his third chapter, "The Lord whom ye feek fhall fuddenly come to his temple," &c. Mr. E. N. fays, this is the fort of knowledge which the Unitarians defpife as myftical and unintelligible, but it is purely fcriptural. It is capable of being understood without the illuflration of Targumifts or Rabbins. It is to be found in the Bible, in the very words and terms of Scripture; it may be obfcured or misreprefented, but it cannot be annihilated." P. 87.

After illuftrating, fomewhat at large, the opening of St. John's Golpel, the author paffes to the beginning of the Epifle to the Hebrews, in which the pre-exiflence of Chrift is alfo ftrongly afferted. This difcuffion is continued with force and clearness, as far as the 125th page, when the author adverts more generally to the purpose and defign of the pretended improved Verfion. In commencing this part, he gives fo good a view of the method ufed by the foi-difant improvers, that we are tempted to infert it.

1

"The profeffed defign of the Improved Verfion, as ftated in the introduction, is to refcue the public from the "technical phrafeology of a fyftematic theology:" this gives a strange air to many of their notes: the general mode of inftruction is in the way of affirmation. Pains are generally taken to tell the igno. rant what things are, as for inftance, what a ransom is, what a facrifice, what a propitiation, what a fin-offering, &c. But the ftyle of thefe Editors is totally different. The whole of their efforts are directed to the difcovery and relation of what things are not, a ransom is not a ranfom, nor a facrifice a facrifice; fins are not fins, nor bearing of fins bearing of fins, interceffion is not interceffion, nor propitiation, propitiation. This is puzzling enough to be fure, but I fuppofe not beyond the capacity of thefe improvers. If they understand themselves, their capacity must indeed be great, for their fyftem appears to me, I muft freely confefs, fo oppofite to the real language of Scripture, as to be wholly irreconcileable to it." P. 125.

These affertions are afterwards diftin&tly proved, and these methods of improvement not only exemplified but exanined. At page 144 the doctrine of atonement is confidered a good deal at large; and at page 163, the text of Romans ix. 5, on which the Unitarian improvers have curioufly employed their talents, Philippians ii. 6-9 is dif cuffed at page 176, and Coloffians i. at page 181. The neceffity of commenting thus upon detached paffages, as they appear to have been mifreprefented by the Unitarians, neceffarily gives fomewhat of a defultory appearance to these Remarks. Should they be reprinted, which we think extremely probable, an index of paffages fo difcuffed, will be

a very proper addition to the work; and will give it, in fome degree, the utility of a comment on the New Teftament.

In taking our leave of a book in which we naturally feel fo ftrong an intereft, we muft ftill be allowed to fay, that it appears to us to be ftrongly argued, with found and good learning as to Greek, and occafionally Hebrew criticifm. The introduction explains the motives and defigns of the author; and is particularly valuable for an eftimation of the various readings on St. John's Gofpel, as they ap pear in the editions of Wells and Griefbach *, by which it is fhown that, notwithstanding their number, they very im. materially affect the fenfe. It would be useful to extend this kind of eftimate to all the books of the N. T, but the refult is in fome degree exhibited in Dr. White's late edition t.

ART. 10.

BRITISH CATALOGUE.

POETRY.

The Pleasures of Friendship; a Poem, in two Parts. By Frances Arabella Rowden. 12mo. 139 pp. 75. Long

man, &c. 1810.

The fubject of this poem, how often foever it may have been difcuffed, can never fail to be interefting to any feeling mind; and in reading the work before us, fuch minds will be interested (we think) fomewhat deeply.

"The following pages are an attempt to delineate the pleafures arifing from the mutual endearments of FRIENDSHIP, with all the great and heroic deeds inspired by this difinterested feeling

of the foul.

"It is defcribed as the firft of intellectual enjoyments, the most valuable of all earthly poffeffions, and the indiffoluble bond, by which virtuous hearts are connected. Hence reciprocal acts of kindness are performed, and mutual facrifices made, which contitute the general order, harmony, and happiness of created nature. It is not only confidered as referring to the endearments of focial life, and the attachment of friends, but as embracing the tender fympathies of parental, filial, and conjugal affections."

P. vii.

* This extends from page xxv to xxx,
+ See Brit. Crit. vol. xxxiv, p. 386.

F 3

The

The dedication to Mifs Mitford, whofe ingenious Poems we reviewed in May laft, p. 515*, and one page from the Poem, will probably induce many of our readers to become poffeffed of the whole work.

"When with a mafter's ardent foul infpir'd,
Ideal charms immortal ZEUX1s fir'd,

His bold conception rang'd the fphere of thought,
And to his aid affembled beauties brought;
The god of tafte combined their fep'rate charms,
And bright perfection hail'd him to her arms;
But when a fifter art here dar'd to trace,-
Forgive th' attempt, the foul's fublimer grace;
Oft as her fancy fketch'd the feeling breaft,
The heart where filial fondnefs fhines confett,
The tender ties that kindred fpirits bind,
And all the angel virtues of the mind;
From one pure
fource thefe foften'd tints fhe drew,
That fource affection, and her model, you."

P. V

"Ah!, who fhall tell thy all-confoling pow'r,
When languid fickness rules the heavy hour?
When on the couch, oppreff'd by fore difeafe,
The reflefs fpirit turns in vain for ease?
What grateful incenfe to the feeling heart,
To catch the hope endearing finiles impart ;
To meet the kind carefs, the gentle figh,
And pity, beaming in the tearful eye;
To find, as life's delufive joys expire,
Some tender breaft, where forrow may retire;
Some fhelt'ring haven in that gloomy day,
When all but Truth and FRIENDSHIP fade away.
Benignant fpirit! in that trying fcene,
Shed o'er the parting foul thy ray ferene;
Bleft harbinger of peace, whofe fyren strain
Can charm defpair, and lull the throb of pain;

And beft prepare it for those realms above,
Where all is harmony and perfect love." P. 27.

ART. 11. Mifcellaneous Poetry. By Thomas Green, jun. of Li verpool. 12mo. 3s. Longman. 1810.

Some of thefe effufions are tolerable enough; but we should not have advised their publication, with the head of the author, who, in all refpects, appears to be a very young man. One of the best things in the volume, is the dedication to the author's father, in

*We have obferved another erratum in that article: line feven' from the bottom, for deaf'ing, war," read "deaf'ning roar.”

the

the ingenuous language of plain profe. We fhould be induced to imprefs upon his mind a maxim, of which he will hereafter acknowledge the good fenfe more readily than at prefent, read more, write lefs.

ART. 12. The Valentine, a Poem on St. Valentine's Day; (the 14th of February.) With a poetical Dedication to Mrs. Dorfet, Author of the Peacock at Home." By Edward Coxe, Efq. of Hampstead Heath. 8vo. 32 PP. 2s. 6d. Longman and

Co. 1810.

Mr. Coxe protefts against being numbered among the imitators of Mrs. Dorfet's elegant poem, and we have no inclination to place him in fo uncreditable a fet. He gives reafons, fufficiently good, why he could not have treated this fubject otherwife than he has, even if her poem had not preceded: and he produces a little fable, which certainly proves that the fame ftyle. of jocularity had been employed by him long before it exifted. This fable, because we think it rather more neat than any paffage we could give from the poem, we fhall here infert.

"" EXAMPLE BETTER THAN PRECEPT.

"Madame CRAB, like an Alderman's Lady, grown fine,
Thus addrefs'd her fat daughter; to day with us dine,
Coufin LOBSTER, who mourns for the lofs of his mother,
And CRAY-FISH in black too, his little half brother;
I expect PERIWINKLE, and CoCKLE, and MUSCLE,
And OYSTER, who wags not, though all 's in a bastle;
And the PRAWNS *, and their miniature, that tiny imp,
Whom we, that are great folks, denominate SHRIMP:
Then hold up your head, child, and turn out your toes,
And don't waddle fideways before fuch smart beaux!'

་

"The pert, faucy daughter, this anfwer return'd—
By example much more than by precept is learn'd;
So, if you would have me the graces difplay

In my walking and dancing, firft fhew me the way:
For, believe me, I'm not quite fo filly an elf,

As to mind what you fay, while you waddle yourself!" P. 10. In the Valentine, the author produces a few couples of birds, according to his fancy, and either is witty or puns upon them as he finds convenient. It is written in the eight fyllable verfe.

The couplet wherein the prawn and the fhrimp are introduced, was accidentally omitted to be inferted, when this Fable went to the prefs, in 1805.”

ART. 13. Vocal Repofitory Tracts; containing Selections of Songs adapted to Perfons in humble Life, fuited to their Occupations and Amufements, and teaching good Morals. 14. each Tract, containing 16 pages, or 6s. per hundred. Pitts.

1810.

In our thirty-fourth vol. p. 182, we ftrongly commended the defign of thefe Tracts, and the execution of that defign. The author, (Mr. Plumptre, of Clare Hall,) has here offered to the public five other Tracts; and, by the advice of his friends, with whom we concur, has happily enlivened his work with fome degree of humour.

A fpecimen of this good humour, in the verfification of a very old ftery, may be acceptable to our readers; and may induce fome to procure, and diftribute among their poor neighbours, thefe falu tary Tracts.

A SONG AND A LAUGH. THE CHOICE OF A WIFE BY CHEESE

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Tune-Nontongpaw-By Dibdin.
"There liv'd in York, an age ago,

A man, whofe name was Pimlico:
He lov'd three fifters paffing well,
But which the beft he could not tell.
Thefe fifters three, fupremely fair,
Shew'd Pimlico their tenderest care:
For each was elegantly bred,

And all were much inclin'd to wed,
And all made Pimlico their choice,
And prais'd him with their fweetest voice.
"Young Pim, the gallant and the gay,
Like Afs in doubt 'tween loads of hay,
At laft refolv'd to gain his eafe,

And chufe his wife by eating cheefe.
He wrote his card, he feal'd it up,
And fa'd with them that night he'd fup;
Defir'd that there migh; only be

Good Cheshire cheese, and but them three;
He was refolv'd to crown his life,
And by that means to fix his wife,
The girls were pleas'd at his conceit ;
Each drefs'd herielt most beauteous neat;
With faces full of peace and plenty,
Blooming with rofes under twenty ;
For furely Nancy, Betfy, Sally,
Where fweet as lilies of the valley.
To thofe the gay divided Pim
Came elegantly smart and trim :
When ev'ry fmiling maiden, certain,
Cut of the cheese to try her fortune.
"Nancy, at once, not fearing-caring
To fhew her faving, ate the paring;