Art. 48. Zapphira: A Tragedy, in Three Acts. 8vo. PP. 59. 1s. 6d. Ridgway. 1792. This tragedy is founded on the story of Rhynfault and Zapphira, related in the Spectator.-We advife the author, whose firft effay this is, before he again ventures to publifh, to fubmit his performance to the correction of fome judicious friend. 0. Art. 49. A Norfolk Tale; or a Journal from London to Norwich: with a Prologue and Epilogue. 8vo. pp. 67. 2s. 6d. Johnfon. 1792. As a private epiftle from one friend to another, this journal might be accepted as the fportive effufion of a mind at eafe :-but as a common journey in our own country will not be expected to afford any extraordinary objects and adventures, for poetical celebration, so here is nothing made of it worthy the attention of a ftranger to the author; who, nevertheless, appears to be a man of confiderable abilities; and who, as we collect, has a character to fupport, far more valuable than that of a dangler after any of the coquettish mufes.After all, we can forgive him his trifling for the fake of his humour, which is genuine. NOVELS. N. Art. 50. Frederica, or the Memoirs of a Young Lady. By a Lady. Dedicated to her Royal Highness the Duchefs of York. 8vo. 3 Vols. 9s. fewed. Ridgway. 1792. If these volumes be taken up with no higher expectation than that of occupying a few tedious hours with light amufement, the reader will not be disappointed; for they contain a fufficient variety of incidents and characters to afford an easy exercise of attention, without burthening the understanding with a fuperfluity of reflection, or overpowering the heart with a deep-wrought tale of diftrefs. More than this we cannot promife. The ftory is neither so artfully conftructed, as to hold the mind of the reader in a state of grateful fufpence; nor is it told with fuch delicacy of language, richness of imagery, and refinement of fentiment, as might be neceffary to gratify a highly-cultivated tafte. In fome parts the narrative is infipid; in others, the incidents are improbable, particularly in the fudden change which takes place in the character of Mr. Weftrop, who, from a moft unprincipled and unfeeling libertine, becomes in an inftant an affectionate relation, and a generous protector. We must add, that the language is often incorrect. Such expreffions as the following are not here uncommon: He behaved extraordinary particular to me ;'-' fhe behaved remarkably attentive ;'-' there was an immenfe large affembly ;'- fhe had not been infide a church fix months; a perfon who I have fo little reafon to efteem.'-Such inaccuracies are proofs of negligence, or ignorance, of which it is our duty to take notice, even in a novel written by a lady. Art. 51. Memoirs of a Baronefs. By the Author of the Conquefts of the Heart, and the Victim of Fancy. 12mo. fewed. Robinsons. 1792. 2 Vols. -E. 55. The scene of this novel is laid in the court of Henry IV. of France; and the principal incident, (that for which, indeed, the whole novel appears to have been written,) is the romantic attempt made by Mademoisel'e de St. Aubin to obtain a fight of Marshal Biron, whom she had long fecretly loved, and who was now imprifoned for treafon, and condemned to die. Befide this ftory, which is well related, the novel has little to fix the reader's attention. The tale, inftead of becoming more interefting, languishes toward the clofe, and is lengthened by an epifodical narrative. The writer feems more capable of reprefenting the external expreffions of paffion, than of clothing its fentiments in fuitable language; and when the ought to be unfolding a character, we find her defcribing the perfon, attitude, or drefs;-a failing very common with fome adventurers in novel-writing;-for this obvious reafon, that it is easier to obferve the exterior form, than to read the language of the heart. E. POLITICS and POLICE. Art. 52. Obfervations on the Politics of France, and their Progrefs fince the laft Summer: made in a Journey from Spa to Paris in 1791. By T. F. Hill. 8vo. pp. 110. 2s. 6d. Hookham. In politics, as in other fciences, that reafoning bids fair to be the best which has fact for its bafis. This is the foundation which Mr. Hill has chofen for his obfervations. By going to the scene of action, he had an opportunity of viewing things as they are. His conclufions prove him to be a man of fenfe; and they are deduced with an impartiality which feems to have nothing but truth for its object. From what Mr. Hill faw of the emigrants, he judges that their caufe is not likely to be crowned with fuccefs. In the country parts of France through which he travelled, the condition of the inhabitants feemed to be much improved by the Revolution. Paris was diftreffed by a want of money and commerce, had loft all its gay vivacity, and was much divided by political factions :-but yer, amid every diversity of opinion, it was evident that the great body of the people, both in the capital, and in the provinces, was decidedly for fupporting the new conftitution in all its parts, regal, as well as popular. The King, by his prudent conduct, appeared to be rifing, and the Affembly to be rather finking, in the estimation of the people. Though thefe remarks were made before the declaration of war against the King of Hungary, fome of them are not inapplicable to the prefent pofture of affairs. In particular, the emigrants feem as likely to be the victims of delay as ever. Whether the Auftrians continue to treat them with the fame marked contempt as they did when Mr. Hill was in the country, it is not eafy to tell at this distance: but there is no evidence of their cordially uniting with them. The King, too, it is poffible, from the late events, and from his judicious behaviour under them, wili derive additional ftrength to himself and his party, will defeat the republicans, and give tability to the conftitution in its prefent form *. If we differ from Mr. Hill in any thing, it is, when he supposes the feveral tumults that have happened, to be the effect of regular Changes, however, feem to be indicated, fince this article was written. preconcerted plans to bring about the political defigns of the various parties. In the reign of Charles the Second, no event of confequence occurred in this country, without a plot being in t. These are chimerical furmifes. The difturbances, that arife in periods of political fermentation, are moftly the effect of accident. This is confirmed by the obfcurity in which their origin is almost always involved. Time generally brings fettled fchemes to light but cafualty is loft and fmothered in the confufion that gives it birth. As no part of the fecret fervice money, iffued either from the public or from the privy purfe, takes its courfe through our hands, we cannot anfwer for the truth of the following circumftance. Should it be a fact, it is not of that nature which is calculated to give any additional relish to the payment of one million per ann. for the civil lift, or of seventeen millions for taxes; nor any additional grace to our complaints of the underhand interference of foreign emiffaries in our domeftic government. A French ambaffador, affured of the fact, would perhaps think himfelf juftified in remonftrating against undue interpofition in the concerns of his own country; inftead of vindicating his nation from a charge of fuch officious meddling, infinuated in a royal proclamation: The King of England was reported with more probability, though with more fecrecy, to have replenished the empty treafuries of the emigration; a fact efteemed highly likely, both from his fituation and character: the fame rumour was reported with added ftrength towards the end of laft December; and a fum named to the enormous extent of half a million; it is certain that the course of the exchange was affected about that period, in a manner fufficiently fingular to authorize the fuppofition; fuch strange irregularities had not been experienced in it for the last half century. If the charity of his Majefty has induced him to contribute thus largely to the fupport of the caufe of Kings from his own private fortune; certainly his fubjects have, in the prefent fituation of the political fyftem, no right to object to it: but if fuch fums have really been iffued from the public treasury for this purpose, perhaps they may think it paying rather too dear, for the purchase of poffible defolation, even in France; or of the advantages of defpotifm in England. Probably, however, the fums iffued from England, may have in great part come first from France; and been fent this way, to conceal their real fource: but I cannot help fufpecting, that our country, ever renowned for giving pay to other nations, has here followed her ufual cuftom, at least in fome degree.' Mr. Hill is the editor of fome ancient Erfe poems reviewed in our 73d volume, page 70. Pear.e Art. 53. Two Letters to Lord Onflow, Lord Lieutenant of the fubject fubject of an addrefs to his Majefty for his late proclamation. He affirms that he has not, as it was faid by fome of the members, deftroyed (in his Rights of Man,) all the principles of fubordination, and established nothing in their room. On the contrary, he says he has fhewn that if a frugal government, fomething like the American, were established in this country, in the room of that which now prevails, Englishmen would be great gainers by the change. The expence of government in America, he fays, is only 66,2751. 115. per annum: while we in England pay annually feventeen millions of taxes; of which enormous fum eight millions go to defray the current expences of the year, and the other nine to pay the intereft of that load of debt contracted by uncontrolled administrations. In America, he adds, where the whole expences of Government do not amount to fo much as the penfion-lift alone in England, the people do not need to be told by a proclamation that they are happy. The fecond letter is addreffed to Lord Onflow as Chairman of the meeting held at Epfom for the purpose of returning thanks to the King for his proclamation. The author thinks it very wrong that any man should thank his Majefty for endeavouring to fupprefs a publication, unless he know the nature and contents of that publication. He therefore begs leave to prefent his Lordfhip with an hundred copies of the fecond part of Rights of Man; and alfo with a thousand copies of the foregoing letter to Mr. Dundas, giving fome account of the object and defign of the Rights of Man. He alfo fays that fuch meetings are calculated to influence the minds of the jury, who will have to decide on the profecution commenced against the Rights of Man. The remaining letter is an expoftulation with Lord Onflow for improper behaviour as chairman, in not fuffering Mr. Paine's former letter to be read. This, he contends, was indecent conduct in one who, on account of his finecure place of one thousand, and his penfion of three thoufand, per annum, made up of taxes paid by eight hundred families, may be fairly confidered as the principal pauper quartered on the county in which he lives. Pear.e. Art. 54. Ten Minutes Caution from a Plain Man to his Fellow-Citizens. 8vo. pp. 20. 6d. R. Edwards. 1792. This plain man tells us not to liften to foreign incendiaries, but to be contented with the good things which we at prefent enjoy, without ftriving to increase them.-If he should gain no converts to his doctrine, he may help to strengthen the faith of those who al ready think with him. 0. Art. 55. A Letter to the Farmers and Manufacturers in Great Britain and Ireland, on the audacious Attempts of obfcure and unprincipled Men to fubvert the British Government. 8vo. pp. 39. IS. Stockdale. 1792. This letter appears to have been written under the impulse of an imagination haunted by vifionary terrors. The writer fees, in the attempts which are now making for the reformation and improvement of the British Government, the entire deftruction of all order, and the introduction of a state of anarchy, in which a filthy fet of ragamuffins will ride lords-paramount over the whole nation, levying contributions at will, and inflating death at random and at pleasure on thofe whom they diflike.' When he turns his eye towards France, every tree he fees is a gibbet, and every other man a hangman;' and all the great officers of Government are a promifcuous groupe of coblers, tailors, tinkers, hungry attorneys, and police men. At home, he fees fimilar mifchief brewing; and he apprehends that freebooters, who are enemies to all government and legiflation, are becoming reformers. It is no wonder that, with fuch terrible apprehenfions, he should have an infuperable antipathy to night cellar citizens, and halfpenny club politicians; and fhould be of opinion, that if the demon of innovation cannot be laid by the force of reafon, it ought to be laid by the force of coercion. Cooler men, however, who are not thus panic-ftruck, will perceive no fuch hazard in indulging perfons in the natural and unalienable right of free difcuffion, and will hope to fee the temporary ferment of difcontent happily allayed, by means of a temperate but effectual reform. E. MISCELLANEOUS. Art. 56. Extras, elegant, inftructive, and entertaining, in Profe; felected from the best modern Authors, and difpofed under proper Heads; intended to affift in introducing young Perfons to an Acquaintance with ufeful and ornamental Knowlege. 8vo. pp. 1060 10s. 6d. Bound. Rivingtons, &c. &c. 1791. Compilations, abridgments, extracts, &c. have frequently, within thefe few years, been prefented to our attention; and fome works of this kind have been very properly executed. As far as we can juge, from fuch a view as can be taken of this very ample collection, it is a ufeful and valuable publication: the best materials appear to have been employed in forming it; and they are brought together with propriety and judgment. Of the five books into which the whole is divided, the first is moral and religious;the fecond, claffical and hiftorical; the third confits of orations, characters, and letters;-the fourth, of narratives, dialogues, &c. with other humorous, facetious, and entertaining pieces; the last book contains fhort introductions to geography, aftronomy, chronology, natural history, &c. --Aftronomy and chronology, we obferve, are collected from the works of Dr. Jennings.- The whole work is introduced by an effay on pronunciation, or delivery, from the Lectures of Dr. Blair. The bulky appearance of this volume might perhaps almost dif courage fome readers; we therefore add the following lines from the preface: As these extracts, from the variety of fubjects to which they relate, and the numerous works from which they have been felected, have fwelled this publication to fuch a confiderable fize, it has been thought proper to infert a new title-page, nearly in the midcle, that the purchafers may have it in their option to bind it in one, or in two volumes, as they fhall think it moft convenient for ufe.' H. Art. |