fach efforts of puffing, will be infufficient to fupport the delufion for any long period.

At the fame time we must acknowledge, with refpect to the poem itself, that it has a confiderable fhare of Hudibraftic drollery. The author is particularly happy (with a few exceptions) in his ludicrous. compounded rhymes, and has many other qualities to enfure no trifling fuccefs in doggerel verfe. For inftance:

Again,

For I could quote, with flippant cafe,
Grave Galen, and Hippocrates,

Brown, Cullen, Sydenham, and fuch men,
Befides a foal of learned Dutchmen.” P. z.
For bottled urine has, no doubt,
In public mails been frank'd about
(A thing there must be monstrous trouble in)
To London, as it were, from Dublin.
That fuch a man as Doctor Mayerfbach
(Such things took place not many years back}
May view this Uric oxyd's batis,

And tell exactly what the cafe is." P. 11.

"Why fcream the bats, why hoot the owls!
While Darwin's midnight bull-dog howls!
Say what portends this mighty rumpus,

To fright our fenfes out of compass!" P. 31.

We cannot but regret to fee fo much ingenious burlefque wafted upon fo unworthy a fubject; but if the poem is written by the proprietor of the pateat himfelf (and who elfe could think it worth while?) he has at least the refource, when his noftrum fhall be out of date, of courting the comic Mufe for a livelihood; unless the temporary credulity of a few fhould place him above neceffity.

Why the poem is printed in the form of ftanzas we cannot guess. It is mere Hudibraltic measure. There are many notes, fome of which are humorous; but the humour is generally coarfe, and anger often boils over in them.

ART. 16. Floribelle, or the Tale of the Forefter. A Ballad, in Four Parts, in Imitation of the ancient Style. 4to. 15. 6d. Kirby. 1803..

This is the most good-humoured, chit-chat, funny fort of an oldnew ballad that we ever faw. The old father lofes his children, the young man lofes his fitter, the lover lofes his miftrefs; and they all meet as comfortably together, at their papa's fire-fide in a winter night, as if nothing had happened. The whole ends with a wedding and a country dance.

ART. 17. The Return of Fitzfbert. A Poem, in Three Books. 12mo. 25. Crosby. 1803.

The author confeffes himself a tradefman; and it is a great pity, whatever his trade may be, that he does not rather attend to it, than

to the Mufes. Neither do his principles feem to promife him much greater credit: fpeaking of the Irish Rebellion, he fays,

But right was crufhed by power."

As a poet, he has given himself so just a character, that we have only to tranfcribe it.

"The language, though fometimes ftrong, is far from being uni formly fmooth; too frequently, if not generally, harsh. There are, perhaps, too many inftances of negligent and profaic versification,"

&c. &c.

The young man feems to have taken a wrong bias, and we are heartily forry for him. We recommend an earnest attention to his proper butinefs, which certainly is not poetry.

ART. 18. Mifcellaneous Pieces of Poetry. By a Mechanic. Publifbed folely for the Benefit of his Mother, a poor Widow. 12mo. 15. Williams. 1803.

It is a great pity that this well meaning writer did not contrive fome better means of affitting his poor mother, as very little can be expected from this publication, which is a tiffue of enthufiaftic rhap fodies.

DRAMATIC.

ART. 19. Hear both Sides. A Comedy, in Five Arts. As it is per formed at the Theatre-Royal, Drury-Lane. By Thomas Holcroft, The Third Edition. 8vo. 90 pp. 2s. 6d. Phillips. 1803.

The moral of this play (which is implied in the title)" that we fhould not unfavourably prejudge any man before all the circumftances of his conduct are known," certainly deferves praife; as there are but few among the Comedies of the prefent day from which any important moral can be extracted. The leading character here difplayed, is a man of the most active benevolence, fo determined in the purfuit of his object, that he adopts means which (though not bad when properly understood) expofe him to much fufpicion and obloquy. He Tuffers a friend to devife to him a large fortune, and difinherit his nephew and nearest heir, in order to preferve that nephew from ruin, yielding to him the inheritance as foon as he appears fenfible of his errors and extravagance. Several other perfons in the drama experience the friendship of this man, although they fuppofed themfelves objects of his bitter enmity. This part of the plot is well conceived, though, in our opinion, it might have been better executed. Several of the characters are, like thofe of most modern dramas, unnatural, and many of the circumftances ftrikingly improbable. The dialogue is, in fome fcenes, wholly made up of fhort fentences; which, whatever their effect may be on the ftage, are difagreeable in reading. Thefe were the faults which ftruck us on the perufal, and not that which the author (in an angry Preface) complains has been afcribed to his piece by critics in the newfpapers. In that Preface, he boasts of

the

the reception which his Comedy experienced, and of which we do not think it, upon the whole, undeferving; fince, befides the merits whjoh we have already noticed, the principal character is ftrongly delineated, Tome parts of the story are interefting, and there is fome humour and vivacity, though not much of wit or elegance, in the dialogue,

ART. 20. Delays and Blunder. A Comedy, in Five Acts. As performed at the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden. 8vo. 74 PP. 2s. 6d. Longman and Rees. 1803.

Very few of the comedies (as they are called) of the prefent day, and especially of thofe produced by this writer, can be deemed proper fubjects of criticifm. The plot is feldom fuch as can be stated without difguft at the fucceffion of unnatural and abfurd events; and for character, wit, and genuine humour, trick, buftle, and cant expreffions are the almoft invariable fubftitutes. While the public tolerate, nay applaud, fuch compofitions, who can feverely blame the authors of them?

Geftit enim nummum in loculos demittere, poft hoc
Securus cadat an recto ftet fabula talo.

The piece before us is not more abfurd than its fellows, and rather more interefting, if intereft can arise from grofsly improbable circumftances. An unfortunate man, who, in a fit of desperation, had wounded his father-in-law (by whom he had been cruelly perfecuted) is confined on a charge of having murdered him. His wife is also confined, by her next relation, as a lunatic. Their daughter, who is the only witness of the fuppofed murder, hides herfelf; and the attempts to find and fubpoena her, form the principal events of the drama; which is, however, varied by the addition of feveral other characters and circumftances. It appears, in the end, that the father-in-law (though wounded) had died a natural death; that the wife is not mad; and the hufband not falfe to her, as had been reprefented. Thefe leading incidents are rather too tragic in themfelves; but there is abundance of farce to relieve them; which, if the “ incredulus odi" can be got over, may raise a laugh on the reprefentation. Who, excepting reviewers, are the readers of fuch performances, we can hardly guefs; yet we understand they produce a handsome fum on the publication.

NOVELS.

ATR. 21. The Black Knight. An hiftorical Tale of the eighth Century. Tranflated from the Original, recently published at Paris. 8vo. 1S. Neil. 1803.

This, though publifhed in a mean form and at a finall price, is an interesting Tale, and not ill told. It has the appearance of being reprinted from fome publication of more refpectable form. We never heard of the original,

ART.

ART, 22, Features of the youthful Mind; or, Tales for juvenile Reader. By Anne Stone. 12ino. 129 pp. 35. Harris and Rich ardfon. 1802.

This is a proper book for young perfons betwixt the age of five and ten years. We fhall commend it briefly, but not feebly, by saying, that the reviewer of it has fet it apart for the use of his own children, and wishes to fee the other promited volume,

MEDICINE.

ART. 3. Obfervations on the epidemical Diseases now prevailing in London; with their Divifions, Method of Treatment, Prevention, E. By Robert Hooper, M. D. 8vo.

1803.

43 PP.

15. 6d.

Murray.

The late fickly feafon has given full employment to the different members of the medical profeffion, not only in the metropolis, but over the whole kingdom. Although the varieties of difeafe have been numerous; yet à community of origin and nature has, in the opinion of moft practitioners, belonged to them all. In this point of view, there has been but one epidemic this fpring, though its complications have been numerous. The author of the prefent pamphlet, however, enumerates four difeafes as having prevailed epidemically at one and the fame time, namely, the peripneumonia vera, peripneumonia notha, catarrhus, and theumatifmus acutus. The fymptoms by which each of these attacks was accompanied, he has defcribed with much accuracy; and has fubjoined the method of treatment, as well as the appearances en diflection; his fituation, as phyfician to an Infirmary, (the Saint Mary-le-Bone,) having afforded him opportunities of opening the bodies of feveral who died of thefe different attacks. The general plan of treatment accords with that of another phyfician (Dr. Richard Pearfon) who lately published fome obfervations on the Catarrhal Epidemic, which we noticed in our Review for March laft. We perceive, however, that Dr. Hooper does not infit fo much as the author just mentioned upon evacuating the ftomach and bowels; and that he is an advocate for a more free ufe of the lancet.

ART. 24.

Quincy's Lexicon-Medicum. A new Medical Dictionary; containing an Explanation of the Terms in Anatomy, Phyfiology, Prac tice of Phyfic, Materia Medica, Sc. To which is added, a Glossary of obfolete Terms. By Robert Hooper, M. D. F. L. S. 8vo. 165. Longman and Rees. 1802.

The former edition of Quincy's Medical Dictionary abounded in old theoretical jargon, and was extremely defective in whatever reJated to phyfiology, the materia medica, and chemiry. When, therefore, the editor of the prefent edition was folicited to undertake its revifion, he thought he could not do a more acceptable office to the public, than almoft wholly to new model it. In doing this, he has

paid particular attention to the derivation of terms, to the anatomica! defcriptions, to the explanation of the ufes and functions of the ditferent parts of the body, to the nofological arrangement of diseases, and to the defcription of their fymptoms and diagnostics; and he has been careful to introduce the various improvements in the London and Edinburgh pharmacopoeias, and in modern chemistry; together with the terms employed in furgery, midwifery, &c. It may be recommended as a useful manual to the medical and chirurgical student,

ART. 25. Medical Directions, for the Ufe of Navigators and Settlers in hot Climates. By Thomas M. Winterbottom, M. D. Phyfician to the Colony at Sierra Leone. Second Edition. 12mo. 144 pp. 2s. 6d. Phillips. 1803.

The directions contained in this pocket volume appear to be the refult of an attentive observation on the effects of a hot climate upon the human conftitution; and are written in plain familiar manner, to render them more intelligible to that defcription of people, for whose use they are intended. Many judicious remarks are offered concerning the abafe of venefection, emerics, and the bark, fo frequently employed by Europeans on their arrival in tropical climates, under the erroneous idea of preventing fevers, bilious attacks, and other diforders peculiar to thofe latitudes. He aifo cautions again the finoking of tobacco, which, he is perfuaded, is prejudicial to the conftitution, and is not of the fmallelt avail in preventing contagion, In regard to diet, he does not approve of a total rejection of animal Food, which is proper for Europeans once a day, with a large proportion of vegetables. He deems it right to imitate the example of the natives of thefe climates, who ufe with their food, pretty freely, the capficum, or red pepper. For drink, Madeira and Port wine (both diluted with water) and fpruce beer, are recommended. Water alone, he obferves, does not quench the thirst; nor is it advifable for those who have been accustomed to fomething ftronger, to drink it alone. Spirits and water are bad. Temperance is ftrongly inculcated. In regard to drefs, cotton and flannel are the bell adapted to these climates. The former fhould be worn next the fkin. Going early to reft is very conducive to health on the African coaft; but fleep during the day feldom refreshes. On account of the morning fog and dews, early rifing is not fo falutary as in England and other parts of Europe; nor has cold bathing proved advantageous to the fettlers at Sierra Leone. It is of great importance to preferve, in thefe fituations, an eafy and cheerful ftare of mind. Violent gufts of paffion, or great care and anxiety, lay the foundation for a variety of diforders. By a due attention to these points, the author is perfuaded, that navigators and fettlers will be as little affected with fickness in Africa or the Weft Indies, as they are in Europe. After noticing the complaints which ufually occur on fhip-board, the author proceeds to a defcription of the feveral difeafes peculiar to the tropical regions, with the mode of treating them. Laftly, he gives a litt of medicines, with fhort reimarks on their ufes and dofes.

DIVINITY.