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From that dated hour,
Which on the folitary pair,
Yet impotent, in Eden's fhades,
Deriv'd the propagative virtue:
When the OMNIPOTENT
Stood over the army

Of his new creatures,

And gave the word, Be fruitful.
Hence each produced their kind:
And foon

To fuch degree man's teeming race
Was multiplied,

The numerous inhabitants were fain
To feparate, to roam,

And make themfelves new fettlements.
And still

As countries grew populous,
Men extended their dwellings farther,
And coloniz'd every tract and fpot,
Where toilfome work, and weary pains
Could force the fubfidies of life,
And with tortures

But hardly make the earth

Confefs her treafures.

Those who defire a more intimate acquaintance with this Poem, are referred to the work itself; containing twenty fuch ftanzas as the above-quoted.

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Art. 14. An Ode to the Right Hon. the Marchioness of Granby, in the Year 1758. 4to. Is. Newbery.

A very high, tho' not a very fublime, performance. It abundantly be praifes the Marquis of Granby; who, in return, we are afraid, will not be very ready to re-pay his Panegyritt in his own coin: but, perhaps, any other may be more acceptable. How much, in more fubftantial payment, our Bard may deferve, the Reader is left to determine from the following fpecimen.

STANZA I.

With awful port and carriage grand,
I faw him lead his gallant band:
Ocean's rough waves fafely croft,
I faw him on Germania's coat.
There the British colours flying,

British drums and fhouts refound:
There the British courfers neighing,
Snuff the air and paw the Ground!

Still Wonder, her finger her ruby lip profing
Sate fix'd in a cloud o'er the throng-

As flow, in order juft-the Heroes march'd along!
REV. Oct. 1759.

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But when thy manly Soldier came,
I saw, I mark'd each speaking face:
Each eye was fix'd, illuftrious Dame,
And every finger mark'd his martial grace!
Great GRANBY-Rutland's noble fon;
Through all the crowd-was heard aloud,
And every voice and heart was one:
"Safety on his helmit play:

Conqueft mark his falchion's way."

Art. 15. The TIMES. An Epifle to Flavian. 4to. Is. 6d. Pottinger.

This Medley, which our Bard has chofen to chriften The Times, might, with equal propriety, have been called by any other name. His Picture of the Times, reprefents Times paft, as faithfully as it delineates the prefent; and will probably bear as just a resemblance to the future. It is, in truth, like one of thofe fign poft Daubings, which may ferve as well for the Duke of Marlborough, as the King of Pruffia, or fome unborn General. Our Bard, by affecting ease, becomes flovenly like thofe fair Nymphs who, to avoid being formal, grow flatternly. His fentiments are, for the most part, trite, and his verfification flat and unharmonious;

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we may here and there, however, perceive faint glimmerings of genius, which only contribute the more to expofe the poverty of the piece. An Author who neglects to improve natural talents, has, therefore, lefs title to indulgence. Nec rude quid poffit video Ingenium-But let the following fpecimens determine the Reader's judgment. In his epiftolary Addrefs to his friend, he perfuades him to quit rural retirement; and contrafts the follies of the country with thofe of the town. Speaking of the Paflions, he fays

Yes! non exiftent, and from paffions free,

Are much the fame. Without their impulfe, we,
Like fhips becalm'd, would have no fteerage-way:
Paffions are gales that hold the fails in play.

By his ufing would for fhould, one might fufpect our Poet to be a foreigner: yet, from his intimate acquaintance with our British Bard, we are induced to conclude him a native. That paffions, however, are the gales of life, and what effect they have on our conduct, Pope has already fung, with fuch fuperior ftrength of thought, and harmony of expreffion, that unlefs our Poet could have dreffed his borrowed fentiments in better array, than he found them, it would have been prudent in him, never to have adopted them.

After fatirizing the follies of the Chace and the Turf, with other ruftic amufements, which have been frequently ridiculed with much more elegance and keennefs, our Bard proceeds to the follies of the town, and, among others, expofes that of Levee-hunting, which many, like him, we imagine, have defcribed from descriptions, withbut ever having been eye-witneffes to the scene.

+ Written by Cleland.

Would

Would you convince yourself how low can fall,
Whoe'er of Interest is the dirty thrall;

Go to that Levee, where, with her own gold,
A paffive nation's vilely bought and fold,
Or to that, where, for ever on the prance,
Like Pegasus in ftone, with no advance,
Our great State Genius feems to gaping crowds,
Upon the start for foaring-to the clouds:
At both of beggars waits a fplendid band,
Who mighty foolish look. You'll fee them ftand
In rows, with not one jot a nobler air,
Than hireling drudges at a Statute Fair:
Nor at their begging, you to wonder need:
The Poor in Spirit, are the Poor indeed!

We are afraid, however, that our Author is as forry a Politician aš he is an indifferent Poet, or he would have known, that our State Genius, as he petulantly chufes to call him, has made more frequent and fuccefsful advances for the honour and intereft of his country, than the most zealous Patriot could have expected.

Our Bard concludes his poetical Farrage, with fome reflections on female follies.

If Women would be taught to take and hold,
They may what to avoid's their game, behold
In that Fritilla who fo much in vain,

Of Man, unconftant Man! is heard complain.
But were fhe to herfelf but better known,
That not the Men in fault are he would own.
Vain, filly, with a tolerable face,

For years had the fatigu'd each public place;
Many Gallents, but not one Lover made,
Since of Esteem fhe no foun 'ation laid;
Nor had the been, with all her airs, above
The treating that coarfe feeder-kind of Love,
That, of a furfeit dying, leaves no heir,

But hate, and cold contempt worfe yet to bear.

It is impoffible to endure this coarfe and infipid defcription of a Coquette, when we recollect the following lines of Pope, which our Bard has murdered by his imitation.

"Fair to no purpose, artful to no end:

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Young without Lovers, old without a Friend," &c.

In short, our Poet, at beft, only rifes to Mediocrity, which, in Poetry, as Horace fays,

Non Homines, non Di, non conceffe e Columne.

The following lines, with which we fhall clofe this article, are of the middling calt.

Be apathy the boaft of Stoic Drones!

Who vie for Senfeleness with ftocks and flones,

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And

And would have life refemble glacial feas

Where all the veffels ice-bound lie and freeze.

Senfelefinefs, however, includes fo many hifling letters, that we may venture to pronounce it a word-od Verfu dicere non eft.

RELIGIOUS and CONTROVERSIAL.

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R-d Art. 16. A Warning to the World; or the Prophetical Numbers of Daniel and John calculated, in order to fhew the Time when the first Refurrection of the Martyrs, and the beginning of the Millennial Kingdom of Chrift will take Place, &c. By the Rev. Mr. Richard Clarke, late Minifter of St. Phillip's in Charles-Town, South-Carolina; and Author of the Effay on the Number 7*. 4to. Is. Townfend.

* See our Appendix to the XXth Vol. of our Review, p. 611.

Art. 17. Reafons wherefore Chriflians ought to worship God in Singing his Praifes; not with the Matter and Senfe of Dr. Watts's Palms and Hymns; but with the Matter and Senfe of David's Pfalms: Because God hath commanded the latter, but not the former. 8vo. 6d. Cooper.

A weak and wrong-headed attempt to fet afide the use of Dr. Watts's Pfalms, &c. in Diffenting Congregations. What this namelefs Writer objects against Dr. Watts's book, is, for the most part, fuch wretched cavil and cant, that we shall not affront the fenfe and tafte of our Readers, (or run the hazard of impeaching our own) by taking any farther notice of this pamphlet.

Art. 18. Sin deftroyed, and the Sinner faved: Or, Juftification by imputed Righteousness, a Doctrine fuperior to all other, for promoting Holiness of Life. Defigned as a Vindication of a Sermon, entitled, Encouragement for Sinners, or Righteoufnefs attainable without Works; from the Objections raifed against it by Academicus, in a Letter to the Author. With an introductory Epifile to the Governors of St. George's Hofpital, Hyde-Park-Corner. By the Rev. Richard Elliot, A. B. and late of Bennet-College, Cambridge. 8vo. 1s. Withers,

&c.

The great principle that runs through this wretched performance is, that the heart of fallen man can have no gadly diffofition in it; no Loly principle of action; and confequently, can bring forth no good fruit in the life and converfation, except it be divinely generated (the Author's own words) and produced there by the facred do Strine of juftification, without works, by the free grace of God, through faith in Chrit, well understood, and heartily believed. No man's obedience, according to this hopeful Divine, can be true, or his love to God finare, who makes his repentance, faith, and obedience,

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obedience, the conditions of his acceptance with God, and the ground of his confidence. In a word, we are told, that a man may be eminently diftinguished for his knowledge, piety, morality, and works of charity, &c. and yet, after all, be damned. - A damnable doctrine this!

In the introductory epiftle, Mr. Elliot tells us that he had lately the honor of being diimiffed from the Chaplainship of St Geore's Hofpital, for an obftinate adherence to the truth of the Gefpil, and - the doctrinal articles of the established Church.

R

Art. 19. Methodism Examined and Expofed: Or, the Clergy's Duty of guarding their Flocks against falfe Teachers. A Difcourfe lately delivered in four Parts. By the Reverend Mr. Downes, Rector of St. Michael, Wood-Street, and Lecturer of St. Mary-Le-Bow. 8vo. 1 s. 6d. Rivington.

In the first part of this difcourfe, Mr. Dounes gives a fhort account of the rife and pedigree of the fet called Methodists, and · fhews that their notions coincide with many of the oldeft and rankest herefies that ever defiled the purity, and difturbed the peace of the Chriftian Church from its fit inftitution; particularly, thofe of the Siminians, the Gnoftics, the Valentinians, the Donatifts, the Predeftinarians, and Montanifls. In the fecond he fhews, by fome general remarks upon their doctrines, how flrangely they have corrupted the truth and purity of the Gofpel, and points out the feveral artifices they make ufe of, in order to fupport their opinions. In the third and fourth parts he confiders, wherein the Clergy's care confifts, in order to preferve themfelve, and their flocks from being led away by thofe deceitful workers, the Methodist-Preachers.- The whole is written in a sprightly and fenfible manner.

R

Art, 20. A Letter to the Monthly Reviewers, from the Author of Sophron. 8vo. 6d. Dilly.

In this Letter the Author of Sophron, endeavours to vindicate his performance against the cenfure we paffed upon it, and delires us to re-confider the defign of his work, and to weigh the arguments with which he supports his notions. We have re-condered his work, and weighed his arguments, but find not the leaft realon to alter our opinion.

R

Art. 21. An Effay on the Divine Prefcience, and Man's FreeAgency. Delivered at a Conference, in which a celebrated Doctor in Divinity was Prefident, April 2, 1741. 8vo. 6d. Noon.

We have in this short effay a few thoughts on a very abftrufe fubject, on which the Author, in our opinion, has thrown no new light. He has, indeed, rather multipled difficulties than removed them. That Man is a Free-Agent he endeavours, very briefly, to prove, from the difpenfation he is placed under, and the fanctions of

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