and indolence and vanity at once direct his choice to religious retitement. The multitude flatter with their admiration the penitential devotee; and motives perhaps, merely temporal, falfely obtain the praise of exalted piety.

"It will be obvious from hence, fince population is oppofed by two fuch powerful bars as ambition and religion, how great a dimi nution in the number of inhabitants must inevitably be the refult. In fact, the higher orders of men, entirely engroffed by political or ecclefiaftical duties, leave to the husbandman and labourer, to those who till the fields and live by their induftry, the exclufive charge of propagating the fpecies."

(To be concluded in our next.)

POETRY.

ART. X. Sans Culotides: by Cincinnatus Rigfhaw, Profeffor of Theophilanthrophy; Member of the Correfponding and Revolu tionary Societies; Brother of the Rofy Crofs; Knight Philofopher of the Order of Illuminati; and Citizen of the French and Hibernian Republics. 4to. PP. 136. Chapple. 1800.

"HIS is a collection of political fatires, in profe and verfe, pre

THIS

ceded by a dedication to the people's moft excellent Majefty." The fatirift is ftrong and pointed in his animadverfions; his profe is perfpicuous, nervous, and animated; and his verfe betrays unequivocal marks of a claffical and poetical mind. Some readers will probably think his perfonal attacks too fevere, and the members of the party, which is the object of the fe attacks, will, no doubt, pronounce them fcurrilous and abufive. It fhall be our endeavour to make our readers acquainted with the contents of the work, and to lay before them fuch fpecimens of it as will enable them to judge for themselves.

The first piece is entitled an "Effay on the Materiality of Moral Subftances; and particularly of Jacobinism: addreffed to the Anglo, Hiberno-Bavarian Societies of Illuminati." The fecond, "An Essay on the Specific Qualities of Jacobinifm." Thefe effays are in profe, and the following extract will fuffice to mark their ftyle and fpirit.

"It is ufelefs to obferve, that Jacobinifm was obfcurely known to the ancients; fince Paracelfus himself afferts the poffibility of procuring a factitious gold in this mode: There was, however, a fecond very curious and recondite property, lately perceived to exift in it, which is entirely the difcovery of the modern masters of illumination. It is, in fact, the antagonist quality to the power of aurifaction, and is that property (hitherto latent, though known by its effects,) of tronfmuting gold into paper. The moment the pure effence of Jacob.nitm is fublimed into finance, which may be accomplished by a very fligh mixture of vanity; blow it strongly through the lungs of an orator, and let it play upon the bank, or the counting-houfe of a

merchant.

merchant: inftantly the whole mafs of gold there contained evaporates, as under the action of a burning lens, or fpeculum; but, with a refidue of thin light, leaves, beautifully white, tranfparent, of a char taceous fubftance, interfperfed with hieroglyphics of great fignificance to all appearance, but which have only a conventional and fanciful value. These have fometimes accumulated to an amazing extent; the political atmosphere has been darkened by fhowers of them flying about in various directions, till their number has reduced their imaginary price to the standard of common culinary and deterfive paper. One circumftance attending this charta-poe ic procefs has not yet been inveftigated; and we earneftly recommend it to the diligent obfervation of future ftudents. Whether in the operation we have described, the paper produced has the fame affinity to tattered clothes and ragged linen, as the common sheets of that useful commodity, made by the ufual manufacturers.

"Wonderful as this great mystery of illumination undoubtedly is, we cannot be furprised that the warm imagination of earlier ages attributed to it fome fictitious qualities, which our minuter investigation has fhewn to be non-exiftent. It was fuppofed by fome, otherwife great phyfiologifts, to have the fanciful power of conferring youth, wisdom, and terrestrial immortality. Alas, how have our hopes, thus foolishly raifed, been crueil difappointed! Has one wrinkle been chaced from the brow of beauty by its lenient operation at St. Anne's Hill? or has it cured one head-ache or hiccup contracted by the midnight lucubrations of the Crown and Anchor has its wifdom-giving power enabled Mr. Taylor, Mr. Nicoll, or Mr. William Sih, to arreft the hungry stomachs of the House of Commons, or e ever to detain one member from his dinner? has it empowered Sir F. Burdett to anfwer Mr. Pitt, or to thaw the obdurate royalifin of his Majesty's gaoler at Cold Bath Fields? no even in those breafts where its influence is leaft counteracted, where no pride of ancestry, no acquired wealth, no prejudices of fociety, or education, thwart its facred energies; fo little is the wisdom conferred by it that aristocratic gold, and legal eloquence, can hardly fave our profeffors from the pillory and the halter. As to the immortality once expected from it; the weird philofophers, like their predeceffors in Macbeth, may, keep the word of promife to our ear, but break it to our hopes.' I cannot impede the fliding facility of the rope at Newgate, or the ftill more celebrated operation of the razor of reafon. But it immortalizes our names, it embalms our character, and gives an eternal duration to many who could certainly enfure it by no other method. It fhall, then, be my effort, in the reft of this work, to confign to that immortality, fo dearly bought, and fo justly merited, thofe great men who, fallen on evil days and evil tongues,' have too invidious a chance of being buried, in a few years, beneath the accumulated, preffure of public indignation; or, at beft, of furnishing only a few pathetic reflections to the fentimental editors of the Morning Chro nicle, and the Newgate Calendar."

This is followed by a "notice of the editor" in which he marks

X 3

the

the modern definition of Whig and Tory, and fhews in what it differs from the ancient definition. Thefe, with an "Apologetical Epiftle to the Right Honourable the Earl of M-a," form the whole of the pieces that are written in profe. The poetical pieces confift of imitations of Virgil and are ranged in the following order: 1. Virgil's Third Eclogue imitated; fcene, Crown and Anchor. Anniver Jary of Mr. Fox's election for Westminster. Time, midnight. 2. The Sixth Eclogue; fcene, MOORFIELDS. 3. The 8th Eclogue; fcene, Brookes's. 4. GALLUS; or, if underftood Patronymice, the Frenchman. The Tenth Eclogue; fcene, Whig Club. Time, after dinner. 5. The Firft Book of the GEORGICS. 6. The Fourth Book of the GEORGICS.

From thefe we shall make fuch excerpts as will tend to fhew the manner in which the author treats his fubject, and the character of his poetry. Our first extract is from the beginning of the imitation of Virgil's Third Eclogue, Dic mihi, Damata, cujum pecus?

"Hail to that day, the fairest of the year,
To Whigs of Westminster for ever dear;
That happy day, when Covent-Garden smil❜d,
As old Saint Stephen blefs'd his fav'rite child.
That day, when laft the rolling fun brought round,
He faw the board with annual plenty crown'd.
Here Tooke, there Brinley, led a patriot band,
That pac'd in fullen filence down the Strand.
Then at their darling sign their forrows drown,
Hope's golden Anchor, near the vacant Crown.
Fox had retir'd; when thus Horne Tooke began,
And Brinley's mild replies alternate ran.

T. "Ah say, my friend, from whence that chosen train,
That dog your heels, and pledge you in Champagne ?
Tell me, do these from Bedford House repair,
Or Norfolk's revels in St. James's Square?

S. "No; know you not of Whigs the nobleft band?
Refign'd by Fox himself to my command,

T. "Ah, haplefs race! for antiquated charms
Have lull'd your leader in a matron's arms.
There doubly fpent in whoring and Champagne,
Vain Whitbread's malt, and Bedford's land is vain,
For new fubfcriptions beggar half your train.

S. "Come, come, John Horne, be fparing of your tongue;
Your tafte for venifon is fomewhat strong.

No tax to pay-from requifition clear,

You're paffing rich, on fixty pounds a year.'

T. "Yes, and no more-tho' Jordan figh unpaid,
Tho' raving Kemble damn th' ungainful trade;
While high Dutch Indians charm a Tory town,
And ranting Rollo knocks rebellion down.

S." Could

S."Could then your foul on fixty pounds afpire
To feat democracy in Stephen's choir ?
No-Envy bad you, tho' the election miss'd,
Get Fox well pelted, and our party hifs'd.
T. "What can efcape the Premier's piercing eye,
When even your's an unpaid tax descry?
Did you, like him, to feize a place prepare,
When last you liften'd to the Prince's pray'r?
For what, but int'reft, brib'd your party tongue,

Or fram'd the fpeech, for which poor Parker fwung?"

The contention between the rival patriots is continued, in the fame ftrain, until the Ducal Prefident terminates it by a matter-of-fact obfervation- the club's completely drunk."

Virgil's 8th Eclogue. Paftorum Mufam, Damonis et Alphefibæi, &c.
"Soft were the strains that fell from Fox's tongue,
When Tarlton's broken vows, he forrowing fung:
Strange were the charms defponding Brinsley try'd
When cropfick Maitland left his fostering fide.t
Groom-porters fail'd to tell what odds were giv'n,
And liftening Lords forgot the nick to seven.
Oh thou! where'er thy triple banner waves ;
Or if, where Nile regenerate Egypt laves—
Or rear'd triumphant on the Louvre's tower,
It ftreams the badge of dictatorial power;
Or if in France thy will fupreme creates
New laws, new freedom, for the Gallic States;
Or if in climes that feel a fiercer fun,

*

Thy call fraternal the grim tenants own.‡

"On fixty pounds.] At the Westminster election four years ago Mr. T. must have poffeffed an income of three hundred pounds. One cannot furely enough lament the very rapid decline of this gentleman's circumftances. It muft, however, be fome alleviation to the poignancy of his grief for the lofs of his friend Mr. Vaughan, that he will be enabled, by his death, (if our information be correct,) to indulge his known patriotism in a more liberal contribution to the exigencfes of his country. Dans les malheurs de nos meilleurs Amis, il y a tou jours quelque chofe qui ne nous déplait pas." Rochefoucault. Max. +Side.] The political annihilation of Lord L. is here naturally accounted for."

"Tenants own.] Under the fcheme of general equality and fraternization, the hyenas cannot be excluded, and would make use-ful light troops, as well to harrafs the enemy while living, as to difpofe of him when dead. They might give beneficial leffons in addition to thofe already practifed by the French, with refpect to the art of fubfifting themselves in an enemy's country."

L

Oh be it mine to speak thy deathless praise,
And twine my wreath with Bonaparte's Bays.
This mourning verfe from Albion's mufe receive,
And learn how here neglected patriots grieve.
Thus Fox began: oh! power of frauds and strife!
Thou guardian god of my confiftent life,
So oft appeal'd to, and fo oft bely'd,

See recreant Tarlton by his King employ'd!
Begin my mufe, begin the plaintive ftrain,

Hear it St. Ann's, and hear each neighbouring plain!”
"Me once felf-intereft taught to join with North,
And praife too late a fellow-fufferer's worth.

I fac'd, undaunted, all the load of shame,

Or shar'd with him, what both deserv'd, the blame :
Begin my mufe, begin the plaintive strain!

Hear it St. Ann's, and hear each neighb'ring plain."

"He ceas'd; the drops of farrow gemm'd his eyes,
In varied accent Brinfley thus replies-

"Boy; fome Champagne! and look, you froth it well:
Fix to my chair a ribband from the bell;
Light fcented candles: every nerve provoke
The wine to relish, and applaud the joke,

Now crown the glafs! bring more, and more Champagne;
And lure my Maitland to thefe arms again!

"Let the gay captain raife the jovial fong;
To ftrains like his, feductive powers belong;
His manly voice can footh the aching breast,
With schemes expos'd, and blafted hopes depreft:
His humour, Nicholl's felf can understand,
And folemn Taylor hear, with fimper bland:

Now crown the glafs; bring more, and more Champagne,
And lure my Maitland to thefe arms again.

"Now the full bumper give to Maitland's name;
With thrice three general houts the pledge proclaim!
That facred number fuits the genial board,
With three rich courfes in juft order stor❜d;
To bear three bottles, be each patriot's boat,
And thrice three plaudits mark each master toast.

Now crown the glafs! bring more, and more Champagne,
And lure my Maitland to these arms again!

"Gemm'd.] Quere, bung'd! a phrafe in common ufe, and derived from an exercife, very fashionable among the honourable gentleman's intereft in the city of Westminster. It might feem alfo a metaphorical compliment to the profeffion of one of his moft fteady and valuable fupporters."

"Even