Изображения страниц
PDF
EPUB

dency to do the greatest good, by affording, in the beft manner, the moft agreeable and useful relief to the poor; by encouraging frugality, induftry, and virtue among them, and by promoting the population of the kingdom, and removing many of the evils which attend our prefent poor laws. I will add what appears to me a further recommendation of it, that it will fubftitute in the room of the prefent dangerous plans of the friendly focieties fcattered throughout the kingdom, ONE GENERAL PLAN of the fame kind, well-formed, fubftantial, and permanent.'

Every other teftimonial would feem needlefs after this; and we have only to add, that if Mr. Acland's plan fhould meet the approbation of the legislature, and a trial fhould be made of its practical efficacy and utility, we fincerely with that its fuccefs may anfwer his expectation, and reward his zeal.

ART. XIV. Lucubrations; confifting of Effays, Reveries, &c. in Profe and Verfe. By the late Peter of Pomfret. 12mo. 35. fewed. Dodfley. 1786.

E have been fo frequently entertained by this ingenious

WAuthor, that it would give us great pain if, after all,

we were obliged to facrifice him at the altar of criticism. We always make thofe immolations with reluctance; even when there is no claim on our gratitude for paft obligations: but when an old friend, to whom we have been indebted for many hours of rational amusement, becomes infipid or tedious, and yet will -will talk, it occafions a fad conflict between humanity and juftice before we have the heart to bid him hold his tongue.

As we dread to have our better feelings put to fo rigid a teft, we were really afraid to go one ftep beyond the title-page of thefe Lucubrations, left Peter, whom we had loved and cherished in his more vigorous days, fhould become our victim in his old age.

But (happy for us both !) as we proceeded, our apprehenfions fubfided; and we exclaimed with pleasure, Though Peter's grey hairs appear, yet the laurels are not yet withered on his brow!'

• Languefcit!' he exclaims: or in other words, he feels himfelf growing old, and is conícious that his mufe partakes of his infirmity. The acknowledgment is ingenuous: for very few whofe powers are languishing by age have the candour to confefs it; but moft old fools have the vanity to think that they are as young as they ever were, and whether their object be a mufe or a mistress, they will ftill affect to be brifk and gay; though all their gaiety only reminds us of

Sober Lanesborough dancing in the gout.'

Thefe Lucubrations appear to have been the amusements of a vacant hour and while there is nothing in them offenfive to virtue, religion, or good manners, there is fomething that will

afford

afford entertainment to those who read for no other purpose: and famething too from which minds of a more elevated and enlightened caft may not difdain to take hints of inftruction.

The lines on fuicide exprefs the common arguments against felf-murder, in a concife manner; though we can fay little in praife of the poetry; for it is deficient both in ease and spirit.

From the effay on our reception in public places,' our Author appears to have met with fome fevere affront from a haughty divine, which he hath taken the opportunity of chaftifing with more than common afperity.

We cannot conclude without faying, that though Peter's taper doth not burn with its former vigour, yet its light is clear and pure; and we doubt not but when its laft flame trembles on the focket, it will ftill fhow the good qualities of its compofition, and leave a grateful odour behind.

ART. XV. Abort Review of the political State of Great Britain at the Commencement of the Year One thousand Seven hundred and

Eighty-feven. 8vo. 1s. 6d. Debrett. 1787.

N intelligent mind,' fays this very ingenious writer, ac

AN
A cuftomed to fpeculate upon human events, to regard

their caufes, their progreffion, and their effects, and to form its general opinions from an expanded furvey of the whole; fuch a mind will naturally ftop at particular æras in the hiftory of nations, and affemble their fcattered rays into one concentered point of view. The political fituation of this country at the prefent juncture, may, perhaps, be regarded as forming one of thofe epochas; and may merit confideration, as detached from the general mass of time and matter, which conftitute and compofe what we denominate hiftory. My object, in writing the following theets, is principally to prefent a picture of the actual and exifting moment, without either taking any ample retrofpect of paft tranfactions, or extending my conjectures far into an unafcertained and imaginary futurity. It is certainly curious, and it may be useful, to confider the relative and refpective pofitions of the king and the people, of the governors and the governed, of the miniftry and of the oppofition, at the opening of a new year, before the incumbent preffure of fucceeding events has diverted our attention to other scenes and objects. I fhall confine my furvey to a few of the great component features.'-He, accordingly, begins with THE SOVEREIGN, who stands foremost on the canvas: a moft refpectable figure, as a good and amiable man. The reader may imagine the back ground of the picture to be grouped by Edwards, and Henrys, and the late King of Pruffia, as MONARCHS. The piece is well fetched, with a bold but not licentious pencil. To drop, for a moment, the allufion, our unknown Author feems to poffets a great deRev. Jan. 1787.

F

gree

[ocr errors]

gree of candour, as well as of fpirit. He difclaims all party at tachment. Above the vilenefs,' fays he, of writing for any faction, or adopting from intereft, any opinions: having little to hope, and lefs to apprehend, from any minifter, I have writ`ten as I felt on, every fubject. I am neither to be found on the terrace at Wind for, nor at the fuppers' [few authors are, we fuppofe] at Carlton-houfe. I have neither bowed to the meridian, nor to the rifing fun. I have neither flattered the Minifter, where I conceive that he is an object of cenfure; nor jufti fied the Oppofition in thofe acts where I believe them to have merited condemnation-'

The HEIR APPARENT next attracts our notice; and in this masterly piece we fee, with inexpreffible concern, the rifing fun almoft totally eclipfed by-But we refer to the picture, and turn our eyes to the drawing which is here given of the Minifter. Mr. Pitt's portrait is a favourable likenefs of (if we mistake not) a favourite with the artift. We do not, however, think that he has done more than juftice to the original.

The Companion to the laft mentioned picture (though the ori ginals are not companions), gives Mr. Fox, painted, indeed, to the life: for, although our political Vandyke modeftly profeffes to have given us only Sketches, this is, unqueftionably, a maf terly portrait. Free, animated, glowing, the figure feems ready to ftart from the canvafs; its luftre is, however, duly tempered by the requifite fhading of an impartial pencil. The foibles. that muft neceffarily enter into a true delineation of fo mixed a character are not overlooked and we are feafonably reminded that it is not a divinity that we are contemplating, but a mortal, like ourselves, and fubject to the frailties of other men.

In coalition with the laft piece, we have a brief outline of Lord North. It excites in our minds a juft recollection of the character, but furnishes us with no new ideas of the man or the minifter.

Of Burke, it should feem as if the Author thought, the less is faid, the better; but to Sheridan greater attention is given, and ample tribute is paid to fo rare and fo matchlefs a combination of talents. There, a temperate and a winning elocution, fuftained by claffic elegance, adorned with dramatic and poetic images and allufions, pointed with the kecneft irony, and rifing, where neceffary, into the boldeft animation, confpire to render him one of the most confpicuous leaders of parliamentary debate."

No longer a painter, but a political fpectator of the paffing times, our brother Reviewer proceeds, toward the conclufion of his work, to fpeak, in terms of approbation, of the commercial treaty with France. He then goes on to take notice of a great event by which, among other memorable occurrences, the laft year hath been diftinguifhed, the death of Frederic the Great, on whom the higheft eulogia are lavifhed.

Lord

Lord Rodney's ample fhare of public merit is likewife the fubject of much encomium, attended by a fevere charge of ingratitude here brought against his country, grounded on the peculiar circumftances, and prefent fituation of this first-rate hival officer,— the faviour of the empire, whofe age is embittered by fuits and attachments, and all the nameless engines of judicial torture!'

Mr. Haftings, too, finds here a warm and able advocate, who pleads the caule of the Oriental hero, and ftrongly recommends him to the protection and gratitude of his country.'

The retreat, either actual or imminent,' of Lord Mansfield, 'from a fituation which he has held with fo much dignity to himielf, and fo much benefit to the Public, for a period of thirty years, furnishes our Author with an opportunity of paying a juft tribute of applause to the rare merits of a man, whofe lofs to his country, whenever it happens, will not be eafily repaired.

This Review concludes with an intimation, that, fhould the prefent performance meet the public approbation, the writer may, probably, be induced, at fome moment of leifure, to refume his pen, and to attempt to complete that picture, of which be has only traced the outline."

MONTHLY

CATALOGUF,

For JANUARY, 1787.

AFFAIRS of IRELAN D.

Art. 16. An Address to the Nobility and Gentry of the Church of Ireland, as by Law established. Explaining the Caufes of the Commotions and Infurrections in the Southern Parts of this Kingdom, respecting Tithes; and the real Motives and Defigns of the Projectors and A bettors of thofe Commotions and Infurrections, &c. By a Laym. n. Dublin printed; London, reprinted for Kearsley. 8vo. 25. 1736.

TH

[ocr errors]

HE continual difpofition of the Irish peafantry to tumultuous disturbances, the enormity of their outrages, and the perfons against whom their brutal refentment is directed, all tend to fhew that the poor ignorant agents are fpurred on, by concealed and crafty directors, to fome dark purpose. The Author of this Addrefs argues throughout, to prove, that Popery is the root from whence the prefent infurrections fpring. The infurgents are all Papifts, their manifefloes proclaim them to be fo, their priests openly read them at their altars; their mafs-houses are their places of rendezvous, where they bind themselves by folemn oaths to execute their defigns; and the extirpation of the Protestant established clergy, and confequently of their religion, is the object of their confederacy. Some particu lar events and circumftances have, at this time, caufed the fire of thefe difcontents, hitherto fmothered, to break out into a blaze; the first and principal of thefe are, the hafty and improvident repeal of the

F 2

most

most important parts of that code of laws, called Popery laws; and par ticularly of that part of them, which forbids the acquifition of freehold property by Papifts.

Another circumstance which has much contributed to the prefent difturbances is, the vast number of Patifts in this kingdom, who have lately armed and regimented themselves, under the denomination of Volunteers; they have not only intermixed themselves with Protestants, in feveral bodies of Volunteers, but have formed diftin&t bodies themselves. And even in the city of Dublin, the Popish Volunteers, under the infulting denomination of the IRISH BRIGADE, greatly outnumbered all the other Volunteers..

Another reason that these infurrections have broke out in this laft fummer, is, that a bill was (to fay no worfe of it) very haftily and improvidently introduced into parliament in the courfe of laft feffion, purporting to be a bill for the protection of the perfons and properties of the clergy of the eftablished church.-The bill was ill digefted, had many exceptionable claufes in it, and if it had paffed into a law, would have been the occafion of mischief and inconvenience, inftead of advantage, to the clergy; it luckily miscarried in the House of Commons, and never was introduced into the House of Lords: during the debates on this bill in parliament, fome illweighed reflections, and which, on examination, would have been found to have arifen from mistake and mif-information, were thrown out on the clergy, and their proctors, refpecting the collection of tithes.-Thefe debates, and the mifcarriage of a bill, with fuch title, fpread like wildfire through the kingdom; fome men of great weight, and in the confidence of government, were reprefented in the publications of thefe debates, as having fpoken very hardly of the clergy, and their proctors, and as having accufed them of exaction in the collection of their tithes. The Papifts immediately concluded, that this was their time to commence hoftilities against the eftablished clergy, and that they would be countenanced, or at leaft connived at by government, and instantly broke out into open outrage and violence; and formed a folemn league and covenant against the church established.'

The preceding account of thefe artfully fomented difturbances, correfponds with that given in the Philofophical Survey of the South of Ireland; and the refult of the whole is, to prove that the most trifling compliance by the legislature of this country, with the infolent factious demands and pretenfions of a Popish banditti, fpirited up by agitating friars and Romish miffionaries, fent here for the purpofes of towing fedition, is as inconfiftent with juftice as it is with found policy, and the fafety of this Proteftant itate: and that our religious establishment is the main pillar of our conflitution, which cannot be pulled down without the ruin of the whole ftructure of our government.'

When we confider the affuming politics of the church of Rome, and the intriguing character of its miffionaries, a Proteftant establishment fhould, before it holds forth indulgencies to the Catholics under its toleration, cautiously weigh the numbers and strength of the

See Rev. vol. Ix. p. 11.

party,

« ПредыдущаяПродолжить »