of neceffaries to a third may be yet a competence to a fourth: unlefs, indeed, by perfons in the want of neceffaries, we mean fuch as actually fuffer the pains of cold and hunger. In which case it cannot be fuppofed they will efteem themselves poffefted of a competency. Those who are really freezing or ftarving, must be confidered in the fame view as thofe who are fick, or otherwise in pain. But we know that neither the pains of hunger, cold, or ficknefs, can be borne beyond a certain degree; nor longer than a certain time, without intermiffion. We know, alfo, that all intervals of eafe or gratification give pleasure, in proportion to the intensenefs of the pain remitted, or the severity of our neceffities. It has, indeed, been faid, that the tranfports of recovery only prove the intenfeness of the pain: but pray, though they do prove this, are they the lefs pleafing on that account? On the contrary, does not the intenfenefs of the pain prove too the pleasure of our tranfports? And are they not reciprocally the measure of each other? We are much mistaken, if this be not the cafe.

As to mere poverty; where is mirth, vivacity, and good humour to be found, in fo great a degree, as in the lowest claffes of mankind? Indeed, the feverity fome poor wretches feel is extreme: they have neither bread to eat, clothes to wear, bed to fleep on, nor home to shelter them from the infults of fuperior mortals, or the inclemency of the feafons. How miferable and unhappy! What compenfations have these? In the first place, fuch extreme wretchednefs feldom perhaps lafts long: and indeed when it comes, it is generally the effect of our having enjoyed, in luxurious plenty, what we afterwards experience the want of. If this be not the cafe, you will find these wretches, in a great degree, infenfible of their being in a state exposed to so much severity. They do not pine in the morning, because they know not where to get a dinner; but wait till dinner-time comes, before they liften to the cravings of appetite: nay, perhaps, appetite itfelf waits, in a great degree, obfequioufly on their neceflities. They do not lament in the day time their want of a lodging at night; but complain not, till the evil hour of darkness and fatigue lays them under the neceffity of making a bulk their pillow.'

c. The opinion that human life is, on the whole, neither happy nor miserable, is, by our Author's fcheme, neceflarily connected with that of the reward and punishment of virtue and vice, in the ordinary courfe of Providence; and, by confequence, fu perfedes the moral neceffity of a future ftate of retribution: the doctrine of which has been ever juftly efteemed of the highett importance to the interefts of morality. This Writer, however, fakes upon him to fay, there is an abfurdity in fuppofing the • doctrine

doctrine of future rewards and punishments more effectual to moral purposes than that which affures us vice and virtue are respectively punished and rewarded in this life: fince hourly experience teaches us what preference men of all ranks and opinions give to their prefent concerns, when clashing with the future.

• Will it be urged,' fays he, that this doctrine, taking away the fear of future punishments, will encourage immorality? How! will any one fear punishment more at a distance than when at hand? Doth the thief dread Hell fo much as the gallows? Is not the libertine more afraid of disease than the Devil? Doth not even the religious hypocrite fear detection here more than hereafter? Nay, may we not ferioufly afk, whether devout Chriftians, in general, do not, in fact, feel more restraint from their being under the eye of the world, than under that of God. Daily experience, we fear, will determine more than is neceffary for us here. Can, then, any motive whatever bid fairer, to reftrain the immoralities of mankind, than a rational conviction, that the inordinate gratification of our paffions will certainly difappoint our expectations in the enjoyment; or, in proportion to the intemperate fallies of pleasure, mortify us with diftaste, regret, and repentance? Surely not! No, reader, were men once fully convinced of fuch a truth, we might truft.their morality to the dictates of their own confcience; whofe voice would not be filenced by the idle obfervance of mere religious forms, ceremonious confeffions, and abfurd penance. Nothing, in fuch a cafe, would do to atone for paft offences, but their utmost endeavours in the way of retaliation: nor would any fufficient excufe offer itself to serve us for the future. Nothing less than true repentance, and a real amendment of life, would, in this case, satisfy an accufing conscience.'

With refpect to that much controverted point, the nature of phyfical good and evil, there are fome arguments in this little piece, more perfpicuous and fatisfactory than any thing we remember to have met with, even in the most laboured differtations on this fubject. They are not, however, of a nature to be readily extracted: we fhall therefore close this article with what our Author has faid, on the expediency of publishing philofophical enquiries in general, and the work he undertakes to defend, in particular.

It should be confidered, fays he, that the prefent age abounds with fhallow thinkers, and fuperficial reafoners on these fubjects; numbers of which make fhift to pick up fo much argument as to fit them out for deifts, fceptics, and infidels: a fet of men who Kelieve, if they believe any thing, that human nature is hardly

a de

tive conftitution now in the universe. Nay, the advice of many a fox-hunting member of a country borough might be more useful, in the House of Commons, than many of the wifeft inftitutions of those excellent lawgivers. Such meafures might alfo now be treated as impotent, and fuch penalties be derided as ridiculous, which, a thousand years ago, or in a different nation, might awe mankind into the ftricteft difcipline of religion and morals. The world, in the greater divifions of mankind, hath its periods of puerility and manhood, as weil as the individuals of our fpecies; and there is a time when the bug-a-boa and the blind beggar have the effect, which at others attends only on capital punishments. The abfurdity, alfo, of not properly timing them, may prove as dangerous in fact, as it is ridiculous in appearance.

In fact,' fays he, to prove the danger of rational enquiry, and the immoral tendency of fetting afide the fcriptures in philofophical investigation, it is required we fhould firft prove, that benevolence, moderation, integrity, with thofe other virtues which are the bonds and ornaments of civil fociety, are the ftriking characteristics of the pretenders to Chriftianity. It is required, that we prove Chriftians poffefs these distinguishing virtues exclufively, or, at leaft, in a degree fuperior to the rest of mankind. Could Dr. Leland, or any other worthy and learned champion in the Chriftian caufe, produce proof of a point of this importance; could they filence the blood that cries out fo loud against the zealots, who have occafionally offered up hecatombs of human facrifices, to the God of mercy and loving kindness; nay, could they, even on the authority of their reverend brethren, the ordinaries of Newgate, prove the want of faith to have brought one in a thoufand to the gallows: fuch proof, we fay, would be a more valid objection to the freedom of philofophical enquiry, than all our claborate difquifitions, founded on the diftant and obfcure evidences of antiquity. But while fuch proofs cannot be brought; while a zeal for the faith is the diftinguishing characteristic of a Chriftian; and while even the hiftory of Chriftianity itself prefents fo melancholy a picture of complicated robbery, murder, and ingratitude; furely men may be permitted to take other means, while not inconfiftent with the religious views of that fyftem, to improve our understandings; without being cenfured as promoters of vice and immorality, or condemned as enemies to mankind.'

Fer-Vert 3

Ver-Vert; or, the Nunnery Parrot. An heroic Poem, in four cantos. Infcribed to the Abbess of D***. Tranflated from the French of Monfieur Greffet. 4to. I s. 6d. Dodfley.

F

ROM the fhameful neglect into which we have feen works

of real tafte, and folid merit, of late, unaccountably fallen; while the fuperficial productions of fhallow reafoners, and affected witlings, have been almost universally admired; we are induced to conclude, in fpite of other appearances to the contrary, that vive la bagatelle! is, in fact, the general cry of the town. Should the Reviewers run counter to the rest of the pack, they might draw on themselves the imputation of too much fin gularity. In compliance with public opinion, vive, donc, la bagatelle! We do not mean, however, in any cafe, to facrifice our judgment or integrity to the vitiated tafte of the times, or fubject our review to circumftances almost as changeable as the seasons or the weather. It is, nevertheless, neceffary, that those who write for general entertainment, fhould conform, in fome degree, to reigning opinions, and enter into the fpirit of public amusements, without obftinately oppofing their futility, or impropriety, by a fruitlefs and too rigid cenfure.

We have already hinted our opinion of that familiar file, and jaunty mode of verfification, for which Greffet, and other French Writers, are admired; and which has, more than once, been attempted by our English poets. That the French should fucceed in this loofe and frippery method of writing verfes, is the less to be wondered at, as it feems peculiarly calculated for the genius of their language; which, in our opinion, is, with all its boafted correctnefs, lefs adapted to the fublimer fpecies of poetry than moft others in Europe. The Italian and Spanish, from the great ftrength which they ftill retain of their common original, the Latin, are equal to the nobleft fubjects. The northern tongues, which retain any great portion of their primitive ftock, the bold Teutonic, are alfo admirably adapted (however fometimes rough and uncouth) to the purposes of the heroic and fublime. Even the Low Dutch, which the wits of other nations fo ridiculously affect to defpife, without knowing any thing of the matter, is capable of fuccefs in almoft every kind of poetry. For the truth of this we appeal to the most admired of the Dutch poets, from Vondel down to Feytama. The English language, being a compound of many others, is poffeffed, in a great degree, of their feveral advantages; and though we cannot think it equal to the French in that very particular, to which the latter