ART. 14. The Lower World; a Poem, in Four Books, with Notes. I 2mo. 148 pp. 12s. 6d. Sharpe and By Mr. Pratt, Hailes. 1810. This Poem is on the fubject of Lord Erfkine's propofed Bill for reftraining Cruelty to Animals, a fine topic for Mr. Pratt's fympathies and humanities, and foft-eyed pity, and the like. We thall, doubtlefs, appear very hocking perfons to Mr. Pratt, and other zealous declaimers of the fame clafs, if we say that the fubject appears to us much fitter for Poetry than Legislation. It ad. mits of defcription, amplification, appeals to the pailions, appeals to the moral and religious feelings, and many other artifices in which poetry delights, and good poetry triumphs. But the bufes to which any laws must be fubject, which carried the matter further than our common law already carries it, prevent us from uniting in wishes with Mr. Pratt: though feeling, we truft, no less detestation for cruelty to animals than he either feels or profeffes. Mr. P., not contented with finging himself, invokes his brother bards to take up the fong. From this part we fhall take our fpecimen. "In fuch a caufe, why fleep the laurell'd train, When every chord fhould echo to the ftrain; A caufe, might wake the nobleft of the throng, To pity move, or fwell to rage the fong. A theme like this might CAMPBELL'S mufe infpire, And SHERIDAN, if aught can move his fire, * Who fung of Calvary, might here engage; Like PINDAR*, and the lark, full-plum'd can rife, And this a theme to prove her birth from heaven. Might feel rekindled, all thy ardours here." P. II. Mr. Pratt is much fhocked at "the fpinning of cockchafers." After all his exaggerated account (p. 139), we believe the truth to be, that the pin is paffed through an infenfible horny projection at the tail of the animal, and confequently gives no pain at all, and the buzzing noife is no more than naturally attends the infect's happieft flights. If an additional fanction be really required on thefe fubjects, perhaps the best law would be to compel offenders to read all the Poems published on the fubject, with the Notes. . ART. 15. Death, Judgment, Heaven, and Hell. A Poem; with other Pieces. By Samuel Elfdale, Clerk, M.A. late Fellow of Lincoln College, Oxford. Second Edition, Revifed. Published for the Benefit of the Charitable Fund, for the Erection and Support of a Lunatic Aylum in the City of Lincoln. 8vo. 58 pp. 25. Albin, Spalding; Crofby, London. 1810. In our 33d volume, p. 633, we ftrongly commended the first edition of this work, under the title of Short Pieces, in Verfe; by Clericus. With great pleafure we read, that twenty guineas have been paid for the ufe of the propofed Lunatic Afylum, on account of that edition; which is here materially improved by the omiffion of fome pieces, the fubftitution of new ones, and alterations of thofe retained. We trust that thefe improvements and additions may induce purchafers of the first edition to obtain this also ; as well for their own benefit, as for that of the excellent design announced in the title page; which we truft will foon be executed, in a county fo fully equal to the undertaking, and fo well difpofed towards charitable inititutions, as the county of Lincoln. This Poet alfo pleads for Lord Erfkine's Bill, (P. 22 and 23); but to regulate the provifions of fuch a law is a work of much more difficulty than Poets are likely to imagine. * Peter. + Polwhele. + Pye; Rogers. ARTY ART. 16. The Hermit, with other Poems. By Richard Hatt 12mo. Vernor and Hood, 5s. 1810. Why will young men wafte their time, money, pen, ink, and paper, in writing and printing fuch verfes as thefe which follow. It were abfurd to call them poetry. SONG. TO THE NEW YEAR, (1810.) Doubly welcome doth appear." Has this youth no parent, no tutor, no friend? The following is intended for wit alas!! alas!! 86 Say's a pin to a needle, And prefs'd by her fingers you fly. Its true that I'am bleffed with an eye, And prefs'd by her fingers I fly. But happier you With a head on her bofom to lie." The young gentleman's name, forfooth, is Hat.-Where is the Head? DRAMATIC. ART. 17. The World! a Comedy, in Five Ads, as performed at the Theatre Royal, Drury-Lane. By James Kenney. 8vo. 94 PP. 2s. 6d. Longman and Co. 1808. Exaggerated characters, abruptly developed, improbable fituations, with much of the jargon of modern fashion, which if at all like its reprefentations on the ftage, is wretched enough, make Mr. Kenney's World by no means a delightful one to dwell in. But the moral, fuch as it is, muft be approved, and the conclufion is what the reader wishes to have it. The romantic character of Mr. Cheviot may perhaps have its original among poets, but it is quite out of the probabilities of the World we live in. ART. 18. Venoni; or the Novice of St. Marks, a Drama, in three Aas. By M. G. Lewis. 8vo. 103 pp. 35. Longman. 1809. The author's own account of this Drama contains almost every thing that is neceffary to be faid. "This drama is in a great N 4 measure measure tranflated from a French Play in four Acts called Les Victimes Cloitrées on the first night of reprefentation, the two first acts were well received; the laft was by no means equally fuccefsful, and the concluding scene operated so strongly on the rifible mufcles of the audience, as to make it evident to me on the third night, that, unless I could invent an entirely new laft act, the piece must be given up altogether. Under this perfuafion I fet my brain to work, and in four and twenty hours I compofed the laft Act as it now ftands, both plot and dialogue. With this alteration the Drama was received with unqualified applaufe, and it had already gone through eighteen reprefentations, when aftop was put to it by the burning down of Drury-Lane Theatre." In the fame fhort preface the author takes leave of the public as a dramatic writer. "The act of compofing," he fays, "has ceafed to amufe me; I feel that I am not likely to write better that I have done already; and, though the pub lic have received my plays, certainly with an indulgence quite equal to their merits; thofe merits even to myself appear fo trifling, that it cannot be worth my while to make any further attempts at dramatic fame." P. vi. Though this modefty is very engaging, we cannot go fo far as to attempt a contradiction of it. A tranflated tragedy in profe is very like a laft effort. The Author has printed both the third acts, that the public may compare. He has the candour to prefer the original. Here we differ from him. Both are full of improbabilities, but the abfurdity of the firft is intolerable. NOVELS. ART. 19. Tales, Original and Tranflated, from the Spanish. By a Lady, embellished with eight Engravings on Wood. 8vo. 125. J. Stockdale. 1810. This volume confifts of eight tales, to each of which an engrav ing in wood is prefixed, but thefe can hardly be called embellishments. The tales are on the whole pleafing enough, fome are original, others profeffedly are tranflated from the Spanish. It might have been as well to have added from what Spanish authors. Twelve fhillings is a large fum to give for eight tales, but of courfe there is a market for this fort of ware, or it would not be manufactured. ART. 20. The Officer's Daughter, or a Vifit to Ireland, in 1790. By the Daughter of a Captain in the Navy, deceased. 4 Vols. I 2mo. 11. 15. No publisher's name. 1810. As we find no publifher's name in the title page of these volumes, and as there is a very refpectable, indeed honourable, catalogue of fubfcribers fubfcribers, the work is perhaps intended to be confined in its circulation. It is certainly, confidered as a first effort, entitled to much commendation. There is no violation of propriety, either with refpect to compofition, fentiment or merit. Things go on in the customary way, love, entanglements, hair-breadth efcapes, and a happy termination of all difficulties. The lady has talents which we think might be more creditably and advantage. oufly employed, but if the ftill chooses to perfevere in the line which fhe has chofen for her firft adventure, fhe may eafily excel most of her competitors in the fecond class. The first class in this as well as in every other branch of literary competition, requires no ordinary degree of talent and of diligence, POLITICS, ART. 21: A Letter from John Bull to his Brother Thomas. 12mo. 25 pp. 4d. or 3s. per Dozen. Hatchard. 1810. The prefent times, it must be admitted, are far from being free from danger, though apparently lefs "full of it" than thofe which immediately followed the French Revolution. But if the more modern reformers are lefs daring in their language, they are, we think, more artful and more hypocritical than their Jacobin predeceffors. The profeffed object of thofe perfons was a revo lution, on the model of that which had taken place in France, and their propofed measure for effecting it was a convention, on the model of that affembly by which the French monarchy was overturned, and the unhappy fovereign murdered. Our prefent revolutionary demagogues, warned by the failure of that attempt. in Britain, are far more guarded in their expreffions, and profefs more moderation in the object of their purfuit. Reform and restoration, not revolution, is, we are told, the only motive of their exertions, nay the fole wifh of their hearts. They, if we believe their affurances, "hold to the laws," and would by legal means alone carry a laudable and conftitutional object into effect. Unfortunately however, the measures of these innocent reformers, of thefe enemies to all revolutions, appear, (we believe) to all moderate and reafonable men, of the most revolutionary and mif. chievous tendency. For what can be more revolutionary than the attempt, by falfehoods and mifreprefentations, by clamour and violence, by the refolutions of turbulent affemblies, by infolent and dictatorial petitions or remonftrances, to overawe the govern ment and legislature of the kingdom? What can be more mifchievous, than to inflame the minds of the people by exaggerated, and often falfe ftatements, of errors or abufes in public departments of the ftate? What more dangerous than to inftil into the public mind a distrust of all public men of rank, talent, and real confequence, and to inspire a hatred and contempt of all but |