fo. The Fine Gentleman's Etiquette; or Lord Chesterfield's Advice to his Son verified. 4to. 1s. Davies.

This didactic rhapfody, the precepts contained in which are founded upon paffages referred to in his lordship's letters, is written in hendecafyllable measure, and is not deftitute of humour.

51. Poetical Legends: containing the American Captive, and the faithful Feud. To which is added, the Fall of Faction, a poetical Vifion. 4to. 2s. 6d. Donaldson.

We are informed by an advertisement that, at the defire of the author, the profits arifing from this publication are to be paid into the fund for the relief of his majesty's fick and wounded troops, and of the widows and orphans of the foldiers flain in America. This humane intention might be fufficient to difarm us of severity, though thefe poems were lefs entitled to approbation than they really are. We therefore heartily with fuc cefs to the fale of a production which is devoted to so benevolent a purpose.

52. Lord Ch--m's Prophecy, an Ode; addressed to Lieut. Geni Gage. With explanatory and critical Notes. 4to. 15. Almon.

The effufion of a political Caffandra with respect to the iffue of the prefent war. The prophecy, as may readily be imagined, forebodes no fuccefs to the British arms; but, what may afford fome small compenfation to readers whofe tafte is not over delicate, the melancholy tenor of it is now and then enlivened by tranfient glimpfes of humour, which is at least inoffenfive. 53. Poems: Edward and Ifabella; Elegy on the Death of a Child. 410. 25. White.

The first of these poems, which is of confiderable length, recites, in the epiftolary ftrain, the unhappiness that accrued to each of the parties mentioned in the title, from the infidelity of Ifabella. There occur in it fome fentiments which have a claim to elegiac tenderness, though the pathos is not uniformly fupported through the whole compofition.-The Elegy on the death of a Child is written in the ufual common-place style of fimilar productions.

54. Ode to Mr. Pinchbeck, upon his newly invented Candle-Snuffers. 4to. 6d. Almon.

A little sprightly jeu d'efprit, feafoned with fome whimfical pleasantry, and a few grains of fatirical humour.

DRAMATIC.

55. The Syrens, a Masque, as performed at the Theatre Royal in Covent garden. By Captain Thompfon. 8vo. 15. Karily. In a former Review †, we gave a favourable verdict of the airs and choruffes in his Mafque; and with respect to the other parts, the indulgence ufually granted to productions of this na

+ See Crit. Rev. for March, p. 239.

ture

1

ture may be fufficient to protect it from the animadverfions of criticism.

56. Three Weeks after Marriage. A Comedy. As performed at the Theatre Royal in Covent garden. 8vo. 15. Kearfly.

This piece was prefented to the public, under a different title, about twelve years ago, when.it met with fuch a reception as to be difmiffed from the theatre. On its late revival, however, it has had the good fortune repeatedly to afford entertainment to the audience; a proof, among many others, that the fate of dramatic compofitions is not always determined, by the general voice, with equal candour and judgment.

57. The Man of Quality: a Farce. Taken from the Comedy of the Relapfe. By Mr. Lee. 8vo. s. Kearfly.

In altering this farce from Sir John Vanburgh's comedy of The Relapfe, Mr. Lee's defign has been to remove the blemishes, in point of ftyle.and moral, with which that production was diffigured. It would be pity fhould fo laudable an intention, properly executed, not meet with the fuccefs which it deserves; and in this respect, we believe Mr. Lee's expectations have not been disappointed.

MEDICA L.

58. An Examination of Welley's Primitive Phyfic. By W. Hawes, Apothecary. 410. 15. 6d. DodЛley.

Those who reflect that the fcience of medicine can only be improved by obfervation, and who likewife know how much advantage it has derived from the difcoveries in natural philofophy, will entertain but a very unfavourable idea of Primitive Phyfic. Had Mr. Wefley prudently reftricted himself within the limits of his profeffion, by elucidating the principles of primitive religion, he might have edified his readers much more, without either endangering their temporal welfare, or expofing his own opinions to the imputation of medical ignorance, of which he is fo clearly convicted in this examination. A perfon may dogmatize with plausibility on fpeculative fubjects, but the errors of practical empiricifm are open to the plaineft detection,

59. Pradical Remarks on Weft India Difeafes. 8vo. 25. Newbery.

We are informed in a preface, that thefe Remarks are published as a fpecimen of a larger work on the subject of Weft India Diseases, which the writer means to purfue, fhould the fuccefs of the prefent treatife encourage him to proceed in his plan. The difeafes treated are Inflammatory Disorders, both general and local; among the latter of which we meet with a particular account of Inflammations of the Breaft, the Brain, and the Bowels. Thefe are followed by Remarks on the dry Belly ach, Bilious Disorders, the Yellow Fever, Putrid Bilious Fever, Bilious Diarrhea, Cholera Morbus, Coup de

Soleil,

Soleil, Tetanus, latent inflammatory Fever, and the Small-Pox. To the account of thefe difeafes the author has premised fome obfervations on the climate of the West India iflands, and the food of the inhabitants.

It does not appear that the practice which this writer recommends, differs much from that of the medical authors who have preceded him on the fubject. His ftyle, however, it must be acknowledged, is fuperior to the common ftandard in phyfic; but it is to be wished that he had authenticated the Remarks, by making known at leaft his name and the place of his refidence in the West India islands.

DIVINITY.

60. Sacred Annals; or the Life of Chrift, as recorded by the Four Evangelifts, with Practical Obfervations. By T. Morell, D. D. 12mo. 35. 6d. Longman.

This work is compiled from the writings of b'fhop Taylor, Locke, Cradock, Whifton, Le Clerc, Lamy, Macknight, and other harmonizers of the gofpel; but particularly Dr. Doddridge. It is principally defigned for the Sunday exercife of the young gentlemen educated at Eton-School. But it is likewife' calculated for the ufe of ordinary readers, as the narrative is plain, and the obfervations of a practical nature.

As there are but very few notes at the bottom of the page, the following remark on the flaughter of the infants at Bethlehem, immediately prefents itfelf to our notice. The Greeks.

6

in their calendar, and the Abyffines of Ethiopia, commemorate in their offices of liturgy fourteen thousand.'-Does this learned writer-produce thefe calendars as evidences, that 14,000 infants. were flain by Herod? Or does he believe thefe Greeks and Abyffines? He feems to believe them: for he fays, Herod flew many thousand innocent babes.' But, if he really flew this amazing number, how fhall we account for the filence of all historians, on this occafion? Such an unparalleled act of barbarity, fuch an extenfive maffacre of his innocent fubjects, must have ftruck that age and nation with horror, and would never have been paffed over in filence by all hiftorians: particularly by Jofephus, who was the profeffed enemy of Herod, and took every opportunity to reprefent him in the most odious characters. It is very properly obferved by one of the commentators, that the flaughter might not be very remarkable, Ob raritatem habitantium in eo tractu.' The Abyffinian account of the flain invalidates its credibility, and renders it as improbable, as the ftory of the martyrdom of St. Ursula, and her 11,000 virgins.

CONTROVERSIAL. 6. A Reply to the Author of the Remarks on a Scriptural Confutation of Mr. Lindsey's Apology. 8vo. 6d. Law. The Scriptural Confutation, by Mr. Burgh, is a vindication of the Athanafian theology against Mr. Lindley. The pamphlet

intitled Remarks, &c. is a refutation of that work t. This Reply contains fome general animadverfions on the prefumption of thofe, who im pugn the doctrine of the Trinity; but nothing more argumentative, or important.

MISCELLANEOUS.

62. Λυκιανός Σαμοσάλεως πως δει Ισοριαν συγγράφειν. Luciani Samola tenfis, quomodo Hiftoria confcribenda fit. Edidit ac notis illuf travit Franfifcus Riollay, A. M. 8vo. 4s. 6d. Rivington. This publication confifts of two entertaining tracts. The frt entitled Πως δει Ισορίαν συγγράφειν, on the Method of writing Hiftory.

The victory, which the Romans obtained over the Parthians, in the reign of Aurelius and Verus, in the year 165, induced a great number of Greek fophifts and rhetoricians, Creperius Calpurnianus, Callimorphus, Demetrius Sagalaffenfis, and others, to write the hiftory of that celebrated expedition. Their per.. formances, it seems, were trifling and abfurd. Lucian therefore ridicules and expofes them in this treatife, and then proceeds to fhew in what manner a history ought to be written.

The second tract is ftyled, Annons Isopia, or True Hiftory, in two books. This title is ironically applied. It is a whimfical romance, in ridicule of Iambulus, Ctefias, and others, who had impofed upon the world improbable ftories, and de-. fcriptions of things, which never exifted. Lucian relates what happened to him in the courfe of a wonderful peregrination; his adventures by fea and land, in the air and the moon, in the belly of a whale, in the Elyfian fields, the islands of the impious, the land of dreams, and other places.

These pieces are illuftrated with notes, collected from various commentators. The Latin tranflation is that of Reitzius, in the edition of Lucian's works, printed in four volumes quarto, at Amsterdam, 1743.

63. An Afylum for Fugitive Pieces. Small 8vo. Is. Almon.

The first number of a work intended as a continuation of The New Foundling Hofpital for Wit, and the Fugitive Miscellany. A receptacle of this kind might prove useful, if care were taken not to admit into it any fugitive productions but fuch as poffefs real merit. The feveral pieces here collected are not unworthy of being preserved from oblivion; but whether this literary Afylum will continue to reject all thofe of a different quality, the editor alone muft determine.

+ See Crit. Rev. vol. xxxix. p. 427, 505. '..

We are obliged to our Correspondent of Grays Inn; the Articles he mentions are under Confideration, and will appear in our next.---Our Thanks are due to the accurate Prifcian, whofe Admonitions shall be properly attended to.

絲

THE

CRITICAL

CRITICAL REVIEW.

For the Month of June, 1776.

ARTICLE I.

A Commentary on the Book of Pfalms. By George Horne, D. D. 2 vok. 4to. 17. s. boards. Rivington.

TH

1

HE defign of this work is to illuftrate the literal and hiftorical fenfe of the Pfalms, as they relate to king David, and the people of Ifrael; and to point out their application to the Meffiah, to the church, and to individuals, as members of the church. This application is the great object of the author's investigation; as he thinks it a matter of fuperior importance. For, fays he, a perfon may attain a critical and grammatical knowledge of the Old Testament, and more especially the Pfalter, and yet continue a Jew, with the veil upon his heart; an utter ftranger to that fenfe of the holy books, evidently intended, in a variety of inftances, to bear teftimony to the, Saviour of the world; that fenfe, which is styled by divines, the prophetical, evangelical, mystical, or fpiritual fenfe.'

In defence of this fpecies of interpretation, the author obferves, that a great number of paffages are cited from the Pfalter by our Lord and his apoftles, and applied to evangelical circumftances and events.

Thus, he fays, no fooner have we opened the book, but the fecond pfalm prefenteth itself, to all appearance, as an inauguration-hymn, compofed by David, the anointed of Jehovah, when by him crowned with victory, and placed trium. phant on the facred hill of Sion. But let us turn to A&ts iv. 25. VOL. XLI. June, 1776.

E e

and