BRITISH CATALOGUE. POETRY. ART. 18. The Teft of Guilt; or Traits of Antient Superftition. A dramatic Tale. By the late Mr. Jofeph Strutt, Author of the Regal and Ecclefiaftical History of England; Horda Angel Cynnan, or Manners and Cuftom of the English, &c. &c. 410. 119 pp. Alfo in the jame Volume. The Bumpkin's Disaster, or the Journey to London, &c. &c. 4to. 85 FP. Apple. yards, Wimpole Street &c. 1808. Mr. Strutt, while he lived, was known only as an artift of much merit, and as a diligent compiler and antiquary. That he is now beginning to figure as a writer of poetry and inventive works, appears to be owing to the pious attachment of his fon; who promises alfo "An account of the Life and Writings of the late Mr. Jofeph Strutt, wherein several of his published and unpublifhed writings will be particularly noticed; with an analyti cal and critical statement of the whole." That Mr. Strutt, even in his hours of relaxation from feverer ftudies, and from his application as an artist, should have employed his mind in works of invention and ingenuity, must tend to raife our opinion of the man; but that thefe excurfions, though we would by no means judge them with feverity, can establish his fame as a poet and a writer of fancy can hardly be expected. The Teft of Guilt is a tale founded on murder and treachery, which in the end are detected in a manner approaching to preternatural. It is told in well-measured blank verfe, but no where rifes to any high train of poetry, nor produces any very interesting fituation. The moft animated fpeech is where the innocence of the hero is established: and it is this. "From deep adverfity, from death itself, Or burft the cords that hold them. Good my Lord -- (So far has it out-ftripped my utmost hope), And leave me once again to death and woe." P. 115. Thefe These words certainly are inadequate to the expreffion of the fuation."The Bumpkin's Difafter", is styled a Collection of Fragments. It is in fact a tale, in couplet verfe, of which, though it is now of confiderable length, feveral parts are left unfinished. Here alfo is regular verfification, but little of poetic fpirit. We cannot but fay that we think it injudicious, though doubtless well-meant, to bring forward thefe productions of a man, whose works, published by his own judgment, have done him fo much honour. ART. 19. 22 PP. IS. Hatchard. 1808. We are told, in a modeft advertisement, that this little poem originated in a converfation between two of the author's acquaintance, and it is hoped that, if unfuccefsful," it will be confidered as beneath criticism.” In our review of "The Butterfly's Ball," and " The Peacock at Home," we deprecated all attempts at an imitation of those ingenious productions, as it would fcarcely be poffible to rival the latter, and the fubject would undoubtedly pall on repetition. But no warning could deter the fervum pecus of imitators; and we have heard of "The Elephant's Ball," "The Lion's Mafquerade," "The Fishes Grand Gala," &c. nay even "The Rofe's Breakfast," which, if fome fpecimens we have feen are fair ones, have not merit fufficient to overcome the difguft that the repetition of a trite fubject muft occafion. The little poem before us feems intended to ridicule thofe imitations, and though not very happy, might amuse those by whofe remarks it was occafioned. The author feems well acquainted with the natural hiftory of infects: but the very minute gentry (we should have faid royal families and nobility) defcribed by him, will not intereft fo much as thofe with whom we are more generally acquainted. It is evident, however, that allufions are intended to the felf-created Emperor, and his fubject Kings in Europe. ART. 20. Poems, by Charles James, Author of the Military Dictionary, Regimental Companion, &c. &c. in Two Volumes. Third Edition, with Additions. 8vo. Egerton. I2S. 1808. These are two very elegant volumes, and contain fome pleafing poetry. This may be faid with truth and juftice. It is poffible that the author may confider this as too faint a tribute of praise, we will therefore add to it our conviction that the author has much taste and a feeling mind. Will this be thought fufficient?— See Brit. Crit. for Nov. 1807. Vol. xxx, p. 554. let us hope that it will, for we cannot fay more, and shall only appeal for the truth of our affertion to the following "LINES, SENT WITH ONE OF WEDGEWOOD'S MEDALLIONS, REPRE- "The fuppliant pofture of this object proves "Nor fighs, nor fhape, nor colour can fubdue One look of tenderness a heaven reveals. Whofe light mifguides, and flatters to betray." For an account of the author's Military Dictionary, see our 20th volume, p. 98. ART. 21. Poems, by Matilda Betham. 12mo. Hatchard. 3s. 6d. 1808. Thefe Poems are diftinguished by much elegance, tenderness, and fimplicity, which the reader may eafily fuppofe from the following fpecimen: "To A LLANGOLLEN ROSE, "THE DAY AFTER IT HAD BEEN GIVEN BY MISS PONSONBY. "Soft blufhing flow'r! my bofom grieves, To view thy fadly drooping leaves: Which tears it from fo fweet a home!" P. 16. July 22, 1799. DRAMA. DRAMA. ART. 22. Adelgitha; or the Fruits of a Single Error. gedy, in five Acts. By M. G. Lewis. Third Edition. 35. Hughes. 1806. A Tra 127 pp. We know not by what accident it has happened that this tragedy, the performance of which (for a benefit) we recollect, and which appears to have reached a third edition, has hitherto efcaped our notice. The title of it points out the moral which it profeffes to inculcate; a moral certainly good, if understood in its proper fenfe, as warning the female fex against the firft allure. ments to vice, and not as difcouraging repentance and reformation. Adelgitha, the heroine, (then Princefs of Salerno) had in early youth been feduced, under a promife of marriage, by a Norman Knight, and had a fon by him, whom he had bred up as an orphan taken under her charitable protection. Her paramour had died by the hands of robbers, leaving letters from her, and her picture, in the poffeffion of a perfon accidentally prefent at his death, who proved to be the exiled Byzantine Emperor, Michael Ducas. Her former error having been (as fhe thought) concealed from all the world, the married Robert Guifcard, Prince of Apulia, who afterwards engaged in a war for the restoration of Michael Ducas. At the opening of this tragedy he is befieging Durazzo, as ally to that Emperor, and Michael (who is reprefented as one of the blackest characters ever produced on the ftage) takes the opportunity of Guifcard's abfence to attempt corrupting the fidelity of his wife. Being rejected with difdain by Adelgitha, he accidentally discovers that fhe was the Princess of Salerno, whofe letters and picture are in his poffeffion. Upon this he immediately threatens her with a disclosure, unless she complies with his defires. Alarmed by his threats, yet ftill faithful to her husband, fhe appoints a meeting with the Emperor in a fecret place near the fea hore, hoping to perfuade him to give up the letters without exacting her infamy as the price of them. During this interview he not only refufes her requeft, but attempts to carry her off by force, having previously prepared a boat for that purpose. In the ftruggle fhe attempts to ftab herself, but being prevented by the tyrant, at length plunges the dagger into his breast, and lays him dead at her feet. She is conveyed from the spot by the young knight who was the fruit of her unlawful amour; and, on his falling under fufpicion of the murder, Adel. githa, who had been the victim of remorfe ever fince, owns the deed, and alfo that the fuppofed affaffin is her illegitimate fon. Such a difcovery plunges her husband Guifcard into the deepest affliction. He at first repudiates her, but afterwards offers a reconciliation. The fenfe of her accumulated guilt is, however, fo fo ftrong, that she cannot furvive the discovery, and fhe ftabs herfeif. Of thefe materials, with an underplot refpecting the mutual attachment between Lothair, Adelgitha's fon, and Imma, the tyrant Michael's daughter, the tragedy before us is compofed. Thefe incidents are, upon the whole, well calculated to form a tragic drama: but we think Mr. Lewis has not rendered his he roine Adelgitha fo interesting as fuch a plot requires. Her conflicting paffions, though neceffarily ftrong, fhould have more of tenderness and lefs of extravagance. It is alfo, in our opinion, a capital error to represent her as wrung with fo much remorse, and deemed guilty of murder, for an act which, however repugnant to female gentleness, appears to have been (by the law of nature, and certainly by our laws) justifiable on the principle of felf-defence. She fhould either have affaffinated the Emperor merely to prevent the discovery of her former guilt, or her diftrefs fhould have arifen wholly from the danger of her fon. In other refpects the conduct of this tragedy is not unworthy of the reputation of the author. He has not, however, yet learned to write tragedies with genuine pathos, or in pure unaffected poetical language; though undoubtedly marks of genius appear in this, as in most of his works. NOVELS. ART. 23. The Man of Sorrow, a Novel, in three Volumes. By Alfred Allendale, Efq. 12mo. 12s. Tipper. 1808. If we we were abruptly to affirm, that this novel was defti. tute of ingenuity or contrivance, mean in its language, dull in its incidents, and prepofterous in its cataftrophe, we should certainly be unjut. But we should be no lefs fo to our readers, if we were particularly to recommend it to their perufal, as much fuperior to the numberlefs productions of the kind, as interefting in its narrative, or nfeful in its moral. To fay the truth, it is of a very mixed kind. The reader will meet with fome good writing, fome pleafing fcenes, and fome well drawn characters; but the hero is made a man of forrow, when a very moderate and rational change of circumftances would have made him quite the contrary. The happiness of the heroine is facrificed to the avarice of her mother, the lover lofes his fenfes, and the curtain drops' over a fcene of mifery. Minuter criticifm could hardly be juftified from the nature of the publication; or it would be eafy to dilate on many defects, and to point out many foenes and paffages deferving of commendation. ART |