face to her first volume informs us, that he had never read ⚫ a treatise of rhetoric, or an art of poetry, nor was ever taught her English Grammar; that her education rofe no higher than the Spelling-book, or the Writing-matter; that her genius was always difcountenanced by her parents; and that till her • merit got the better of her fortune, fhe was fhut out from all commerce with the more knowing and polite part of the ⚫ world.' In the preface to her fecond volume the gives the following account of it. I entreat thofe whofe curiofity may induce them to perufe the following pages, to remember, ⚫ that my appearance as an author, is neither the effect of vanity, nor of unreasonable fondnefs of any thing that has been the product of my pen. As I entered the world ill⚫ provided with the gifts of fortune, I was, in the early part of my life, perfuaded to increase my little ftock by a fubfcription, in which I fucceeded beyond my merit, and for a ⚫ while lived contented and quiet; but the death of fome friends, and the treachery of others, rendered my fituation very inconvenient and uncomfortable: In hopes of redreffing it, I was prevailed upon to make a second attempt, se⚫ veral gentlemen and ladies affuring me they would not ⚫ only honour me with their own names, but ufe their utmost ⚫ influence in my favour; and not having compofitions of my

་

own fufficient in number or value, to conflitute a volume, ⚫ I have been indebted to fome ingenious gentlemen for their contributions, which I have always carefully distinguished by initial letters. We cannot conclude without one remark, in juftice to this lady, and for the fatisfaction of those who may not happen to be acquainted with her literary performances, that the is a chafte, moral, and religious, as well as an agreeable and ingenious writer. We mention this circumftance, as certain daughters of the mufes have been lefs eminent for their virtue than their wit; but Mrs. Mafters's character, as a woMAN, is fuch as must have had a confiderable share in inducing her numerous friends to subscribe to the POETESS: for which fhe hath fufficiently repaid them in grateful acknowledgments, even were her book out of the queftion. Genuine gratitude ever ballances accounts with benevolence; or rather, in our eftimation, always brings the latter in debtor; for, in truth, the self-approbation of the generous mind is no trivial advantage to those that do generous things: it gives us ample and prompt payment for the good we do; and, in one and the fame inflant, communicates happiness to the heart that bestows it. What a glorious thing is humanity!-As Mrs. Mafters, herfelf fays, in her verfes on friendship,

To ease the bofom that is deep diftrefs'd,

And raise the transport of the joyful breast;

* Vol. II. of her works, p. 124.

This gift divine the Pow'r fupreme bestows,

To aid our joys, and diffipate our woes.

XVI. Put Money in your Purfe: or the Golden Rule; a conversation piece, not in painting but poefy. A fatire with notes. Folio. I S. A. Dodd.

This performance, tho' executed, upon the whole, in toler-
able language, and fmooth verfification, flops fhort of the ele-
vation of poetry and true fpirit of fatire. The principal sub-
ject of the poet's invective, is the ruling paffion for, and cor-
rupting influence of, money, which he feems to confine to the
prefent age; tho' it was too probably the cafe of many a former
age, and is too likely to be that of moft fucceeding ones-O ci-
es, cives, quærenda pecunia primum, Virtus poft nummos. If an
author is difpofed to complain of the times, it muft neceffarily
be of thofe he has feen, as we are more forcibly impreffed by
that kind of evidence, than by what we hear or read of former
ages and for want of a due attention to this obfervation of
Horace, every perfon is apt to confider his own times as the
moft wicked. We are fatisfied it is not difficult to affign a
worse than the prefent, which we do not compliment as the
most exemplary: and, indeed, our poet makes his friend (the
fater being conducted in dialogue) fay much the fame thing.

Nor be your wit too rafh the great to blame,
Statesmen and times were ever much the fame.

As this writer infifts principally on the notorious cuftom of brib-
ing at elections, we should reflect, that in this cafe the aggref
fors must be the moft culpable; fince the difference between
giving and not giving, would, in too many places, too pro-
bably determine the fuccefsful candidate, however qualified in
head or heart; nor can we prudently fuppofe the old enemies
of the government, either inactive or inconfiderable enough,
not to be at great pains, and fome expence, to return perfons
for the embarraffment of public affairs, if the friends to the
establishment were to be lefs active and more retentive than
themselves: the probable confequences of which, at such a
critical juncture as the prefent, we may fubmit to all perfons
of found reflection. The Jew bill (tho' repealed) is the next
object of the poet's fatyr: of which, nevertheless, fome other
clergymen [our author feeming one] have thought differently,
and even imagined it might lead to the converfion of the
Jews; while he apprehends it would extinguish Chrifianity.
The poem ends with fome very good and grave advice, which
is eafily given, as it cofts little, and is the most elevated part
of it, tho' the fentiments are not new. He calls it Bevil's
doctrine, and prints it like a quotation. But we chufe to re-
fer to the verses, without extracting them, as we are obliged
to confine our catalogue to narrow limits this month. K

SER

i/e

1.THE Lord's Prayer confidered, and applied to a vindication of the liturgy of the church of England. Preached in the parish church of St. Mary-le-bow, on St. Mark's Day, 1755, in pursuance of the will of Mr. John Hutchins, citizen and goldfmith. By Glocefter Ridley, L. L. B. 8vo. 6d. J. Clarke.

2, The Neceffity of the Spirit's Help in Prayer: being the fubftance of two fermons preached at the meeting-house near Devonshire-fquare, the two Lord's-day mornings, June 15, and 22, 1755. By John Stevens. 8vo. 6d. Keith.

3. National Profperity the joint Product of juft Government and dutiful Subjection. Preached at St. Mary's, before the univerfity of Oxford, June 22, 1755; being the anniversary thanksgiving for his majesty's happy acceffion to the throne. By William Sharp, D. D. Principal of Hertford-college. Publifhed at the request of the vice chancellor, and heads of houses. 8vo. 6d. Rivington.

4. The Deift confuted upon his own Principles: or, A rational defence of revelation, from its own intrinfic usefulness and excellence. Preached at Kelvedon, May 7, 1754, at the vifitation of the rev. Dr. Mofs, arch-deacon of Calchefter. By Nathaniel Ball, vicar of Great Tey, and master of the freefchool at Chelmsford, To which is added, an appendix, containing remarks on Lord Bolingbroke's objections to revelation; defigned as a general answer to all deifts, and to expofe his lordship's fallacious reasoning, grofs mifrepresentations of fcripture and frequent felf-contradictions. 8vo. 1s, Buckland.

Mr. Ball endeavours to prove, that intrinfic excellence and real usefulness are neceflary marks of all divine revelation; and that the revelation we now enjoy has these marks, being directly calculated to promote the peace and happiness of mankind, both here and hereafter. The words he discourses from are thefe; All feripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, &c. which words, we are told, as they ftand in our English translation, appear to have either no determinate fignification, or a fignification too low and trifling to be expected from an infpired apoftle. Our author obferves, that the paffage will admit of a different reading, according to which a more rational explication may be given of the words than what our English verfion reprefents. This different reading is by leaving out only the particle xa, in the original; for which, it is faid, there is fufficient authority. So that inftead of faying, All feripture is given by inspiration of God, and, &c. it ought to be read, All feripture which is given by inspiration of God, or all divinely inspired scripture is profitable, &c.

The defign of the appendix is to fhew, that Lord Bolingbroke was a fine declaimer, but a very bad reafoner; that he has

grofly

grofly misrepresented and abufed the holy fcriptures; and that he has been guilty of most palpable contradictions. R V. The Equal and Impartial Administration of Justice, with refpect both to the guilty and the innocent, recommended. Preached at St. Mary's, in Oxford, at the aflizes, before the right hon. Mr. Juftice Fofter, and Mr. Baron Smythe, July 16, 1755. By William Dodwell, D. D. canon refidentiary of Sarum. 8vo. 6d. Rivington.

VI. Two fermons, the one on Ifa. xxix. 11, 12, the other on Jer. vi. 16. Both by the rev. Mr. Henry Grooke, of Leeds, in Yorkshire. Price Is. For the benefit of a public charity, and therefore to be had only, at Mr. Crooke's, diftiller, oppofite to St. George's church, Southwark; at Mr. Rayle's, hopmerchant, at the Bridge-foot, Southwark; and at Mr. Longden's, dry-falter, at the Anchor and Key, in Upper ThamesStreet.

ART. XVII. A Synopfis of the Genealogy of the maft antient and
moft noble family of the Brigantes, or Douglas. By Peter
Pineda; who prefents this work to the above-mentioned family.
Pr. 4s. fewed. London, 1754. [without the name of either
Printer or Bookfeller.] Sold by R. Davis, in Sackville-

street.

THE

HE above work, which is intended as a mark of gratitude for the many favours his grace the duke of Queensberry has been pleased to confer upon its author, may poffibly appear dry to the generality of readers; though fuch as delight in family-biftary, will find entertainment, of that peculiar. kind, as well in the perufal of the book, as in the contemplation of a grand genealogical tree, engraved upon copper, and prefixed thereto. Our author makes Gathelus, fon of Cecrops, king of the Athenians, to be the founder of the Scotish nation; as Sayas, fo called from a city in Egypt, was of the family of Brigantes, or Douglas, the only one in the world that has ⚫ been preferved to this day by an uninterrupted lineal fucceffion, from father to fon, during the fpace of three thousand ⚫ and eight or ten years.'-Gathelus, being of a turbulent and unruly temper, (according to our author) deferted his father, and fled from Greece into Egypt, where he became general of the forces of king Pharaoh (the father of him who was drowned in the Red-fea) and had Sayas for his lieutenant. After Gathelus's return from a fuccefstul expedition against the Ethi

opians,

opians, Pharaoh rewarded him with the marriage of his daughter Scota: but ftill his roving disposition not abating, he foon left Egypt, attended by Sayas, and a number of other followers; and, after paffing the Streights, landed upon the western coaft of Spain, called from him Portus Gatheli, or Portugal. From hence these adventurers removed into the province of Gallicia, where Gathelus founded the city of Brigantia, now Compoftella; and affuming the title of king, ordered his fubjects from thenceforth to be called Scots, in honour of his wife Scota. Some time after, he fent his old lieutenant towards Biscay, to lay the foundations of a new city, called after him Sayas, now Segura.-Gathelus, it seems, had two fons, Hiberus and Hemecus; under the former of whom he sent a colony of Scots into Ireland, called from him Hibernia, where they continued to flourish for several centuries, till being fo far ⚫ increased in numbers, as to want a fufficient extent of land to furnish them with the neceffaries of life, they fent part of their people into the northern parts of Albion; [where] the first land they occupied was by them called Argathelia, in memory of their firft founder Gathelus, and has fince obtained the name of Argyll.'-The first coming of the Scots into Albion, our author fixes at 582 years before Chrift.

The Scots, (he fays) who first entered Albion, carried no fupreme head, or king, along with them, but lived divided into families, or clans; each clan choofing its own chief to govern them in peace and war. To this form they kept (he adds) a long time, till, being greatly increased in num⚫bers and power, they compofed at last no inconfiderable monarchy; the first king whereof was Fergus, who obtained that dignity 330 years before Christ.'-Tho' Mr. Pineda's intention was not to write an hiftory of Scotland, yet he gives a lift of all the kings thereof, together with a brief account of their most memorable actions; at the fame time not forgetting his main defign, of fetting forth the noble exploits of that illuftrious house, of which he more particularly treats; seven of whom have filled the Scotish throne*; and, if (as he adds) • virtue had always been a title to a crown, the modern times would have seen the fupreme power in that family, as often "as the antient did.'

* Whilft that dignity remained elective; which it did for several centuries after the citablishment of that monarchy. P-r

ERRATA. P. 139, 1. 13, instead of for, read from. Ib. 1. 14, place

a comma after selfife. If. l. 21, for

were, r. where.