betrayed, by giving a loofe rein to that faculty which colours. and enlivens his compofition? "It is neceffary, that the Poet fhould take care in the higher fpecies of the Ode, to affign to every object that precite degree of colour, as well as that importance in the arrangement of fentiments, which it feems peculiarly to demand. The fame images which would be confidered as capital strokes in fome pieces, can be admitted only as fecondary beauties in others; and we might call in queftion both the judgment and the imagination of that Poet, who attempts to render a faint illuftration adequate to the object, by clothing it with profufion of ornament. A defect likewife either in the choice, or in the difpofition of images, is confpicuous in proportion to the importance of the fubject, as well as to the nature of those sentiments with which it ftands in more immediate connection. It is, therefore, the bufineis of the Lyric Poet, who would avoid the cenfure of compofing with inequality, to confider the colouring of which particular ideas are naturally fufceptible, and to difcriminate properly betwixt fentiments, whofe native fublimity requires but little affiftance from the pencil of art, and a train of thought which (that it may correfpond to the former) demands the heightening of poetic painting. "The aftonishing inequalities which we meet with, even in the productions of unqueftioned Genius, are originally to be deduced from the carelefinefs of the Poet, who permitted his Imagination to be hurried from one object to another, dwelling with pleafure upon a favourite idea, and paffing flightly over intermediate fteps, that he may catch that beauty which fluctuates on the gaze of expectation. "I fhall only obferve further on this fubject, that nothing is more contrary to the end of Lyric Poetry, than that habit of fpinning out a metaphor, which a Poet fometimes falls into, by indulging the fallies of Imagination. This will be obvious, when we reflect, that every branch of the Ode is characterised by a peculiar degree of vivacity, and even vehemence, both of fentiment and expreffion. It is impoffible to preferve this diftinguishing character, unless the thoughts are divertified, and the diction is concife. When a Metaphor is hunted down, (if I may ufe that expreffion, and a defcription over wrought, its force and energy are gradually leffened, the chin which was originally new, becomes familiar, and the mind is fatiated, inftead of being inflamed. "We "We must not think that this method of extending an illuftration, discovers always a defect or fterility of the inventive faculty. It is, in truth, the confequence of that propenfity we naturally feel, to confider a favourite idea in every point of light, and to render its excellence as confpicuous to others as it is to ourselves. By this means fentiments become fuperficial, because the mind is more intent upon their external drefs, than their real importance. They are likewife thinly Scattered through a work, becaufe each of them receives a higher proportion of ornament than justly belongs to it." After thefe obfervations our poetical Critic confiders how far tranfitions are allowable in the Ode. Tranfitions, he obferves, are rendered by cuftom almost infeparable from Lyric Poetry; and they may be allowed while they feem at all to arife from, or bear any remote fimilarity to, the subject: but where digreffion fucceeds digreffion, fo as to make us lose fight of the original theme, there the liberty of tranfition is abufed, and always produces a bad effect. For the illuftration of these remarks, the Reader is referred to different Odes of Pindar. The next circumftance mentioned as characteristic of the Ode, is a certain picturesque vivacity of defcription." In this, fays our Author, we permit the Lyric Poet to indulge himself with greater freedom than any other; because beauties of this kind are neceffary to the end of exciting admiration. It is the peculiar province of imagination, to give that life and expreffion to the ideas of the mind, by which Nature is moft happily and judiciously imitated. By the help of this poetical magic, the coldeft fentiments become interefting, and the most common occurrences arreft our attention. A man of genius, inftead of laying down a series of dry precepts for the conduct of life, exhibits his fentiments in the most animating manner, by moulding them into fymmetry, and fuperadding the external beauties of drapery and colour. His Reader, by this expedient, is led through an Elyfium, in which his fancy is alternately foothed and tranfported with a delightful fucceffion of the moft agreeable objects, whofe coinbination at last suggests an important moral to be impreffed upon the memory.' This laft obfervation cannot be more agreeably or effectually illuftrated, than by the following paffage from our Author's Ode to Evening. Oft Oft fheltered by the rambling fprays, There are feveral more curious remarks, and ingenious difquifitions in this fecond Letter; but they are too complex and extenfive, to be detailed in this article. Be it fufficient to fay, that our opinion of Mr. Ogilvie's critical abilities, arofe greatly upon the perufal of the latter part of his Effay. It is with pleasure, therefore, we refer our Readers to the work itself, from which we can promise them much elegant entertainment. A Scheme of Scripture Divinity formed upon the plan of the divine Difpenfations, with a Vindication of the Sacred Writings. By John Taylor, D. D. late Profeffor of Divinity and Morality at the Academy in Warrington. 8vo. 6s. Waugh. W WHEN the learned Author of this work entered upon the important fervice of directing the Studies of young perfons, defigned for the miniftry, he thought it requifite to draw up the beft plan for their ufe and instruction, which his long obfervation and experience, as well as careful ftudy of the holy Scriptures, could furnish; with a view to the leading his pupils to a juft and rational acquaintance with the principles of religion, founded upon an accurate knowlege of the Scriptures. After the stricteft revifal, the principles here advanced, appeared to his own judgment juft and fcriptural, but as the editor obferves, he did not therefore prefume they were abfolutely free from error; much lefs did he think himself At the Warrington Academy. authorifed, authorized, as a public Tutor, to impofe his fentiments on young minds with an overbearing hand, That he might do juftice to his pupils and himself, he always prefaced his Lectures with the following folemn CHARGE, which, in the main, is no improper precedent for feminaries of learning. 1. "I do folemnly charge you, in the name of the God of Truth, and of our Lord Jefus Chrift, who is the way, the truth, and the life, and before whofe judgment-feat you muft in no long time appear, that in all your ftudies and inquiries of a religious nature, prefent or future, you do conftantly, carefully, impartially, and confcientiously attend to evidence, as it lies in the holy Scriptures, or in the nature of things, and the dictates of reafon; cautiously guarding against the fallies of imagination, and the fallacy of illgrounded conjecture. 2. "That you admit, embrace, or affent to no principle, or fentiment, by me taught or advanced, but only fo far as it fhall appear to you to be fupported and juftified by proper evidence from revelation or the reason of things. 3. That, if at any time hereafter, any principal or fentiment by me taught, or advanced, or by you admitted and embraced, fhall, upon impartial and faithful examination, appear to you, to be dubious or falfe, you either fufpcct or totally reject fuch principle or fentiment. 4. "That you keep your mind always open to evidence -that you labour to banish from your breaft all prejudice, prepoffeffion, and party zeal-that you ftudy to live in peace and love with all your fellow-chriftians; and that you fteadily affert for your felf, and freely allow to others, the unalienable rights of judgment and confcience." The Doctor's whole life was devoted to an impartial study of the Scriptures; not by way of fpeculation and amufement, but for the moft valuable purposes to himself and to others. His fcheme of Scripture Divinity confifts of thirty-feven chapters. He juftly remarks, that chriftian Theology is the science, which, from revelation, teacheth the knowlege of God, his nature, and perfections, his relations to us, his ways and difpenfations, his will with refpect to our actions, and his purposes with refpect to our being, that we may form in our minds right principles for our direction and comfort, and in our conversation right practice for fecuring his favour and bleffing; he then makes fome judicious obfervations REV. Oct. 1762. R upon upon the expediency, defign and ufefulness of divine Revelation in general, and upon the different dvine difpenfa tions, which are in fcripture called the ways and works of God. He reprefents the fcripture doctrine relating to the creation of the world, and particularly the creation of man, in a juft and beautiful light; and then offers fome excellent remarks upon the inftitution of the Sabbath, and that state of moral difcipline or trial which is adapted to the present scene of existence. He next confiders the law or religious difpenfation under which the first parents of mankind were placed; the inftitution of marriage; the nature of the temptation which feduced them from the paths of innocence; the confequences of the firft tranfgreffion; the origin of facrifices; the nature of the church, and divine appearances, and the glory of the Lord as having relation to thefe. The fcripture chronology from the creation to the deluge, and the defign and confequences of that catastrophe, are his next fubjects: after which, he treats of the facrifice of Noah, and the difperfion at the Tower of Babel, which he attempts to account for upon the fcripture plan; and reprefents more largely the patriarchal religion, the cafe and character of Job, and the doctrines of the patriarchal age. The Jewish ritual or ceremonial law, the fcripture chronology from the Deluge to the Exodus, from thence to the building of the Temple and the deftruction of it at the Babylonifh captivity are properly treated; the moral caufes of that captivity affigned, and the propriety of that difpenfation fhewn; the characters and writings of the Jewish Prophets are judiciously fet forth in a well digested fyftem; and then are annexed many inftructive obfervations upon the nature, defign, hiftory and advantages of divine revelation, the whole conftituting a moft ufeful scheme, judiciously fitted for regulating the ftudies and forming the minds of those whofe intention it is to engage in the functions of the chriftian miniftry, and equally adapted to promote the religious knowlege and virtue of every chriftian family, who will carefully apply the inftructions it imparts for the education of their children in the principles and practice of revealed religion. What the Doctor hath obferved in the fifteenth chapter, on the Shechinah and the divine appearances mentioned in the fcripture-hiftory, is worthy a particular attention. He propofes the queftion, who was the perfon that appeared and fpake? For example Exod. iii. 14. God faid unto Mofes, |