able retreat, after a battle loft, is that of knowing how far to puro fue the good fortune of conquest, and when to retire securely, 10 enjoy the spoils of victory. The petty acquisition, that might do honour to a novice in literature or in arms, would rather diminish than increate the reputation of a veteran practised in great atchievements, and repeatedly crowned with laurels. Hence it is expected of a writer, who hath acquired any portion of literary fame, that every new work he produces should be superior to the last ; and if it prove otherwise, it detracts from his general character, by juft so much as its merit falls short of expectation. The current of a living Author's reputation is thus ever on the ebb or flow. To this; it may be added, that even novelty in the author, as well in the performance, is, in this novelty-loving age, become requisite to make a work of entertainment compleatly taking. However new the design, incidents, or model of the composition, yet, if the author hath been long known, the pre-conceived notion of the style and manner, gives the whole an old-fashioned air, and it is not quite 4 new thing, at least with the ladies ; for whose use and amusement works of this kind are chiefly calculated. The difpofition of the public may be imagined, in this respect, like that of a froward child, equally capricious and unaccountable. But, so it is. Mrs. Lenox, therefore, should not be disappointed if her Sophia does not meet with so warm a reception as the female Quixote, Henrietta, and some other of her pieces, have been honoured with. Indeed, we must confess, that this performance, consisting of a love-flory, not uninteresting in point of incident, nor inelegantly written, wants, nevertheless, much of that spirit and variety which this species of composition peculiarly requires, and which are more confpicuous in fome of her former works,

Art. 11. A Grammar of the Italian Language, with a copious

Praxis of moral Sentences. To which is added, an Englis Grammar for the Use of the Italians. By Joseph Baretii. 8vo. 45. Hitch, &c.

If Mr. Baretti's Italian grammar has any thing to recommend it, more than those that have been already published, it is the brevity with which the principal rules are laid down : But by consulting this brevity too much. he has sometimes left the learner in the dark. In point of pronunciation, particularly, we can by na means recommend this work; nor can we approve of the Author's determination ta say nothing on points where he could not lay down any unexceptionable rule. If he intended to give his grammar any fuperior utility, it should have conveyed more light to the learner, and not. less than others. In this respect, however, those of Altieri, Veperoni, &c. are much preferable to Baretti's. In fact, this grammar is only a copy of that prefixed to his dicti. onary, with the addition of moral fentences, Italian and English. The Author boasts that this performance is the best of its kind that ever appeared in public; but he had ever a favourable opinion of his own productions. In truth, its defects are many. He fould have given a more ample explanation of the pronouns and alive verbs used imperfonally in Italian ; the most perplexing and difficult part of the language. It is also very defective in regard to the conjugations.

The verbs are conjugated at length (the order and division of the tenses are an invention of his own but no English is given to the Italian ; which is contrary to the practice of others who pretend to teach a language : For to what purpose can a ftudent learn by rote a verb in the language he would acquire, if he is not informed to what word it answers in his own. Mr. Barretti may fuppose the ftudents previous knowledge of grammar; but that is feldom the case, even with adalts, and hardly eyer with younger pupils; who, for the moft part, begin to apply themselves to the ftudy of the French or Italian, without any foundation in grammar.

But though Mr. Barretti has not acquitted himself much to our satisfaction as a grammarian, he has certainly acted the part of a good citizen, by making the services of his . congue-teaching countrymen' still more neceffary and important,

POETICAL.

Art. 12. The Viceroy.' A Poem. 4to. IS. Payne, & Co.

An elegant and truly poetical panegyric on Lord Halifax, the present worthy Lord Lieutenant of Ireland,

Art. 13. An Ode to the Right Honourable the Earl of Lincoln.

4to. 6 d. Kent. A compliment to the Duke of Newcastle, on his retirement.A dry politician at the Smyrna, on seeing this ingenious little poem, exclaimed, “Oh! that it had but come out twenty years ago.' Art. 14. Miscellaneous Poems. By Elizabeth Carolina Keene.

8vo. 55. fewed. Hooper. Many circumstances intitle the softer sex to a more delicate treatmene than our own, and therefore it is always with tenderness we Inok upon the productions of a female pen. If Mrs. Keene's poems shall be thought to merit the public favour from the following extracts, may they enjoy it.

The Fairy in Love.
Fairest of the virgin train,
That tip it o'er this magic plain,
Come and dance, and sing with me,
Under yonder aged tree.

There I'll tell you many a tale
Of mountain, rock, of hill and dale,

Which will make you laugh with me
Under yonder aged tree.

Who is that, that I efpy
Juft descending from the sky?
Faith, 'tis Cupid come to see
Flirtill beneath yon aged tree.

A little rogue ! but he fhall smart,
I'll take away his bow and dart;
And give them 'fore his face to thee,
Under yonder aged tree.

There we'll dance, and play, and fing,
Celebrating Pan our King;
And I'll always live with thee
Under yonder aged tree.

FLIRTILLA's Answer.
Were I like the Paphian queen,
In beauty and majestic mien,
Flirtilla e'en would dance with thee
Under yonder aged tree.

Then la listen to your tale
Of mountain high, or lowly vale ;
Such sweet discourse would me delight,
To be with thee from morn to night.

Ah! but Cynthia then I fear,
Left the should chuse you for her dear;
Left
you

too should inconstant prove, And thus repay Flirtilla's Love.

Not Cupid with his keenest dart
Should ever pierce my constant heart;
For ah! already 'tis too true,
Flirtilla thinks of none but you.

Not Jove himself should rival thee,
Nor ever snatch one kiss from me ;
From me no favour should he meet,
Though he were dying at my feet,

Though he descended from the sky,
In all the blaze of majetty,
My love within thy borom lies,
With thee it lives, with thee it dies.

If then these terms you do approve,
To pass our time in mutual love,
Flirtilla gives her hand to thee,
Witness, yonder aged tree.

Art.

MEDICAL
Art. .15 An Account of the topical Application of the Spunge, in

the Stoppage of Hæmorrhages. Read before the Royal Society. By Charles White, F. R. S. one of the Corporation of Surgeons in London, and Surgeon to the Manchester Infirmary. 8vo. is. Johnston. This small pamphlet, which may prove of considerable utility, gives thirteen cases in furgery, of which nine were amputations, in evidence of the success of this application. The taking up and making ligatures on the larger vessels after amputations, being, according to the report of those who have suffered them, the most painful part of such operations, having been sometimes attended with convulsive symptoms, the locked jaw, and even death; and the agaric of the oak having proved less infallible in the subsequent hæmorrhages than was at first expected, besides the frequent difficulty of procuring the best fort, Mr. White has thought it his duty, he says, to lay this remedy before the public. The Ipunge should be of the best and closest kind, or the fine male spunge, and is to be cut into slices, not horizontally, according to the strata or layers of which it is composed, but perpendicularly and through them, so that each flice is to confift of several strata. After the application of such slices to the wounded vessels, a gentle compression fhould be made upon them, either with a linen roller, or with cross flips of good sticking-plaiter. But as the price of this small yet important pamphlet, (which contains all necessary directions for the proper application of this effectual and, as it may be called, anodyne remedy) is so trifting, thae we cannot suppose any decent operator will be without it, we shall only add, that it is expressed and conducted in the clear manner of a sensible writer ; and that several physicians, surgeons, and pupils ac Manchester are mentioned as present at the operations, who may be supposed so many evidences to the efficacy of this happy application. Besides which, our Author says, p. 48. “ The spunge has never yet failed me, though I have applied it within these fixteen months to opwards of fifty patients; and have constantly used it Gnce laft Mi. chaelmas, without ever having had recourse to the needle and ligature, except in two cases.” Admitting this, we must alío admit, that

amputations must not only prove less painful, but less fatal than they - have often been before this new application.

RELIGIOUS and CONTROVERSIAL. Art. 16. Dessut Meditations : Or a select Collection of Observae

tions, divine and moral. Abstracted from the IVritings of the most approved Authors. By a Gentleman. 8vo. Baldwin.

This devout medley can only be commended for the piety of the design. The author appears to be but fuperhcially acquainted with

the

I S.

the doctrines of christianity, which yet he ventures to write aboui, although it be only to tell us the old story, that we are commanded to believe what we neither do,' nor can understand. When wil this wretched taste for Ænigmas, Acrostics, Anagrams, and Rebusies

wear out?

Art. 17. A Help to the Study of the Scriptures ; or a new and

compleat History of the Bible. 12mo. 25. 6d. Hinxman.

A pretty book for children ; adorned with pretty pictures, Art. 18. Chriff's Temptations real Facts: or a Defence of the

Evangelic History; hewing, that our Lord's Temptations moy be fairly and reasonably understood, as a Narrative of what was really transacled. Being an Answer to Mr. Farmer's Inquiry *, & c. 8vo.

Is. 6d. Piety. Much learning misemployed. We do not think Mr. Farmer an

swered yet.

* See an account of this ingenious performance in Review, Vol. XXV. p. 130.

Art. 19. An occasional Review of the Prebendary of Litchfield's

Sermon, and Address to the People called Quakers. By John Johnson. Svo. 9d. Johnson.

We are determined to have nothing to say, in regard to this unprofitable controversy, farther than barely informing our Readers that there are such publications-by repeating their tidle-pages, as

above.

Art. 20. A pre-existent Lapse of human Souls demonstrated from

Reason ; shown to be the Opinion of the most eminent Writers of Antiquity, sacred and profane : proved io be the Ground-work likewise of the Gospel Dispenfuiion; and the Medium through which many material topics, relative thereto, are set in a clear, rational, and consient Light. By Capel Berrow, A. M. Rector of Finningley, Nottinghamshire. 8vo. 2s.6d. sewed. Whifton, &c.

Though the Opinion of the pre-existence of human souls is justiy given up, in the present age, as a sentiment either wholly founded on imagination, or upon very precarious reasonings, yet it hath formerly been embraced by such a number of eminent persons, that it seems to claim fome degree of respect, On this account, notwith. standing the awkwardness of the title, we took up Mr. Berrow's book, with an intention of laying before our readers a distinct view of his scheme, provided it Thould be found to contain any thing piausible or ingenious. But we are forry to say, (as the Author is,

we