'Mid hov'ring birds that dimm'd the noontide beam,
And dogs that fnuff'd afar the tainted stream ;
Didft fwell again the hoarfe refounding flood
With martyr'd hofts that feal'd their faith in blood;
Death's feftering limbs to life and beauty chain,
Then hurl them to the monsters of the main---

THOU! that, when Hell's flow hand, with murder tir'd,
On Lyon's crowded mafs the cannon fir'd;
Badft, one by one, the mute furvivors fweep
In mock proceffion by th' unburied heap;
.And, with uplifted dagger, ftill as death,

Stoodft o'er them lift'ning to each whisper'd breath ;---
Infatiate demon! o'er the ruins bend,

Where crush'd Helvetia's groans to heaven ascend.
Woe to the land---where freedom did refide,
Unnerv'd by luxury, unyok'd by pride!
Lo! in the duft Morat's demolish'd fane

Where freedom pil'd the bones of tyrants flain...
Lo! o'er the fhrine flows Uri's mournful wave

Which freedom rear'd o'er Tell's diftinguifh'd grave---
In fecret glens where peace alone was found,
Where never fwain had fcal'd his rocky bound,
Where daily toil fupply'd each calm defire,
Nor ftray'd a wifh beyond the evening fire :---
On the green mountain and the thymy rock
Where pip'd the fhepherd to his fummer flock;
Up fhelving banks, whofe fummit bleak and bare
Lowr'd on the vent'rous plough that hung in air;
Where man, that view'd one fpot on earth his own,
Forc'd the flow produce from th' unwilling ftone,
In happier feafons hous'd the number'd grain,
And look'd unenvying o'er the golden plain ;
There rush'd, ftern fiend of France, thy ruthlefs horde,
And hill, and dale, and mountain, curs'd thy fword.
"Did none refift ?-before the invading heft

None fall in arms upon his native coast?

A race went forth---the woman mock'd at fear
Fought 'mid the ranks, and fell the warrior near---
A race went forth---the grandfire, father, fon,
March'd fide by fide, and deem'd the battle won ;--
March'd where their fires of old had proudly bled,
And clash'd their iron fhields as Auftria fled !---
Ah, haplefs race! in vain each bofom glow'd,
And life, thro' all, one kindred current flow'd!
Gaul! by thy fraud fubdu'd, the patriot band
Dy'd with fraternal blood each murderous hand:
While thou aloof, upon the mountain height,
Towerd'st like a vulture hanging o'er the fight;
And when the flaughter ceas'd upon the plain,
Did't rush in triumph down, and fpoil the flain.

"Thus

<<Thus rofe thy pow'r !---fell difcord led the way,
Precedes the conqueft, and prepares thy fway---
Lo! there, rebellion claim'd thy proffer'd aid---
Corruption here th' entrusted realm betray'd !"

The poem ends with an admonition to Great Britain, to remain firm amidst the ftorm, and to place no reliance on the infidious profeflions of her treacherous foe.-It is needlefs for us to characterize a work from which we have given such ample extracts. We have little doubt but that our readers will concur with us in the high opinion which we entertain of its merits. Long as our extracts have been we cannot abstain from quoting a Sonnet, addressed to a Nobleman, whofe eminent talents, perfevering zeal, and indefatigable exertions, demand the warmest applaufe, and deepest gratitude, of his country. In this Sonnet the bard has contrived to combine the beauties of poetry with the truth of profe.

"TO EARL SPENCER, FIRST LORD COMMISSIONER OF THE AD. MIRALTY, &c.

SPENCER! were mine the pow'r, by lofty lays,
Guerdon of high defert, to lift thy name
On the proud column of recording fame,

I, to bold notes, that fwell the fong of praife,
Had tun'd the lyre-th' immortal meed be thine,

That Freedom wreaths the patriot's brow around!...
For at thy country's call, thou, foremoft found,
Did't leave the groves where fcience wont to twine
Thy chaplet richly grac'd with claffic flowers---

Yet, Britain claims thy care :-yet firmly guide
Her fleets to conqueft borne on every tide...
So fhall fair peace, with glory in her train,
Woo thee to Althorp's tranquil haunts again,

And victory's naval crown adorn the mufes' bow'rs!"

DIVINITY.

ART. X. A Sermon preached before the Deptford Volunteers, in the Church of St. Nicholas, on Sunday, July 8th, 1798. By Colin Milne, LL.D. Rector of North Chapel, Suffex, Lecturer of St. Paul's, Deptford, and Chaplain to the Honourable Corporation of the Trinity-Houfe. Published at the Request of the Affociation. Pp. 42. Price is. 6d. Richardfon, 1798.

THE

HE character of Dr. Milne's eloquence is well known to most readers of fermons. His difcourfes unite juftness of observation, and force of reasoning, with animation and impreffive

X 2

impreffivenefs. They fpeak to the heart through the underftanding, deeply imprefs on the mind the most important moral and religious truths, and powerfully ftimulate the hearers and readers to piety and virtue.

The prefent fermon gives a very able account of the object and principle of the LOYAL ASSOCIATIONS, and deduces the most forcible motives to vigour and perfeverance in plans and conduct of fuch efficacy, both against domestic and foreign enemies. The Affociations, as the Dr. eloquently fhews,

protect our families, our property, and independence.' On this head the writer, with much acuteness, analyzes the principles and proceedings of our foes, to fet before us what evils might be expected, had we, by a relaxation of British courage, patriotifm, and loyalty, fuffered them to be fuccessful. The Affociations, he next demonftrates, defend "our conftitution, our laws, and our country, threatened by the treachery of her own children to be reduced to the wretched condition of a province of France." As in the former part of the difcourfe he had proved himself thoroughly acquainted with the general principles of polity, in this he manifefts a correct knowledge of the British Conftitution in particular, and, while he thinks as a found philofopher, feels as a patriot in treating the interesting and glorious theme.

His peroration is peculiarly infpiriting

"Proceed, (fays he,) my much-refpected fellow-citizens, affociated and armed in defence of the beft and deareft interefts of men ; virtuous afferters of your country's rights, and defenders of its faith; VOLUNTEERS in the caufe of liberty, against injuftice, plunder, and oppreffion; in the caufe of humanity, against acts of favage ferocity, which beggar defcription; in the cause of focial order, against principles destructive of government and law. We, your minifters and teachers, whom the gravity of our profeffion fcarcely permits to affume the military garb, or to handle the fword, the buckler, and the fpear, think ourselves bound, to the utmoft of our ability, to imprefs upon all, to whose profeflion no fuch indecorum is attached, the neceffity, the abfolute neceflity, that now exists of oppofing the enemy, an ARMED NATION, as the only effectual means, under the providence of God, of either preventing, or averting, the threatened danger."

The compofition is correct and elegant; the fermon must please the taste as well as inftruct the understanding, improve and encourage the heart. We trust this excellent performance will experience a circulation proportioned to its merits; if fo, it will be univerfally read,

ART.

157

ART. XI. A Sermon preached at the Vifitation of the Honourable and Right Reverend Edward, Lord Bishop of Carlisle, held in the Cathedral Church of St. Mary, Carlisle, on the 25th of June, 1798. By the Rev. John Farrer, Vicar of Stanwix.

How

TOW far the fame obfervation may have been made by others, we know not; but it has, more than once, fince the commencement of our Review, ftruck us, as a peculiar and pleasing feature of the times, that many of the inferior Clergy have lately given to the world compofitions on public occafions which would have done no difcredit to those of their brethren who are in higher ftations. In this number we are happy to rank the obfcure and remote, but very respectable, Vicar of Stanwix. His text is Matthew v. 16. and we cannot better defcribe our opinion of his difcourse, than by adopting the few, but very fignificant, words of the Editor of Mr. Bishop's Sermons: "it is plain and practical, containing just and pious fentiments, expreffed in a manly and forcible style." In its doctrines and arguments there is nothing to except againft, but much to commend; nor in its language have we been able to note a single expreffion which we fhould be anxious to alter, unless it be that in P. 2. He says, "that they might be better competent to judge;" which may be a Northern idiom, but we should certainly have faid more competent.

Conceiving as we do, that, with all poffible refpect and gratitude for many excellent preachers, and still more for their many invaluable difcourfes, of late years the pulpit has rather encroached on the province of the defk; or, at least, that the abilities of our Clergy are judged of more from their exertions in the latter than the former, we felt fome concern that the ample and very useful advice here given refpecting the compofition of fermons was not prefaced fomewhat more at large, with directions for the performance of the other parts of the fervice; which, to fay the leaft of them, are neither lefs neceffary, nor lefs important, nor, as we are not afraid to add, lefs difficult.

Among the topics recommended to his hearers, as proper to be infifted on in their public difcourfes, we find, (P. 11) the following, which we give, not only as thinking them pertinent and judicious, but as a fair specimen of the author's style and manner.

"The changes of the year equally admit of religious improvement, as the changes and chances of this mortal life. At feed-time

we

we may exhort our parishioners to beg a blefling on their labours, as confcious that, whoever tills or forps, it is God alone that gives the increase; and at harvest, we may invite them to exprefs their gratitude to the God of Seafons, for opening his hand, and crowning the year with the fruits of his works. Indeed we cannot employ a more effectual means to engage the attention and intereft of our refpective congregations, than by addreifing ourselves to their habits and capacities. And, therefore, to thofe who have rural audiences, it may be a convenient measure in their preaching to draw their allufions from rural economy. It was in this manner our Lord addreffed his follow. ers, who were chiefly compofed of the humbler ranks of men. The farm and the vineyard readily fupplied him with images of difcourfe, and he illuftrated the fervices of our Heavenly Mafter by the common occupations of rural and domeftic life."

In the next page, with no lefs propriety and prudence, he exhorts the Clergy, notwithstanding the very dogmatical dictates of fome affuming critics to the contrary, occafionally to preach on politics.

"In the prefent hour we are called upon to encounter a spirit of ficentioufnefs in thinking, fpeaking, and acting, repugnant not only to religious principles, but fubverfive of focial and civil order. While we are openly engaged as a nation in refilling the formidable arms of France, we have alfo to combat those deftructive principles which have made that country a fcene of anarchy and bloodshed. And here there is a call, not only for an arm of flesh, but also for the fword of the fpirit, which is the word of God. For though we have little concern in the pulpit with political topics, though the kingdoms of the world are very different from the kingdoms of our God, yet, when war is profeffedly waged against our present comforts and our future hopes, it would be a criminal fupineness in us to fit ftill like thofe who are at eafe in Sion, and not to exert ourselves in behalf of our dearest interests both in the present and the future world.”

The fermon is announced as "printed for the Affociation of Schoolmasters in the North of England;" an useful inftitution, formed on the plan of friendly focieties, which appears to have been first set on foot in 1774. An account of its fcheme is annexed to this difcourfe, which is not beneath the notice of any who take an interest in the fate of learning and learned men.

ART.