a due proportion of them, in order to have the land cultivated to the greatest advantage, that is, fo as to extract from it the greatet produce. But to reafon with fuch a fcribbler as this, on fuch a fubject, would be "to throw pearls before Swine."-He fupposes that his propofition for building cottages for the poor with a small spot of land to each, is a novel fuggeftion of his own; if he ever read any thing but the Jacobin prints, or attended to any thing but the exhortations of his protegé, Mr.ALPHONSUS GUNN, he would have known that this plan had not only been propofed long ago, but had actually been carried into execution in many parts of the country, not, indeed, on his contracted fcale, (apt emblem of his own mind!) which extends no farther than to allow each family ground enough for "growing their own potatoes and garden-ftuff;" but on a more enlarged fcale, including fufficient land for the fupport of a cow. If he be difpofed to carry his concern for the poor beyond a word, he may subscribe liberally to the Society for bettering their Condition, in whose tracts he will find this plan amply detailed.

We could point out many other inftances of ignorance equally grofs; but we have already beftowed too much time on this wretched production. Why will not Mr. Waithman ftick to his counter? he will be more usefully, and, we will add, more honeftly, employed, in retailing flannel petticoats to the female Citizens of his acquaintance, and clouts to their infants, than in fcribbling inflammatory pamphlets, in which impudence is a bad substitute for knowledge, and falfhood for fenfe.

THE DRAMA.

ART. XI. King John, an biftorical Tragedy, altered from Shakespeare, as it was acted at Reading School, for a Subfcription to a Naval Pillar to be erected in bonour of the naval Victories of the prefent War. "HE laudable motive which has led to the publication of this

THE

play would, of course, procure it the approbation of every honest Briton, even if it were not fanctioned by the name of our unrivalled Bard. There are many paffages in the original tragedy that would not fuit the nicer tafte of the prefent times; and though it is one of his moft vigorous efforts in the historical provinces, the plot was loaded with circumftances that certainly leffened its intereft. Dr. VALPY, who is the mafter of Reading School, with equal tafte and patriotism, selected this play as a dramatic amufement for his scholars. He has omitted the indelicate fcenes relative to the birth of Falconbridge, and compreffed the piece, on the whole, with great judgment. We confefs that we think he has been somewhat too free in altering the language of Shakespeare. That he has smoothed many of the lines, and, perhaps, rendered the meanings more clear and compact, we admit, but the antique caft of the original expreffion, though rougher than the style of thefe polished times, exhibited a kind of majestic strength, better fuited to the bold and dignified character of our ancestors.

Ff4

Dr.

Valpy

Valpy is neceffarily a fcholar, and is obviously a man of fenfe, and,
therefore, we cannot but with that he had, in this respect, felt that
fort of veneration for the text of the firft dramatic poet the world
ever faw, which might have restrained the licence of his own pen.
We should not, perhaps, have objected to any alteration he might
have made, if the play had been merely confined to his own ftage,
as an exercise for his fcholars, but by prefenting it to the public,
however repugnant to his inclination, and the modesty of his feel-
ings, fuch an inference may be, it may be faid, that he, in fact,
holds himself forth as an improver of Shakespeare. Such additions
as he has made may be excufed, as they are defigned to roufe the
patriotism of Englishmen, at a time when that virtue ought to ex-
ift in its fulleft force, but the language of Shakespeare, except
where any paffages were neceffarily omitted, fhould have been
guarded from violation with all the zeal of critical reverence.
this play Mr. Pye, who is always ready to exert his pen in the
caufe of his country, has contributed an animated prologue, from
which we shall take an extract, that, we doubt not, will warm the
heart of every true ANTI-JACOBIN, or, in other words, every
man who is attached to SOCIAL ORDER, and the welfare of GREAT
BRITAIN.

"Then BRITAIN, launch thy Navies on the main,
Send forth thy warriors to the hostile plain,

To refcue from oppreffion's iron hand
BATAVIA's fhores and EGYPT's wat'ry strand;
Since with united zeal thy valiant fwains
Stand firm protectors of their native plains:
While BRITAIN's Monarch, by a tyrant fear'd,
By Virtue loy'd, by Liberty rever'd,

Sees his triumphant banner wide unfurl'd,
The bleft Palladium of a rescued World!"

To

ART. XII. Virginia, an Opera. 8vo. Pr. 64. Barker. 1800. MRS. PLOWDEN appeals from the judgment of the theatre to that of the clofet; and complains in her preface of rival intrigues and managerical oppreffion. The principal accufations are, that the piece was only rehearfed three days, yet the confeffes herself "agreeably furprifed with the degree of perfection with which the firft rehearfal went off." The Manager must furely be the best judge of the time neceffary on fuch occafions, She afferts that an interested individual, Mr. Kelly, had predetermined the piece fhould be condemned; and quotes his own expreffions in proof-furely one perfon has not influence enough by his own orders, and all he can procure, to counterbalance, in fo large a theatre as Drury Lane, the voice of the public.

The most ferious charge against the manager is for alterations which aftonished the author," though the gave him unlimited leave "before all the performers, to make fuch as he found neceffary or advifeable." It certainly is a lamentable truth, that these theatrical Procruftes who feldom, we may fay, never, have had kill enough for amputation, fhould mangle and chop off wholesome limbs only to

make

make them fit the fize of their stage bed, This conduct of managers fhould be reprobated in the ftrongest terms as it has driven from dramatic writings almost all the talents of the country. It cannot be fuppofed that men of fuperior minds, cultivated highly by literary pur fuits, fhould fubmit to the wanton caprice of managers; ftill, their experience, their habits, and their knowledge of effect render them very able advisers, and every writer for the theatre does but confult his own interest when he confults their judgment,

When a charge is laid against the manager of a theatre for making unauthorised alterations, through which the piece becomes uninterefting, or weak, and confequently unfuccefsful, the author will ferve the public by fubftantiating his charge; complaints of this kind are in the mouth of every condemned writer, and, perhaps, the evil really exifts; but, in the prefent cafe, where the production is without plot, without incident, without character, without intereft, without point, without poetry, when it has fcarcely one requifite for a Drama, we can only lament that the manager had not curtailed it still more, and can only wonder what could induce the proprietor to accept it at all. Mr. "P, introduces her preface by not entering into the question upon the aptitude and powers of the female mind for mental exertions, and the propriety of fo employing it." We will ackdowledge that aptitude and power; we will recognize the pleasure we receive when we find it fo employed; but it is only when that aptitude and power are fully equal to the employment. In refpect to the lady in queftion, we would advise her to employ thofe diftinguishing accomplishments which we understand fhe poffeffes, in an eminent degree, in amufing that circle of friends which he enjoys, and deferves to enjoy,-her mufical talents in particular. We would advise her to fhut her com mon-place book, and open her work-bag; her conversation will be amufing and inftructive, while fhe knits a purfe, darns a handkerchief, or even mends a stocking.

NOVELS AND TALES.

ART. XIII. Humbert Caftle, or the Romance of the Rhone. A

Novel. 4 Vols. 12mo. Lane. London. 1800.

S novels are written and read by all defcriptions, the four politi

A cian and the affected philofopher have feized the opportunity of

interweaving dangerous tenets and wild fpeculations with fome interefting ftory. We congratulate the very young and fair author of Humbert Caftle on an artlefs tale of imagination which amufes the feelings without wounding the understanding of her readers. We congratulate her feminine delicacy for not obtruding itself into controverfies which fhe, perhaps, would not understand better than her female cotemporaries; her language is plain but neat, her fancy luxu giant, and what is ftill better her motive and her morals are pure.

ART!

ART. XIV. First Impreffions. By M. Holford. 4 Vols. 12mo. Lane. London. 1800.

THE hair-breadth 'fcapes of the heroine in this ftory are well ima. gined and naturally defcribed. The characters are judiciously varied and very ably hit off. The language is very unequal; fometimes involuted, fometimes nervous, but more frequently easy there are fome provincial phrafes in it which the writer may quietly get rid of, It is on the whole an agreeable amufement, inculcating good morals, and devoid of thofe falfe but fpecious fentiments of the new philofophy which only allure to betray.

ART. XV. The Infernal Quixote; a Tale of the Day. By Charles Lucas, M. A. 4 vol. 12mo. 145. Lane. London. 1800. Fas eft et ab hofte doceri is an old adage which Mr. Lucas has adopted. The new philofophers had employed all the host of heaven againft heaven itself, and this author has employed an infernal to com, bat diabolism; his ftory is fimple but interefting enough to engage the mere novel reader. His arguments are plain and ftrong, fo as to convince common minds; yet not beneath the attention of the scholar; his purpose and his moral are fuch as will gratify every Chriftian, every lover of public and private virtue, every patriot, and every honeft man,

ART. XVI. Victim of Friendship. By Sophia King. 2 Vols. 12mo. Dutton. 1.800.

THIS is profeffedly the most moral of this author's works, yet the hero outrages all filial duties, in obedience to a friendship at first fight," and for an object not even specious enough to be gulled by;' fo that the title is a mifnomer, it should have been called the victim of folly. The tale has little intereft, and the language is inflated, Mifs K. in her preface excufes her former literary errors under the plea of youth, disclaiming that plea for the prefent work, as she is nearly nineteen. We lament in moft cafes that the literary period for "being of age," is not fixed to fome peculiar ftandard, that the public may not be teized any more by the childishness of authorship.

The publisher should be reprobated for affixing the fum of four fhillings to a volume of eight fheets; and particularly where the compo fition does not more than compenfate for the lack of paper and printing,

POETRY

ART. XVII. Convivialia et Saltatoria; or, a few Thoughts upon Poetry and Dancing: a Poem, in two Parts. To which is annexed, a Poetical Epiftle in praife of Tobacco. By G. Orchesterkos,

and

HE author of this poetical melange is a merry fellow, THE they must be churlith critics who repine at the few minutes which his work may happen to engrofs. To facilitate the talk of fuch as may be inclined to read his work aloud, he has, very obligingly, in his Preface, furnished them with a PRAXIS, by which any person of common fenfe may always read fuch lines, not

only

only with facility but pleasure." We fincerely hope that all his readers may poffefs the valuable but rare quality of COMMON SENSE, and that they will profit by our author's inftructions, fo as to find in the delivery of his verfes cafe and gratification. In this work there is a letter respecting the poem on Tobacco, from the late Mr. CowPER, but the ingenious poet, with more policy than ufually belongs to his fraternity, rather withes fuccefs to the work than gives any opinions or beftows any praifes on its poetical

merits.

ART. XVIII. Britons United, or Britannia Roufed. In humble Verfe, upon different Subjects before and fubfequent to the Battle of the Nile, applauding the patriotic and perfevering Spirit of our brave Countrymen, is humbly prefented, by John Stewart, late of Mr. Secretary Dundas's Office, Downing-Street. 8vo.

THERE is fo much loyalty and patriotifin in thefe bumble lines that we shall not quarrel with the mode in which thofe valuable qualities are conveyed. It afforded us fome pleafure in turning over these pages to find, by a tribute of gratitude to the Right Hon. Mr. Secretary Dundas, for a penfion fettled on the anthor, in confequence of a decline of his health, that if his Mufe is not likely to gain much empty praife, the enjoys, in thefe hard times, her portion of folid pudding.

ART, XIX. Poems of Gray. A new Edition adorned with Plates. Svo. Wright. London.

1800.

THIS a very complete edition of Gray's Poems, in which the Bard has received every advantage which the united labours of the artist, the letter founder, and the printer could confer on him.

ART. XX. A Difb of Hodge Podge, or a Collection of Poems. By Paul Bobbin, Efq. 1s. Law.

THIS Hodge-Podge is any thing but poetical; indeed, HodgePodge is a grofs mifnomer, for it implies a variety of ingredients, whereas a fameness of matter, and an uniform spirit of dullness are visible here, from the first line to the laft.

ART. XXI. More Kotzebue! the Origin of my own Pizarro, a Farce, Minor Rofcind, or Churchillian Epiftle, from Dick to Jack. 8vo, 1s. 6d. Crosby, 1799.

AN equal portion of the fpirit of Rofcius, and of that of Churchill, is exhibited in this epiftle. Ridicule is a dangerous weapon to use; unless wielded with fkill, it invariably wounds the affailant. Pizarro is a fair object of attack, but neither Kotzebue nor Sheridan has any thing to dread from fuch an enemy as this.

MISCELLANIES.

ART. XXII. Short Thoughts on the prefent Price of Provifions, By an Officer of the Volunteer Corps. 8vo. Pr. 16. Wright,

London. 1-800.

THE

HE author of this short tract contends for the neceffity of afcertaining at all times the annual consumption of corn, in the kingdom,