As we shall, no doubt, be expected to give some account of the " muse of Mr. Pratt," we will now proceed to the task. On the pedestal, under the age of Garrick, and the time of his decease, the following lines are engraved, to which Mr. Pratt has affixed his name. This we ela lament, as they are far, very far inferior to many of his prior productions. We are much difpofed to imagine, that he contributed them more from kindness than from inclination.

To paint fair nature, by Divine command,
Her magic pencil in his glowing hand,
A Shakespeare rose, then to expand his fame
Wide o'er this "breathing world," a Garrick came;
Though funk in death the forms the poet drew,
The actor's genius bade them breathe anew;
Though like the bard himself, in night they lay,
Immortal Garrick call'd them back to day.
And till eternity with power fublime,
Shall mark the mortal hour of hoary time,
Shakespeare and Garrick, like twin stars shall shine;
And earth irradiate with a beam divine.

S. J. PRATT.

Gentle reader, you are now in poffeffion of the lines which are meant to do honour to the memory of one, who was himself no indifferent poet, and, we dare fay you think with us, that they are too mean for criticism to notice. But as the weil established name of their author, and their situation and intention, confer on them a degree of extraneous consequence, we will give our reasons for thinking them unworthy both of their writer and their station.

The word " paint," in the first line, is mean and equivocal; there are many other verbs much more expreffive and beautiful, which might have been chosen. The epithet "fair," applied to nature, is not improper, but it is trivial; and the conclufion of the line strongly reminds us of " by command of their majefties," which we fometimes fee at the head of a playVOL. II.

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bill. The second line is a very weak one, and the contrast of "his" and "her" has a disagreeable effect, The fecond couplet, if we were not to allow a sufficient poetical licence, would lead us to imagine that Garrick rose immediately after Shakespeare. The third couplet is correct and animated; had the rest been like it, we should only have had to applaud. The fourth says over again, what was faid by the third; and without faying it any better: indeed, much to the contrary; for the expreffion "call'd them back," instead of intimating greatness and power, is too familiar, not to fay vulgar. Of the fifth couplet, the first line is inhar. monious and weak: its want of harmony arifes from its defective structure-the accent is injudicioufly thrown on the first syllable, which is the conjunction "and," a word which ought never to receive the accent, when it may, with equal propriety, be laid elsewhere. The word "eternity," immediately after, adds to the inelegance: it has four syllables, and of these four, but one is accented with any force concluding word of the line appears to be lugged in for the purpose of rhyming to "time" in the next. The following line is not so unmusical, but it is equally weak: the verb "mark," is languid, and indeed improper, as it accords not with the "power fublime" of eternity, just before mentioned. The last couplet to which we are very happy that we have reached, is liable to as many objections as the preceding ones. The first line of it affirms an untruth, for great as the fame of Garrick will, without doubt, always remain, it can never equal the fame of Shakespeare, any more than the borrowed luftre of the moon can equal the original fplendour of the fun. The substantive " stars, is too trivial for the office assigned affigned to it in the next line, and the epithet "twin," affixed to it, is palpable nonsense, as it implies the co-existence of the two characters. The Jaft line is harsh in found, and weak in expreffion. The word "beam," in this line, is liable to the same objec

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tion as the word " stars" in the preceding one; and the epithet " divine" was used, we fuppofe, because it was necessary to have a rhyme to the word "shine.

And now, having gone regularly through these inane lines, let us feriously ask if it was impoffible to procure something more like poetry! If so, those who exclaim that this is not the age of poetry, are certainly in the right. But we think far otherwise of the prefent poetical character of our country. We are convinced, that there are many who are truly the children of the muse; and convinced of this, we must wonder that the talents of Garrick have not called forth a more worthy tribute of justice and admiration.

To compenfate our readers, in fome degree, for the want of energy in Mr. Pratt's rhymes, we will prefent them with some lines, written fome years ago, by William Julius Mickle, the tranflator of the Lufiad, and author of several poems, which powerfully speak the inspiration of the mufe.

UPON MR. GARRICK:

BY THE LATE MR. MICKLE.

Fair was the graceful form Prometheus made,
Its front, the image of the God display'd:
All heaven approv'd it, ere Minerva stole
The fire of Jove, and kindled up the foul.
So Shakespeare's page, the flower of poesy,
Ere Garrick rose; had charms for every eye;
'Twas nature's genuine image, wild and grand,
The strong mark'd picture of a master's hand.
But when his Garrick-Shakespeare's Pallas came,
The bard's bold painting burst into a flame:
Each part, new force and vital warmth receiv'd,

As touch'd by heaven-and all the picture liv'd. কেক

SKETCHES

OF THE

REPUBLICAN ARMIES IN GERMANY. (An original Contribution.)

MY DEAR SIR,

N my return to the continent, I promised to send you some account of the French armies. Hitherto it was entirely out of my power: but annexed, I have the pleasure, in part, to tranfimit you some authentic anecdotes of the Republican generals. Strange, perhaps, as they may appear to the British public, they are, nevertheless, true; and I have taken great pains to be well-informed of every particular before I committed it to paper.

Max Sayn,

Yours, &c.

the 13th June, 1797.

TEUTHOLD DER TENKTERER.

WHEN the French army of the Sambre and Meuse crossed the Rhine, under the command of General Jourdan, the right column took its rout, over the main road, to Siegen and Wetzlar. One of the divisions that composed it, was commanded by the renowned Lefevre; at that time the advanced guard of the column, as it was composed of light armed troops. In this divifion there was a general of brigade, named Soult, a man of low birth, who, before the revolution, was a private foldier, though he is an officer of rank. He had contrived to acquire that rapaciousness which seems to compose the chief character of the French generals.Brutal in his manner and person, he was at once generally detested by his men, and by the unfortunate inhabitants of those places which, in a manner, became his prey.

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It was the unfortunate lot of the small city of Hachenburg, on the Westerwald, to fall into the hands of the above General Soult; and his entrance was marked with the common requifitions, made for the use of the Republic. As for the General, instead of quartering himseif at the castle, he preferred the house of an apothecary, one of the most respectable in the town. His reception was as polite as could be expected; and he was furnished, with alacrity, with every thing the houfe afforded, in order to treat him according to his rank : thus far nothing had been spared to fatisfy his demands. But on the morrow, the cook, enquiring for the mafter of the house, demanded some wine for the General's breakfast. Being presented with fix bottles, he refused them, by asking whether they meant to infult him, in offering so scanty a pittance? he must, at least, have from forty to fifty bottles. In consequence of this, the hoft went up stairs, and stated the matter to General Soult, who very abruptly gave for answer, "that the cook must be furnished with whatever he wanted." The master of the house now proceeded to his cellar, in order to comply with the demand; when, no fooner had he opened the door, than the cook entered with fome chaffeurs, turned him out, and in two hours after he was gratified with the fight of feeing his whole stock packed up in carts before his door, and fent off.

This was the first time that General Soult established his reputation at Hachenburg, and but little did the poor inhabitants think they should again become his victims.

After the defeat which the Republicans experienced on the banks of the Lahn, by Marshal Count Clerfayte, the whole of their troops were forced to make a precipitate and diforderly retreat. The rear-guard again fell to the lot of Lefevre's divifion, when General Soult, at the head of a brigade of chasseurs, a cheval, entered Hachenburg; where every house was shut and barricadoed, as the inhabitants hourly expected a skirmith between

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