n but The Treafury of Wit,' coming with the fanction of an avowed author, and that author a clergyman, deferves fome confideration. A complete felection,' fays Mr. Bennet, of apophthegms and jefts, arranged, for the first time, in a new and methodical manner; and calculated to please the man of fafhion, and the man of science, as well as the public in general; will, it is hoped, prove no unacceptable acceffion to English literature. The work has, to avoid a prolix title, been ftyled, "The Treafury of Wit;" and it is fhewn in the difcourfe on wit and humour, prefixed to the fecond volume, that wit admits of two divifions, ferious and comic. The former is called apophthegm, the latter jet.'- The word apophthegm is rather a rough one, though it be Greek. It is derived from two Greek words, on, of, and phylomar, I yield a found, and, metaphorically, I speak. The former is, however, the common meaning; and from it comes diphthong," two founds, as all diphthongs anciently had, and fhould have ftill, though fo rapid as to form but the time of one long vowel. Hence apophthegm implies a founding fentence, an expreffion that fpeaks like a trumpet.' 66 Every one who has a wifh to purchafe thefe volumes, will be glad to learn that Mr. Bennet has been careful to admit nothing of that obfcenity and impiety which often itain works of this kind. Not a word,' fays he, will be found in this work, that a virgin may not read to a company without eith blufh, or fear of blushing.' Certain it is, that we have obferved nothing impious, nor downright obfcene; but we have met with fome ftories fo indelicate, that we are fure no modest woman could read without blushing,' even to herfelf, and much lefs to a company,' efpecially a mixed one. fhould have been forry to have found this the cafe, even if Mr. B. had faid nothing concerning it, but when he had particularly refolved to guard against this circumftance, it incrcafes our regret at fee. ing it otherwife. We We have obferved, in this collection, many jefts which we have often met with before; the point ad turn of fome of which have been rather injured by Mr. Bennet's repetition of them. Our author's difcourfe on wit and humour,' confidered under the four dif ferent heads, Serious Wit, Comic Wit, Sericus Humour, Comic Humour, forms, in our opinion, the best part of the volumes; it contains many juft and pertinent obfervations, and difplays knowledge, reading, and tafte. Mr. B. modeftly calls it a dull difcourfe,' but we have not found it fo. G.E.G. NOVEL S. Art. 34. The Victim of Fancy. By a Lady; author of "The 1787. A new kind of Female Quixote, but bearing no refemblance to any former work of the fort, that we have feen. We imagine it to be the production of a young Authorefs, whofe head and heart abound, or rather overflow with fentiment, fancy, feeling, and delicacy, but all tinctured too strongly with the extravagant, and the romantic. * See Rev. vol. Ixiv. p. 472. Some Some of her characters are well conceived; many of her thoughts are happy; and her expreffion is often highly impaffioned;-yet, had her ftyle and language, on fome occafions, been lefs fublime, we believe the would have made her way more fuccefsfully to the reader's heart, and the critic's approbation; but the diction of this work is fometimes chargeable with groffer faults than even its overftrained attempts at grandeur and pathos. In the inftances we allude to, it is unchaftifed and incorrect, to a degree that (as well-wishers to genius and merit, fuch as this writer unquestionably poffeffes) we cannot avoid noticing. A paffage or two, out of many others which we have obferved, may fuffice, and are here offered, as hints for the fair author's confideration and future improvement. My heart was taken by furprize; and as I fhut the door of her carriage, as 1 faw it depart, the lat waving of her delicate hand fixed every link of the ftrong and irrevocable chain which now binds me to her for ever.' What is meant by an irrevocable chain,' we do not rightly underftand. We have heard of iron chains, and golden chains: we have heard too of irrevocable decrees. Should the Lady tell us, that chain is ufed for decree, we must obferve to her that the Catachrefis is much too violent, and fuch as the fober critic can never admit. The powers of repentance are loft-the curtain which can no more be raised is fallen for ever.' -Fly, it feems to fay (the Lady is fpeaking of the moral of a tale), fly while ye yet are ftrong. O wait not till the arrow empoisoned, however diftantly empoifoned with guilt, has fpread its fubtle and unconquerable venom through the heart!' The diftantly empoisoned arrow. Far beyond our comprehenfion; and-but we need not enlarge: the writer's good fenfe will fupply the commentary. The dedicatory verfes to Mr. Hayley convey a compliment to that elegant poet, which even his mule, we apprehend, will not deem unworthy of a kind acceptance. A. B. Art. 35. The Difinterefted Nabob, a Novel interfperfed with genuine Defcriptions of India, its Manners and Cultoms. 12mo. 3 Vols. 9s. fewed. Robinfons. 1787. A very uncommon character is here prefented to us, that of a man whofe principal fatisfaction is in viewing the happiness of his fellowcreatures, and who contributes every thing in his power to fecure to them that happiness, wholly regardless of the fneers of the worldlyminded and the bafe.-He establishes a fund for the relief of the indigent and oppreffed: he lends money without intereft to fuch as are of fair and honourable character, and who are thereby enabled to become useful members of a community in which they were before afhamed to fhew their heads. In a word, his acts of kindness and benevolence are unbounded, and we may fafely repeat with the poet A black fwan is not half fo rare a bird.' Thus much with refpect to the Difinterested Nabob,' a veryamiable and well-drawn character; but the author muft pardon us if we give it as our opinion that the Letters from India' were written by his fire- fide at home. Mrs. Kinderley's publication, and 2 others others of the like kind, appear to have furnished him with his genuine defcription of the Eaft. Be this, however, as it may, there is nothing in his account of the country that can boaft the smallest pretenfion to novelty; all that is to be found concerning it in the prefent publication having been related by other writers, and in a much more pleafing ftyle. A.B. Art. 36. Reuben, or the Suicide. Izmo. 2 Vols. 5s. fewed. Swift. 1787. The Author never intended these private Letters to be sent into the world for public obfervation: they were wrote from the heart, and not from the head.'-- But obferve, Gentlemen Reviewers, that REUBEN can receive no gratification from fublunary opinion, as he is united with the duft from which he was taken, and is now equally infenfible to cenfure or applause.' EDITOR'S ADVERTISEMENT. Thus has the Editor of Reuben fhut the door against criticism. But if the Author of the Letters in queftion never intended them for the public eye, why have they been prefented to that public? The publisher perhaps can tell. Do Art. 37. The Hiftory of Lady Emma Melcombe and her Family. By a Female. 12mo. 3 Vols. 7s. 6d. fewed. Robinfons. 1787. This female, if we may judge from her leffons in virtue and morality, which fhe ftrongly endeavours to inculcate, is in poffeffion of a very excellent heart. To tell her, however, that she can write well, were to deceive her in an eminent degree. It were to resemble the cruel kindness of a parent who indulges his children in their untoward humours, and who even allows them to proceed in their error till they are wholly beyond the reach of check or controul. We will act more generously by the Lady in queftion. We will tell her that her novel, in point of ftyle and grammar, abounds with faults; and this we are the rather induced to do, as the appears to be of a good and ingenuous difpofition, and one who is likely to profit by our hint.-When acquainted with the rules of compofition, and when her judgment fhall be ripened, the may poffibly produce a better work than the Hiftory of Lady Emma Melcombe. Do Art. 38. The Curfe of Sentiment. 12mo. 2 Vols. 5s. fewed. Robinfons. 1787. A very fimple tale, and told in a particularly fimple manner. The ftory, indeed, is much too ridiculous for us to enter into an examination of it. We fhall therefore content ourselves with laying before the Reader fome few paffages from the work, by which we shall be fully enabled to appreciate its feveral excellencies, as well with refpect to ftyle as fentiment. SENTIMENT. Let not man fay, "I am a fuperior being." A dog, call them not brutes-is in few refpects his inferior, in many his equal, and in fome his fuperior.' I fent my fervant to my friend's to learn if he (his dog) had returned, which I found to be the cafe, and that he was quite easy and contented. Account for this ye ftoics, atheists, and philofo phers, phers, if ye can! And ye females of feeling, take a leffon from an animal which in fenfibility is your fuperior." Sir, think again. 66 Fye on't, O fye!" Good How happy would it be, if mankind were fatisfied with the productions of the earth, without encroaching on the tranquillity, or deftroying the lives of its innocent and harmlefs inhabitants! Refinement has almoft produced the contrary extreme. We are fast approaching to abfolute brutality, and before long we shall want variety in the practice of cruelty, unless we commence Cannibals, a circumftance not improbable.' Mercy on us! this is terrible news indeed! This divine woman!-On every occafion Adelina ftands alonein her prefence all others appear fools.' Nay, nay, we will, if you pleafe, acknowledge Adelina to be divine;-but why must every other woman be confidered as a fool? STYLE. On the first alarm of her illness almost the whole females of the village ran, &c.' When his fenfes returned, and after laying quiet for fome time, &c.'——' I turn to another that lays by his fide.' Every Sunday we used to learn each other to read, &c.' Such are the beauties of this production-cum multis aliis quæ, &c. The Curfe of Sentiment is written for the most part in the form of letters toward the clofe of the performance, however, we meet with the following advertisement from the Editor: The Editor, in order to give the Reader as clear and perfect a view of the fequel of this fad hiftory as poffible, finds it neceffary to continue it in part by occafional narration, which he selected and gathered from the letters in his poffeflion of the parties interested.' This fad history.' The Editor fpeaks ingenuously. The epithet is perfectly just. Di Art. 39. Louisa; or the Cottage on the Moor. 12mo. 2 Vols. 6s. fewed. Kearsley. 1787. A not unpleafing, but rather improbable tale. In all you fay or do, : Ever keep probability in view,' fays a celebrated didactic poet; and this is a rule, for the obfervance of which we have ever been, and ever must be flicklers. If, however, we admit that the incidents of this Novel may poffibly come within the line of natural fiction, as our author calls it, the fable is then intitled to praife, as it is woven with no little degree of art. The narrative, fome few paffages excepted, is prettily written. Do Art. 40. The Convent: or the Hiftory of Sophia Nelfon. By a young Lady. 12mo. 2 Vols. 5s. fewed. Wilkins. Long and painful have been our wanderings in the misty regions. of fiction and romance. A performance like the prefent, therefore, has nearly the fame effect upon us as the fplendid luminary of the The reader of the modern Novel will, we think, admit the propriety of the epithet. REV. May, 1785. heavens upon the weary and dejected traveller; it cheers, enlivens, and encourages us to purfue our way. The ftory of this Novel is natural and well imagined. The characters, though not original, are nicely difcriminated and ably fuftained. The incidents, for the most part, grow out of each other, and are managed with a confiderable degree of skill. The diction is eafy, and fometimes elegant; and the fentiments do honour to the Author's heart. This production, however, is not without its faults; but where the general merit is fo great, it might appear invidious to point them out. The fair Writer has evidently taken the Author of Cecilia for a model. Could the have chofen a better? A. B. Art. 41. An Arabian Tale, from an unpublished Manufcript; with Notes Critical and Explanatory. Small 8vo. Johnfon. 1786. 45. fewed. Though there are in this work too many ideas and fentiments of European growth, to admit of its paffing for a tranflation of an Eaftern manufcript, the piece has all the wild nefs of Eaftern fable: we will add, too, that it preferves the peculiar character of the Arabian Tale, which is not only to overftep nature and probability, but even to pafs beyond the verge of poflibility, and fuppofe things, which cannot be for a moment conceived. For example, this mighty Caliph VATHEK had an eye which, when he was angry, became fo terrible, that no perfon could bear to behold it, and the wretch, upon whom it was fixed, inftantly fell backwards, and fometimes expired; and he was vifited by a ftranger who brought with him flippers that enabled the feet to walk, knives that cut without the motion of a hand, and fabres that dealt the blow at the person they were wished to ftrike. The Tale is, notwithstanding, written with fpirit, fancy, and humour, and will afford much entertainment to thole who are fond of this kind of reading. It is accompanied with notes, which are of a character entirely different from that of the work, containing many learned quotations, elegant criticisms, and judicious remarks. E. Art. 42. The Generous Attachment; a Novel, in a Series of Letters. 12mo. 4 Vols. 10s. fewed. Bew. 1787. There is nothing in the fable or conduct of this Novel to entitle it to much confideration or regard: neither does the work merit our commendation with refpect to language. In the third volume, the Author has prefented us with rules to be obferved in Novel-writing; and it is but juftice to acknowledge that he has a tolerable idea of what a Novel ought to be. But it is remarked by the Poet- Example ftrikes while precept fails.' This, however, our Author appears to have entirely forgotten, though he has probably borne in mind that, Sermons are lefs read than Tales ;' And that, indeed, may h ve been his principal inducement for publishing' 'the Generous Attachment.' 7 A. B. POETRY. |