dians, are thrown into an agreeable point of view; and he concludes with an entertaining defcription of the rattle-fnake. Art. 20. An Account of what passed between Mr. George Thompfon of York, and Dr. John Burton of that City, Phyfician and Man-midwife at Mr. Sheriff Jobb's Entertainment, and the Confequences thereon. By Mr. George Thompson. Octavo, Pr. is. Hooper. This notable tranfaction was (it feems) a fray occafioned by Mr. Thompson's propofing what he calls a teft toast at a fheriff's entertainment. Dr. Burton, phyfician and man-midwife, refufing to conform, a difpute enfued; and, after fome altercation, the faid Dr. Burton broke the head of one of his fellow guests. This exploit, however, he did not atchieve with impunity; in as much as he was collared, philliped, and fcratched, faw his fhirt torn and his cudgel broke, and was difmiffed from the company with some ignominious remembrances à pofteriori, which he did not patiently retain. Instead of wreaking his refentment upon the proper object, he had recourfe upon Mr. George Thompson, who declares, that far from affaulting the doctor, he fecured him from fevere chastisement. He complains therefore, that he was not only fued unjustly, but alfo maltreated by the council of his adverfary, and caft upon falfe evidence. Mr. Thompson feems to think he fell a facrifice to the virulence of a faction, in whofe caufe the doctor has fuffered heretofore. If that be the cafe, he has been twice happily delivered; but one time or another his head may be jammed in fuch an untoward pelvis, that even his own* tire tête will not extricate him; fo that the operator must have recourse to the noose, which is but a rough and disagreeable expedient. Art. 21. Impartial Reflections on the Cafe ftated in an Appeal to the People, &c. Member of Parliament, c. Octavo. Pr. I s. Hooper. of Mr. Byng, as And a Letter to a -fub judice lis eft. If the cafe of Mr. Byng is, according to this motto, in litigation before an impartial tribunal, why fhould the author of the pamphlet endeavour to prejudge the culprit? He affirms that d Bg had nothing to fear from the candour, skill, and experience of his judges, and endeavours to refute thofe arguments which have been used to free that gentleman from the heavy load of popular prepoffeffion, under which he has groaned fo long. If the gentlemen by whom the admiral will be tried, are above all prejudice and prepoffeffion, to what purpofe was this pamphlet published? We hope it was not with a view to confound thofe two objects which the letter writer has fo justly divided; namely, the lofs of Minorca, and the event of the fea engagement, which, we apprehend, are altogether independent of each other. Art. A curious inftrument fo called, contrived by Dr. Purton, to extract the head of fatus from a narrow pelvis. Art. 22. One thousand Seven hundred and Fifty fix. A Dialogue. 8vo. Pr. Is. Withy. There are two sciences, in which people are more prone to expose themfelves than in any other. Thofe are poetry and politics; both of them as little adapted to agree with each other as oil and vinegar: for one requires fpirit and fancy to fupport it; the other is adapted to a dull plodding genius, if to genius we may be alloved to join these epithets. The author of One thousand Seven hundred and Fifty fix has therein endeavoured to unite these two sciences; but alas, in both he is a miferable dabbler; as may be seen by the following quotation. You are to understand that this severe fatirist is now speaking of the ministry. How cunningly have they govern'd! • What baseless projects have they made, ་ · The curs'd effect of G-G See, how that fortress is betrayed, exclaim; Revere the brave old Blak'ney's name, • And raise fair trophies to his fame. We can't help faying that 1756 is a fine fabject for fatire, and notwithstanding the pamphlet in hand, we hope to fee fome man of genius make it his theme. Art. 23. POLYDORE and JULIA: or the Libertine reclaim'd, "Our paffions gone, and reason in her throne, "The calm fea wonders at the wrecks it made. WALLER. A Perfon, who, we find, in the courfe of our reading, calls himfelf Caftalio, being tired of living on the other fide of Templebar, removes to the court end of the town, and goes to lodge in a boarding houfe full of people; among whom he finds a gentleman of a loose difpofition, who, he has reafon to think fond of a poor baronet's daughter that fat facing him at table; these are Polydore and Julia. Caftalio enters immediately into an intimacy with the former, tho' their acquaintance was not yet a day old. He touches him upon his paffion for Julia, which Polydore confeffes, nay even goes fo far as to acknowledge his defigns not over honourable; to divert him from them Caftalio preaches to him, Upon what do you build your expectations of obtaining your end? -the freedom of her carriage towards you; the receiving your ad⚫dreffes with an agreeable complacency, and her favourable returns to your obliging fervices, are but flender grounds for a belief that her heart corresponds with your wishes. She, not being apprehenfive of your foul intent, interprets your devoirs in an honourable fenfe; and in that cafe it is no derogation ⚫ from her virtue to let you see she is not impregnable. You, Polydore, have merit enough in appearance to deserve the fair Julia's efteem; and ladies mistake the rule of modefty, when they shroud their inward approbation under a cloud of outward re• fervedness. - 'It argues a difingenuous temper, and is the effect of a fantastie pride, to beget an eafy fufpence in any one for the prefent, whom they intend to make happy by a compliance hereafter; -therefore, notwithstanding the gracious behaviour which gives birth to your hopes, it ftill remains uncertain; and, perhaps, as foon, as the perceives your malevolent aim, scorn and difdain may difpoffefs her new-born affection, and turn her warrantable love into a justifiable • inveteracy. How deeply, Polydore, muft this wound a generous fpirit, to reflect that your guilt has rendered you despicably odious in those eyes in which you were ambitious to appear most amiable? That face you now behold with extatic joy and delight, you will not then be able to look on without a confcious blufh; you that fo folicitoufly court her company, will as industriously avoid it: every glance will upbraid your baseness, and add to you fresh ' confusion. She will, perhaps, proclaim your brutal offers among all her acquaintance, till the deferved reproach brand you with fuch an in famou ⚫ famous blemish as will make you at once both fear'd and contemn'd by all that have the leaft regard to honour, or respect to virtue. But, fuppofing fhe is not inexorable; yet, the may not be won ⚫ without difficulty. The conqueft requires more time and pains than 'you imagine, or indeed than it is really worth. There is an innate principle in the fair fex that hinders their fpeedy furrender; modefty is not fo foon put off as a garment; even those whofe meannefs of birth and education has deprived 'them of any other affiftance, have by the help of that, join'd with the fear of but one of the unlucky confequences, prov'd fufficient to withstand the force of a libidinous temptation. But in thofe, who, befides thefe, have greater advantages, the true notions of honour, and a due fenfe of religion, are certainly not to be overcome fo readily.-if these are enervated in the heart, they are not fo eafily fupplanted. 6 Add to this, the many difmal examples of irretrievable mifery, and the miserable condition of the unwary, who have yielded to • lascivious allurements, which are no small incentives to their cautionary refiftance. To force a way through all these oppofitions, is a task no less 'odious than intricate; and the methods to accomplish it must be as fervilely base, as the end is villainous he who fets about it must ⚫ divest himself of humanity, bid adieu to all laws, moral and divine, ⚫ and enter into an alliance with a legion of crimes.' Advice of this fort, cloathed in language in praife of which we can fay but little, takes up more than 200 pages of the book; the confequence of it is, that Polydore, who fees his error, in order to conquer it, retires to the country. In a few days after he returns to London to marry Julia, of whofe love and virtue he is firmly perfuaded; this bufinefs being compleated, the curtain drops, and Caftalio quits us as abruply as he intruded into our company. The whole is fpun out to 218 pages loosely printed, whereas it might have been eafily comprised in eight. There are no changes of fortune: there is no variety in the ftory, nothing to keep the mind in fufpence; ncr any marks of invention or genius. Art. 24. MINORCA. A Tragedy. In three aɛs. Pr. 1s. This is the work of fome school-boy, who has not yet gone thro' his grammar; for example. I refolv'd to fly . From what I fear'd and dreaded more than death, But being closely watch'd, was foon o'ertaken, By fervants who was brib'd to force me back; • 'Twas then made desperate by their rude assaults, I cry'd for help We muit confer what terms will now be beft • But know I'll not submit to none. Thefe are fufficient to give an idea of the piece, in which there is introduc'd a miferable love tale, and two or three murders; the cha racter after we have given of Mr. Slade's play, will fit this every jot as well. Art. 25. An APPEAL to the PEOPLE: containing, the genuine and entire letter of admiral Byng to the fetr. of the ady; obfervations on thofe parts of it which were omitted by the writers of the Gazette: and what might be the reasons for fuch amiffions. : Part the firft. 8vo. Pr. 1s. Morgan. In the letter to a member of parliament, enough had been faid to turn the ftream of national prejudice and abufe from a-1 B-g, and pave the way for his being tried with juftice and impartiality. That performance feems to be written with accuracy and temper; it looks like the production of a gentleman defirous of refcuing a fellow fubject from oppreffion.-On the other hand, the Appeal is evidently the work of an hireling pen, fruitful, not in argument but invective, cold, inanimated, and poisonous, like the juice of henbane. The author offers no new proof or prefumption in favour of the al. He fills fifteen pages with a languid address to the publick; in which he feems more inten: upon blackening the first lord of the a――y, than folicitous to clear Mr. Bg. His calculation of the force of the different fleets is altogether ridiculous. His justification of the ad-1 is a tedious, diffufe, and perplexing declamation, which we are afraid, will do no fervice to the prifoner; for in feeking to corroborate fome parts of his defence, we conceive he has only exposed their weakness. But this is a difagreeable subject, on which, for his fake, we shall not expatiate: though we must obferve, that the ad has been unlucky in his choice of a champion, who like afafatida in medicine, cannot help discovering himself by the naufeous flavour of his writings. Art. 26. A LETTER to Ad--/B-g. With the form of a confeffion fuited to a perfon in his circumftances. To which are added, a few words of advice to the Inhabitants of Great-Britain upon our late difappointments. Pr. 6d. Cooper. The author of this pamphlet puts us in mind of thofe pious, ghoftly directors, who offer their fervices to malefactors under condemnation, and exhauft all their rhetoric in perfuading them they will be damned. He infifts upon Mr. B-g's being guilty, before he is tried; on that fuppofition, he takes it very much amifs that he should pretend to enjoy the leaft tranquillity or peace of mind: he exaggerates every circumftance of his fuppofed guilt; endeavours to terrify him into remorfe and defpair; anticipates, as far as in him lies, the fentence of his judges, by furnishing him with the form of a confeffion, as if he could not furely have the impudence to plead not guilty; and makes a tranfition to the D of whom he daubs with fulfome encomiums. This is either the work of fome four |