Art. 29. Yarico and Inkle, an Epistle. By the Author of the Elegy written among the Ruins of an Abbey. 4to. Is. Dodley. We have more than once expreffed ourselves in favour of this Author's poetical abilities; we thought he had tenderness and melody, and we think fo ftill; nevertheless the epifle before us has not answered our expectations. Though the fituation of Yarico was peculiar, there does not feem to be an adequate peculiarity of fentiment; and the complains in too trite, if not too feeble a manner. All epiftles of this kind, however, lie under great difadvantages, by making us unavoidably remember that of Eloifa to Abelard.

Art. 30. The Ocean, a Poem in Blank Verfe. Written by the Sea-fide. 4to. 6d. Walter.

A fpirit of contemplative piety runs through this little poem; which, though not written in the best tafte, is not without fome kind of defcriptive merit and fancy.

The following defcription of a poor captive confined in a fort by the fea fide is pathetic, and the painting juft to nature:

Th' imprifon'd captive of fome neighbouring fort,

Who, in his lone abode confin'd, furveys
The raging ftorm, as oft before He's done
For twenty mournful years in grief confum'd,
Since first condemn'd to pine remaining life
In fetter'd folitude, remote, forlorn,

As round his tower he hears the whistling winds
And fees the foaming deep in wild uproar
From forth his dufky cafement half-obfcur'd
With the dim vap'ring mists, extends his eye
Along the raging main from hour to hour,
Inur'd to woe.

Art. 31. Hackwood Park, a Poem. By Richard Michell. 4to.
Is. 6d. Hawes and Co.

Young poets, like young painters, fhould be careful to withhold their productions from the public eye, till their judgment is ripened and their execution perfected by time and experience. This poem is quite a puerile performance, and yet there are fcattered through it fome fparks of genius therefore, without farther difcouraging the Author, we only advise him to defer a little his addreffes to Fame.

Art. 32. A Caveat to the Will of a Northern Vicar. Addreffed to the Rev. W. C*****, Rector of K**** W****. 4to. 25, Flexney.

In cur Catalogue for Auguft laft, p. 164, we mentioned The Will of a certain Northern Vicar; in which we, at this distance from the neighbourhood of Newcastle, could discover very little meaning, though we had the mortification of reading a number of very bad verses.—In this Caveat, we are ftill under the fame local difadvantage; and Have been plagued with three times as many wretched lines-Why are people in this part of the kingdom to be peftered with fquabbling rhymes which are intellible only on the other fide the Trent?

POLITICAL and COMMERCIAL.

Art. 33. An Addrefs to the Pt, in Behalf of the starving Multitude. Pointing out the Caufe of the prefent high Price of Provifions: with eafy and effectual Methods how to make them cheap. 8vo. 13. Baldwin.

Although this old-fashioned farmer, as he ftiles himfelf, is evidently too tenacious of old opinions, merely, as it fhould feem, because of their antiquity; and although he affects to fneer at the new improve ments in husbandry and agriculture, yet we cannot but think he is very' right in his obfervations on the prefent general neglect of tillage; the engroffing of farms; and fome other growing evils of the like kind. As to his advice, offered to parliament, for remedying the grievances of which he complains, we are of opinion, that if he can convince the right honourable and honourable gentlemen, that it is their intereft, as landlords, to adopt his propofed regulations, they will not fail to lend a favourable ear to his reprefentations.

Art. 34. A Parallel drawn between the Administration in the four laft Years of Queen Anne, and the four first of George the Third. By a Country Gentleman. 8vo. 19. Almon.

This country-gentleman imagines that he fees the most striking parallel that ever exifted in any period of the English history,' between the four last years of the Queen, and the four first years of his present Majefty. In the former period, the principal perfons in the great political drama, were the Lords Oxford and Bolingbroke, and that great general, the Duke of Marlborough. To thefe he adds Mrs. Matham, who, he fays, was the fecret manager in the clofet, and the artful contriver of all thofe fatal changes that were brought about in the year 1709. From the first moment this tory-administration fat at the helm, they determined to make peace with France at all events, and to run into meafures directly oppofite to thofe of their predeceffors.

In the great fcene that has been so lately exhibited, we may reckon the principal actors were the Earl of B, the Duke of B, and that great commoner, Mr. Pitt. In this fcene a fimilar female cha❤ racter must be introduced, which directly correfponds with that of Mrs. Masham. She was the fecret fpring that directed all the late political operations, and ferved Lord B in the fame capacity, as Mrs. Mafham did Lord Oxford, by poffeffing the royal ear, and whispering every thing they could hatch up to the difcredit of the great commoner; in the fame manner as Lord Oxford and Mrs. Mafham had done to the difcredit of the great general. They procured their vile fycophants, the Tools of any men in power, to proclaim it aloud in all companies, that we had conquered too much, and that more victories and conquefts, like thofe of Pyrrhus, would quite undo us.'

The Author continues to run this parallel, in a manner which may be eafily gueffed, from the fpecimen here given; and he concludes with fome ftrictures on the neglect of all our big-adminiftrations, with refpect to our national conflitution in the church, to which he fays they have never paid due regard; although he owns they have always taken proper care of the conftitution in the state. The interefts of the church, as he expreffes it, is a point about which he seems very folicitous; and he reminds us of the great effect which the nation that the church was in

danger

danger had in the days of Q. Anne. But we cannot perceiv this writer can poffibly have for infifting fo much on this f juncture. Is the church in any danger now? The Author not even infinuate that this is the cafe: and perhaps what I the fubject proceeds merely from the excefs of his zeal for blishments. Thus Daniel Burges (whose aversion to the bylon was always uppermoft, whatever was the fubject o difcourfes) feldom or never concluded a fermon till he ha whack at the pope:' as he himself expreffed it.

Art. 35. The Answer at large, to Mr. Pitt's Speech. Nicoll.

What is called Mr. Pitt's fpeech, in favour of the repeal rican ftamp-act, has appeared in the public papers, and is, authentic, undoubtedly the eccho of many things which the moner faid, on that great Occafion. As to this reply, it is—li woman's answer to thunder: or, a pop-gun against a piece Art. 36. A feafenable Addrefs from feveral Perfons inter propofed Alteration of the Law for regulating Entai Noblemen and Gentlemen of North Britain: and to th of the British Parliament in general. 8vo. IS. M This fubject hath, of late, been much difcuffed, efpcc northern parts of this ifland, on account of the propofed a of the law of Entails in Scotland; and we have already ex thoughts upon it:-fee Review, Vol. XXXII. p. 466-469. fent ingenious Writer advises that great caution fhould be u gard to any alterations, in a matter of fo much confequend feems, in great meature, to take the fame fide of the questic author of Confiderations on the Policy of Entails, &c. — I differ from our Author, in fome very material points, yet, i his abilities, we muft fay, that his arguments ought to be fe tended to, before the proposed alterations are determined upo he rightly obferves, it is no proof of wisdom to be either too of old principles, or too hafty is the adoption of new ones. Mr. Dalrymple. See Rev. for June 1765.

RELIGIOUS and CONTROVERSIAL. Art. 37. A farther Appeal to the unprejudiced Judgment kind, in Behalf of the Indians. Containing, 1. Anima upon fome late Arguments of a Right Reverend Prela Church of England, in Reference to our fending Miffiona: hence to convert the Indians. Written in the Year 17 Thoughts upon the proper Means and Measures of conver Indians to true Chriflianity. Written in the Year 176 which are added, Confiderations relative to the Subject of going Propofals, particularly that of appointing Bishops or intendents in our Colonies abroad. By another Hand Joint-writers in the Free and Candid Difquifitions relatin Church of England, &c. 8vo. 19. 6d. Millar.

The impartial Reader, who is a friend to liberty, to the una

rights of confcience, and to genuine Chriftianity, will be much pleased with this appeal; it is written with fpirit and judgment, and contains feveral fmart and pertinent obfervations relating to the propagation of the gofpel among the Indians, and the epifcopizing of our colonies. Art. 38. The Harmony of the Evangelifts: or, The Four Gospels conne&ed into one regular hiftorical Series. By William Greenwood, D. D. Rector of Solyhull, and Vicar of St. Nicholas in Warwick. 12mo. 2s. 6d. Rivington.

Of the feveral Harmonies of the Gospel already published, some have been fo well executed, and fo favourably received by the public, that there could be but one reason for this addition to their number, viz. the confiderable bulk and price of the former compilations: too great for the circumstances of the lower ranks of readers, who are the very people that most need the affiftance of fuch books. This was Dr. Greenwood's motive for offering the prefent little connective view of the New Teftament, to the Christian world; and we fuppofe it will answer the laudable end he had in view: as it appears to be very judiciously executed. He has chiefly followed the fleps of Dr. Macknight; whofe valuable performance we recommended to our Readers at its first appearance; and have fince had the fatisfaction to fee our judgment of that work fully ratified by the public fuffrage in its favour. Art. 39. The Sovereignty of the Divine Adminiftration vindicated; or, A Rational Account of our bleffed Saviour's remarkable Temptation in the Wilderness; the Poffeffed at Capernaum, the Demoniacs at Gadara, and the Deftruction of the Swine: with Free Remarks on feveral other important Paffages in the New Testament. By the late Rev. Mr. Thomas Dixon of Bolton. With a Preface, by the Rev. Mr. John Seddon of Manchefter. 8vo. IS. Becket.

Mr. Dixon proposes a figurative or allegorical interpretation of our Lords temptations. He is of opinion that the devil was not at all concerned in it; but that fuch thoughts arofe in the mind of our Saviour, in the courfe of his meditations, as would naturally have arifen in the mind of any perfon, in the fame or like circumftances with those in which Chrift then was. The Editor of this pofthumous publication, has obferved, in a note, at p. 20, that the propriety of the temptations, and their application to the courfe of our bleffed Saviour's miniftry, is reprefented in a full and fatisfactory manner by Mr. Farmer*, in a tract. published fince the death of our Author, which, had he lived to fee, would have rendered his own performance more perfect. He adds, however, that Mr. Dixon's motion of an allegorical reprefentation of real temntations, feems preferable to an entire visionary Scene; and he afks, Is it not more honourable to our Lord, and more exemplary?' This worthy Divine feems, indeed, to have been fo thorough an enemy to the devil, that he appears defirous and determined, to the ut-. mott of his abilities, to drive the black gentleman entirely out of the world. It appeared to him that many things faid in fcripture concerning. the devil, muit be in erpretes figuratively, if we would avoid afferting

the most abfurd and ridiculous things. Every one, fays he, who is acquainted either with human or divine learning, knows, that the most beautiful parts of it confift in figurative, bold, hyperbolical defcriptions. Nay, nothing is more ufual or ornamental in all kinds of poetry, than to reprefent good or evil qualities, virtues, or vices, under the characters of perfons. Thus in the heathen poetry, the mufes, the graces, and furies, faith, fortune, &c. have been represented as real perfons. In like manner St. Paul has in profe, with great elegance, introduced fin and death, as though they were real perfons; from whence our famous poet Milton, took one of his univerfally admired epifodes. Hence, as the fcriptures were wrote in the bold, figurative, eaftern manner, when the literal sense of a paffage is abfurd, recourse may justly be had to a figurative interpretation. This is what proteftants univerfally allow, in arguing against the church of Rome, and particularly against tranfubftantiation; for we say, our Lord's words, This is my body, and this cup is the New Teftament, in my blod, are to be understood figuratively, and not literally, left abfurdity and contradiction fhould follow from the literal fenfe. In like manner, when Satan is faid to prefent himself before the Lord among the fons of God, there is a neceffity of interpreting this figuratively; fince one would think nothing could be more abfurd, than as this place is commonly underflood, that the devil prefented him. felf before God amongst the holy angels. But I am inclined to think, that the devil is neither really nor figuratively intended; for the word Satan may fignify nothing more than an adverfary, or a calumniator, or the abstract quality called calumny; which may with the greatest beauty be poetically defcribed, either among the worshippers of the fons of God on earth, or the angels in heaven, accufing job, as is reprefented in this fecond chapter; or it may mean no more, than the flanders of his envious neighbours. The word Satan does not only fignify, but is rendered adversary by our own tranflators. Again, to interpret our Lord's temptation literally of the devil, would make it look very ftrange, if not expofe it to ridicule. Can any thing be more indefenfible or incredible, than that the devil should actually transport our Lord from the wildernefs through the air to a pinnacle of the temple, and that from thence he conveyed him to a high mountain? If the finest poetical writings, not to fay profe ones too, were thus literally to be interpreted, they would lofe all their beauty, and mankind would cease to admire, and be charmed with them.'

With refpect to Christ's cafting out devils, our Author understands no more, thereby, than that he cured feveral difeafed, mad, and lunatic perfons. In this notion he has the countenance of feveral learned critics, whofe writings on this fubject have been long before the public; and many ftill living muft remember the notable controverfy concerning the Demoniaes, in which the late Leonard Twells, and other able divines, were fo much concerned.

For farther particulars of Mr. Dixon's fcheme of demonology, we muft refer to the pamphlet; particularly recommending to the Reader's attention, Mr Seddon's very honeft and fenfible prefatory difcourfe on the right of private judgment, and the proper exercife of that right

[The Single Sermans in our next.]