would be the Public Good :—and though there would, nay there must be a frequent difference in opinions, yet neither artifice nor malevolence would be employed in the fupport of them. The victorious party would not be infolent with fuccefs, nor would they who failed retire from the conflict pale with difappointment and growling forth revenge. But as this, I fear, is rather the vifion of a fanciful mind than a true and faithful representation of any thing which actually does or will exift; we muit fuffer it, though perhaps reluctantly, to pass away, and apply to lefs pleafing realities for affistance in our reafonings upon the fubject.

If then the spirit of party be a fpirit of violence, it does not require any great fagacity to determine, that reafon and the cool fuggeftions of deliberative wisdom can have little connection with it. Paffion and prejudice will be its prevailing directors, and that they will ever lead it to good muft depend upon accident, and is rather the object of our idle wishes, than of any rational expectation.It might, however, be reasonably imagined, that violence opposed to violence would foon find an end;-but, like the wandering tribes of Arabia, when driven away by fuperior power, or having exhaufted all the produce of its local habitation, it fhifts its ground, and goes in fearch of another spot, where it may luxuriate in plenty.-Ministerial power may, for a time, and in particular cafes, give an effectual check to the flames of oppofing faction; but, on the firft fupply of fuel, the lumbering embers will rekindle with more than redoubled fury. -Here then the utility, and even neceffity, of a moderating power appears with irresistible evidence, not only to prevent public diffentions from continuing their mifchief, but to avail itself of them in fuch a manner as to produce

good. When the contending parties become wearied with contention; when the fame fubjects have been confidered, and the fame arguments fupported even to fatiety; when, fore with alternate fcourgings, they languish for repofe, and this will fometimes happen; a favourable opportunity prefents itself for men of moderation to enforce fome falutary measure, and to effectuate, if poflible, fome general, comprehenfive plan for the service of their country.

The man of party is a man of violence, and fees every thing through a medium tinged with prejudice. The man of moderation is a man of reason, and deliberates before he determines to act. The measures of the former, arifing from the force of paffion, are hafty, inconfiderate, and frequently injurious to the cause he means to ferve; while those of the latter, being the refult of a wife and calm furvey of what he is about to do, in all its connections and confequences, are decifive and effectual.-The one acts upon the narrow ground of private cabal, or rests his power on the weak bafis of partial affociation; while the other liftens not to any cabal, nor turns his attention to any man or set of men. whatever, but deliberates without prejudice, and determines from his own mature judgement.-The man of party is ever on the wing, always hurried and easily enflamed, catching at every opportunity to declare his opinions, and using every means to enforce them; while the man of moderation is never inattentive to his duty, though he is not always in the actual exercife of it :-he never steps forth to action, but when the occafion demands his services;—at such a season, with an independent spirit and a calm dignity, he comes forward, fecure of an useful and commanding influence.

JOURNAL.

he continued here, and lately decamped for the continent. This character was well fuftained by Mr. Baddeley.

COVENT-GARDEN.

Saturday evening, April 17, a new comic opera was performed, called Robin-Ilod, or Sherwood Foreft.

We are the more inclined to be favourable to the productions of dramatic genius, as we fee it daily harraffed by writers, who proba bly have not been well received by the Public, and who attend the theatre "To take their revenge upon the coming " scenes :

"For that damn'd poet's fpar'd who damns " a brother,

"As one thief 'scapes that executes another."

Mr. M' Nally, the author of this opera, has judiciously formed his fable on the fa

vourite

vourite and well-known traditions concerning Robin-Hood, Goldfmith's Edwin and Angelina, &c. &c. For it is truly obferved, that with us the art of framing fables, as well as apologues and allegories, which was fo frequent among the writers of antiquity, feems to be, like the art of painting upon glafs, but little practifed, and in a great meafure loft."

The characters of Robin-Hood and Clorinda; of Edwin and Angelina; of Little John, Ruttekin, &c. are drawn with confiderable skill: What painters call the Coftumé is generally preferved, without placing the perfons of the drama quite out of the knowledge of the audience. If Mr. M'Nally is fometimes defective in this refpect, it is owing to his defire to correct modern abufes; and, with many people, the defign will juftify the error. Of this kind are his farcaftic and fevere allufions to the practices of our law courts. It was (lately) the triumph of Lord Loughborough, that, amidst the exceffes of licentioufnefs against every thing good and venerable (another phrase for the complaints of virtue against atrocious oppreffions), the Judges and the administration of the laws had efcaped. We always thought it a pity they should efcape; and the unanimous and heart-felt approbation given by the audience to the farcaftic allufions of Mr. M'Nally on the fubject, furnishes a pre

fumption, that the public opinion of the manner of conducting our civil tranfactions is not much more favourable than that which muft be entertained of all our political meafures, and all our political men.

Many of the fongs have been felected from English and Irish ballads, and applied to the purpose of the present drama.

The mufic has been partly compiled, and partly compofed by Mr. Shields; and it is not neceffary to inform many of our readers, that it furnishes the most affecting and most charming portion of the entertainment.

Both the writer and compofer have shewn confiderable addrefs in fuiting the parts and mufic to the particular talents of the principal performers; who made the best return, by doing the utmost juftice to their several parts.

Though we are of opinion the management of our theatres for the laft ten years has been on injudicious and impolitic principles; whether by mistake or defign, we are not competent, or even folicitous, to determine; yet it must be allowed that, at Covent-Garden, when pieces are taken up, they are introduced in a liberal manner. The dreffes, fcenes, and decorations of Robin-Hood were prepared with attention and expence; and we have no doubt that the Manager will be amply repaid.

MR

R. Gainsborough having been refused an indulgence in placing fome important Pictures, which has been generally allowed, especially to eminent artifts, it is faid has in confequence occafioned his feceffion from the prefent year's Exhibition. But though it will doubtlefs be much lamented by every admirer of the arts, and friend to genius, that Gainfborough fhould, either through pique or provocation, have withdrawn the productions of his all-powerful pencil, men of candour will agree, that the fhew is fuch as does credit to the inftitution, and proves the Royal Academicians to make rapid ftrides towards that degree of excellence, which will not more redound to the fame and fortune of the individual Artists, than to the credit of their Country.- -In the prefent Exhibition, Sir Joshua Reynolds ftands fo proudly pre-eminent, that it adds to our regret, that Gainfborough fhould not have kept his ground, when he would, doubtless, have shared the

Arift. Poet. Cap. iv.

prize of public applaufe with the President, and have afforded good ground for folid and fubftantial doubts, which of the two deserved the better half. Circumftanced as the Exhi

bition of this year stands, Sir Joshua bears the palm away with an uplifted arm from all competitors. Not that the writer of this article means to infinuate that there are no other excellent pictures in the exhibition than thofe of the Prefident.Mr Weft certainly is entitled to a very confpicu ous place in the roll of fuperior artists, from his pictures of this year. His three paintings for his Majefty's chapel, the Call of the Prophet Ifaiah, Mofes receiving the Law on Mount Sinai, and the Call of the Prophet Jeremiah, do him infinite honour. They are not only marked with all his wonted strength, correctnefs, and propriety of defign and colouring, but fraught with a peculiar fpirit and glow of animation. The figure of Mofes is fublime, and the whole of the picture ex

tremely

tremely beautiful and uncommony noble.The Apotheofis of the two young Princes alío has great merit, particularly the countenance of the Angel. Sir Joshua has fome admirable portraits his Mrs. Siddons is a grand picture, and approaches to fublimity. Mr. Loutherbourg has this year no less than ten pictures, and all of them capital pieces. Dominick Serres has feveral fea pieces, each extremely masterly. Mr. Elmer has five, Mr. Chamberlin five, and Mr. Northcote three pictures. Mr. Opie has eight pictures-his School has great merit, but his peculiarity of colouring may create prejudices against him, and in fome fort counterpoife the weight of his abilities.

As it is our intention to take another opportunity of noticing the prefent Exhibition of the Royal Academy, we shall take our leave for the prefent with barely remarking, that Mr. Hone has five pictures, each of them poffeffing great merit; that the Lady in the protection of the Comic Mufe, by Mr. Richard Cofway, is the portrait of Mrs. Cowley, very fpirited, and a strong refemblance. In the lower room Mr. Bacon has one, and Mr. Nollekens three excellent pieces of sculpture; there are alfo many admirable drawings, among which Mr. Rowlandfon's Italian Family, Vauxhall, and Serpentine River, ftand confpicuous for genuine humour. Leverton's two defigns do him credit.

ourfelves enabled to prefent our readers with the representation of a monument erected at the public expence, to celebrate a man whose name will ever be held in veneration by a grateful, admiring, and enlightened people. As the tribute of public gratitude, now difplayed in Westminster Abbey to the memory of Lord Chatham, will remain to after-ages as an honourable teftimony to the merit of departed worth, fo it will at the fame time ferve as a memorial to mark to pofterity the improvement and perfection of the arts in Great Britain at the present time. Roman virtue is here eternized by Grecian elegance. Sculpture derives credit, and communicates immortality at the fame inftant. We record with exultation, that the prefent monument, worthy of ancient Greece, has been produced by a person who is indebted to no foreign aid for his diftinguished reputation. Mr. Bacon may here boldly call upon his contemporaries, to equal the prefent effort of his art, fearless of a competitor, and confident in the fuccefs of his challenge.

This excellent monument was opened on the 9th of March, 1784. It contains fix figures, and yet the idea on which it is defigned is the fimpleft poffible. Lord Chatham, with Prudence and Fortitude on a farcophagus, Occupy the upper part; the lower groupe confites of Britannia, feated on a rock, with the Ocean and the Earth at her feet, by which is exhibited the effect of his wifdom and fortitude in the greatnefs and glory of the

liamentary robes; he is in the action of speaking, the right hand thrown forward and elevated, and the whole attitude strongly ex. preffing that species of oratory for which his Lordship was fo juftly celebrated. Prudence has her usual symbols, a ferpent twisted round a mirror; Fortitude is characterised by the fhaft of a column, and is clothed in a lion's skin. The energy of this figure strongly contrafts the repofe and contemplative character of the figure of Prudence; Britannia, as miftrefs of the fea, holds in her right hand the trident of Neptune; Ocean is entirely naked, except that his fymbol the dolphin is fo managed that decency is perfectly fecured with the leaft poffible detriment to the ftatue : his action is agitated, and his countenance fevere, which is oppofed by the utmost cafe in the figure of the Earth, who is leaning on a terrestrial globe, her head crowned with fruit, which alfo lies in fome profufion on the plinth of the ftatue. The infcription is as follows:

Erected by the King and Parliament,
As a Teftimony to
The Virtues and Ability
of

WILLIAM PITT, Earl of CHATHAM;
During whofe Administration

Divine Providence

Exalted Great Britain

To an Height of Profperity and Glory Unknown to any former Age.

For