rent periods, and for this reason we think it unnecessary to make such copious extracts as we should otherwise have indulged in. We shall now qualify this praise of our author, by saying that he has still much to learn in the art of poetry, if he meditates a longer flight, and should he entertain the same opinion (and we do not doubt it from his good sense) it will be enough, for then the fairest hopes may be built on his future exertions. As to Mr. John Beart, of Yarmouth, his printer-he is a blockhead. Amongst many other typographical errors, we find "resplendant,” and “radient" twice, (13-33) as if he had such a paucity of vowels, that they were obliged to assist one another in an emergency. The rhymes of the poet are sometimes defective—claims and manes, p. 90, is, perhaps, a worse rhyme than he imagines. Mr. G. professes himself an "unscholastic wight," therefore we shall not cite him to appear in a court, whose jurisdiction he does not acknowledge; but we shall remark, for the sake of many others who use "Cherubim," p. 14, in the singular, that it is a Hebrew plural, and to employ it otherwise is as absurd as to talk of an ocen. But we hear the poet exclaim," Smile gruff Gorgon!" p. 16, and our rigid muscles are again relaxed. The History of Chichester, interspersed with various Notes and Observations on the early and present State of the City, the most remarkable Places in its Vicinity, and the County of Sussex in general: with an Appendix, containing the Charters of the City; at three different Times; also an Account of all the Parishes in the County, their Names, Patronage, Appropriations, Value in the King's Books, First Fruits, &c. By Alexander Hay, A. M. Vicar of Wisboro Green, and Chaplain of St. Mary's Chapel, in this City. 8vo. pp. 605. Longman. 1804. Ir is now about twenty years since Mr. Hay published a small pamphlet, called "The Chichester Guide," and being at present an old man, 66 on the verge of seventy years of age," he, like other old men, is fond of a long story, and has consequently amplified, with great industry, his little pamphlet into a volume of ponderous bulk. Unable to discover the primordium of this ancient metropolis of the South Saxons, Mr. IIay still makes a strong effort to give us full satisfaction, and consequently takes up his subject, the History of Chichester, at Acmon and Gomer, two of Noah's grandsons! How he happened to forget Adam, we are at a loss to guess. Seriously, as a topographical work, saving the admission of ex traneous matter, and its frequently tedious minuteness, it is an useful and valuable publication. Our author concludes his travels over what he truly calls " a very extensive and sometimes sterile plain," with this epigram, written by the late residentiary Mr. Clarke, upon the Latin words inscribed on the Richmond vault, in the cathedral. He pronounces it" equally* admirable for its wit and its piety." The Inscription. "Domus Ultima-the last House. Did he, who thus inscrib'd the wall, That house is not a house of lords" P. 605. As a scholar, and one to whom it particularly belongs to give to Casar, &c. we were surprised to find him quoting Mr. Hayley for this thought-" History pleases, howsoc'er 'tis penn'd"-which is due to the junior Pliny, "Historia quoquo modo scripta delectat.” The errors of the printer are numerous-" Labourous-sanguniray,” et cætera. The Works of Edmund Spenser, with the principal Illustratims of various Commentators, to which are added Notes, some Account of the Life of Spenser, and a Glossarial and other Indexes. By H. J. Todd, M. A. F. A. S. 8 Vols. 8vo. Rivingtons. 1805. THE name of Spenser is justly reverenced, but we apprehend that his works are frequently talked about with great familiarity by many who have read them very sparingly. Pope, it is true, has said, that he experienced a vast and equal degree of delight in the perusal of the Faerie Queene, both in his old age and in his youth. Still we are rather inclined to the opinion of other critics of great discernment, that this noble production of the richest poetical genius, "will not be often read thorough; that to many readers it will prove not unfrequently tedious; but that detached parts, after repeated perusals, will continue to give pleasure." This, however, is a matter of taste, and nothing decisive can be pronounced on it. Certain it is, that, like Homer, according to Origenes, he is εy Tomσ Javasos, and as a light of transcendent brightness amongst the poetical glories of our country, deserves every honour and embellishment that criticism and art can afford. What Mr. Todd's merits are, besides that of correctness in the text, his title page declares. The "It is "equally.” life of Spenser is the most extensive of his improvements. Had he been able to obtain any new materials, it was the intention of Dr. Johnson to have "favoured the world, and gratified his sovereign, by a life of Spencer." Unfortunately for biography this was not the case; but if, on the one hand, what Johnson could have done, Mr. Todd is unable to do; so, on the other, what Johnson could not do, Mr. T. has done-bringing together many valuable materials, arranging dates, and producing, if not a very elegant, a very interesting and entertaining medley. For the enjoyment of these, our space compels us to direct the attention of the reader to the first volume of this edition; however we cannot entirely conceal our satisfaction at finding Mr. Todd dissenting from the opinion of Fletcher and others, that the poet died “in abject poverty." Such is the language of Mr. Warton,* and these are the words of Fletcher: "Yet all his hopes were crost, all suits denied ; Poorly (poore man) he liv'd; poorly (poore man) he died. Purple Island. The editor affords good reason to believe this report to be illfounded; and, we may by the way add, that Fletcher appears, in his last verse, to have taken a hint from part of the epitaph of the Portuguese poet, "Viveo pobre e miseravelmente e assi morreo." Obras de Luis de Camoens, tom. 1. p. 140. Where so much is done, we are little inclined to stay to seek faults, or to point out imperfections. The superb edition of Spenser now before us is a monument worthy of the poet-it has long been desired, but it remained for the industry, learning, and judg ment of Ir. Todd to fill up, in a becoming manner, this niche in the temple, devoted to the living relics of the literary genius of the illustrious dead. Some of Ossian's lesser Poems, rendered into Verse; with a preliminary Discourse in Answer to Mr. Laing's Critical and Historical Dissertation on the Antiquity of Ossian's Poems. By Archibald M'Donald. 8vo. pp. 284. Cadell and Davies. 1805. ONE hundred and ninety-five of these pages are actively employed in the overthrow of Mr. Laing's arguments for the illegitimacy of the poems ascribed to Ossian. The attack is well supported, and whatever the impression made on the minds of the unprejudiced by *Mr. T. clearly disproves his assertion that Spenser died in Ireland. Life, Vol. 1. P. exxx. and cxxxvi, the writings of Mr. Laing, it will be so done away by a perusal of Mr. M'Donald, that the scales of this question will remain in equal balance, until the publication of the originals (daily expected) shall determine which side is to kick the beam. But be it decided as it may, the intrinsic merit of the poems will preserve them long after the disputants are called " to the hall of their fathers." The smaller poems of Ossian, versified by Mr. M'Donald, are presented to the public through the intercession and “ flattery of friends." P. 195. Harris, in the preface to his Hermes, has said something that may be repeated here with propriety. "He scorns those trite and contemptible methods of anticipating pardon for a bad performance, that it was the hasty fruits of a few idle hours; written merely for private amusement; never revised; published against consent, at the importunity of friends, copies (God knows how) having by stealth gotten abroad;' with other stale jargon of equal falshood and inanity. May we not ask such prefacers, if what they allege be true, what has the world to do with them and their crudities ?" Had Macpherson published Ossian's poems in such verse and rhyme, the shittlecock of controversy had never been thought worth the trouble of keeping up to this hour. The Miniature, a Periodical Paper, by Solomon Grildrig, of the College of Eton. Inscribed, by Permission, to the Rev. Dr. Goodall. Murray. 1805. 8vo. 7s. 6d. THE gentlemen who, when young, contributed to the production of this "picture in little," are Mr. Canning, the sons of the Marquis Wellesley, and Dr. Rennell, Mr. Knight, and Mr. Jay. We should have augured greatly in favour of its happy reception, but for a late event-The spirit of Herod, which seemed for a moment to inspire John Bull in the case of Miss Mudie, the ridiculus mus, would appear to announce his intention to put away childish things.” These thirty-four papers, with rare exceptions, are little better. The sentiments, however, and the morality are good, and, though some people might call them trite, we shall more courteously style them venerable for their antiquity. A Fast Sermon for February 27th, 1799, from Isaiah, Chap. X. Ver. 5. 4to. pp. 16. 1s. Stockdale. 1799. ALTHOUGH this sermon was written for the 27th of February, 1799, it has never ceased to be applicable to the times, and is at this moment perhaps more so than ever. It is the composition of the Rev. Mr. Weston, and to the excellence and orthodoxy of the doctrine which it contains, may be added the praise of being always impressive and frequently eloquent. Mr. Dibdin, Mr. Stevens, and other preachers may be more popular than our author, but we prefer the tenour of his style of discourse, to such as they continually use, inasmuch, as from the pulpit, we prefer the word to ethics, and like better for a divine to shew that he passes his days and nights in turning over the leaves of his Bible, than that he consumes his oil on the lore of ancient Greece and Rome. From the pulpit let us have biblical, not classical, knowledge. "There is," our author observes, "an irreligious opinion not uncommon in the world, that God is always on the side of great armies. God delights in a cause that pleases him, and in subjects that deserve his favour, to give the victory to the smaller number, and to the weaker party, in order to shew us that victory belongs to him, and to prevent us from attributing our success to our own arms." P. 5. "But," says the emphatic preacher, "God is gone from us!" P.7. "Away then with all frivolous projects, all idle plans; throw yourselves at the foot of the altar of God; go not to the wizard, or the cunning man, to find out why you cannot triumph on the continent; and why your enemies pull down one king, and set up another, and dry up, with the sole of their feet, all the waters of besieged places. Fly ye to the law of God, consult the scriptures, weep and howl for your sins, bewail and expiate-make atonement, and instantly, for all the world is to be leagued against you; but let God be for you, and the world shall be dust in the balance. All that sparkles in the eye of hope to undo you, all that pants in the bosom of insatiate desire to annihilate you, to take away your name and your place, to raze you out of the list of nations, and sink you in your native sea, shall not prevail, if God be with you." P. 8-9. To this most desirable and glorious end, Mr. Weston continues fervently and energetically to exhort us to seek the Almighty with repentance, piety, and prayer. Fatal Curiosity; or, the Visions of Silvester. Books. By Joseph Bounden. 12mo. pp. 112. man. 1805. A Poem, in three 4s. 6d. Long THIS poem is written to shew the wisdom of the Creator, in denying to man a knowledge of futurity, and to prove the impossibility of supporting life under the dreadful anticipations arising from this knowledge, by the example of one to whom, in a dream, it is supposed to be granted. On the subject of reading the Book of Fate, Shakespeare has made our fourth Henry beautifully ob serve: E-VOL, XXL. |