I did it; and would fate allow, Should vifit ftill, fhould ftill deplore- Take then, fweet maid! this fimple train, Thy grave muft then undeck'd remain, And can thy foft perfuafive look, Thy fpirits, frolickfome, as good, Thy gay good-humour-Can they "fade!" These poems, for the first time conveyed to the public in a note attached to the Mæviad, will convince our readers that Mr. Gifford, as a poet, is very, very fuperior indeed, to thofe whom he has attacked, and juftified in that attack, by his evident fuperiority: while we feel ourfelves induced to wifh, what we fear he will not readily comply with, a further publication of his poems. We profefs not to be in love with fine wire-wove paper, and the injurious glofs of the hot-preffer; but we are concerned to obferve that this volume, though atlorned by the pencil of Stothard, is not even neatly printed. In other refpects, as in the fize, it is convenient; and what is of much more importance-it is fafhionable. ART. III. ART. III. A Word of Gentle Admonition to Mr. Gilbert Wakefield: occafioned by "His Letter to William Wilberforce, Efq. on the Subject of his late Publication." By J. Watkins, LL. D. pp. 49. 1s. Cawthorne. 1797. WHEN a Chriftian is the defender of Chriftianity, we have every thing to hope from his defence. Not but that fome unbelievers have unluckily flipt into this error. Gibbon, in his Decline and Fall, has a chapter than which, not any thing as hiftorical evidence, can tend more to confirm the veracity of revelation. And Mr. Wakefield, though every way oppofed to the vital doctrines of the Bible, is contending in the fame way, for an external and mutilated authenticity. Mr. Watkins, juftly provoked at Wakefield's late attack on Mr. Wilberforce; and fearing that the fplendor or credit of this antagonist on fubjects widely different from religion, and with thofe who are ef tranged to its caufe, may operate as a paffport to fchemes which are abfolutely inimical to that of the Gospel, has taken up his pen in fupport of a calumniated fenator, and in defence of the first principles of Jefus. Our readers will remember, while they read the enfuing paffage, that Mr. Wilberforce's "LOOKING UNTO JESUS," was a fubject of prime fport to Mr. Wakefield. 66 "Your laft mark of enthusiasm (fays Dr. Watkins to Mr. Wakefield) and of our glory, is what you term Looking unto God."-The refpectable fubject of your virulence and contempt has dwelt, very particularly and emphatically, upon the duty of "LOOKING UNTO JESUS," which you have worfe than burlefqued by political invectives, and flanderous mifreprefentations. I fhall not defile myfelf by following you through thefe dirty defiles, into a vifionary feene which your republican imagination has created for your own delufion. "We "We have purer and more fubftantial objects to which we can direct our faith and expectation; and while you are bufied in the work of contention, and panting for revolutionary fcenes, with all their horrors, we will humbly endeavour to "lay afide the fin which doth moft easily befet us, and run with PATIENCE the race that is fet before us; LOOKING UNTO JESUS, the Author and Finifher of our faith; who, for the joy that was fet before him, endured the crofs, despiling the fhame, and is fet down at the right hand of the throne of GOD *." "Looking unto God," in the Chriftian's acceptation of the expreffion, means no more than eyeing the glory of God in all his thoughts, words, and works. The man is devoted to GOD, because he is reconciled to him through the blood of atonement: he, therefore, lives under a deep fenfe of his obligation unto the Father of Mercies, by being jealous over himfelf, left he should offend against that law in which God delighteth. He is in fenfible communion with GOD, through the influence of the fpirit; and he believes that he fhall, through grace, have a more glorious union with him hereafter, when the body of fin is destroyed." ART. IV. Fragments in the Manner of Sterne. fm. 8vo. pp. 139, fine paper, and 3 plates, 6s. boards. Debrett. IT is not many years, fince very diftant relation of the Shandy's attempted a Sentimental Tour in continuation of that illuftrious race. Unluckily for this tourist, he affured us, that "He was a baftard fon of Yorick, but no more like his father, than he to Hercules." The prefent writer has not given us fuch a sentence, which indeed would not be, as it was with his predeceffor, a literal account of the work. Thefe "Frag ments" are the remains of a plentiful feaft, which has been fpread on the Shandean-table. Witnefs the following courfe *Heb. xii. 2. THE THE GENTOO STORY. "My uncle Toby lighted his pipe-Let me hear one of the ftories;-come nearer, Trim-faid my uncle Toby.Trim drew a chair oppofite to my uncle Toby, and began:An' please your Honour-there was a Gentoo "As Trim began, my father opened the parlour doorNow what attack (faid he to himself) are those two military noddles planning? -Trim rofe upSit down, corporal! faid my father, with a twift of his head, and a flourish of politenefs. "My father drew a chair to the fire-fide "Go on with the ftory, Trim-quoth my uncle Toby. -- -There was a Gentoo, an' please your Honourwho fat fo long in one pofition, as to give himself a most cruel cramp- -Now what does your Honour think-continued Trim, (in a tone of the most artless fimplicity)-that he crampt himself in fuch a manner for?- -I cannot guefs, Trim-quoth my uncle Toby.- He crampt himself fo,-an' please your -for fear he fhould kill a fly 1. "The generous blood remembered, it was fo habituated to do fo-that it never forgot it,-to fly to the face of my uncle Toby.- -Whenever a fentiment, or an action, that did honour to humanity-was faid, or done-his blood, ever faithful to his check, was fure to rife, and tally it there. Honour "There's many a man, Trim-quoth my uncle Tobywho is called a focial being-that would not give himfelf half fo much trouble to fave the life of a fellow-creature. "An' please your Honour-when I tell you the ftory of this poor foul-it will wring a tear from your Honour's eye, and a figh from your heart.I beg your Honour's pardon for faying "wring ;"-for your Honour's tear is always ready for the mifchance-even of a worm.- "There was a fomething that moved my frame with fuch a fweet and gentle hand,-when Trim complimented-I would fay-when Trim delineated-the real touches of my uncle's humanity,-that I felt an indefcribable titillation about my heart ftrings--which I would not exchange-for all the laughter in the universe. "Some parts of Bengal-an' pleafe your Honour-quoth Trim-are governed by the English- -I know it, Trim, -quoth my uncle Toby,-and what bufinefs have they to govern there?. VOL. II. I i "I w "I wish they had never governed there-faid Trim-for the honour of our country. They found an excuse—and a bitter cruel one it was, as ever made a man's heart ach!--it was as rank hypocrify, your Honour-as if a murderer had put on a parfon's gown, to hide the blood upon his clothes. -They found an excufe-an' please your Honour-to crush the leafes of those that poffeffed them- -fold their houfes over their heads-took their fields out of their hands -and paffed them into those of monopolifers. MONOPOLISER, Trim-said my uncle Toby-is but another word for a-SELFISH SCOUNDREL. "In the general rout, an' please your Honour-continued Trim-much of the land remain’d untill'd-which caused a fcarcity of provifion - -Hard-hearted monopolifers, your Honour, filled their magazines with what little was left."They could not have done more, Trim, to a cruel and an obftinate enemy, who was at last obliged to furrender at dif cretion. -But they were their governors! an' please your Honour-quoth Trim, (raifing his voice.). "The greater the crime, Trim.- -We fhould not forget that it is our duty to fulfil the poft that we are placed in ;-it is our duty to be honourable at all times:-but to give up a garrifon that we have fworn to defend, Trim, is the basest of all acts-that of treachery. 66 -An' please your Honour, this Gentoo had a wife and fix children. He poffeffed a little land,—and, by the fweat of his brow 66 -They fweat dreadfully in thofe countries, Trim! -quoth my uncle Toby -And, by the sweat of his brow, had faved up a little money.----When his house and fields were taken from himan' please your Honour-continued Trim, (almost choaked with indignation)-it makes my blood work to think of fuch cruel wretches!- 7 "Drink a little fack, Trim-quoth my uncle Toby. "Then here's your Honour's health-and may your Honour's heart be a model for every Englishman to form his own by "Thank ye, Trim-faid my uncle Toby-with Lis ufual fmile, that spoke a generous difpofition. "Courteous reader! Conceive not the tender heart of Trim capable |