did intend to give a more ample account of this Requeft, and to allow the Author as much fame as we could poffibly afford him; but now we are quite at a lofs what to fay for him; and fhall here take leave of a man, on whofe word, we find, there is no placing any dependance.

Art. 7. The Royal Favourite; a Poem. 4to. 6d. Pridden. Servile adulation of the King; fawning flattery for Lord Bute; who must have a strong stomach, if such a rank mels does not turn it.

Art. 8. An Ode to Lord B***, on the Peace. By the Author of the Minister of State, a Satire. 4to. 6d. Howard.

We must now expect to fee a legion of literary Semproniuses start up, and rend their brazen throats in bawling at the Peace-makers; this tongue-doughty Genius is the first to cry kavock! and let flip the dogs of paper war. "Seize him! Satire!" cries the raging Verfifier Seize him! Carrington!" replies the gall'd Statefman. And Carrington is a potent Mastiff, against whom the little yelping Curs of Grab-ftreet have never yet been able to ftand. Many of them has he dragged into his kennel, and there filenced them fo effectually, that they have never been heard to bark, or growl, or fnarl afterwards.

See Art. 23, of our laft Month's Catalogue.

The Meflenger ufually employed by the charitable Secretaries of State, to provide lodgings for luckless Authors, who, perhaps, are unable to procure any for themfelves.

POLITICA L.

Art. 9. An Impartial Enquiry into the Right of the French King to the Territory Weft of the great River Miffifippi in North America, not ceded by the Preliminaries; including a fummary Account of that River, and the Country adjacent; with a short Detail of the Advantages it poffeffes, its native Commodities, and how far they might be improved to the Advantage of the British Commerce. Comprehending a Vindication of the English Claim to that whole Continent, from authentic Records, and indifputable hiftorical Fats; and particular Directions to Navigators for entering the feveral Mouths of that important River. 8vo. Is. Nicoll.

This pamphlet revives the antiquated and long-neglected claims, of all the country weftward from our Colonies on the Continent of America, to the South Sea; founded on the right of prior discovery. For our part, we do not fee the use of this enquiry; unless it be to infinuate to the French, that tho' at prefent we agree to leave them in poffeffion of the country weft of the Miffifippi, we shall do so no longer than till an opportunity offers for depriving them of it. We

4

fhould

fhould certainly be the last people to lay any foundation for jealoufies and furmifes of this kind; as we may be certain the French will be ready enough to catch at any thing to juftify their encroachments, when they are in condition to make any. As to the directions here given for navigating the Miffifippi, we have only to fay, that we hope no Navigator will go unprovided with much better inftructions.

Art. 10. An hiftorical Account of the naval Power of France, from its firft Foundation to the prefent Time. With a State of the English Fisheries at Newfoundland, for a hundred and fifty years past. And various Computations, Obfervations, &c. proper to be confiderell at this decifre juncture. To which is added, A Narrative of the Proceedings of the French at Newfoundland, from the Reign of King Charles the first, to the Reign of Queen Anne, fhewing what Meafures were taken on the Part of England, during that Interval, in relation to the faid French Proceedings, &c.-First printed in the year 1712, and now re-printed for general Information. By J. Maffic. 4to. Is. Payne.

This account, fays Mr. Maffie," would have been published last winter, if the detention of near two thousand pounds which are due to me, had not then kept it out of my power to continue writing and publishing at my own expence, as I have for near fix years, whatever I thought might contribute to promote the true and reciprocal interefts of the King and People of Great Britain; and I muft leave the public to account for the faid detention, either by British or French reafons, as they fhall judge molt proper, until I find it neceffary to point out the man."

What a pity it is, when true Patriots are fo fcarce, they should be fo fhamefully ill-treated! Thus it is that thofe artful people the French, by bribing the knavifh, and ftarving the honest part of our political Watchmen, find means to put them all to filence, while they make a prey of the commonwealth! Who knows but the publication of this pamphlet latt winter, might have prevented the Prelimsnaries being figned, and have made it appear, to Mr. Maffie's wishes, that we are a people not doomed to defruction! And what hath that man to answer for, who was the caufe of the detention of the money, and confequently of the delay of fo important a publication! By its prefent appearance, however, it is natural enough to conclude, that Mr. Maffie has, at laft, got the money if fo, this may poflibly, in part, fatisfy him; but what reparation is this to the injury done to the nation? For, alas! our Author's computations and obfervations come too late; and we are out of our calculation, if the definitive treaty do not proceed exactly in the fame manner as if this pamphlet had never been published. As Mr. Mafie, therefore, can have no hopes of turning his arithmetic to account, by a continuance of the war, we would recommend to his confideration, whether it would not be proper for him to join his forces with Jacob Henriques,

in order to prolong the continuance of the peace: old Jacob is fomewhat deficient in the baut calcul; fo that, with the afiftance of Mr. Maffie's talents, he may probably extend his term of ninety nine, to nine hundred and ninety-nine years, and poffibly to the indefinite term projected by the Abbé St. Pierre.

Art. 11. One more Letter to the People of England. By their old Friend. 8vo. is. 6d. Pridden.

A mere declamatory repetition of futile coffee house talk, about the Preliminaries of the Peace. By the title-page, and the manner in which this pamphlet has been puffed in the news-papers, it appears that the Editor intended to impofe it on the public, as the work of an Author who has long ago had reafon to be heartily fick of writing Letters to the People of England. It matters, however, very little, who is the Author of fuch an incoherent rhapsody.

Art. 12. Reflections on the Peace. 8vo. Is. Kearfly.

This Reflector is a mighty pretender to candour, decency, and moderation; affuring us, that "we are a happy people, knew we our own felicity; happy in power, in reputation, in buxom plenty, and in peace-a peace, which, to fum up all, is the beft thefe kingdoms ever experienced." Nay, this very polite and placid Politician takes upon him to affirm the terms of it to be adequate to our conquests: he labours this point, however, rather by declamation than argument. This Writer, indeed, appears to us a very fingular character; his florid defcriptions, the quaintnefs of his ftyle, and the puerility of his fentiments, betraying that formality and affectation which, we conceive, enter into the compound of a Coxcomb in politics.

Art. 13. Reafons why Lord **** fhould be made a public Example. Addreffed to every free-born Englishman. To which is fubjoined, an authentic Extract of the Preliminaries, figned the 3d of November, 1762, at Fontainbleau; with fome comparative Remarks between them and the Terms offered by France laft Year. 8vo. Is. Burnet.

This wretched Reajener pretends to be ironical, but hath not art enough to fupport his pretentions thro' a fingle page: his hard features are pretently feen through the mask he affumes; which, before the conclufion of his performance, fairly drops off his face. The popular clamour being, at prefent, loud against his favourite party, he affects to treat, what he calls, the great and the little mob, with a contempt which the people of England are not accustomed to put up with. King Charles, he fays, was only "brought to the block, because Cromwell had the cunning to get the people on his fide.-Byng was shot for beating the French fleet; and the Governor of Minorca created a Lord, for giving up the island in a very defenfible fituation. This was all operated by the voice of clamour: had the fhout been

given against Cromwell, he would, in all likelihood, have been hanged for an Ufurper, and Charles been left quietly to enjoy his Crown: had Byng had the addrefs to get the mob on his fide, Bl's ftring might, in all probability, been of another colour; and the Admiral been adored on fign-pofts, inftead of hanged in effigy."

We leave our Readers to determine whether this Writer can have any juft pretenfions to candour. That both the great and little vulgar are undistinguishing and capricious enough, is true; but when a whole people err, it is generally through inadvertance or misinformation but this Writer's ignorance must be confummate, indeed, if he fees things in the light in which he reprefents them.

Art. 14. A full, clear, and fuccinct Difcuffion of the Preliminary Articles of Peace, as published by Authority. Most humbly fubmitted to the King, the Senate, and the People. By an eminent Citizen. 4to. Is. Williams.

The Preliminaries of Peace are here canvaffed in the true fpirit of a cavilling Barrister, or petty-fogging Attorney. Of what eminence the Writer may be, in the city, we know not; but we will venture to fay, notwithstanding that fuperior fagacity which he hath here fhewn in difcufing the terms of peace, he will never be very eminent among the Politicians at the other end of the town.

Art. 15. A Letter from Jonathan's to the Treafury. 4to. Is.

Burnet.

A fhrewd defence of the Preliminaries, written in a spirited and confiftent strain of irony; the affected defign of the Letter-Writer being to prove the peace a very bad, or, at least, a very premature and unfeafonable one; becaufe deftructive, in its confequences, to the Stockjobbers, &c. in the Alley.

"Had it not been better, fays he, that another campaign fhould have taken place? Twenty millions more had been raifed for the enfuing year we might then have had the fingering of a little, for jobs, commiffions, contracts, advance-money, buils, bears, good news, and bad news, peace and war, Scrip above and under par, for one year more. Our harveft is at an end; and if thofe who are lofers have a right to complain, we certainly have the jufteft caufe to find fault with the Preliminaries, rail at the M- -r, and abule the Plenipotentiary.

"We do not here forget, it was found policy to extricate the King of Portugal, and his dominions, from their prefent difficulties, as otherwife there muft inevitably have been a stagnation of fpec e, confidering the continual drains we have had upon us for upwards of fix years from Germany; and more efpecially as our Spanish trade was interrupted by the war. But could not our Ms have contrived to make a feparate peace between Portugal and Spain, without put ting an end to this glorious war, by which we have reaped fo much REV. Dec. 1762.

Gg

honour,

honour, and I might add treafure? Thofe who were under apprehenfions that our good fortune might be reverfed, and that fooner or later the French and Spaniards might have made fome defperate attempt upon us here at home, never confider what a fine effect that would have had in the Aliey, after Stocks were rofe to the utmoft. We should have had them down to forty, and a week's uproar would have made every man of us. Thus, you fee, Mr. Treasury, we do not find fault for railing fake (tho' to tell the truth, there is a terrible roaring of bulls and bears); we have just grounds for our complaints."

By this fpecimen our Readers also will fee, that there is a wide difference between raillery and argument; and, at the fame time, how eafy it is for men of sprightly talents, to put a new face on trite fubjects.

Art. 16. The Sentiments of an impartial Member of Parliament upon the two following Questions; 1. Whether Great Britain ought to be defirous of a Peace on the prefent Situation of her Affairs? 2. What Sort of a Peace Great Britain has Řeafon to expect? 8vo. Is. Becket.

This impartial, difpaffionate, upright, and honeft Politician determines the firft queftion in the affirmative: his reafons, however, are far from being fo fatisfactory as we could with. That many good reafons may be given why Great Britain fhould be defirous of a Peace, is certainly true; and, perhaps, fome of them much better than any of those which are contained in this pamphlet before us. We do not think, however, that this Writer hath obviated every objection which may offer on the other fide of the queftion; while, at the fame time, he hath weakened his own arguments, like many other Party-Writers, by endeavouring to prove too much. His extravagant encomiums on a certain diftinguished Nobleman, and his adoration of the immenfe abilities of our gracious Sovereign, betray aifo, in our opinion, both a partiality and a fervility highly unbecoming an unbiaffed and fenfible Englishman.

Art. 17. A View of the prefent State of public Affairs, in a plain Dialogue between Prejudice and Reafon. 4to. Is. Coote. Mr. Prejudice raves against Lord Bute and the Peace. Mrs. Reafon takes the other fide of the question. In fuch a difpute, it would be a shame for Prejudice to get the better of Reafon. Accordingly the latter obtains an eafy and compleat victory; the trophies of which our Readers will naturally fuppofe to be laid at his Lordship's feet.

Art. 18. The Provifions made by the Treaties of Utrecht, &c. for feparating Spain for ever from France, and for preventing France from enjoying any feparate exclufive Commerce with the Spanish Dominions in America, &c. 4to. 6d. Baker.