'He takes an axe, and cuts the breaking mast,
Which by it's weight the ship had fidelong caft.
Then, 'mid the billowy war, on it alights,
And me, by name, to follow him invites.
Like a tall tree that furious blafts contend,
Deep-rooted as it grows, in vain to rend,
Not the fierce north wind in th' attack prevails,
The leaves but tremble as with whifpering gales :
So Mentor valiant, firm, ferene, and gay,
Appear'd the boisterous form and deep to fway.
I follow'd my encourager, and who,

By him invited, had not follow'd too?
The floating maft along the waves we steer'd,
And to it's furface as a feat adher'd.

Without thus refting, had we cleav'd the tide,
Our strength within us must have quickly died.
But oft the ftorm turn'd this huge timber round,
And for an interval we both were drown'd.
We drank the briny furge, till backward fent,

From noftrils, mouth, and ears, it gain'd a vent.'

An unsuccessful attempt of the fame kind was made by a Mr. Bagnal, in the year 1756. From the title we were led to expect an entire tranflation of Telemachus: this performance however only confifts of the first fix books, and here we fuppofe the undertaking will end.

Poems on feveral Occafions. By Ann Yearsley, a Milk-woman of Briflol. 4to. 6s. Cadell.

Thefe poems are ufhered into the world by a prefatory letter from Mifs Hannah More to Mrs. Montague, giving fome account of this felf-inftructed votary of the Mufes. It resembles the well-drawn relation of Stephen Duck, written by Mr. Spence, and prefixed to his poems. A parallel might indeed be drawn between him and the prefent writer, but not much to the advantage of the former. Stephen was merely a rhymer: the protection he obtained proceeded from the peculiarity of a thresher's writing verfes, not on account of the verfes themselves. As Pope fays of ftraw and grubs in amber,

• We know these things are neither rich nor rare,
But wonder how the devil they came there.'

The poems before us are entitled to a fuperior degree of praise; there are evident traces to be found in them of a ftrong and fervid imagination, as the following paffage will fufficiently teftify.

My foul is out of tune,

No harmony reigns here, 'tis difcord all.
Be dumb, fweet chorifters, I heed you not;
Then why thus fwell your liquid throats, to cheer
A wetch undone, for ever loft to joy,

And mark'd for ruin? Seek yon leafy grove,
Indulgent blifs there waits you; fhun this spot

D:ear,

Drear, joylefs, vacant, as my wafted foul,
Difrob'd of all her blifs: here heave, my heart,
Here figh thy woes away; unheard the groan,
Unfeen the falling tear; in this lone wild
No bufy fool invades thy hoarded griefs,
And smiles in ignorance at what he feels not.
Yet, yet indulge not, lift'ning winds may catch
Coherent fighs, and waft them far away,
Where levity holds high the senseless roar
Of laughter, and pale woe, abali'd, retires.
Or, fhould my woes be to the winds diffus'd,
No longer mine, once paft the quiv'ring lip;
Like flying atoms in the fightlefs air,

Some might defcend on the gay, grinning herd;
But few, how few, would reach the feeling mind!
Officious Truth! unwelcome gueft to moft,
Yet I will own thee, and bid Hope good night,
Fond, foothing flatterer! Nineteen years are paft,
Since firf I liften'd to her pleafing lore;

Ah, me! how bright the painted future fcenes, And fweetly spoke of bleffings yet unborn! Now, fond Deceiver, where's the promis'd good? But, Oh! thou'rt lovely, and I'll ne'er accuse Or hate thee, tho' we never meet again.' Correctness and precifion cannot be expected from one who does not know a fingle rule of grammar, and who has never even seen a dictionary;' but we can affure the reader many paffages, in no respect inferior to the preceding, might be felected. We will not anticipate his curiofity any farther, but recommend to him the book itfelf. He will receive the double fatisfaction of being amufed by its perufal, and contributing to the relief of depreffed genius. A large lift of fubfcribers is annexed; which does honour to the author's protectress, by whose means, we apprehend, fo many refpectable names were procured for promoting her benevolent intention.

IS.

More Lyric Odes to the Royal Academicians. By a diftant Relation to the Poet of Thebes, and Laureate to the Academy. 4to. Hookham.

This is a very fuccefsful imitator of the fame humorous, ingenious gentleman, who has twice before had a stroke' at the Royal Academicians. It is as impoffible to prevent laughing at his oddity, as being offended at his groffness: nothing but the brilliancy of his genius could bear him through the abuse he fo liberally beftows on the late exhibitions.

• The want of ev'ry lib'ral grace
Hath mark'd you an unpolish'd race,
Difgrace to the art, a vulgar crew-

Artift! Heav'ns, that a name fo fair
Should be fynonimous to bear!

Ye may be gentlemen and painters too.'

To fir Joshua Reynolds, as ufual, he is by turns ironical an I civil; to Mr. Weft not very complaifant. Speaking of the want of diftinction in the public, he fays with infinite drollery, For me, tho' bleft with Phoebus' lyre, And born on Fancy's ftrongeft wingNo fteaks of mine would fee the fire, Did I of gods and heroes fing.

Could I, like Homer, chant Achilles' feats,
1 might, like Homer, chant them in the streets,
'Tis buying fame by far too dear,

If when one's gut with hunger twiches,
We fee no cruft, nor garlic near,

Nor feel one ftiver in one's breeches.
While quacks in eafy chairs go rocking,
And with your lords get fav'ry dinners;
Merit muft coax his worfted ftocking,

And crouch to publicans and finners.'

His ninth ode is lefs perfonal than the reft. After having declared that the works are rather the objects of his fatire than the men, he proceeds,

My cousin Pindar's firains, as well as mine,

Were heard by those who would not think them fine;
But with obftrep'rous envy ftrove to drown:
To chatt'ring jays the bard compar'd their cries,
While he, like Jove's own eagle, pierc'd the skies,
And on their efforts look'd contemptuous down.
This was a pretty modeft fimile!

Another ye fhall have as good from me,

Whom ye would fain fee like the lion fick :

O! had I not this pow'r to hurt,

By heav'n I'd take my only shirt,

There's not an afs among you but would kick!'

The fifth and fixth lines are certainly poetical and fublime. We cannot help expreffing a with that this gentleman would chufe an object of imitation where his wit and genius may fhine, undebafed with vulgarity and perfonal abuse.

Lyric Odes, for the Year 1785: by Peter Pindar, Efq. a diftant Relation of the Poet of Thebes, and Laureat to the Royal Aca demy. 410. 25. 6d. Kearfley.

Two publications, with titles nearly fimilar, might lead us to fufpect the authenticity of one or the other; but we have reafon to fuppofe that both are the production of the facetious gentleman whofe genius and vivacity we have often commended. It is now time, however, to employ the rein, rather than the fpur; to hint that, though fpirited fatire is fometimes amusing, yet, when it degenerates into licentioufnefs, it lofes the charm, and difgufts the reader more than it has ever pleased him. A little wholefome chaftifement may be neceffary when we obferve

faults i

faults; but when the lafh is fo often repeated, and fo feverely laid on, we are apt to fufpect a deeper caufe for it than profef fional errors.

As we hope this is the last time we shall review any odes on this fubject, we will extract a part of one before us, as a fpecimen of his manner. It is an Ode which he properly addreffes to himself.

A thousand frogs upon a fummer's day,
Were fporting 'midft the funny ray,

In a large pool, reflecting every face;

They fhow'd their gold-Jac'd cloaths with pride,
In harmless fallies, frequent vied,

And gambol'd through the water with a grace.
It happen'd that a band of boys,
Obfervant of their harmless joys,

Thoughtless, refolv'd to fpoil their happy fport;
One frenzy feiz'd both great and imall,
On the poor frogs the rogues began to fall,
Meaning to plafh them, not to do them hurt.

As Milton quaintly fings," the ftones 'gan pour,"
Indeed, an Otaheite fhow'r!

The confequence was dreadful, let me tell ye;
One's eye was beat out of his head,-

This limp'd away, that lay for dead,

Here mourn'd a broken back, and there a belly.
'Amongst the fmitten it was found

66

At length king Croak got up, and thus begun-
My lads, you think this very pretty fun!
"Your pebbles round us fly as thick as hops,-
Have warmly complimented all our chops;
To you, I guess that these are pleasant ftones!
And fo they might be to us frogs,

You damn'd, young, good-for-nothing dogs!
But that they are fo hard, they break our bones."

Peter! thou mark'ft the meaning of this fable

So put thy Pegafus into the ftable;

Nor wanton thus, with cruel pride,

Mad, Jehu-like, o'er harmless people ride.'

If the author wants farther advice on this fubject we recom

mend the following.

• Build not, alas! your popularity

On that beast's back y'clip'd Vulgarity;

A beaft, that many a booby takes a pride in,

A beaft beneath the noble Peter's riding.'

Summary Explanation of the Principle of Mr. Pitt's intended Bill for amending the Representation of the People in Parliament. By the Rev. Chriftopher Wyvill. 8vo. 15. Stockdale.

The reform of parliament, in former periods, has been often the engine of oppofition; and when the principal object has been obtained, this fubordinate one has been eluded in various ways. In modern times, the manoeuvres of lord North and Mr. Fox, on this fubject, are within every one's remembrance: Mr. Pitt's plan is ftill more recent. We ought not to fufpect his fincerity; but, when the nation is oppreffed with numerous taxes, it furely was no additional recommendation of the plan twice negatived within a few years, that it was to be effected at the expence of a million of money; and that this fum was to be expended in what many thought a vifionary innovation. Indeed the prefent ftate of the difpute is fo queftionable, that we fhall not enlarge on it. Our author explains, but neglects to defend it. Perhaps he thinks this has been already done with fuccefs: we think otherwife, and the event is not to be decided by fingle combat.

Thoughts on Taxation, and a New Syftem of Funding. Small 8vo. 6d. Kearfley.

.

This author modeftly fuggefts his thoughts on the means of fupplying government with pecuniary refources in any future exigency. He propofes that people fhould be obliged to contribute towards the public fervice, in proportion to what they enjoy of the national ftock. With regard to real property, he obferves, that in confequence of the established mode of affeffing land, every land-holder efteems his eftate more or less valuable according to the rate he pays per pound, and therefore they who are under-rated, would have caufe to complain of an equal tax under four fhillings. But fuppofing government required a tax above four fhillings, the author thinks that it might with great propriety be equally affeffed; and he propofes that this fhould be levied upon the receipt for the tenant's net rent. He would likewife tax money on mortgage, but would have the borrower relieved, fo that having paid the tax for the land, he fhould have a right to demand a return of fo much in the pound from the mortgagee. A tax of this kind, at the rate of fix pence in the pound, he is of opinion, might produce great advantages even to the landed property.

A Political Enquiry into the Confequences of inclofing Wafie Lands, and the Caufes of the high Price of Butchers Meat. 8vo. 2s. 6d. L. Davis.

This Enquiry was first fuggefted by Mr. Lamport's Remarks on Agriculture,' which we reviewed in the 57th volume, page 436. A great portion of that little work was employed