placed on his throne, and reftored to the poffeffion of his power. If therefore, the former circumftance was, as Mr. Morgan fuppofes, a proof of the deftruction of the Papal authority, the latter muft affuredly be confidered as a proof of its restoration. But all fuck reasoning is weak, vague, and inconclufive; and the real fact, when unobfcured by prejudice, feems to be that the power of the Papacy has long been reduced to fo low an ebb, and its nature and tendency fo well understood, as to have ceased to be an object of apprehenfion and dread; though it certainly should ever be viewed with an attentive and a jealous eye, One ftrong point, too, which has been totally overlooked by Mr. Morgan, though he has ranfacked hiftory for proofs of the corruptions and danger of the Papacy, is that its deftruction, in France, and the neighbouring States, was fo far from be ing productive of those beneficial effects, which could alone tend to ftrengthen his argument, was fo far from giving an appearance of fability and permanence to Christianity, that it really feemed to threaten its annihilation, and actually did annihilate it, in those countries, for fome time. Thus there is a radical defect in the Preacher's arguments, who has preferred a weak ground to a strong ground; a quickfand to a rock. His zeal, however, proceeds, no doubt, from a commendable fource, and many of his observations are pertinent and juft,

ART. XXI. A Sermon preached in the Parish Church of Towcester, on Thursday. Nov. 29, 1798, the Day appointed by his Majefty to return Thanks to Almighty God, for our recent and important Succeffes, in diftant Seas and elfebere. By J. Morgan, A. B. Curate. 8vo. Pp. 36. 1s. 6d, Rivingtons, London.

THIS difcourfe (which has been long, by fome accident, miflaid) breathes a fpirit of fervent piety, and animated loyalty, well fuited to the occafion, combined with a manly, and, we will add, Chrifpian, deteftation of the crimes and atrocities committed by the Atheists andRepublicans of France,

ART. XXII. A Sermon preached in the Chapel of Stamford-Hill, Middlefex, on Thursday, Nov. 29, 1798, being the Day appainted, by his Majefty's Proclamation, for a General Thankf giving, for the glorious Victory obtained by his Majesty's Ships under the Command of Rear Admiral Lord Neljon of the Nile, over the French Fleet, and for the other Succeffes of his Majesty's Naval Forces. By John Robert Scott, D. D. &c. Second Edition. 4to. Pp. 22, Bateman, Devonshire-ftreet,

DR. SCOTT's Sermon, like that of Mr. Morgan, had wholly efcaped our attention, and, indeed, the attention of all our brotherCritics, until the appearance of this fecond edition. If we cannot place it among the best of the numerous Difcourfes which appeared on this interefting occafion, it is certainly entitled to a refpectable rank among them. The conftant dependance of man on his Creator is

placed

placed in a very proper point of view, and the religion of Chriftians' judiciously contrafted with the reafon of infidels.

"The prefumptuous pride of continental philofophy (as it is called) deluded by the fenfelefs doctrines of materialism, may childishly talkof the fates and the deftinies *, and, recalling to remembrance the amufive fablings that entertained our youth when studying the poetic productions of ancient Greece and Rome, may, with a futile folly which can alone palliate its blafphemous abfurdity, attribute to such ideal beings the direction of events; but we have not been tutored in that deteftable fchool, nor have we fo learnt to read the book of Nature."

We cannot conceive how a writer, who appears to think fo juftly upon general topics, could fall into fo egregious an error as that of reprefenting "the formation of civil focieties as merely a human invention;" God created man for a focial being; of course, civil fociety is of divine origin. We have farther to object to the too frequent ufe of affected expreffions, and inflated phrafeology, fuch as thefe "the horrid flames of a burning fever may calcine all its ideas, the deadly grasp of a pally paralize all its faculties," &c. &c. Dr. Scott will do well in future to adopt a greater fimplicity of thought and style, and fo to avoid that figurative language, which knows no medium between extreme beauty and flagrant abfurdity.

ART. XXIII. A Funeral Sermon, delivered at the Interment of an Exemplary Parish Prieft. By Lawrence Halloran, D. D. to which is added an Elegy on the Death of Lord Andover refpe&fully infcribed to T. W. Coke, Efq. M. P. 4to. Pr. 46. 2s. Rivingtons. London. 1800.

a

THESE pages exhibit a warm tribute of friendship, from the man, and of juftice from the minifter, to a Parish Priest, who, if the portrait here given be a faithful likeness, was a paragon of human excellence, and, indeed, what has been fignificantly denominated, " faultlefs monfter.". As the name of this worthy perfonage is withholden from us, we are deprived of the means of deciding on the fairness of the character prefented to us. We certainly do not fufpect Dr. Halloran of adulation, but much allowance will and ought to be made for conftitutional warmth and friendly predilection. Be that as it may, the fermon contains an useful moral conveyed in energetic and impreffive language; the preacher has evidently felt ftrongly, and he has, accordingly, fpoken ftrongly.

In r. vi. of the preface, there is a reflection, which we forbear to extract, on a certain defcription of perfons, which is intemperate, indecent, and unjuft. In the inftance alluded to the oppression, where any exifts, is almoft invariably on the part of those who pay, and not of those who receive.

* "Expreffions made ufe of by General BUONAPARTE in his letter to the French Directory recounting the events of the battle of the Nile,"

The

The Elegy on the death of Lord Andover is a correct compofition, with fome happy thoughts, tolerably well expreffed. The Latin Ode to the author's friend who congratulated him on his birth-day befpeaks a mental gloom which we should be truly happy to see effectually and speedily dispelled.

POLITICS.

ART. XXIV. Authentic Copies of the Papers relative to the Commencement of Negociations for Peace with France; as laid before both Houses of Parliament, November 13, 1800. 8vo. Pr. 92.

THIS

HIS collection of papers is both interesting and important, inafmuch as it affords the fullest demonstration of a fact, on which we have commented again and again; viz. That in all the political changes which have taken place, in all the different revolutions which have occurred, in France, during the laft eight years, it has been the uniform and invariable policy of all the factions which have fucceffively ufurped and exercised the fupreme power, in that devoted country, to extend and perpetuate her power, by carrying into execution their long-formed plans of aggrandizement and conqueft, by destroying all the exifting inftitutions of the neighbouring States, and by furrounding her with a number of petty, fubjugated, tributary Republics, created by her arms, governed by her laws, and fubject to her, will. This vaft plan of deftruction was firft engendered in the revolutionary brain of Briffot, and has been adopted, in its utmost extent, and executed, in part, by his worthy fucceffor Bonaparte.

In thefe pages the moderation and fincerity of the British Minifters are admirably contrafted with the perfidy and hypocrify of the French Ufurper, who, with a degree of profligacy, generated by fuccefsful iniquity, operating upon a mind weak, vain, and vicious, boldly avows his destructive projects. It is the wife policy of regular go.vernments to render formidable preparations of war the means of accelerating the conclufion of an honourable peace; it is, on the contrary, the established and avowed practice of the revolutionary government of France to render pacific ftipulations the means of perpetuating The man who can read these papers and ftill entertain a doubt of the real intentions of the French Conful, must be either the moft ftupid, or the most perverfe, of human beings. The Minister who had been base enough to accede to fuch terms as were propofed by him, would have been a traitor to his country; and the Minifter who shall be bold enough to conclude a peace, with one, whofe character has been fo fully developed, will be-the boldeft man in his Majesty's dominions.

war.

THE

THE DRAMA.

ART. XXV. The Syftematic, or Imaginary Philofopher: A Cos medy in Five As. 8vo. PP. 112. 2s. 6d. Wright. 1800.

THE HE author of this comedy acknowledges, in a preface, which fhews much good fenfe, that it will require great alterations, before it can be fitted for theatrical reprefentation. In this opinion we concur with him; and, indeed, are induced to think he would have made it a very different thing, if he had had the leaft idea that it was likely to be adopted by a manager. The hero of the piece, Sir Sober System, having met with unpleafant events in life, which deprive him of his relifh for fociety, retires to his woods for the purpose of finding "books in the running brooks, fermons in ftones, and good in every thing," excepting, indeed, degenerate and selfish man. He is, in fact, almost a mifanthrope; but ftill an amiable sensibility lurks in his heart, which finally exposes him to the affaults of female beauty. The fair object who enflaves him, however, does not accomplish her purpose by the mere power of perfonal attractions, but alfo owes her influence over his feelings to her pretended fympathy with his opinions. We cannot discover what are the peculiar tenets of the fyftem which this Imaginary Philofopher embraces. He feems to fpeak the language of difappointment in general, like Jaques in the admirable play from which we derived the paffage we have introduced; but nothing like a regular train of principles is to be gathered from his difcourfe. There is a tolerable portrait of an English female Cook (who, by the way, is ftrangely entitled Sir Loin), and of an Irif Beggar-woman; but they are both much too roughly drawn, and the former, amidst all her coarfenefs, ignorance, and vulgarity, is made to allude to many points not likely to come within the fphere of her knowledge and obfervation. This compofition is diftinguished by a mixture of verfe and profe; and, in the former, the author fhews the poffeffion of poetical talents that might be cultivated with advantage. There is obfervable in this work a remarkable propenfity to alliteration, which has been more ftudiously sought after than we should have expected from a writer who is obviously capable of fomething better. The dedication is addreffed to the departed parents and furviv ing relations of the author; but, while we refpect his feelings, and filial piety, we cannot but conceive that the light and ludicrous nature of the work does not well correfpond with fuch a serious and folemn dedication.

POETRY.

ART. XXVI. Poems on various Occafions: with Tranflations from Authors in different Languages. By the Rev. W. Collier, Sen. Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge. Two Vols. 8vo. Cadell and Davies. London. 1800.

THE

THE

'HE first volume of this collection confifts of original, the fecond, of tranflated, poetry. Of the original pieces, the odes are, in our estimation, the best. They have an elegant claffic air: their imagery is pleafing, but feldom fublime. The Ode to the Mufe will furnish an agreeable specimen of Mr. Collier's manner. ODE TO THE MUSE.

'Sint Marones non deerunt Mecenates.

"Rejoice, O Muse, and rear
Aloft in triumph thy desponding head
From forrow's torpid bed,

Damp with merit's filent tear :

Behold! where fix'd on high

In words that never die,

The tablet of thy fame falutes thy conscious eye!

No longer, Muse, shall now

The wanton hand of undifcerning chance

Or favour's partial glance

Tear the laurel from thy brow.

From thy ufurped throne

And glories not their own,

Thy foes fhall fly, abafh'd at thy commanding frown.

No more with foft complaint,

Shalt thou, in poverty's fequefter'd vale

Repeat thy piteous tale,

With voice in dying numbers faint;

But in high founding lays

The golden lyre fhalt raise,

And crown defert with flowers of death-defying praise.

Short is affliction's power:

The fable clouds which from our longing eyes,

Had veil'd the radiant fkies,

Streak'd with dawn, no longer lour

While in the glowing east,

From ocean's hoary breast,

Hyperion mounts his car, and shines the god confess'd.”

The tranflations, in the fecond volume, are very happily exe cuted; perhaps, they flow with more eafe than our author's original poetry. Such was the cafe with the verfification of Addison.

That these volumes may be favourably received, we fincerely wifh; and hope, that, on reviewing his promifed effays, we shall have an opportunity of congratulating the poet, on fuch a change in his circumftances, as may juftify his prophetic triumphs, in the above lyrical address to the Mufe.

Art.