the Maid of the Hay-ftack. Tranflated from the French. 1s. 6d. Gardner, 1785. This narrative was latetly ranfmitted from the continent to a lady * of distinction who has refided fome years abroad. She is very myfte rious, and although there may be fome circumstances which connect the idea of the Maid of the Hay-ftack, and the foreign lady in one, yet they by no means amount to a proof, or even a great probability. The ftory, however, is highly entertaining, and the fate of the poor fair one merits every attention. ART. 39. The Mufe of Britain, a Dramatic Ode. Infcribed to the Right Honourable William Pitt. 1s. Becket. London." 1785. It has been often faid that poets make very indifferent politicians. We have here an inftance of a politician making a very indifferent poet. Indeed it is in vain to attempt an union between Parnaffus and the Parliament. But hear our poet; "Mufe of the extatic fong, fevere and chafte, Whofe eye-beam darts thro' Ethers boundless wafte Call forth her hundred strings of lofty found; Which burfts like Etna from the vaft profound." After this the Mufe, the Chorus, and the Bard, join to condemn faction and fedition, and call down the Right Honourable William Pitt from the fkies, to fave this finking nation; which, in plain profe, we hope and wish he may be able to do, albeit he does not receive grea affiftance from this poetical friend. ART. 40. An Invocation to Melancholy. A Fragment. is. Fletcher, Oxford, Rivingtons, London, 1785. This fragment is worthy of prefervation. There are many good lines in it, and fome attempts at defcriptive imagery which promise better things. It will be read with pleafure by a feeling mind, and the Critic, ever fo faftidious, will not find fo much to blame as in the greater part of modern poems. ART. 41. The Trial of Mrs. Harriet Errington, in the Bishop of London's Court, at Doctors Commons, for committing Adultery, with Auguftus Murray Smith, Efq. an officer in a corps of Marines; Captain Buckley, of the Guards; Captain Southby the Rev. Thomas Walker, Clerk, and others, &c. 8vo. 18. 6d. Randall, A collection of infamous and indecent facts, proved in the trial of Harriet Errington for adultery. It is to be lamented, that the civil magiftrate has not fufficient authority to fupprefs all publications of this kind. ART. 42. The Memoirs of Mrs. Harriot Er-g-n. 8vo. is, Randal. The deteftable obfcenity of this performance can only gratify bawds, pandars, and prostitutes. Its groffnefs is unvaried; and the P4 author author is unable to allure by any elegance of Ayle or vivacity of manner. ART. 43. Memoirs of George Ann Bellamy, including all her intrigues: with genuine Anecdotes of all her public and private connections. By a Gentleman of Covent Garden Theatre. Octavo, 23, 6d. Walker. This is properly an abridgment of the memoirs which Mrs. Bellamy lately published. It certainly includes the leading materials of her life. But as an abridgment it is defective. For her own language ought ever to have been employed. ART. 44 Ridgway's Abftract of the Budget; or Ways and Means for the year 1785, giving the effential particulars of every claufe in the various acts, impofing the following duties, viz. retail fhops, men and women fervants, batchelors, game, gloves,, attorneys at law, pawnbrokers, coach-makers, wheel carriages, poft-horfes, hawkers, and pedlars, &c. &c. Alfo a lift of the new Commiffioners of land tax. By a Gentlemen of the Temple, 8vo. 15. Ridgway. At a time, when the taxes are fo numerous and oppreffive, it is proper to exhibit litts of them. And of fuch publications the only merit is, their accuracy. Nor in this does Mr. Ridgway appear to be deficient; and his abftract will be found to be extremely useful to every family in Great Britain. ART. 45. As you like it, a Poem addreffed to a Friend. 4to. 28. Stockdale. This writer has no talents of the poetic kind. He has a paffion, however, for invective. But his rage cannot wound. His looks are furious in proportion to his impotence. ART. 46. Sawney Mackintosh's Travels through Ireland. Containing a particular account of the manners, laws, customs, &c. of the inhabitants of that kingdom. Together with a great number of curious anecdotes, defcribing the ftrange inconfiftencies, to which the people of Ireland are particularly fubject., With many croll and whimfical circumftances and adventures, that happened between Sawney and his man Grant, from the time of their entering Ireland, to that of their return to the land of Cakes. 12mo. Is. 6d. Adlard. This is perhaps the most vulgar catch-penny, that has ever appeared. It is infipid and obfcene; and has no claim of any kind to wit or humour. ART. 47. Maria; a Novel. By the Author of George. Bateman. 12mo. 38. Cadell. The intention of this Novel is to inculcate the principle of active benovolence; and from its moral tendency, it may be useful. In its execution it is not altogether defective. There is fomething in it like invention and character; and few of the prefent run of novels, deferve fo much praife. ART. 48. Obfervations on the Jurifprudence of the Court of Sefion in Scotland; wherein fome improprieties in the prefent mode of procedure are pointed out, and amendments fubmitted. 8vo. 15. Murray, London, Elliot, Edinburgh. It must be allowed, that the author of this tract, cenfures judiciously the Jurifprudence of the court of feffion in Scotland. And, it is to be hoped, that fome steps may in time be taken to facilitate in that country, the operations of the law. It would be a still greater improvement, if a proper inquiry fhould be made into what is called the nobile officium of the court of fethon. By this prerogative, it appears, that the Scottish Judges can fet afide the authority of acts of parliament. We are forry, that our author does not treat this topic at full length. Art. 49. Hydrometrical Obfervations and Experiments in the Brewery. Printed for the Author, 8vo. 2s. Robinfon. 1785. Mr. Baverftock, the author of the following treatife, fays in the beginning of his preface. "Having now ufed an hydrometer, during upwards of fixteen years, fo conftantly as on no one occafion in all that time to vend a fingle cafk of beer, without having previous ly afcertained the fpecific gravity of the worts, and brought them to a standard proportioned to the price of the beer, or to fome standard determined on by confiderations, varying with the yearly produce and price of the materials; it is prefumed that it will not prove unacceptable to thofe who may be interested or engaged in the brewery, that the refult of his obfervations should at length be made known. He has the greatest reason to believe, that he can render the information, afforded by this inftrument, exceedingly useful to thofe who are employed in that bufinefs." Perfons interested in these obfervations, will be able to form fome judgment of the informa tion they are likely to meet with, by the following list of particulars treated of in this publication. I. On the hydrometer and the hydrostatical balance, II. Application of the hydrometer in examining different waters, V. Ufe of the hydrometer in difcovering the value of worts, and in afcertaining the mean specific gravity of two worts, VI. Application of the hydrometer in difcovering the mean fpecific gravity of three worts, and in forming standard and gravi ties, with either two or more worts, VII. Ufe of the hydrometer in difcovering the precife value of different mafhes, or parcels of malt, VIII. Of the different kinds of hydrometers, IX. On barley and malt, X. On the thermometer, XI. Application of the hydrometer in directing the extraction and fermentation of fweets, XII. Appendix. The appendix contains strictures on a late publication upon the fame fubject, tending farther to confirm the author's obfervations, Mr. Baverftock appears to write with equal judgment and modefty; and his brethren in the trade we doubt not will profit by his labours. NATIONAL NATIONAL AFFAIRS, For SEPTEMBER, 1785. STATE OF IRELAND. THE public curiofity is now excited to know what commercial and political confequences will follow the minifterial abdication of the Irish Propofitions. If the Irish nation should now apply them, felves peaceably and induftrioufly to manufactures, and trade, and all the arts of peace, they will furnish a proof to the world that it was a just fense of oppreffive, and commercial reftrictions, and other injuries, and not any turbulency of difpofition which produced their late fermentation. If, on the contrary, with the poficffion of an independent government, and of the whole terraqueous globe for a theatre of commerce, they fhall continue to be idle, diffatisfied, and ftudious of innovation, they will betray an animofity, which, as it did not originate either in commercial or political restraint, is not to be appeafed and allayed by commercial or political conceffions, And, as we hefitate not to hazard probable reasoning or conjecture on every fubject that naturally directs our views to futurity, we declare it, as our opinion, that our coufins acrofs St. George's channel are not yet in an humour to beat their fwords into ploughfhares, or to turn their fhillelahs into weavers fhuttles. They will feek for fome other fubject of ftrife and contention with England, fomething to fupport their prefent agitation, fome fewel to feed the flame of difcord. It is not by the patient procefs of laborious induftry the fureft fource of wealth, but by fome more compendious road, that they feek for confequence, diftinction, and fame. Mr. Grattan who wields the national force, because he knows the national spirit and spring of action, touches on the chord which affords the most agreeable melody to Irish ears when, in the elevated strains of antient oratory, he roufes his countrymen to maintain unbroken their SPIRIT AND PRIDE. There is a genius or spirit peculiar to ages, as well as to nations, and the different ftages of human life. Not to carry our views into antient times, in thefe latter ages the world has been governed by a fpirit of chivalry, a fpirit of religion, a fpirit of military glory and conqueft; and, in the prefent times it is governed chiefly by a rage for commerce, the leaft elevated among all the fpirits, and refembling, in this refpect, the mammon of Milton among the other damned fpirits in hell. And thus kings and princes have not fo much governed the times in which they lived, as they have been governed by them, affuming the fucceffive characters of knights errant, of monks, of military captains, and of merchants and fhop-keepers. But to return from this digreffion as Ireland found in the perfon of Mr. Grattan, the fublimeft orator of the prefent age, and, perhaps of modern times; fo Mr. Grattan found in The fathionable and even the parliamentary mode of speaking of Ireland, is, to to call it the fifter kingdom, But the children of fifters are coufins. Ireland Ireland, a nation the most fitted of any in Europe to be influenced by the trains of eloquence: a nation, neither fo barbarous as to remain infenfible to the charms of reafon involved in a stream of fublime conceptions, nor fo refined as to make the ju teft reasoning only an object of reflection and of comparison with fome real model or fancied standard of oratory: † a nation not ignorant of the advantages of commerce, but more captivated with the attractions of power and of glory; a nation, not in that period of existence in which avarice is the ruling paffion; but in that earlier period when many generous fentiments are mixed and tarnished by furious and riotous excels. This fpirit of emulation which pervades the whole kingdom of Ireland, is, of neceflity modified by the genius of the different ranks whofe breasts it moves: but in all, its principal ingredient is the pride of independence, an indignant recollection of paft oppreffion, and a fpirit of refiftance bordering on hoftility to England. In fome it may break out in motions for revengful laws; in others in intrigues with the court of Verfailles; In fome in non-importation agreements; and fome in outrages against the Engish revenue officers, and the poor ftarvelings who come to fifh on their coafts, from the ifles and western coafts of Scotland. It is understood that the miniftry still fondly hope that the general fenfe of the Irish nation will yet accept the terms for a fyftem of mutual commerce which are held out to them in the Propofitions and till, it is by treating with that high-fpirited and generous, though turbulent and extravagant people, on the cold and cautious principles of trade, that they hope to effect a permanent connection between Great Britain and Ireland. But it is evident, that they miferably mistake the predominant paffion of Ireland, which is not mercantile advantage or gain of any kind; but a love of power and confequence fharpened by a remembrance of paft injuries. Had Mr. Grattan, like fome other speakers in the houfe of Commons, entered into minute details, and arithmetical calculations of lofs and gain had he demonftrated with all the certainty and precifion of the most. abstracted science, that Ireland would be a lofer by the bargain offer, ed by England, but a mighty gainer by rejecting it; had he recommended caution, and circumfpection, and recalled to their minds, like the Attorney General, how much they might be either benefited or annoyed by England; had Mr. Grattan, in fhort, attempted to compofe the minds of his countrymen to the peaceful habits of induftry, by appealing from their ambition to their avarice, all his eloquence would not have availed. It was by catching the tone of the people, it was by fanning the flame that burned ftrongest in the breafts of Irishmen, that he acquired public confidence and favour, and was able to infufe fo much light and heat into his parliamentary orations. If any body can think that the Irifh conftitution is "incompatible with the British Empire, a doctrine which I abjure as † In England eloquence never carries a vote. The members of Parliament are pre-engaged: and, even in the gallery, the specta-tors hold arguments, during all the fpeeches, concerning the comparative talents of the Speakers. * fedition |
