piece, palpably was founded on a play of Maffenger's, called The Fatal Dowry-Mr. Wilks recommended it to Mr. Cibber to be got up in the fummer, with fome alterations-It lay by fome time. In the year 1733, it was intended for the ftage in the fummerBut the performers were then fhut out of the theatre, by the then Patentees of Drury-lane.

On a revifal, it was judged to want fome alterations-Accordingly Mr. Cibber requetted his kind friend the late Mr. Hill (who was never happier than when he had an opportunity to do a friendly office) to correct it-How much he was taken with the play, will appear on a perufal of fome letters of his relative thereto, published in this collection) and fent to Mr. Theophilus Cibber, about the year 1746.-Let it fuffice here to add, Mr. Hill almost new wrote the whole; and the laft act was entirely his, in conduct, fentiment, ⚫diction, &c.

It was brought on the stage at the theatre in the Hay-market early this year, 1758- When his Grace the Duke of Devonshire humanely confidered the unfortunate, extraordinary condition of a Comedian (who has had more frequent opportunities of happily entertaining the town) and gave him liberty to try his fortune, awhile, at the little theatre in the Hay-market.

But what mighty matters could be hoped from a young, raw, unexperienced company, haftily collected, and as haftily to be employed. Mr. Cibber was out of pocket by his undertaking.'

Such is the hiftory of this unhappy Infolvent; as for the play itfelf, it has more merit than fome of our late admired tragedies; and certainly deferved a better fate: but it may be truly faid to have fallen into bad hands.

Art. 21. Dido to Eneas. From Ovid. By Mifs Elizabeth Caroline Keene. 4to. 6d. Kinnerfley.

We are told, this is the performance of a very young Lady :-it is pity fhe did not keep it from the prefs till fhe grew a little older, when the might probably have corrected the most material imperfections we have obferved in it: and then, perhaps, it would not have been deemed much inferior to Mr. Dryden's tranflation of the fame Epiftle.

Art. 22. A Rhapsody in the House of Commons. Infcribed to the Right Hon. William Pitt, and Henry Bilfon Legge, Efqrs. Folio. 6d. Wilkie.

A poetical compliment to the Gentlemen mentioned in the title; and of equal value with most other compliments.

Art. 23. Reafon. A Poem. To which is prefixed, A Notion of Poetry: An Efay. 4to. Is. Cooper.

Not Poetry, but Proje run mad

Art. 24. The Images of the Antients, particularly thofe in the Univerfity of Oxford. With fome Reflections on Virtue, ancient and modern, &c. A Poem. By By a Tradefman of Oxford.. 8vo. 6d. Scott.

This Oxford Tradefman, who figns his name G. S. Green, and who, according to a whimfical kind of Advertisement at the end of his pamphlet, is a Watchmaker,-has frequently put himself to the trouble, and, as we guess, the expence too, of appearing in print He feems to be a conceited man, without genius, learning, or even the knowlege of his mother tongue: but fancying himfelf a Wit, L-help him! he will be teazing the public with his miferable verfes.- -Yet, after all, why fhould not one Tradefman contribute to the advantage of another ?-were it not for fuch Authors as Mr. G. S. Green, waste paper might become a fcarce commodity; to the great lofs of the Cheefemongers, Grocers, Trunkmakers, and other induftrious dealers, the only people who ever enquire after such works as this account of certain Images of the Antients, or ancient Statues at Oxford and Wilton.

*Which Advertisement, by the way, we take to be borrowed wit; having feen the original many years ago, on the fign of a Clockmaker, if we mistake not, at Nottingham. Its merit confifts folely in defcribing the various kinds of clocks and watches in the most scientific terms that could be picked out of the Dictionary :---it has also been in the Magazines---and therefore we shall not repeat it here.

Art. 25. A Collection of Free Mafons Songs: Containing feveral new Songs never before published. With compleat Lifts of all the regular Lodges both in England and Scotland, down to the Year 1758. For the Ufe of the Lodges. By James Callendar, M. M. 12mo, Is. Wilfon.

These we do not understand.

RELIGIOUS and CONTROVERSIAL.

Art. 26. A new Office of Devotion adapted to the present Times. To which is added, the Prayer of a true Catholic, or of a confiftent Proteftant. The whole being calculated for general Ufe, and to promote a further Reformation. 8vo. Noon.

IS.

Tho' this performance is happily free from that Enthusiasm and fanatical cat which is fo confpicuous in the expreffions, not to say, on the very faces of the over-righteous in our day, yet we could with it had, on the other hand, as much of the spirit and fervour of devotion as it has of juft and rational fentiment: but, indeed, as in this lies the main difficulty of fuch kind of compofitions, fo in almost all the Forms of Prayer extant, we are fure to find either a tincture of Enthusiasm, and falfe fentiments; or juft and natural fentiments delivered in a manner too formal and fpiritlefs for real devotion.

Befides

Befides erring in this laft refpect, we think our Author greatly deficient as to propriety of ftile and language in prayer. This ought to be as fimple as poffible, and yet should never fink into any thing mean and vulgar. Instead of this, he often ufes philofophical and metaphyfical terms. These occur chiefly in his adorations, such as 'perfect, moral ⚫ rectitude; thou haft an original, independent, unalienable right. Treating us and all mankind according to our moral character and defeit,' &In his petitions, his ftyle is frequently fuch as would better fuit. the practical application of a fermon. The following is much more in the manner of an exhortation to duty, than an addrefs to the Deity. Let the religion of Jefus, let the reformed intereft be always fupported, and carried on in the world upon truly catholic and chriftian principles; not by menaces and threats, or by any harsh and fan-' guinary laws, but by fober argument and gentle perfuafion, and by all the fair, open, and honourable methods of rational evidence and conviction.-As we are all united and embarked in one com'mon intereft, and do all stand in need of each other, as members of the body politic, may we all in like manner confider ourselves as 'members of the church militant, of the vifible church and kingdom of Jefus here on earth, and be ready to do all good offices of compaffion, kindness, and charity, ready to help and relieve, to advife, affift, and comfort one another. Let prudence and meeknefs always take place amidst our different fentiments in mat6 ters of religion, that there may be no alienation of hearts and affections, amongst the difciples of the fame Lord; no unnatural faction or antipathy in that body of which Chrift is the fupreme head and • Governor.'

In his confeffions, which are very fcarce, and confift chiefly in fome random reflections on the peculiar finfulness and degeneracy of the prefent age, (which, we truft, is too much taken for granted) he finks into the mean and vulgar, and defcends to thofe particularities which cannot fail to difguft the more judicious.

Ah! how poorly is the worship of God fupported in our houses, families, and public affemblies? And how greatly does the power of godlinefs, where the form and appearance of it is yet preferved! ⚫ God be merciful to us all, from the highest to the loweft. We are at the best a degenerate and finful nation, an unprofitable, murmuring, ungrateful, and difcontented people.'

After all, we should be forry, if thefe free animadverfions should be thought too fevere, or give any uneafinefs to an Author who, we doubt not, fincerely intended them for general ufe, and to promote a further reformation.' And it may be proper to affure our Readers, that the freedom we have ufed in remarking on this performance, is not intended to reprefent it as peculiarly defective in the abovementioned refpects, but only to point out, (having this opportunity) fuch faults in the ftile and manner as are common to many other Ottices of Devotion, which, like this, are in the main rational, and confiftent with the principles of the Chriflian religion.

N. B.

N. B. A pamphlet, by the fame Author, (as we have been informed) appeared in the year 1757, intitled, A felect Form of Prayer, or Offices of Devotion made ufe of in the laft folemn and public Fast, &c. 8vo. 6d. Henderfon. This piece happened to escape our notice at the time when it was published. All we fhall now fay of it is, that it hath the like defects, as to ftyle and manner, but evidenceth the good intentions, and rational principles of the Writer.

D. Art. 27. A Letter to Mr. Ad, concerning his Motives for renouncing the Popish, and re-embracing the Proteftant Religion. 8vo. 6d. Needham.

This Letter appears to have been written by a Roman Catholic, zealous to wipe off the reproach cast upon his religion by Mr. A-d: See Review for March lat, page 284.-Whether Mr. Ad will vouchfafe to make any reply to this Letter, we have not yet heard ; but there are many things in it, which feem to bear very hard upon his character; and we rather with than expect him to come off with honour in this conteft.

Art. 28. Remarks and Obfervations on the Morality and Divinity contained in Dr. Free's Certain Articles, propofed to the Court of Affiftants of the Worshipful Company of Salters. In a letter to the Rev. Dr. Free. 8vo. 3d. Dilly.

It appears that this Remarker is the perfon attacked by Dr. Free, under the character of a Methodist, fee Review for May, 1758. page 499; and he apprehends himself to have been very ill treated by the faid Doctor: whofe affaults he endeavours to repel with the united force of argument, remonftrance, ridicule, quibble, and conundrum. In page 7, he gives the following curious biflory, as he calls it, of Dr. Free's Certain Articles, &c.

ift. Here is a Tuesday-lectureship in the gift of the Worshipful Company of Salters, which Dr. Free thinks worth his applying for, therefore,

zdly, Offers himself as a candidate, and makes intereft for the ⚫ fame, but

3dly, On application finds the Rev. Mr. has the favour of fome of the worthy Gentlemen of the Court of Affittants, on which ⚫he tells them Mr. is a Methodist. But, not thinking this fufficient to prejudice the minds of these Gentlemen againit Mr. -; therefore,

4thly, In an extreme ill humour, you fet about drawing up cer⚫tain Articles, which you prefent to the Gentlemen, in order to afperfe, blacken, and villify this oppofing candidate. How far you have fucceeded herein, thefe few fentences fet forth; you affert, "he acts in open and fcandalous oppofition to the church of England

Specimens of our Remarker's excellence at this kind of wit may be feen in his fixth page, and even in the manner of printing his motto.

"with blafphemy and impiety-diabolical phrenzy-gives our Sa"viour the lie an enemy to all good works-decries virtue and mo"rality-acting like a Mahometan, or Infidel, or the Devil himself

66

-releafing men from their natural fears of a Deity-making room for all manner of vice and villainy-Not only guilty of Atheifm, "but treafon alfo against the flate and government, &c. &c. &c." And after all this, who would wonder to find that hint (as a fpecimen of your moderation and charity) for dispatching a perlon fo obnoxious in your eyes, as being not fit to live; for you fay, Atheists "in fome countries have been put to death, as perfons very dangerous to a State." And,

6

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5thly, All through thefe Articles, you admonish the Gentlemen, "that they cannot, as members of the church of England, be con"cerned in promoting fuch a perfon-nor as good fubjects to the State, "for fear of the magiftrates cenfure of their characters,"-"incuring the cenfure of the Bishop;" and page 15 you fuppofe the Gentlemen to be governed by private intereft, and influenced by ava⚫ritious views in dealing (not very delicate, not very genteel, this I think, Doctor) you tell them," if they fall under the Bishops "cenfure, the beft excufe they can make" (too much fuppofed, and too much implied, indeed, Sir) is, that they had UNWARILY pro"mised an Acquaintance with whom they had fome DEALINGS OF PRIVATE INTEREST, that they would, at all ADVENTURES, be fer"viceable to fuch a perfon."--What, all this to Gentlemen of common prudence, Doctor? Then you fhew the Gentlemen a pretty knack of departing from a PRECIPITATE PROMISE (what, at them again, Sir!) after having introduced a quotation from a letter of the late Bishop of London, with the prefervation of the life of Mr. 'B―n, and the difappointment of the arts and fchemes of this crafty Enthufiaft, you take your leave of the Gentlemen, and foare their humble fervant. And

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Laftly, While this peccant humour was operating, and being ready to run a tilt, (as you fay) I chanced to fall in your way, and fo you vented fome of your anger and refentment upon me as a • Methodift.'

Here ends the hiftory of Dr. Free's Certain Articles, and Poffcript: and thus much for the morality of them,' fays the Remarker, Let ⚫ us next attend to the divinity they contain:' but, for this divine part of the fquabble, we refer to the tract itself.

Art. 29. The Tryal of the Vicar of St. David's Spirit. Containing candid remarks on his Hiftory of Modern Enthusiasm. In a letter to the Author. By a Moderate Son of the Church. 8vo. I s. No Publisher's name, but advertifed by Wilkie.

A tedious courfe of animadverfions on Mr. Evans's angry Hiftory of Enthufiafm*. If the righteous fpitit of the good man was before

* See Review, Vol. VI. p. 153.