the faculties of the mind are in fome measure dependent on those of the body, and that the former feldom continue in a vigorous ftate when the latter are impaired by time or ficknefs, they engage in the works of imagination with the fame hopes of fuccefs as when fancy, borne on the wings of youth, was active and unreftrained.

It is with unaffected concern we behold, in the Poem before us, a ftriking inftance of the fenefcence of Genius. The fentiments indeed are ftill characteristic of their Author, but most of them are to be found in his Night-Thoughts; and very little has been advanced on the doctrine of Refignation that is not to be met with in the different works of Divines and Moralists. The ftyle alfo is like that of Dr. Y——, but the refemblance is rather in its blemishes than its beauties. Here is the fame fondness for antithefes and pointed expreffion, the fame hunting down of figures, and lowness of metaphors, that are to be found in his other poetical works; but little of their strength or harmony remains. He has alfo been unhappy in the choice of his Metre. The Lyric Muse has always been unfavourable to him; and to attempt her eafy measures at this time of life, was an unfortunate determination. If he thought the dignity of Blank Verfe too much for his years, he ought to have confidered that the eafy harmony of Lyric Poetry is not more readily caught by the unbraced ear of age, than the fwelling grandeur of Miltonic numbers.

After these animadverfions, we muft, in juftice to the Author, quote his apology for this Publication, which is contained in the following Advertisement prefixed to his Poem:

"This was not intended for the Public; there were many and strong reasons against it, and are fo ftill; but fome extracts of it, from the few copies which were given away, (a few copies were printed and given to the Author's friends) being got into the printed Papers, it was thought neceffary to publish fomething, left a copy, ftill more imperfect than this, fhould fall into the Prefs; and it is hoped that this unwelcome occafion of Publication may be fome excuse for it."

This unjust cenfure of the present race of Authors may easily be accounted for, by confidering the Poet's Defcription of Age:

Difficilis, querulus, laudator temporis acti

Se puero, Cenfor caftigatorque minorum.

Now

Now with respect to this Apology, it must be owned that the reasons were fufficient for reprinting the Poem; but then it must be asked, Why did the Author ever fuffer fo imperfect a performance to pass through the Prefs? He fhould have confidered that true observation of Horace,

Semel emiffum, volat irrevocabile verbum.

With great propriety too might he have anfwered the importunity of his friends, in the language of the fame Author:

Spectatum fatis, & donatum jam Rude, quæris

Mæcenas iterum antiquo me includere ludo?
Non eadem eft Etas, non mens.

Eft mihi purgatam crebrò qui personet aurem ;
Solve fenefcentem maturè fanus equum, ne
Peccet ad extremum ridendus, et ilia ducat.

It is true that Horace was verfifying even while he urged fuch strong reasons against it; but Horace had not then feen many more than half the years of Dr. Y. His Epiftles are by no means the productions of exhaufted genius; and had he acquiefced in the reafons he advanced againft writing at all, the world had been a confiderable lofer.

This Poem is addreffed to a Lady, to teach her Refignation, when under a very fevere affliction, caufed by the death of a beloved Husband. The Author endeavours to reconcile her to her lot by fhewing that pain is not always an evil, but is frequently productive of very good confequences. This, with fome difficulty and torture of attention, we have been able to make out from the following Stanzas:

From Virtue's rugged path to right

By Pleofure are we brought

To flowery fields of wrong, and there
Pain chides us for our fault.

Yet whilft it chides, it fpeaks of Peace,
If Folly is withstood;

And fays, Time pays an eafy price

For our eternal good.

In Earth's dark cot, and in an hour,

And in delufion great,

What an economist is man

To spend his whole ellate,

And beggar an Eternity?

For which, as he was born,

More worlds than one against it weigh'd,
As feathers he should scorn.

Say

Say not your lofs in triumph leads

Religion's feeble ftrife,
Joys future amply reimburse
Joys bankrupts of this life.

But not deferr'd your Joy fo long,
It bears an early date;
Affliction's ready pay in hand,

Befriends our present state;

The ingenious Mr. Samuel Richardfon, who was engaged in printing the firft Edition of this Poem, died before the impreffion was finished. The Author here laments him as a friend, and has given some just sketches of his genius.

To touch our paffions' fecret fprings

Was his peculiar care,

And deep his happy Genius div'd
In bofoms of the Fair.

Nature, which favours to the few
All art beyond imparts,

To him prefented, at his birth,
The key of human hearts.

In the fecond part of this Poem Dr. Y-- has feverely difciplined his aged Cotemporary, Voltaire, for the publication of Candide.

Why close a life fo juftly fam'd

With fuch bold Trash as this?

This for renown? Yes, fuch as makes
Obscurity a blifs.

Your Trash, with mine at open war

Is obftinately bent,

Like Wits below, to fow your tares

Of gloom and discontent:

With fo much fun-fhine at command,

Why light with darkness mix?

Why dafh with pain our pleasure? Why

Your Helicon with Styx?

Your Works in our divided minds
Repugnant paffions raise,
Confound us with a double ftroke,
We fhudder whilst we praise;

A curious web, as finely wrought
As Genius can inspire,

From a black bag of poifon fpun,

With horror we admire.

REV. June, 1762.

1

In the following lines the Author attempts to fhew the general caufes of our Diffatisfaction, and why that Refignation he recommends is fo little prevalent.

What our fole fountain of Diftrefs?
Strong paffion for this scene:
That trifles makes important, things
Of mighty moment mean:

When Earth's dark maxims poisons shed

On our polluted Souls,
Our hearts and interefts fly as far
Afunder, as the Poles;

Like Princes in a cottage nurs'd,
Unknown their Royal Race,
With abject aims, and forcid joys,
Our grandeur we difgrace.

O for an Archimedes new

Of moral pow'rs poffefs'd

The world to move, and quite expel

That Traitor from the Breast.

The Thoughts in the two laft Stanzas are beautiful and new, for we do not find that our Author has borrowed them even of himself. Thefe quotations are fufficient to fhew the flyle and manner of the Poem, as well as to justify the cenfure we have paffed upon it.

La.

Sermons. By the late Rev. James Duchal*, D. D. 8vo. 55. bound. Millar.

N an Advertisement prefixed to these Sermons we are can

I didly written any view the Prefs; that they are only a fpecimen of the Doctor's ordinary weekly labours; and that if this Volume meets with encouragement, his friends propofe to felect more Volumes from that very large fund they are in poffeffion of.

As to the merit of the work, it appears to be very confiderable. The style of the Author, indeed, is far from being elegant, nor is there any thing animated in his manner; but fuch Readers as are more defirous of improving in virtue, than of reading ingenious and fprightly Difcourfes upon it; of reforming their lives, rather than of pleafing their fancies, will find abundant fatisfaction in perufing the present Volume.

In the VIIIth Volume of our Review the Reader will find an account of a Volume of Sermons, published in the life-time of this learned and worthy Author.

A

A fpirit of piety, candour, and modefty, breathes through the whole of it; the subjects are useful, and treated with judgment and perfpicuity.-We fhall prefent our Readers with a fhort view of what is contained in it; fincerely wifhing, that it may be fo well received by the Public, as to encourage the Author's friends to favour us with more of his excellent Difcourfes.

In the firft Sermon he fhews, that eternal Life is the reward of patient continuance in well-doing: in the second, that moral perfection is the ultimate intention of all the works and ways of God. The nature of enthufiafm, and the marks by which its irrational heats are to be diftinguished from a natural and becoming warmth of affection, and a suitable fervor of fpirit in religion, is the subject of the third, and is treated in a very rational and judicious manner.

Enthufiafm, in general, the Doctor fays, may be underftood to fignify a man's acting under an apprehenfion of a prefent divine energy upon his mind, to which all his powers are supposed to be subjected, and by which he is carried on, without attention to any thing elfe as his guide. After pointing out fome of the effects which this must produce, where a perfon is mistaken in fuch apprehenfion, he goes on to observe, that while men ftudiously avoid enthusiasm, they may be in danger of falling into the contrary extreme, and of contracting a culpable languor and infenfibility of fpirit in matters of religion; which ought always to be confidered as a most dangerous diftemper, as it feems to be a very general one in the prefent age.

"Warmth of affection towards God and the Redeemer, (continues he) emotions of spirit in contemplating the divine greatnefs and goodness, and the aftonishing scenery of the invifible world, which the gospel hath prefented to us as the objects of our faith, are not only rational and natural, and manly, but, indeed, may be faid to be the neceffary concomitants of a lively faith, and a serious attention to those objects and that there fhould be a rapturous joy in a rational and just application of the gospel promises to ourselves, is obvious and indifputable. It is true, indeed, thefe feelings will, in different perfons, be different, according to the greater or lefs fenfibility of their fpirits, and delicacy of their fenfations. But, where there is any fenfibility, where there are any affections which become humanity, furely fuch objects as I have now mentioned, muft, if feriously attended to, excite

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