very general acquaintance with books, and a thorough knowledge of his fubject. The mere collection of them evinces a conftant and perfevering induftry.

Volume the fifth contains that beautiful little poem, Triumphs of Temper, which has undergone feveral editions, and has attained a great and deferved popularity. It is written in imitation of Pope's Rape of the Lock; and, according to a modern critic, the Poet has "caught fomething of the gloomy grandeur of Dante, as well as the wilder fancy of Spenfer." We have read it with pleasure, and were charmed with its plan and tendency. A young lady, of the name of SERENA, is delineated as paffing through various trials, almoft peculiar to the condition of the fair fex, over which the obtains a final and complete victory. Her refidence with her father and aunt, is, in many refpects, uncomfortable; but thence the is at laft removed and made happy in the arms of a GOOD HUSBAND, by whom her merits are difcerned and her patient virtues rewarded. The whole poem is diftributed into Six Cantos, and parts might be pointed out of superior elegance and beauty. Many moral hints are alfo fcattered, by which the female mind cannot fail of being delighted and improved.

The entire defign of the poem is thus ingeniously fummed up in the concluding paragraph:

"As the keen failor, whom his daring foul
Has drawn, too venturous, near the freezing pole;
Who, having flighted caution's tame advice,
Seems wedg'd within imperious worlds of ice;
If from each chilling form of peril free,
At length he reach the unencumber'd fea,
With joy fuperior to his tranfient pain,
Rufhes, exulting, o'er th' expanfive main ;
Such strong delight SERENA's bosom shar'd,
When sweet reflection to her heart declar'd,
That all the trials of her fate were past,
And love's decifive plaudit feal'd the last.

Her

Her airy guard prepares the fofteft down
From peace's wing to line the nuptial crown;
Her fmiles accelerate the bridal morn,

And clear her votary's path from every thorn.
On the quick match the prude's keen cenfures fall,
Blind to the heav'nly power that guided all;
But mild SERENA fcorn'd the prudish play,
To wound warm love with frivolous delay;
Nature's chafte child, not affectation's flave,
The heart the meant to give, she frankly gave.
Thro' her glad fire no gouty humours run,
Jocund he glories in his deftin'd fon.
PENELOPE herfelf no longer feen,

In the four femblance of tormenting spleen,
Buys for her niece the robes of nuptial state,
Nor fcolds the mercer once thro' all the long debate.
For quick difpatch, the honeft man of law,
Toils half the night the legal ties to draw;

At length th' enraptur'd youth, all forms complete,
Bears his fweet bride to his paternal feat.
On a fair lawn the cheerful manfion stood,
And high behind it rofe a circling wood.
As the bleft lord of this extenfive reign,
Led his dear partner thro' her new domain;
With fond furprize SERENA foon defcry'd
A temple, rais'd to her ethereal guide.
Its ornaments the view'd with tender awe,
Their fashion fuch as fhe in vifion faw;
For the kind youth her grateful fmile to gain,
Had, from her clear description, deck'd the fane;
Joyful he cried, to his angelic wife,

Be this kind pow'r the worthip of our life!"
He spoke, and led her to the inmost shrine,
Here link'd, in rofy bands, two votaries shine;
The pencil had imparted life to each,
With energy that feem'd beyond its reach.
First food Connubial love, a manly youth,
Whole bright eye fpake the ardent vows of truth;
Friendship, fweet fmiling, fill'd the fecond place,
In all the fofter charms of virgin grace;

Their meeting arms a myftic tablet raise,
Deck'd with thefe lines-the MORAL of my lays;
"VIRTUE's an ingot of Peruvian gold,
SENSE the bright ore Potofi's mines unfold;
But TEMPER's image muft their use create,

And give these precious metals STERLING WEIGHT." The fixth and laft volume furnishes us with tragedies and comedies, fome of the latter being written in rhyme, which peculiarity did not receive general approbation. It was done chiefly by way of experiment, but rather failed of its effect. They fhew, however, the great activity of the author's mind, combined with an unremitting induftry. The names of thefe pieces are Happy Prescription, Two Connoisseurs, Mausoleum, all COMEDIES-Marcella and Lord Russel, TRAGE

DIES.

It only remains that we mention two of MR. HAYLEY's profe productions, which have been much read and admired.

The Hiftory of Old Maids is ufually afcribed to this ingenious writer, and contains a fund of entertainment. The defects and virtues of the venerable fifterhood, are detailed with great humour, and are calculated to excite our rifibility. Various characters are drawn with a masterly hand, which are to be found in real life. For our own part, we fympathize with the aged maidens, and with them well through the remaining stages of their exiftence. We mean not to apologize for their infirmities; but we are perfuaded that they fuffer much unmerited obloquy. Among them individuals are to be found who adorn humanity.

The Life of Milton is, we believe, MR. HAYLEY's laft production, and this production alone would have handed down his name to pofterity. The events of the great Poet's life are detailed with eafe and perfpicuity. The brutal accufations of Johnfon are repelled with spirit and ability. The reflections with

which the narrative is interfperfed, are ingenious and ufeful. We dare pronounce that no impartial individual can rife from the perufal of this volume, without feeling an additional efteem and reverence for the fubject of this Memoir. The biographer has performed an arduous tafk, and is entitled to the thanks of the British nation. We speak with confidence; for we have lately read the work more than once with increafing fatisfaction.

MR. HAYLEY ftill refides at his beloved feat of Eartham, and has occafionally a cottage near Bognor, a few miles diftant, at the fea-fide, for the fake of a fon, who is in a very infirm ftate of health. We heartily with his reftoration; and may the amiable parent live for many years to come, enjoying every perfonal bleffing, and continuing his well-directed efforts towards the inftruction and entertainment of mankind I

THE REFLECTOR.
[No. XXXIV.]

THOMSON'S POEM TO THE MEMORY OF SIK
ISAAC NEWTON.

Shall the great foul of NEWTON quit this earth
To mingle with his ftars, and every mufe,
Aftonish'd into filence, fhun the weight
Of honours due to his illuftrious name?
But what can man? Ev'n now the fons of light,
In ftrains high warbled, to feraphic lyre,
Hail his arrival on the coast of blifs!

Yet am not I deterr'd, tho' high the theme,
And fung to harps of angels; for with you
Ethereal flames! ambitious I afpire,

In nature's general fymphony to join.

THOMSON.

Theated the Seajons, celebrated the charms of raHE mufe of THOMSON having faithfully delitional Liberty, and pourtrayed the languors of Indo. lence, here recounts the praises of Sir Isaac Newton,

that

that wonderful man, who may at once be denominated the pride and ornament of our ifland! He was born in Lincoln fhire, and died in 1727, at an advanced period of life. The eulogies poured forth at his decease were not a few, both in profe and poetry. Our favourite bard, however, has evidently borne away the palm in this honourable conteft; he touched the lyre, on this occafion, with a masterly hand, and excites a high degree of our admiration.

SIR ISAAC NEWTON has been juftly entitled Princeps Philofophorum-the Prince of Modern Philofophers. His patient inveftigations, laborious refearches, and extenfive discoveries, are the fubject of our aftonishment. Into almost every department both of mathematics and natural philofophy, he introduced many confiderable improvements. The natural comprehenfivenefs of his mind, joined to an unwearied spirit of enquiry, enabled him to bring a wider range of objects within the fphere of his obfervation. Towering beyond the ufual excurfion of his fpecies, he travelled through the immenfity of space with comparative cafe and rapidity. By his fuperior qualifications, he fhook off the prejudices of former times, and laid his foul open to the extent and grandeur of his fubject. He, indeed, rofe above the cloudy atmosphere which common mortals inhale, and escaping the thitk fogs of fenfe and paffion, reached to a moft extraordinary extent of fpeculation, embracing within his mighty grafp the wonders of creation!

The difcoveries of SIR ISAAC NEWTON were arranged and illuftrated by the celebrated mathematician Mr. Maclaurin, who thus brought them down to ordinary capacities. It is alfo faid that Thomson procured an analy fis of thefe discoveries from a friend, and then threw them into his enchanting verfe. Perhaps there never was a poem of equal fize, in which the principles of the Newtonian philofophy are fo briefly detailed, and yet so beautifully illuftrated. The drynefs of fpeculation vanishes, and the topic prefents itself to VOL. VIII.

Ff

our