• Freedom! too oft a phrase of double sense,
Accursed ill, or godlike excellence,

How many have abus'd thy sacred word,
To scourge whole nations with a lawless sword!
How many tyrants have oppress'd the free,
Beneath thy garb, fair, ill-us'd liberty!
Professing to remove but fancied pains,
How many thousands have they bound in chains!
They tell the frantic crowd, that liberty
Has no restraint: believe it not, ye free.
Is liberty the doing as we please,

What have we farther to secure our ease?"

Three odes are subjoined to the martial poems: the first is addressed to Friendship, the second has for its subject the Uncertainty of human Joys, and the last is on Conscience. The first stanza of the ode to Friendship concludes by telling us that

The haughty monarch on his throne
Would gladly change his lot,

His sceptre and his crown disown,
For friendship in a cot.'

We conclude from this stanza that Mr. P. is young. Had he known the world, and studied mankind, he would have felt that pride and ambition care little about friendship, and never dream of happiness in a cottage.

By

Art. 20. The Stranger's Visit, with other minor Poems. Thomas Mott. Crown 8vo. pp. 100. Boards. Longman and Co. 1813.

This visit professes to be an actual poetical sketch of the scenery, incidents, and reflections which engaged the author's attention, during a day's ramble through a favourite village and its environs, after the absence of many years.' Impressions made by a survey of the spot on which our early hours were passed are generally produc tive of the poetry of sentiment; and even people advanced in life have felt a sort of juvenile glow, when they have been called to traverse the paths once worn by their youthful steps, and have at the same time enjoyed the pleasures of melancholy. Mr. Mott's sensations are natural, and many of his readers will participate in his emotions. Changed is the appearance of the scene from that which it presented in days of yore; and of this change Mr. Mott,-resembling in choice of subject, though not in genius, the author of the Deserted Village,is "the sad historian." Unbefriended by fortune, and experiencing the bitterest domestic griefs, he may be allowed to court a sombre

muse:

• Grief stricken, on the sea of life, I've roam'd,
And in the bark of hope have felt the storms
Of fate severe, that swept its trackless wilds;
But never shed more woe embitter'd tears
Than those which now relieve me as I view
The jasmine cover'd cot, the humble roof,

Of

Of him, the earliest of my promis'd friends: Of him, who sought to soothe my orphan griefs With comfortings and kindness, such as dwell In stranger hearts, form'd in parental moulds." Occasionally, Mr. M. digresses to subjects foreign to his villagetheme: but he soon returns to it; and the changes which he remarks in the country-inn must not pass unheeded :

On cottag'd green the gaudy sign appears,

In place of cast-off plough, or branch of thorn,
Once the fam'd spot where the poor man might rest;
His labor o'er, and, with refreshing ale
Forget his cares, and pass th' ev'ning hour
In happiness. How alter'd now the scene!
The old oak ballad-pasted settle's gone,
And on the walls, in place of moral thoughts,
And harvest rhimes, and carols, for the day
Of hallow'd joy, the galling taxor's sheets,
Assessor's bills of notice, and rewards

For thieves and murd'rers, now are only seen,
Whilst the rude host, face-swollen, with purple hue,
Lords it o'er all that dare to speak, and think,

In contradiction to the garbl'd stuff

Of loyal politics he thunders forth."

The visit to the church-yard produces appropriate reflections:
• Wand'ring the church-yard way, methinks there seems
A stillness in the air, as of a calm,

An holy calm, when herald angels wing,
On sacred missions, to this earthly globe.
How awful is the retrospect, as now

I mark, amidst the earth-mounds crowded here,
The graves of those, with whom in early days,
At twilight time, I've vaulted o'er the tombs,
Or sought to frighten, from his housing yew,
The lonely centinel of death's domain,

That now is hooting ominous and loud.'

It will be seen from these specimens that Mr. Mott, though his pictures are not highly finished, can sketch with accuracy and feeling.

NOVEL S.

Art. 21. Aretas. By Emma Parker, Author of " Elfrida, Heiress of Belgrave," and "Virginia, or the Peace of Amiens." 4 Vols. 11. 4s. Boards. Crosby and Co. 1813.

12mo.

Miss Parker deserves the support of parents and guardians, since her present tale shews the mortifications which may accrue to young persons from following their own fancies in love-affairs, instead of abiding by the counsels of their friends. She will also obtain the approbation of younger readers, for the spirit and vivacity which are displayed in her work. The expedients by which Aretas tries to keep up his boyish attachment, after its real fervour has abated, are described

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described with much effect; and the concluding chapters are pleasing and lively. Yet, when the scene lies in Sicily, the descriptions are so evidently and avowedly taken from books, that the narrative loses that air of actual observation which prevails when the youthful human character is pourtrayed. The sketch of Alexandrina Filzalgernon is outré, as are most of the scenes in which this personage appears. In Vol. iv. p. 22. the word emulate is erroneously. employed instead of stimulate; and in the same volume, p. 81., the hero is rather strangely described as being seized with an hysteric laugh. Many substitutions of words also occur, which seem to belong to the class of typographical errors, as illusion' for delusion, &c.

Art. 22.

་

The Miser Married. By Catherine Hutton. 12mo. 3 Vols. 15s. Boards. Longman and Co. 1813. We have here certainly a promising first attempt. The dialogues are natural, and each letter is characteristic of its supposed writer. The story also is amusing; though the miser's wife teaches rather a dangerous doctrine (in Vol. iii. p.145.) when, speaking of her conduct towards her husband, she says, I follow the example of the immortal Mr. Pitt: whenever he had done or intended to do any great mischief, he thundered out a greater; and the people, thankful in' (for) escaping the second, received the first as a favour.' We presume that a similar speculation in real life would scarcely prove as successful as it is supposed to have been in this lady's case, and as it certainly was under the management of the skilful statesman in question. The letters of the inferior characters might have been more intelligible and amusing, if every word in them had not been studiously mis-spelt. It is an error (Vol. i. p. 258.) to say, that Lady Montgomery is become Lady Winterdale,' since she would be Lady Montgomery still, having married a man without title; and the fair author is rather behind-hand in her information, when she asserts that Mrs. Hannah More keeps a lady's boarding-school.' Vol. ii. p. 233. Art. 23. Tales of Real Life. By Mrs. Opie. 12mo. 3 Vols. 18s. Boards. Longman and Co. 1813.

While some authors are satisfied with merely amusing, and others almost affront their readers by the pertinacity of their admonitions, Mrs. Opie appears to take a happy medium; generally proposing to herself to shew the effects of some virtue or the consequences of some error, and seldom losing sight of this object, though she courteously allows her readers to draw their own conclusions from her tales.

In the present publication, the characters of Lady Anne and Lady Jane' exhibit the importance, to young females, of uniting pleasing manners with steady principles; and the tale contains some dialogues which are exquisitely natural. The history of Austin and his Wife' admir bly displays the evils resulting from either undue severity or improper indulgence in education. The composition, however, intitled The Mysterious Stranger,' though it awakens interest and conjecture, turns them to less profit than Mrs. Opie's other narratives generally create; since, if the heroine were supposed to

love her second husband, her story would be immoral, though perhaps more natural; and, as it now stands, her feelings and conduct are at variance, both being too improbable to afford warning or instruction.

With the exception of this story, the volumes possess the same pathetic eloquence, and accurate developement of human motives and feelings, which must always charm in the writings of this author; and by which she is enabled to make the strangest fictions appear in her narration to be Tales of Real Life.

Art. 24. Alinda, or the Child of Mystery. By the Author of "Ora and Juliet," "The Castle of Tariffa," &c. 12mo. 4 Vols. 11. Boards. Crosby and Co. 1812.

An ordinary novel, full of improbable incidents and romantic sentiments, yet containing a tolerable representation of a poor Irish domestic, which character is now much in vogue with novel-writers; perhaps from the ample materials for its delineation which have been furnished by Miss Edgeworth.

Art. 25. The Liberal Critic; or Memoirs of Henry Percy, conveying a correct Estimate of the Manners and Principles of the present Times. By Thomas Ashe, Esq., Author of "The Spirit of the Book," "Travels in America," &c. 12mo. 3 Vols. 11.18. Boards. Crosby and Co. 1812.

A self-named Liberal Critic here makes a dull story the vehicle for conveying his opinions on religion and politics; and he attacks. both the established clergy and sectaries with an intemperance which must prevent us from acquiescing in his assumed title. Some parts of the work are offensive to delicacy, and it is throughout occasionally ungrammatical and vulgar.

EDUCATION.

Art. 26. An English Vocabulary, in which the Words are arranged indiscriminately, designed as a Sequel to "The Scholars' Speling Assistant," for the Purpose of grounding young Persons more effectually in Spelling and Pronunciation: to which are added, Miscellanies on the most useful and interesting Subjects. By Thomas Carpenter, Author of "The Youth's Guide to Bu siness," &c. 12mo. 2s. bound. Longman and Co. 1813. The indiscriminate arrangement of words in this spelling-book can be no recommendation, since children perhaps learn and retain most easily those lessons in which their ear is assisted by similarity of sounds. The letters before each word, denoting the part of speech to which it belongs, may be considered as an improvement; and the explanations will be useful where they are likely to be intelligible, although some of them are better fitted to exercise the memory than to increase the knowlege of the pupil. Thus, spurious' is illustrated by a longer word, and said to mean illegitimate;' 'bust' is stated to be the figure or portrait of a person in relievo;' and history' is described as a very useful species of instruction, which may properly be called the common school of mankind.' Such definitions are not sufficiently clear for those who have yet the rudiments of arts and sciences to learn.

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·

BOTANY.

BOTANY.

Art. 27. Sketches towards a Hortus Botanicus Americanus; or, Coloured Plates (with a Catalogue and concise and familiar Description of many Species) of new and valuable Plants of the West Indies and North and South America. Also of several others, Natives of Africa and the East Indies: arranged after the Linnæan System. With a concise and comprehensive Glossary of Terms, prefixed, and a General Index. By W. J. Titford, M.D., Corresponding Member of the Society for the Encouragement of Arts, &c. 4to. Price, neatly bound in red, with Coloured Plates, 3l. 138. 6d. ; Ditto, (if ordered) with Plates not coloured, 21. 28.; Ditto, Coloured Plates and Explanation only, 21. 128. 6d.; Ditto, plain Plates and Explanation only, l. 6s. 3d.; Ditto, Letter-press, without Plates, 11. Is. Sherwood and Co. We have already offered our unbiassed sentiments on the merits of the first two Numbers of this shewy but superficial publication; and its present completion has not enabled us to form a more favourable estimate of its utility or importance. At the same time, we sincerely regret to learn that a great number of subscribers being in New York and Philadelphia, as well as in the West Indies, the present circumstances relative to those countries have produced severe disappointment, and rendered the publication of the last number extremely hazardous and expensive.' Let this intimation suspend the farther infliction of criticism, and weigh with the humane and opulent to make the author's sheets lie lighter on his breast!

RELIGIOUS.

Art. 28. A Letter to the Rev. Dr. Goddard, occasioned by his Ser mon, preached August 8. 1811, at the triennial Visitation of the Lord Bishop of Chichester. By a Layman. Cr. 8vo. Pamphlet. Longman and Co.

The author of this letter, who styles himself a Layman, and dates from Chichester, adds to his knowlege of theology a perfect ac quaintance with the principles of religious liberty; and, though he approaches Dr. G. with respect, he aims some well-directed strictures at his visitation-sermon. The preacher's definition of heresy is controverted, as well as his account of the utility of establishments in producing uniformity of opinion.

Since its restoration, (observes the Layman,) the church has been propped by a few penal and restraining statutes, and as, with only a trifling exception or two, we have been happily free from civil broils, our religious contention has been only a war of words; but of this, both within the pale of the church and out of it, there has been enough to shew the insufficiency of articles, creeds, and forms, ensure unanimity," and give peace to the inquisitive and restless mind of man. Indeed that quiet which established formularies are intended to produce resembles nothing so much as the sleep

to "

of death.'

It was admitted by Dr. G., and he is often reminded of the admission, that "from the constitution of the human mind, &c. an entire

agree.