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tim. The grievances alledged have been again and again stated in the course of the publications on both fides of the difpute between Great Britain and her colonies, and therefore it would be quite unneceffary to refume them here. Upon the whole, fays the author in the clofe of his pamphlet, the trade of America is really the trade of Great Britain herfelf; the profits thereof center there it is one grand fource from whence money fo plentifully flows into the hands of the several manufactures, and from thence into the coffers of landholders throughout the whole kingdom: It is, in fhort, the strongest chain of connection between Britain and the colonies, and the principal means whereby thofe fources of wealth and power have been, and are, fo useful and advantageous to her. The embarraffments, difficulties, and infupportable burdens under which this trade has laboured, have already made us prudent, frugal, and industrious; and such a spirit in the colonists must soon, very foon, enable them to fubfift without the manufactures of Great Britain, the trade of which, as well as its naval power, has been greatly promoted and ftrengthened by the luxury of the colonies; confequently any measures that have a tendency to injure, obstruct, and diminish the American trade and navigation, muft have the fame effect upon that of Great Britain, and, in all probability, PROVE HER RUIN.'

These are very juft and proper deductions, and we cannot make the least doubt that the government of Great Britain has too great a regard for its own intereft to take the least step to injure the merchants of Bofton; but at the fame time, thofe merchants ought to remember that England is not only their mother but their fovereign.

14. Reflections Moral and Political on Great Britain and her Colonies. 8vo. Pr. 1s. Becket.

This ferious, fenfible writer, is a friend to the existence of a cenforial power in the English conftitution. The chief remains, fays he, of this kind of moral jurifdiction among us, are the thanks or cenfure of the house of commons, together with the expulfion of fuch of their own members as appear unworthy take away this power, and vice (except crimes fpecified by law) has no check, but publick opinion. If the house of commons was to be over-ruled by either, or both the other branches of the legislature, in matters relating to its own members, it would immediately fall into contempt, and the dignity of every British commoner would fall in like manner.

I believe it will from hence follow, that liberty is not endangered, but, on the contrary, rendered more firm and permanent, when regulated by morality; and confequently, that

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there

⚫ there is no real caufe of fear for liberty, from a late expulfion, refolved upon in an affembly representing all the commons of Great Britain, after a legal conviction of crimes.

• From the noife however that has been made about it, and fome accidents, which formerly would only have been looked upon (in their true light) as cafualties, it feems there was a difpofition to complain; and where that is the case, men catch at the first shadow of a reafon to exprefs their diflike. Few common people are capable of comprehending the various interests which must interfere in fo extenfive an empire as that of Great Britain; and each would have his own preferred in particular. The parliament must arrange them in fuch manner as may best contribute to the good of the whole. There is also a great public debt to be discharged, and taxes are the neceffary confequence.'

Our author laments the practice of making clergymen juf tices of the peace, which he thinks is the effect of a dimihution of freeholders in the country. There is, fays he, an apparent difference between the divine and human laws. A clergyman, as minifter, tells his parishioner that he muft forgive injuries; as juftice of the peace, he tells him he must profecute them; and if the complainant refuses, he muft, in fome cafes, compel him.' We have, likewife, in this publication, many ftrenuous arguments in defence of a late expulfion, and in vindication of the mother country of England, and her fuperioriority over her colonies: but as thofe fubjects have been of late fo fully difcuffed, it is fufficient that we heartily recommend this pamphlet to the public perufal.

15. Rodondo; or the State Jugglers, Canto III. 8vo. Pr. 15. Nicoll.

The alterations that have happened in men, meafures, and opinions, fince the publication of the first and fecond cantos of this truly Hudibraftic poem *, have, we own, unexpectedly to us, fully juftified the author in his choice of objects for satire. The following fpecimen will fhew how well this canto anfwers the two foregoing.

had Rodondo laid his poll

To vacant nob of Tididol,

The neceffary confequence,

Had been much found, and little fenfe.
No noftrum for diftemper'd ftates,
Like contact of two empty pates.

See Vol. xv. p. 126.

So,

So, if you take them in dry weather,
And rub two rotten fticks together,
You'll raise a flame in half a minute,
Though neither stick has fire in it.
And patriotic noddles, fhou'd
Refemble sticks of rotten wood.
When fingle, deftitute of wit;
But two together rubb'd, emit,
By procefs, which we call attrition,
The flames of popular sedition.

• Mean time the gout, with B-e in league,
Still carried on the old intrigue,
His toe forfaking, by degrees,
Made war upon Rodondo's knees;
And marching upwards very faft,
Laid fiege to reafon's feat, at last.
The fortress was but ill provided,
For there Dame Reafon ne'er refided-
-She had appointed long before
Dumfoundibus the governor;
Who for a while the place defended,
Till all his long words were expended;
Or render'd of no further use;

And then hung out a flag of truce;
Which brought about, in a few hours,
Between the belligerent powers,
A treaty firmly guaranteed,

The articles who will may read.'

The articles of the furrender are full of humour; but, as it is not our province to explain them, we must refer to the original.

16. The Temple of Corruption, a Prem. By W. Churchill. 410 Pr. 21. 6d. Flexney.

Corruption indeed! of all poetry, wit, and humour. Whe ther this bard is brother to Charles Churchill by nature or by adoption, is of little or no confequence either to us or the public. It is plain, he poffeffes all his imperfections without the leaft fpark of his genius. Or rather, he writes in Charles's worst manner, which is harsh and difagreeable. What but the demon of dulnefs could have dictated the following lines.

Great and laborious is the monarch's tafk: What ftrength Herculean doth the labor ask! No trifling pleasures may his fenfes bind; Study, deep ftudy, fhould inform his mind : VOL. XXIX. February.

L

Hift'ry's

Hift'ry's inftructive leaf he must turn o'er ;
His times review, compar'd with thofe of yore:
Survey each government, by wisdom fung,
Whence fprung it's fame, and whence it's ruin fprung.
"Tis his, with penetration's piercing eye,

To mark the good, and pass the worthless bye;
To chufe, in spite of felf and private hate,
The nobleft limbs of council for the ftate:
With an impartial and obferving ear,

'Tis his to weigh their thoughts, their judgments hear."

17. An Epiftle to Lord Holland. 4to. Pr. Is.

Brown.

If this poet is a young man, he ought, as good jockies do by their horfes, take great care of his Mufe's wind. She is mettlefome, but he has rather made too free with her in this epiftle, which contains little more than the common topics of abuse and panegyric, without much originality in either.

Where is now the modern bard in politics who does not take the field, fometimes armed with the thunder of Jove to blast his country's foes, fometimes with the drummers cat o' nine-tails to lash her fools, or both.-A word in your ear, friends.-Let vice and folly feel ye, but without puffing and parade, without throwing your fquibs, or cracking your whips, which ferve only to make ye ridiculous.

If any of our late publications have a right to those flourishes it is that before us. The author's numbers are harmonious and pleafing. He is not without the powers of reflection, and his intention feems to be honest, as may appear from the following quotation.

• The tyrant mob no contradictions bear,
Not more infallible the papal chair;
Hence vulgar odium-fhall I next explain
Who blows the embers and who lights the train ?
'Tis the mere fpite of one, nor think it more
Though millions waft the lie from fhore to fhore;
Of one, who is of all bad men the worst,
Of dark defigning Catiline's the first,
A JESUIT BORN, for plots and treafon fit,

A young ACHITOPHEL without his wit.

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What, though to you no bufts or statues rife,
No golden box conveys the fpecious prize;

No thronging crouds falute, no loud huzza,
No popularity has mark'd your day:

What

What is it all? It is the breath of fools,
The lowest far of bad ambition's tools:
It is what honeft men muft all despise,
What knaves abufe, and only fools will prize :
"Tis Whig, 'tis Tory, Jacobite by turns,
And in each angry zealot-bofom burns:

'Twas P's, 'twas Pultney's-but the gracious touch
Blafts the frail flow'r, no peftilence so much :

It was SACHEVRELL'S; now, O WILKES, tis thine;
It may be BINGLEY'S,-and it may be mine.'

18. The Dialogue. Add effed to John Wilkes, Esq. 4to. Price Is. 6d. Wilkie.

This is a proper example of the poetical volunteers fpecia fied under the laft article. Their method is generally to fritter the two first lines of Juvenal's first satire into rags, and being brimful of indignation, to be furprized that fome other poet does not fnatch up the bolt or the lafh; "but, however, fays our bard, I'll do the beft I can, rather than fuch doings fhall go unpunished. I am a volunteer in the fervice." Reader, attend to the genius before us.

Yet ftarting from the fhades of obfcure night,
Where duty calls, where freedom wings my flight,
All fenfe of danger loft, and at my fide
Stern Vengeance, honeft Scorn, and manly Pride;
My helmet, Juftice; and plain Truth, my fhield;
I come and dare the PATRIOT to the field!

Yes, from his den, where lurking to betray,
He marks, in fuilen thought, each fool his prey;
Where HORNE, arch priest, th' infernal portal keeps,
Where Towns-D buftles, and where MAWBEY fleeps;
Tho' BECKFORD's felf fhould plead his fuff'ring worth,
I'll drag, a hideous fight, the monfter forth!
Yes, on his coolest hour, dim merit's ftar,
I'll wait, no bidden guest, and feed his care!'

For the character of this dialogue, fee the preceding article ; though we think it is inferior in point of execution.

19. Songs, Choruffes, &c. As they are performed in the new Entertainment of Harlequin's Jubilee, at the Theatre-Royal, in Covent Garden. 8vo. Pr. 6d. Griffin.

We must refer the mufic of thofe fongs to the criticism of the orchestra. As to the words, they feem to be well adapted to the occafion; but the piece itfelf is too fhort to admit of making any extract.

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21. The

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