lowed fool, though he do nothing but rail." Then he is no slanderer-no, faith, nor fool neither; therefore let those who hang him for a fool beware that they do not find something else in the halter,

To give a pretence of necessity to these eight catch-penny pages (there are no more, though the numbering is fifteen), it is gratuitously presumed that Mrs. Fitzherbert has uttered "a complaint that her feelings have been hurt by his former mention of her name." We really believe this to be wholly unfounded in truth, and that, however that lady might feel, at least with every one else, indignant at the traitorous aspersions thrown on the heir apparent by an ungrateful sycophant, she experienced nothing but pity and contempt for the writer of all that was irrelevantly and insidiously foisted in about herself. The sun looks tranquilly down on ❝ a puddle in a storm,” and heeds not its impotent attempts to reach it with its filth. The pamphleteer quotes Shakspeare upon us-we can do the same upon him, more appositely: "Where your good word cannot advantage ker, your slander never can endamage her!”

This tract, like the former, is, considered as a literary composition, far below mediocrity. How Mr. Jeffreys set jewels, or how much alloy he put in his gold, we know not, but he certainly sets his phrases very lamely together, and most basely alloys his matter. If he persevere in this sort of authorship, we anticipate another bankruptcy, with perhaps the pillory superadded to imprisonment-a bankruptcy in the court of Apollo, and a judgment of pillory and imprisonment in the court of King's Bench.

I. Diamond cut Diamond, or Observations on a Pamphlet entitled "A Review of the Conduct of His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales," comprizing a free and impartial View of Mr. Jeffreys, as a Tradesman, Politician, and Courtier, during a Period of twenty Years. By Philo-Veritas. 8vo. pp. 67. 3s. Chapple. 1806. II. A Letter to Nathaniel Jeffreys, on the Subject of his Pamphlet entitled " A Review, &c," with an Examination into the Motives of his Publication, and its probable Consequences. 8vo. pp. 36. Mawman.

1806.

THAT the“ indocti doctique," should become volunteers in this cause is not wonderful, but it would rather be a matter of surprise if, on the occasion of a libelled prince and a slandered lady, “more sinn'd against than sinning," ten thousand pens did not leap from their stands, and wear themselves out in a service so full of gallantry and truth. Both these pamphlets possess the merit of

stating facts, and, by clear inference, shewing the weakness and wickedness of Mr. Jeffreys" allegations. The former, however, is the true diamond, the latter the composition of an unlearned man, and, comparatively, a diamond from a Bristol mine. Still, in spite of" the justice of them were," p. 8, and other clippings of the king's English, or fractures of Priscian's skull, he defends his prince with a strong arm.

Philo-Veritas goes more into the subject, and fights the battle through with uncommon spirit and effect, clearing every thing before him. Neither of these writers has hit upon the point which we put so strongly last month, in our review* of Mr. Jeffreys' pamphlet, but many others are advanced by Philo, of a very convincing nature.— To make a short extract would answer no good purpose; therefore we shall dismiss these heroes in a just cause with observing, that any judgment formed on reading Mr. J.'s pamphlet will be done away by a perusal of these, and it is a fairness honestly due to all the parties to hear both sides. Let the antidote and the bane accompany each other.

The magnanimous conduct which the prince will in all probability observe, on this occasion, is chalked out in a good place To this effect the Book-Neither did the lion tear the ass nor devour him.

John Bull's Soliloquies on the late Impeachment. 8vo. pp. 52. Hatchard, 1806.

A BREWER is not likely to fare very well in the soliloquies of John Bull, for however much he may pretend, in his parliamentary proceedings, to labour for the good of the constitution, John cannot easily forget how abundantly he works elsewhere to injure it. But the fact is, that, in the present instance, Mr. Whitbread is not thought better of for the storm which he has lately been brewing, than he is for his other composition, made up of the usual materials. It is well known that the thunder of his opponent's eloquence so turned all his brewery, that the peers could not swallow it. But, says John, "Did the party ever expect a verdict of victory? Did it ever seriously enter into the calculations of their arithmetic, that he (Lord Melville) would be found guilty? The philosopher of Laputa endeavoured to extract sun-beams from cucumbers, and he failed. How the philosopher would have stared if his attempt had succeeded."

* See No. 129.

He compares the charges and proof to a tree mentioned by Pliny, whose leaves were as broad as a shield, but the fruit not so big as a nutmeg, "The turn of the epigram, made,” says he," in allusion to the husbandry of Thrale, may be applied to the management of Whitbread;

"The facts of the case, as impartially put,

This conviction can't fail to inspire

That the proof of the charges was WHITBREAD'S ALL BUT,

And the calumny's WHITBREAD'S ENTIRE."

These Soliloquies have certainly many home truths in them, and some pleasantry. :-" Sheridan Treasurer of the Navy !" John exclaims-" Well, the party will have worked a miracle, if they have made him a good TREASURER; but they will work a miracle still greater, if they make him a good PAYMASTER."

On his festive divertisement at Somerset-House, he observes, "I think the broad-bottomed administration never tripped on the fantastic toe more gracefully than at that night's carousal. Sidmouth's friends won the palm; they footed to the tune of Over the water to Charley' admirably well. Indeed they have been so accustomed to dance, as the old proverb says, 'to any man's pipe,' that it is not surprising they should excel; and to be sure they do ‘turn half round,' and' change sides' with great dexterity."

This will be called trash, or wit, according to the veering of the reader's political vane.

Frederick. Translated from the French of M. Fiévée. 3 Vol. 12s. Wallis.

THIS story is interesting, and, by those who are determined to read such works, may be read with as little harm as any thing of the kind. The translator has acquitted himself à merveille. The original author confesses faults in his style, and the translator has ingeniously taken care to have at least as many.

The Post Captain; or the Wooden Walls well manned; comprehending a View of Naval Society and Manners. pp. 300. 7s. Tegg.

1806.

To land-lubbers in general this view of the society and manners aboard a man of war will be rarely interesting, and frequently unintelligible, while to our tars it will be crambe repetita, as new as hard biscuit and salt pork. We admire the gallantry of our naval heroes, and love to hear of their conduct in battle, but as to their internal economy, it is a mess for which we have no relish.

The Seventh Day a Day of Rest for the labouring Cattle; preached in the Parish Churches of Staple and Bickenhall, in the County of Somerset, by the Rev. C. Toogood. 8vo. 1s. Vidler.

WHEN we first read the title of this discourse, we thought "the labouring cattle" another unfortunate expression, like “ the swinish multitude," intended to signify the lower orders of society; but we were pleased to discover our mistake. The pious and humane design of Mr. Toogood is to teach us to abstain from the use of our cattle on the Lord's day, on which it is appointed that they shall rest, and to treat them with kindness at all seasons, and upon all occasions. We do not pretend to believe in a metempsychosis, or a transmigration of souls, but when we see the brute creation illused, we cannot refrain from thinking that there would be a vast deal of justice in it. Let him who rides with so much ease in his chaise, till the poor post-horse drops with fatigue, take his turn, and, for his tender mercies, "die with harness on his back." Let him who, with wanton cruelty, bruises the patient ass, feel his lengthening ears, and the ill treatment of as hard a master. Let this all be, and who will say it seems unjust?

1

Poems, chiefly in the Scottish Dialogue. By the Rev. James Nicol. In 2 Vols. Mundell and Son, Edinburgh. 1805.

FIE, Mr. Nicol! what, Reverend! and pollute your imagination, or the purer paper, with such filthy allusions? Let it be Scottish, Irish, or Cambro-British, obscenity is obscenity still, and the poet who invokes Cloacina for his Muse must not expect to be much relished on this side of the Tweed. We entreat Mr. Nicol to abjure poetry, and to compose sermons, always observing a degree of ro TgETOV, without which no composition deserves to be read, or will be read unaccompanied by disgust.

The History of Freemasonry, drawn from authentic Sources of Information; with an Account of the Grand Lodge of Scotland, from its Institution in 1736, to the present Time, compiled from the Records; and an Appendix of Original Papers. 8vo. 7s. 6d. Longman and Co.

THOSE Who look into this work for what are called the secrets of Freemasonry, will be grievously disappointed; but such as visit this source of knowledge to be instructed in many curious particulars relating to the history of Freemasonry, will be much gratified by the learning and research of its author. It is something too

much perhaps, to ask us to believe that a society in ancient Egypt, and the Eleusinian mysteries, were, though not formally, virtually a kind of Masonic lodges. Gibbon, in his observations on the Eleusinian mysteries, where he attacks Bishop Warburton, never dreamed of this. The subject is, on the whole, exceedingly well handled. An admonitory Letter to H. R. H. the Prince of Wales, on the Subject of the late delicate Inquiry; containing Anecdotes never before published, which may probably lead to the Detection of the real Authors of the late scandalous Attempt to sully the Purity of an illustrious Personage. Tipper and Richards. 2s. pp. 28. 1806. IT would have been as well if the author of this Letter had known how to write his motto; but it is still, by accident, very apt:

Omnia si nescis loca sunt plenissima nugis,

Quarum tota cohors est inimica tibi.

That is, If you don't know it, permit me to inform you that every part of this epistle is replete with scandalous ribaldry—the whole most grossly inimical to decency and truth. "If,” says this soi-disant friend and no parasite, "if I had heard any book universally condemned for its stupidity, should I believe the assertions of the author or his friends that the language was good, the wit abundant," &c. P. 11. The standard is fair; but how does he shew when tried by it? At p. 4 he tells us, "I am neither actuated by malevolence, interest, nor the rancour of disappointment;" and immediately proceeds with a tissue of shameless calumny, founded, as we are assured, on hearsay report, but, as we firmly believe, sherely on the invention of his own malevolent, interested, and rancorous mind. With these damning proofs," may we not retort upon him--Can you expect us to credit prefessions of probity and candour contradicted by your actions, and made by no one but yourself? This publication, so disgraceful to the writer, is said to "contain anecdotes never before published," and it is probably true, for we have no doubt that they were invented for the occasion, and to what end it would not be very difficult to discover. But how they are to "lead to the detection of the real authors of the late scandalous attempt to sully the purity of an illustrious personage," we are at a loss to guess, unless it be on the principle of "set a thief to catch a thief," and the writer of this letter undertake the job himself. Then, indeed, it seems likely, if the Princess of Wales has been unjustly aspersed,

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