Retro/peF of Domeftic Literature....Poetry. 
ehildren of the brave men who fell on 
that memorable day of viétory, a Song of 
the Battle of the Nile. This lyrical com- 
pofition will in no degree derogate from 
the reputation which its author has long 
fince enjoyed; it is a wild, irregular 
poem, the wor ication is eauiiats, 
and the imagery fometimes fublime. Mr. 
Sotheby’s Barile of the Nile is a poem 
which does credit to his mufe; it were 
fuperfluous to praife it as a compofition ; 
and if many of the fentiments be very 
repugnant to our feelings, as we have no 
room for difcuffion, we thal! not take upon 
us to condemn them. 
The extravagant and indifcriminate pa- 
negyric in Mr. Harrat’s Monody on the 
Beath of Mr. Fobn Palmer the Comedian, 
makes it ridiculous; Mr. H. has prefixed 
to this piece of Pindaric areview of his 
theatrical powers, with obfervations on 
pike oi eminent performers on the Lon- 
fiage. Itis fuch a review as, we are 
it will gain him more enemies than 
friends. 
Milfs Dave’s Pacms on various Subjeés 
evince much tafte, feeling, and itagina- 
tion: they have a ftill flronger claim to 
our approbation, as having a moral and 
benevelent tendency: Mifs D. has been _ 
introduced to us before, and we hope 
to cultivate the acquaintance ftill fur- 
ther. 
Theodora, or the Gamefier’s Progrefs, iS 
the production of fome one, who, in all 
probability, would have made the tale a 
very interefting and ufeful one, had he 
contented himfelf with writing itin profe : 
its intereft is entirely defiroyed, and its 
uulity, in confequence, in a great meafure 
fo, by the unfortunate attempt of the au- 
thor to verfify. 
Mis. Moopy’s Poetic Trifles, as the 
diffidently calls them, are many of them 
extremely beauuful and delicate ; they 
difplay ftrong fenfe and feeling : Mrs. M. 
however, is very unfuccefsful in her at- 
tempts to write blank verfe. 
Sidney, a Monody, ocenfioned by the Lofs 
of ibe Viceroy Packet, in her Paffage from 
Liverpool to Dublin, in December, 1798. 
There is fo much mechanical forrow in 
thefe lines, as to render them ridicu- 
lous. 
The firft part is publithed of The Pa- 
trons of Genius, a fatirical Poem, witb 
Anecdotes of their Dependants, Votaries, and 
Toad- Faters. This is executed with great 
ability: the author, however, feems to 
have one of th fe cauflic, acrimonious tem- 
pers, which nothing can delight. He 
hiehis with a two-edped fword: the fore- 
ment. 
537 
ftroke cuts a whig, and the back-ftroke a 
tory. 
Henry and Acafio is a moral tale, in 
three parts, by the Rev. Brian HILt, 
exhibiting the various temptations to 
which young men are incident, and foli- 
citoufly warning them to withftand them. 
The object and tendency of this tale are 
excellent, nor is the execution of it def{pi- 
cable; the fame remark is precifely appli- 
cable to the I7i/h Boy, a ballad, dedicated 
to thofe, who, without any diftinétion of 
party, fubfcribe for the relief of the wi- 
dows and orphans whom the calamities of 
Ireland have reduced to poverty. 
Mr. Roscog, whofe cultivated tafte 
and fine imagination have often delighted 
us, has tranflated Zhe Nurfe, a poem, 
from the Italian of Luigi Tanfilo. The 
original, as a preceptive poem on one of 
the moft important of fubjects, 1s recom- 
mended by the utility of its advice: the 
tranflation, to this folid excellence, has fu- 
peradded all the beauty which poetry, on 
fuch a fubjeét, could beftow. Mr. R.- 
with great propriety, has infcribed this 
work, im an elegant and affeCtionate fon- 
net, to Mrs. Roscoe, from whom eight 
babes have drawn their earlieft nourth- 
Mr. ANDERSON’s Poems on various. 
Suljecis rife but little above mediocrity : 
there are no pretenfions, however, to fub- 
limity ; there are no pompous words and 
high-flown metaphors ; there is nothing, 
in fhort, which is in any degree offen- 
Ne on the contrary, the eafe and fim- 
plicity which diftinguifh them excite our 
intereft. 
Mr. CHEetTHAM, in the pamphlet of 
Poems which he has juft publithed, has 
attempted a fpecies of compofition ta 
which he is very unequal, namely, the 
ode; his fonnets and Anacreontics are 
pleafing and (pirited. 
Mr. RALPH was a clergyman in Cum- 
berland: here he refided, furrounded by 
the moft romantic [cenery of which Eng- 
land has to boaft. The inftruétion of 
youth was his ferious employment, and the 
cultivation of a poetic genius was his 
amufement. The volume, which has juft 
appeared, of his Poems, was certainly not 
intended by the author for publication ; 
the MSS. were left in the hands of a lady 
at his death (which was upwards of half 
acentury fince), who printed a few copies 
of them; and the prefent editor was in- 
duced to republifh them, by the earneft 
defire of feveral perfons who venerated the 
memory of the author, to whom they 
were indebted for inftrygtion in their 
youth. 
