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number of characters, ftories, fables, &c. adapted to intereft the reader in the different topics offered to his confideration. Altho' it is å kind of work which does not well admit of extracts, we fhall present our readers with one short paffage, and two of the fables.

The paffage we shall infert is in the seventh converfation of the first volume, where the daughter converses with her father about opinions in religion: it is as follows:

"D. How comes it, my father, that wife men puzzle their brains fo much about religicus doctrines and opinions? I have heard that there are millions of books written on fuch fubjects, and that fome are on points which the authors themfelves never comprehended.

"F. I cannot tell thee much about perfons whom thou calleft wife men; or, as I fuppofe, thou meanest, learned men; only that I think, thou art happier than thofe who take pains to perplex themfelves. Do thou endeavour to please God in that which thou perceivest to be right; and whenever thy conscience even whifpers thee that any thing is wrong; whenever there is any doubt, which affords a prefumption, that what thou art about to say, or do, will be difpleafing to God, forbear and avoid it.-I am under no anxiety on thy account, but that thy life be virtuous; the reit will follow: for whilft thou art good, thou never wilt be forfaken of God, or totally rejected by thy fellow creatures: but if thou fhouldft become wicked, even though the world fhould smile on thee with all its blandifhments; though all things fhould wear a pleasing afpect, yet in the end, as furely as the wicked will be punished, thou wouldft be miferable."

One of the fables is against the unwarrantable purfuit of pleasure: "Two bees went in queft of honey: one was an epicure, the other temperate; or we may call him a philofopher.- At length they found a widemouth'd phial, hanging beneath the bough of a peach tree. It was enchanting to the eye and to the fimell, for it was filled with honey ready tempered. The epicure, in fpite of the remonstrances of his friend, ventured in to indulge himself. The philosopher, fufpicious of the danger, flew off to fruits and Bowers, where the moderation of his meals improved his relifh of the true enjoyment of them. In the evening, returning that way home to his hive, he found his friend furfeited with fweets, as unable to leave the hotay as to feaf on it; his wings were clogged; his feet enfeebled; his whole frame was enervated and unhinged; he was only Able to bid his friend a laft farewell, lamenting that he was too late fenfible of the good advice which had been given him; acknowledging that unrestrained indulgence in falle pleasure, is finavoidable deftruction."

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The other fable is The Farmer and the Larv3er 1 A farmer came to a neighbouring Tawyer, expreffing great concern for an aceldent, which he faid had just happened ;

One of y your oxen, continued he, has been gored by an unlucky bull of mine, and I should be glad to know how I am to make you reparation.' "Thou art a very honeft fellow, replied the lawyer, and will not think it unreasonable, that I expect one of thy oxen in return." It is no more than justice, quoth the farmer, to be fure. But what did I say? I mistake: it is your bull that has killed one of my oxen.' Indeed, fays the lawyer, that alters the cafe, I must enquire into the affair, and if— And if! faid the far

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mer, the business, I find, would have been concluded without an if, had you been as ready to do juftice to others, as to exact it from them."--If our author's fables have not the merit of new invention, they have indifputably that of being well chofen.

The latter part of the fecond volume is called a manual of devotion, confifting of prayers, extracts from fcripture, pieces of poetry, &c. Some of the poetry is borrowed from the volume published by Mifs Aikin, now Mrs. Barbauld.-Monthly Review.

19. The Grecian Hiftory, from the earliest State to the Death of Alexander the Great. By Dr. Goldsmith. 2 vols. 8vo. 10s. Rivington.

THE applaufe beftowed on the Roman Hiftory, written by Dr. Goldsmith, induced him, as we are told, to write this Grecian Hiftory. We were afraid there had been a more prevailing motive and incitement-money. The work before us, is a tolerable good abridgement of the general history of Greece, as to fize and both the plan and ftile are perfpicuous. We are forry to remark, that there are too many figns of precipitation, if not inattention fuch as, mifnomers, inaccuracies of language, and defects in chronology. That our readers may form a judgment of the author's defcriptive ftile, we fubjoin the following extract of the death of Socrates.

:

Socrates fell a facrifice to popular diffentions when by his anfwer, he appealed from the tribunal of his judges to that of justice and pofterity; when instead of confeffing himself guilty, he demanded rewards and honours from the ftate, the judges were fo much offended, that they condemned him to drink hemlock. "Socrates received this fentence with the utmost compofure. Apollodorus, one of his difciples, launching out into bitter invectives and lamentations that his mafter fhould die innocent: What, (replies Socrates with a fmile) would you have had me die guilty? Melitus and Anytus may kill, but they cannot hurt me.'

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ner by chance, Whether a true philofopher ought not to defire, and take pains to die? This propofition, taken too literally, implied an opinion, that a philofopher might kill himself. Socrates thews, that nothing is more unjust than this notion; and that man appertaining to God, who formed and placed him with his own hand in the poft he poffeffes, cannot abandon it without his permiffion, nor depart from life without his order. What is it then that can induce a philofopher to entertain this love for death? It can be only the hope of that happiness which he expects in another life; and that hope can be founded only upon the opinion of the foul's immortality.

"Socrates employed the laft day of his life in entertaining his friends upon this great and important fubject; from which converfation, Plato's admirable dialogue, entitled the Phædon, is wholly taken. He explains to his friends all the arguments for believing the foul immortal, and refutes all the objections against it, which are very near the fame as are made at this day.

"When Socrates had done speaking, Crito defired him to give him, and the rest of his friends, his last inftructions, in regard to his children and other affairs, that by executing them they might have the confolation of doing him fome pleasure. I fhall recommend nothing to you this day, replied Socrates, more than I have already done, which is, to take care of yourselves. You cannot do yourselves a greater fervice, nor do me and my family a greater pleasure. Crito having afked him afterwards, in what manner he thought fit to be buried? As you please, said Socrates, if you can lay hold of me, and I not escape out of your hands. At the fame time, looking on his friends with a fmile, I can never perfuade Crito, that Socrates is he who converses with you, and difpofes the feveral parts of his discourse, for he always imagines, that I am what he is going to fee dead in a little while; he confounds me with my carcafe, and therefore afks me how I would be interred. In finishing these words, he rofe up, and went to bathe himself in a chamber adjoining. After he came out of the bath, his children were brought to him; for he had three, two very little, and the other grown up.

He

spoke to them for fome time, gave his orders to the women who took care of them, and then difmiffed them. Being returned into his chamber, he laid himself down upon his bed.

"The fervant of the eleven magiftrates entered at that instant, and having informed him that the time for drinking the hemlock was come, (which was at fun-fet) the fervant was fo much afflicted with forrow, that he turned his back and fell a-weeping. See, faid Socrates, the good heart of this man: fince my imprisonment he has often come to fee me, and to converfe with me: he is MISCEL. VOL. II.

more worthy than all his fellows: how heartily the poor man weeps for me. This is a remarkable example, and might teach thofe in an office of this kind, how they ought to behave to all prifoners, but more efpecially to perfons of merit, when they are fo unhappy to fall into their hands. The fatal cup was brought. Socrates asked what it was neceffary for him to do. Nothing more, replied the fervant, than as foon as you have drank off the draught, to walk about till you find your legs grow weary, and afterwards lie down upon your bed. He took the cup without any emotion, or change in his colour or countenance; and regarding the man with a steady and affured look, Well, (faid he) what say you of this drink; may one make a libation out of it?' Upon being told, that there was only enough for one dose, At least, (continued he) we may fay our prayers to the gods, as it is our duty, and implore them to make our exit from this world, and our last stage happy, which is what I most ardently beg of them.' After having spoke thefe words, he kept filence for fome time, and then drank off the whole draught with an amazing tranquility, and ferenity of afpect, not to be expreffed or conceived.

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"Till then his friends, with great violence to themselves, had refrained from tears; but, after he had drank the potion, they were no longer their own masters, and wept abundantly. Apollodorus, who had been in tears during almoft the whole of the converfation, began then to raise great cries, and to lament with fuch exceffive grief, as pierced the hearts of all that were prefent. Socrates alone remained unmoved, and even reproved his friends, though with his usual mildness and good nature. • What are you doing? (faid he to them.) I admire at you! Oh, what is become of your virtue? Was it not for this I fent away the women, that they might not fall into thefe weaknesses? for I have always heard fay, that we ought to die peaceably, and bleffing the gods. Be at cafe, I beg you, and fhew more conftancy and refolution.' He then obliged them to restrain their tears.

"In the mean time he kept walking to and fro; and, when he found his legs grow weary, he lay down upon his back, as he had been directed.

"The poison then operated more and more. When Socrates found it began to gain upon his heart, uncovering his face, which had been covered, without doubt to prevent any thing from difturbing him in his laft moments, Crito, (faid He) we owe a cock to Æfculapius: discharge that vow for me, and pray do not forget it. Soon after, which he breathed his laft, Crito went to his body, and clofed his mouth and eyes. Such was the end of Socrates, in the first year of the ninety-fifth Olympiad, and the feventieth of his age.

" It

--“It was not till fome time after the death of this great man, that the people of Athens perceived their mistake, and began to repent of it; their hatred being fatisfied, their prejudices expired, and time having given them an opportunity for reflection, the notorious injustice, of the fentence appeared in all its horrors. Nothing was heard throughout the city but difcourfes in favour of Socrates. The Academy, the Lyceum, private houses, public walks, and market-places, feemed (till to re-echo the found of his loved voice, Here, (faid they) he formed our youth, and taught our children to love their country, and to honour their parents. In this place he gave us his admirable lessons, and fometimes made us seasonable reproaches, to engage us more warmly in the pursuit of virtue. Alas, how have we rewarded him for fuch important fervices!' Athens was in univerfal mourning and confternation. The schools were fhut up, and all exercises fnfpended. The accufers were called to a fevere and ftrict account for the innocent blood they had caufed to be fhed. Melitus was condemned to die, and the reft banished. Plutarch obferves, that all who had any fhare in this black calumny were in fuch abomination amongst the citizens, that no one would give them fire, anfwer them any queftion, nor go into the fame bath with them, and had the place cleaned where they had bathed, left they fhould be polluted by touching it, which drove them into fuch defpair, that many of them killed themselves.

"The Athenians, not contented with having punished his accufers, caused a statue of brafs to be erected to him, of the workmanship of the celebrated Lyfippus, and placed it in one of the most conspicuous parts of the city. Their refpect and gratitude rofe even to a religious veneration; they dedicated a chapel to him, as to a hero and a demi-god, which they called the Chapel of Socrates.". -Lond. Mag.

21. Poems, chiefly rural. By Mr. Richardfon. 8vo. 2s. 6d. boards. Murray.

HALF of thefe poems confifts of Odes, Idyllors, and Anacreontics. We will give the first in the collection as a fpecimen.

HYMN to VIRTU E. "Ever lovely and benign, Endow'd with energy divine, Hail Virtue! hail! from thee proceed The great defign, the heroic deed, ' The heart that melts for human woes, Valour, and truth, and calm repofe. Though fortune frown, though fate prepare Her shafts, and wake corroding care, Though wrathful clouds involve the skies, Though lightnings glare, and ftorms arife, In vain to shake the guiltlefs foul, Chang'd fortune frowns, and thunders roll. Pile, Avarice, thy yellow hoard; Spread, Luxury, thy costly board;

Ambition, crown thy head with bays;
Let Sloth recline on beds of eafe;
Admir'd, ador'd, let beauty roll
The magic eye that melts the foul;
Unless with purifying fires
Virtue the confcious foul infpires,
In vain, to bar intruding woe,
Wealth, fame, and power, and pleasure flow.
To me thy fovereign gift impart,
The refolute unshaken heart,
To guide me from the flowery way
Where Pleasure tunes her firen-lay:
Deceitful path! where Shame and Care,
The poifonous fhaft conceal'd, prepare!
And thield me with thy generous pride
When Fashion fcoffs, and fools deride,
Ne'er let Ambition's meteor-ray
Miflead my reason, and betray
My fancy with the gilded dream
Of hoarded wealth, and noify fame.
But let my foul confenting flow
Compaffionate of others woe;
Teach me,the kind endearing art
To heal the mourner's broken heart,
To ease the wrankling wounds of Care,
And footh the frenzy of Despair.
So, lovely virgin, may I gain
Admiffion to thy hallow'd fane,
Where Peace of Mind, of eye ferene,
Of heavenly hue, and placid mien,
Leads, fmiling, thy celeftial choir,
And fmites the confecrated lyre,
And may that minstrelfy, whose charm
Can Rage, and Grief, and Care difarm,
Can paffion's lawless force controul,
Sooth, melt, and elevate my soul !""

The following HYMN to HEALTH is diftinguished by a profusion of gay and beautiful poetic imagery.

"O by the gentle gales that blow Refreshing from the mountain's brow By the vermil bloom of morn, By the dew-drop on the thorn, By the sky-lark's matin lay, By the flowers that blooming May Sprinkles on the meads and hills, By the brooks and fuming rills, Come, fmiling Health, and deign to be Our queen of rural sports and glee. What fudden radiance gilds the skies! What warblings from the groves arise ! A breeze more odoriferous blows! The ftream more mufically flows! A brighter fmile the valley wears ! And lo! the lovely queen appears. O Health! I know thy blue-bright eye, Thy dewy lip, thy rofy dye, Thy dimpled cheek, thy lively air That wins a fmile from pining care. Soft-pinioned gales around thee breathe, Perfuming dews thy tresses bathe, The zone of Venus girds thy waist, The young Loves flutter round thy breast, And on thy path the rofe-wing'd hours Scatter their variegated flowers. See! the nymphs and every fwain Mingle in thy festive train,

With roguish winks, and winning wiles,
And whispering low, and dimpling fmiles,
And many a tale, devised with care,
To win the bashful maiden's ear;
And fweetly foothing blandishment,
And the coy air of half confent;
And Joy, and rofe-complexion'd
With tottering footstep following after.
Goddess ever blyth and fair,

Ever mild and debonair,

Laughter

Stay with us, and deign to be
Our queen of rural mirth and glee."?

The remaining part of the volume prefents us with Rural Tales, a Poem on Runny-Mead, Corfica, an Elegy on the Death of à Lady, Mifcellaneous Verfes, and the Progrefs of Melancholy, all written in blank verfe. That our readers may be able to judge of the author's manner in this fpecies of poetry, we fhall lay before them the conclufion of Runny-Mead.

"Famed Runny-Mead! thee I furvey with awe

And holy reverence! May no impious step
Profane thy hallow'd bounds. O ye, immerit
In luxury or fhameful floth, the flaves
Of pleasure, who neglect the warning voice
Of public virtue, when a nation's tears
Implore deliverance from oppreffion's rod,
Or baleful penury-O ye who dare,
In spite of shame, regardless of contempt,
For paltry gold, or titles falfely deem'd
Honours, your peerless birth-right fell, and
bend

Submiffive to the yoke-O ye who bathe
Your fpeech in honied flattery, who mould
Your pliant features to affenting fmiles,
And heap mean incenfe on the fplendid fhrine
Of arrogating pride-O false of heart,
Ye who enflam'd with avarice, or revenge,
Or envy, or ambition, dare affume
The femblance of fair liberty, to fire
The madding multitude, and from her dens
Infernal to provoke the snaky fiend,
Frantic Sedition-Hence ye tainted crew,
Nor taste this air, nor with licentious ftep
Profane this hallow'd ground. The virgin
choir

Pierian here, fhall scatter garlands wove
With flowers of Attica, and those that bloom
By Aganippe's tuneful fount. The powers
And virtues delegated to protect

The human race, with Albion's antient chiefs, Shall here affemble, and high councils hold To blast the might, to counteract the spells Of Vice, arch-necromancer; and fecure The happiness ordain'd to mortal man.

"And now return my vagrant Mufe!
full bold

Haft thou adventured, and haft fwell'd a note
Of higher utterance than befits the reed
Of an unpolish'd minstrel. Yet the lay
Flows not in vain, nor without high reward
Of honour, if the illuftrious few approve,
Who value independence, and have vow'd
By truth and virtue to maintain her power,"

We may obferve, on the whole, that Mr. Richardfon difcovers a rich vein of fentimen. tal and defcriptive poetry, adorned with har monious verfification; and that he is, so far as we know, the first person that ever woed the Mufes, at leaft fuccefsfully, at St. Peterfburgh, where feveral of the poems have been written.-Crit. Rev.

22. Mufical Travels through England. By Joel Collier, Organist. 8vo. 15.

THE author of this humorous perform ance, (which is a profeffed burlesque on Dr. Burney's Introduction to the Hiftory of Mu fic) in an ironical Dedication to the Governors of the Foundling-hofpital, speaking of the intention of founding a fchool in that hofpital for Mufic, fays, "When I was informed of this event, I hailed the happy omen, the dawn of an Auguftan æra; and refolved to offer my tribute of congratulation and applause, and to dedicate this work to a fet of gentlemen, who have so distinguished their zeal for the intereft and advancement of mufic. Perhaps it will at first appear a bold undertaking in the guardians of deferted orphans, chiefly fupported by parliamentary grants of public money, to declare, that they cannot be maintained by the public for a more useful purpose, than to be taught to fing and play Italian airs. For men of nar row and contracted minds, who have nei ther ear, nor voice, nor hand, will still ima gine, that it might prove of more national utility, to breed thefe adopted children of the public to Hufbandry, Navigation, &c. the objects of their original deftination; than to convert one of the nobleft of our public charities into a nursery for the supply of mufical performers at our theatres, gardens, and hops. But this is a vulgar prejudice. The improvement of the fine arts ought to be the first object of public 'attention in an age of luxury, peace, and plenty, like the prefent's when we have rivalled the Italians in mufic, it will be time enough to think of our navy, and our agriculture. We have already (to our fhame be it spoken) better failors than fidlers, and more farmers than contrapuna tifts. But as I take this circumftance to a rife entirely from the different degree of encouragement thofe occupations have hitherto received, I do not defpair of feeing the reverfe take place, when gentlemen of your rank deign to ftand forward, and correct the errors of the public, by the influence and fanction of your example."

The author then humorously gives an account of his tafte for mufic from his infan cy; and having been informed (he fays) that the infancy, and indeed the riper years of the great Muf. D. or mufical doctor, whom I call, par excellence, DR. MUs) paffed in much the fame manner, and that having obferved with what eclat, his ingenious account of his ingenious travels has been received, he T 2 conceived

Conceived a defign of following fo illuftrious an example, and travelling thro' the dominions of England, Scotland, and Ireland, with the town of Berwick upon Tweed, to give a true state of the musical improvement and progreffion in these kingdoms..

"Before I fet forward on my travels, (fays our author) I chose to change my name from Collier to Coglioni, or Collioni, as more euphonious; and on the first of April, having torn myself from the arms of my weeping wife, and four small children, I put my baf foon into a green bag, and flung it across my fhoulders; my large violoncello was laid on my knee as I fat in the waggon, and my cloaths, with a bottle of brandy and feme bifcuits, were packed up in the viol cafe.As I was neither patronized, nor franked on my tour by any Dilettanti Lord, I must confefs, the low ftate of my circumstances, and the poverty in which I had left my family, caft a damp on my fpirits; but this was always foon diffipated by an air on the violoncello, and by recollecting the great advantages my travels, to enquire into the state of mufic in this island, would be to my dear native country, and the fame and glory I fhould acquire by the publication of my work, perhaps only inferior to that of the great Dr. Mus himself.

Infpir'd by taite, o'er lands and feas he flew, Europe he faw, and Europe faw him too; Thro' lands of finging, or of dancing flaves, Love-echoing woods, and lute-refounding

waves.

O while along the ftream of time, that name
Expanded flies, and gathers all its fame;
Say, fhall my little bark attendant fail,
Purfue the triumph, and partake the gale ?—

Mr. Collier then gives a very whimfical account of his travels through Lincoln, Sheffield, York, Durham, Carlisle, and Bristol.

The complexion of the whole piece may be judged of by the following extract, which we have selected for the entertainment of our readers:

"Dr. Dilettante was fo kind as to make me a prefent of a place in the stage coach to Sheffield in my road to York, that I might enquire into the prefent ftate of the mufic of that city and cathedral. Among the passengers was a gentleman of a grave aspect, who, from his not attending to me at the inn, when I played a moft inchanting folo on my hautboy, appeared at firft to have no ears; but on further converfation I found him a moft agreeable companion. He cried up the ingenuity of the Sheffield manufacturers, and told me of a new mufical inftrument, more complicate, he thought, and louder than an organ. The next day he was fo good as to accompany me to hear this new organic inftrument. The first thing I could obferve was a number of iron, pipes, and a waterwheel to work the large bellows, like that organ of which there is a print in Kempleri Mufurgia. When the wheel was in motion,

I observed many of the notes higher than in any organ I had ever heard; and was told, that these ingenious people had found the only way to produce thefe was, by boring gun-barrels; to these a fymphony was adduced by files, which cut the teeth of large faws, and the mellow tones of two great hammers, which at intervals ftruck on large pieces of red-hot iron, made a more tremendous and affecting concert, than all the mingled whistles of Cecilia's organ.

"Having paid a fhilling to the performers of this ftupendous piece of harmony, at which my grave companion feemed much delighted, and liftened to my remarks upon it with the greatest avidity and approbation; "Signior Collioni, fays he, your obfervations enchant me; the most antient mufic, as you well explain, was made with hammers beating upon anvils, as invented by Tubal Cain, and practised in the shop of his fucceffor Vulcan, though Saturn is thought to have been the first of the caftrati.—But this invention was not compleat, Signior Collioni, it was not compleat, till this excellent treble made by boring guns, and cutting faws, was added.It is now become the true antient, celebrated, long-loft, and long-deplored chromatic, which that heathen Plato, who had doubtlefs afs's ears, expelled from his artificial commonwealth.

"Doubtless you are right in your conjectures, replied I, Mr. Hummings, (for that was my kind companion's name) it was mufic like this, which could disenchant the moon, and make trees and stones dance allemands. Would you believe it, Mr. Hummings, I once cured a girl bit with a tarantula with this fimple bassoon?

-This

"Trut, turrut, phub, phub, bush !was the air, Mr. Hummings, you shall hear it—trut, turrut, phub, phub, bush:—the girl, rifing from her melancholy attitude, danced till the sweat ran down to the hem of her fcarlet petticoat; and after I had presented her with a bit of money, became fo lively as to ftrip herself like King David, and danced like a Heinel.. I can affure you, Mr. Hummings, I drove away the evil spirit, and cured her of her tarantulifm that night.

"Not unlike this, is a fact recorded by the divine Homer. Ulyffes had a large rent made in his thigh by a wild boar,—a terrible animal, Mr. Hummings :-well, and what happened?-why, he only fent for the townwaits, and after the firft bar or two were played, the blood stopped; and as the fiddles proceeded, the wound contracted, and by the time they had finished Alley Croaker, Moggy Lauder, and A lovely Lafs to a Friar came, (which are all antient Greek tunes, Sir,) the wound was quite healed, and the cicatrix as fmooth as the back of my hand.

"During this converfation, an unfortunate accident had happened near us. One of the performers on the hammer and iron by a fall had broken his leg. A furgeon was

fent

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