; In a large extent of country, where the Cotton manufacture has been established, it is well known that a much greater number of hands are employed, than could have been required without thefe contrivances for reducing the price of the goods, which confequently increase the demand for them; and as to any argument against the ufe of machines, drawn from the benefit which foreigners may reap from our inventions, it is dictated by that spirit of monopoly which ought wholly to be discarded from every liberal fyftem of policy. E. Art. 28. An Heroic Epistle to Thomas Paine. 4to. pp. 18. IS. Richardfon. 1792. put Mr. Burke, Dr. Priestley, and Mr. Paine, thofe three gallant knights, have now all been attended, at proper diftances of time and place, by their respective fquires, finging their praises in mock heroics. No good fervant, it is to be fuppofed, ever prefumes to himself in competition with his own maiter: but, among themfelves, thefe gentlemen, it is well known, are as jealous of precedency as their betters are. In the prefent inftance, the relative merit of the attendants is very properly adjusted to that of the prin cipals; and the former may, with perfect justice, fettle their pretenfions on the fame fcale as the latter; just as married ladies are allowed to take rank from their husbands. Pear.... Art. 29. The Confpiracy of Kings; a Poem: addreffed to the Inhabitants of Europe, from another Quarter of the World. By Joel Barlow, Efq. Author of Advice to the privileged Orders," and of the Viñion of Columbus." 4to. pp. 20. 1s. 6d. Johnfon. 1792. Mr. Barlow prophecies ruin to the cause of the bourreaux couronnés, combined against the liberties of France; and hurls his American thunder against them in peals, which, at times, found very awful and deep. In the intervals, however, between the claps, all is calm and quiet enough. We hope that these regal confpirators will meet with fomething more real and efficacious to arrest their career, than the fictions of poetry. We hope, above all, that they will find their fubjects too wife to affilt in forging, for other nations, chains which are afterward to be put on their own necks. D: Art. 30. This poem has no other connection with Sunday schools, than the charitable defign of being published by the author for the benefit of one of thefe ufeful inftitutions. It fpeaks the genuine language of benevolence; and we can readily admit the author's appeal to his reader's candour, when he requests him to make allowance for the fading powers of ebbing life, in one who never had a felf-interested view in any fentiment that dropped publicly from his pen.' The writer feems never to have had occafion to fay, *For the Heroic Epiftles to Mr. Burke and Dr. Prieftley, fee Review, vol. vi. p. 344. New Series. I "Song Song foothes our pains, and age has pains to foothe." Hilarity is infcribed on every page of his poems, and is expreffed with peculiar felicity in the following lines: Pleas'd with my lot, and freedom for a guest, No deeds nefarious rankle in my breaft. Come then my Lælius, leave the giddy crew, What though Falerno's grape fwell's not my ftore, What mind we Stanhope's rigid forms and rule, To interrupt the pleafantry of this good-humour'd mufe with the rigid frown of criticism, would be a violation of the laws of Urbanity. We advise our readers to accept her Invitation without fcruple, and to partake of her entertainment without fcientifically analysing the dishes fet before him. By way of defert, the hoft has provided feveral articles not inferted in his bill of fare. NOVELS. E. Art. 31. The Female Werter. Tranflated from the French of M. Perrin. 12mo. 2 Vols. 5s. fewed. Robinsons. 1792. Superior genius may be an apology for great eccentricities; and "The Sorrows of Werter," from the pen of Goethe, though juftly cenfurable for the encouragement which the work gives to fuicide, will be long read and admired as a literary production :-but in this fatellite of Goethe, we find no brilliancy fufficient to atone for its malignant influence. The female Werter is a forward girl of fifREV. JULY 1792. A a teen, teen, who falls in love with a stranger, without inquiring whether he be a fingle man; and who, when the is informed that he is mar ried, ftill indulges her foolish paffion, till, in despair, the curfes her cruel ftars, and dies by her own hand. The extravagance of this tale will belt be feen in a brief fketch of the rife and progress of the romantic attachment which it defcribes: we shall give it in the tender Julia's own words: Hertzberg asked me to dance. Should I recount the palpita tions, the delicious agitations, which I felt in dancing, and which he feemed to fhare-fhould I relate the foft looks, the broken halffinished murmurs !-Hertzberg's hand, when we feparated, preffed mine, and the preffure chilled through my nerves with electric fwiftnefs.' Oh! Clara, the following paragraph-" Your WIFE, Hertzberg, is going to fpend a few days at." My voice faltered, the letter fell from my hand; and, darting an angry look at Hertzberg, "Your WIFE!" I exclaimed; are you MARRIED?"—" Most certainly I thought M. Goltz had told you."- 66 You bid me cease to love him, because he is married! Is it you, Clara, you who dictate this fatal decree? Ah! never can I obey it.' I endeavour to heal my wounds; and as thofe who would be cured of fear, accustom themselves to the fight of terrible objects, fo do I fpeak to Hertzberg of his WIFE.-I afk him if he is handfome, tender, amiable.-I inquire of him if he loves her with fincerity and, when he replies in the affirmative, I prefs his hands between mine, and entreat him never to withdraw his affections from her.' Sometimes I exclaim to myfelf, "Were Heaven to take to itfelf this woman,-perhaps Hertzberg-" Hope for a moment pours her cheering ray into my breast.". He loves her, and yet I am ftill here-he knows not the power he has over me-Hertzberg might bend Julia to his every wish :— but he loves his wife, Ah! more than he loves Julia!' Oh Hertzberg! I can contend no longer! I fall-my reafon grows weak, my virtue powerlefs.-Come not near me! it is best to feparate, to fly yes, I must fly! but whither, whither! Death, My refolution is fixed, Hertzberg; and I will quit a life which for a long time has burthened me with its weight!-Yes, Hertzberg, I will die!-Hertzberg, forget not your Julia; for if you do, fhe will be miferable in the other world. She entreats you alfo never to forget your wife, your amiable wife; love her always, Hertzberg; Julia conjures you to love her.' Hope cheers me-Death waits for me!-my hand will not tremble, when it conveys the poifon to my parched lips. At this hour, when all nature is hofhed to fleep, do I wake-i muft fleep tco-farewell, Hertzberg, farewell FOR EVER!' Enough, and more than enough, of this fentimental trash; fit only to convert our boarding fchool miffes, first into melting Julias, fighing like Furnace" for forbidden fruit, and then into frantic Elizas, Elizas, ready, whenever the occafion calls, to terminate an unfortumate attachment by a voluntary exit, heroically exclaiming, Sic, fic juvat ire fub umbras. E. Art. 32. The Tales of an Evening, followed by the Honeft Breton. Tranflated from the French of M. Marmontel. 12mo. 2 Vols. 6s. fewed. Bew. 1792. The name of Marmontel is a fufficient recommendation to these volumes, provided only that their authenticity be fatisfactorily eftablished. The tranflator's account of them is as follows: M. Marmontel is one of the avowed editors of the French Mercun as will appear on confulting the title-page of that weekly production; and has engaged to furnish for the first Number of every month, a Tale, or part of one, according to their length. He has done fo, fince January 1790, and from that time to the prefent, has completed the charming ftories that compofe thefe two volumes. His name is affixed in the Mercury to each of them.' We confefs that we have not perufed thefe pieces with that degree of pleasure with which we read the author's former tales; they appear to us to want much of the vivacity and gaiety which have rendered Marmontel's tales fo popular. Many of these are, however, interesting and pathetic, and adapted to imprefs the mind with good moral fentiments. Art. 33. Laura Valmont. Written by a Lady. 12mo. fewed. Dilly. E. 2s. 6d. This lady thus introduces herself to the notice of her readers: The experience of every hour tends to convince us how much truth and good fenfe are conveyed in that Arabian proverb, which afferts, that an idle perfon is the devil's play-fellow. The fear of encountering fo very dangerous a play-mate, firft induced me to engage myself in fcribbling the following ftory.' Yet her efcape may be at least doubtful, by her own confeffion, while employed on fo frivolous and imperfect a performance, which, I am confcious, cannot afford the leaft improvement, and I fear but little if any amusement.' The volume comprizes two ftories, that may have their due effect on young ladies of fenfibility and fentiment. ་ Art. 34. The Duchess of York: an English Story. 12mo. 6s. fewed. Lane. 1791. N 2 Vols. The appearance of a new Duchefs of York was not to be overlooked by writers who watch to catch public events as they rife; and the title has been deemed fufficient to carry off a kind of novel. formed on the clandeftine marriage of James Duke of York with the daughter of the Earl of Clarendon. It has of late become a policy to elude, as may be fupposed, critical ftrictures, by an appeal to the humanity of the reader; and by pleading perfonal circumstances as the motive for having recourse to the pen. When fuch a plea is offered in a female character, we fcarcely know how to receive it, until repetition familiarizes us to it; and then we cannot but recollect, that the public opinion of literary merit has no connection with, and will very feldom be influenced in favour of, the private motives of the writer. This being the cafe, it may fuffice to repeat our well-founded averfion to blending truth with fiction, fo as to mislead the ignorant, by confounding the diftinctions between them: but this expedient has been adopted, because invention feems to be, in a great measure, exhausted. To this remark, which is made with no invidious intention, we need only add, that the story is decently told, and might have appeared to better advantage, had it been more correctly printed. N. Art. 35. The Expedition of Little Pickle; or the Pretty PlotterSmall 8vo. pp. 188. 2s. 6d. fewed. Symonds. 1792. From the title and the fize, we expected that Little Pickle had a reference to a public character currently known by that appellation: but in this fuppofition we were deceived. Little Pickle is a fprightly young lady, and her story is a common novel. The plot is indeed childish enough: but, all circumftances being at the writer's command, it fucceeds to admiration, and is conducted with some degree of humour. N. Art. 36. The Blind Child, or Anecdotes of the Wyndham Family. Written for the Ufe of Young People. By a Lady. 12mo. pp. 178. 25. fewed. Newbery. 1791. This is a fentimental work, framed on domeftic occurrences, in the manner of Salzmann's Elements of Morality, as tranflated by Mifs Wolftonecraft*; and is calculated, as the writer informs us, to diftinguish true fenfibility from the modern affectation of nervous weakness. Giving all due credit to the upright intentions of this and other writers in the fame benevolent line, to inftil moral fentiments by apt incidents and examples, we apprehend that they may be, in fome measure, undermining their own intentions, and undefignedly injuring the caufe of morality, by giving their pupils a tafte for novel-reading. They prefent youth with amuling ftories that lead to profitable inferences; and their readers put up with the inferences for the fake of the stories. When they come to chufe their own reading, they will know where to find an ample fupply of amusement to diffipate their ideas, unadulterated with what they may regard as dry reflections.-This, however, is a pretty book, notwithstanding the gravity of the remark which it has occafioned. Art. 37. Memoirs of a Scots Heirefs. Addreffed to the Right Honourable Lady Catharine ****. By the Author of Conftance, 12mo. 3 Vols. 95. fewed. Hookham. 1791. This will be an agreeable novel to the generality of readers; the ftory being full of bufinefs, and conducted through many ftrange viciffitudes. In this author's former production †, we remarked her knowlege of human nature in pourtraying characters, but did not conceive them fufficiently exerted in the narrative; in the prefent, we *See Rev. Enlarged, vol. v. p. 101, and vol. vii. p. 114. + Rev. vol. lxxiv. p. 305. |