rupto ingens Acheronte vorago

Peftiferas aperit fauces; que's condita Erynnis,

Invifum numen, terras, cœlumque levabat!

"Away then with the name of Pindar. Yet as Peter must have fome name, and cannot with prudence take that of W—, I will prefent him with two-either of which will ferve his turn to admiration. I fpeak of Peribomius and Natta-The first a fad, poor wretch, of whom I find this apologetical account:

- hunc ego fatis

Imputo, qui vultu morbum, inceffuque fatetur.

The fecond, coufin-german to the former, and whose resemblance to
Peter has been already recognized by the author of the Pursuits of
Literature,' is thus defcribed by my friend, Mr. Drummond,
"Natta, to virtue loft, knows not its price,
Fattens in floth, and STUPIFIES IN VICE;
Sunk in the gulph, immerg'd in guilt he lies,
Has not the power, nor yet the wish to rife."

The author had drawn a parallel between Peter Pindar and Anthony Pafquin, which he referves for a future publication. But he does not know that Anthony has very lately returned from America to England, and we fincerely hope that the fevere correction which he has experienced in both countries, and the miferable difappointment which he has fuftained in the former, will produce a reformation both of prin ciple and of practice, and lead him to adopt fuch a line of conduct in future as will tend to avert the new caftigation thus prepared for him. It is the entertainment of this hope that deters us from extracting the fevere reproof which Anthony received, previous to his departure for America, from the learned and upright Judge, who prefides in the Court of King's Bench.

The author thus explains his object in the compofition of this Epiftle.

"In the fhort view which I have given of the life of a man, who for near half a century, has perfifted in defaming every thing that is great, and honourable, and virtuous, and holy amongst us, I labour lefs anxioufly to fhew how well he is qualified, by nature and habit, for the talk, than to hold up to his few admirers (nearly, in my opinion, as worthlefs as himself,) a flight fketch of the man whom it has delighted them to honour; and to teach thofe who have attracted his notice, that is, his abufe, how little they have to apprehend from the malice of an impotent fcribbler who, having wafted his youth and manhood in unprofitable depravity, is fallen in the dregs cf life, into merited poverty, neglect, and contempt."

"The reader will obferve that I have only conducted Peter to town. His fubfequent adventures are referved till his next effution of malevolent dulnefs fhall provoke me to come forward again. It muft not be fuppofed, however, that I have exhausted his country

atchieve

atchievements.-No; the tythe of them are yet untouched. I have now in my hand a letter from an Officer who aflifted in kicking him out of Maker Camp for his fcandalous indecencies."

So much for the Introduction, which difplays all that nerve and Spirit which fo ftrongly characterize the profe-writings of this dif tinguished author. We hope to convince our readers that the poetical part of this Epiftle is entitled to, at leaft, equal commendation. On contemplating the following features of the early character of Peter Pindar, which are unquestionably drawn by the pencil of truth, the mind experiences the fame kind of feeling which the bard himself experienced at the base mention of his deteited name.

"A fhivering horror crept through all my frame,
A damp, cold, chill, as if a fnake or toad,
Had ftarted unawares across my road:"

"CORNWALL remembers yet his firft employ,
And thuddering tells, with what infernal joy
His little tongue in blafphemies was loos d,
His little hands in deeds of horror uf'd:
While mangled infects firew'd his cradle o'er,
And limbs of birds diftained his bib with gore.

"Anon, on stronger animals he flew

(For with his growth his favage paflions grew):
And oft, what time his violence fail'd to kill,
He form'd the infidious drug* with wicked skill;
Saw with wild joy, in pangs till then untry'd,
Cats, dogs, expire; and curs'd them as they died?

"With riper years a different scene began,
And his hate turn'd from animals to man:
Then letters, libels, flew on fecret wings,
And wide around infix'd their venom'd ftings;

All fear'd, where none could ward, the coming blow,
And each man ey'd his neighbour as his foe;
Till dragg'd to day, the lurking caitiff ftood,
(Th' accurfed cause of many a tatal feud),
And begg'd for mercy in fo fad a strain,
So wept, fo trembled, that the injur'd train
Who, cowring at their feet, a MISCREANT faw,
Too mean for punishment, too poor for law,

O'erlook d ('twas all they could) his numerous crimes,

And shipp'd him off to ape and monkey climes.'

* "Let not the reader who fhudders at this, therefore disbelieve it. Almoft the firft accounts I remember to have had of this man, (and they were from one of his own profeffion, from one who knew him well) related to the execrable use he made of his knowledge as an apothecary's boy, in torturing and. deftroying animals."

"THERE,

"THERE, while the negroes view'd with new disgust, This prodigy of drunkenness and luft,

Explore the darkest cells, the dirtieft ftyes,

And roll in filth at which their gorge would rife;
He play'd one mafter-trick to crown the whole,
And took, O Heavens! the facerdotal stole!
How fhook the altar when he first drew near,
Hot from debauch, and with a fhameless leer,
Pour'd ftammering forth the yet unhallowed prayers,
Mix'd with convulfive fobs, and noisome airs !—
Then rofe the people, paffive now no more,
And from his limbs the facred veftments tore;
Dragg'd him with groans, fhouts, hiffes, to the main,
And sent him to annoy these realms again.

"Cornwall, that fondly deem'd herself reliev'd,
Ill-fated land! once more the pest receiv'd;
But, wary and forewarn'd, obferv'd his course,
And track'd each flander to its proper fource;
'Till indignation, wide and wider spread,
Burft in one dreadful tempeft on his head.

"Then flight, pale flight, enfu'd!-'TWERE long to trace His mazes, as he flunk from place to place;

To count, whene'er unearth'd, what pumps he bore,
What horfe-ponds, till the country he forfwore,
And, chac'd by public vengeance up and down,
(Hopeless of fhelter) fled at length to town:
Compell'd in crowds to hide his hated head,
And fpung'd on dirty whores for dirty bread."

We cannot but tranfcribe the impreffive admonition which concludes the Epiftle. Happy, moft happy, will it be for the miferable object to whom it is addreffed, if it penetrate deeply into his black foul (we ufe his own words), and produce that radical and perfect reformation, without which, whatever eafe he may affect, he can, neither know true happiness here, nor falvation hereafter. But while we ardently hope to witness this reformation, we are led, from our intimate know.. ledge of the man, ftrongly to fear, that the charitable attempt of the bard is only a renewal of the vain effort to wash the blackamoor white.

"Enough!-Yet, Peter! mark my parting lay-
See! thy laft fands are fleeting faft away;

And, what should more thy fluggish foul appal,
Thy limbs fhrink up-THE WRITING ON THE WALL!—
O! check, a moment check, the obftreperous din
f guilty joy, and hear the voice within,

Of

The finall, ftill voice of confcience, hear it cry,
An Atheist thou may'ft live, but can'ft not die.

"Give, then, poor tinkling bellman of three-fcore!
Give thy lewd rhymes, thy lewder converfe o'er;

Thy

Thy envy, hate-and, while thou yet haft power,
On other thoughts employ the unvalu'd hour;
Left as from crazy eld's diseaseful bed,

Thou lift'ft, to SPIT AT HEAVEN, thy palfied head,
The BLOW arrive, and thou, reduc'd by fate,
To change thy phrenzy for defpair too late;
Close thy dim eyes a moment in the tomb,

To wake for ever in THE LIFE TO COME,

Wake to meet HIM whofe ' ord'nance thou haft flav'd*
Whofe Mercy flighted, and whofe Juftice brav'd!"

The thanks of every virtuous man is due to the writer of this spirited Epiftle for his able exposure of a wretch who has too long been fuffered to fpit his venom, with impunity,

"On all that genius, all that worth holds dear,
Unfullied rank, and piety fincere ;

While idiot mirth the base defilement lauds,

And malice, with averted face, applauds!"

To our thanks he is peculiarly indebted for his zealous co-operation in the task which we had begun, and which, Peter may rest affured, fhall not be left unfinished. We truft, this worthy co-adjutor will continue to fight with us, in fuch a cause, side by side.

We had almoft forgotten to notice that the very appropriate French motto, in the title page, which the author has evidently quoted from memory, is, from miftake, attributed to the fatyrift BOILEAU, when, in fact, it is taken from Corneille's tragedy of the Cid, (act I. fcene 3.) and is addreffed by Diego to Gomez, accompanied by what Peter Pindar has fo often received, and what he fo frequently deferves, a blow.

DIVINITY.

ART. XIV. Chriftian Inftitutes: Being a popular Illuftration of the Creed; the Lord's Prayer; and the Ten Commandments: With the Sacraments of Baptifm and the Lord's Supper. Defigned for Families, Students, and others. By a Clergyman of the Church of England. 8vo. Pp. 162. 2s. Rivingtons. 1799.

TH

HOUGH we much approve the author's intentions in the present effay; yet truth compels us to declare, that it is a very flimfy publication. "Expofitions and Commentaries (fays the writer in his preface) upon the fame fubjects are not wanting: yet of these, fome are much too learned for common ufe; others are too prolix;

-the luft-dicted man

That flaves thy ordinance," &c. King Lear.

fome

fome are too expenfive for the generality of purchafers; others are drawn up in the uninviting form of dialogue, by quefiion and anjwer: fo that a convenience still feems to be looked for from a popular performance, fuited to a greater variety of circumftances, fituations, and purposes. With a view, in fome measure, to answer this defign, an attempt has here been made to bring into a fhort compafs the most material points of doctrine in our Creeds, &c. &c. by the aid of such approved authorities and commentaries, as the editor conceived might fafely be relied on that from hence a proper infight may be obtained into the principles of the Chriftian belief and practice: and that the reader may proceed with greater advantage afterwards, to works of fuller illuftration, and to expofitions of a fuperior rank and cha. racter."

A good abridgement of Secker, or of Gilpin, on the Church-Catechifm, might anfwer the defign here propofed: but to make a good abridgement requires confiderable ability. From the fourth Section, which we fhall transcribe entire, may be formed fome judgement of our author's ftyle and manner.

Of the Redemption of Mankind.

"We next are taught the method of God's proceeding, in the redemption of mankind.-The nature of God is fo oppofite to, and irreconcileable with, fin, that he spared not even his own fon, but delivered him up to cruel torments, and to an ignominious death, because he had taken upon himself the charge of our tranfgreffions. And the Son of God fo loved us, that he voluntarily offered himself for us, to fuffer thofe torments, and to undergo that death; bereby to discharge for us what we owed to God's juftice, and to redeem mankind at the price of his own blood from the power of the devil, and from eternal death.

"The first created man had, by a tranfgreffion of God's command, brought death into the world ;--thereby fubjecting himself as well as all his defcendants, not only to temporal death, which is the death of the body, but to that of the foul aifo;—that is, to eternal punishment in the world to come.-Now from the time of this fall of Adam, men have been accustomed to offer animals to God in facrifice, which they flew, and burned to afhes before him, to fhew that they acknowledged themfelves thereby to be worthy of death.-But thefe victims could not, in the nature of things, appeafe the juft difpleafure and anger of God. It was not pofiible that the blood of bulls and of goats could take away the heavy charge and penalty of fin. None but Jefus Chrift, who was capable of fuffering in the human nature, yet in virtue of the Godhead refiding in him was free from fin, could fully fatisfy the father's juftice, by prefenting to him fufferings, which in his free grace he could accept, inflead of inflicting the punishment which fin deferves. He then, who was perfectly free from fin himfelf, was put in the place of guilty men. God, who ruleth over

all, by a scheme, the entire nature of which we do not perfectly com prehend, having been pleafed to accept the voluntary fufferings of our Saviour as a fufficient vindication of his own authority.-So that on

the