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Art. 29. The Angel and Curate, a Poem. By Nathaniel Weekes. 4to. Is. Coote.

NIUS;

The Author of this poem calls it the production of impetuous GEbut Dullness too is fometimes impetuous, and to have given it to the right parent would both have been more modest, and more just. 4. Art. 30. The Temple Student. An Epifile to a Friend. 4to. Is.

Dodfley.

Mr. teate, Author of The Alps, a beautiful defcriptive poem; of An Epifle from Lad, Jane Gray to Lord Guildford Dudley; and of a curious Account of the Republic of Geneva, has here tried his mufe in a loofer fpecies of poetry: in which he humorously attacks the study and profeffion of the law. It is an entertaining piece; although it may not be deemed fo favourable a fpecimen of the Author's poetical abilities, as the Alps, or even as his Ruins of Netley-Abbey: for the first, fee Review, Vol. XXVIII. p. 376; for the fecond, Vol. XXIX. p. 322; and for his Account of Geneva, see Vol. XXIV. p. 205.

NOVEL
VEL S.

Art. 31. The Fruit-shop, a Tale. 12mo. 2 Vols. 55. Moran.

One of the numerous and worthless imitations of Shandy,-totally deftitute of the easy art and happy nature of the original: copying the incoherency and obfcenity of Sterne, without his ingenuity or his wit.

May we not fay of Sterne, what Pope has faid of Voiture

His eafy art, may happy nature seem;

Trifles themselves are elegant in him.

Art. 32. The Generous Briton; or the authentic Memoirs of William Goldsmith, Efq; 12mo. 6s. Henderson.

A decent, fober, and truly moral story, of an amiable young gentleman, an orphan, who was generoufly taken care of, excellently edu cated, and munificently provided for, by a moft worthy, benevolent gentleman of Caermarthenshire, in Wales. The work is not a mafterpiece of writing; but it abounds with interefting tales, and affecting fcenes; and it prefents us alfo with a variety of exemplary characters: not, indeed, fuch as we ufually meet with in real life, but fuch, however, as we should wish to meet with. The whole is intended for the improvement as well as entertainment of the rifing generation; which feems, indeed, to be a favourite point with the Author: as his readers may conclude, before they have perused more than his title-page, from his very proper choice of a motto, viz.

Delightful task! to rear the tender thought,
To teach the young idea how to shoot,
To pour the fresh inftruction o'er the mind,
To breathe th' infpiring fpirit, and to plant
The generous purpofe in the glowing breaft.

THOMSON.

Art. 33.

Art. 33. Chryfal: or, the Adventures of a Guinea, &c. &c. Vols. III. and IV. 12mo. 6s. Becket and De Hondt.

What we have already said of the two former volumes of this work may serve for an idea of thofe now before us; the fame scheme being continued; and the time fince elapfed, furnishing plenty of the fame fort of characters, for the bountiful ftigma of an author who seems to take peculiar delight in the exercise of the branding iron.

• See Review, Vol. XXIII. p. 157.

Art. 34. The Hiftory of the Marquis de Crefy. Tranflated from the French. Small 8vo. 2s. 6d. Becket.

Knowing as our bookfellers and publishers are generally fuppofed to be, the Knowing ones are fometimes taken in. They do not always recollect what books are tranflated from foreign languages; and the induftry of hackney tranflators fometimes impofes on the ignorance of our literary Merchants, dealers, and chapmen. Manufcripts are brought to market, the goods pafs for neat and genuine, and the purchaser imagines he has bought a new commodity; when, upon farther examination, behold! it is fecond-hand, ftale, or thread-bare.-To fome fuch kind of dealing as this, it was owing, probably, that the Hiftory of the Marquis de Creffy is now printed and published as a new book, although it before appeared in an English drefs, and was un⚫icesfully offered to the acceptance of the public, in the year 1759See Rev. Vol. XX. p. 467.

ADDEND A.

POLITICAL,

Art. 35. A Letter to the Earl of B-, relative to the late Changes that have happened in the Adminiftration. 8vo. Is. Richardfon and Urquhart.

A keen invective against the northern Earl, in the form of an expoftulatory addrefs to his Lordship; maliciously fetting in view before him, the alledged malefactions of his ministerial conduct. The Writer does not appear to poffefs an uncommon knowlege of facts, or great literary abilities, or even to be very scrupulous in point of good manners. -If the unpopular favourite deferves the refentment of his country, let him feel it, but let him feel it in a manner becoming both his country's dignity, and the honour of his own rank. Let him, as the poet hath it, be carved out a difh fit for the Gods;-not hack'd and mangl'd like a carcafe for the hounds.

Art. 36. A fhort, seasonable, plain Addrefs from an old Man to the good People of England, on their prefent critical Situation. 8vo. 6d. Wilkie.

It having been currently infinuated that, with respect to the new adminiftration, we are ftill in the fame fituation as before; having only

changed

#Dr Ball.

changed the names, although the fame deftru&tive measures are ft purfued our good old man (we had like to have wrote woman) endeavours to perfuade us, that this is a falfe and groundless report: and that, if we will but have a little patience, we fhall most certainly find that every thing will be right. He particularly refts the matter, on his Majefty's happy choice of fo unexceptionable a perfonage, as the Marquis of Rockingham; of whom he gives a very advantageous charac ter; and thinks that we ought, by no means, to draw any inference to the difadvantage of the Marquis, from the circumftance of his keeping race horfes; fince that great statesman, the Earl of Godolphin, was no less famed upon the turf, than in the cabinet.

MISCELLANEOUS.

Art. 37. An Effay on the Duty and Qualifications of a Sea-Officer, written originally for the Ufe of two young Officers. 8vo. 2s. Johnston.

A fenfible and plain exposition of the duty of a fea-officer, in its various branches; with an earnest exhortation to young officers to perufe the inftructions here laid down. It cannot be expected that we should be qualified to judge of the propriety of the particular injunctions, contained in an effay of this nature.

K-n-k.

SERM ON S.

1. The Free Grace of God exalted, in the Character of the Apostle Paul. -At St. Alban's, May 26, 1765. By John Gill, D. D. Keith.

II. Difference of Conditions confiderid, with refped to Learning and Morals. Before the Univerfity of Cambridge. By John Manwaring, B. D. Fellow of St. John's College. Whifton.

III. At the Vifitation of the Bishop of Winchefter, at Kingston upon Thames, May 23, 1763. By Thomas Herring, M. A. Preb. of York, and Rector of Cullefden, Surry. Whifton.

IV. The Ufe and Office, with fame Inftances of the Weakness and Imperfection of Reason in Matters of Religion. At the triennial Vifitation of the Dean and Chapter, at the Cathedral Church at Litchfield, April 20, 1765. By Thomas Shaw, M. A. late of Queen's College, Oxford. Rivington.

V. The Nature and Obligation of an Oath.-In the Chapel of his Majefty's Caftle of Dublin, Nov. 13, 1763. Before the Earl of Northumberland, Ld. Lieut. of Ireland. By Will. Henry, D. D. F. R. S. Dean of Killaloe, and Chaplain to his Excellency. Kearily.

THE

MONTHLY REVIEW,

For AUGUST, 1765.

An Ecclefiaftical Hiftory, Ancient and Modern, from the Birth of Chrift, to the Beginning of the prefent Century: In which the Rife, Progrefs, and Variations of Church Power are confidered in their Connexion with the State of Learning and Philofophy, and the Political Hiftory of Europe during that Period. By the late learned John Lawrence Mofheim, D. D. and Chancellor of the University of Gottingen. Tranflated from the Original, and accompanied with Notes and Chronological Tables, by Archibald Maclaine, M. A. Minifter of the English Church. at the Hague. 4to. 2 Vols. 21. 2s. Boards. Millar

R. Mofheim's character for learning, judgment, and can

Ddor, is too well established in the republic of letters, to

ftand in need of any praises from us. Such of our Readers as are unacquainted with his works will, in the history now before us, meet with abundant proofs of uncommon erudition, difcernment, and induftry. The plan of it is excellent; a spirit of freedom and moderation breathes through the whole; and it may with truth be affirmed, that no ecclefiaftical hiftory has hitherto appeared, that, upon the whole, is fo impartial and inftructive. In a work of fuch extent, comprehending fo great a variety of objects, errors and mistakes are indeed unavoidable; the moft confiderable of thefe, however, are corrected by the ingenious and learned Tranflator, who has added many useful and judicious notes, which do honour to his abilities and tafte, and render the tranflation much more valuable than the original.

The account Mr. Maclaine gives of his tranflation is as follows: How far juftice has been done to this excellent work, in the following tranflation, is a point that must be left to the decifion of thofe who fhall think proper to peruse it with attention. I can fay, with the ftricteft truth, that I have spared VOL. XXXIII.

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по

no pains to render it worthy of their gracious acceptance; and this confideration gives me fome claim to their candour and indulgence, for any defects they may find in it. I have endeavoured to render my tranflation faithful, but never proposed to render it entirely literal. The ftyle of the original is, by no means, a model to imitate in a work defigned for general ufe. Dr. Mofheim affected brevity, and laboured to croud many things into few words; thus his diction, though pure and correct, became fententious and harfh, without that harmony which pleases the ear, and thofe tranfitions.which make a narration flow with eafe. This being the cafe, I have sometimes taken confiderable liberties with my author, and followed the fpirit of his narrative without adhering strictly to the letter. Where, indeed, the Latin phrafe appeared to me elegant, expreffive, and compatible with the English idiom, I have conftantly followed it; in all other cafes, I have departed from it, and have often added a few fentences to render an obfervation more ftriking, a fact more clear, a portrait more finifhed. Had I been tranflating Cicero or Tacitus, I fhould not have thought fuch freedom pardonable. The tranflation of a claffic author, like the copy of a capital picture, muft exhibit not only the fubject, but alio the manner of the original; this rule, however, is not applicable to the work now under confideration.

• When I entered upon this undertaking, I propofed rendering the additional notes more numerous and ample, than the Reader will find them. I foon perceived that the profecution of my original plan would render this work too voluminous, and this induced me to alter my purpose. The notes I have given are not, however, inconfiderable in number; I wish I could fay as much with respect to their merit and importance. I would only hope, that fome of them will be looked upon, as not altogether unneceffary.'

Such are the modeft terms in which Mr. Maclaine speaks of his tranflation: we fhall only add, that whoever takes the pains of comparing it with the original, will find that he has executed his talk with fidelity and judgment.

Dr. Mofheim, in his preface, acquaints his readers, that his principal care has been employed in establishing upon the moft folid foundations, and confirming by the moit refpectable authority, the credit of the facts related in his hiftory;-that for this purpose, he has drawn from the fountain-head, and gone to thofe genuine fources from whence the pure and uncorrupted ftreams of evidence flow ;-that he has confulted the beft authors of every age, and chiefly thofe who were contemporary with the events they relate, or lived near the periods in which they happened;-and that he has endeavoured to report their contents with brevity, perfpicuity, and precision.

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