РОРЕ. "Here happy Horace tun'd the Aufonian lyre Myrtles and bays, hang hov'ring o'er his head." Leaving the reader to his own comparative obfervations on the preceding extracts, we fhall only remark that, to contend with Mr. Pope, be the event what it may, can never be deemed very difgraceful to Mr. Bidlake. The progrefs of Poetry, Painting, and Mufic, is fucceeded by SACRED POEMS, viz. The Crucifixion of the Meffiah; a Meditation on a New Year; a Paraphrafe on the 104th Pfalm; the Widow of Nain, from St. Luke; and the Refurrection of Lazarus, from St. John. To excel in facred poetry requires uncommon elevation of thought, joined to accuracy of taste and folidity of judgment. We cannot, therefore, wonder that fo many of our poets fhould fail in their attempts to elucidate and ennoble the fublime truths of our religion; or that they fhould even, on fome occafions, fink into a ftyle ill fuited to the dignity of the fubject. The rest of the volume is filled with ELEGIES, ODES, SONNETS, MISCELLANEOUS VERSES, and SONGS. Of the Elegies, we think the fecond the beft *; and the third contains fome lines which do honour to the author's heart, as well as to his poetic abilities. In the Odes, we fee lefs to admire; the fentiments being generally trite, and the verfification not always free from languor. Though we cannot compliment Mr. Bidlake fo far as to dignify him with the appellation of a first-rate poet, yet, as far as we can judge from his writings, he appears to be fincerely attached to the caufe of religion and virtue, as well as to the interests of elegant literature. Throughout the whole of the book we difcover the genuine effufions of moral fentiment; and, where the fubject requires it, he difcovers great fenfibility of temper and generofity of difpofition. This elegy was published feparately, a few years ago, and was twice noticed by us, particularly the fecond time, on account of a new edition. Our opinion of its merit may be feen in the Monthly Review for January 1789, p. 73. Ban.....r. ART. IV. Political Papers, chiefly refpecting the Attempt of the County of York, and other confiderable Diftricts, commenced in 1779, and continued, during feveral fubfequent Years, to effect a Reformation of the Parliament of Great Britain: Collected by the Rev. Chriftopher Wyvill, Chairman of the late Committee of Affociation of the County of York. 8vo. 3 Vols. 11. is. Boards. Johnson. ME EDIO tutiffimus ibis is an adage which, though trite, conveys an admirable leffon of prudence; and never was there a period in which there exifted a greater neceffity for obferving this leffon, than the prefent. While defpotic haughtinefs is, on the one fide, ftretching to the utmost length every claim of pre-eminence and privilege, and treating with difdain every plea for equal rights as an infolent and dangerous invafion of public crder; and while, on the other fide, democratic violence threatens the total deftruction of every venerable and ufeful inftitution, and the entire diffolution of the bonds of fociety; it much behoves every one, who wishes the peace and profperity of his country, amid the din of party-rage, to liften to the "ftill fmall voice" of MODERATION. There has long exifted in this country a body of moderate men, not inconfiderable in number, and highly refpectable for talents and integrity; who, equally averfe from defpotifm and from anarchy, and fully convinced that the corruptions or defects of our prefent political inftitutions, if not speedily corrected, muft terminate either in the one or the other of these evils, have been active in their exertions to promote a temperate and peaceable remedy for every public diforder. In the refpectable lift of thefe reformers, Mr. Wyvill holds a diftinguished place.--As Chairman of the late Committee of Affociation of the county of York, formed for the purpose of effecting a reformation of the Parliament of Great Britain, he ftands at the head of an honourable band, which for feveral years, and in the face of much oppofition, has perfevered in its Jaudable efforts, from a conviction, as Mr. W. ftates its views, that Parliament was corrupted; that frequent elections, and a reformed reprefentation, could alone purify it; and that, without an effectual reformation in these refpects, the liberties of the nation could not be fafe. The details of these attempts to procure a parliamentary reform conftitute the main body of the political papers here prefented to the public. Some preliminary papers are prefixed, refpecting an affociation in the county of York to refift the rebels in the year 1745; and concerning the power exercised by the House of Commons, in the cafe of Mr. Wilkes, to dif qualify, by a refolution of that house, a person not difqualified by law to serve in parliament. Then follow copies, from the books of the Yorkshire Committee, of every material refolution paffed by them, and by their fub-committee, from the appointment of the Committee at a general meeting of the county of York in 1779, to the clofe of its labours in 1784: together with a fimilar tranfcript from the minutes of the proceedings of the first and fecond meetings of the committee appointed by feveral committees of counties, cities, &c. in 1780 and 1781; alfo accounts of the refolutions and debates of feveral meetings of the county of York and other counties; in the metropolis, and other cities, &c. in 1779, and the fix fubfequent years; reprinted from accounts publifhed at that time by authority from thefe meetings; alfo, letters, &c. felected from the correfpondence of the Yorkshire Committee. To thefe materials are annexed several addreffes, &c. from the Conftitutional Society in London; accounts of feveral debates in Parliament on the propofed reform of the reprefentation of the people; and fome papers relative to that fubject. The preceding articles fiil the first two volumes; the third contains the editor's correfpondence with the committees of Edinburgh and Stirling in 1783 and 1784, with feveral papers received from the committee of Edinburgh refpecting the better regulation of elections in the royal burghs of Scotland: the refolutions of several meetings holden in London, Edinburgh, and Glafgow, in the years 1788 and 1792, for the purpose of promoting improvements in the elections of the committees and royal burghs, and a general reformation of the Parliament of Great Britain :the editor's correfpondence with the volunteers of Ireland in 1783; his correfpondence with many private gentlemen of Yorkshire, and feveral members of parliament, in 1779, previously to the meeting of the Committee of York in that year; and his correfpondence with Sir George Saville, the Earl of Shelburne, Dr. Franklin, and other refpectable perfons, on fubjects connected with the propofed reprefentation of Parliament :-to which are added, by way of appendix, the editor's defence of Dr. Price, and the reformers of England; his letter to Mr. Pitt, in 1793; and an account of the proceedings of the Society of the Friends of the People, in 1792, &c.-The papers in this third volume, the last excepted, are a portion of the editor's feparate correfpondence, and of his publications as a private unauthorized individual, and form a moiety of the fecond part of the intended collection. To complete it, the editor's correfpondence with Mr. Pitt and several other perfons will be published at a future period, and with other papers will be comprized in the fourth and laft volume. From the preface, we shall transcribe a paragraph containing fome interefting particulars with refpect to a celebrated meeting in 1782: The meeting at the Thatched House Tavern, 18 May 1782, appears to have excited a confiderable degree of attention, and the refolutions then agreed to have been frequently quoted in fome late debates in the Houfe of Commons. The editor thinks it proper therefore to declare, that the meeting in question was called chiefly at his defire; that Sir William Plomer, then Lord Mayor of London, prefided at it; that the Duke of Richmond and the Right Hon. Mr. Pitt were prefent; that the refolutions agreed to by the meeting were originally drawn up by the editor, not exactly as they now ftand at p. 424 of vol. i.; that they were thought to need fome correction, and having received an amendment from the editor, were fhewn by him in their amended state to Mr. Pitt, and, as the editor believes, to the Duke of Richmond, by whom they were approved in that state, and then offered to the meeting, by which they were unanimously adopted.' From the preceding fummary of the contents of thefe volumes, given by the editor, the reader will be led to expect, and he may be affured of finding, an ample collection of documents relating to the late meritorious exertions toward a par liamentary reform. He will find in these papers a full statement of the circumstances in the political ftate of this country which have led to thefe endeavors, and of the different remedies. which, in the courfe of thefe attempts, have been propofed for the removal of the evils that have been fo generally, and fo juftly, fubjects of complaint; and though, from many causes, (among which the defertion of feveral leading men who, at the opening of the business, appeared zealous in the defign, must be particuJarly mentioned,) this great object yet remains unaccomplished; yet, if it be true that no virtuous labour is ever wholly without effect, it may be confidently augured that the impreffion of the noble exertions recorded in thefe volumes ftill remains, and that the neceffary work of parliamentary reform will be refumed and completed by HONEST friends to the British Conflitution, before its enemies, either defpotic or republican, fhall have accomplished its deftruction. ART. V. Tranfactions of the Linnéan Society. Vol. II. 4to. PP. 357. 11. 5s. Boards. White. 1794. WITH pleasure we announce to our readers a fecond volume E. of this agreeable work; the fpeedy appearance of which is a proof of the activity and vigour of a fociety, which is formed by the fpontaneous union of perfons who are earnestly devoted devoted to the improvement of a particular science, without any interfering or collateral views *. We fhall give a fhort account of all the papers in their order. The History and Defcription of four new Species of Phalana, by the late Mr. John Beckwith. Thefe are nocturnal fpecies; of which the firft, named Chryfoceras, is found on the oak; the 2d, Gemina, on the poplar; the 3d, Pulla, on the willow; the 4th, Chryfgloffa, on the fallow. A coloured plate exhibits them under their three forms. Remarks on Scolopendra electrica, and Sc. fubterranea, by George Shaw, M.D. F. R. S. &c. An English fpecies of Scolopendra, much refembling the Sc. electrica of Linné, but differing in fone circumftances of appearance, and especially in its refidence, which is deep under ground, is here given by Dr. S. as probably a new and diftinct fpecies, and is named by him fubterranea. An obfervation is alfo made of a property of this infect, viz. that, on cutting it in two, each part lives, for a confiderable time, the tail part furviving longeft. Remarks on the Abbé Wulfen's Defcriptions of Lichens, publifhed among his rare Plants of Carniola, in Profeffor Jacquin's Collectanea, Vol. 11. by james E. Smith, M. D. &c. This brief enumeration of errors in the Abbé's defcriptions will not admit of abridgment. Account of the Gizzard of the Shell called by Linnæus Bulla lignaria, by Mr. G. Humphrey. The animal inhabiting this and other fpecies of the genus Bulla is diftinguifhed by a valvular griftly organ, probably for the maftication of its food; of which a defcription illuftrated by figures is here given. Account of the Difference of Structure in the Flowers of fix Species of Pafiflora, by Mr. James Sowerby. The beauty and curious furniture of organs of the Pallion-flower have long attracted the notice of obfervers: but fome fpecies are with difficulty difcriminated from each other. It is the purpofe of this paper, by means of a very accurate diffection, difplayed in figures accompanied by minute explanations, to elucidate their differences, with all the peculiarities of structure for which thefe flowers are fo remarkable. The fpecies defcribed are the P. quadrangularis, P. alata, P. laurifolia, P. cærulea, P. lunulata, P. minima. Defcriptions of two new British Fuci, by T. J. Woodward, Efq. The firft of thefe, named Fucus afparagoides, found on For an account of the origin of this inftitution, and of the first vol. of the Society's Tranfactions, fee our Review, N. S. vol. vii. for the year 1792, p. 166, the |