From leaflefs woodlands and dishonour'd Mantled by gloomy mifts, or lafh'd by showers Swift to the chearful hearth your steps are led, Pleas'd from the threat'ning tempeft to retire And join the circle round the focial fire; In other clime through fun-bask'd scenes I ftray, [way, As the fair landfcape leads my thoughtful As upland path, oft winding, bids me rove Where orange bowers invite, or olive grove, No fullen phantoms brooding o'er my breast, The genial influence of the clime I tafte; Yet ftill regardful of my native shore, In every fcene, my roaming eyes explore, Whate'er its aspect, ftill by memory brought, My fading country rushes on my thought.' In this exordium is announced, that in contemplating the fallen ftate of Portugal, the reader will be fometimes led to views of the prefent critical and alarming state of Great Britain. And indeed the profpect of the river Tagus and the port of Lisbon, naturally fuggeft the remembrance of thofe days, when the Portuguese were the first maritime nation in Europe, when they difcovered the Eaft Indies, and continued for near a century the unrivalled masters of the commerce of the eastern world. "In every scene," fays our author, " my fad. ing country rushes on my thought-yet, though on thofe occafions he is fometimes led towards the verge of politics, he enters into no party. He afcribes our prefent alarming condition to its true and original caufe, to the general profligacy and degeneracy of our national character, and not to the fuperior talents or power of our numerous enemies. The following lines will fpeak for themselves. "Not from the hands that wield Iberia's fpear, [ders bear, Not from the hands that Gaul's proud thunNor those that turn on Albion's breaft the fword, rent's fall Beat down of late by Albion when it gored Our author, after this exordium, proseeds to the description of Lifbon and the adjacent country, which he affures, in the preface, is ftrictly local. Whether to defcribe the face of a country from fancy or from nature requires most poetical abilities, we will not determine. But a fe lection of thofe parts from nature, which makes the finest landscape in verte, certainly judgement. And thofe readers who have requires the greater degree of taite and feen Edinburgh, and remember our author's November-profpect of that city, in his elegy on Mary, Queen of Scots, will expect a striking picture of Lisbon, and we believe they will not be disappointed. After this defcription, our author confidering Portugal as a part of ancient Spain, recommends travelling in that country, as preferable for the British youth, to travelling in Italy: "Nor you, my friend, admiring Rome, difdain Th' Iberian fields and Lufitanian Spain. A motley modern character displays, While Italy, obfcured in tawdry blaze, And languid trims her long-exhaufted store ; Iberia's fields with rich and genuine ore Of ancient manners woo the traveller's eye; And scenes untrac'd in every landscape lie. Here every various dale with leffons fraught.” He then alludes, in the following poetical lines, to the fabulous ages of Iberia, and in the most probable manner accounts for thefe fictions: From the evening main awe And Geryon dreadful with the triple head; Of forms gigantic, and infernal gods. field; Among the historical allufions of our author, that of Sertorius, whofe chief refidence was at Evora, in Portugal, is particularly ftriking. After mentioning the greatness of that General's military honours, he adds: Of Ev'ra ftray, while midnight tempeft wails: And each the furious leader in his turn, And And fay, ye tramplers on your country's mounds, Say who fall fix the fwelling torrent's bounds? Or who hail fail the pilot of the flood? The application of thefe concluding refletions needs not to be pointed out. Knight-crrantry and the crufades next prefent themfelves, and are most poetically treated. The difcoveries of the Portuguefe and their eattern empire are next confidered: "And here, my friend, how many a trophy wooes The Briton's earneft eye and British muse! Here bids the youthful traveller's care forego The arts of elegance and polifh'd fhew; Bids other arts his nobler thoughts engage, And wake to highest aim his patriot rage!" But while the mufe is contemplating the former glory of the Portuguese naval empire, a tranfition moft claffically poetical is introduced : Kindling o'er the view the mufe The naval pride of these bright days reviews; Sees Gama's fails, that first to India bore, In awful hope evanish from the shore; Sees from the filken regions of the morn What fleets of gay triumphant vanes return! What heroes, plum'd with conqueft, proudly bring throne } The eastern fceptres to the Lufian king! The Portuguese Indian empire is then defcribed, under the metaphor of a noble building, firft founded on juftice and benevolence, by Vafco de Gama, the difcoverer of the eastern world, and completed by fome of the viceroys, whofe names are honoured in history: "The injured native fought its friendly fhade, And India's princes bleft its powerful aid; EUROP. MAG. "Nor lefs on Tago's than on India's coaft Was antient Lufian virtue ftain'd and loft; On Tago's banks, heroic ardours foes, A foft, luxurious, tinfel'd, race arofe; Of lofty boaftful look and pompous fhew, Triumphant tyrants o'er the weak and low : Yet wildly starting from the gaming-board At every diftant brandish of the fword; Already conquer'd by uncertain dread, Imploring peace with feeble hands outspread : Such peace as trembling fuppliants ftill ob Such peace they found beneath the yoke of tain, [Spain; And the wide empires of the Eaft no more Poured their redundant horns on Lifboa's fhore. Alas, my friend, how vain the fairest boaft Of human pride! how foon is Empire loft! The pile by ages rear'd to awe the world, By one degenerate race to ruin hurl'd! And fhail the Briton view that downward race With eye unmov'd, and no fad likeness trace! Ah, heaven! in every fcene, by memory brought, My fading country rushes on my thought." The application of the above to the prefent ftate of our public character is but too well founded. And furely nothing can be more contemptible than the feeble exertions, ill-concerted plans, and mean defpair, of a people, poffeffed of the immenfe opulence which is difplayed in London, where an uninformed ftranger could not believe that it was the capital of an empire engaged in a most critical war with almoft the whole world. Our author now returns to the view of Lisbon, and gives the following beautiful defcription of the natural advantages of that celebrated port: "Forgive, fair Thames, the fong of truth To Tago's emprefs-ftream fuperior praise; When from the fleep of ages dark and dead, Thy genious, Commerce, rear'd her infant head, Her cradle bland on Tago's lap the chofe, rofe; And when to green and youthful vigour Far from the foul-wing'd winter that deforms And rolls the northern main with forms on forms; Beneath falubricus fkies, to fummer gales Proud to be first by Lifboa's waves careft; Portugal is next defcribed, as rifing again in the commercial world, which is truth; but the fellowing melancholy profpect of the fate of our own country, though it leaves the reader with no very pleafing ideas, points out that manly manner of thinking, which can alone fave us, which alike execrates the authors of our diftreffes, whether in or out of place: "The view how grateful to the liberal mind, Whofe glow of heart embraces human kind, That Albion's ftate, the toil of demi-gods, From antient manners pure, through ages long, And from unnumber'd friendly affects fprung; Our author, in his preface, obferves, that "every one can understand and reli a work merely fictitious, defcriptive, of fentimental; but a previous acquaintance, and even intimacy, with the hiftory and characters upon which a poem like Álma. da-Hill is founded, is abfolutely neceffary to do justice to its author." This criticism, we prefume, is more fpecious than just. Such deferiptions as our author has given mut pleafe the judicious few; but we think we could produce another reafon, which will probably militate against this truly claffical poem: It requires too much thinking to enter into its fpirit: It is too manly for the frivolous readers who com. pofe the great many of this frivolous and dilipated age. Obfervations upon the Poems of Thomas Rowley, in which the authenticity of the Poems is afcertained, by Jacob Bryant, Efq. Payne. 8vo. 8s. I literary world, we have noticed that more pains have been taken by writers to get rid of a reputation than acquire one. The author of the book, now under confideration, is a lamentable proof of this truth. His Treatifes on Mythology had placed him high in rank among his contemporaries; and, though they could not be confidered to have much folidity, they put forth a shining outfile appearance, which imprefied people with a favourable idea of his genius and talents. The fubjects were fuch as admitted conjecture, and it must be confeffed that he fpread his thin gold with great dexterity and addrefs. His controverty with Dr. Priestley and his Defence of Jofephus have opened the eyes of the public; and now, no longer awed by a great name, we contemplate, N the course of our obfervations on the the weaknes of his arguments, and decide without partiality or prejudice. without prepoffeffion, both the ftrength and The controverfy again fet on-foot by the prefent performance, having, in our opinion, been fully fettled by Mr. Tyrwhit, Mr. Warton, Mr. Walpole, and others, we cannot but acknowledge that our patience has been wearied with. out receiving any conviction from the bulky production of Mr. Bryant. He has, with fome art and addrefs, funk the powerful and cogent reafons of his antagonists, and contented himself with replying to circumftances which do not feem material to the caufe be elpoules. The pilferings from modern writers in Rowley's poems he has entirely omitted to notice, though a ftronger argument against their antiquity cannot be produced. With great illibe rality 1 rality he has traduced the fame of the unfortunate young man, who, after all the exertions against his reputation, will be acknowledged the undoubted author of the poems in queftion; and has fhewn fɔ indifferent a taite and want of acquaintance with English poetry, as to convince every perfon, to whom the fubject is familiar, that, if the credit of these excellent compofitions are to be wreited from Chatterton, it must be by ftronger efforts than are to be found in Mr. Bryant's work. ANECDOTES of the AUTHOR. Mr. Bryant was bred at Eton fchool, and afterwards went to King's College, Cambridge, where he became a fellow. He had the good fortune to be noticed by the Marlborough family, and patronized by the heads of it. He travelled with the prefent Duke, and was rewarded with a place in the ordnance, which he now enjoys. Poems fuppofed to bave been written at Brifol in the fifteenth Century, by Thomas Rowley, Prief, with a Commentary, in which the Antiquity of them is confidered and defended by Jeremiah Milles, D. D. Dean of Exeter. Payne. 4to. l. 1s. WHEN Lewis Theobald, the editor of Shakespeare, produced a play, called the Double Falfehood, as a performance of our inimitable bard, it was thought a fufficient detection of the fraud to prove the accenting of one word in it to be different from what it was in the reign of King James the First. The criticifm was undoubtedly well-founded, and was allowed to be fatisfactory by every perfon converfant with the writers of that period. Dr. Milles has taken the fame fide as Mr. Bryant; and, if we cannot commend his judgement, we must acknowledge his candour. He has concealed no argument against himself, but, on the contrary, has furnished fufficient for a complete refutation of his fyftem. This conduct en titles him, at leaft, to be treated with kinduefs, though it has not produced that effect. The illiberality of the attacks on him in the newspapers are difficult to be accounted for, efpecially when we reflect on the civility which his coadjutor has met with, whofe behaviour in this controversy we deem highly unfatisfactory and cenfurable. We should think ourselves bound to enter into this difpute, which at least may be confidered as a curious one, more at large, had we not heard that feveral anfwers to Mr. Bryant and Dr. Milles are preparing for the prefs by Mr. Tyrwhit and other gentlemen; we shall, therefore, referve our farther fentiments on this fubjest until the appearance of the whole strength of each party. Cui Bono? Or, an Enquiry what Benefit can arife either to the English or to the Americans, the French, Spaniards, or Dutch, from the greatest Victories or Succeffes in the prejent War. Being a Series of Letters addreffed to M. Neckar, late Comptroller-yeneral of the Finances in France, by Jofiah Tucker, D. D. Cadell. 8vo. 8s. DR R. Tucker, if he had cultivated a tafte for the belles letters, and studied the art of elegant writing, would have been a molt diverting and entertaining author. For he conceives the most extravagant projects, and gives them confiderable probability. The prefent work is as whimical as any of the reveries of Don Quixote. It is defigned, like all other of his late pieces, to prove that America is of no fervice to us; for he expoftulates with Mr. Neckar on the foily of hoftilities between Great Britain and France, and recommends an alliance between the two nations, on the * See Farmer on Shakespeare. principles of an advantageous commerce. The objects of all nations are monopolies, not a free and equal trade; and they may as effectually be exhorted to relinquish all thoughts of monopoly, as the dean, who has no family, might be exhorted to share his income equally with his feveral curates, who are men full as worthy and ingenious, and have their houfes full of children. Blended with thefe extravagances, which, if ever brought to the notice of Mr. Neckar, muft make him fmile, there are many commercial hints and facts which are de ferving of notice. ANECDOTES of the AUTHOR. Dr. Tucker has been fo ready to thrust his hand into all public tranfactions, and has been often to feverely handled on that account, that every thing relating to him is well known. Nothing in his birth, educa. tion, and fettlement in life, has occurred to distinguish him from common clergymen. Only that he foon difcovered a stronger propenfity to trade, than to the ftudies more immediately fuited to his profeflion. Indeed, his obtaining a fmall preferment at Bristol, and his long refidence there, may have had an effect on this bias. His commercial tracts fhew a confiderable extent of reading, and are not wanting in paradoxes. Almost all public events bring him forth. Even a bald and tedious ac. count of fome proceedings on a diffenting bill, by Dr. Kippis, drew three or four letters from the dean, in which the reader will fometimes be perplexed to determine, whether he be, on the whole, a friend or enemy to real liberty. But in a publication, just before the American war, he was peculiarly unfortunate. For, in order to blaft the character of Dr. Franklin, (which the dean feems always to have fickened at,) he roundly afferted, that he had applied to government for a place. The lie direct was publicly and repeatedly given him; and he was called upon to produce his authority; and the dean pocketed the affront. This incaution in regard to facts respecting men of importance has been of great injury to the dean; and the want of dexterity in defending himfelf on this head may perhaps be the reafon that all his efforts, in favour of the prefent adminiftra tion, have not crowned him with the mitre. He feems to think himself dooined to abide by the deanry of Gloucester, for he has lately turned his thoughts to general principles, and published a huge book to confute, de molish, and annihilate, as he propofes, the politica! fyftem. He is a man confiderably advanced in years, of a fallow, fcorbutic, complexion, and careless, if not flovenly, in his drefs. He has never been married, and his manners want the foftnefs and politenefs which arife from the fociety of women. He divides his time between Briftol and Gloucter: is very active in the discharge of Ais public duties, and particularly fond of preaching on public occafions, when fome wary or denomination of people are fure to be the objects of his invective. He is petulant in his temper, and unforgiving in his difputes; impatient of op pofition, and harsh in his apprehenfiens. No man can object to his theories without being his enemy, and no man can be his enemy without being the enemy of truth, reafon, and liberty. A thousand inftances might be enumerated in the courie of his long and busy life in proof of this affertion; but a late anecdote, as it is but little known, will ferve as an example for the whole. Dr. Dunbar, that true friend of the rights and liberties of the human race, when he came up to London to publish his ingenious cflays on the History of Mankind, in rude and cultivated ages, accidentally faw a copy of the dean's curious work, which he entitled, the True Basis of Civil Government, in oppofition to the fyftem of Mr. Locke and his followers; and obierving, among other of the wild and whimâcal doctrines, an affertion, that the favages of America were a blood-thirsty unfeeling race, deftitute of every human virtue; but that, by the happy influence of the miffionaries of Paraguay, they were to be tranfformed to the moit benevolent race under heaven. The doctor, with honest indignation, and feeling for the dignity of his fpecies, added a note to his effays, on the rank of nations; in which he condemned this doctrine, as brought to fupport a new theory of government, which was founded on the total debafement of human nature, and was oppofed to a theory that afferts its honours, and derives from a happier origin the image of a free people. To this the doctor added the following rebuke. "When," fays he, the benevolence of this writer is exalted into charity, when the fpirit of his religion corrects the rancour of his philofophy, he will learn a little more reverence for the fyftem to which he belongs, and acknowledge, in the most untutored tribes, fome glimmerings of humanity, and fone decifive indications of a moral nature." This coming to the fight of the dean, he burst into a torrent of rage, and, in the treatife above-mentioned, loudly charged the doctor with ha ving betrayed the confidence of a friend, fiuce, though the book was printed and communicated to the author's accquaintance, it was not publifhed at the time. It was in vain that Doctor Dunbar proved, that he found the work on a bookfeller's counter, expofed along with others for fale; and that there was no notice whatever given to him of its being only handed about in private circles. The dean reûfted every teftimony, and the doctor, with becoming fpirit, left him to enjoy the rancour of his incredulity. Before |