traying their truft, to reimburse themselves, in the mean capacity of ministerial agents: at which the people, ftrange to fay, are furprifed, and angry!

Our Author calls upon the British electors, therefore, to let the year 1774, when the next general election takes place, be the grand æra of British freedom.-But, alas! addreffes of this kind will be little regarded, perhaps little read, by those who fhould profit by them; and hence, it is to be apprehended, our political redemption can only be effected by fhort parliaments, which, if any thing can, will fpoil the markets at which our national rights are boug it and

fold.

One thing, with respect to this fenfible Addrefs, gave us peculiar pleafure in perufing it; viz. to obferve fuch conftitutional principles enforced by the pen of an officer in the regular forces; and we hope there are many more, gentlemen in the army as true well-wishers to their country as this worthy Writer: fuch men will, in all exigen cies, act in fuch a manner as becomes its real friends and defenders. NOVELS, &c.

Art. 19. Sentimental Tales. 12mo. 2 Vols. 5 s. fewed.

Wilkie. 1771.

In thefe fentimental productions are comprehended fome very warm. ideas, and allufions to fituations rather fenfual than fentimental. The Author, in fome parts of his work, imitates Sterne, with the ufual fuccefs of imitators. He has introduced a number of poetical pieces, both originals and tranflations*, and they are not the worst parts of the Tales in which they are interfperfed but even of thefe, in juftice to the public, we cannot speak in the highest terms of approbation.

Art. 20. The Fault was all his own. In a Series of Letters. By a Lady. 12mo. 2 Vols. 5 s. fewed. Riley.

We are told that this is the production of a young Lady, of a promifing genius; and the work bears fufficient tellimony that we are not misinformed; for it abounds with the marks of an immature judgment, and yet affords proofs of a fine imagination. It is defective in plan, characters, and ftyle; but many good fentiments are interfperfed in it; and we meet with reflections that would do hɔnour to the pen of a more experienced writer.

Art. 21. The Adventures of a Bank Note. In Four Volumes. Vols. III. and IV. 12mo. 5 s. fewed. Davies.

We refer to our short mention of the two former volumes of this droll performance: fee Review, vol. xliii. p. 152.—It appears that the public are to thank the humorous Burlesquer of Homer for the entertainment afforded them in the Adventures of a Bank Note. These adventures refult from the various transfers of the note, from one poffeffor to another; with the characters of its feveral proprietors, among whom are divers well-known remarkable perfonages of the prefent age, and of various ranks and complections. Art. 22. Betfy; or, the Caprices of Fortune. 12mo. 3 Vols. 7 s. 6d. fewed. Jones.

All improbability; yet not entirely destitute of interefting fcenes.

Particularly from Catullus,

Art. 23. The Vicar of Bray: A Tale. 12mo. 2 Vols. 5 s. fewed. Baldwin.

A ridiculous ftory ridiculously blended with the political hiftory of the last fourteen or fifteen years, in order to give an air of fecret history to a fcandalous improbable fiction. Art. 24. The Dijguife: A Dramatic Novel. 12mo. 12mo. 2 Vols. s. fewed. DodЛley. 1771.

The Author of this performance apologizes to his Reader for deviating from the forms in which novels have ufually been written ; but this circumftance is, perhaps, the only one for which he deferves commendation. In the hands of a man of genius the dramatic form may certainly be employed in a novel with the greatest advantages; but our Author is not to be ranked in this class. The incidents he has felected are often unnatural; they are always fancied with little ingenuity or tate; and the language in which he expreffes himself, is, in the highest degree, loofe and incorrect. He has thrown mere events into dialogue; there is no mafterly diftinction in his characters; and he appears not to be intimately unacquainted with the human heart. He has complained that epistolary correfpondencies have grown dull, that narratives have become tedious, and journals heavy; but the acts and the fcenes he has produced, are, in our opinion, ftill more exceptionable; their general languor and infipidity being never interrupted by strokes of humour, and fallies of vivacity or wit.

MISCELLANEOUS. Art. 25. Eikonoclafles. In Anfwer to a Book intitled, Eikon Bafilike, the Portraiture of his facred Majefty in his Solitudes and Sufferings. A new Edition. Corrected by the late Reverend Richard Baron. 8vo. 3 s. fewed. Kearfly. 1770.

The advertisement prefixed to this edition, by the publisher, is as follows:

No heart ever glowed with a more ardent and generous warmth in the caufe of religious and civil liberty than Mr. Baron's. He only breathed, he did not live in his own eftimation, but whilst he was in fome way or other lending his affiftance to this glorious caufe. He wrote, he published and republished perpetually in its defence. Had he been equally mindful of his domeftic concerns, he might have left a competency behind him for his wife and family; but his whole foul was engaged in the caufe; he neglected every other concern. He is now no more.

Some time before his death, at his fole expence, he printed this new edition of the E:KONOCLASTES. He did not live to publish it. His notes and additions to it are truly valuable. The expence of this edition is a dead weight apon Mr. Baron's effects.

It is now published to fubferve the general caufe, and also to ferve the intereft of Mr. Baron's family. The EIKONOCLASTES is too well known to need any commendation: there is not a friend to liberty who would not wish it to be immortal.

The public may be affured that every farthing arifing from the publication of it, fhall be faithfully and confcientiously applied to the fole benefit of Mr. Baron's family.'

Mr.

Mr. Baron had written a preface to this publication, in which he informs us, that when the laft edition of Milton's profe works was committed to his care, he executed that trull with the greatest fidelity; of which no one who knew Mr. B. will entertain the leaft doubt: that after he had thus endeavoured to do juftice to his favourite Author, by comparing every piece, line by line, with the original editions, he met with a fecond edition of the EIKONOCLASTES (which had neither been seen by Mr. Toland, the former Editor, nor by Mr. B.) with many large and curious additions; and he quickly refolved that the public fhould no longer be withheld from the poffeflion of fuch a treasure. I therefore now, fays Mr. B. give a new impreffion of this work, with the additions and improvements made by the Author: and I deem it a fingular felicity to be the inftrument of restoring to my country fo many excellent lines, long loft-and in danger of being for ever loft-of a Writer who is a lafting honour to our language and nation;-and of a work, wherein the principles of tyranny are confuted and overthrown, and all the arts and cunning of a Great Tyrant and his adherents detected and laid open.'

The following obfervations on Milton, are at once characteristic of that great man, confidered as the CHAMPION OF THE PEOPLE, and of the political zeal and spirit of his late reverend Editor:

MILTON, in particular, ought to be read and ftudied by all our young gentlemen as an Oracle. He was a great and noble genius, perhaps the greateft that ever appeared among men; and his learning was equal to his genius. He had the higheft fenfe of Liberty, glorious thoughts, with a strong and nervous ftyle. His works are In them the divine, the full of wisdom, a treasure of knowledge. ftatefman, the hiftorian, the philologift, may be all inftructed and entertained. It is to be lamented that his divine writings are so little known. Very few are acquainted with them, many have never heard of them. The fame is true with refpect to another great writer, cotemporary with Milton, and an advocate for the fame glorious caufe; I mean ALGERNON SYDNEY, whofe difcourfes on Government are the most precious legacy to these nations.

All antiquity cannot fhew two writers equal to thefe. They were both great mafters of Reason, both great mafters of Expreffion. They had the ftrongeft thoughts, and the boldest images, and are The ftyle of SYDNEY is althe best models that can be followed. ways clear and flowing, ftrong and mafculine. The great MILTON has a ftyle of his own, one fit to exprefs the aftonishing fublimity of his thoughts, the mighty vigour of his fpirit, and that copia of invention, that redundancy of imagination, which no writer before or fince hath equalled. In fome places it is confeffed that his periods are too long, which renders him intricate, not altogether intelligible to vulgar readers; but thefe places are not many. In the book before us his ftyle is for the most part free and eafy, and it abounds in eloquence and wit and argument. I am of opinion that the ftyle of this work is the best and moft perfect of all his profe writings. Other men have commended his Hiftory as matchlefs and incomparable, whofe malice could not fee or would not acknowledge the excellency of his other works. It is no fecret whence their averfion

24

to MILTON proceeds; and whence their caution of naming him as any other writer than a poet. MILTON combated fuperftition and tyranny of every form, and in every degree. Against them he employed his mighty ftrength, and, like a Battering Ram, beat down all before him. But notwithstanding these mean arts either to hide or difparage him, a little time will make him better known; and the more he is known the more he will be admired. His works are not like the fugitive fhort-lived things of this age, few of which furvive their authors: they are fubftantial, durable, eternal writings; which will never die, never perish whilst Reason, Truth, and Liberty have a being in thefe nations.

Thus much I thought proper to fay on occafion of this publication, wherein I have no refentment to gratify, no private intereft to ferve all my aim is to ftrengthen and fupport that good old Cause which in my youth I embraced, and the principles whereof I will affert and maintain whilft I live.'

And, accordingly, Mr. Baron did fo, with uniform ardour and zeal, to the laft; but, as we have already feen, did not live to pub. lith what he was fo eagerly folicitous to print.-He was an honest man, was well acquainted with the literature of this country in the laft age, and had many friends, whofe regard, however, he generally loft, through the ungoverned warmth and inequality of his temper.

Art. 26. A new Hiftorical Biographical and Classical Dictionary. Containing a concife and alphabetical Account of the most remarkable Events recorded in Ancient Hiftory. Extracted from the most celebrated Claffical Writers: Alfo the Lives and Characters of the moft illustrious Perfonages among the Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, Carthaginians, and other diftinguished Nations. Comprehending Heathen Deities, Patriots, Priests, Philofophers, Kings, Princes, Legiflators, Statefmen, Generals, celebrated Ladies, Orators, Poets, Hiftorians, Painters, Phyficians, Lawyers, Players, Artificers, and, in fhort, all who have fignalized themfelves by their Virtue, Courage, Learning, or Abilities. Calculated for the Ufe of Schools, and for fuch Gentlemen and Ladies, who not having had the Happinefs of a Claffical Education, are deûrous of being acquainted with the Heathen Mythology, and the moft ftriking Circumstances of Ancient Hiftory. izmo. bound. Kearfly. 1771.

3 s. 6 d. The defign of this compendium is thus expreffed by the Author To the Reader,' viz.

In the following fheets the Editor has endeavoured to lay before his Readers whatever he found most valuable in the belt claffic writes. They contain a fhort, but he flatters himself not an uninterefting account of the most remarkable events recorded by the Greek and Roman hiftorians; with the lives and characters of the illuftrious heroes of antiquity, and, where they could with propriety be introduced, tranflations of many of the celebrated paffages that are to be met with in the ancient poets.

The work was not only undertaken for the Use of SCHOOLS, where the want of fuch a performance has long been complained of, but for the fervice of fuch gentlemen as wish to become acquainted

with the most material occurrences of profane hiftory, in the con, cifest and easiest manner.

In short, the Editor has attempted to render the whole both pleafing and useful, by blending delight with inftruction, and know ledge with entertainment.

'Queen's College, Oxford, Dec. 10, 1770.'

We have only to obferve, that this little work is extremely defi cient, from the great number of perfons and things omitted; which, indeed, is not much to be wondered at, confidering the narrow compass to which it is confined. If the Author would add to it a fecond volume, for which there are ample materials, even on his own plan of brevity, we apprehend his Dictionary would be more generally acceptable to the public.-We have feen a work bearing a very fimilar title to this, but it is merely biographical: it was published by Millar, about 17 years ago, in 2 Vols. 12mo. Art. 27. Obfervations upon feveral Paffages extracted from a Work lately published, entitled, A Review of the Characters of the principal Nations of Europe. 8vo. 1 s. 6d. Almon.

There are very few of thefe obfervations that are in the leaft degree interefting many of the extracts are produced only to commend them, and to echo the Author's fentiments; while it is difficult to know for what purpose others are produced.

What, for inflance, is to be learned from the following article: EXTRACT the Fourteenth.

"By this perpetual concomitance of the women," &c.-Page 73. OBSERVATION S.

The Author, no doubt, means, by the perpetual concomitance of the French women, their ftrong propenfity to affemble together in large bodies.-Would not affociation, therefore, be a properer word than concomitance?" Concomitance [from concomitor, Lat.] Subfiftence together with another thing."-Johnson's Dict.

However, on re-confidering the word, I acquit the Author of impropriety; for concomitor, in Littleton's Dictionary, is " to accompany, to follow, to attend."

Let us try one more:

EXTRACT the Thirty-ninth,

"Their general negligence of books (fpeaking of the Spaniards) reduces individuals to the neceflity of drawing moft of their knowledge from their own fund of experience and obfervation; which, notwithstanding they are excellent fources, and far exceed, in purity of truth and certitude, the lucubrations of the clofet alone, cannot compare with that fuperior extent and profoundness of acute and thorough difcernment, which reading and meditation give thofe who are adequately converfant with the world."-Page 255.

OBSERVATION S.

Much knowledge may, doubtlefs, be acquired by experience and obfervation; and we frequently meet with men, who, with hardly any affiftance from books, make no contemptible figure in the world. But thofe who are naturally acute and difcerning, will find their acuteness and difcernment confiderably increafed, by a

*For an account of this work, fee Review, vol. xliii. p. 329.

careful