Maria; or, the Obfequies of an unfaithful Wife. 12mo. 2s. 6d. Bew.

pro

We have often given our opinion on this poetical profe, which wants only measure to conftitute verfe. It is not the leaft of the objections to it that it foon swells into bombaft, or, fermoni propior, creeps in humble profe; that without a cultivated tafte, and found judgment, it cannot be with ease and priety fuftained. This work, which feems to be founded on a modern event, is fubject to both these faults; nor is the conduct of the story unexceptionable; but the leffons are falutary, and the moral juft. If it preferves one falling fair-one, the author deserves a meed more fplendid than a civic crown. Yet we would not advise a fage Mentor to imitate the conduct of Sophronius, and endeavour to draw a pupil, fond of gaiety and pleasure, from the glittering circle, by the charms of attraction, (we mean that of matter only) and the wonders of the planetary fyftem. Virtue muft at first be loved for its pleafing form, before it can attract by its intrinfic worth.

Some expreffions in this work are faulty. We know not how 'deicide' can be a crime, because it implies an abfurdity; and we have not yet heard of the word fupernal.' The cleft of a rock' is not the portion feparated from it, but the aperture previous to the feparation. Thefe, and fimilar deformities, fometimes occur, and lead us to wish that the work which was penned in a few folitary evenings,' had been carefully examined the fucceeding mornings.

Memoirs and Adventures of a Flea.
Axtell.

2 Vols. I2mo. 55. ferved.

There is fome originality, humour, and good fenfe, in these volumes; yet they are obfcured by indelicacies, perhaps infeparable from the nature of the Adventurer, but not, on that account, lefs difgufting. Some of these might have been avoid ed, and other improvements are very obvious: the author feems as yet unhackneyed in the mysteries of his profeffion.

The Force of Love. A Novel. In a Series of Letters. By John Dent. 2 Vols. 12mo. 65. Cafs.

This novel is entitled to little praife; the ftory and the characters are not beyond the ufual perfonages of that most respectable manfion, a circulating library. The incidents are ufually trifling, and the fituations uninterefting. Mr. Cook's first reception reminds us too forcibly of Mr. O'Keef's puns; and Mrs. Jenning's ftory feems a poor imitation of the misfortunes of lady Harriot Ackland. We are forry for it Mr. Dent; but really your novel deferves no better character.

MISCELLANEOUS.

A Ledure on Heads, written by George Alexander Stevens, with Additions by Mr. Pillon. 8vo. 25. Kearsley.

Humour, wit, mimickry,and fatire, united, could not fail to attract attention; to produce folid pudding,' as well as 'empty

praile.'

praife.' The want of the lecturer's talents, the want of his machinery, for, like Ulyffes, he was accustomed to produce the palladium rather than to mention it, with a 'Huic date' will be feverely felt. Like the ancient Spartan, or a modern queen of Hungary, who overpowered the feelings of the auditory by producing the infant fovereign, this modern Alexander gave an additional force to his fatire or his wit, by the proper introduction of lively reprefentations. In this way, we lose fome of his force; by his referring to transactions almoft forgotten, the poignancy of his humour palls upon the fenfe, and we must have recourfe to our former feelings, for an imperfect recollection of our former pleasures. The additions are fome of them judicious; but fo much temporary matter was interwoven with the original Lecture, that, if the ornaments had been wholly taken off, the coat muft in a great degree have fuffered. As it is, however, we have received an hour's entertainment from it, and recommend it particularly to those who have been present at Stevens's original delivery of it.

We might have introduced our account with fome remarks on this mode of fatire; but this tafk is well performed by the author of the Effay on Satire,' annexed to the Lecture. Mr. Lunardi's Account of his Second Aerial Voyage from Liverpool, on Tuesday the 9th of August, 1785. In Two Letters to George Biggin, Esq. 8vo.

This is a very pretty hiftory, in choice holiday terms,' of rage, extacies, horrors, and difappointments. It ends in Mr. Lunardi's afcending in the balloon, and coming down unhurt. We have no reason to fufpect the authenticity of the publication; but it was not neceffary to rife above the clouds to have penned every word of this defcription.

6

Nunquamne reponam

Vexatus toties ?

Juvenal.

A Treatise on Aeroftatic Machines. By John Southern. 8vo. 25. Baldwin.

This Treatife confifts of calculations of the weight, the buoyancy, and the expanfive power of balloons, with proper directions for making them. The calculations and the plates prevent us from abridging our author's advice, if we had otherwife thought the object worthy our attention. Each fucceffive experiment adds force to our former fentiments; and we have much reason to fuppofe, that this childish fpectacle will foon be forgotten. Philofophers may then not be ashamed to enquire into its real merits, and the methods of removing obftacles to its improvement: we fear, however, that they are too closely connected with the medium into which the balloon is to be raised, to render the invention of any ufe. Our author advises trying the experiment in miniature before we fill the balloon; and we must again advise adventurers to try the specific gravity

of

of the air they produce, for at least one experiment has failed from this omiffion.

A Treatise on Strong Beer, Ale, &er By T. Poole. 8vo. 2s. 6d. Debrett.

This Treatife, it feems, is the production of a butler, who, in our opinion, would have done much better had he confined himself to the business of the pantry. As a writer, his words are jumbled together in fuch confufion, that amidst a multiplicity of them, it is often impoffible to collect any fenfe, We would advise him to reflect, that the proverb of the cobler and his last is equally applicable to other profeffions.

Female Monitor, or the young Maiden's beft Guide in the Art of Love, Courtship, and Marriage. 12mo. Is. Bladon.

A collection of letters, effays, and dialogues, in profe and verfe; principally addreffed to the fair fex, for their choice, conduct, and behaviour, in the fingle and married state. The advices are plainly delivered, and, it must be acknowledged, are adapted to the meaneft understanding.

An carneft and affectionate Addrefs to Farmers in relation to the Payment of Tythes. 8vo. 6d. Rivington.

The defign of this address is to remove the differences that fubfift between the parochial clergy and their parishioners, with refpect to tythes. The author's motive is highly laudable, and we heartily with fuccefs to his endeavours.

A Letter to a Female Friend, by Mrs. Sage, the firft English Female Aerial Traveller. 8vo. 15. Bell.

Mrs. Sage is the adventurous lady who afcended from St. George's Fields, on the 29th of June laft, with George Biggin, Efq. and, after an aerial voyage, which fhe defcribes as very pleasant, fafely landed near Harrow on the Hill.

Mifcellaneous Pieces, in Profe and Verfe. 4to. 25. Egerton.

The authorefs, Mrs. Upton, acknowledges her having publifhed thefe pieces to fupport her children, not to extend her fame. This being the cafe, we cannot but exempt her from criticifm; and hope the will experience from the public that favour to which fhe is entitled by her fituation and industry. A Narrative of Facts, fuppofed to throw Light on the Hiftory of the Briftol Stranger. 15. 6d. Gardener.

This Narrative is tranflated from the French, and is fuppofed to throw light on the hiftory of the Bristol firanger, known by the name of the Maid of the Hay-ftack. The narrative is entertaining, and the reader will be interested in the fate of the fair damfel who is the fubject of it.

Voyage to the Cape of Good Hope, towards the Antartic Polar Circle, and round the World: 'but chiefly into the Country of the Hottentots and Caffres, from the Year 1772 to 1776. By Andrew Sparrman, M. D. Tranflated from the Swedish Original. With Plates. In Two Volumes. 4to. 17. ios, in Boards. Robinfon.

THE pleafure of accompanying a fenfible improving tra

veller is much increased when the objects which he furveys are new; when he can contemplate nature in uncommon fcenes, or examine productions which have hitherto eluded the eyes of the moft enterprifing enquirers. The entertainment, derived from the volumes before us, arifes from all these fources; for where we had acquired fome previous knowlege, it was obfcured by the different relations of contending travellers, and the mind hung in doubt from the marvellous nature of their stories. Those who are converfant with works of this kind, will perceive that we allude to the Hiftories of Kolben and de la Caille. The firft author is apparently careful and exact; but credulous and unimportant: the fecond is more eager to contradict his predeceffor than to establish the truth. In Dr. Sparrman's voyage we find fewer wonders; and, on that account only, we might fuppofe his reprefentation more exact, if his fidelity were not fupported by very numerous opportunities of acquiring information, and an established cha racter of precifion and intelligence. In a few inconfiderable circumftances we find him a little inaccurate; but, in general, his remarks are equally just and exact. The tranflator feems to have executed his talk with fidelity and neatness: the objects of the plates are well chofen, and the engravings executed with care.

ge.

The objects of a traveller, like Dr. Sparrman, are the works of nature, whether in the more inanimate objects, as the neral appearance of the country, or its inhabitants, confidered VOL: LX. Nov. 1785. X

in

in the most extenfive fcale. In his defcriptions of the country, he appears a skilful painter: his language is forcible and ftrong, and his delineations distinguished by, their vivid colouring and just perspective. Of the inhabitants of the country, man justly claims the pre-eminence, and we find the indolent, faithful Hottentot, the more treacherous Bofhie man, and the wilder Caffre, difcriminated from each other. Some peculiar animals are well defcribed; and the indigenous plants of that district frequently mentioned by their generic and trivial names. In the Supplement of the younger Linnæus, we find many of thefe, but there are some others which, for some uaknown reason, are not included in that work.

Dr. Sparrman was appointed tutor to the governor's children, at False Bay; but this was an office very different from the intention of his voyage, viz. to examine the natural hiftory of this remote part of the world, and was chiefly calculated to prevent him from being suspected as a spy. In this fituation, which employed a great part of his time, in cir cumftances not the moit opulent, furrounded by difficulties, arifing from the indolent difpofition of the natives, and the jealoufy of the European inhabitants, we wonder that he has done fo much. Nothing but the ardour which has diftinguished every pupil of the Linnæan fchool; nothing but the example of their mafter in equal difficulties, though lefs barbarous countries, could have animated their fpirits, or fup. ported their conftancy. Dr. Sparrman not only examined the natural history of the neighbourhood of Falfe Bay, but travelled, amidst a variety of dangers, from the most ferocious beasts, the most treacherous inhabitants, the most inconvenient conveyances, and the united oppofition of frightful precipices, and rapid rivers, in a country where roads and bridges are unknown. The great end of this voyage is not, as has been fometimes afferted, to discover a new plant, or an unknown animal, but to furvey nature in her most retired receffes, and ultimately to give an additional fecurity to the hazards of navigation. The fhipwreck of the Doddington Indiaman, and very lately of another, arose in a great degree from its not being known that the coaft of Africa extended far to the east before it began to trend, in any remarkable degree, to the north; fo that fhips failing from India fell in with Caffraria farther eastward than they expected; and those who were far enough to the fouth, ftill contended with the boisterous element, in these rough climates, though many harbours are to be found on the fouthern coaft to the east of False Bay, which were disingenuously or treacherously concealed. These

arc