netration, whose names and performances we do not at present particu larly recollect.

Art. 5. A Confultation on the Subject of a Standing Army, held at the King's Arms Tavern; on the 28th of February, 1763. 4to. 1s. 6d. Kearfly:

This is a fevere and well-written fatire on the majority of the Cocoatree Politicians, who are here fuppofed to be debating on the expediency of a standing army; that is, not on its, expediency as a national concern, but as the concern of their own body; the queftion before them, as laid down by their Chairman, being, not the political one, "Whether a ftanding army be a right or a wrong meature; but whether they shall approve or condemn that measure"

On this subject the feveral members are fuppofed to speak in their turns; the tergiverfation and inconfiftency of the Tories being expofed in their respective speeches, with much truth, and a good deal of farcaftic humour. K-n-k

Art. 6. A fecond Dialogue between Prejudice and Reafon, on the prefent State of public Affairs. By the Author of the first: 4to. Is. Coote.

Reafon defends the peace against Prejudice, from a view of the preliminaries only. A third Dialogue may be expected; Mefirs. Reafor and Prejudice having agreed to meet again, in order to canvass the defnitive treaty, as foon as it fhall be made public: when, we doubt not, the former will obtain another victory over his antagonist, as cafily as in the first and fecond difpute. -Poor Prejudice hath, indeed, very little to fay for himself. He is fet up, like an unfortunate dunghill cock, on a Shrove Tueday, only to be pelted, and cruelly knocked on the

head.

Art. 7. Eleutheria: One of a Series of Letters to a Nobleman, on the most important and interefting Subjects, &c. 4to. 1 S.

Nicoll,

"Writings, calculated to promote the interefts of Liberty, can never be unfeasonable in a free country," fays the Author in his preface; and we readily fubfcribe to the truth of his obfervation: but when he "laments to fee a particuler occafion for the friends of Liberty to exert themselves," we must withhold our acquiefcence, till the occafion he has in view is more particularly afcertained, than it feems to be in the prefent Letter, which, as the title informs us, is only the first of a series intended for publication.

The Writer expatiates freely and warmly in defence of civil and religious Freedom; but whether his zeal hath really taken the alarm from any particular occafion, as he has expreffed it; or whether his apprehenfions flow from a notion which hath pretty generally obtained, that the Tories and High church Men have gained the afcendant at Court-is not very clear to us. With regard to religious Liberty, indeed, he seems

to

to have had an eye to the noted profecution of a perfon who had too freely enquired into the character and writings of Mofes; but we imagine he is too hard upon a certain great man, if he means to charge him with being the Author or Stimulator of that profecution: for we are affured, that his Lp was rather averfe to fuch a procedure, and reluctantly yielded to it, in compliance with the zealous follicitation of certain dignified Ecclefiaftics.-But, in truth, tho' we cannot but highly approve the Writer's principles, as a Whig and as a Proteftant, yet candour obliges us to condemn the ungovernable excefs of his ardour, by which a good caufe is more likely to be injured than served. We must alfo obferve, that his manner of writing is by no means agreeable to the epiftolary ftyle: his papers may be called Animaverfions, Reflections, Differtations, or any thing rather than Letters.

"Were the maxims, foys he, of the Scottish rare to prevail,-we fhould fee the land deformed ani miferable with flavery, violence, fuperitition, ignorance, and that worst of furies, religious perfecution."

Is. 6d.

Art. 8. Curious and 'authentic Memoirs concerning a late Peace, concluded between the Rooks and Jack-Daws. 8vo. Burnet.

Under a very thin difguife, we have here a fatirical sketch of the late war, and of the Preliminaries. There is not much wit or humour in the piece; but plenty of fcandal appears in the characters here drawn of many of the principal Rooks; i. e. the late and prefent British Ministry, and the leading Members in both Houfes of Parliament.The "Author has fallen into an obvious abfurdity, by making ufe of strokes and dafhes, in fome parts of his work, where he apprehends his fatire to be dangerously fevere; although we are of opinion, that if the feathers of his Rooks and Daws are not thick and clofe enough to cover a libel, thofe breaks and blanks would but little avail him. Beside, fuch an obvious and common evafion of a literal conftruction, is quite foreign to the mode of allegorical writing; it prematurely unveils the fubject, fpoils that agreeable deception from which the Reader's entertainment is chiefly derived, and looks like Harlequin's white neck and ears behind his mafk, juft appearing to undeceive the audience, by revealing to them, that Mr. Wriggle-tail is no Negroe, notwithstanding the footy complexion of his features.

Art. 9. Confiderations on the fatal Effects of the prefent Excess of public Charities. In which the Magdalene, Afylum, Foundling, Hofpitals for Sick and Lame, Lying-in Hofpitals, Charity-Schools, and the Diffenting Fund, are particularly confidered. And a Plan for a new Syftem of Poor's Laws propofed. 8vo. 1s. Hooper. Many fhrewd and fenfible obfervations are to be found in this publicfpirited pamphlet. The fcheme for a new fyftem of Poors Laws deferves confideration; the fubject being of very great confequence. As to the Writer's Remarks on our public Charities, they are not all of equal depth and folidity. Our Author is fometimes too warm and declama

R 3

.

tory;

tory; and does not feem to have always given himself fufficient time for weighing the extent and tendency of his own reafoning. Some of his reprefentations of facts too, appear a little doubtful, and others, we are pretty certain are rath, erroneous, and totally wrong. On the whole, nevertheless, we recommend what he has faid, to a candid hearing; as the public may poffibly reap confiderable advantage from a due attention to several of his hints.

Art. 10. A new Trade laid open from the Iflands of Tobago, Granados, and others of the Leeward Islands, to the Spanish Main, in the Kingdom of Peru; and from Cape Florida to the Havanna and La Vera Cruz, in the Kingdom of Mexico. By a Gentleman who refided many Years in both Kingdoms. 8vo. Is. Hinxman.

An old Trade is here laid open; viz. that of printing fresh titles to old pamphlets, &c. a trade which has been long carried on by the noted Ed. Curl and his worthy fucceffors. This pamphlet was published in December laft, under the title of "The great Importance of the Havanna, fet forth in an Effay on the Nature and Methods of carrying on a Trade to the South Sea, &c. By Robert Allen, Efq;"In our Review for that month, we took notice of it as an old tract revived, by one Samuel Jemmat; whofe name and dedication to Alderman Harley, do not appear to countenance the prefent reiterated attempt, to force a fale for an unfaleable tract.

POETICA L.

Art. 11. The Triumph of Brutes. A Satire on this Caledonian Age. 4to. Is. 6d. Pridden.

The incoherent ravings of fome crazy Rhimer, whose friends, if he has any, ought to keep the pen and ink out of his way. It is no less indecent to let mad-men expofe to public view all that may be conceived in their difordered imaginations, than to fuffer them to run naked about the ftreets.

Art. 12. An Ode, facred to the Memory of a late eminently distinguifhed Placeman, on his retiring from Bufinefs. Folio. I s. G. Woodfall.

Dull and heavy abufe of the Duke of N. inftead of Pegafus, has mounted a Pack-horse.

e. The Author,

Art. 13. Peleia; or the Old Woman. A Mythological Eclogue. By Mr. Thomas Milward. 4to. 1s. Dodfley.

We do not underftand what Mr. Thomas Milward would be at. He certainly has an intention to draw the Reviewers into fome fcrape: it behoves us, therefore, to be careful how we meddle with him. Hence, we hope, our Readers will not too rigidly infift on our attempting to explain to them the nature and defign of what appears to us an inexplicable poem. It is fomething about Adam and Eve, the ferpent, and

the

the apple, virtue and vice, reafon and fuperftition; and it concludes

thas;

Mark then the reigning tafte, and fail along
The ftream of custom with the vulgar throng;
But keep your heart, for there the danger lies;
This only makes, and can preferve us wife!

There may be meaning in this, but non cui unque datam eft habere
nafum.

Art. 14. The Poetical Calendar, containing a Collection of scarce and valuable Pieces of Poetry, with Variety of Originals and Tranflation, by the most eminent Hands: Intended as a Supplement to Mr. Dodfley's Collection. Written and felected by Francis Fawkes, M. A. and William Woty. Vol. II. for February. 12mo. 1s. 6d. Coote.

These two Poetical Almanack-makers keep pace with the fun, and pafs with him from Sign to Sign through the Zodiac. They are now in Pifces, and fing of February, of Snowdrops, Crocuses, &c. but poor Sonnetteers! they do not feem to mend their hands. However, it is to be hoped, that when they get into Taurus, and the rest of the more genial Signs, they will exert a little more spirit.

But tho' we cannot commend all the pieces which the Editors themfelves have written, and inferted in this publication, yet we do not indifcriminately condemn the whole. The Bacchanalian, in particular, by W. W. deferves to be dillinguifhed, for the eafy and fpirited strain in which is conceived. Several of the pieces which they have collected from the labours of other Bards, or which have been communicated by their friends, have likewife their fhare of merit; efpecially the very

natural Eclogue entitled, ROBIN, written by Captain Dobson. La.

Art. 15. Fitz-gigo: A new English Uproar, &c. 4to. 6d.

Swingster.

Excellent fun :-to use the ftyle of fuch choice fpirits as the Author.
The fubject is, the late riot at Covent-garden theatre. The fongs, &c.
are comically adapted to the favourite airs in the opera of Artaxerxes.-
A fecond part has been printed, not quite fo funny as the first.

Art. 16. A grand folemn Dirge, in the high burlesque tragi-comic
Tafte, performed at the Funeral of Old English Liberty, on the
fame Day as the definitive Treaty of Peace was figned betwixt
France, Spain, and Great Britain. By H. Howard. 4to.

6 d. Williams.

Another piece of choice fpiritifm, in burlefque airs, recitativo, duetta, and chorus. The Geniufes allow Harry to be the drolleft Dog, the highest Fellow, that is to be met with in all the Rounds.

MISCELLANEOUS.

Art. 17. Theatrical Difquifitions: or a Review of the late Riot at
Drury-lane Theatre, &c. By a Lady. 8vo. Is. Burnet.

The old Lady takes part with the Managers, and gives the Rioters a good fcolaing.

Art. 18. Three original Letters to a Friend in the Country, on the Caufe and Manner of the late Riot at the Theatre-royal in Drury lane. Letter the first: The Introduction—with a theatrical Anecdote, the Caufe of the Riot as fet forth in the printed Paper. Letter the fecond: The Complaint impartially examined; and their Proceedings at the Theatre faithfully related, with proper Remarks. Letter the third: A Review of the Condition and Usage of that Theatre forty Years ago: the firft Rife of latter Accounts-the Entertainments then given to the Public-the Salaries, &c. compared with the prefent. The Rights of an Audience confidered. Remarks on the whole. By an old Man of the Town. 8vo. IŞ. Becket.

A very good title-page; but the Author ought, in confcience, to have given fomething more for a fhilling.

Art. 19. An hiftorical and fuccinct Account of the late Riots at the Theatres of Drury-lane and Covent-garden. 8vo. 1s. Morgan.

Little more than a bare compilation of the published by both parties, before and after the disturbances at both papers and advertisements Houfes.

Art. 20. The Gentleman and Lady's Key to polite Literature; Or, a compendious Dictionary of fabulous Hiflory, &c. &c. 12mo 2 s. Newbery.

Young Gentlemen and Ladies may here very readily find out who was who, in the old heathen world, three or four thousand years ago: Hector, or Helen, or Homer, or Jupiter Ammon: Gods, Herces; Poets, Godeffes, Monsters, &c. &c. collected from the larger Dictionaries, Pantheons, Hiftories of the heathen Gods; and other compila tions generally made ufe of, for debauching the minds and morals of youth in our public schools, with the help of fuch claffic impurities as are to be found in Horace, Ovid, and other obfcene Wits of antiquity."

t

Art. 21. An Effay on the Theory of Agriculture, intended as an Introduction to a rational Syftem of that Art. By a Farmer. 8vo. I S. Becket.

In our last we gave an account of a valuable treatife on Agriculture, written and pablished in Scotland; where this noble and ufeful fubject has been very much studied of late years. This Effay is another pro duction of that country, and appears to come from no ordinary hand. We can hardly think it the work of a common Farmer: the ftyle is too much elevated for people of that clafs ; and, indeed, if it had been lef laboured, the writing would have been more agreeable to the generality

of