branch, or the rock of marble without one corner crumbling into duft?Let thofe who fee Johnfon's intellectual character to difadvantage through the medium of this book, recollect his weight and magnitude as a philologist, his profoundness and difcernment as an eftimator of human life and manners, his fafcination as a biographer, and his luftre as a poet. Let them not forget that Achilies, with his vulnerable heel, was still the mightiest of the Greeks.

Whether the title of this publication be the author's, or the editor's, does not appear; but we cannot perceive the propriety of calling any part of its contents meditations. There are refolutions, recollections, confeffions, and prayers; which all seem infufficient to juftify this part of the title. We acknowledge our curiofity to have been excited by the word meditations; as we thought an imagination like Johnfon's, naturally vivid and glowing, when lifted up to things above by the devotion of his heart, could fcarcely have failed to produce fome very interefting effufions. But whilft we regret the want of what the title had made it not unreasonable to expect, we must not deny that, amidst the too frequent indications of infirmity and fuperftition, we have had the fatisfaction of obferving feveral amiable marks of the fincerity, affection, and humility of the author's mind. If, upon the whole, this work fhall bring no new acceffion to the fame of the writer, it may, nevertheless, be confidered as a literary curiofity; and be thought, perhaps, by fome perfons, to add another chapter to the science of human nature.

Mr. Strahan's Preface is well written.-If that gentleman had been at liberty to fupprefs the prefent publication, perhaps we should not now have been lamenting the weakness of his friend.

Confiderations on the Nature and Oeconomy of Beafts and Cattle; a Sermon preached at St. Leonard's, Shoreditch. By William Jones, M. A. F.R.S. 4to. 15. Robinfon.

The enlarged and pious fpirit of this learned discourse recommends it as ufeful and inftru&tive, whilft the lively and ingenious manner in which it is written, make the perufal of it much more interefting and agreeable than we generally find compofitions of this kind. The beginning of it is perhaps too abftracted for a mixed congregation.

Mr. Jones makes two grand divifions of the brute-creation, according to the idea fuggefted in the law of Mofes. The moral reprefentation of their characteristic qualities is original and fpirited our readers will not be displeased to see the paffage alluded to.

The law of Mofes, in the eleventh chapter of Leviticus, divides the brute-creation into two grand parties, from the fashion of their feet, and their manner of feeding; that is, from the parting of the hoof and the chewing of the cud; which pro

X 4

perties

perties are indications of their general characters, as wild or tame. For the dividing of the hoof and the chewing of the cud are peculiar to thofe cattle which are ferviceable to man's life, as sheep, oxen, goats, deer, and their feveral kinds. These are fhod by the Creator for a peaceable and inoffenfive progrefs through life; as the Scripture exhorts us to be fhod in like manner with the preparation of the gospel of peace. They live temperately upon herbage, the diet of ftudents and faints; and after the taking of their food, chew it deliberately over again for better digeftion; in which act they have all the appearance a brute can affume of penfiveness or meditation; which is metaphorically called rumination, with reference to this property of certain animals.

• Such are thefe: but when we compare the beasts of the field and the foreft, they, inftead of the harmless hoof, have feet which are fwift to fhed blood, fharp claws to seize upon their prey, and teeth to devour it ; fuch as lions, tygers, leopards, wolves, foxes, and fmaller vermin.

• Where one of the Mofaic marks is found, and the other is wanting, fuch creatures are of a middle nature between the wild and the tame; as the fwine, the hare, and fome others. Thofe that part the hoof afford us whole fome nourishment: thofe that are fhcd with any kind of hoof may be made useful to man; as the camel, the horse, the afs, the mule, all of which are fit to travel and carry burthens. But when the foot is divided into many parts and armed with claws, there is but fmall hope of the manners; fuch creatures being in general either murderers, or hunters, or thieves; the male factors and felons of the brute creation: though among the wild there are all the poffible gradations of ferocity, and evil temper.

Who can review the creatures of God, as they arrange themselves under the two great denominations of wild and tame, without wondering at their different difpofitions and ways of life! Sheep and oxen lead a fociable as well as a peaceable life: they are formed into flocks and herds; and as they, live honeftly they walk openly in the day. The time of darknefs is to them, as to the virtuous and fober amongst men, a time of reft. But the beaft of prey goeth about in folitude: the time of darkness is to him the time of action; then he visits the folds of fheep and falls of oxen, thirfting for their blood; as the thief and the murderer vifits the habitations of men for an opportunity of robbing and deftroying, under the concealment of the night. When the fun arifeth the beaft of prey retires to the covert of the foreft; and while the cattle are fpreading themselves over a thousand hills in fearch of pasture, the tyrant of the defart is laying himself down in his den, to fleep off the fumes of his bloody meal. The ways of men are not lefs different than the ways of beafts; aud here we may fee them reprefented as in a glafs; for, as the quietnefs of the pafture, in which the cattle spend their day, is to the howlings of

a wilderness in the night, fuch is the virtuous life of honeft labour to the life of the thief, the oppreffor, the murderer, and the midnight gamefter, who live upon the loffes and fufferings of other men.'

The preacher next proceeds to difcourfe, 1ft. On the different Qualities and Properties in which Brute-Creatures excel. 2. On their Ufefulness to the support, comfort, and convenience of Man. The latter part of this fermon is a warm and earnest applica tion of the fubject to the purposes of moral and religious inftruction. Had Mr. Jones, where he reafons from the qualities of brutes to the attributes of the Deity, carried his argument as far as it would go, his conclufions muft, we think, have led him to account for the fource of evil; but the compafs of a fermon would not admit the extenfive difquifitions which that intricate queftion might have made neceffary. A Differtation, or Difcourfe on Suicide, grounded on the immoveable Foundation of Scriptural, rather than of Philofophical Principles. 6d. Lackington.

This performance, written much in earnest and with good intention, is too loose and desultory to answer our idea of a differtation. The author has not judged well in depreciating the folidity of natural arguments against the crime of fuicide. Such as are drawn from revelation would lofe nothing of their weight, or ftrength, from conceffions to the merit of the former.

POETRY.

The Female Aeronaut, a Poem. Addressed to Mrs. ****. Difplaying a Reprefentation of an Aerial Excurfion, with a brief Defcription of thofe peculiar Senfations, which have been fo recently experienced, when at a certain Point of Elevation, or above every earthly Connection. Interperfed with many ludicrous and well-known Characteristical Incidents. Dedicated to Mrs. Harriet Errington. 4to. is. 6d. Swift.

We have never read any attempt at poetry fo utterly deftitute of metre, common fenfe, and even grammar. It is even deftitute of the quality of which it boafts; yes, fuch is the licentiousness of the age, that indecency is now boasted of, and each fucceffive editor promifes to exceed his predeceffors. It is, however, ftupidly dull from beginning to the end. We fhall felect a fhort fpecimen.

At nine o'clock the new process began,
Lunardi this way, Sadler that way ran.
In went the iron, vitriol splash'd about,

Coats, gowns, were burnt, which made the people scout.
Some d-n'd and fwore, they would Lunardi fue,
And for their old clothes, make him purchase new.'

The Frolics of Fancy, a Familiar Epiftle. By Rowley Thomas. 4to. Frinted at Shrewsbury for the Author.

This author's fancy is fo extravagant and erring,' that fober criticism dares not follow its eccentric vagaries.

The

The Oracle concerning Babylon, and the Song of Exultation, from Ifaiah, Chap. XIII. and XIV. 4to. Is. 6d. Wilkie. There is no inconfiderable thare of poetic fpirit in thefe odes; but that they improve upon the unadorned fublimity, and fimple grandeur of the original, is what we fhall not take upon us to affert. We think they are nearly equal to Mr. Mafon's Pa'raphrafe of the fourteenth chapter of Ifaiah; and fomewhat inferior to Dr. Lowth's elegant Latin verfion of the fame paffage.

Poems on Subjects facred, moral, and entertaining. By Luke Booker. 800. 2 Vols. 55. Robinson.

We have very little to fay in favour of thefe poems, though we occafionally meet with fome good lines, but never for any continuance. They abound with a frange jumble of abfurd epithets, and incongruous phrafes. Unwrapp'd his halcyon mind -pipe-arm'd-age-cold blood-fenfual fhrine-vifual gracescorrugate each face-embronzes o'er with gold-indign defarts -pallid gloom-fympathizing harebells-cloud-brush'd mountains-firmamental worlds.'-A deer is faid to have furfacefkimming legs; and fancy to unconfine her glowing faculties. Many inftances of the fame kind might be felected.-In a note on one of Shakspeare's plays, by Warburton, we are told to read (i. e. if we can) for 'tis prefent death'—' i' th' prefence 't's death,' which Edwards humorously obferves, feems to have been penned for Cadmus, in the state of a ferpent.' For what animal, the fecond line of our following quotation was penned, we cannot conjecture: it certainly fets human articulation at defiance.

And though our camels, fir, were four, .

I'm fure 't wou'd 've held as many more.'

In juftice, however, to the author, we muft acknowlege, that his diction is, in general, fufficiently harmonious.

The Swindler. A Poem. 4to. 15. The Author in the Old

Baily.

This author profeffes to give an alphabetical lift of the most noted fwindlers that infeft the ftreets of London; with the leading traits in their characters. His pamphlet, however, contains not a word of ufeful information; and of wit or poetical merit it is equally deftitute.

The Strolliad: an Hudibraftic Mirror. 4to. Is. Ridgeway. An abufive production against fome of the theatrical perfor mers; but fo deftitute of wit, humour, and poetry, that it only reflects contempt on the author.

The Bees, the Lion, the Affes, and other Beafs, a Fable. 4to. Is. 6d. Debrett.

The American war, the k-g, and lord N-h, form the fubject of this rhapfody, which may fairly vie for ftupidity with any production of the kind.

Jelly,

Jelly, or the forced Vow. A Poem. By Mr. Robinfon. 15. 6d.

Debrett.

A young lady, who has been immured in a convent against her inclination, is reprefented as complaining to her father of the wretchedness the endures. The fubject is of fuch a nature as ought to roufe the tendereft feelings of the heart; but, in the difpaffionate ftrains of this author, we meet with none of those ardent fentiments which flow from poetic enthusiasm.

Ode to Landfdown Hill. 8vo. 25. Randal.

'This Ode affords no brilliant difplay of poetic genius; and at the fame time that the notes are frivolous, the two annexed letters of advice, from George lord Landfdown, 1711, to the earl of Bath, might, for any thing they contain, have been fuffered to remain in oblivion.

Poems by a Literary Society. 12mo. 15. Becket.

We are informed, in an advertisement, that the name of this Society is The Council of Parnaffus.' Their plan is to meet, and criticife the verfes of the members. The future productions of the Society, therefore, if it should be continued, will enable us to decide concerning their judgment, as well as their fancy. The prefent publication is not an unfavourable specimen.

The Demoniad, or Pefts of the Day. 4to. 25. Forres. The perfons delineated by this young fatirift, for fuch he feems to be, are Mrs. Siddons, lord North, Mr. Lunardi, lord George Gordon, &c. Should the author, whofe modest opinion of his own performance may perhaps recommend him to the public favour, be encouraged to proceed with a fecond part,' we fhall only fuggeft to him, as an advice, that he would pay more attention to his rhimes.

Urim and Thummim. A Poem. 4to. 2s. 6d. Macklew. An indifcriminate panegyric on Mr. Fox and his party; and, as might be expected from one who writes in the true fpirit of a partizan, accompanied with a profufion of abufe on the friends of the minifter.

The Tears of the Pantheon, or the Fall of the modern Icanes. 4to. 15. 6d. Kearsley.

A frivolous fubject, treated in a frivolous manner.

The Loufiad: an heroic-comic Poem. Canto I. By Peter Pindar. 4to. 15. 6d. Jarvis.

This humorous rhapfody is founded upon an incident, affirmed by Peter Pindar to have lately happened in the royal palace. Whether Peter has invented the anecdote, to serve the prefent purpofe, we know not; but he certainly has embellished it with a luxuriancy that evinces the richness of his imagina

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