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NOVELS and MEMOIRS.

Art. 21. The Life of the Countess of G- by Gellert, translated from the German by a Lady. 12mo. 2 Vols. 58. Law.

A very elegant work, exhibiting fine pictures of human nature. It is tranflated in genteel language, and with a good addrefs.. Art. 22. The History of the Lady Ann Neville, Sifter to the great Earl of Warwick, in which are interfperfed Memoirs of that Nobleman, and the principal Characters of the Age in which the lived. 12mo. 2 Vols. 5s. Cadell.

It was a complaint in the Roman literature, even of claffic times, that FANCY intruded into the province of hiftory, and interwove her labours in the loom of TRUTH. Such were the works of Curtius, and others of his caft. But be it henceforth known to all novelifts, that we do folemnly forbid them to touch on that province, on pain of our higheft difpleafure. This work, however, can do no harm, being written in too vicious a ftyle to furvive its first winter. Art. 23. The Loves of Califo and Emira; or the Fatal Legacy. Published from the Originals, by John Seally, Gentleman. 3s. Becket. 1776.

12mo.

The Author of this novel has little to apprehend from the judgment of grave and fober critics. His merit is to be determined in a court where our, opinion will be little regarded, and in which he would not be the lefs applauded on account of any cenfure we might pafs on the plan or execution of his work. In the court of love, Reviewers are not allowed a voice. The glowing expreffions of affection which are here echoed between two turtles, through a feries of billing and cooing epifles, will touch the ftrings of love with fuch enchanting melody, as cannot fail of creating an advocate for the writer in the heart of every happy nymph and fwain, who are experiencing the lively raptures,-the refined pleafures, Howing from the union of virtuous and fufceptible minds.' Nor fhall we attempt to deprive him of any part of that applaufe which we are certain he chiefly values, left he fhould pronounce us unacquainted with the fubject, and therefore incompetent judges of the merit, of the work: for we heartily aflent to the truth of our Author's maxim: thofe who never felt this divine paffion, have no conception of the fenfations it caufes; a blind man is a better judge of colours, than the infenfible of love.'

Art. 24. Difinterefled Love; or the Hiftory of Sir Charles Royston and Emily Lesley in a Series of Letters. 12mo. 2 Vols. 5 s. Wilkie. 1776.

Refinement and delicacy of fentiment, and elevated ideas of honour and generofity, are fo ftrongly marked in these letters, that they muft prove an agreeable entertainment to those who read with the fame moral feelings and principles with which the Author appears to have written. The characters are evidently chofen, and the plot contrived, with a view to difplay the most amiable virtues of the heart. It is not without regret that we obferve in the execution of fo laudable a defign, a feeblenets of expreffion, and a redundancy and confufion of incident, which in a great measure prevent the effect the Author meant to produce.

Art.

Art: 25: The Rambles of Mr. Frankly. Publifhed by his Sifter.

Vol. III. IV. 12mo. 59. fewed, Becket. 1776. This imitation of Sterne's Sentimental Journey appears to be completed in the 2 vols. now published. Our opinion of the merit of this work was intimated in the 48th volume of the Review, at p. 71, to which we may now, with justice add, that the principles of virtue, and efpecially of benevolence, fo plentifully fown in thefe literary rambles, may produce a valuable crop in the minds of young readers and to fuch, it feems probable, this performance will be moft acceptable. Those who have more experience of human life and manners, will think it romantic.

DRAMATIC.

Art. 26. The Bankrupt, a Comedy, in Three Acts. By Samuel Foote, Efq. 8vo. 1s. 6d. Kearfly.

This piece contains a smaller portion of the vis comica, than is ufually to be met with in the dramas of Mr. Foote, whofe genius rather inclines him to deviate into the extravagant and burlesque, than to trefpafs on the ferious and fentimental. The pathetick is certainly not the forte of our Author, and he has accordingly (as if confcious of the nature of his literary powers) endeavoured to tincture the diftreffes of his hero with the whimsical. There are, however, fome touches of true comedy to be found in the Bankrupt, particucularly the confultation between Sir Robert Refcounter and his attornies, and the fcene of the printing-houfe.

Art. 27. The Man of Quality. A Farce. By Mr. Lee. 8vo. 1s. Kearfly. 1776.

An injudicious mutilation of Vanburgh's Relapfe. It was too truly obferved by Pope, how Van wants grace, who never wanted oit! His prefent editor may not want grace; but in this alteration he has neither fhewn his judgment nor his wit.

8vo.

I S.

Art. 28. The Contract: A Comedy, of Two Acts. As it was performed at the Theatre Royal in the Hay market. Davies, &c. 1776.

A farce without pleafantry, founded on the comedy of L' Amour Ufe of Deftouches. It is preceded by a good prologue, and contains two fongs, which have more merit than all the rest of the piece, in which there is no agreeable incident, nor one humourous character.

NATURAL HISTORY. Art. 29. A Natural Hiftory of British Birds, &c. with their Portraits accurately drawn, and beautifully coloured from Nature. Folio, Imperial Paper. 51. 15 s. 6d. Hooper. 1775.

Mr. Hayes hath executed this work in the form and manner of Mr. Pennant's British Zoology, to which performance it may ferve as no unequal companion. Many of the fubjects (which, as the title obferves, are portraits) are drawn according to their natural fize; and the colouring, though in fome inftances rather too vivid and glaring, is, in general, equally chafte and beautiful. It is, indeed, a fplendid and elegant production; and we hope that the very ingenious Author will meet with fuch fuccefs in his publication of this firft part, as may encourage him to carry it on with spirit and advantage. The

F 2

birds

birds contained in this volume; are delineated on forty folio plates; and they consist of a confiderable variety, of different kinds, from the falcon to the gold finch and tit moufe; including many of the anfer and anas tribes; together with the gold and filver pheasants, and the bantam cock.

In the printed defcriptions, the Author has followed the Linnæan arrangement; and has given, firft, a very brief account of each fubject in Latin; to which he has fubjoined a more circumftantial detail in English. LA W.

Art. 30. The whole of the Evidence on the Trial of her Grace Elizabeth, Dutchess Dowager of King fton, before the Right Honour able the Houfe of Peers,-April, 1776. Together with an authentic Copy of her Grace's Defence, as spoken by herself. Publithed by Order of her Grace, from the Short Hand Notes of Mr. Gurney. Folio. 2s. 6d. Kearsley.

Authentic; but does not contain the whole of the arguments used by the counfel, on both fides of the question.

Art. 31. The Trials on the Informations filed by his Majefty's
Attorney General, against Richard Smith, Efq; and Thomas Brand
Hollis, Efq; for Bribery at the Election for Hindon. Tried by a
Special Jury, March 12, 1776, at the Affizes held at Salisbury,
before the Honourable Sir Beaumont Hotham, Knight, one of the
Barons of his Majesty's Court of Exchequer. Taken in Short-
Hand by Jofeph Gurney. 4to. 13. 6d. Kearsley.
Contains the evidence, only.

Art. 32. The Trial of the Caufe on an Action brought by Stephen
Sayer, Ejq; against the Right Honourable Henry Earl of Rochford,
Jate Secretary of State, for falfe Imprisonment. Before the Right
Hon. Lord Chief Juftice De Grey, in the Court of Common Pleas, in
Westminster Hall, June 27th 1776. Published from Mr. Gurney's
Short-Hand Notes. Folio. is. 6d. Kearney.

The evidence affords very interefting matter; but we should have been glad to have feen the arguments of the counfel, &c. Art. 33. The Debtor's Pocket Guide, in Cafes of Arrest; containing Cautions and Inftructions against the Impofition and Extortion of the Serjeants at Mace, Bailiff, Gaoler, &c. By an old Practitioner. 8vo. 2 s. Richardfon and Urquhart. 1776. As eafy as it may seem to abstract diffufive fubjects in fhort compendiums, thofe in general who undertake fuch tasks, confider them as too eafily performed; they either do not understand the proper duty of compiling, or will not give themselves the trouble of entering into the fpirit of it. Thus for one inftance; in the prefent pocket guide, the Reader is informed (p. 5.) that peers of the realm, or their fervants, with members of parliament or their fervants, may not be arrested in the time of parliament, or in certain days (not specified) before and after. The debtor or creditor who reads this paragraph, will probably act accordingly, and accordingly will act wrong; for five pages forward there is another paragraph informing him from • Of what? Of impofition and extortion, now grown confcientious?

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the 10 Geo. III. that the fervants of peers and members are by this fatute deprived of any privilege they were before intitled to, and may now be arrested as common perfons.' Why then were we not informed of this before? Why will Writers fervilely copy obfolete matter from each other, under pretence of giving pocket guides, inftead of giving us at once under every head, the law as it now ftands? It is but fair to hint to the Reader, that if his pocket will not afford him another guide, this will leave him totally at a loss in his difficulties.

Art. 34. A Digeft of the Laws relating to the Game of this Kingdem: Containing all the Statutes now in Force, refpecting the different Species of Game; including thofe which have been made for the Prefervation of Sea and River Fish, &c. By John Paul, Barrifter at Law. 8vo. 2s. 6d. Richardfon and Urquhart.

1775.

This digeft is made under five general divifions, viz. fourfooted game, winged game, fea and river fifh,-adjudications on thefe,-and Tally, precedents: and under thefe heads the ftatutes are abftracted in chronological order. This however, it must be observed, is but a crude and hafty attempt at a digeft; efpecially as there is no index to guide the Reader to any article he may immediately want, nor any leading head titles or marginal notes to fuperfede the neceffity of a general index. Any very particular examination was thus rendered too difficult to undertake on our parts, and of course not more easy to other purchasers. We have therefore only noticed that the laws relating to winged game are brought no nearer to the present time under the proper head, than the ftatute 2 Geo. III. whereas under fourfooted game, may be found the acts 10 Geo. III. and 13 Geo. III. relating to pheasants, partridges, moor-game, heath-game, and groufe!

Art. 35. A Matter of Moment. 8vo. 6d. Corral.

This appears to have been intended, in fome measure, as a Sup. plement to Mr. Mawhood's Thoughts on the Regulations neceffary to the Appointment of an Advocate General, &c. mentioned in our lalt Month's Catalogue. The prefent little tract proposes to reform the abuses and injuries arifing from the mode of examining witnesses in the Court of Chancery.

Art. 36. Browne's General Law Lift; containing an alphabetical Register of the Names and Refidence of the feveral Judges, Serjeants, Council, Commiffioners of Bankrupts, Attornies, Doctors, Proctors, Notaries Public, Officers, &c. &c. To which are added, several useful Articles for the Inftruction of young Practitioners in all the different Courts, &c. 12mo. 2 s. Browne, in Wardrobe court, Doctor's Commons.

What a Pity is it that fuch a goodly provifion of lawyers cannot keep all mankind honeft! And what a fad thing it would be, might fome of the lawyers fay, if all mankind were honest! The temptations of the devil are of service to more efláblifhments than one.

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POETICAL.

Art. 37. Poems; Edward and Isabella; Elegy on the Death of a Child. 4to. 25. White.

The firft of thefe poems is a lamentable flory, unnaturally told. The elegy is trite and infipid.

Art. 38. The Exhibition of Fancy, a Vision, 4to.

Kearfly.

I S. 6 d.

The Author, in his dedication, fays, let no one blame me for want of ability. A clown may furely pay homage to a prince, and only ill-nature could object that he did it not with the air of a courtier,' very true. But if this clown were ambitious of exhibiting his Courtefy to the Public eye, and should thrust himself into the circle to pay his refpects, one might laugh, at least, without a grain of illnature. And, in truth, that is juft our cafe with refpect to this poem.

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Art. 39. Edwald and Ellen, an Heroic Ballad, in Two Cantos, By Mr Thistlethwaite. 4to. I S. 6 d. Murray.

A contemptible imitation of that truly beautiful poem, Armine and Elvira. Thus it opens:

Deep in a defart's lonely wild,

Far from the devious paths of man,
A hapless youth,-Misfortune's child,
To folitude and filence ran.

No filver hairs emboss'd his head

By furrow'd time as trophies hung,
Age had not yet its honours fpread.
Nor marr'd the music of his tongue.

This is altogether marvellous! that a hapless youth should not be a grey headed old man!

in a cell's fequefter'd fhade,

From care and fhort recefs he fought,

To heal the wounds his forrows made,
And vend his ponderous load of thought.'

Surely the Author must here be speaking of himself, not of his Hero; for we have not the leaft doubt that the fole object of this publication

was to

vend his ponderous load of thought!'

Davies.

Art. 40. The Temple of Mammon. 4to. I s. From the title of this poem we hoped to have met with fomething worth notice; however, to borrow a curious line of the Author's,

• We took'd to fee, but not a trace was feen.'

Art. 41. The Song and Story of Mrs. Draper, the Widow Lady of Bath; the Song fet to Mufic. 4to. 1 s. Williams.

A fiddler imagining that a lady of fortune had fallen in love with his inftrumental performances, has the impudence to pay his addreffes to her; and, being rejected, has the further impudence (what will not fiddlers dare!) to ferenade her with a dirty ballad. For further particulars inquire upon the premises.

Art,

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