1776.

Review of New Publications.

guage is more nervous and natural, than fublime. It is replete with generous and noble fentiments, and keeps a very judicious mean, being equally free from fuftian and bombaft, and from profe and familiar vulgarifms. The plot is judiciously conducted throughout. The fcene in the great councilchamber, and that in the fourth act, when Arfaces afcends from the tomb, have a finer effect, than any scene we know in any tragedy that has been written within the last half century, perhaps fince the time of Otway. The characters are strongly marked, and well preferved; particularly the Queen, and Arfaces. We with that Azema and Azures had been more strongly delineated. On the whole, the piece has confiderable merit, as a first attempt; and bids fair for repeated representations, long after the criticifms which have attempted to depreciate it fhall perish and be forgotten. The prologue was heavy, and indifferently delivered, by Reddish. Mrs. Yates fpoke the Epilogue with remarkable propriety. It is elegant, poetical, and full of fentiment.

Mr. Smith filled the part of Arfaces with great judgement; and acquitted himself in the tomb fcene, in a manner that would have done credit to Garrick or Barry. The author, we think, is highly indebted to him, as he contributed very much to the fuccefs of his piece.

Mrs. Yates was capital in the council fcene, when fhe declared Arfaces the partner of her bed and throne. She is indeed always fo in every character, which depends on a thorough conception of her author, a dig. nity of deportment, a fine elocution, and judicious delivery. But we cannot fay, that the ever pleafed us, where the tender paffions are to be felt and defcribed. She looked too

701

like a queen, and too little like an enamoured matron, when the difclofes her paffion for Arfaces.

Reddish was decent in Aroes. Nature, we affirm, never intended this man as a first rate player. His feelings, at all times, are of his own creating, and at best, but bear a tolerable refemblance of what they fhould be. Bentley was juft paffable, and the others answering the end of ballast, call for no animadverfion.

We cannot however clofe this article, without expreffing our highest indignation at the cruel attack made on the unhappy woman who performed the part of Azetna. From her first entrance on the stage to the laft fcene the never appeared without being hiffed by fome perfons in the galleries. It was a regular attack uniform in its found and direction, where the filed her part tolerably, as well as where the failed. They could not be men that made fo unnatural an attack, and if they were women furely they must have been the most unrelenting, ferocious and barbarous of the most abandoned and profligate of their fpecies. It is certain that the aukwardnefs of the woman's dress, her total want of action or expreffion, and weakness of voice, all united to give evidence that he was not calculated to fill the part. We only speak here without meaning to give a decided opinion, because in one or two fpeeches where the hiffers were out-clapped, her delivery and voice were very tolerable. We earneftly with her fecret enemies may be difcovered and held up to public indignation and contempt. we equally with that Mrs. Reddith, before the appears again upon a London ftage, may take her degrees at a fpouting academy, to fhew that he has learned to make use of hands.

And

An Impartial Review of New Publications.

ARTICLE CCXVI. WELVE Sermons on the Prophecies conTverning the Chriftian Church, and in particular concerning the Church of Papal Rome. By Samuel Hallifax, D. D. 5s. White.

From the late fermons preached by Dr. Hurd, and thefe before us by Dr. Hallitax, at the Lecture founded by Bishop Warburton, we may conclude very beneficial effects will refult to religion, by that inftitution. Our prefent Lecturer hath difplayed a good knowJedge of the Scripture prophecies, and of facred and profane hiftory; and clearly proves that the man of fin can be no other than the pope of Rome. We cannot difmifs the article without giving our readers the following extract.

"The prophecies of Daniel, St. Paul, and St. John, though fingly of great weight,

receive additional force, if brought near and illuftrated by each other. Having already examined them feparately and apart, let us now confider them together, and collect the evidence that arifes, when they are taken in one view, and form an entire and perfect whole.

"From the moft curfory furvey of the three predictions, it is evident, that the fame scheme and conftitution of things, the fame perfons, events, and times, the origin, continuance, and deftruction, of the fame tyrannical power (which power by Daniel is noted by the appellation of the little born, by St. Paul is denominated the man of fin, and by St. John is branded with the titles of the beaft and the false prophet) are diftinctly foretold in all. It Daniel describes the kingdom, in which the little horn was to arife, by fuch emblems as can belong to none but

the

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Review of New Publications.

the Roman; the fame emblems, to prefigure
the kingdom of the beaft and false prophet,
are alfo employed by St. John; from whom
we further learn, that his appropriated place
of refidence is the city of Rome. If Daniel
reftrains the fovereignty of this Roman power
to the European or western part of the em-
pire, after it was divided into ten fhares; the
fame restriction is intimated in one of the
epiftles of St. Paul, and is more explicitly
declared by the beloved difciple in the Apo-
calypfe. If Daniel reprefents the n.ture of
this uturped cominion as different from every
other; St. Paul and St. John inftruct us,
that this diverfity confifts in its being a fpiri-
tual, not a civil, dominion; which is there-
fore to be fought for, not in heathen, but in
Chriftian Rome. If the inftances, in which
this fpiritual dominion is exerted, according
to Daniel, be chiefly thefe, afpiring to fu-
preme and uncontroutable authority over the
inhabitants of the earth, affecting divine ti-
tles and honours, enjoining the worship of
demons and departed faints, prohibiting mar-,
riage, working falfe miracles, and perfecut-
ing and killing those who oppofe its claims;
the fame particulars are related, and with
new additions and explications, in the wri-
tings of St. Paul and St. John. If the dura
tion of this ecclefiaftical polity be limited by
Daniel to a time and times and the dividing of
time; the fame duration is expreffed, and in
a variety of phrafes, by St. John; by whom
the reign of the beaf is fixed to a time and
times and balf a time, or to three years and a
half, or forty-two months, or twelve kundred
and fixty days. And lastly, if the demoli-
tion of this extraordinary polity be denounced
by the prophet of the Old Testament; the
fame interefting event is promifed by the two
apoftles of the New. Such a number of
coincidencies, all fo ftrange and unufual in
their kinds, to be found in the compofitions
of three perfons, living in different and onc
in a very remote period, cannot fairly be af-
cribed to any other caufe, than to the im-
pulfe of the felf fame fpirit, who taught them
all things, which it was neceflary fhould be
communicated for the admonition of the
church of Chrift, upon whom the ends of the
qworld fhould come.

"Now of the characters recorded in Scripture as the undoubted marks of Antichrift, many at leaft have been fhewn to belong, exclufively, to the tyranny now exilting in papal Rome, Fur, first of all, this power is certainly a Roman one; fecondly, it is confined to the limits of the Latin or western empire; thirdly, it arose among the ten kingdoms, into which that empire was parted by the northern barbarians; fourthly, its throne or feat is in the city of Rome; fifthly, it is a Chriflian power; and, fixthly, it is difcriminated from all others, by being of the fpiritual or ecclefiaftica! kind. Thefe are circumstances fo plainly realized in

App.

that part of Christendom which is subject to the Roman pontiff, that it is not poffible, by any art or subtlety of our adverfaries, they can be evaded or denied."

CCXVII. A free Inquiry into Daniel' a Vifier or Prophecy of the Seventy Weeks. In whib the Fifion is applied to the State of the Jews under the Perjian Monarchy, and the Weeks are fhewn to be Weeks of Days. With as Appendix on the Jewish Notion of a Meffiab. 4to. 2s. 6d. Payne.

This inquirer labours to prove that the celebrated prophecy of Daniel hath not the leaft reference to the death of Chrift, but that Cyrus was the Mehah Prince which he intended. What follows is the fubftance of the inquiry.

Jeremiah had foretold that Jerufalem fhould be defolate feventy years. Near the expiration of the term predi&ed, Daniel, who well knew of the prophecy, was fervently praying for the refloration of the holy city; and as he was greatly beloved by Jehovah, Gabriel is commiffioned from heaven to acquaint him with the divine orders concerning it, which had been given out at the beginning of his prayers.

"The angel comes to him, and opens his information, ch. ix. ver. 24, in terms implying, that within feventy weeks the Jews thould return from captivity, the worthip of Jehovah fhould be introduced again, and Jeremiah should be found to have been a true prophet. He then proceeds to a more circunftantial detail, and tells him,

"1. That Cyrus, who was to fend back his countrymen to their land, and to reftore Jerufalem, fhould fucceed to the throne in leven weeks.

"2. That in fixty-two weeks from his acceffion, the fireets of Jerufalem fhould be rebuilt.

86

3. That after these weeks, Cyres fhould be flain, and the Samaritans, inftigated by the edict of his fucceffor Cambyfes, and by a fpirit of revenge, should come fuddenly upon the Jews in their low condition, and lay wafle the city and the fanctuary, that fhould be building in it, and that Jerufalem should continue defolate, without a temple and without walls, till the fecond year of Darius Hyftafpes, a time of profound peace throughout the Perfian empire, when it should begin to rife again out of its ruins.

4. That in the first week after the fixty-two, or the feventieth from the vifion, the temple should be founded, and many of the Jews be encouraged by this, to expect the firm re-establishment of their covenant with Jehovah, but that in the midst of the week the Samaritans fhould oblige them to defit from their worship, by polluting the altar that bad been fet up about fever months defore, which should remain deferted and unhallowed, till the death of Cambyfes, the enemy of the Jews, who was to perish miferably."

CCXVIH.

Review of New CCXVIII. Bedukab,or the Self-devoted, an Indian Paftoral 25. 63. Dodley.

The Gentoo women of particular cafts, it is well known, burn themselves on the deceafe of their husbands. So dreadful a facrifice is urged on, oftentimes, not merely by the dictates of reflection, cuftom, and their religion, but also of pride and vanity, which our author here hath justly defcribed. In the fecond canto, we behold her advancing to the facrifice, which is thus poetically reJated.

Bright Phoebus now emerging from the
main

Had fhot his luftre o'er the crouded plain,
When young Bedukah (uch the victim's

• Timantbes, a celebrated Grecian painter. By one of thofe fudden thoughts which denote fuperior genius, be gained particular applause by his facrifice of Iphigenia: for, though the greatest mafter of bis art, be attempted not to pourtray the features of Agamemnon; but, threeing a veil over what he did not think poffible to do juftice to, left the fpectator to imagine the diftraction of a father who was eye witness of the violent death of a darling daughter.

+ Mag. for 1774, P. 450.

POETICAL ESSAYS.

704

POETICAL ESSAYS in APPENDIX, 1776.

Phoebus forefend-left he new dangers run,
And rife, like Icarus, too near the fun;
On waxen pinions just about to fink,
On his own rafhnefs then too late he'll
think,

And drown in a black fea of—critic's ink!

Ye gentle, feeling, female hearts, be kind! A foldier fues !-his brows with laurels bind!

In this your empire, your protection yield!
At life's expence-he'll pay you in the field!
Nor fighting battles, nor befieging towns,
He dreads and only trembles at your
frowns!

But hold! our author bade me fay one
word

To all his honour'd brothers of the fword!
He begs by them this night to be befriended;
And bids me promife (this great bus'nefs
ended)

He'll gladly re-affume the fafh once more,
If they his priftine rank will then restore,
Nor deem him a 'deferter from the corps!

O could the mufe one fimple moral teach! From fcenes like thefe, which all who heard might reach!

-Thou child of fympathy-whoe'er thou art,
Who, with Affyria's queen, haft wept thy
part-

Go fearch, where keener woes demand relief,
Go-while thy heart yet beats with fancy's

grief;

Thy lip ftill confcious of the recent figh,
The graceful tear still ling'ring in thy eye-
Go-and on real mifery bestow

The blefs'd effufion of fictitious woe!—

So fhall our mule, fupreme of all the nine, Deferve, indeed, the title of-divine ! Virtue fhall own her favour'd from above, And pity-greet her-with a fifter's love!

WINTER. An O DE.

To Mifs Sc—————————

O more the morn, with tepid rays,

N Unfolds the flow'r with varicus hat;

Noon Spreads no more the genial blaze,
Nor gentle eve distills the dew,

The ling'ring hours prolong the night,
Ufurping darkness fhades the day,
Her mifts reftrain the force of light,
And Phœbus holds a doubtful sway,
By gloomy twilight, half reveal'd,
With fighs we view the hoary hill,
The leaflefs wood, the naked field,
The fnow-tip'd cot and frozen rill.
No mufic warbles thro' the grove,
Nor vivid colours paint the green;
No more with devious fteps I rove,
Thro' verdant paths now fought in vain.
Aloud the driving tempeft roars,
Congeal'd impetuous show'rs defcend:
Hafte! clofe the windows, bar the doors,
Fate leaves me Sukey and a friend.
In nature's aid let art fupply
With light and heat my little fphere;
Roufe, roufe the fire, and pile it high,
Light up a conftellation here.
Let mufick found the voice of joy,
Or mirth repeat the jocund tale;
Let love his wanton wiles employ,
And o'er the feafon punch prevail.
Yet time life's dreary winter brings,
When mirth's gay tale can please no morej
No mufic charm, tho' Sukey fings,
No love nor punch the spring refio
Catch! O'catch the tranfient hour,
Improve cach moment as it flies:
Life's a fhort fummer, man's a flow'r,
No fooner blown, but fades and dies.
R. E

INDE X

TO THE

PARLIAMENTARY HISTORY,

TO THE

ESSAYS ON VARIOUS SUBJECTS,

AND TO THE

Domestic and Foreign Occurrences, for the Year 1776.