Or banish'd hence to Paraclete remove, Where maids may melt, and heretics approve." To foothe with pious hopes the finner's breast, From scenes like thofe when Eloifa's foul And fure when hope with infant hold prepar'd F Severer Severer fcience join'd the blooming train, Untouch'd, unfway'd by fortune's bafe controul, Fair as thou wert, with more than beauty bright "O treacherous moment, fhort, and infecure! Those auburn ringlets taught by love to flow, Thofe flattering scenes that hope shall gild no more.' MONTHLY CATALOGUE. THE POETRY. An Invocation to Melancholy. A Fragment. 4to. HE fubject of this performance is capable of high poetical imbellishments, and the author has fometimes fucceeded in their delineation. Like Hotfpur, he apprehends a world of figures,' but they are not in general properly methodifed, nor - ac accurately expreffed. It is probably the production of a young writer; who appears not defective in genius, but we cannot compliment him on his judgment. The War of Wigs, a Poem, occafioned by a late Event in Wetminfter-Hall. 4to. 1. 6d. Kearley. * This poem relates the events of a battle, raised without an object, and determined without either victory or defeat. A late commotion in Westminster-hall, from a cafual terror, feems to have fuggefted this wordy war, where ferjeants and barristers contend, with little dignity and lefs addrefs. Yet the battle gives occafion to the poet to defcribe the different perfonages, in fmooth and poetic, often in pointed and well-appropriated language:-this perhaps is all that we should expect ; for, as Mr. Bayes observes, a plot is of little ufe but to bring in good things.' We fhall felect the concluding lines as a fpecimen, 'As o'er the troubled deep when tempefts rife, As Neptune ftills the hoarfe refounding tides: And hufh'd the ftorm. M-sf---d, in whom appears O bleft with all that greatness can renown, The claffic laurel, and the civic crown! Whofe facred honors ev'n in death fhall bloom, And future ages blefs the fweet perfume.' An Epifle from the Rev. William M- n to the Right Hon. William Pitt, Chancellor of the Exchequer; petitioning for the va cant Laureateship. 4to. 6d. Dilly. The report, whether true or falfe, that Mr. M -n was lately a candidate for the laureatefhip, has given rife to this piece of ridicule; the author of which likewife has proved fo far unfuccefsful as greatly to fail in the imitation of that ingenious gentleman's ftyle and manner. An Epifle from John Lord Ashburton, in the Shades, to the Right Hon. William Pitt in the Sunshine. 4to. 25. Murray. A political, doggrel, unpoetic production; in which the author, to fupply the want of wit, has been profufe of fcurrility. The Stone Coffin; or, a New Way of making Love. 4to. IS. Cattermoul. The fubject of this author's poetry feems to have a fympathetic connection with his genius; for we never read any thing that deferves more to be buried in oblivion. F 2 Poctical Poetical Trifles. By Edward Trap Pilgrim, Efq. Small 8vo. Is. 6d. Debrett. Thefe Trifles are rather calculated to amufe in a newspaper, than for a foundation on which the author's fame may fecurely reft. Some of them are light, easy, and pleafing; others trifling and infipid.-Thofe who write on temporary fubjects muft neceffarily confine their praife to the uncertain period of the follies which they celebrate or fatirise. Memoirs of Sir Simeon Supple, Member for Rotborough. 8vo. 15.6d. Kearsley. The author has acted injudiciously, by reminding us of the inimitable and unimitated New Bath Guide. Thefe Memoirs resemble it; but must be arranged at a great distance from the work of Mr. Anfey: they poffefs few traits of humour, little knowlege of human nature, and faint fparks only of poetic fire. The two following flanzas, part of the remonftrance of a condemned oak, are the most highly finished lines. Hold ruthlefs peafant! hold thy lifted arm, Nor let thy ftroke my bleeding rind divide; Ah! let my houry age thy pity warm! Nor dare to pierce my venerable fide. Thy axe has echoed through the fertile meads, Of the other parts, the minifter's fpeech at the levee is by far the beft; and we shall extract a few lines of it as a fpecimen. "Sir Simeon Supple, I'll always contend, I proteft that I did not difcern you before, And when, my dear friend, do you make the grand tour♪ Dear Dear fir, you're a rule for my friends, I declare: How long may it be fince you came from the Square?" The author difclaims any perfonal allufion; yet we fometimes fufpect that he verges towards it. But perhaps the scenes defcribed have been fo often acted, that it is not eafy to repeat what may not, in fome degree, be applied. Elegies and Sonnets. 4to. 35. Cadell. means liable to critical cenfure, Though we find not any thing peculiarly ftriking, or indicative of frong original genius in thefe poems, they are by no The language is pure, easy, and grammatical. We think the Sonnets in general extremely elegant, and fhall adduce the following on Love, in vindica tion of our opinion. 1 Ah! who can fay, to him that fondly loves And now in joys is loft, and now in tears; Gay fmiles the morn, deceitfully ferene, And blaft with ruthless forms the beauteous fcene.' Verfes on the Death of Dr. Samuel Johnson. 4to. 15. 6d. Dilly. Dr. Johnfon has not been very happy in his paneygyrifts: nor is the prefent author much more fuccefsful than his predeceffors. He tells us, that a friend, whofe reputation is great in the literary world, and had a better knowlege of the fubject than he can pretend to, induced him, with a few additions, to lay them before the public.' His friend muft furely be either infincere, or have acquired reputation very undefervedly. We found our opinion chiefly on his permitting the concluding lines of the poem to appear in their prefent state. • Soon as the mind exerts a wish to stray Then must thou own that her informing beam, F 3 And |