This filly poor man proved to be a fly rogue, who ran off with the daughter in the night, and left the gudewife to deplore her credulity, and curfe the traitors. Christ's Kirk on the Green is a defcription of a country wake, which began in mirth and dancing, and ended in more rude and boisterous amusements. Bishop Gibfon publifhed an edition of 'it in 1691, and illuftrated it with notes. Much, however, was left unexplained; and Mr. Callander hath undertaken to fupply the deficiencies, as well as correct the mistakes of the learned Bishop. He appears to be deeply verfed in the Saxon language; though he runs too much into whimfical refinement and fpeculation, and makes things doubtful by his attempt to illuftrate them. This work is only published as a fpecimen of a larger and more important undertaking. If it fhould meet with the approbation of the learned, the Editor intends to favour the Public with a full collection of all the Scottish poems which appeared before the 17th century, illuftrated with notes in the manner of those which accompany the prefent work. In the Preface and Notes the learned Editor endeavours to eftablish what he calls a fyftem of rational etymology: this confifts in deriving the words of every language from the radical founds of the firft, or original tongue, as it was fpoken by Noah and the builders of Babel. Many of those are preserved, he thinks, in the several dialects now in ufe over this globe, and every day brings more of thofe roots to our knowledge, as we grow better acquainted with the languages fpoken by the feveral tribes of mankind. The Editor propofes to publish a large collection of thefe radical terms under the title of a Scoto-Gothic Gloffary. To relieve the Reader from the tedious uniformity of etymological difquifition, fome obfervations on the manners and cuftoms of the Scots in the middle ages are interfperfed, and will prove very entertaining to the curious. ART. XIV. Mifcellanies, by Mr. Pratt. Crown 8vo. 4 Vols. 14s. fewed. Becket. 1785. CONTENTS. Vol. I. SYMPATHY, a Poem; revifed from the fixth Edition: cenfured and commended in the 65th volume of our Review. The Art of rifing on the Stage, a Poem;' in three Cantos: not deftitute of pleafantry. Poems from the Annual Regifter.'- Poems from Liberal Opinions;' one of our Author's earliest works, published under the affumed name of Courtney Melmoth: See Rev. vols. 52, 55, and 56.• Poems from Emma Corbet; a work well fpoken of in Rev. vol. 63. Prologues, Epilogues, Epitaphs,' and A Poem to the Prince of Wales;' to whom alfo this collection is dedicated. Vol. II. Prize Poems, written for the Vafe at Bath-Easton.' Of the general merit of the Bath-Eafton poetry, we have frequently fpoken. Theron, a Tale;' and a confiderable number of Mifcellaneous Verfes.'- School for Vanity, a Comedy, as reprefented at the Theatre-Royal in Drury Lane;' condemned [no fingular cafe] without a fair trial-but not with the unanimous affent of the houfe. The piece, certainly, merited an entire representation, and an impartial hearing, on the first night, at leaft. Vol. III. confifts of Moral Tales,'-not improperly named, nor ill calculated for general entertainment, and the inftruction of young readers. Vol. IV. Continuation of the Moral Tales;' with effays on various fubjects. Of the merits of this lively but unfubftantial writer, we have already, on former occafions, delivered our opinion; an opinion not formed at random, nor taken up in hafte: it was the cool decifion of deliberate, impartial examination.-A review of the prefent collection hath confirmed that decision, and fully juftified the fentence we paffed-and paffed with reluctance, because, in refpect of his private character, we have heard fo advantageous a report of Mr. Pratt, that we should, no doubt, very much efteem him as a man, whatever we might think of the Author. The copiousness and variety of the contents of thefe volumes are proofs of the Author's facility of compofition; and when we take into the account his other numerous productions, we cannot but give him credit for that fertility of invention which is faid to endow fome poets with the happy talent of writing a thousand lines a day. The ornaments with which Mr. Pratt hath fet off his multifarious fubjects, whether in profe or verfe, will not fail to please the generality of readers; but to perfons of tafte and judgment they will be lefs fatisfactory. They want fimplicity; they glitter with falfe fplendor: which may captivate at a diftance, but will offend, on a nearer inspection. Though a degree of infipidity and affectation are the prevailing characteristics of fome of this Author's performances, yet fingle paffages may frequently be extracted, that feem to indicate genius. But when thofe paffages are compared with others of a different ftamp, we are apt to wonder how they exift, and whence they proceed! Like the equivocal corrufcations that fometimes play upon the fkirts of night, they only ferve to make the furrounding darkness more visible. B ART. ART. XV. A Poetic Epifle to a Curate. By Jofiah Thomas, A. B. 4to. 2s. 6d. Faulder. 1786. TH HIS is the natural effufion of an honeft and cultivated mind. Though the writer has the modefty to disclaim all expectation of diftinction as a poet, the following lines will give our Reader no unfavourable impreffion both of his genius and tafte: Retirement, hail!-thy hofpitable fhade, How would the Mufe th' immortal theme prolong, Retirement, hail! though ridicul'd by Pride, Sublime thy joys, however difavow'd By Instinct's herd, the profligate and proud. Though round thy bower no pompous buildings ftare, Nor Tafte's capricious vanities be there; Within the sweet recefs Truth loves to dwell; And meek Simplicity adorns the cell: Learning the volume of the world difplays, "Holds her high converfe with the mighty Dead." • Retirement, hail! beneath thy fostering care From thee the POET-whofe illumin'd page 'BLEST is his lot, from Vice, from Folly free, To him the clamour but one forrow brings, • When, darting radiance o'er the brightening fky, When Evening hovers, in her noiseless car, What time the Star, that bids the dews arife, There, while each paffion calm'd, and wish refin'd, The couplet, When evening hovers,' &c. in the above quo tation, is highly poetical. The Author will, we hope, find fuf ficient inducement to perfevere in facrificing to the Muses. E. ART. XVI. Ξενοφώντα. Απομνημονευμάτων βιβλια δ. XENOPHONTIS Memorabilium SOCRATIS Dictorum Libri 4. Recenfuit, Notis illuftrait, variifque Lectionibus auxit EDVARDUS EDWARDS, S. T. P. et non ita pridem Coll. Jefu Oxon. Socius. OxONII, è Typographeo Clarendoniano. Proftant apud J. Fletcher, &c. Sold by Rivington, London. 8vo. 6s. 1785. F Dr. Edwards, our Readers will not think unfavourably, when they are told, that, on fubjects of Greek literature, he was the correspondent of Taylor, and the antagonist of Johnfon. That he deferved the friendship of the one, and was able to combat the arguments of the other, the edition of Xenophon, now offered to the Public, affords no inconfiderable proof. To the very learned and judicious Dr. Owen we are indebted for the Preface, the contents of which we shall lay before our Readers. While Dr. Edwards was living, the Greek text and Latin tranflation were printed. The notes and various readings were committed to the care of his friend Dr. Owen, a little before his death. The notes are drawn from the manufcript papers U 2 of of Dr. E.; and the various readings are taken from eleven manufcripts, which he had procured from foreign librarians, and which he was prevented from examining, by that illness which terminated in his diffolution. Three of the manufcripts are in the Vatican Library at Rome, five in the Medicæan Library at Florence, and three in the Royal Library at Parts. The oldeft Vatican manufcript is of the 14th century: the oldest Medicæan is of the 13th; and the oldest Parifian is of the 11th. The references to the Vatican are, Vat. 1. 2. 3. To the Medicæan, Cod. A. B. C. D. E. To the Parifian, Cod. Paris. 1. 2. 3. The eight Italian manufcripts are perfect. Of the Parifian manufcripts, the first contains the two fift books of the Memorabilia; the fecond has only the fourth book; and the third contains the first and fecond books, and the greater part of the third. The Parisian manufcripts are collated throughout, the reft only in felect paffages, and particularly in thofe, which have embar raffed men of learning, and have given rife to conjectural emendation, or philological controverfy." To the foregoing extracts from Dr. Owen's Preface, we shall fubjoin the concluding paragraph; because it is equally diftinguished by delicacy of fentiment and elegance of diction: "Hoc opus, amico vice fufceptum, nunc tandem eâ, quâ potui, fide et diligentiâ perfeci; quod quidem fuperftes ipfe melius multo perfeciffet. Tuum eft igitur, candide lector, ut noftrum hoc officium qualecumque amico fatis functo præftitum æqui bonique confulas. Vale." In a concife and well-written addrefs from Dr. Edwards to the Reader, we are informed, that he had endeavoured to make the text correct, and the tranflation perfpicuous: that he had prepared an index of the heads of the different chapters: that he intended to fubjoin a few notes of his own: and that his object, both in the index and in the notes, was to elucidate the real meaning of his author, and to eftablish a pofition, which had been overlooked by all modern fcholars, hunc nempe libelTo the illuftration lum philofophiæ moralis fyftema continere. of this pofition the index is judiciously accommodated, and our Readers may recollect, that Dr. E. published a full and elaborate defence of his opinion, in the year 1773, under the following title; The Socratic Syftem of Morals, as delivered in Xenophon's Memorabilia *. The tranflation is clear and exact, and is printed immediately under the text of the original. The propofed emendations are often placed at the bottom of the page. To the work itself are fubjoined the notes, printed in a fmaller letter, and extended through 24 pages. Then follow the different readings, in 15 pages, diftinguished by references to the manufcripts from * See an account of this little tract in our Rev. vol. xlix. p. 72. |