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240 List of Books - with Remarks.

Part VII, entitled the Ascension. The seventh and last part opens with the Jesuit's address to the Sisters, in which he explains his commission, and by his ascension gives them a foretaste of his strange power over spirits:

"And now their eyes were fix'd for wond'rous shows,
When high in air the Jesuit-fiend arose.
The Sisters gaz'd
Whilst he, with dextrous art, in gestures wild,
Balanc'd his body, till at last he threw
Head, legs, and arms, to their admiring view,
Into one gen'ral whirl: from cap to heel,
Air-pois'd he spun, as spins a Catherine-wheel"

Having diverted the Sisters a while with his frolics, he changes the scene, and wafts his empty vest from heaven to earth,

"till into tatters rent  *  *  *
Such swarms came forth from the mysterious robe,
Enough to people the terraqueous globe."

The last lines are here rehearsed in Chorus, and the Legions produced from the rags are brought to pass in procession before the Sisters:
"Slow they proceeded, with decorum grave, [cave:
Like spectres summon'd to the wizard's
Thrice did they kiss their hands, and thrice bow down,
In meek obedience to the triple crown.
The whore that wore it smil'd.

A motley tribe clos'd all, to give surprize, speciously wrap'd in Protestant disguise; 
Some wore Geneva's doublet, cloak, and hose;
Others the comelier robes of Luther chose. 
But here the Muse curtails her ample round, [ground."
Lest she should find herself on English
The poet concludes this fanciful performance with the following lines, repeated in chorus:

"The moon so bright had shone, that the grey morn 
Stole unexpected.  Cynthia's fading horn
Sicken'd at length.  Aurora twinkled bright, [night.
And warn'd the Sisters of the close of
All, one and all, dispers'd like daylight's foes, [arose.
And, veil'd in mist, blood-red the sun
The lark sat sullen on the dropping thorn,
Nor tun'd one welcome to the drowsy morn. [rills,
Sad murmurs founded from the gurgling
And pregnant clouds o'ertopt the dusky hills."

Mr. Mariott, the author of this poem, in his address to his audience after rehearsal the second evening, April 21 says, "That his aim was to draw the genuine features of that indefatigable and most masterly agency of the Vatican, who, having been dispossessed of his sanctuaries in which he had long rioted in some neighbouring countries, has taken refuge in the midness of our government, and works his way insensibly to influence and power."  In a second address, after a third night's rehearsal, April 30, he tells his audience, "that the Jesuit in his poem is not merely the order of St. Ignatius, which goes by that name.  It extends to itself to every character which is composed of ecclesiastical tyranny and fraud."  It should seem, from these declarations, that the genuine features of all religions are at this present time, in Mr. Mariott's estimation, the fame; as he adds, that his attempt means to restore the ideas of reason and liberty to that noble and manly religion, which has long been the greatest ornament and blessing to our country.  But, perhaps, Mr. Marriott did not mean to insinuate, that the ideas of reason and liberty had wholly abandoned our present noble and manly religion, as by law established; but some other religion, perhaps the Catholic, before the Reformation.  Be that as it may, the poem abounds with poetical description, is full of invention, and discovers a zealous regard for the purity of the Christian faith.

17. Letters on the Improvement of the Mind.  Addressed to a young Lady.  2 vols. 12 mo.  Walter.

These letters are ten in number besides the conclusion.  1. On the first principles of religion.  2 and 3.  On the study of the Holy Scriptures.  4 and 5.  On the regulation of the heart and affections: these are contained in the first volume.  Letter 6.  On the government of the temper.  7.  On economy.  8.  On politeness and accomplishments.  9.  On geography and chronology.  10.  On the manner and course of reading history, with the conclusion, make up the Second.  They are addressed from an aunt to her niece, (a young lady in the 15th year of her age) for whose happiness she expresses the most tender concern, and for whose use the letters seem originally to have been written.  The language is the Language of the heart; and the instructions are conveyed in so kind and engaging a manner, that they cannot fail of being extensively useful.


Catalogue of New Publications. 241

In the first letter, after pathetically exhorting her young pupil to inform her understanding of what she ought to believe and to do; and after enforcing the duties of love and obedience, and making her sensible, that the only sure foundation of human virtue is religion, and that the first principle of religion is the belief of the only God, and a just sense of his attributes--and after recommending to her not to forget to dedicate herself to his service every day-and to implore his protection every night, not merely in formal words, nnaccompanied by any act of the mind, but in spirit and in truth;-she then proceeds to open to her more enlightened understanding the great truths of revelation, and the sources from whence they are derived; to encourage her, as she advances in years, to examine for herself the evidences of the Christian religion; and to recommend to her perusal the sacred volumes that are to be the rule of her future life, and that contain, besides all truths necessary to be believed, plain and easy directions for the practice of every duty.
Having in this first letter, in the most pathetic manner, prepared her young pupil for reading the Holy Scriptures, in the second and third letters she proceeds to point out the course in which they ought to be read. These two contain a summary of the contents of the sacred volumes, with such observations as are necessary to explain and connect the several parts of them. In the second letter the memorable passages in the Old Testament are so concisely recited, that it were impossible to convey the substance without transcribing the whole. The third is prefaced by strongly recommending the importance of the New.
We shall, from this letter, select a few passages by way of specimen.
"Our Saviour, says this elegant writer, appears to have had three great purposes in defending from his glory, and dwelling among men.-The first, to teach them true virtue both by his example and precepts.-The second, to give them the most forcible motives to the practice of it, by bringing life and immortality to light; by showing them the certainty of a resurrection and judgment; and the absolute necessity of obedience to God's laws.-The third, to sacrifice himself for us, to obtain by his death the remission of our sins, upon our repentance and re- formation-and the power of bestow- GENT. MAG. May, 1733. 
6
ing on his sincere followers the inestimable gift of immortal happiness.
What a tremendous scene does the gospel place before our eyes of the last day! when you, and every one of us, shall awake from the grave, and behold the Son of God on his glorious tribunal, attended by millions of celestial beings, of whose superior excellence we can now form no adequate idea, when in the presence of all mankind, of those holy angels, and of the great Judge himself, you must give an account of your past life, and hear your final doom, from which there can be no appeal, and which must determine your fate to all eternity !-Then think--if for a moment you can bear the thought-what will be the desolation, shame, and anguish of those wretched fouls, who shall hear those dreadful words-Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.-Oh!- my beloved child! I cannot support even the idea of your becoming one of those undone, lost creatures !"
The same strain of instruction, piety, and affliction, runs through the whole of these animated letters. They are dedicated to Mrs. Montagu, and do honour to the name under whose patronage, and by whose recommendation, they appear to have been published.
CATALOGUE of New Publications.. RELIGIOUS and ECCLESIASTICAL.
A LETTER to Capt. Scott, occasioned by some passages in a discourse delivered by him at a meeting held at Newport, in Shropshire, Feb 7, 1773. By Samuel Watson, Hosketh, Newport-[This is a letter of reproof addressed to Capt. Scott, but may be equally applied to all the itinerant preachers, who, without being properly qualified, wander about the country, and unsettle the minds of their ignorant hearers. It is written with a good intent, and it is hoped will produce some good effect.
An Address to the Right Rev. the Bishops of the Church of England: with relation to the bill of the dissenters. By a dissenting minister. 8vo. 6d Bladon.
A collection of several papers, relating to the application made to parliament in 1172 and 1773, by some of the protestant dissenters, for relief in the matter of subscription to the doctrinal articles of the Church of England. 8vo. Is. Wilkie. SERMONS.
The Divine Message; or the most important truths of revelation represented in a sermon upon Judges iii, 20. Designed as
an

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