down to the end of the hiftory of the Greek iflands: our very learned and ingenious profeffor, correcting the mistakes, and fupplying the deficiencies, of the compilers, with great candor throughout.

K-n-k

Poems, on Subjects chiefly Devotional. By Theodofia. 8vo. 2 Vols. 6 s. Buckland, &c.

ITV

Tis greatly to be lamented that facred fubjects should ever be attempted by pretenders to poetry; who, incapable of attaining to the height of fuch great arguments, produce only ridicule, where they intended rapture; and who, inftead of finging, with effect, to the praise and glory of God, generally get themfelves laughed at, by perfons of true tafte and difcernment, on account of their miserable verses.

Of this, but too many inftances have occurred, within our own recollection; to fay nothing of the loads of devout rhimes which, from Sternhold and Hopkins, down to Blackmore and Erskine, to this day, ferve indeed to make full glad the hearts of many a well-meaning mortal, but at the fame time, afford ample scope for derifion to ludicrous readers, who are apt to carry their jokes too far; and, forgetting to feparate the matter from the manner, are prompted to fneer at religion herfelf, on account of the unbecoming garb in which he has been unhappily arrayed by her mistaken friends.

With this reflexion it was that we took up the publication now before us; expecting to find, in the contents, abundance of enthufiafm, and devout fentiments, dreffed up in fuch poetry as once was admired in Herbert and Quarles; or, at beft, an humble imitation of Dr. Watts or Mrs. Rowe;-but, how agreeably were we difappointed, on turning over a few pages, to find, that, here indeed, the true Spirit of divine poetry had manifefted itself, in ftrains which even Rowe and Watts themselves would not blush to own: fuch strains, we may venture to add, as they have not often excelled, nor always equalled.

Pleafed with this difcovery, and delighted to find the mufe fo happily engaged in her noblest and most natural employment, Hymning the great Creator's Praife,' we proceeded through the two volumes, with uncommon fatisfaction: and

though

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6

though we do not always fall in with the religious * fentiments of the amiable Theodofia, who, like the wrapt Seraph that adores and burns,' is fometimes borne away, by the ardour of her zeal, to heights far above the ken and compafs of cooler reafon; yet, as fincere admirers of the facred mufe, we cannot but feel, and acknowlege, as with unfeigned pleasure we do, the beauties of her poetry: nor ought we here to fupprefs our high opinion of the goodness of her heart; from the fulness of which, with genuine and unaffected rapture; the pours forth her fongs of praife, to the Almighty Father, and to the all-beneficent Saviour of the world.

We would not, however, be thought to fpeak of all this lady's picces, as of equal merit. This is a circumftance not to be expected in any Mifcellaneous Collection, even of the works of the moft improved Authors; and we have heard that the ingenious Theodofia is but a young writer.-The following extracts, not selected as the best of her pieces, but as fair and impartial fpecimens of her performances, upon the whole, will, in our opinion, fupport the character we have given them.

A

To LYSANDER.

Mufe, in learning's arduous toil unfkill'd,
That fung her wild-notes to the filent shade,
Collected bloffoms from her native field,

And o'er the rural fcenes delighted ftray'd:
Though unambitious of the wreath of fame,
Yet glow'd her bofom with a nobler flame.
Nor king's nor heroes grac'd her artless lay,

For peaceful themes to filvan fhades belong;
Alike unknown among the Great and Gay,

Soft adulation flow'd not in her fong.
To heav'n that gave them, oft her notes afpire,
Or friendship wakes the fympathizing lyre.

Indulgent Friendship, liftning, caught the ftrain,
And fondly fancy'd it was tun'd to move;
Then, fmiling, bore it to the diftant plain,

Far, ah how far beyond its native grove!

With respect to her notions of Christianity, fhe appears to be a difciple of the late Mr. Hervey; of whofe tendency towards Fanati cifm, and connexion with the Methodists, few of our readers are ignorant. But he was a good creature, and always meant well; tho' neither a free nor a deep thinker :-by free-thinking, we mean what St. Paul meant, when he praised the Bereans.

• B

But fay, Lyfander, can fuch notes as these
Amid politer fcenes expect to please?

Say, can thefe untaught airs acceptance find

Where Milton, wond'rous bard! divinely fung?
Or yield a tafte of pleasure to the mind

That raptur'd foars with Hervey or with Young!
In minds of polifh'd frame can friendship dwell
Plain, unadorn'd, as in the rural cell ?

Yet friendship dwells with piety fincere,

Or in the cottage, or the ftately dome,
Whether detain'd in crouded fcenes of care,

Or in the village fix'd, her peaceful home:
Where these refide, though artless be her ftrain,
O may the mufe a kind admiffion gain.
If minds, where piety and friendship glow,

Approving fmile, and own the kindred theme;
That fmile a nobler pleafure will beftow,

Than all the laurel'd wreaths of boasting fame:
Bleft minds to these the Mufe devotes her lays ;
If thefe approve, fhe feeks no other praise.

To BELINDA.

BELINDA to her utmost wish is bleft!

But ftay, my friend-that hafty thought review-
New wifhes yet will rife to break your reit;
And if not lafting, can your blifs be true?

True happiness is not the growth of earth,
The toil is fruitlefs if you feek it there;
'Tis an exotic of celeftial birth,
And never blooms, but in celestial air.

Sweet plant of paradife, its feeds are fown
In here and there a mind of heav'nly mold;
It rises flow, and buds, but ne'er is known
To bloffom fair, the climate is too cold.

Ah no, Belinda, you have only found
Some flow'r that charms your fancy, gayly dreft
In fhining dyes, a native of the ground,
And think you are of happiness poffeft.

But mark its date, to-morrow you may find
The colours fade, the lovely form decay :
And can that pleafure fatisfy the mind,
Which blooms, and fades, the folace of a day?
O may your erring wifhes learn to rife
Beyond the tranfient blifs which fancy knows!
Search not on earth, explore its native skies;
There happiness in full perfection grows.

Occafioned

Occafioned by reading Mr. GRAY'S HYMN to ADVERSITY.

Kind adverfity, thou friend to truth!

By thee to virtue form'd, the human mind
Difdains the vanities of heedless youth;
How roving else, and ignorant and blind!
When flatt'ring fortune fhines with gaudy blaze,
In fafcinating chains the holds the eye;
The mind is loft in error's fatal maze,
And dreams of lafting blifs below the sky.

Thy friendly admonitions roufe the foul,
Conviction rifes ftrong to break the fnare;
Truth, (heav'nly guide!) appears with kind controul,
And fortune's painted fcenes are lost in air.

Tho' rough thy afpect, and thy frown severe,
'Tis but to bend the proud, the stubborn heart;
A foft emollient, is thy briny tear,

And thy corrofives pain with healing fmart.
The kindeft, gentleft virtues form thy train;
Reflection comes with penfive mufing eye,
And humble penitence, that not in vain
Prefents to heav'n the fupplicating figh.

Meek patience looks unmov'd on pain and care;
While chearful hope with peace-inspiring fmile,
Points forward thro' the gloom, celeftial fair!
The woes of life, her whifper can beguile.
Beyond the woes of life the lifts her eyes,
And often meditates a joyful flight;
By faith, her radiant filter, taught to rife,
To diftant profpects of immenfe delight,

O kind adverfity, without thy aid,

How faintly would these virtues warm the breast!
Why should I tremble at thy darksome shade?
For who without adverfity is bleft?

Thy wholefome cold, like winter, kills the weeds
Which in th' uncultur'd mind luxuriant rife;
Then heav'nly wildom fows her precious feeds,
Nor fhall they want the bleffing of the fkies.

But may heav'n thy rig'rous hand reftrain,
May't thou correct and teach, but not destroy!
Thy needful lefions then shall not be vain,
And thy fhost forrows work my latting joy.

FOREIGN

ACCOUNT OF FOREIGN BOOKS.

Campagne de Hollande, en MDCLXXII, fous les Ordres de M. le Duc de Luxembourg, contenant des Lettres de ce grand Capitaine, celles de Monfieur le Duc de Duras, de Meffieurs de Chamilly, et autres Officiers generaux des Armées de France, à Monfieur le Marquis de Louvois, avec les réponses de 'ce Secretaire d'Etat de la Guerre, fes Negociations en Allemagne, et diverfes Relations de Siéges et d' Actions. Recueil extrément intereffant, pour la politique et pour la guerre, tant par les anecdotes Secrettes de Plufieurs perfonnages fameux de ce tems, que par les fçavantes manœuvres, les grandes Operations militaires, et les Defcriptions exactes qu'on y trouve, avec quantité d'autres Eclairciffemens très curieux, concernant la force des Places, et la Situation des Lieux, principalement à l'egard des Inondations faites dans les Provinces-Unies; Copiè fur les Originaux, au dépôt de la guerre de la Cour de France. Folio. A la Haye. Chez. De Hondt*. Or,

A Relation of the particulars of the Campaign made in Holland, in the Year 1672, by the French Troops, under the Command of the Duke of Luxembourg; contained in a Series of Letters from that General, the Duke de Duras, Mr. Chamilly, and other General Officers in the French Army, to the Marquis de Louvois, Secretary at War: Together with the Anfwers of that Minifter, his Negociations in Germany, and other Accounts of the military Tranfactions of thofe Times, &c. &c.

AS the title-page of this performance is fufficiently parti

cular, we shall not detain the Reader with any farther account of the contents, than to obferve, the Letters bear all the marks of authenticity, and cannot fail of affording much entertainment to thofe who are defirous of being particularly acquainted with the circumftances and tranfactions of a campaign fo interefting to the Republic of the United Provinces, as that wherein the head quarters of the French army were at Utrecht, and their detached parties levied contributions, and fired towns and villages, even within two leagues of Amfterdam itself.

The French, and their Partizans, pretend that all the accounts hitherto given by the Dutch, of the cruelties practifed in that campaign, have been moft injuriously exaggerat

* Sold by Becket in the Strand, London.

ed.