Tanjore to its former fovereign. He fubjoins fome general remarks on the impropriety and injuftice of making conquefts for the Mahometan princes in India: and concludes with a wish, in which all true friends to the rights of humanity, without deciding to which party the guilt of oppreffion belongs, may concur: It is hoped that the active partizans of oppreffion, by officiously bringing these matters into difcuffion, will roufe the humanity and juftice of his Majefty, this nation, and the Company, in favour of the unhappy nations, princes, and people, who are under our protection, and from whom we derive infinite benefits.' ART. VII. Poems, by a young Nobleman, of distinguished Abilities, lately deceased; particularly the State of England, and the once flourishing City of London. In a Letter from an American Traveller, dated from the ruinous Portico of St. Paul's, in the Year 2199, to a Friend fettled in Bofton, the Metropolis of the Western Empire. Alfo, fundry fugitive Pieces, principally wrote whilft upon his Travels on the Continent. 4to. 2s. 6d. Kearfly. 1780. TH HE Nobleman, who is fuppofed to have been the Author of thefe Poems, was fufficiently notorious. Nature had beftowed upon him confiderable talents: thefe talents, under the care of a moft excellent father, had met with the highest cultivation. Such were the advantages with which he entered into life. Unfortunately both for himself and for the world, there was fomething ftill wanting to give a proper direction to thofe abilities for which he was foon diftinguished. Devoted, unhappily, to the purfuit of pleasure, he feems to have been one of those who emancipate themselves from every principle which opposes the gratification of their ruling appetite. A mind enflaved by vice, and enfeebled by a conftant attention to low and fordid enjoyments, feems incapable of that dignity and elevation which are fo effential to true poetry. Hence it may be that we meet with fo few marks of thofe diftinguished abilities which are announced in the title-page of thefe poems. Though we indeed expected not the "dignity of verfe," we yet looked for brilliancy and wit. In this refpect, however, we are also difappointed. The firft poem, the State of England in the year 2199, is heavy and unanimated. Neither force of genius nor grace of fancy are difplayed in it. A Boftonian is supposed to vifit the ruins of London; a poor emaciated Briton, who officiates as Ciceroni, is his attendant. After expatiating on the different objects that had engaged their attention, they proceed into a field And And mingled indignation thus exclaim'd.- The Bank and Treafury of England, fill'd Happy and great, nor would the envious foe At Britain's downfall. The only attempt at any thing like poetical defcription, is in the paffage that immediately follows: thought revolv'd on thought, And my rapt mind was held in fix'd fufpence, K With With many a fhaft, upon his bruis'd limbs In his right hand he held a broken spear, The poem afterwards concludes with fome rhymes, which, we are of opinion, muft have been added by a very inferior hand, as they are fuch as would confer no honour on the belman. The fecond piece in the collection is addreffed to Lady Catharine A-nf-y, on her departure for Ireland. This, as well as the poem that immediately follows it, addreffed to a friend from Venice, contains fome tolerable lines. The verfes we are most pleased with are An Invitation to Mifs WARB-RT-N. Already wafted from th' empurpled meads And thofe his lov'd retreats, where shadowy woods Defcend, and gurgling through the op'ning vale, In Tempe's vale; where the delighted gods With Thee could be compar'd, nor could their charms We We almoft imagine we perceive in the above little poem fome marks of the ftyle and fentiment of a former Lord Lyttelton. What, in fome measure, favours our conjecture, is, that we find nothing in the present collection that bears any refemblance to it. Befide the pieces already taken notice of, there is a tolerable imitation of the firft Elegy of Tibullus. The remaining part of the poems we pafs over as, in general, poor, contemptible, and vulgar. Prefixed to this collection, is an apology for its noble Author, by a Gentleman who had been his intimate companion many years. From this intimate companion we learn, that no man ever experienced more illiberality; few men deferved it lefs." And speaking of the obloquy and reproaches which his Lordfhip met with for his licentious and unprincipled conduct with respect to women, this Apologift adds, there is no fituation in life which will admit of an avowed contempt of vulgar prejudices.' We think this friend had acted more judiciously had he paffed over his Lordship's vices in filence, than thus by a feeble an ineffectual effort to excufe them, be the means of keeping up the memory of what, it might be hoped, would foon have been loft in oblivion. ART. VIII. Letters on Patriotifm. Tranflated from the French Original printed at Berlin. Small 8vo. 2 s. fewed. Conant. 1780. HIS work is introduced to the English reader by the following extract of a letter from Berlin : T "The letters which accompany this, are at prefent read with the greatest avidity throughout Germany; they were lately published at this place in French, and are the production of our great northern hero. "You will give the tranflation of them to the Public in whatever form you please. At this period, every incitement to patriotism is Jaudable; though the general conduct of your nation, which has jaftly excited the admiration of the world (I mean the general proofs of patriotifm), fufficiently thew how little fuch incitements are wanted. "In the tranflation, I am apprehenfive, fome traces may be dif covered of a pen difused in its native language; but however it may fall fhort of the beautiful fimplicity and fpirit of the original, I believe it will be found no unfaithful copy of the illuftrious Author's meaning.". The above extract affords, in general, a pretty just account of the work before us. As to the authenticity of the Letters, we are difpofed to believe them genuine, when we view them in connexion with the other productions of the royal Author; but if we compare the generous, humane, and patriotic fentiments contained in the K 2 prefent prefent work, with the life and actions of his Pn My, we fhall find as little reafon, perhaps, to afcribe it to him as to any other perfon in his dominions. The Letters are fuppofed to pafs between Anapistamon* and Philopatros; the former of whom is inftructed by the latter, in the duties which he owes to his country. These duties are enforced by every confideration (excepting thofe of RELIGION and LIBERTY) that can influence the minds of men. It is not in republics only that the virtues of the citizen ought to prevail. Good monarchies, founded on principles of prudence and phi lanthropy, constitute in our times a species of government approaching much more to aristocracy than to defpotifm; in fact, it is the LAWS only that reign in fuch a government. Let us confider this matter a little :-If we reckon up the perfons who have a fhare in the feveral councils, in the adminiftration of juice, in the finances, in foreign miffions, in commerce, in the army, in the interior police of the nation; add moreover all those who have votes in the provinces; all these in fome degree partake of the fovereign authority. The Prince, in such a state, is far from a defpotic and arbitrary governor, acting only from his caprice; he is only the central point in which all the radii of the circle concur. In this form of government only, it is poffible for deliberations to be managed with a fecrecy unattainable in republics, and for the different branches of adminiftration to proceed, like the quadriga of the Romans, marching abreast, and concurring equally to the general welfare. If the Prince is endued with firmness, there will be much lefs room for faction than in republics, which are so often ruined and fubverted by the iniquitous intrigues and confederacies of the citizens against each other.' The Author, perfonating the Mother Country, fums up, in a few words, the principal arguments employed in the course of the work: "Ah! ye degenerate and ungrateful children, indebted to me for your existence, will ye for ever remain infenfible of the favours which I heap upon you? Whence are your ancestors? It is I who gave them birth.-Whence did ye both receive your nourishment? From my inexhaustible fecundity; they were indebted to me for their education; their eftates and poffeffions are my ground, my foil. Ye yourselves were created in my womb; in fhort, ye, your parents, your friends, and whatever is dearest to you in this world, it is I who gave them being. My tribunals of justice protect you against iniquity; they defend and vindicate your rights; they guard your poffeffions; the policy which I established, watches for your fafety; when ye walk the town, or ramble the fields, ye are equally fecure against the furprise of thieves, and against the dagger of affaffins; * We leave it to our learned Readers to determine whether it is from ignorance of the Greek that the fecond and fourth fyllables of the word alluded to, are erroneously written throughout. and |