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To fir Joshua Reynolds, as ufual, he is by turns ironical and civil; to Mr. Weft not very complaifant. Speaking of the want of diftinction in the public, he fays with infinite drollery, For me, tho' bleft with Phoebus' lyre, And born on Fancy's ftrongeft wingNo fteaks of mine would fee the fire, Did I of gods and heroes fing.

Could I, like Homer, chant Achilles' feats,
I might, like Homer, chant them in the streets,
'Tis buying fame by far too dear,

If when one's gut with hunger twiches,
We fee no cruft, nor garlic near,

Nor feel one ftiver in one's breeches.
While quacks in eafy chairs go rocking,
And with your lords get fav'ry dinners;
Merit muft coax his worfted ftocking,

And crouch to publicans and finners.'

His ninth ode is lefs perfonal than the reft. After having declared that the works are rather the objects of his fatire than the men, he proceeds,

My coufin Pindar's ftrains, as well as mine,

Were heard by thofe who would not think them fine;
But with obstrep'rous envy ftrove to drown:

To chatt'ring jays the bard compar'd their cries,
While he, like Jove's own eagle, pierc'd the skies,
And on their efforts look'd contemptuous down.

This was a pretty modeft fimile!

Another ye fhall have as good from me,

Whom ye would fain fee like the lion fick :

O! had I not this pow'r to hurt,

By heav'n I'd stake my only fhirt,

There's not an afs among you but would kick!'

The fifth and fixth lines are certainly poetical and fublime. We cannot help expreffing a wifh that this gentleman would chufe an object of imitation where his wit and genius may fhine, undebafed with vulgarity and perfonal abuse.

Lyric Odes, for the Year 1785: by Peter Pindar, Efq. a diftant Relation of the Poet of Thebes, and Laureat to the Royal Aca demy. 4to. 2s. 6d. Kearfley.

Two publications, with titles nearly fimilar, might lead us to fufpeat the authenticity of one or the other; but we have reafon to fuppofe that both are the production of the facetious gentleman whofe genius and vivacity we have often commended, It is now time, however, to employ the rein, rather than the fpur; to hint that, though fpirited fatire is fometimes amusing, yet, when it degenerates into licentioufnefs, it lofes the charm, and difgufts the reader more than it has ever pleafed him. A little wholesome chaftifement may be neceffary when we obferve

faults

faults; but when the lafh is fo often repeated, and fo feverely laid on, we are apt to suspect a deeper cause for it than profes fional errors.

As we hope this is the last time we shall review any odes on this fubject, we will extract a part of one before us, as a speci men of his manner. It is an Ode which he properly addrefes to himself.

A thousand frogs upon a fummer's day,
Were sporting 'midft the funny ray,
In a large pool, reflecting every face; -

They thow'd their gold-lac'd cloaths with pride,
In harmless fallies, frequent vied,

And gambol'd through the water with a grace.
'It happen'd that a band of boys,
Obfervant of their harmless joys,

Thoughtlefs, refolv'd to spoil their happy fport;
One frenzy feiz'd both great and small,
On the poor frogs the rogues began to fall,
Meaning to fplash them, not to do them hurt.

As Milton quaintly fings," the ftones 'gan pour,"
Indeed, an Otaheite show'r!

The confequence was dreadful, let me tell ye;
One's eye was beat out of his head,-

This limp'd away, that lay for dead,-
Here mourn'd a broken back, and there a belly.
Amongst the smitten it was found

Their beauteous queen receiv'd a wound;
The blow gave ev'ry heart a figh,

And drew a tear from ev'ry eye:

At length king Croak got up, and thus begun
"My lads, you think this very pretty fun!
"Your pebbles round us fly as thick as hops,
Have warmly complimented all our chops
To you, I guess that thefe are pleasant tones!
And fo they might be to us frogs,

You damn'd, young, good-for-nothing dogs!
But that they are fo hard,-they break our bones."
• Peter! thou mark'st the meaning of this fable-
So put thy Pegafus into the ftable;

Nor wanton thus, with cruel pride,

Mad, Jehu-like, o'er harmleis people ride."

If the author wants farther advice on this fubject we recom

mend the following.

Build not, alas! your popularity

On that beaft's back y'clip'd Vulgarity;

A beaft, that many a booby takes a pride in,:
A beat beneath the noble Peter's riding.'

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POLITICA L.

Summary Explanation of the Principle of Mr. Pitt's intended Bill for amending the Reprefentation of the People in Parliament. By the Rev. Chriftopher Wyvill. 8vo. IS. Stockdale.

The reform of parliament, in former periods, has been often the engine of oppofition; and when the principal object has been obtained, this fubordinate one has been eluded in various ways. In modern times, the manoeuvres of lord North and Mr. Fox, on this fubject, are within every one's remembrance : Mr. Pitt's plan is ftill more recent. We ought not to suspect his fincerity; but, when the nation is oppreffed with numerous taxes, it furely was no additional recommendation of the plan twice negatived within a few years, that it was to be effected at the expence of a million of money; and that this fum was to be expended in what many thought a vifionary innovation. In-deed the prefent ftate of the difpute is fo questionable, that we fhall not enlarge on it. Our author explains, but neglects to defend it. Perhaps he thinks this has been already done with fuccefs: we think otherwife, and the event is not to be decided by fingle combat.

Thoughts on Taxation, and a New Syftem of Funding. Small 8vo. 6d. Kearsley.

This author modeftly fuggefts his thoughts on the means of fupplying government with pecuniary refources in any future exigency. He propofes that people fhould be obliged to contribute towards the public fervice, in proportion to what they enjoy of the national flock. With regard to real property, he obferves, that in confequence of the established mode of affefling land, every land-holder efteems his eftate more or lefs valuable according to the rate he pays per pound, and therefore they who are under-rated, would have caufe to complain of an equal tax under four fhillings. But fuppofing government required a tax above four fhillings, the author thinks that it might with great propriety be equally affeffed; and he propoies that this fhould be levied upon the receipt for the tenant's net rent. He would likewife tax money on mortgage, but would have the borrower relieved, fo that having paid the tax for the land, he fhould have a right to demand a return of fo much in the pound from the mortgagee. A tax of this kind, at the rate of fix pence in the pound, he is of opinion, might produce great adVantages even to the landed property.

A Political Enquiry into the Confequences of inclofing Wafle Lands, and the aufes of the high Price of Butchers Meat. Evo. 2s. 6d. L. Davis.

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This Enquiry was first fuggefted by Mr. Lamport's Remarks on Agriculture,' which we reviewed in the 57th volume, Page 456. A great portion of that little work was employed

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in recommending inclofures, and this talk he feemed to have executed with fuccefs. His facts were in general well esta blished; for many of them had frequently occurred to us. That which feemed moft decifive, and we knew it to be true, was that a well grown animal, which had been well fed in its youth, and expofed to few hardships, was fattened fooner and at a lefs expence than a deformed ill-fhaped one, fed on a common. Our prefent author allows the fact; but obferves that, in many places, the cattle fed on moors are little expofed to hard hips, and generally rolded in the winter. Indeed he allows that Mr. Lamport's Obfervations are more juft in a limited, than in a general view; that they feem to have been fuggefted by experience, acquired in no very extenfive field.

The reafoning contained in the ' Remarks' is examined with great ftrictnefs; and fome loofe affertions and fallacious arguments are jufly reprehended. The author oppofes inclofures by very different means, by arguments, by computation, and experiment. He endeavours to show, that the high price of butcher's meat is owing to the expences in breeding cattle; and thefe are ultimately to be referred to the contraction of commons, and the diminution of common-right. Indeed many of these arguments occurred to us in reading Mr. Lamport's work; but fome pofitive affertions, which we could not contradict, and plaufible arguments, which our own experience had not oppofed, led us unwilling captives to his opinion.

In other refpects, there is much tautology in this pamphlet, and a little unfairness in some of the reprefentations; but the principal arguments are enforced with ability, and conducted with candour.

We shall select a fhort fpecimen, and recommend the whole to the reprefentatives and guardians of the landed property of the kingdom.

But methinks I hear gentlemen fay, you may make as many calculations and eftimates as you pleafe, but they can never convince us, that if by cultivation we make the ground that produced grafs of only three inches length before it was cultivated, to produce grafs of fix or nine inches in length, of equal thickness and good quality, that fuch cultivation is a detriment to the nation, for certainly the more the ground is made to produce of any valuable commodity, the more benefit to the nation. I answer; this, being a general principle, so obvious and certain a truth, has greatly milled gentlemen, who talk or think on the fubject, because they apply this general principle to all cafes without exception; and I beg leave further to obferve, that though it is devoutly to be wished, that all the commons in England would produce twice the herbage they now do; yet even gold, as I have before obferved, may be bought too dear. And therefore I cannot think it advifeable for the fake of obtaining this good, to bring on an evil, which I apprehend more than adequate to the advantage gained. And if,

as

as I apprehend, I have already demonftrated, that the enclof ing and improving all the waile lands, will tend to double the price of butchers meat; it will be an evil for which the encreafed produce of the ground cannot compenfate.

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But the reader may fay, it is an inexplicable paradox to affert, that the more provender is produced for rearing and fattening of cattle, the dearer they will be.-Yet, refpecting the prefent argument, I will maintain it to be a paradox far from being inexplicable. I have already obferved, it is not the plenty or fcarcity which makes an article dear for any long continuance of time, becaufe the price depends on the neceffary charges and expences in the production of it. -If a beggar comes to me for relief from hunger, and I give him half of a quartern loaf for nothing, no perion will pretend to affert, that if he had bought a whole loaf at the baker's, and given feven-pence half-penny for it, that because he would, in that cafe, have had a greater plenty, that therefore it was cheaper to him than my half loaf was. And this is very nearly the cafe with regard to the cattle now fed on commons; the little they get is not paid for, and therefore the owners can afford to fell them cheaper than if they paid for their food either by the way of rent of land, or by other means.

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If what I have here ftated be true, what becomes of Mr. Lamport's plan of cheapnefs of provifions by cultivating waste land?

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Commentaries and Essays, published by the Society for promoting the Knowlege of the Scriptures. No. II. To be continued occafionally. Sve. Is. Johnfon.

The first article in this Number confifts of Critical Notes on the first Nineteen Verfes of the First Chapter of Genesis.

Some of the explications of the text are new; particularly the interpretation of the word 18, which is ufually tranflated light, in the third verfe. This light or fame, our author de duces from numberless volcanos, which he tuppofes to have been generated by the great mafs of phlogistic or inflammable matter, then exifting in the earth; but now difperfed in the bodies of animals and vegetables, and in the atmosphere, • God divided the light from the darknefs: that is, according to this writer, the volcanic eruptions broke out at different fucceffive periods, betwixt which darkness prevailed.

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Art. 11, is a Paraphrafe and Notes on Rom, v. 8-19. It has been imagined by many eminent divines, that mortality" became the lot of all mankind, in confequence, not of perfonal, but of Adam's tranfgreffion. This opinion, our author thinks, appears to be a relic of the doctrine of original fin, The part of Scripture which is thought to be its principal fupport, is Rom. v. 12-19. He therefore examines this paffage, together with what precedes and follows it. His general idea

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