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can affirm that there is not one to be found, which is not abfolutely incapable, either from its texture or the quality of its ingredients, to answer fafely or effectually the purpose for which it was intended. If the fubftance is a powder, and dry, it may exhibit a higher complexion, but can never reflect that polished clearness attendant on a delicate skin. If, on the other hand, it is plastic and adhef it affords a more shining varnish, but totally ftops the perfion; and, if spread over a confiderable furface, may, in time, produce fuch diforders as it is impoffible to extirpate. Who knows not the unhappy fate of the beautiful Clariffa? Adorned by nature with all the charms that could accomplish the faireft of women, her infatiable foul ftill panted for farther admiration. She betook to the pernicious refources of art. Her face, her neck, her breasts that rivalled celeftial beauty, were daily anointed with the Stygian application. The indifpenfible exhalations of the vital fluid were detained; and, in all the triumph of superlative beauty, the fell a facrifice to the ambition of false allure

ment.

Learn hence to abandon a practice fo injurious to your constitutions, ye who value the true happiness of life. Though the lilies and the rofes combine in your cheeks, will they flourish if the canker has feized them? Behold the artless nymph of the valley no paint ever touched her face: and yet, in all the pomp of colouring, is not to be compared with her. It is health that gives fragrance to her lips: it is health that gives bloom to her countenance: it is health that gives luftre to her eyes. O! let not, then, ye lovely objects of my care, let not false refinement induce you to destroy that ineftimable blefling!

But could this treacherous art even be practifed with impunity, what pleasure is it capable to yield? Can it ever inspire your fouls with that confcious delight which refults from the poffeffion of native charms? Can it ever elude the keen penetrating gaze of your lovers? Yes, it may elude. But short will be the triumph of imposture: and when the wanton hours lead on to closer dalliance, adieu! love, beauty, and enjoyment.

'Wherever, therefore, my amiable ladies! wherever the bloom of youth is defective, attempt not to increase it by methods fo inadequate and deftru&tive to all gratification. But if your beautiful complexions have been impaired by difeafes, apply to extirpate the caufe, and returning Hebe will again light up your charms, in the inimitable painting of nature.'

22. Theo.

22. Theodora, a Novel. By the right honourable Dorothea Dubois. In two Volumes. Pr. 6s. Nicol.

As lady Dorothea Dubois tells us in her advertisement that fhe is impelled by more preffing motives than a vain defire of applause to subject her volumes to public inspection,' she has fecured herself from a fe review of them. When a writer, particularly a female one prompted by neceffity to take up her pen, criticism ought to give way to compaffion. Lady Dorothea calls her Theodora' a novel; but we cannot pos fibly look upon her as a mere novellist, though we apprehend fhe has in feveral pages given the reins to her imagination. In fhort, as the ground-work of this novel has appeared lately in most of the news-papers, we think it needless to relate again the A- -a story with fictitious names. We fincerely pity lady Dorothea as a woman of diftinction in distress; but, as impartial reviewers, we must own, that we cannot think the emolument arifing from the publication of her novel will be adequate to her wishes.

23. The Unhappy Wife: A Series of Letters. By a Lady. In two Vols. 12mo. Pr. 5. Newbery.

We were inclined when we had read this Series of Letters to be rather fevere upon the writer of them; but the words in the title-page, By a Lady,' checked us in our critical career. The productions of a lady ought not to be condemned with afperity, unless they tranfgrefs againft that delicacy and decorum by which the fair fex fhould always diftinguish themfelves.

The letters between lord Gould, lady Sappho Varley, and fome other perfonages, feem to have been written with a defign to make the readers believe that they would acquire new lights with regard to a late memorable affair in the great world's but we do not imagine, from the conftruction of the letters themfelves, or from the matter contained in them, that the lovers of fecret history will reap much amusement, or gain much fatisfaction by the gratification of their curiofity.

Lord Gould, a married man, having been long fighing for lady Sappho, persuades her to reject all the honourable overtures which are made to her, and to fly with him out of the kingdom, or, in the language of the letter-writer, to leave the land.' She refufes him, however; and, to oblige her brother, marries a Sir John Varley, whom the cannot endure. Her coldnefs and indifference difguft him to fuch a degree, that he uses her, according to her own account of his behavi

our

our to a female friend, extremely ill. This friend is also not a little inconfiftent in her carriage; in one letter she advises her to act discreetly, and to give up all thoughts of lord G-; in the next, to make herself eafy, and please herself. Lady Sappho, after having written feveral letters and advertisements, neither entertaining nor instructive, meets his lordship at an inn in Wood-street. From that inn he carries her offwhither?-Ay, there we are left entirely in the dark. And if fuch epiftolary productions as these were never brought to light-we must not forget what we advanced in the introduction-yet we cannot help declaring that we think our authores might employ her time more usefully with her needle than with her pen.

24. The Happy Discovery. Two Vols, 12mo. Pr. 6s. Lownds.

This novel is written with a good defign. The author feems to have read Mr. Richardfon's Clariffa with pleasure, because he has thought proper to join the train of those novelifts who endeavour to raise themselves to literary reputation by working after so great a master of the human heart.

Mifs Emily Creffwell, being left by her father in the power of a mother-in-law, is addreffed by a Mr. Lovegrove, fuppofed to be nephew and heir to lord viscount B. Her mother is ftrongly inclined to have her married to Mr. Sands, but fhe, having a particular dislike to this gentleman, elopes with Lovegrove. Lovegrove endeavours to take advantage of her being in his power, but is prevented just as he is upon the point of executing his defign, by Mr. Barclay, who had long admired her. Barclay, finding afterwards that Lovegrove was Emily's own brother whom her mother had caufed to be fent abroad that the might enjoy his estate, haftens to put a ftop to the matrimonial proceedings, and comes but just time enough to fave the lady's honour, who rewards him for the happy difcovery with her hand.

We have already faid that the author of this performance feems to have read Mr. Richardfon's Clariffa with pleasure ; we cannot add with profit; however, we are of opinion, that though the faults of the work are many, it has fufficient merit to exempt it from critical damnation.

25. Six Paftorals: to which are added, Two Paftoral Songs. By George Smith, Landscape painter, at Chichester, in Suffex. 4to. Pr. 25. Dodsley.

Though poetry and painting are allowed in general to have a great affinity to each other, few perfons have been known to poffefs, in any eminent degree, the united powers of the

pen

pen and the pencil. The imagination may roam fo much at
large in any one of thofe walks of genius, that it is rarely
tempted to make an excurfion into the province of the fifter
art. But if ever fuch a curiofity arifes, it muft happen most
naturally in those who cultivate either paftoral poetry or land-
fcape painting for thefe are the regions of fancy which lye
moft contiguous to each other; and rural life and tranquility
are alike the objes of both. The profeffion to which the in-
gerious author of this performance is devoted, furnished him
with many opportunities of ftudying nature in the moft pleating
points of view; and we must acknowledge that he has copied
her beauties with no mean or undiftinguishing tafte. There
is, befides a novelty in the fentiments and images, fo different
from the dull fimilarity which is ufual in paftoral compofitions,
that fhews the author to have drawn his ideas more from the
original object, than from the tranfcripts of others. The fol-
lowing remark has a fimplicity in it, which is well imagined.
Already o'er yon hill the fun appears,

And thro' the fruit trees gilds the yoking fteers.
See on the kitchen wall, with ballads gay,
The early fun-beams quiver thro' the fpray.
Now Rofamond they leave, and fink apace,
To tremble on the lines of Chevy-chace.
'Tis five exactly when they gild the tack
That holds this corner of the Almanack.'

The defcription in the next quotation is beautiful, and concludes with a well placed Alexandrine.

Yon fhepherd boy, fee where he idly ftrays,

And by the river with his fpaniel plays;

Till thy return he'll keep a watchful look:

I've known him, when a child, with ferip and crook,
Climb the lone hills behind the woolly drove,

And all alone upon the mountains rove.
His play was bowling pebbles to the vales,
Or blowing thistles down to wanton gales.
Sometimes with wildeft notes his pipe he'd fill,
And ftop the trav'ler with his early fkill:
While to his mufic danc'd his fav'tite Tray;

And thus he'd weary out the longeft fummer's day.'

Mr. Smith has, in fact, tranfplanted many agreeable images into the province of paftoral poetry: and his verfification, which is generally harmonious, is often not deftitute of elegance.

26. A Col

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26. A Collection of Hymns adapted to public Worship. 8vo. Pr. 31. Buckland.

This is the moft copious, and the heft colle tion of hymns we have feen. The compilers, mellieurs Ah and Evans of Bristol, inform us, that there are as many original compofitions in it, as make nearly a fourth part of the volume. The reft are selected from the works of Doddridge and Watts, from Merrick's Tranflation of the Pfalms, the Spectator, and other publications.

27. Diotrephes admonished: or fome Remarks on a Letter from the Author of Pietas Oxonienfis to the Rev. Dr. Adams of Shrewf bury; occafioned by the Publication of his Sermon preached at St. 8.00. Pr. Chad's, entitled A Teft of true and falfe Doctrines.

15. White.

This pamphlet contains a vindication of the principles and conduct of Dr. Adams, with refpect to the fermon which gave occafion to the prefent difpute; and fome obfervations on the fentiments and pofitions of his antagonist, with two or three ftrictures on the general strain and tendency of his letter to the doctor.

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The author writes with coolness and moderation, and endeavours to vindicate his friend, without paying any regard to the doctrines of the church. For, fays he, I have a much better opinion of the doctor's learning and judgment, than of any one of the compilers of the articles, homilies, and common prayer.' From this, and other expreflions of the fame kind, the reader will perceive, that whatever Dr. Adams may be, the reformers are under very little obligations to this writer for his remarks. He proceeds to defend fubfcription upon the plea of those, who contend for a latitude of interpreta

tion.

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28. The Admonisher admonished: Being a Reply to fome Remarks on a Letter to the Rev. Dr. Adams, of Shrewsbury. By the Pr. 6d. Dilly. Author of Pietas Oxonienfis. 8vo.

In this Reply, the author remarks, that every inch of ground which he had gained by labour, is yielded over to him by his competitor without oppofition: that the grand point, which he endeavoured to eftablish throughout his whole piece, was an irreconcileable variance between the doctrines contained in Dr. Adams's fermon, and the Thirty-nine Articles, which, he fays, is acknowledged by this writer, when he confeiles, that the doctor efteenis an article of the church as nothing bat mere brutum fulmen ;' that he has a much better opinion of the

doctor's

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