addreffed to the Confideration of the Knights, Efquires, Gentlemen, and other worshipful and weighty Members of the folid and ancient Society Sympathetic Blifs. By the Author of the Cave of Morar. Page 276 Ode to the Lark. By the Author of the Cave of Morar 278 Simplicity, a Paftoral. By the Author of the Cave Prologue to the revived Tragedy of Timoleon, spoken by Mr. Reddish, at Drury-Lane Theatre, in 1771. Written by Mr. Craddock 292 Prologue to the Provoked Husband, spoken laft Christmas at Cashiobury, the Seat of the Earl of Effex. Written by the fame 294 Some Some Account of a Book called, The Life of Ben venuto Cellini Page 298 An Epitaph on Miss Drummond, Daughter to the Archbishop of York. By the Rev. Mr. Mason 300 Some Account of the Life and Writings of Dr. John Eachard REVIEW OF MEMOIRS OF THE COURT OF AUGUSTUS. By THOMAS BLACKWELL, J. U. D. Principal of Marifnal-College in the University of Aberdeen. T HE first Effect which this Book has upon the Reader is that of disgusting him with theAuthor's Vanity. He endeavours to perfuade the World, that here are fome new Treasures of Literature spread before his Eyes; that fomething is difcovered, which to this happy Day had been concealed in Darkness; that by his Diligence Time had been robbed of fome valuable Monument which he was on the Point of devouring; and that Names and Facts doomed to Oblivion are now restored to Fame. How muft the unlearned Reader be surprised, when he shall be told that Mr. Blackwell has neither digged in the Ruins of any demolished City, nor found out the Way to the Library of Fez; nor had a fingle Book in his Hands, that has not been in the Poffeffion of every Man that was inclined to read it, for Years and Ages; and that his Book relates to a People who above all others have furVOL. III. B nished nished Employment to the Studious, and Amufements to the Idle; who have fcarcely left behind them a Coin or a Stone, which has not been examined and explained a thousand Times, and whose Drefs, and Food, and Houfhold Stuff it has been the Pride of Learning to understand. A Man need not fear to incur the Imputation of vitious Diffidence or affected Humility, who should have forborn to Promise many Novelties, when he perceived fuch Multitudes of Writers poffeffed of the fame Materials, and intent upon the fame Purpofe. Mr. Blackwell knows well the Opinion of Horace, concerning those that open their Undertakings with magnificent Promifes; and he knows likewife the Dictates of common Senfe and common Honefty, Names of greater Authority than that of Horace, who direct that no Man fhould Promise what he cannot perform. I do not mean to declare that this Volume has nothing New, or that the Labours of thofe who have gone before our Author, have made his Performance an ufelefs Addition to the Burden of Literature. New Works may be conftructed with old Materials, the Difpofition of the Parts may fhew Contrivance, the Ornaments interspersed may difcover Elegance. It is not always without good Effect that Men of proper Qualifications write in Succeffion on the fame Subject, even when the latter add nothing to the Information given by the former; for the fame Ideas may be delivered more Intelligibly or more Delightfully by one than by another, or with Attractions that may lure Minds of a different Form. No Writer pleases all, and every Writer may please some. But after all, to inherit is not to acquire; to decorate is not to make; and the Man who had nothing to do but to read the ancient Authors, who mention the Roman Affairs, and reduce them to Common |