ced into it, for the fake of her own fecurity, by the faid treaty of Whitehall,

IX. A View of the Manner in which Trade and Civil Liberty Support each other. Being one of the two differtations on that fubject, which obtained the prizes at Cambridge in 1755, then first instituted by the Right Hon. Lord Viscount Townfhend; read before the Univerfity June 17, by William Hazeland, M. A. Schoolmafter at Tottenham-Highcrofs, in Middlefex. 4to. Is. Beecroft.

A very fenfible, fpirited, manly performance.

X. The Voice of the People; a collection of Addreffes to his Majefty, and Inftructions to Members of Parliament, by their Conftituents, upon the unsuccessful management of the prefent war, both by land and fea, and the establishment of a national Militia, &c. &c. 8vo. 1 s. Payne.

To this Collection, the Editor has prefixed a well-written preface, in defence of the addreffes, and (with the ingenious Author of the Confiderations *) to prove them conftitutional, decent, and neceffary.

*See Review for November, p. 518.

XI. Bungiana; or, An Affemblage of What-d'ye-call-'ems, in profe and verfe, that have occafionally appeared, relative to the conduct of a certain naval Commander. Now firft collected, in order to perpetuate the memory of his wonderful atchlevements. 8vo. 6d. Doughty.

Gleaned from the first overflowings of the News-papers, against Admiral Byng.

XII. A Collection of feveral Pamphlets, very little known; some suppressed letters, and fundry detached pieces, published in the daily papers, &c. relative to the cafe of Admiral Byng, 8vo. 1 s. 6 d. Lacy.

This is a collection of pieces in favour of Mr. Byng, and is published as a counterpoife to Bungiana; the preceding article.

XIII. Some Reasons for believing fundry letters and papers, afcribed, in three late publications, to Admiral Byng, not only fpurious, but also an infidious attempt to prejudice the Admiral's character. 8vo. 1 s. Doughty.

The above title apparently indicates an ironical performance. The pamphlet is by no means the most contemptible of thofe that have appeared against the Admiral.

RELIGIOUS and CONTROVERSIAL.

XIV. The Fall of Man: An Enquiry into the nature of that event, and how far the pofterity of Adam are involved

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in

1

in the guilt of his tranfgreffion. Addreffed to all, but particularly Preachers, who embrace the doctrine of original fin. By Anthony Fothergill, a Husbandman in the county of Weftmoreland. 8vo. 1 s. Payne.

Having had occafion, more than once, to give our fentiments of Mr. Fothergill, as an Author, we shall at prefent content ourfelves with observing, that this piece, though it contains nothing new upon the subject, is written in a clear and fenfible manner, and carries with it evident marks of found judgment.

XV. The Trial of Spirits; or, A Treatife upon the Nature, Office, and Operations of the Spirit of Truth. By James Relly. 8vo. 1 s. Lewis.

This is a ftrange rhapfody, wherein it is often difficult to perceive, what the Author means. The great point which he is folicitous to establish, feems to be this; that whatever the Spirit worketh for the falvation and comfort of mankind, is all wrought by his fhewing us the things of Chrift, and teftifying of him, that he may be glorified. Whatever operating power and influence (upon our hearts)' fays he, tends to lead us to Jefus for righteoufnefs and strength, to Jefus for wifdom and purity, to Jefus ⚫ for eternal falvation and comfort, fhows us the glory of Jefus, ⚫ and endears Jesus to the foul, yea, conftantly leads us out of ourfelves, to have all our hope and dependence 'on Jesus; this is the fpirit of truth, the Holy Ghoft, the Comforter."

XVI. Effays on feveral Divine and Moral Subjects: particularly on the Chriftian temper and conduct-fober-mindedednefs-the fear of God-a future state-marriage-the middle ftate the imitation of Chrift-degrees in glory-religionthe fabbath-affliction-contentment-a pacific difpofitionthe late earthquakes-the advent and crucifixion-moderation, &c. By William Richardson of Blencowe, Vicar of Dacre, in Cumberland. 12mo. 2s. 6d. Hodges.

Though there is nothing particularly triking, or animated in thefe Effays, yet the fentiments are juft, the language is eafy and perfpicuous, and a fpirit of candor and benevolence breathes through the whole of them. The Author enters into no nice or refined fpeculations, but following the dictates of plain common fenfe, has adapted his performance to the capacity of almoft every Reader.

POETICA L.

XVII. The Wisdom of the Supreme Being. A Poem. By George Bally, M. A. Fellow of King's College, Cambridge. 4to. is. B. Dod, &c.

This is the fecond time that Mr. Billy has obtained Mr. Seaton's (a) reward; and we can fafely fay, that if his first attempt merited that diftinction, the prefent performance deferves it no lefs.

In our account of that poem, we, in general, remarked, that Mr. Bally's only refemblance to Milton, confifted in his larding his verses with fome peculiar words ufed by that great Bard, but which, as they were now obfolete, could neither add dignity nor fpirit to poetical numbers. Tho' Mr. Bally feems to have been convinced of the propriety of that criticifm, yet is he now guilty of greater tranfgreffion, in introducing unmufical (6) words, coining (c) new ones, and changing adjectives into fubftantives (d). There can be no apology for the ufe of words incapable of harmonious combination: and though Milton, Philips, Young, Thomson, and others, may be cited as authorities for the practice mentioned in the other parts of our charge, Mr. Bally ought to confider, that those who scarce rife to the middle of Parnaffus, are, by the eternal laws of Apollo, excluded from many licences wherein they who have reached the fummit, are indulged.

After his introductory Addrefs to the Supreme Being, Mr. Bally cenfures Reafon, and Philofophy, as the grand fources of Scepticism and Infidelity; and yet, can any propofition be more evident, than that reason, and philofophy are the only media, by which man can demonftrate the wifdom of the great Architect of Nature; whether we confider that attribute a priori; or, a pofteriori, from the works of creation? This, we humbly conceive, is a little flip at the very threshold of the work.

The Muses, it is allowed, are exempted from a scientifical precision: Yet, when a Master of Arts, and Fellow of a College, writes on a learned fubject, the world has a right to look for marks of erudition, if not of genius. But much we fear, that Mr. Bally is not a little deficient in this respect; efpecially in what he has faid of the human anatomy. We hall pafs over his account of the eye and ear, the ftructure of which he had done better to have copied from any modern anatomist than from Cicero, (e) with this obfervation, that though none of the other fenfes afford fuch a fund of poetical images, yet is his defcription of them both unpoetical and barren. Nor is he culpable only for his omiffions; the epithet which he beflows on the finews (f) his fpiral knots of veins, not to mention his ftringing the fabrick with nerves, betray his ignorance of anatomy. Would not one conclude from the following

(a) Review, vol. XII. page 159.

(b)

When the Divine Geometrician stretch'd

Th' immeafurable level through the void.'p. 18.

(c) Emaning, enounce.

(d) The Fair Archetypal,' &c. p. 17.

(e) De Naturâ Deorum.

(f) Branchy threads.

lines,

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lines, that the arteries not only carried the blood from the hear to the extremities, but alfo brought it back from the extreme parts to the heart again?

Who in the dark the vital flame illum'd,

And from th' impulfive engine caus'd to flow
Th' ejaculated freams through many a pipe
Arterial with meandring lapfe, then bring
Refluent their purple tribute to their fount ?

And yet much the fame office is affigned to the veins a few lines

The azure veins in fpiral knots to waft
Life's tepid waves all o'er ?

In defiance, however, of our Bard's authority, the unpoetical herd of Phyfiologifts may ftill confidently maintain, that the veins only bring back the blood from the extremities, effete, and confequently unfit for the offices of life.

Mr. Bally's refutation of the Epicurean fyftem, is lefs exceptionable; but had this gentleman looked into Cardinal Polignac's Anti-Lucretius, or had he even condescended to perufe Sir Richard Blackmore's Poem on the Creation; and availed himself ever fo moderately of his reading, perhaps, neither his reasoning or numbers, might have been the worse for it.

But though our Bard, in what he has advanced against Epicurus, is intelligible enough, yet in the first lines of his refutation of Ariftotle, he feems, to have taken the contrary biass; at least we, who, alass! are not OEdipufes, are unable to unriddle

them.

Having confidered the marks of divine Wisdom, which are every where fo difcoverable in the Planetary Syftem, Mr. Bally defcends to earth, where

Proofs abound

Of infinite contrivance, matchless skill.

This we readily allow; but are at some lofs to understand the philofophy of the following lines, as the context fhews, he is speaking of the earth.

A form orbicular how fit to weigh
The golden gift of light and heat to all
The fcatter'd districts with impartial scale!

For

For, to us, they feem to intimate, as if the earth both heated, and enlightned itself.

The poem concludes with that old, and often refuted, objection to Divine Wisdom, the immenfe quantity of water in our globe. His answer enumerates many of the advantages derived to man from this feeming fuperabundance of that element. This was a glorious theme for a poetical imagination. What fine things might not have been faid on the Rainbow, the Clouds, and Rivers? but the Reader will be difappointed who expects to find the Speciofa Miracula in our Author's performance; which, upon the whole, is even less replete with Poetry, than with Argu

ment.

XVIII. The Mirrour. A Comedy. In three Acts. With the Author's Life, and an Account of the Alterations. 8vo. *s. Scott.

The Author, whofe life is here given, and from whofe writings the Mirrour is now taken, is Thomas Randolph, A. M. and Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge; a Gentleman no less eminent for his wit than his learning. He lived about the beginning of the last century, and if Fate had prolonged his days*, he would probably have equalled any of his cotemporaries in the Vis Comica, as he certainly furpaffed most of them in the variety, and fmoothnefs of his verfification. We always read the Mufes Looking-Glafs (for fo Randolph intitled his Comedy) with fatisfaction. It is an Ethic Drama; wherein the oppofite extremes of feveral virtues, exemplified in the most extravagant characters, are brought upon the ftage. We do not, however, pretend to fay, that fuch allegorical exhibitions are proper fubjects for the comic Muse. Randolph has introduced into his scenes the extremes of Courtefy, Fortitude, Temperance, Liberality, Magnificence, Meekness, Truth, Cleanliness, Modefty, Juftice, and Urbanity, under Greek names expreffive of thofe vices; Colax, or the Flatterer, with great propriety, making one perfon in every scene. From these the Editor of the Mirrour has only felected the extremes of Courtesy, Fortitude, Temperance, Magnanimity, Meekness, Truth, and Juftice, tho' fome of the others afford as much truth of character, and from their familiar nature, as well as from the wit which Randolph has bestowed on them, feem equally appropriated to the fock. Besides, in the Looking Glafs there are two of the narrow-foul'd Enthufiafts of those days, who

* Mr. Cibber, in his Lives of the Poets, as well as this Editor, fays, that he died in his 29th year; but in the frontispiece of the edition of his Works, published by his brother, Robert Randolph of Chrift-church college, our Poet is faid to have died in the 27th year of his age; a circumftance that does honour to Mr Randolph's memory; when we confider the merit of his writings, and the youth of the writer.