What does your ladyship think of that taffeta? "Child. Dorothy-purchases-dimity-petticoats. Sweet little innocent! twenty pound feventeen; "Countess. -Give 'em to Benjamin; From this letter it appears, that the filly confequence and pompous inanity, too often affumed at watering-places, are finely expofed. Such playful fatire creates an innocent laugh, and may tend to cure that fpecies of folly which is of too trivial a nature to attract the more ferious attention of the profeffed reformers of mankind. The Falfe Friend, a Domeftic Story. By Mary Robinson. In Four Volumes. Longman and Rees. THAT this production, coming from the prolific pen of Mrs. Robinson, poffeffes the ufual traits of genius and ability cannot be denied. But it is certainly fpun out to a tedious length; nor do we admire the nature and tendency of the story. Indeed we are of opinion that the novels which owe moft of their incidents to the falling in love with married folks, cannot be very edifying, and that they leave an indelible taint of depravity on the minds of the rifing generation. It is ftrange, paffing ftrange, that novelifts of genius cannot confine themfelves within the legitimate limits of probability. They ought, likewise, to be very careful that nothing flows from their pen which may injure the morals of the community. The The Politician's Creed, or Political Extracts, being an Anfwer to thefe Queftions;-What is the beft Form of Government? and what is the beft Adminiftration of a Government? By a Lover of Social Order. In Three Volumes. Symonds. WHAT a long Creed! we were ready to exclaim, when we first took up these three octavo volumes. But upon a closer examination, the ingenious writer we found has taken a large furvey of the fubject. We are happy to say that the work, though fomewhat too diffufe, abounds with inftruction and entertainment. An evident attention has been paid to the various topics which are here difcuffed. We have, therefore, only to add, that the important fubject of government, in all its ramifications, is here treated with good sense and moderation. Pious Reflections for every Day in the Month. Tranf lated from the French of Fenelon, Archbishop of Cam+ bray. A New Edition. To which is added a Sketch of the Life of the Author. Symonds. is. EVERY thing of a devotional nature, from the pen of the author of Telemachus, is valuable; and we are much pleafed with this little manual. The Biography of Fenelon, though fhort, is entertaining, and thus pertinently concludes. "D'Alembert," who remarks that there is a long dull epitaph on his monument, gives the following: "Underneath this ftone FENELON repofes! Traveller, "efface not by thy tears this epitaph-that others may "read it and weep as well as thee !" VOL. VII. Nn The The Spaniards in Peru; or the Death of Rolla. A Tragedy, in Five Acts. By Auguftus Von Kotzebue. The original of the Play performing at the Theatre Royal Drury-Lane, under the Title of Pizarro. Tranflated from the German, by Anne Plumptre. Second edition. 25. 6d. Symonds. Rolla; or the Peruvian Hero. Tranflated by M. G. Bell. Pizarro; or the Death of Rolla. Tranflated by Thomas Dutton, A. M. Author of the Literary Cenfus. 2s. 6d. Weft. WHAT! tranflator upon tranflator-furely the foul of Kotzebue will, by degrees, be thoroughly ex plored. With regard to thefe feveral tranflations-their refpective merits may be characterifed in a few words.That by Mifs Plumptree is executed with ability; that by Mr. Lewis is valuable for a fpirited brevity; and that by Mr. Dutton is fhrewd, but debafed by illiberality. His notes reflecting on the trifling inaccuracies of former tranflators, are abufive, and calculated only to excite disgust. The confiderate critic, apprifed of the difficulty of the task undertaken in tranffufing the ideas of a genius from one language into another, will not decide with feverity. Sufficient is done provided the fentiments of the author be preferved, and the fpirit of the piece be kept from evaporation. The fecurity of these two effential qualities, whatever other defects are difcernible, fhould entitle a tranflator from any language to commendation. Biography Biography for Boys; or, Characteristic Hiftories calcu lated to imprefs the youthful mind with an admiration of virtuous Principles, and a deteftation of vicious ones. By Mrs. Pilkington. 25. Vernor and Hood. LITTLE Boys and Little Girls ought to be much obliged to Mrs. Pilkington for the pains which the has at various times taken for their improvement. The prefent production is indeed addreffed to boys-but the young of both fexes will be gratified by its perufal.There is a charactereftic appropriateness in the feveral ftories here detailed, which cannot fail of producing a favourable impreffion where they are read with attention. The Pleafures of Hope, with other Poems. By Thomas Campbell. Longman and Rees. ANOTHER young mufe attempting the Parnaffian heights! if the gains not the fummit-yet the fings in no contemptible strains. The delufive pleasures of Hope are pourtrayed with feeling, and the following lines, refpecting unhappy Poland, pleased us: O bloodiest picture in the book of time! Ye that at Marathon and Leuctra bled! Friends of the world! reftore your fwords to man, Nn 2 Yet, Yet, for Sarmatia's tears of blood atone, Studies from Nature. By M. De St. Pierre. Abridged from the Tranflation of Henry Hunter, D. D.Dilly. THE utility of abridgments cannot be denied, and the celebrated John Wesley, who well understood human nature, employed his time more in making abftracts, than in the production of original works. The greater part of mankind have neither ability to purchafe, nor leifure to read voluminous publications. To bring therefore the contents of fuch works within the sphere of their reach, is an act deserving of our approbation. We were glad to meet with the prefent abridgment of this very ingenious and valuable work, which has long attracted the public attention. The reafonings of this author are always plausible and frequently found. His theory of the tides, deducing them from the melting of the ice at the poles, is highly fanciful-but the main parts of the work are unexceptionable, and it is impoffible to read it without a confiderable degree of entertainment and inftruction. He writes on the subjects of natural hiftory, con amore, and we admire the fenfibilities of his heart. The whole work is diftributed into Fourteen Studies or Sections, in each of which are brought forward the |