manner that does not deftroy the principal objection to it, viz. that it is not English. We certainly ought to read nymphs,' or lyeft.' We are glad, however, to find, from an incorrect first copy, that this nymph is Silence. Poets, in their infpirations, often think their readers as wife as themselves. We fhall felect a paffage, as an inftance of the style of criticifm which Mr. Scott has employed. It is taken alfo from the remarks on Windfor Forest.' The first fix lines propofe the fubject, and compliment the author's friend, Granville lord Landfdown. They are fucceeded by thele: "The groves of Eden, vanish'd now fo long, And where though all things differ, all agree." Two paffages in Cooper's Hill, quoted in the foregoing remarks on that piece, are here clofely copied. Profufion of thought feldom fails to create abfurdity. The place that was compared to Eden, furely needed no other comparison to exaggerate its beauty; and to compare it to the world at large, mult certainly produce an anti-climax. That which was like Eden, could not be like chaos; the mention of chaos was, therefore, totally unneceffary; nor is it eafy to conceive how that which was even HARMONIOUSLY confufed, could have ORDER. The thought, however, is not more exceptionable than the expreffion. General meaning may be evident, where precifion of language is wanting. Pope defigned to fay, that if he poffeffed Milton's poetical power, Windfor fhould be as famous as Eden; but he has not faid fo. The groves of Eden are the only object to which the comparative adjective equal can relate; and it is nonfense to say, Alame is equal to a grove. Milton's flame would have been fenfe, and would not have injured the dignity or mufic of the verfe. The fifth and fixth lines have a redundance in one part, and a puerile abruptnefs in the other. When bills, vales, &c. had been particularized, it was fuperfluous to comprife them in the term earth. If the poet means to say that here, as in Eden, earth and water feem to contend in affording pleasure," his words are not fufficiently extenfive; 'carth and water frive again ;" a cynical hypercritick would probably • a afk, ask, "when did they strive before, and what do they strive for now?" Crushed and bruifed is a profaifm and a periflology; for what is crushed muft of courfe be bruifed. The general congruity of a number of fubjects individually diffimilar, might perhaps have been better pointed out, than by obferving, that though all things differed, all things agreed. In fhort, the three laft couplets of the quotation are fo faulty, that had they been omitted, the poem would have been improved by the omiffion.' In this way admired poems are examined: we have hinted, that our author is fometimes mistaken; and we have chofen this part of the Effays to fhow how juft obfervations are fometimes mixed with faults: we fhall make no other remark than the distinctions in printing. We own, that when, in some instances, he has detected a real fault, we wished to have remained ignorant of it: these splendid errors are worth whole pages of measured regularity. In the Effay on Gray's Elegy, Mr. Scott has propofed alterations in the arrangement of ftanzas, and in some of the lines: their length prevents us from felecting any, but in general they deftroy the force of the language, and of the delufion, by introducing an unnatural regularity. Mr. Scott has shown that Gray has followed a plan; but we have often had occafion to obferve how delufive the task is, to adapt a plan to the defigns of another. If Gray had one, we think it not the least of his merits, that he has concealed it fo carefully. We shall felect another paffage, on the fubject of Lycidas; because, in our review of Mr. Warton's edition, we obferved, that it probably was not the effufion of real grief. When our above mentioned ingenious critick thinks that Lycidas cannot be confidered as an effufion of real grief, he feems to have mistaken the nature of the poem. There is an anxiety from apprehenfion of lofing a beloved object; and there is a grief immediately fubfequent to its actual lofs, which cannot be expreffed but in the shortest and fimpleft manner. There is a grief foftened by time, which can recapitulate paft pleasures in all their minutie of circumstance and fituation, and can felect fuch images as are proper to the kind of compofition, wherein it chufes to convey itself, It was no fudden impetus of paffion, but this mellowed forrow, that effused the verfes now under confideration.' This comes very near our pofition. 'Mellowed grief, however it may have delighted in réflecting on former fcenes, would not have turned either to the woods or paftures, for its perfonages. The following is not a correct answer. Cowley speaks of Hervey (the author refers to Johnson's remark), in propria perfona, Milton is pro tempore a rustic poet; one one therefore must naturally draw his images from the business of the study, and the other from the bufinefs of the field. It feems not very eafy to discover what idea of tenderness is excited by Cowley, the collegian, in his mention of the literary Occupations of his fellow-ftudent, which is not alfo excited by Milton, the fuppofed fhepherd, in his mention of the rural occupations of his field companion. Whatever there is of pa thos in either, refults from the recollection of friendship terminated by death.' There is no diftin&t idea of tenderness in either, when absoJutely confidered; but the intereft is entirely derived from the ufual occupation of thofe we loved. In the one cafe it is a natural, in the other an artificial reflection; and real grief cannot defcend to refinements. We must now leave Mr. Scott, whose manes we wish not to disturb by the freedom of our remarks. His Essays are not without merit, in the mode of criticism which he has pursued. Some peculiar words and phrafes do not produce a pleafing effect; but, on the whole, this volume may be read by an ardent young poet with advantage. A Hiftory of the late Siege of Gibraltar. By John Drinkwater, Captain of the late Seventy-Second Regiment. 4to. l. 75. in Boards. Johnfon. THE HE late fiege of Gibraltar is one of the most memorable occurrences in the hiftory of military atchievements, and will continue to reflect luftre on the British arms to the remoteft pofterity. A faithful and particular account of it, therefore, cannot fail of proving acceptable to all who are interested in the glory of their country. But public utility, as well as the fpirit of national honour, contributes to render a narrative of this celebrated tranfaction an object of general concern. The vigorous efforts of the enemy, and the glorious exertions of the befieged, will both be transmitted by this hiftory; and future governors may thence learn the means of oppofing, as well as of ascertaining, the probable iïue of any fimilar attempt. This work begins with the hiftory of Gibraltar, and a defcription of the garrifon; but as thefe fubjects have been treated by other writers, especially by colonel James, a few years ago, we shall commence our account of the prefent hiftory with the state of the garrifon in June 1779, when all intercourfe was flopped between the fortrefs of Gibraltar and the Spaniards. It appears that at this time, the number of troops in Gibraltar amounted to five thousand three hundred and eighty-two men. The objects now to be confidered were, how how to procure conftant fupplies of provifion from Barbary, and in what manner the correfpondence between England and Gibraltar fhould be conducted. On the fixteenth of July the enemy blocked up the port with a fquadron of men of war, which anchored in the bay of Algeziras, where being judiciously arranged, and keeping a vigilant look-out, the garrifon became closely blockaded. On the twenty-fixth, the enemy began to form a camp on the plain below St. Roch, about three miles from the garrifon. Fifty tents were pitched, and a detachment of cavalry and infantry foon after took poffeffion of the ground. Here they were daily reinforced with additional regiments; and large parties were conftantly employed in landing ordnance and military ftores. In confequence of thefe preparations all the horfes, except thofe belonging to field and staff officers, were ordered to be turned out of the garrifon, unless the owners, on inspection, had a thousand pounds of feed for each horfe; and to enforce this order by example, the governor directed one of his own horfes to be shot. Towards the middle of Auguft, the blockade became more ftrict and fevere: the army was in force before the place, and their plan feemed to be, to reduce Gibraltar by famine. Their fquadron, under admiral Barcelo, who commanded in the bay, could prevent fuccours being thrown into the garrifon by neutral veffels; whilft their grand fleet, united with that of France, would be fuperior to any which Great Britain could equip, in her then embarraffed fituation. Every circumstance confidered, the author informs us that this fcheme was specious; and that, had not the garrifon fortunately received fome fupplies in April 1779, the troops must have been reduced to the greatest distress, and might probably have been in imminent danger, before the ministry could dispatch a fleet to their relief. The fituation of the troops was every day becoming more critical: only forty head of cattle were now in the place; and from the vigilance of the enemy, there was little profpect of occafional fupplies from Barbary. The inhabitants of Gibraltar had been warned in time to provide against the calamities which now impended. The standing crders of the garrifon fpecified, that every inhabitant, even in time of peace, fhould have in ftore fix months provifions; yet by far the greater number had neglected this precaution. On this account, the most of those unfortunate people were now compelled to feek for fubfiftence by quitting the place. Still the enemy continued landing ftores on the beach, and covered carts were conftantly going from Point Mala to the laboratory-tents, fuppofed to be laden with hot. In the end of August, their camp confed of two lines, independently of the Catalonians, extending from Point Mala, in an oblique direction, into the country, towards the place called the Queen of Spain's Chair. In the mean time, the garrison of Gibraltar was no less actively employed in their fortifications. Their engineers were daily ftrengthening them with palifades, &c. Traverses were alfo erected in different parts; and the regiments now began to practife grenade exercife, whilft the governor kept a watchful eye to the enemy's operations, molefting their workmen as much as poffible. Proper precautions were taken iu the town to guard as much as poffible against a bombardment, which there was the strongest reason to expect. The pavement of the streets, in the north part of the town, was ploughed up; the towers of the most confpicuous buildings were taken down, and traverses laid in different places, to render the communications more fecure. In the beginning of October the enemy's army, according to the intelligence received in the garrifon, confifted of fixteen battalions of infantry, and twelve fquadrons of horse, which, if the regiments were complete, would amount to about fourteen thousand men. In the month of November, provifions of every kind became very scarce and exorbitantly dear in the garrifon. The price of mutton was from three fhillings to three and fix pence a pound; veal four fhillings; pork from two fhillings to two and fix pence; a pig's head nineteen fhillings; ducks from fourteen hillings to eighteen fhillings a couple; and a goofe a guinea. Fish was equally high; and vegetables were with difficulty got for any money; but bread, the great effential of life and health, was the article most wanted. About this period, we are told, the governor made trial what quantity of rice would fuffice a fingle perfon for twenty-four hours, and actually lived himself eight days on four ounces of rice per day. This gallant veteran, fir George Eliot, as the author informs us, is remarkable for an abftemious mode of living, feldom tafting any thing but vegetables, fimple puddings, and water. He is, notwithstanding, very hale, and uses conftant exercise. But the fmall portion juft mentioned, the author properly obferves, would be far from fufficient for a working man kept continually employed, and in a climate where the heat neceffarily demands very refreshing nourishment to fupport nature under fatigue. In January 1780, the ftate of the garrifon with regard to provifions, was become yet more diftressful. A Neapolitan polacre was luckily driven under our guns on the 8th, and obliged to come in. On board we found about fix |