be handed down to pofterity, in fuch verfes only as thefe; which feem to be the effufion of one, who, miftakes the talent of writing a facetious fong, for that of writing epic poetry. A recollection of fchool-difcipline appears to have dictated ftanza 111:

"Long had his foes the truant play'd,'

A clofe engagement to evade

Was their confirm'd defign;

1

But NELSON ftill purfa'd the fearch,
Prepar'd a rod, a rod of birch,

Well fteep'd in Neptune's brine." P. 4.

ART. 17. The Progress of Refinement, an Allegorical Poem; with other Poems. By the Rev. William Gillefpie. 12mo. 208 pp. 6s. Mundell and Co. Edinburgh; Longman, &c. London.

1806.

Mr. Gillespie is far from being an indifferent poet; and were we not at this time folicited by fo many poetical candidates, we fhould be inclined to give him a more honourable place in our Review. His principal poem, though conftructed in a very dif ficult and unufual measure, has confiderable merit. It is written in two ftanzas, of eight and fix lines alternately, or, as they may perhaps be equally well confidered, in fingle ftanzas of fourteen lines, ending with an Alexandrine. The intermixture of rhymes is artificial, but not perplexed; and the whole effect upon the ear is certainly pleafing. In the defcription of the Palace of Luxury, in the fecond Canto, much fancy is employed and clothed in elegant language.

"And on the car delicious mufic ftole,

And round the wide halls breath'd its melting plaint,
Sweet as the trains that footh fome dying faint;

And steep'd in melody the lift'ning foul.

Here might be heard Aufonia's fofteft airs,
And Celtic measures that to mirth infpire,
From beauty's lips-to charm away our cares,
And wake the throbbing pulfe of young defire.

Young nymphs that blush'd in rofes not their own,
To the light meafures tript in wanton maze,

Whofe limbs beneath the filken azure fhone,

Inflam'd the heart, and catch the lawless gaze;

And every object mov'd at fashion's call,

And her deceitful fmiles were woo'd and fought by all."

P. 48.

Some fmaller poems are fubjoined to this "Progrefs of Refinement." That these alfo are written with the skill and feeling of a Poet, may be judged from the following

SONNET.

SONNET.

Now, while I mufe amid. the fhadowy night,
When all the noify world in fleep are drown'd,
When filence reigns, dread, folemn, and profound,
As when before Creation burft to light,
From far to ftar ftill roves my wandering gaze,
Along the fpangling, blue, æthereal road,
Where countlefs funs, with inexhausted blaze,
To this far diftant world proclaim their God,
Oh! am not I, or unperceived, or loft,
Mid thy great works, thou Univerfal Soul!
Or fay amid thy heaven-rejoicing host,
Shall to thine ear thefe feeble accents roll?
Yes! ev'n from this far orb, thefe mufings lone,

Shall, in memorial fweet, be wafted to thy throne." P. 164.

The general tenor of this author's fyle is good, and his senniments, whether philofophical or political, are found.

ART. 18. Poetic Sketches. By T. Gent. 12mo. 4s. 6d. Riving. tons. 1806.

It is frequently a matter of wonder to us, what can poffibly be the inducement to publish fuch volumes as thefe "Poetics Sketches." The quantum of merit which they have is just sufficient to fatisfy the author, and they can only afpire to the praife of mediocrity. The Addrefs to Reviewers at the beginning is the beft piece in the book. It begins thus

"Oh ye enthroned in prefidential awe,
To give the fong-fmit generation law;
Who wield Apollo's delegated rod,

And shake Parnaffus with your fovereign nod:
A penfive pilgrim, worn with bafe turmoils,
Plebeian cares, and mercenary toils,

Implores your pity; while with footsteps rude
He dares within the mountain's pale intrude;
For if enchantment through its empire dwells,
And rules the fpirit with Lethean spells;
By hands unfeen aerial harps are hung,
And fpring, like Hebe, ever fair and young,
On her broad bofom rears the laughing loves,

And breathes bland incenfe through the warbling groves.
Spontaneous bids unfading bloffoms blow,
And nectar'd ftreams mellifluoufly flow.
There while the Mufes wanton unconfined,

And wreaths refplendent round their temples bind,
'Tis yours to ftrew their steps with votive flowers,

To watch them flumbering midit the blissful bowers," &c.

ART.

be handed down to pofterity, in fuch verfes only as thefe; which feem to be the effufion of one, who mistakes the talent of writing a facetious fong, for that of writing epic poetry. A recollection of fchool-difcipline appears to have dictated ftanza 111:

"Long had his foes the truant play'd, '
A clofe engagement to evade

Was their confirm'd defign;

ART. 17. The Progrefs of Refinement, an Allegorical Poem; with other Poems. By the Rev. William Gillespie. 12mo. 208 pp. 6s. Mundell and Co. Edinburgh; Longman, &c. London. 1806.

Mr. Gillespie is far from being an indifferent poet; and were we not at this time folicited by fo many poetical candidates, we Thould be inclined to give him a more honourable place in our Review. His principal poem, though conftructed in a very dif ficult and unusual measure, has confiderable merit. It is written in two ftanzas, of eight and fix lines alternately, or, as they may perhaps be equally well confidered, in fingle ftanzas of fourteen. lines, ending with an Alexandrine. The intermixture of rhymes is artificial, but not perplexed; and the whole effect upon the ear is certainly pleafing. In the defcription of the Palace of Luxury, in the fecond Canto, much fancy is employed and clothed in elegant language.

"And on the ear delicious mufic ftole,

And round the wide halls breath'd its melting plaint,
Sweet as the ftrains that footh fome dying faint ;

And steep'd in melody the lift'ning foul.

Here might be heard Aufonia's fofteft airs,
And Celtic measures that to mirth infpire,
From beauty's lips-to charm away our cares,
And wake the throbbing pulfe of young defire.

Young nymphs that blush'd in roses not their own,
To the light measures tript in wanton maze,

Whofe limbs beneath the filken azure fhone,

Inflam'd the heart, and catch the lawless gaze;

And every object mov'd at fashion's call,

And her deceitful fmiles were woo'd and fought by all.”

P. 48.

Some fmaller poems are fubjoined to this "Progrefs of Refinement." That thefe alfo are written with the skill and feeling of a Poet, may be judged from the following

SONNET.

SONNET.

Now, while I mufe amid. the fhadowy night,
When all the noify world in fleep are drown'd,
When filence reigns, dread, folemn, and profound,
As when before Creation burft to light,
From far to ftar ftill roves my wandering gaze,
Along the fpangling, blue, æthereal road,
Where countlefs funs, with inexhausted blaze,
To this far diftant world proclaim their God.
Oh! am not I, or unperceived, or loft,
Mid thy great works, thou Univerfal Soul!
Or fay amid thy heaven- rejoicing hoft,
Shall to thine ear thefe feeble accents roll?
Yes! ev'n from this far orb, thefe mufings lone,

Shall, in memorial fweet, be wafted to thy throne." P. 164.

The general tenor of this author's fyle is good, and his fenniments, whether philofophical or political, are found.

ART. 18. Poetic Sketches. By T. Gent. 12mo. 4s. 6d. Rivingtons. 1806.

It is frequently a matter of wonder to us, what can poffibly be the inducement to publish fuch volumes as thefe "Poetics Sketches." The quantum of merit which they have is just fufficient to fatisfy the author, and they can only afpire to the praife of mediocrity. The Addrefs to Reviewers at the beginning is the beft piece in the book. It begins thus

"Oh ye enthroned in prefidential awe,

To give the fong-fmit generation law;
Who wield Apollo's delegated rod,

And shake Parnaffus with your fovereign nod:
A penfive pilgrim, worn with bafe turmoils,
Plebeian cares, and mercenary toils,

Implores your pity; while with footsteps rude.
He dares within the mountain's pale intrude;
For if enchantment through its empire dwells,
And rules the fpirit with Lethean spells;
By hands unfeen aerial harps are hung,
And fpring, like Hebe, ever fair and young,
On her broad bofom rears the laughing loves,

And breathes bland incenfe through the warbling groves.
Spontaneous bids unfading bloffoms blow,
And nectar'd ftreams mellifluously flow.

There while the Mufes wanton unconfined,

And wreaths refplendent round their temples bind,
'Tis yours to trew their fteps with votive flowers,

To watch them flumbering midit the blissful bowers," &c.

ART.

to allay the uneafinefs fome late publications appear to have excited among the people.

ART. 22. Observations on Vaccine Inoculation, tending to confute the Opinion of Dr. Rowley, and others. By Henry Frafer, M. D. 8vo. 34 pp. Price 2. Highley. 1805.

The author is certainly not deficient in zeal for the cause he undertakes to defend, but as his zeal vents itfelf rather in declamation than argument, he is not very likely to make many converts to his opinion. "Let the faithful and truly zealous friends to vaccination," he fays, "forget all their differences on unimportant minutiæ; let them rally round one common ftandard for the fupport of our common caufe. Let their labours in this most rich and fruitful field be conducted with a courage and unanimity, which the hiftory of medical fcience has never paralleled; if, in addition to these almoft abfolutely neceffary things, they will but remain firm and true to each other, they must prefent a phalanx fo formidable, as, armed with the juftice of their intentions, will render them invincible. At the very first judicious and welldirected affault, their adverfaries will be completely discomfited, and gladly retreat to hide their diminished heads in fome obfcure corner, from whence reflection may, if poffible, be excluded." This writer is particularly anxious in defending the cow-pox from the imputation of being the offspring of the greafe, from which Dr. Jenner, on no very good ground, as we think, fuppofed it to be deriv, ed. The imputation was unfortunately hazarded, as it has afforded to the enemies of vaccination fome of their strongest objections. No new facts, or obfervations, are however here adduced, by which it may be refuted; to time, therefore, or to fome cafual circumftance, we must leave the folution of this, and other no lefs important queftions on the fubject.

ART. 23. An Address to the Medical Practitioners of Ireland, on the Subject of Cow-Pox. By Samuel B. Labatt, M. D. 12mo. 136 pp. Price 3s. 6d. Murray. 1805.

Cow-pox inoculation has hitherto made but little progrefs in Ireland. Dr. Labatt, who is fecretary to the cow-pox inftitution lately formed in Dublin, prefents his brethren with a hiftory of the difcovery made by Dr. Jenner, of the manner of communicating and propagating the difeafe. To make the defcription of the puftule more intelligible, he has given engravings, representing it in different ftages; and, that no neceffary information may be wanting, abracts from all the principal works that have been written on the fubject are added. In this part, the author appears to have been extremely diligent, and has collected a body. of evidence in favour of vaccine inoculation, more curious, fatis. factory, and complete, than is to be found in any other publica,