better breed.-What an excellent reafon this for the carnage and devastation which some people hope may take place in America the enfuing fummer! But unfortunately it is not quite confiftent with facts. The Colonists who migrated from hence on account of their diflike to the government of this country, were the Diffenters, who planted New England, and the time of their migration was just be fore the commencement of the civil war which brought Charles the First to the scaffold. The numerous infringements, both of civil and religious liberty, which then prevailed, were ill fuited to the character which the Writer gives of our government, nor do we think that a dislike of fuch infringments will be confidered as a proof that thefe emigrants were enemies to every established government,'—And with regard to convicts, the Author fhould be told that in feveral of the Colonies, and particularly thofe of New-England, none have ever been admitted, nor were they received into any of the other provinces, until after they had been peopled by honeft industrious fettlers, who by the good order and morality preferved among them, were able to correct and reform even the criminals of our own country. This expedient for "better peopling the Colonies," has been long complained of by them as an infult and a grievance, and therefore if the number of convicts thus fent to America had been much more confiderable than it really is, and were it true (though contrary to all experience) that the vices of individuals defcend to their pofterity, it would be cruel to reproach the Colonists with the contamination which we have thus forced upon them. B..t. Art. 22. A Plan of Reconciliation between Great Britain and her Colonies; founded in Juflice and Conftitutional Security: By which the Rights of Englishmen, in Matters of Taxation, are preserved to the Inhabitants of America and the Islands beyond the Atlantic. By the Author of "The Hiftorical Effay on the English Constitution." 8vo. Is. Johnson. 1776. • The whole effence of this political controverfy, will be found, fays the Author, by all honeft impartial men to confist in two objects. Firft, in obtaining juftice for England by an American taxation. Secondly, in obtaining conftitutional fecurity for America in the operation of our taxation laws. The true and only constitutional principle, continues the Author, upon which the Parliament of Great Britain can tax the people of America, is to tax them in common with the people of England, where the nature of the tax will permit. Unhappily for Great Britain and America, administration have never thought proper to confine themselves to this constitutional rule. They began in error, with the ftamp act; and they have continued in error, by every taxation law they have thought proper to impofe upon our distant provinces." The Author afterward proceeds: I hope that fome gentleman, then, in the Houte of Commons, will move for leave to bring in a bill," To quiet the minds of his Majefty's subjects refiding in America, and other provinces beyond the Atlantic Ocean, against all fears and jealoufies grounded upon the apprehenfion, that if they are fubject to the payment of taxes, and other impofts granted to his Majefty, by the Parliament of Great Britain, as a feparate and diftin& diftinct people from his fubjects refiding in England, they may, in time to come, be expofed to a very arbitrary and unequal diftribution of taxes." Upon this ground I would move, That they may receive the full benefit and fecurity of the English conftitution, by being taxed in common with his Majefty's fubjects refiding in England; and that all taxation laws intended to affect the Colonies, become fo far general laws as to affect England and the Colonies alike; fo that no tax may be paid, by our diftant provinces, but what we fhall be obliged to pay in the fame manner and proportion in England.' This is our Author's Plan of Reconciliation.'-It has, however, been feveral times propofed and recommended by others-and even fo lately as in Auguft laft, in our account of a volume of "Remarks on the principal Acts of the Thirteenth Parliament of Great Britain," we noticed a plan exactly fimilar to the prefent; and we then gave reafons why it could not be expected to prove fatisfactory to the people of America. In addition to thofe reafons we might further add, that whilft the Colonies themselves defray the expences of their own refpective governments, it can hardly be thought just that they should alfo contribute to the fapport of ours, in equal proportion with ourfelves and even were this difficulty removed, equity feems to require that before we subject them to British taxes, they fhould be rehieved from thofe commercial restraints by which we now monopolize their trade, and permit them to become as rich as ourfelves. Equal burthens ought to be accompanied with equal benefits and abilities. To impofe the former and deny the latter is to exact money from thofe whom we have deprived or all means and opportunities of acquiring it. It is not our defign, however, to encourage the people of America to refufe an equitable share of that part of the national expences from which they shall derive protection and benefit; but we think that they may be left to make their just contributions in fuch a way as will confift with the fundamental principles of our conftitution, and the effential inherent rights of property. And we do not know that they have ever refufed us affiftance when properly asked to grant it in this way. The latter part of this publication contains feveral of the arguments which were delivered in the Review of the American Controverfy-Taxation no Tyranny, &c. for fupporting the claim of Parliament to tax the Colonies; but if, notwithstanding what has been urged to the contrary, the Author really thinks thefe arguments are in any degree juft and conclufive, we venture to fay (from good information) that he will fhortly have abundant reafon to relinquith that opinion. Art. 23. Seasonable Advice to the Members of the British Parliament concerning conciliatory Meafures with America, and an Act of Perpetual Infolvency, c. 8vo. 1 s. Bew. This Writer warmly and fluently declaims in favour of the Colonifts and of confined Debtors. B..t. B... t. Art. Art. 24. Reflections on the prefent State of the American War. Svo. 1 s. Payne. 1776. The chief view of this Reflector, is to fhew us the great danger that will attend our holding forth the olive branch toward the revolted Americans. Any propofal,' fays he, of a treaty, any offer of compofition or accommodation, in the prefent circumftances and tate of the war, would be a measure the most pernicious that could poibly be adopted or devifed. Such a proceeding would throw a lafting dishonour upon this country, it would, in the inftant, be productive of dangerous mifchief, and, in the end, would be uselefs, unavailing, and without any effect.-To prove this doctrine, is the general bufinefs of the pamphlet. The Author feems refolutely bent on the conqueft or extermination of the devoted Colonists. Yet he graciously gives them to understand that if they will lay down their arms, the horrors of war will cease.' 'Let them,' fays he, 'abandon the leaders of the revolt to the juft vengeance of an infulted empire, and a veil may be indulgently caft over the delinquency of the reft. Let them come as fuppliants, and they may obtain through intreaty what can never be extorted by force.'-This is great language, indeed! and well does it comport with our Author's high fentiments of the relation between fovereign and subject :-' on the one fide unlimited authority; and obedience unreferved on the other.' -We wonder how much time it would require to effect an accommodation with America, if the bufinefs were referred to this Gentleman and Dr. Price! DRAMATIC. Art. 25. Airs and Choruffes in the Mafk of the Sirens. As performed at the Theatre-Royal, Covent Garden. 4to. 6 d. Becket. &c. 1776. The fongs of these Sirens are not very enchanting: at least it must be most excellent mufic that makes them fo. For a moment, gentle Reader, liften to their notes! CARL. AIR, PARTHENOPE. RECITATIVE. Ye wizards, witches, old and bare, That ride upon the frisking air, Come from your bogs, heaths, woods, and dells, DUET, CORNELIA and CARLOS. Faithlefs feas may tempt in vain ; -Knots, and bows of love fhall bind me, 2 CORN. CORN. O, transporting, sweet idea, And thy vot'ry's pray'rs approve. I thought myself bleft with the prize, The Author, we are told, is a failor, who follows both Neptune and the Mules: his poetical bark, however, feems now and then in danger of being overfet by a fquall: "But when reltor d, he spreads his wings, Art. 26. Airs, Ballads, &c. in the Blackamoor Waf'd White. Of thefe Airs the two following may ferve as a specimen ; AIR V. The ftream that environ'd her cot All the charms of my deity knew; How oft has its courfe been forgot, While it paus'd-her dear image to woo? Believe me, the fond filver tide Knew from whence it deriv'd the fair prize, It reflected her-back to the skies. VI. BALLA D. When first I came hither to Sarvice, R 4 Tho'f G Tho'f at firft my poor heart the deny'd it, Odfooks, but the tit beat me hollow, And left Doll for to find a new Sappy, To dance over briar and bog. The idea, on which the firft of thefe Airs is founded, is, in our opinion, rather forced; and the barbarifms in the fecond, though intended as characteristic, are not happily hit off. On the whole, thefe ballads contain no great portion of poetry or humour. РОЕТ ICAL. C. Art. 27. The Heroic Epifle anfwered. By the R-H- Lord C. 4to. 1 s. Wilkie. This is not quite fo fevere a fatire on his Lordship as the Heroic Epiftle addreffed to him. That made him appear a very indifferent kind of man, this only an indifferent kind of author. But it is not improbable that both the Epistles are productions of one pen. L. Art. 28. Infancy; a Poem. Book the Third. By Hugh Downman, M. D. 4to. I s. Kearney. This part contains fome excellent precepts with regard to the general nurture of children, after they have been fome time taken from the breaft. The poetry, too, is fpirited and elegant, and the philofophical principles on which the didactic part is founded, appear to be perfectly juft: remove Far from thy children each high-feafon'd dish, * Heed well thy child, O parent, he will teach Art. 29. Asmodeus. 4to. I S. Wilkie. L. Afmodeus is Samuel Foote, Efq; concerning whofe affair with the Dutchess of Kingfton the Author has taken moft fcurvy pains,-for a dinner. im L. Art. |