Sr4 
abe Neceffity of Meral Difcipline im Prifons, 
as preliminar. ry to the Religious Infiructisz of 
Offenders,’ &c.do great honour to his 
Feart. 
PoETRY- 
We confider it as highly creditable to 
she tafte of the public, that of late three 
feveral editions fhould have been demand- 
ed of the.“ Poems,” of Mr. CowPer, 
‘whofe exquifite fancy, whofe'chafte and 
diclicate tafte, whofe refined feeling, and 
eultivated underftanding, place him fore- 
snoft in the choir of poetic {pirits: of the 
moral effufions of Mr. CooPer, and all 
Sis effufions are moral, it may be faid, 
that as their obje&t is, fo alfo is their fs 
eG, 
‘To wake the foul by tender ftrokes of art, 
‘To raife the genius, and to mend the heart. 
‘The Rev J. H. Topp has publithed, cus 
motis Variorum, a new edition of Comus: 
=t contains much new matter, though 
perhaps of a nature not gener ally i intereft- 
mg: a very minute account is given of 
the early and recondite annals of Gudiow 
Caftle; in which Comus was performed ; 
and feveral particulars concerning the 
Bridgewater tamily, three of whomacted 
parts in the mafque, together with a copi- 
ous biogr aphical memoir of Henry 
Lawes, who- performed the part of the 
Spirit, and fet the fongs to mufic. By 
COE oe of his grace, Mr. Topp has 
gaatified the public with a complete copy 
ef Comus, taken from an original MS. 
belenging to the duke of Bridgewater’s 
Ribrary at Afhridge. This muft be con- 
Sdered asa valuable curiolity. We can- 
mot fay that Mr. BupworTuH’s “ Win- 
aérmere” contributed much to revive in 
@ur memories the fcenery round that 
<charming lake, among which we have 
rambled many a carelefs, many a happy 
hour + it is beyond the powers ef Mr. 
BupWorRTH, to make the herbage, the 
hills, and the vallies, 
Eive in defcription, and look green in fong. 
We have read Mr. MAURICE’S “ Crifis”’ 
with feelings rather of pity than of indig- 
vation, that he fhould fuffer himielf = 
ee fo hurried aw ay by the intemperance of 
his paflions, as to forfeit the character 
which becomes him as a man andasa 
ehriftian. The Rev. Mr. Maurice here 
founds the trumpet for eternal war with 
France: heisthe open: advocate for ** un- 
extineuifhable animofity !”’ To prove that 
wwe do not flander this preacher of Chrift’s 
= and forgiving golpel, we fhall tran- 
eribe the following lines 3 they are ad- 
ae 
Retrofpect of Domeftic Literature....Poetry. 
{Sur. 
dreffed to Britons; but, Britons wil} 
fhudder at fuch horrible impiety : 
‘¢ True to the charge which God and Nature 
gave, 
View, asa wall of brafs, that rampire wave ¢ 
Still ft the < warding jeield, the hoftile lance, 
Concord with all the world, but war with France. 
Her threats defpife, her proffer’d friendjbip [pu nz 
Immortal let your rooted batred burn!” 
For fhame—-in what page did Thomas 
Paine ever offer a more grof{s infult to 
chriftianity than thisis? Mrs. MoNTE- 
LIEU has tranflated, (though anonymous- 
ly) “* The Gardens,” trom the Freach of. 
the Abbé de Lille, with a degree of 
fpirit, elegance, and. fidelity, that does 
credit to her tafte and poetic talents: this 
volume is embellifned with vignettes from 
the exquifite graver of BaRTOLOZZI. 
The author of an “ Epifile in Rhyme to 
M. G. Lewis, Efg.” &c. is a man of 
fome fancy and genius: his lines are ma- 
ny of them -** deep, majettic, fmooth, 
and firong :”> we differ from him, wi idely 
as the eaft is from the weft, concerning 
the merits of- Mr. LEwis’s productions. 
“< Extracts from ibe Works of thé meft cele- 
brated Italian Poeis: with tranflations by 
admired Engh/> Auipers:” the felection 
is good, and the volume entertaining. 
<< Coome Ellex,” is a romantic {pot in 
Radnorfhire; its beauties have lately 
been celebrated by Mr. BOWLES, a gen- 
tleman of high poetic talents; it is Mr. 
Bow es’s firft Effay in blank verfe, 
and does kim great eredit. Mr. BOWLEs, 
aware ofthe ink pid monotony of mere 
defcription, has ‘intermingled with the 
happieft effet, many moral effufions and 
religious fentiments ; by this means he 
has imparted a folemnity to his poem 
which adorns and dignifies it. ‘¢ Elegy 
ou a much-loved Niece; with a Hymn from 
the Ethiopic, by Eufebius 3” thele are ele- 
gant and pathetic. Abeee long filence, 
our old friend PETER PiNDAR “has once 
again enlivened us with his mufe: the 
«© Tales of the Hoy’ have that ftrange 
mixture of fentiment and humour, whisk 
diftinguifhes the productions of this 
writer. The author of * Lyrical Baj- 
lads, has attempted to imitate the ftyle 
of our old Englifh verfifiers, with unu- 
fual fuecels; ‘ ©The Auncient Mariners,” 
however, on ahich he particularly prides 
himfelt, is in owr opinion, a particular 
exception; fome of his pieces are beauti- 
ful, but cthers are ftiff and laboured, 
Mr. CotTrie’s ‘Malvern Hills isa poem, 
which does not by any means difcredit 
the tranflator of the Edda. (fee our laft 
retrofpest) Mr, AnsT1e has publithed 
a Latin 
