Of her the fecret rare might get,
How different kinds amalgamate:
And he, who wilder studies chose,
Find here a new metempfychofe;
How forms can other forms affume,
Within her Pythagoric room;
Or be, and ftranger is th' event,
The very things which nature meant;
Nor ftrive, by art and affectation,

To cross their genuine deftination.'

The effence which makes coalefcence; the rare fecret by which different kinds amalgamate; the new metempsychofes, of forms taking other forms upon them in the eifoleric obfcurity of a Pythagoric room, and becoming the very things which nature meant, without ftriving to cross their genuine deftination, are curious difcoveries in experimental philofophy, and rank Mrs. Vefey with the first chemifts of the age. But these hidden myfteries are only for the initiated. Procul, procul efste profani. But fparks electric only strike

On fouls electrical alike;
The flash of intellect expires,
Unless it meet congenial fires.
The language to th' elect alone
Is, like the mafon's mystery, known;
In vain th' unerring fign is made

To him who is not of the trade.

After this trade is learned, adds Mifs Moore, at the fign of the blue-stocking,

• What lively pleasure to divine

The thought implied the hinted line;
To feel allufions artful force,

And trace the image to its fouree.'

The reader will obferve that thefe delicate allufions are eafier understood, than ifofceles and parallel geometry, and have none of that turn and equivoque, which infected the hotel of Rambouillet. The powerful spell which works all these miracles is thus described.

Afk you what charms this gift difpenfe?

'Tis the ftrong spell of common fenfe.'

In the firft of these poems, good nature is reprefented as the chief qualification of the heroine; and in the fecond, common Jenfe is the characteristic of the fifters of the blue-ftocking.. It is fhrewdly faid by Voltaire, that it is equally an infult to fay concerning a perfon that he has common fenfe, or that he suants it; the fame obfervation applies to good nature, for mere good nature is a fool *"*

66

Upon the whole, if Mifs More has not added much to her own fame by these poems, the has highly contributed to the entertainment and good humour of the public.

ART. VII. The Captives, a Tragedy; as performed at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. By the Author of the Royal Suppliants. 1s, 6d. Cadell, London.

IN N an advertisement prefixed to this tragedy, the author informs us that it was his intention, throughout his piece, to make experiment of a stile and diction different from << what are ufual in modern tragedy. Overwrought orna❝ments, and pompous verfification, he thought ill-fuited to "the manners of thofe early times in which the action of his "tragedy is fuppofed to have paffed. In a word, he was of "opinion that the language of fimplicity would best accord "with the fubject and the characters: but whether a plain,

intelligible, and unaffected ftile would be acceptable to the "public tafte was what he had fill to learn."-Such was the plan of this writer, which, if he had executed properly, he would have had no occafion to arraign the tafte of the public. The language of fimplicity, fubftituted instead of overwrought ornaments and pompous verfification, if dictated by a knowledge of nature, and animated by the fire of true poetry, can never fail to produce the higheft and moft ftriking effects. But if a writer be poffeffed of no real genius; if he be incapable of expreffing himself with folidity, purity, and brilliancy of imagination; his fimplicity will not prevent him from being infipid, nor protect him from contempt. Whether these obfervations be applicable or not to the present tragedy, our readers from the following extracts will be able to determine.

Malvina and Erragon, her husband, are prisoners at the court of Connal, who reigns over the northern part of Caledonia. He is enraptured with Malvina; and, ignorant of her connection with Erragon, prevails on him to perfuade her that her husband is dead. By a mistake of Malvina he is difcovered, and the tyrant exclaims

• Connnal.

Erragon!

Is't poffible? again let me behold thee.

Turns't thou afide in fcorn? infolent man !
Connal fhall make thy haughty spirit fhrink.
Erragon. That thou can'ft never do.-Behold again!
Search, with thy fharpeft eye, if thou can't fee
The shadow of a fear. No; tho' unarmed,
And manacled, with all thy guards around,

I'll brave thee still. My wrongs fhall call for justice!

S 3

Shall

Shall thunder in thy ears-Reftore my wife!
Whom thy adulterate lust would violate.

Tyrant! reftore my wife! or I'll rush on thee,
And dafh thefe defperate chains!'

Though no fituation can be more interefting, and more worthy of veneration, than that of a man who fupports a digni fied fortitude of mind amidst surrounding danger and distress; yet, to represent a prifoner as throwing his chains at an armed tyrant, encompaffed by his guards, is furely too ridiculous a picture for the most common understanding to exhibit.-Yet the anfwer of Connal is quite equal to it in abfurdity. Fearful of having his head broken by the chains, he cries out

Connal. On thy first motion

Thou dieft.

Malvina. These arms fhall fnatch him from the blow;
Or we'll together die.

Connal. Afunder force them.

Malvina. He is my hufband!-dread the bursting bolt!"

(This burfling bolt the author no doubt intends as an inftance of his plain, intelligible, and unaffected ftile.)

• Connal. Villains, beware!'

(Great care undoutedly was neceffary to prevent a man loaded with chains and his wife from running away or clinging too clofely for feparation to each other, especially as there was only a few armed men to watch them.)

Malvina. Yet dearest Erragon!

My life's in my own power,

Connal. Away and watch her,
With strictest guard,

Malvina A little while farewell!

We foon shall meet, my love, in yonder clouds,

'Mid troops of bleffed fouls; where fiends like him

Can never come to part us!

Exit guarded.

If our author was guilty of a small error in making Erragon too rafh, he has recompenfed it by converting Malvina into a complete philofopher. She becomes not only all at once reconciled to her husband's fate, but fhe makes an appointment with him in the clouds, with the fame compofure as if they were only to meet at breakfast.-But, left we should appear partial by too minute a criticifm, we will present our readers with the laft scene without any comment. From this they will be able to conclude what claim the author has to call in question the taste of the audience, for condemning this effort of his genius,

• SCENE

SCENE, a grave by the river fide.

Malvina Supports the dead body of Erragon, attended by virgins.
Virgin. Ah, look not, figh not thus!-Can looks or fighs
Breathe vital warmth into his clay-cold breast?
Nor eye hath he to fee, nor ear to hear
Thy unavailing woe. Or, if he had,

Ah, wherefore wouldst thou vex his gentle ghoft?
Enter Everallin, Hidallan, Minla, &c.

Minla. There, prince, behold what paffes all report!
Everallin. Was ever fight fo mournful!-In what words,
At this dread hour, fhall I addrefs thy woes,
Ill-fated fair! yet may thy forrowing foul
Some melancholy consolation find!

The warrior lies not there a common corfe;

He died in the defence of a dear wife;

Admired and wept by all. Check then, fad mourner,
This violence of grief; and freely ask,

Beft, and most worthy of the worthieft lord!
Whate'er my power can give.

Hidallan. She hearkens not;

But, like fome monumental image fixed,

Hangs pondering o'er the dead.-Ah, what a figh! Everallin. Nay, interrupt her not. That burst of grief May more relief afford her, than our vain

These bloody marks of murder!

Minla, Hold, hold, heart.

Malvina. This manly face was not distorted then!

Hidallan. Some pitying power affift!

Malvina. Then his ftrained eye-balls

Started not from their fpheres! Look there! look there I
How clotted! how congealed!

Everallin. Nature must fail

In fuch conflicting transports.

Malvina. We were once:

Or was't illufion! Once, my Erragon,

We were the happiest pair love ever joined;

One heart, one mind.-Thy death has broke the charm,

And the fhort vifion's vanished.-Hark! I heard

His gentle spirit call.-Rife, my loved lord!
Rife, and in pity take Malvina's foul.

Good Everallin fhall in Selma fee

Our rites performed, and all due honours done.
Yet happy, oh, thrice happy had we been,
Had Selma ne'er beheld us!-Foolish

$ 4

eyes !

What

What would ye weep for ?-Safe the flumberer lies,
From the loud ftorms of fortune; and with this

Points me to the fame haven.-Lo, I come!
Thus, thus, exulting come!

Oh faithful fword!

[Takes his fword.

[Stabs herself.

Lord of my love! I'm thine-in Connal's fpite-
In cruel Connal's fpite-for ever thine!
Hidallan, Oh horror, horror!

Everallin. This surpasses all!

Minia. Cruel Malvina! thou haft kill'd thyself ;
And ah, thy wretched Minla!

Everallin, Hafte, affift!

!

She faints, poor maiu de.irous, even in death,
To join her friend. These tributary drops,
Nobleft of human kind! from Everailin

[Dies

[She faints.

Take, and farewell!—And you attendant shades!
Who, couched in clouds and whirlwinds, oft behold
Virtue, unfullied as the morning ftar,

Making this melancholy clofe! oh lead,

To the dark land of shadows lead along

This pair unparralleled. There (while our bards
Strike o'er their tomb the trembling lyres of woe),
Each heart-felt groan, mortality's hard lot,
To fongs of joy triumphantly fhall turn
'Mid kindred spirits of the great and good."

[Exeunt.

The prologue is a poor attempt at falfe wit. The epilogue has confiderable merit. In it the newspapers are confidered as fea-monsters, who fwallow up dramatic adventurers with a merciless rapacity. It was rather unfortunate that such an epilogue should be connected with fo exemplary a victim as the prefent tragedy.

ART. VIII. The Law's Difpofal of a Perfon's Eftate, who dies without Will or Teftament; fhewing in a plain, clear, eafy, and familiar manner, how a Man's Family or Relations will be entitled to his real and perfonal Eftate, by the Laws of England, and the Cuftoms of the City of London and Province of York. The second Edition, revised, corrected, enlarged, and improved. To which is added, the Difpofal of a Perfon's Eftate by Will and Teftament; containing Inflructions and neceffary Forms for every Perfon to make, alter, and re-publish his own Will. Likewife, Directions for Executors how to act after the Teftator's Death, with respect to proving his Will, getting in the Effects, and paying Debts and Legacies. By Peter Lovelafs of the Inner Temple, Gentleman. 8vo, 3s. 6d. fewed. Uriel, 1786. London.

FROM all the venerable pile of faw learning, there would not be a more useful felection than the doctrine refpecting