ties, involved in no perplexities. Its great mysterious truths are not to be folved by the light of nature, nor fcanned by the boldest flight of human intellect. Neither the Trinity nor the incarnation can be proved, nor were intended to be proved, by philofophical arguments. The word of God is the fole bafis of the proofs and folutions of these ftupendous doctrines. These are wifely fhaded from our view, the better to excite in us the ardour of faith, and exercise the virtues neceffary to obtain the fublime rewards which it propofes to perfevering piety. The Almighty has been pleased to erect mounds and ramparts, as of old at Sinai, around the abode of his Majefty, to ward off the dangerous curiofity of man; he hath wrapped himself in clouds, that we might not be confumed by the full blaze of that glory which invests the eternal throne. P.835.

Thus far extends what Mr. Maurice has written on the subject of the ancient trinities. Chapter 4, which here commences, contains his account of the Indian penances, a fubject of lefs importance in itself, but raifed into confiderable confequence by his manner of difcuffing it. Taking for his guide the acute and profound Mr. Bryant, to whofe analyfis he ftrongly expreffes his obligations, he confiders the melancholy worship of Seeva, fo different from the general character of the Hindoos, as introduced by the invading Cuthites, the defcendants of Ham. "No nation upon earth, fays the author of the Analysis, was ever fo addicted to gloom and melancholy as these wandering fons of Ham. In confequence, the primitive mild, and benignant religion of Hindoftan fuddenly changed its features, and the angel of benevolence, that before prefided over and directed the public worship of the deity, was converted into a Dæmon, with an aspect replete with wrath and menacing vengeance." p. 880. In thefe dreadful fuperftitions healfo traces, very justly, the invariable belief of the Brahmins that man is a fallen creature; one of thofe great truths, which though, like others, disfigured in the application, with fufficient diftinctnefs befpeaks its own origin.

In treating of the penances, our author gives, from the authentic fource of the Ayeen Akbery, the account of the four degrees of Brahmin probation, ftyled CHAR-ASHERUM. 1. The Brahm-charte, which may be taken up at eight years old, and continues ufually twelve years, 2. The Gerifhth which continues through the mature age of the afpirant. 3. The Banfperifth, which he must not enter till he is of advanced age, or becomes a grandfather. And 4. laftly, the state of Saniafli. These gradually increase in severity, and the latter which is intended to triumph over all feelings of corporeal nature, is properly compared with the voluntary penances of the Yoge who has not gone through fuch fteps. This whole account is

interfperfed with many curious and inftructive particulars, drawn from various fources of learning. Mr. M. alfo gives us fome infight into his plan for the future progrefs of his works, in which, arduous as it is, we are happy to fee him encouraged to proceed with vigour.

BRITISK

CATALOGUE,

POETRY.

ART. 13. The Head and Limbs. A Fable. By Sir John Ramfea. 4to. IS. Harrison. 1794.

Under this fable, which naturally (as the author in his preface obferves) brings to our recollection Menenius's allegory of the Belly and Members, is couched in a doctrine which certainly will not be disagreeable to British readers, and which is conveyed in terms of becoming cafe, not deftitute of humour, though not approaching to the more dignified fpecies of poetical compofition.-The following specimen will point of the ftyle.

I've heard, when LUXURY has made too fat

Certain moft thankless creatures,

Favour'd with human features,
And even, now and then,
Defervedly call'd MEN,

The brutes know fcarcely what they would be at;
And are, like drunkards, fullest of pretences

To wond'rous wisdom, when they've loft their fenfes,

Then, if this mad intoxication

Seizes a whole corrupted nation,

Swift finks it's boafted grandeur to decay,

And all it's pomp and pride are fwept away!

ART. 14. The Annual Political Songfter. With a Preface on the Times. By J. Freeth. 12mo. 18. Birmingham, printed for Baldwin, London. 1794.

In the labour of political-ballad writing Mr. Freeth appears to be an induftrious workman, and occafionally draws upon his loyalty for a fong, when his mufe is nearly bankrupt.

ART.

ART. 15. Efay on Novels a poetical Epifle, addreffed to an Ancient and to a Modern Bishop, with fix Sonnets from Werter. By Alexander Thomfon Efqr; author of Whift, a Poem, 4to. 1s. 6d. Edinburgh. 1793.

Mr. Thomson's poetical Epiftle, which begins with blank verfe and finishes with rhymes, is a panegyric which heaps commendations upon fome novelifts, already, in our opinion, too much commended; it is at the fame time a cenfure upon writers and critics, who ftill poffefs and are ftill entitled to a share of credit with the world, which will not eafily be torn from them. The extravagance of Mr. Thomfon's praife deftroys its worth. The rational admirers of Richardfon will not thank him for afferting his fuperiority to Homer, Virgil, and Milton, as in the following paffage :

Does VIRCIL's pious prince,
When by the will divine, constrain'd to quit
His fair PHOENICIAN queen, infpire the foul
With fuch emotion, as when GRANDISON,
(Tho' fore the conflict) at religion's call,
Refigns BOLOGNA's maid? Can all the craft
Of fly ULYSSES, or the craftier wiles
Of MILTON'S fubtle fiend, so much amuse
The curious mind, as that exhaustless store
Of treach'rous arts by LOVELACE us'd, to gain
His cruel purpofe? Or the fate of TROY,
(Tho' hofts of heroes, fight on either fide,
And all OLYMPUS in the caufe contend),
Awake thofe energies of hope and fear,
Which ftill attend on each important step,
That haftens or retards CLARISSA's fall?

P. 7.

Mr. Thomson's poetry is well calculated to exhibit with becoming grace the doctrines he inculcates,

ART. 16. A farewell Ode on a diftant Profpect of Cambridge. By the Author of the Brunoniad. 4to. 13. Lunn, Cambridge. Kearsley, London. 1794.

This farewell Ode is obfcure, without being fublime, and incorrect without being impaffioned. The two following extracts will ferve to prove each of our pofitions.

Farewell ye meads! Ye honour'd streams!

Farewel ye Academic shades!

With Soul intent on mighty themes,

Which many a devious ftep pervades:

Where yet, by fond attachment led,

Majeftic fhades the well known manfions tread,

Where, firft, ingenuous youth her infant bloffoms fpread. P. 4.

So much for the obfcurity, now for the incorrectness of our bard;

G

BRIT. CRIT. VOL. V. JAN. 1795.

Farewell!

Farewell! defponding, fad, forlorn,
I breathe the folitary lay;

And, far to diftant regions borne,
With lingering step, reluctant, ftray.
With anxious thought, reflection pale,

While tremors strange her fearful heart affail,"

Lifts, with enfeebled arm, futurity's dull veil.

P. 5.

Lifts, who lifts? if it means Reflection lifts, it is the first time the has been appointed to the office of prophetefs: and, as it is her province to recall people's attention to what is paft, rather than to point out future events, we fincerely hope the Author of the Brunoniad will restore her, in his next work, to her proper ftation. If he is determined to be a poet, we would recommend it to him to recant his farewell, return to Cambridge, and prepare himself for Poetry by clearing his head with a dofe of Mathematics. By his former Poem we guess him to be a Phyfician; by his prefent, it is clear that he belongs to the clafs of thofe who at this day call themfelves Philofophers.

NOVELS.

ART. 17. The Weird Sifters. A Novel, in three Volumes. 12mg. gs, Lane. 1794

The heroines of this novel (for there are three of them) are called The Weird Sifters, on account of their beauty, in allufion to the phrase Lancashire Witches for pretty women..

The ftyle of thefe volumes is incorrect, and in numerous inftances far removed from the English idiom. When we have faid this, the more pleasant part of our task remains: namely, to commend the story here related, as going out of the track of ordinary novels; as very interefting in its plot, and in many of the incidents, and as exhibiting fentiments and ideas which may afford fome inftruction, and will not give offence to any well-nurtured and delicate mind.

ART. 18. The Hiftory of May Flower. A Fairy Tale. 12mo. 2 s.6d. Cadell.

This little volume is given to the world as a free-translation of the famous French work, entitled, Fleure D'Epine, by Count Hamilton, author of the Memoirs of Grammont, and other much-admired per formances. This ingenious fairy tale was evidently defigned as a burlesque on that fpecie, of writings, which exhibits the most extravagant flights of fancy, and carries the marvellous far beyond the ntmoft bounds of probability; but the refemblance to the works it is intended to ridicule is fo well preferved, that we may fafely promife to the admirers of the Arabian Nights Entertainment, and other fimilar productions, as complete gratification of their curiofity in the

A medical Poem againft Dr Cullen &c. published in 1789, under the feigned name of Julius Juniper, in Six Cantos.

adventures of "the beautiful Princess Brilliant, whofe eyes killed all the men and blinded all the women-of the charming May-Flower, her faithful lover Fiddleftick, &c. &c." as the moft interefting tales of their favourite authors ever afforded them. Nor will thofe readers, whofe fuperior judgment condemns the unreftrained fports and gambols of a fertile imagination, be displeased at seeing them ridiculed with fo much spirit and humour. On the whole, according to our opinion, that perfon must have a very faftidious tafte, who can read the History of May-Flower without being at leaft diverted with it. Nay, in one particular, this work has an advantage over the generality of fairy tales, it has a MORAL; and left the reader, while his mind is hurried on from one wonderful circumstance to another, fhould forget to look for it in the work itfelf, the author has kindly given it by way of anticipation in the prefatory advertisement:—an improvement we would recommend to the imitation of all writers of fairy tales in future. ART. 19. The Emigrants. A Gallic Tale, in 2 vols. 8vo. 6s. Bell, 1794.

The aim of this abfurd and difingenuous tale is, to inculcate a hatred of kings, nobles, and priests; and to bring over female readers to the cause of what fome perfons call-liberty and the rights of man. It contains a fort of history of the French Revolution.

DIVINITY.

ART. 20. A Sermon, preached in the Parish Church of St. Nicholas, in the City of Worcester, on Sunday the 5th of Auguft, 1792, for the Benefit of the Severn Humane Society, inftituted for the Recovery of Perfons apparently dead. By the Rev. Robert Lucas, B. D. 8vo. pp. 19. and Appendix, pp. 24. Price 1s. Tymbs, Worcester, for the Society: Evans, London, &c.

Charitable inftitutions, within this kingdom, are fo many and various, that it is much easier to prove that we are unrivalled, as a nation, in this refpect, than to fay, which of our public charities deferves to be preferred before the rest. Declining, therefore all comparifons of this kind, we may pronounce, that the humane focieties, for the recovery of perfons apparently dead by drowning, or any other fpecies of fuffocation, are benevolent and ufeful beyond the reach of any exception that we can imagine. And we are happy in adding, that this mode of British charity, has found an able advocate in the author of the difcourfe before us, of which the text is, ii. Kings iv. 32, 33, 34. It is diftinguished by found argument, animated by a manly and judicious eloquence. The patrons of the cha rity, the objects bleffed by the fuccefs of it, and the hearers in general, are feverally addressed in a very folemn and affecting manner.

ART. 21. The infeparable Union of Religion and Patriotism. A Ser mon on occafion of the late Public Faft, by the Reverend Thomas Hunter, Vicar of Weverham in Cheshire, and Chaplain to his Grace the Duke of Athol. 8vo. 30 pp. Is. Cadell. 1794.

Had this Sermon come fooner into our hands, it should have been oner noticed. The Text is from Nehemiah iv. 14. and is very appo Ga

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