the bow. He has fometimes fported with lucky malice; but to him that knows his company, it is not hard to be farcattic in a mask. While he walks like Jack the Giant-killer in a coat of darkness, he may do much mischief with little ftrength. Novelty captivates the fuperficial and thoughtless; vehemence delights the difcontented and turbulent. He that contradicts acknowledged truth will always have an audience; he that vilifies established authority will always find abettors. 'Junius burst into notice with a blaze of impudence which has rarely glared upon the world before, and drew the rabble after him as a monster makes a fhow. When he has once provided for his fafety by impenetrable fecrecy, he had nothing to combat but truth and juftice, enemies whom he knows to be feeble in the dark. Being then at liberty to indulge himfelf in all the immunities of invifibility; out of the reach of danger, he has been bold; out of the reach of fhame, he has been confident. As a rhetorician he has had the art of perfuading when he feconded defire; as a reafoner, he has convinced those who had no doubt before; as a moralift, he has taught that virtue may difgrace; and, as a patriot, he has gratiñed the mean by infults on the high. Finding fedition afcendant, he has been able to advance it; finding the nation combustible, he has been able to inflame it. Let us abftract from his wit the vivacity of infolence, and withdraw from his efficacy the fympathetic favour of Plebeian malignity; I do not fay that we fhall leave him nothing; the cause that I defend fcorns the help of falsehood; but if we leave him only his merit, what will be his praife? It is not by his livelinefs of imagery, his pungency of periods, or his fertility of allufion, that he detains the cits of London, and the boors of Middlesex. Of ftyle and fentiment they take no cognizance. They admire him for virtues like their own, for contempt of order, and violence of outrage, for rage of defamation and audacity of falsehood. The Supporters of the Bill of Rights feel no niceties of compofition, nor dexterities of fophiftry; their faculties are better proportioned to the bawl of Bellas, or barbarity of Beckford; but they are told that Junius is on their fide, and they are therefore fure that Junius is infallible. Those who know not whither he would lead them, refolve to follow him; and thofe who cannot find his meaning, hope he means rebellion. Junius is an unusual phænomenon, on which fome have gazed with wonder and fome with terror; but wonder and terror are tranfitory paffions. He will foon be more clofely viewed or more attentively examined, and what folly has taken for a comet that from its flaming hair fhook peftilence and war, enquiry will find to be only a meteor formed by the vapours of putrefying democracy, and kindled into flame by the effervefcence of intereft ftruggling with conviction; which after having plunged its followers in a bog, will leave us enquiring why we regarded it.' The prefent publication is not entirely free from that difgufting petulance and affectation, which generally characterize the perfor mances of its Author. Filled with that little vanity, which fo frequently attends on contemplative and retired men, he delivers his oracles with an air of the utmoft authority; and feems to confider Z 2 himself himself as feated on the pinnacle of the temple of wifdom, from whence he looks down with a fapient difdain on the reptiles that crawl below him. st, Art. 15. An Examination of the Declaration and Agreement with the Court of Spain, relating to the Reflitution of Falkland's Island. 8vo. I s. Bingley. This performance has but a fmall portion of literary merit; yet its defects, in this particular, are amply compenfated by its candour, good fenfe, and public fpirit." Art 16. Reflections upon the prefent Dispute between the House of Commons and the Magiftrates of London. 8vo. I s. Bladon. 1771. According to the ipirit of our conftitution, the members of the Houfe of Commons ought to hold no language but what the people should hear, or be informed of. They are elected for the purpose of fupporting the general rights of the nation; and when they complain that their fpeeches are published, it is naturally to be fufpected that they are inclined, in fome respect, to betray their constituents. The publication however before us, in compliment to administration, would vindicate the House of Commons in their late tranfactions 'with the magiftrates of London. It is written with no extraordinary ftrength of argument, or elegance of compofition; yet, from its ftyle and manner, we fhould be apt to afcribe it to a person of fome eminence in the literary world-the Author of Memoirs of Great Britain and Ireland. Art. 17. An Aldrefs to the Houfe of Commons of Ireland. By a Contains fome pertinent hints for the protection of Ireland against invafion, which, the Writer thinks, is to be apprehended on the commencement of any future war; and which, according to the reprefentation made of the prefent ftate of the country, it is by no means enabled to repulfe. Hence he juftifies the augmentation of the army, infifts on the burden and inefficacy of militia in a country, the majority of the inhabitants of which are Catholics, and points out proper fortifications to be made and garrifoned, to render any defcent on that ifland abortive. Art. 18. An Addrefs to the People of England, on the prefent State of the British Legislature; pointing out the Caufes of the prefent Difturbances. 8vo. I S. Griffin. 1771. When the forms of a free government outlast the ends for which they were inftituted, they become a meré mockery of the people for whofe welfare they ought to operate. The delegates of a people never lofe the confidence of their con ftituents without deferving it; and whenever this unhappy circumftance takes place, no good can be expected in any point of view, until the people are referred to a new choice. If, when they obtain this opportunity, they can again mifufe it, let their own reflections fuggeft to them what they deferve; but then let them not be so totally void of fhame as to complain of the venality of thofe men to whom they fell themselves. The difpaffionate Addrefs now before us traces the public difquiets from their natural and obvious caufes; the electors first bafely bartering away their votes, and the purchasers afterward proflituting and be st. ՏԵ, N. traying traying their truft, to reimburse themselves, in the mean capacity of ministerial agents: at which the people, ftrange to fay, are furprifed, and angry! Our Author calls upon the British electors, therefore, to let the year 1774, when the next general election takes place, be the grand æra of British freedom.-But, alas! addreffes of this kind will be little regarded, perhaps little read, by thofe who should profit by them; and hence, it is to be apprehended, our political redemption can only be effected by fhort parliaments, which, if any thing can, will fpoil the markets at which our national rights are bought and fold. One thing, with respect to this fenfible Addrefs, gave us peculiar pleasure in perufing it; viz. to obferve fuch conftitutional principles enforced by the pen of an officer in the regular forces; and we hope there are many more gentlemen in the army as true well-wishers to their country as this worthy Writer: fuch men will, in all exigencies, act in fuch a manner as becomes its real friends and defenders. NOVELS, &c. Art. 19. Sentimental Tales. 12mo. 2 Vols. 5 s. fewed. Wilkie. 1771. N.. In thefe fentimental productions are comprehended fome very warm. ideas, and allufions to fituations rather fenfual than fentimental. The Author, in fome parts of his work, imitates Sterne, with the ufual fuccefs of imitators. He has intro luced a number of poetical pieces, both originals and tranflations*, and they are not the worst parts of the Tales in which they are interfperfed: but even of these, in juftice to the public, we cannot speak in the highet terms of approbation. Art. 20. The Fault was all his own. In a Series of Letters. We are told that this is the production of a young Lady, of a promifing genius; and the work bears fufficient teftimony that we are not misinformed; for it abounds with the marks of an immature judgment, and yet affords proofs of a fine imagination. It is defective in plan, characters, and ftyle; but many good fentiments are interfperfed in it; and we meet with reflections that would do honour to the pen of a more experienced writer. Art. 21. The Adventures of a Bank Note. In Four Volumes. We refer to our fhort mention of the two former volumes of this 3 Vols. All improbability; yet not entirely deititute of interefling scenes. Particularly from Catullus. Z3 Art. Art. 23. The Vicar of Bray: A Tale. 12mo. 2. Vols. 5 s. fewed. Baldwin. A ridiculous story ridiculously blended with the political history of the last fourteen or fifteen years, in order to give an air of fecret history to a fcandalous improbable fiction. Art. 24. The Dijguife: A Dramatic Novel. s. fewed. Dodfley. 1771. N. 12mo. 2 Vols, The Author of this performance apologizes to his Reader for deviating from the forms in which novels have ufually been written; but this circumftance is, perhaps, the only one for which he de-. ferves commendation. In the hands of a man of genius the dramatic form may certainly be employed in a novel with the greatest advantages; but our Author is not to be ranked in this clafs. The incidents he has felected are often unnatural; they are always fancied with little ingenuity or tafte; and the language in which he expreffes himself, is, in the highest degree, loofe and incorrect. He has thrown mere events into dialogue; there is no masterly diftinction in his characters; and he appears not to be intimately acquainted with the human heart. He has complained that epiftolary correfpondencies have grown dull, that narratives have become tedious, and journals heavy; but the acts and the fcenes he has produced, are, in our opinion, ftill more exceptionable; their general· languor and infipidity being never interrupted by ftrokes of humour, and fallies of vivacity or wit. St. The advertisement prefixed to this edition, by the publisher, is as follows: No heart ever glowed with a more ardent and generous warmth in the caufe of religious and civil liberty than Mr. Baron's. He only breathed, he did not live in his own eflimation, but whilft he was in fome way or other lending his affiflance to this glorious caufe. He wrote, he published and republished perpetually in its defence, Had he been equally mindful of his domeftic concerns, he might have left a competency behind him for his wife and family; but his whole foul was engaged in the caufe; he neglected every other concern. He is now no more. Some time before his death, at his fole expence, he printed this new edition of the EIKONOCLASTES. He did not live to publish it. His notes and additions to it are truly valuable. The expence of this edition is a dead weight apon Mr. Baron's effects. It is now published to fubferve the gencral caufe, and also to ferve the intereft of Mr. Baron's family. The EIKONOCLASTES is too well known to need any commendation: there is not a friend to liberty who would not wish it to be immortal. The public may be affured that every farthing arifing from the publication of it, fhall be faithfully and confcientiously applied to the fole benefit of Mr. Baron's family.' Mr. Mr. Baron had written a preface to this publication, in which he informs us, that when the laft edition of Milton's profe works was committed to his care, he executed that truft with the greateft fidelity; of which no one who knew Mr. B. will entertain the leaft doubt: that after he had thus endeavoured to do justice to his favourite Author, by comparing every piece, line by line, with the original editions, he met with a fecond edition of the EIKONOCLASTES (which had neither been feen by Mr. Toland, the former Editor, nor by Mr, B.) with many large and curious additions; and he quickly refolved that the public fhould no longer be withheld from the poffeflion of fuch a treasure. I therefore now, fays Mr. B. give a new impreffion of this work, with the additions and improvements made by the Author: and I deem it a finguiar felicity to be the inftrument of restoring to my country fo many excellent lines, long loft-and in danger of being for ever loft-of a Writer who is a fafting honour to our language and nation;-and of a work, wherein the princi ples of tyranny are confuted and overthrown, and all the arts and cunning of a Great Tyrant and his adherents detected and laid open.' The following obfervations on Milton, are at once characteristic of that great man, confidered as the CHAMPION OF THE PEOPLE, and of the political zeal and fpirit of his late reverend Editor: MILTON, in particular, ought to be read and ftudied by all our young gentlemen as an Oracle. He was a great and noble genius, perhaps the greatest that ever appeared among men; and his learning was equal to his genius. He had the higheft fenfe of Liberty, glorious thoughts, with a ftrong and nervous ftyle. His works are full of wisdom, a treasure of knowledge. In them the divine, the ftatefman, the historian, the philologift, may be all inftructed and entertained. It is to be lamented that his divine writings are fo little known. Very few are acquainted with them, many have never heard of them. The fame is true with refpect to another great writer, cotemporary with Milton, and an advocate for the fame glorious caufe; I mean ALGERNON SYDNEY, whofe difcourfes on Government are the most precious legacy to thefe nations. All antiquity cannot fhew two writers equal to thefe. They were both great mafters of Reafon, both great mafters of Expreffion, They had the ftrongeft thoughts, and the boldeft images, and are the best models that can be followed. The ftyle of SYDNEY is always clear and flowing, ftrong and mafculine. The great MILTON has a ftyle of his own, one fit to exprefs the afonifling fublimity of his thoughts, the mighty vigour of his fpirit, and that copia of invention, that redundancy of imagination, which no writer before or fince hath equalled. In fome places it is confeffed that his periods are too long, which renders him intricate, not altogether intelligible to vulgar readers; but thefe places are not many. In the book before us his style is for the most part free and eafy, and it abounds in eloquence and wit and argument. I am of opinion that the ftyle. of this work is the best and most perfect of all his profe writings. Other men have commended his Hiftory as matchlefs and incompa rable, whose malice could not fee or would not acknowledge the excellency of his other works. It is no fecret whence their averfion |