it was when the bursting heart of his mother, or the ftifled tears of his fifter, could no longer be concealed. For them," he had, indeed, prayed to live, and to live with ability for exertion.' How then could he leave them defolate and defencelefs without a pang."

After fuch a defeription of the heart and genius of the fubjec of the prefent article, we fhall not dwell longer on his productions; but we must add, that we fincerely regret our approbation can now render him no fervice.

This little volume will be found to afford much gratification to the lovers of poetry, and all must admire the truly chriftian ter mination of fuch a life.

ART. 20.

Catalonia, a Poem; with Notes illustrative of the prefent State of Affairs in the Pevinf la. 8vo. 2s. 6d. Long.

man. 1811.

Whether the readers of poetry are increased in proportion to the multitude of poetical productions which load our tables, is a question we are unable to anfwer. If all fpecimens had as much of the true poetical spirit as this before us; we fhould certainly contemplate them not only without reluctance but with complacency. The whole may be recommended as an effufion of great tafte, genuine fenfibility, and much agreeable melody of compo. fition. All these diftinctions will appear in the following extract, and induce our readers to procure the whole.

"No more from mingl'd groups arife,
The founds that peafant mirth denote;
No more the jocund dance fupplies
The merry Sequidiilas note.

"The graceful air of village maid,
Would often check the ftrangers rein,
And oft the fleek Francifcan ftaid,
To listen to the rustic strain.

"Hard by the low Pofada's door,
Secluded from the fultry beam;
The Muleteers refreshing ftore,
Dripped on the lip in taper ftream.
"While turning oft his eager eye,
In fcattered line his charge he viewed;
While o'er the rugged caufeway nigh,
With tinkling found their way purfued.
"Beneath the latticed window gay,
Unconscious of a storm so near;
Love whispering oft his tender lay,
Bewitched the liftening lady's ear.

" And

"And while the bafhful fair conceal'd,
Would fing refponfive to his fighs;
The favoured lover ftood reveal'd,.
Beneath the Capa's fond disguise.
"But hark his country calls-the hand,
That trembling truck the light guittar;
Now firmly grafps a foldier's brand,

And love refigns his heart to war."

The whole forms an elegant and interefting poem. The notes demonftrate much knowledge of the manners and present circumftances of Spain, and tend to confirm what is very generally believed the want of cordial fympathy and co-operation with their friends and benefactors of this country.

DRAMATIC.

ART. 21. Montalban, a Tragedy, in Five Als. 8vo. 65 pp. 2s. 6d. Richardfon. 1811.

There is no exercise more improving to a young mind than the practice of writing poetry; nor any thing which indicates more promifing difpofitions, than the defire to cultivate and excel in it. That defire very ftrongly fhows itself in this author, who says, with a truly pleafing enthufiafm, that "the temple of the Mufes is fo delightful an habitation, that to live in its moft lonely and ob fcure corner, unknown, perhaps unnoticed, is a gratification, which those who have experienced it can alone explain." But the fame reasons which fanction the cultivation of poetry, do not authorize the publication of it; and an author is certainly defirous to quit the "obfcure corner," when he determines to give his compofition to the prefs. By this ftep he at once makes himself cenfurable, though till then his purfuit was truly laudable, A candid and equitable reviewer is alfo thus brought into a very perplexing fituation. He wishes to praise the difpofition, and the attempt, but feels himself obliged to condemn the execution.

The prefent author feems to have fome talent for poetry, perhaps even for the drama; but he wants as yet fo much of judgment and experience, that we could not eafily quote a paffage, even of a few lines, in which fome of his deficiencies would not appear. We earnestly recommend to him to cultivate poetry in private, and to study the best models, but by no means to publish again, for a confiderable time.

ARTE

NOVELS.

ART. 22.
The Milefian Chief; a Romance. By the Author of
Montorio, or the Wild Irish Bry. 4 vols. 12mo. l. is. 1811.

Alas! to our fhame perhaps, be it confeffed, that never did we hear of either Montorio, or the Wild Irish Boy, and had it been our destiny never to have feen the Milefian Chief, we might with fome, not improbably, have incurred the imputation of ftupidity or ignorance, or both, but it would not have broken our hearts. In our youth, we may ourselves have been fomewhat inclined to be rhapfodical, but there are many paffages in this wild and extravagant performance which out-rhapfodize all the rhapsodies we ever remember to have seen.

Pray reader take a fpecimen.

"Sometimes the fun breaks out for a moment, and fheds a green light on the diftant graffy hills like a ray of imagination playing on a withered heart; but I fee far off the fweeping fhadows of the clouds that come to extinguish it and feel it gone be fore it disappears. This folitude might be favourable to deep reflection, but I have fo much real melancholy in my heart, I am afraid to think." This brings to recollection the famous lines→→

"My love it is fo fmall

It would be greater were it none at all.”

How can any one write, or, what is of more confequence, how can any one read four volumes of fuch compofition?

ART. 23. The Sea Devil, or Son of a Bellows Mender. A tragi 2 Vols. By Edward Rofe, Seaman, Plymouth

comic Romance.

Dock. gs.

Some authors endeavour to difarm criticifin by their modefty, others by an appeal to the reader's feelings in behalf of poverty, but what are we to fay to one who begins thus ?

"When a work of this nature is ufhered into the world, preceded by a long ftring of right honourable fubfcribers, few, if any, will strictly fcrutinize its merits **** for who will not read, and reading admire, a book patronized by Lord A. B. C. D. and other equally celebrated leaders of taste and fashion?''

To this question we have a fhort reply, great names weigh not with us who point out to the best of our judgment the real merit of every work, which happens to fall under our inspection. Un. der this impreffion we declare the author of the present work to poffefs both wit and humour; but when in his preface he is anxious to imprefs upon the minds of his readers, that he was actuated by the beft intentions, we must differ from him; for we can hardly allow a novel, the moral of which exhibits a duellift and debauchee

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BRIT. CRIT, VOL. XXXIX, FEB. 1812.

debauchee as finally profperous, to be proof of any anxious endea vour in the cause of virtue.

MEDICINE.

ART. 24. The Æfculapian Monitor; or faithful Guide to the Hif tory of the Human Species, and most important Branches of Medical Philofophy; combined with moral Reflections, and enforced by religious Precepts. By the Rev. Edward Barry, M.D. Rector of St. Mary's, Wallingford. 8vo. 170pp. Longman. 1811. The author of this volume, though now a clergyman, was bred to the ftudy of phyfic; and finding, doubtless, the advan tage of this double qualification in his own cafe, is anxious to impart a fhare of it to others. He argues, not without force, that fome general knowledge of medical facts, and of the ftructure of the human body, must be useful to all perfons, and therefore has undertaken to communicate it to the uninftructed. It cannot be expected that, in the compafs of fo fmall a volume, profound or extenfive knowledge can be imparted, but hints which are at once clear and concife may be fuccefsfully conveyed by means of a judicious felection of fubjects.

After fome very curfory account of the principal sciences connected with medicine, (among which modern fyftematic botany feems by no means to enjoy his favour) Dr. B. with no lefs rapidity defcribes the ftructure of the human body, borrowing from Dr. Paley fome very ftriking obfervations on the wonderful combination of the whole. He then proceeds to the view of dif eafes, of which he firft fpeaks generally, and then defcends to particulars, under the heads of fevers, inflammatory and putrid; fcarlatina, cow-pock, fubjoining directions for that fpecies of inoculation; ineales, confumption, apoplexy, palfy, jaundice, dropfy, cholera morbus, rheumatism, gout; under which heads we are rather furprised to find no mention of the Eau Medicinale; and laftly, the difeafes of literary and fedentary perfons. The remainder of the book is occupied by directions for the recovery of patients from the effects of fudden accidents, poifons, &c. The utility of fuch clear and familiar hints, from a person of found knowledge, will be better appreciated by those who feel the want of them, than by profeffional men, and perfons to whom these facts have long been known.

GEOGRAPHY.

ART. 25. Compendium of Ancient Geography. By Monfieur D'Anville, of the Royal Academy of Infcriptions, &c. &c. Tranfleted from the French. Illuftrated with Maps, carefully reduced from th je of the Paris Atlas in Imperial Folio; with a

Map

Map of Roman Britain from the learned John Horley, M. A. F.R.S. and with Prolegomena and Notes by the Tranflator. Calculated for private Libraries, as well as for the Use of Schools. 8vo. 2 vols. 11. IS. Faulder. 1810.

The

The excellent Compendium of D'Anville having been before the public upwards of forty years, and well known to the learned of this country, for the chief part of that time, it is certainly rather extraordinary that it has never till now appeared in an English translation. The prefent publication may therefore be welcomed as a moft ufeful acquifition to the ftudent. notes of the tranflator, though not numerous, are ufeful, and add to the value of the work. Of the maps it must in juftice be faid, that they are very greatly fuperior to those published with the original work; much fuller of names, much more neatly executed, and to all appearance carefully reduced from the folio originals, as is profeffed in the title page. The addition of the map from Horfley must be very acceptable to the English reader; and the reafon affigned for its introduction is fuch as cannot fail to be approved. "My author having obferved as his reason for giving a particular map of Gaul, that the fubject is particularly interefting to a Frenchman, I have fuperinduced one of Reman Britain, from the learned John Horfley, M. A. F. R. S. Suppofing this to be not lefs interefting to the pofterity of the conquerors of this province of the empire." The tranflator adds, "To gratify the ingenious [probably ingenuous ] curiofity of youth, for whofe ufe this English edition is princi. pally defigned, I have annexed etymologies of the Greek names, that are not fufficiently interpreted in the text." P. xiii.

Of the tranflation nothing particular requires to be faid. It must have been a task of very dry labour to tranflate what is little more than a catalogue of names, which required only ac curacy, and admitted not of ornament. The indexes are improved (why the tranflator writes indices we cannot guefs) by confolidation, and the whole work has been rendered extremely convenient for reference and ufe. To make fuch a book known to the public, is in fact to recommend it.

:

POLITICS.

Is. 6d.

ART. 26. Hints to all Claffes on the State of the Country at this momentous Crifis. By one of the People. 8vo. 28 pp. J. J. Stockdale, 1812.

This politician appears to be what is ufually called a good fort of man; but at the time of writing and printing this tract, very grievously tormented with the hyp. He remarks upon a number of changes which have taken place in the ftate of English fociety, within the last forty years, fome of more and fome of lefs confe.

P 2

qnence,