See next the latifolia, kindred plant, The mirto there from hot Jamaica comes, • Banana next, fustaining plant, behold, The bread of millions fhed from Nature's hand, That fkirt America's immense domain." We entertain fo great a refpect for Mr. Jones, that we shall nat quote the incomparably best part of his poem; we mean, the scene of ruins in thefe delightful gardens, which we earneftly recommend to all moral as well as poetical readers. To conclude, many poems much inferior to this, have gained their authors both money and reputation. 15. An Ode to Virtue. In blank Lyrie Verfe. 4to. Pr. 15. Nicoll. Though this ode is written in blank verse, yet it has a rhiming preface, as if the author meant to fathom the profundity of both manners. We shall apply to him his own lines: • How bolder far than all thofe heroes, Your Sultans, Cæfars, Chams and Pharaohs, Who thwarts the general tafte!' 16. An Ode, defign'd for the Anniversary of the most noble Order of Bucks; and to them inscrib'd by a Brober. To which is added, a Song, call'd, The Viht. 410. Pr. 6d. Williams. This is a true Bacchanalian production, and exacly answers the idea we formed of a performance calculated to inspire the moft noble order of the Bucks with focial fentiments, and promote harmony and good humour among themselves. 17. Poems 17. Poems attempted on various Occafions, by William Brimble of Twerton, near Bath, Carpenter. Written occafionally for Amufe ment, and now publish'd at the Request of several of his Acquaintance. 8vo. Pr. 2s. 6d. Wilkie. Little did her late munificent majefty queen Caroline know what she was entailing upon this country, by generously patronizing Stephen Duck, the thresher; for we have had inundations of fuch poets ever fince, from the awl up to the fledgehammer. Prefixed to the poems before us, is a lift of the author's subscribers, whose generosity, we think, would have been much better judged, had they become his cuftomers instead of subscribers; and inftead of patronizing him as a poet, had employed him as a carpenter. How many honeft and induftrious tradesmen have been ruined by that tinnitus aurium, tingling in the ears, or finging in the head, which they mistake for poetry! From these reflections the reader is not to conclude that we think Mr. Brimble a despicable poet. All we mean is, that he would make more money by keeping to his original profeffion, than by going a-whoring after the mufes, who will most certainly jilt him. The following lines may furnish fome idea of the extent of his poetical powers. To CELIA, with a Tuft of Flowers. • Catch then,—O catch the fleeting hour; Our youth once fled returns no more! By virtue's rules your conduct fteer; } } 18. A Paraphrafe of Eight of the Pfalms of David. 410. Pr. 16. Becket and De Hondt. This publication is part of a larger work, and contains a poetical paraphrafe of eight Pfaims *; most of which, even in * Viz. the 8th, 18th, 100th, 104th, 114th, 133d, 137th, OUT our common profe tranflation, are particularly distinguished by their elegance, or their fublimity. This work, as the author informs us, was attempted before he knew that Mr. Merrick had intended to oblige the world with a tranflation of the Pfalms; but the fate, he says, of this fmall collection will determine him, either to produce the reft, or else to abandon an undertaking, to which he may have proved unequal. He modeftly adds, that he has no prefumptuous hopes of rivalling his predeceffor, nor even a wish to tear the laurel from his brow. • When Ifrael's fons and Jacob's band The chofen tribes his prefence felt, Be filent! tremble! and adore ! The foften'd rock from all his fides, Obedient, pours the gufhing tides; Whilst from the flint cool fountains spring In ftreams of rev'rence to their King.' This work would have appeared to much greater advantage, if the ingenious Mr. Merrick had not anticipated the fubject. -Several of these Pfalms are in blank verfe. 19. The Songs and Recitative of Orpheus: An English Burletta. Which is introduced in a Farce of two Acts, called A New Rehearfal; or, A Peep behind the Curtain. And performed at the Theatre Royal in Drury-Lane. 8vo. Price 6d. Becket and De Hondt. It is fufficient to fay of this little performance, that the fongs and recitative are of the true burletta kind, humorous, and well adapted to the fubject. 20, An Addrefs to their Graces the Archbishops of Canterbury and York, and the Right Reverend the Bishops of the Church of England. 8vo. Pr. Is. Becket and De Hondt. In this addrefs the author expatiates on the great increase of popery in this kingdom; and, in order to prevent its farther progrefs, fuggetts the following expedients: First, That a law fhall be enacted, for transporting every perfon to Quebec, who fhall be proved to have converted any of his majesty's fubjects to popery. Secondly, That, whenever any Roman catholic dies within these realms, his effects fhall be equally divided among his heirs, male and female. Thirdly, That no Roman catholic, except foreign ambassadors, and other perfonages coming immediately from sovereign princes, fhall be permitted to take into his or her fervice any man, woman, or child, who hath been educated in the proteftant religion; because of the great influence of masters and miftreffes, &c. In the postscript we are told, that upon a moderate computation there is now lodged in the hands of the trustees of queen Anne's bounty the fum of 160,000l. The author therefore proposes, that this enormous heap may be appropriated towards building four colleges, in the four quarters of England, and endowing them liberally, for the maintenance of clergymen's widows and orphans. These hints he humbly recommends to the confideration of their lordships the archbishops and bishops, to be improved as their wisdom shall think expedient. 21. Civil Eftablishments in Religion, a Ground of Infidelity; or, the two Extremes fhewn to be united : From an Essay on Establishments. in Religion, Thoughts on Miracles in general, &c. And from fome Defences of Subfcriptions, writen against the Confeffional; particularly the Plea of Dr. Ibbetson, Archdeacon of St. Albans. By Philalethes Londinenfis. 8vo. Pr. Is. 6d. Johnson. This writer tells us, that whoever impartially confiders the fundamentals of a civil establishment of religion, and the unreasonable and extravagant nature of church-claims in point of fubfcriptions, cannot much wonder at their apt tendency to unfettle the minds of men, and to lead them into doubtings and infidelity: for, fays he, when once abfurdity becomes establifhed under the idea of a Chriftian church, how readily will an infidel mind entrench and enjoy itself in its own abfurdity? Had not this been the cafe, I am humbly of opinion, we had never been presented with fuch a train of indigested crude Thoughts on Miracles as those affuredly are which I have been confidering.' Though Though this laft obfervation will admit of difpute, and the author may be thought unreafonable for disapproving all eftablishments in religion (as this is only another extrame oppofite to that of a bigorted attachment to church-power); yet this tract contains many just and acute remarks, in answer to those writers, whose principles and positions he has undertaken to examine. zz. Two Difcourfes and a Prayer, publickly delivered on Sunday the 17th and Tuesday the 19th Days of May, 1767, at the Quakers Yearly Meeting, at the Fryers, in Bristol. The Whole taken dorn in Characters, by a Member of the Church of England. To which is added, a Preface. 4to. Price Is. Fletcher. In the first difcourfe the preacher addreffes himself to his auditors of every clafs, minifters, elders, parents, &c. in these words of Joab to Amafa-Art thou in health, my brother ?—and endeavours to excite them to a careful enquiry into the state of their spiritual health, and a faithful discharge of their respective duties. In the second he expatiates on this question in the parable of the unjust steward-How much oweft ibou unto my lord? His exhortations on thefe topics, and the prayer annexed, are fuitable to the character of a fenfible man; are enforced with some warmth and energy; and breathe a spirit of piety and benevolence. But the reader must not expect to find them accurate or elegant compofitions. They were delivered extempore, and on that account are entitled to the candor of the difcerning reader. 23. Philalethes again! or, Candidus unmasked! Being the fecond Part of the bumble Attempt of a Layman towards a Confutation of Mr. Henry Mayo's Pamphlet on Baptifm. 8vo. Pr. Is. Blyth. This pamphlet contains an answer to what has been advanced by Mr. Mayo, for the baptism of infants. The author appears to be an expert and able disputant. 24. Sermons preached in the Parish-Church of Olney, in Buckinghamshire, on the following Subjects: I. The Small Success of a Gofpel-miniftry. II. The Myfteries of the Gospel bid from many. III. Of thofe from whom the Gospel-doctrines are bid. IV. The Nature of Spiritual Revelation, and who are favoured with it, &c. By John Newton, Curate of the faid Parif. 8vo. Pr. 5. Johnson. The notions of this writer concerning the new-birth, grace, faith, affurance, and other points of divinity, correspond with the fentiments of fome popular preachers in this metropolis. There is an air of fimplicity, seriousness, and piety in these difcourfes ; but in any other respect no great share of merit. See Vol. xxiii. p. 63. |