facres, and inquifitions. Chriftianity is without partiality. Popery has the most bigotted partiality for her doctrines and practices, condemning all proteftants, and confining falvation within her own pale. Chriftianity defpifes an ignorant affent to truth, and every act of religion, that is without understanding and fincerity. Popery teaches her votaries to offer up their prayers in an unknown tongue, and content themselves with the mere repetition of prayers, called the opus operatum. She pretends to honour the name of Chrift, when the robs him of his real glory, by depriving the people of the fcriptures, by exacting an implicit obedience to her decrees, and interpretations of fcripture, by refufing the cup to the laity, by afcribing pardon of fin to the power of the pope, juftification to the merit of good works, purification to the fire of purgatory, and falvation to the bleffed Virgin.

In this manner the author compares Christianity and popery, in order to guard his proteftant readers against the errors of the latter.

CONTROVERSIAL. Popery vindicated from feveral vulgar Afperfions, with a Juftification of its Votaries, in taking the Oath of Allegiance, and a few Proteftant Objections bumbly fubmitted to their Solution. In fome Letters, occafioned by the Dialogues of the Rev. James Smith, in bis Apology for his Apoftacy. Svo. 6d. Bew.

This publication confifts of fix or eight letters, loosely and inaccurately written, and fome time fince published in the London Packet, and other evening papers, on fubjects fufficiently explained in the foregoing title page.

POLITICA L.

An Addrefs to both Houses of Parliament, respecting the present State of Public Affairs: with a particular Addrefs to the Bench of Bishops. 8vo. Is. Robfon.

The defign of this Addrefs is to fhew, that we are a very de praved, licentious, and finful people; that we have abufed the goodness of divine Providence, and neglected to feek his aid and direction in our national concerns; and that if we have any regard for our properties, our liberties, our lives; the welfare of our country, and the glory of the British empire, we must immediately commence a general reformation. In promoting this important work, he tells us, that the clergy and the magiftrate should exert themselves in their respective capacities, and fet a good example; that the former should conftantly and earneftly preach the doctrines of the first thirteen articles of the church, and the latter enforce the laws of the land against atro cious offenders; that a faft fhould be appointed every fix months, during the prefent war, &c.. A pious, well-intended performance.

An

An authentic Account of the Part taken by the late Earl of Chatham in a Tranfaction which paffed in the Beginning of the Year 1778, 410. 6d. Almon,

The correfpondence contained in this account, with Dr. Ad◄ dington's annexed Narrative, lately appeared in the public papers and from comparing them with the declaration of fir James Wright, and the more ample and fatisfactory one of lord Mountftuart, we cannot help being of opinion, that the whole tranfaction is a compound of well-meant officiousness and mif taken infinuation; too vague and unauthorised, either to im pute any minifterial overture to one of the noble lords, or to do honour to the memory of the other,

POETRY.

An Ode addressed to the Scotch Funto, and their American Come miffion, on their late Quarrel between Commiffioner Ed-n and Commiffioner J-hnft-ne. 4to. 1s. 6d. Bew.

The author of this publication is a bold, active, and a poignant fatirift. In his various attacks on Wefley and the methodists, he endeavours to extirpate fanatics, hypocrites, and impoftures," out of the church. In his political productions, addreffed to lord North, lord Mansfield, lord G. Germaine, and others, he attempts to explode our prefent fyftem of politics, and reform the state. A common fatirift would content himself with brandishing his quill, and fcourging an obnoxious junto in metaphor. But this furious Drawcanfir calls for the poniard, and exclaims in this vehement language: Where, or when will Britain, infulted by a Scottish junto, find another Felton!' The Favourite; a Character from the Life. Addressed to the for vereign Minion of the Times, on the much-lamented Death of the patriotic Earl of Chatham. 40. 25.

Bew.

This is the production of the ardent, indefatigable, and intrepid author of the Junto, It is, like the reft of his pieces, outrageously farcaftic. Here lord Bute is the object of his vin dictive zeal; the victim of his fcalping-knife.

Ecclefiaftical Gallantry: or, the Mystery unravelled, a Tale. De dicated to his Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury, without Per million. 410 25. Bew,

The dedication of this poetical jeu d'efprit, which folely relates to the late rector and curate of St. Anne's, is a proof, that when a writer wants to indulge himself in a little witty fpleen, he can always find a pretence for fatirizing a refpectable

character.

Windfor; an Ode facred to the Birth Day of her Royal Highness the Princess Royal of England. 4to. Is. Robinson, In this piece, Denham, Cowley, and Pope, are fuppofed to return from the fhades, and appear to the bard at Windfor;

where

where they celebrate the birth-day of her royal highnefs, according to the custom of poets, in a few complimentary ftanzas. The ftyle of these eminent writers is imitated with very moderate fuccefs.

A Monody (after the Manner of Milton's Lycidas) on the Death of Mr. Linley; who was drowned Auguft the 5th, 1778, in a Canal at Grimpfthorpe, in Lincoln fhire, the Seat of his Grace the Duke of Ancaster. 410. 15. Wilkie.

Milton's Lycidas was occafioned by the death of a learned friend, who was drowned in his paffage from Chester to Ireland, in 1637. It is enlivened with a variety of beautiful descriptive imagery in the conclufion the lamenting fhepherds are com forted by an affurance, that the deceafed is received into the kingdom of joy and love'. The prefent Monody, on the death of Mr. Linley, is an imitation of Lycidas, but not comparable to that celebrated poem in its chief excellence, its enchanting imagery. Linlæus is not conveyed like Lycidas into the fu perior regions, but into the grotto of the Naiades, where he is married to one of thofe aquatic nymphs. This lady, it seems, is not only exquifitely beautiful, but poffeffed of more valuable qualifications:

• Her agate CHARIOT ftudded o'er with GEMS,
Which waited on the margin of the stream,
Bore to her cryftal grot the happy pair;
Where, rapt in nuptial blifs, they fondly dream,
Nor fear th' approach of love destroying care;
There, happy fhall they live devoid of pain,
And mutual harmony for ever reign.'

The Enraptured Swain. A Paftoral Poem. 4to. 15. 6d. Wilkie, A fimple tale, in the ftyle of Chevy Chace, or the Babes in the Wood.

Poets are supposed to have the peculiar privilege of stretching, fhortening, flashing, lopping, and trimming their language, as it fuits their purpofe. This is termed a poetic licence, and is extremely convenient to ordinary poets. The author of this performance thus extends his literary dwarfs.

• His parched tongue half cleaved to its roof.'

In earth, in heaven, human and divine.'

• Averie from heaven is Bellona's train.

On the other hand, when he meets with a refractory fyllable, or a polyfyllable that is too gigantic, he cuts it fhorter, or caf trates it in this manner:

All things replete with's kindly bounty fhine." This converfe deigning from's immortal breaft.' • On's low'ring brows.'

The iron rod, in b’bølf of lost mankind.'

From tempeft's rage and d'vouring blights fecure.

pears rather calculated to answer the narrow ends of private approbation and perfonal refentment -What are frangers to expect from this writer, when he tells a ftory of the want of feeling and humanity of an old, rich, lame relation;' who, he fays, is a crippled wretch'-and of an honourable lady' who was twenty years a kept miftrefs,' &c.

6

The following anecdote of Nath will make our readers fmile.

Nash did not love fighting, nor have we ever met with many men who do, when they can prudently avoid it; but yet Nash knew, that a proof of his prowess was neceffary, before he could pied firme, as the French fay, over all the parts of his royalty. He therefore, before his fovereign authority was well established, determined to avail himself of the first fair occafion to give an inftance of his. courage; and an opportunity foon offered. It was, in those days, the fashion for the ladies, efpecially those of youth and beauty, when they bathed, to have their heads dreffed as elegantly for the baths, as they now are for the balls. In this fituation, Nath happened to find a beautiful new-married lady bathing in the Crofs-bath, when the warmth of the waters had given a natural glow of colour, almoft fuperior even to modern art. While Nath was contemplating this, the highest finish ed and moft pleafing object, which God has given to delight the mind of man, the husband of the lady came to take a look at the partner of his joys, and being no lefs fenfible of the manner her beauty was heightened (by the warmth of the bath) than Nafh; he told her the looked more like an angel than a mortal being, and concluded, by wishing himself with her. Nafh inftantly embraced this occafion of offering his fervice, and feizing the gentleman by the collar of his bridal-coat, and the waistband of his breeches, threw him fouse over the parapet, and then left the lovers, like two ducks, to dry their feathers in the fun. The exafperated hufband, however, called the beau out upon dry land; and Mr. Nash finished his ftory, by fhewing us his right arm, which certainly had been ripped up fufficiently to make him fmart for joking fo wantonly with edged tools. By this double ftroke, he, however, fhewed himself a man of pleasantry as well as fpirit. Two excellent qualifications for a prince,, who prefides over the pleasures and paftimes of youth.'

Truth has been faid to lie in a well-Nash proved, in this inftance, that wit lay in a bath.

COR

CORRESPONDENCE.

To the Authors of the CRITICAL REVIEW.
Gentlemen,

IT is with much reluctance that I give you the trouble of an other letter. I would have paffed over in filence all the fevere, and, I think unjuft, ftrictures on the third volume of my Hiftory of Great Britain, contained in the eighth article of your Review for January, if they had affected only my reputation as a writer: But that article contains a charge of a higher nature, which affects my moral character, and accuses me of a crime, of which, if I know my own heart, I am incapable. The charge is contained in the following words (p. 38): He characterifes as a troubadour, or poet, Richard I, of England. And he appeals to the Catalogue of Royal and Noble Authors as his authority. He even afferts that one of the poems of Richard was published in this work. Yet in this work no fuch poem is to be found; and Mr. Walpole, the ingenious author, is of opinion, that Richard was no poet.' Now, gentlemen, I beg you will take the trouble to look into Mr. Walpole's book, fe cond edition, London, A. D. 1759, vol. i. p. 3, 5, where you will find the following words: "However, fince this article was written, I have found reafon to believe that Richard was actually an author-In the Laurentine library is the king's fonnet mentioned above, which I have twice tranfcribed with the greatest exactness." Then follows the fonnet in the original language, pages 6, 7, 8. From this I took the firft ftanza and tranflated it, because many of my readers might not understand the Provençal language of the 12th century. I did not indeed mention the edition of Mr. Walpole's very curious work, from which I quoted, because I did not imagine that any body read the first edition, when a fecond one, corrected and enlarged, had been published above eighteen years, with which all men of learning are well acquainted.

As I hope you are now convinced that I am not guilty of the heavy charge brought against me-of afferting a falfhood, I am perfuaded you will not refuse to publish this fhort difpaffionate vindication of myself. I am,

Edinburgh,

March 24, 1778.

Gentlemen,

Your most humble fervant,
ROBERT HENRY.

The publication of the above Letter will, we hope, be confidered

a proof of our candour The Reviewer of Dr. Henry's third volume has now feen the fecond edition of The Catalogue of Royal and Noble Authors; and defires the doctor to compare it, at p. 6. aol. I. with his Hiftory of Great Britain, p. 503, vol. III.

X