A Sermon preached in the Cathedral Church of St. Peter, York, be~fore the Hon. Sir John Wilson, Knt. one of his Majefty's Juftices of the Court of Common Pleas, on Sunday, July 26, 1789. By the Rev. Matthew Rainie, A. M. 4to. 15. Robinfons. This is an admirable discourse from Acts xviii. 14, 15. • And when Paul was now about to open his mouth, Gallio faid unto the Jews, "If it were a matter of wrong or wicked lewdnefs, O ye Jews! reafon would that I fhould bear with you: but if it be a queftion of words and names, and of your law, look ye to it; for I will be no judge of fuch matters." Mr. Raine confiders the expediency of reftraining freedom of opinion in religious fubjects, by penal ftatutes, with great perfpicuity and accuracy in his determination and conclufions, his candour and moderation are as confpicuous as the ability difplayed in the difcuffion.

POETRY.

The Winter Aembly; or, Provincial Ball.

A Poem. Infcribed to the Ladies of the Weft. 4to. Is. Dilly.

We are greatly mistaken if we do not know this author by his file. The confufion and obfcurity in which almost every paffage is involved, the allufions to people and circumstances unknown, a kind of rainbow chace after wit and fatire that flies from the purfuit and mocks the grafp, all concur to point him out as no other than the writer of The Farrago*, a Pickpenny. The fcene appears from the following lines to be laid in Exeter:

O nymph of Devon! and O Western belle!
Thy feats in minuets the fquire can tell.
Unknowing of pas grave, he tastes his legs,
And cuts at corners as he treads on eggs.'

Whether the feats' of this double lady, who belongs both to Devonshire and the Weft of England, and is both a nymph and a belle, are mentioned by way of encomium or fatire, we cannot perfectly afcertain. The poor fquire is evidently held out as the object of ridicule, and is most unmercifully lafhed. It may be faid, that had he been introduced as tafting' his 'eggs' and ufing his legs' in treading and cutting capers,' the pallage would be more natural. This we allow, but it certainly would not have been half fo fevere as at prefent. We are told, and the observation is more true than novel, that we have dancers who never faw the coaft of France,' In that clafs we apprehend the following are concluded:

Some without meafure fqueeze all hands they meet,
And beat the ground to atoms with their feet.

Some with unceasing toil exhauft the dance,
Nor curb'd by fiddles in andantes prance.'

Vol. LXIII. p. 388. :

At

At first reading, we conjectured that these honest handfqueezers and ground-thumpers were introduced as the reprefentatives of the untravelled fquires of Devonshire; for juft after, and feemingly in oppofition to them, the more finical race of metropolitan dancers are thus exhibited.

There are who, polifh'd with a finer hand,
Point the fhort toe and fwim along the land,
With ftrength enough the bottom to attain,
Not fo robuft to dance it up again.

This weaker motley tribe, like daifies pied,
From London come, to provinces denied.'

On mature reflection, however, we find that could not be the cafe. A treader on eggs,' and 'a beater of the ground to atoms," cannot naturally be understood as characterifing qualities of the fame fpecies of beings. The author poffibly meant to puzzle the critics, and if fo, he has most admirably fucceeded in this and many other paffages. We hope, if he has any regard for his readers, that he will write explanatory notes to his future poetical publications.

Gallic Liberty, a Poem.

Occafioned by the Revolution in France. 4to. is. Dilly.

Britannia is called upon by Freedom, at the opening of this Poem, to feize the votive lyre,' and raise the congratulating fong on her neighbour's emancipation from civil tyranny; and towards the conclufion they ate advised to take the fame opportunity of refcuing themfelves from religious bondage. The Revolution in France is doubtless, as the author fays, one of the most extraordinary and important events that has happened in the prefent century. We are, however, extremely fceptical as to its being fo completely effected as he feems to imagine. We find no fault with him on that account. He writes from his feelings, and thofe feelings are amiable. But we cannot fpeak very highly of his poetical abilities.

Reflections on Peace and the Seafons. In which is introduced the Character of a Patriot King. A Poem. By William Pow. 4to. 2s. 6d. Richardion.

The author may be an exceeding good divine, but the Mufes certainly did not fmille propitious at his birth,' and we would advise him to have nothing more to do with them. Let the following paffage, which occurs in page fecond, ferve as a fpecimen of his philofophical acumen :

The richest drefs difeafes cannot mend,

His drefs fo plain ftill answers nature's end.
Diseases nat❜ral cannot rife from chance,
Nature abus'd, in number more advancé.'

This is fpoken of a fhepherd poffeft of every natural joy;' but that joy is fomewhat diminished by the unlucky circum stances mentioned in the next page.

• Yet

Yet care he has, this nat❜ral to the best,
Afraid left reynard fhou'd the flock moleft,
Left he fhou'd hear the timid bleating lambs,
Behind they bleat fo loud, not feen their dams:
Frequent at morn he finds their blood is spilt,
This by the fox in his nocturnal guilt.
Met by the fhepherd, across his neck a hen,
Waddling along to reach his lethal den,
Stopt up by fchool-boys fet to ruin the fox.
In vain, the rogue has keys for diff'rent locks!

Of all the numerous charges brought against this notorious felon, home to the prefent times, from the days of Sampfon or Efop, real or imaginary, we confider that we have marked in Italics as most peculiar and remarkable. The obfervation is truly original, and contains a new discovery in natural history. We feel no inclination to read or tranfcribe any farther.

Califta, a Novel, by. Mrs. Johnfon, Author of Retribution, Game fters, &c. 2 Vols. 12mo. 6s. Lane.

The characters difplayed in this novel are fupported with fpirit and confiftency we may particularly mention thofe of the Elder Brother, Mrs, Sylvester, and Mr. Powell, while the peculiarities of Mrs. Macduff, and fome others, render the work very entertaining. In many parts there is much novelty, and the whole is very interefting, often pathetic, and generally amufing. The conduct of the ftory does not, however, fhow any great fkill: the event is foon obvious; and though the cataftrophe is varied beyond what may be at firft expected, yet it' is in effect foreseen. The wandering of Califta is perhaps a lit tle too much like that of Cecilia; but this defect is compenfated for by the artful arrangement of circumstances, by which the is prevented from returning to her hufband, and by which fhe is rendered in appearance guilty. We have not in our late career, met with many better works, and few which poffefs fo much merit, or which we can with lefs exception recommend.

The Mental Triumph, a Sentimental Novel, by a Lady, inferibed, by Permiffion, to the Plaineft of her Sex. 3 Vols. i 2mo. 75. 6d. Walter.

We recollect a novel, we believe by the late Dr. Hill, where the hero, notwithstanding his perfonal deformity, works his way,' as the heroes of the novellift generally do, to an advantageous marriage. Ifabella, by her mental charms, but the author has chofen to give her the advantage of an elegant perfon, does the fame, though it was necefiary to prove her to be the daughter of an earl, to gain the father's confent. This part of the novel is, however, the beit; for the event is well con

cealed,

cealed, and dexterously unfolded at the moment when it was neceffary. On the whole, in many refpects, these volumes rife above the ground; but they do not foar to any height, or preferve a continued flight.

The Predefined Wife; or, the Force of Prejudice, a Novel, in a Series of Letters, by the Author of Edward and Sophia, Powis Caftle, and Eliza Cleland. 2 Vols. 12mo. 5. Kerby.

We hoped, from the former works of our author, that we might have found fome merit in the Predeftined Wife; but the story is trite, trifling, and in the highest degree improbable.

Emma Dorville. By a Lady. 12mo. 35. Hookham.

This is a pleafing interefting little ftory, but does not rise in the feale. It is made up of adventures gleaned from former works, and in no inftance does our fair author foar above the footsteps of her predeceffors.

Lord Walford, a Novel, by L. L. Efq. 2 Vols. 12mo. 55.

Hookham,

The Author of Lord Walford delights in hair breadth fcapes,' for the different perfonages are often near death, though they never die. This, we fuppofe, is intended to elevate and furprife. In other refpects the work is a motley mixture, compofed of fhreds and patches, without much regard to confift ency or probability:

Nec pes nec caput uni
Reddatur formæ

It is not, however, unentertaining, or occafionally uninte refting: it will fupply the fomething new' the inceffant call, of idle young ladies, antiquated dowagers, or neglected virgins.

The Young Lady of Fortune; or, HER Lover gained by Stratagem, a Novel, by a Lady. 2 Vols. 122710. 5s. Stalker.

We have feen nothing fo trifling and infignificant; nor can we fay in what refpect this novel is most contemptible; in its infignificaney, improbability, neglect of grammar, which even glares in the title, or the extravagant expanfion by which it is extended to two volumes, loo.cly printed, containing together but two hundred pages.

The Hiftory of Sandford and Merton, a Work intended for the Ufe of Children. Vol. III. 12mo. 35. Stockdale,

In our LVIIth and LXIft volumes, we gave an account of the first and fecond volumes of this work. In the fecond we thought the author's fpirit feemed to fail; but the conclufion deferves our commendation. It is conducted with spirit, with judgment, and propriety. The tales, interfperfed, are interelling and inftructive. The fcene is judiciously varied, and

much

much information refpecting the manners of different nations, and the customs of different countries, occur in this volume.

POLITICA L.

A Third Letter from Major Scott to Mr. Fox, on the Story of Deby Sing; Two Letters relative to the Expences attending the Trial of Warren Haflings, Efq. and a Letter to Mr. Burke. 8vo. 15. Stockdale.

In thefe Letters, one of which has already appeared in feveral of the public prints, major Scott makes a variety of obfervations on the conduct of the committee for managing the trial of Mr. Haftings. On this fubject, however, he is rather declamatory than ftrictly argumentative; but he continues to vindicate the character of the governor-general with great zeal, and to intermix his narrative with many farcastic reflections against that gentleman's accufers.

Alfred's Apology. Second Edition. 8vo. 2s. 6d. Printed for

the Author.

Of the pamphlet entitled Alfred we gave an account in our Review for March laft. In the prefent Apology Dr. Withers appeals to the public, against what he confiders as an injurious treatment of his work, in different literary Journals. It is fufficient for us to obferve that, with respect to the authors of the Critical Review, they are cenfured, not for what they said, but what they did not fay, of his production. This is fuch a fpecies of complaint as certainly exempts us from the neceffity of making likewife an apology to the public. The truth is, Dr. Withers appears to be fo much governed by an overweening vanity, that he can be fatisfied with nothing less than the moft explicit acquiefcence in his fentiments and obfervations, though founded, as we fometimes fufpect, in perfonal prejudice, and urged, almost always, with a vehemence which tranfgreffes the bounds of common decency. The extreme petulance which he difcovers in refpect of fome eminent characters, is particularly cenfurable.

Alfred's Apology, Second Part.

Author.

8vo. 45. Printed for the

The half of this pamphlet is occupied with a Letter to the Prince of Wales; after which we meet with Obfervations on Mr. Pitt, Mr. Horne Tooke, the Party, and the Trial of the Author concerning the Libel against Mrs. Fitzherbert. The whole is written in the ardent manner of Dr. Withers, whofe polemical spirit appears to have received no abatement from the terrors of the impending profecution.

MISCELLANEOUS

First Report of the Philanthropic Society. Inftituted in London, Sept. 1788, for the Prevention of Crimes. 8vo. 15. Becket. This well written, but haftily printed Report, explains the views and defigns of a Society which truly deferves the name

of