MONTHLY CATALOGUE,

THE

For March 1752.

MISCELLANEOUS.

HE female Parricide: or the hiftory of Mary-Margaret d'Aubrey, marchionefs of Brinvillier, who was beheaded and burnt at Paris, for poifoning her father, her two brothers, and attempting to kill her fifter in the fame manner. Tranflated from the French, with a preface by the tranflator, in which a parallel is drawn between the marchionefs and mifs Blandy. 8vo. Is. Newbery.

The ftory of the marchionefs d'Brinvillier hath been fo generally known, for near a century paft, that 'tis unneceffary for us to repeat any particulars of it.

II. A fecond letter to the right hon. the earl of ****** concerning the qualifications and duty of a furveyor. 8vo. 6d. Owen. See the first letter, Review for January last, page 76. ART. III.

III. The hiftory of the Swedish countefs of G. By C. F. Gellert, M. A. profeffor at the univerfity of Lipfic. Tranflated from the original German. Dodfley, &c.

12mo. 3.

The ingenious author of Pompey the little, characterizes our age, and its prefent prevailing tafte for books of amufement, by the epithet of a Life-writing age; an epithet the propriety of which fufficiently appears, from the vaft number of productions of this kind, publifhed within these ten years paft. But, at length, all the variety of which this fpecies of literary entertainment is capable, feems almoft exhausted, and even novels themfelves ceafe to charm us with novelty. Tired and furfeited with romantic heroifm, and extravagant virtue; examples of a different kind have of late. been introduced to us; ' and * no character has been thought too inconfiderable to engage the public notice, or too abandoned to be fet up as patterns of imitation. lowest and most contemptible vagrants, chamber-maids, fu-. peranuated ftrumpets, pick-pockets and highwaymen, have found hiftorians to record their praises, and readers to wonder at their exploits: even prifons and stews have been ranfacked to find materials for novels and romances.”—But

* Vide preface to the adventures of a Lap-dog, 2d Edit.

The

if the wits of France and Great-Britain have thus exhauft ed their ftores, the cafe is very different with respect to our fober neighbours the Germans and Dutch. The literary productions of these countries have hitherto been of a more folid kind, and of a graver ftamp. The amufements, however, and the manners of the French, (together with their language) begin to gain footing in every nation in Europe; and among other inftances of this, Germany hath produced a novel, the first work of the kind from this country, which hath had vivacity enough to recommend it to nations less Alegmatic, and lefs confined to the weightier ftudies of schooldivinity, phyfic, chemistry, &c.The ftory of the Swedifh countefs has nothing in it very romantic, extravagant, or unnatural; yet her adventures are fufficiently ftriking, and well adapted to engage the reader's attention. It abounds with affecting scenes, and interefting fituations; with good fentiments and exemplary leffons of true morality; and tho' we have not seen the original, we are perfuaded it will afford. a rational entertainment to those who understand the language. As to the present tranflation, it seems to come from fome foreigner, whofe ignorance of the English idiom ought to have prevented his undertaking a task he was but ill qualified for. Under the drefs he has cloathed it in, Mr. Gellert's performance undoubtedly appears to fo much difadvantage, that we fear it will find few readers who will have the patience to read it through, as we have done. To the generality, particularly those who do not make due allowance for the peculiar manners and notions of the country from whence we have this work, it will feem a tedious, heavy, low performance; whilft better judges will, we are perfuaded, allow that it contains more real merit than half the productions of our own adventure-makers.

W

M

IV. Remarks on the fentence given in favour of E and Th T -, Efqrs; by the lieutenant criminal at Paris. 8vo. 6d. Johnson. See our laft, p. 146, Art. vi.

V. A particular description of a certain lady at present concealed. Her perfon, drefs, temper, &c. alfo a flight sketch of her niece. 8vo. 6d Cooper.

This is a new improvement of that most exquifite fpecies of modern humour, diftinguished by the name of conundrum; of which we want words to express our admiration. VI. The old lady and her niece detected, &c. 8vo. 6d. Cooper.

This is the key to the foregoing defcription; and equally wonderful and witty.

VII. A fupplement to lord Anfon's voyage round the world. Containing a discovery of the island of Frivola. By the Abbe Coyer. To which is prefixed an introductory preface by the tranflator. 8vo. I s. Millar and Whifton.

By the name Frivola, is meant the French nation, which is moft feverely ridiculed in this fatirical romance. The modern French are reprefented, as a race of triflers, witlings, and fops, whofe effeminate manners and flavish notions of government, are contrasted with the fuppofed manlier conduct and principles of the English. As our judgment may be thought biaffed on the present occafion, we fhall fay the lefs of this entertaining performance of the Abbe's; who with all his vivacity and good fenfe, ought perhaps to be looked upon only as a good painter in caricaturo: for whatever grounds he might fee for being so farcastical upon his own nation, we fear that too many among us, are but forry examples of the fuperior character he has given us, in the perfons of admiral Anfon and his men. The fable under which our author difguifes his fatire, is this: After having doubled Cape Horn, expofed to the dangers of moft tempeftous feas, and the feverity of the moft terrible of all climates, and being in the utmoft need of refreshments, Mr. Anfon bears away for the ifland of Juan Fernandez, in the latitude of between 34 and 35 degrees fouth; but an impetuous gale from the north drives him as high as 45 degrees, into that immenfe ocean, where, fays the author, none had ever hoped or looked for land. Here, however, when they where expecting every moment to perifh, they were happily furprized with the fight of land. This was the feigned ifland of Frivola; in the description of which, (with that of its inhabitants, their manners, &c. and the treatment they afforded Mr. Anfon and his people, during their stay on the island) our Abbe fo cruelly lafhes his countrymen.- The prefent tranflation, has the uncommon merit of being a good one; the fpirit, energy, and national vivacity of the author, being well preserved in it.

VIII. A catalogue of the moft eminently venerable relicks of the Roman catholick Church, collected by the pious care of their holineffes the popes, the most auguft emperors, kings, princes, and prelates of the chriftian world; which are to be difpofed of by auction at the church of St. Peter at Rome, the first of June, 1753, by order of the pope, for

the

the benefit of a young gentleman of great rank; communicated by a perfon of diftinction, now at Rome, in a letter to the right hon. the of8vo. Is. Owen.

The title page of this pamphlet fufficiently fhews, that its design is only to ridicule the church of Rome, in a ludicrous enumeration of the holy trumpery, by which fhe has been fo unhappy as to bring an eternal difgrace and contempt upon herself, in the opinion of all who have sense enough to fee thro' the folly of a fuperftitious veneration for inanimate substances, even if they could be proved to be really what they are pretended to be.

IX. The Dramatic Cenfor; being remarks upon the conduct, character, and catastrophe of our moft celebrated plays. By feveral hands. No. I. 8vo. is. Manby,

The defign of this undertaking is fufficiently expreffed above. The name of the author is Derrick. The fubject Venice preferv'd; on which the critic has beftowed not less than 80 pages, being the whole of his pamphlet, including his obfervations on the performers. In the fecond number Mr. Gentleman (author of a tragedy lately printed, entitled Sejanus,) will favour the public with remarks upon Richard the third.

X. Some methods propos'd towards putting a ftop to the flagrant crimes of murder, robbery, and perjury; and for the more effectually preventing the pernicious confequences of gaming among the lower clafs of people. By Mr. Charles Jones. 8vo. 6d. Woodfall.

Among the number of pamphlets lately published upon these important subjects, this is not the meaneft, though one of the smallest: it contains fome judicious hints, for the particulars of which, as the price is fo fmall, we refer to the piece itself.

XI. The Neceffity of a well-regulated and able-bodied nightly-watch, for the prefervation of the city of London; with a method to effect it, by appointing the train'd-bands of this city to do a nightly duty. By a member of the hon. artillery company. 8vo. Is. Griffiths.

A judicious and not unentertaining pamphlet; worthy the perusal of those who are interested in, or curious to be informed concerning, a fubject of fo much consequence, not only to the inhabitants of London, but to ftrangers and others, whose business or amusement may occafionally call them to our great metropolis.

XII. A Letter from a gentleman at Naples concerning the late difcovery of Herculaneum, and the antiquities found there. 8vo. 6d. There

Gibson.

There is little or nothing in this pamphlet, which the public hath not been already more fully acquainted with.

XIII. Critical, hiftorical, and explanatory notes upon Hudibras, by way of fupplement to the two editions publifh'd in the year 1744, and 1745. By Zachary Grey, L. L. D. To which is prefixed a differtation upon burlefque poetry; by the late Montague Bacon, efq; an an appendix, containing a tranflation of part of the 1ft canto, into latin doggrel. 8vo. 15. Norris, &c.

The author informs the publick, in a prefatory advertisement, that the two impreffions of Hudibras, abovementioned, being fold off, and the proprietors of the copy calling upon him for a third, he thought himself bound in honour to publifh the additional notes feparately, for the use of thofe gentlemen who did him the favour of fubfcribing to the first impreffion.

XIV. The farmers and traders apprehenfions of a rife upon carriage, from the act paffed laft feffions, for limiting the weight and number of horfes drawn in waggons, &c. impartially examined. In a letter from a country gentleman to a member of parliament. 8vo. 6d. Cooper.

This gentleman offers several things worthy the attention of those who are moft immediately interefted in the subject

he treats of.

XV. The fatires of Perfius, tranflated into English*, with notes critical and explanatory. By Edmund Burton, efq; barrifter at law. Quarto. 3s. few'd. Cooper.

This performance is chiefly valuable on account of the large body of notes, which Mr. Burton has fubjoined to his tranflation. As the right understanding of Perfius's fatires depends principally upon an acquaintance with the Roman cuftoms, he has been at no fmall pains in collecting, from the best authorities, fuch customs as refpect any particular paffage of his author; and has, with great modefty, offer'd feveral ingenious conjectures, which feem to be entirely new, for the illustration of obfcure paffages. Whether he has always, been fo happy as to hit upon the true fenfe of his author, we dare not take upon us to determine: and were we to give our own judgment upon his interpretation of fome particular paffages, many of our readers would probably differ both from him and us.

XVI. The art of making fugar: under the heads of 1. The natural hiftory of the fugar cane. 2. The culture of the fugar cane. 3. The mills for preffing the canes;

Profe.

and