I had gained his favour by commending his voice. O flattery!-foft, infinuating flattery!-how easily doft thou wind thyfelf about the heart of man !-how pleafing, how foothing art thou to the foul! I was ever afterwards his friend-his bon ami. Charmed with being thought a finger!-Be it fo. And if friendships may be thus eafily purchased, tell me, I pray ye, O fons and daughters of humanity! would you ever live without friend?' This trip is profeffedly written in the manner of Sterne; a moft alluring, but dangerous model to follow. It is eafy, indeed, to copy his oddity, his eccentricity, his breaks and paufes, his table of contents, his lubricity, and his digreffions; but to imitate his wit and humour, his ftrokes of fatire, and tones of fenfibility, requires a genius equal to that of the original. There is, nevertheless, much merit in the present attempt; and we recommend to the author to proceed in the execution of his plan. 1 NATIONAL ON the other fide, it was faid, that the profpect of all that profperity, which was prognofticated to Ireland, was diftant, vague, indeterminate, and uncertain; and therefore that it ought not to be confidered as a serious fubject of political and commercial jealoufy. Habits of industry are not suddenly, nor eafily, acquired by individuals and it is with ftill greater difficulty, and after infinitely longer intervals of time, that habits of application are acquired by nations. Even in Scotland, a kingdom more famed for induftry and fobriety of manners, than Ireland, in which taxes are as light, the neceffa ries of life as cheap, and the price of labour as low, as in Ireland, we do not find that manufacturers have migrated thither, fince the union of the kingdoms, from England. In fact, there is a fallacy in our reafoning concerning the comparative prices of labour in England and in Ireland. You may hire a labourer, or an artifan, in Ireland or Scotland, for one-third part of what he will coft in England; yet, fuch is the difference in their fkill, application, and fuftenance, that an Englishman will double the work of the Irishman or Scotchman in their own countries. A tranfition from the intermitting idlenefs and fimplicity of agriculture and pafturage, to the perfevering industry and genius requifite in the arts, will not be in ftantaneous, and is not to be expected in this, nor yet in the next ge neration. Even the linen trade of Ireland is, at this day, carried on by English capitals, and English credit. Withdraw thefe, and the manufacture falls into immediate decay. And, as this manufacture is chiefly carried on by English capitals, fo the greateft fhare of its profits centres in England Indeed, while the two nations are fo nearly connected by vicinity, language, manners, cuftoms, religion, laws, intermarriages, and general intercourfe; and while London continues to be the feat, if not of government to fuch an extent as formerly, yet of government to a certain extent, and certainly of the common fovereign, the fountain of honour and preferment in both; while it continues to be the feat of polite and fashionable refort, and of varied and elegant pleafure; the wealth of Ireland will be the wealth of England: for the riches of the former kingdom will circulate through a thousand channels into the latter. What the lapfe of ages may produce, and what may be the face of affairs in Ireland fome centuries hence, it concerns not us, at the pre A |
