Does the ornament of the stage lavish emphafis, expreffion, attitude, and action, upon every line of every fentence?

Does the beauty of a birth-night concentrate all her jewels (unrelieved by interitices of black velvet) in one intolerable blaze?

Would the face of creation appear more lovely, were it, inftcad of rifing into inequalities, diverfified by the varied uxuberance of abundant vegetation,' to exhibit one immenfurable velvet lawn,

fhaven by the fcythe, and levelled by the roller?'

Why then must poetry adopt a prepofterous plan of equalisation, which her fifter mufes reject with fcorn, and afpire to an imaginary perfection, alike unknown to nature and to art?''

Mr. Wefton is not aware that there is a want of correct fimilarity, in these illustrations, to the propofition he advances. They only go to prove that too much fameness in poetry is disgusting; on this ground we believe he will meet with no antagonist; but they can never perfuade any one that incorrectness, languor, or profaic lines, are effentially neceffary to the perfection of that di

vine art.

In his attack on the character and verfification of Pope our author is flippant and acrimonious. As he poffeffes all the warmth of a young man (for fuch we fuppofe him to be), fome of the modely of youth would not have been unbecoming.

What he fays of modern poets is unfortunately too generally true. In fpeaking of Pope and them they are thus characterised:

But, as he was fuppofed to have improved upon his master, our poets feem ambitious of improving upon theirs. He rejected every thing that was not rich; they reject every thing that is not brilliant. He is every where clear and manly; they not unfrequently torture into obfcurity, and refine into imbecility.'

Upon the whole, Mr. Wefton is not deficient in talents, and thinks for himself; is right in many things he advances; and where he is wrong, it is his manner that offends more than the matter. We recommend, therefore, a manner lefs offenfively de cifive in his future publications. Let him think that he may be mistaken, and he will never clothe his defence of truth in the language of petulance and dogmatism.

ART.

ART, VI. Pharmacopoeia Collegii Regalis Medicorum Londinenfis. 4to. 9s. boards. Johnfon. London, 1788.

AFTER an interval of almoft fifty years, a period during

which great improvements have been introduced into the science of medicine, it may well be imagined that, without any prejudice in favour of novelty, a reformation of the London Pharmacopoeia was become highly expedient. But the completion of fuch a work, even with all the accumulated ftores of knowledge, is ftill an arduous undertaking, and extremely difficult to be executed in fuch a manner as to afford univerfal fatisfaction. Some will cenfure the prefcription of a remedy which has long been generally confidered as not deftitute of falutary qualities; while others, on the contrary, will disapprove of the naturalisation of a medicine not fully established as beneficial by their own personal experience. Many will condemn, as arbitrary, every alteration in nomenclature; and fome may be found who will not readily fubfcribe to the fuperior propriety of any particular process directed in pharmaceutical preparation. Under none of those heads is the prefent Pharmacopoeia, in our opinion, unexceptionable; but, notwithstanding every objection, we think it is entitled to great praise. Though the college, in the spirit. of temperate reformation, has not at once expelled from the shops every known or fufpected fuperfuity, it has nevertheless banished a great number; and, with regard to the medicines now firft adopted, it has been governed by equal difcretion. Impreffed with these fentiments, and at the fame time with a conviction of the legal authority of the college, we have always confidered a review of the Pharmacopoeia as a work of fupererogation. Some effential improvements might now be fuggefted, and many more, we doubt not, in the progreffive illumination of a few years; but the propofal of them will be presented with more delicacy, and received with more candour, by private overture than by public remark; and we are perfuaded that, both from this fource and the farther obfervations of the college, the Pharmacopoeia, in a future edition, will appear with till greater advantage.

ART. VII. The Rudiments of Ancient Architecture, in Two Parts. Containing an hiftorical Account of the Five Orders, with their Proportions and Examples of each from the Antiques; alfo Vitruvius on the Temples and Intercolumniations, &c. of the Ancients. Calculated for the Ufe of those who wish to attain a fummary Knowledge of the Science of Architecture. With a Dictionary of Terms. Illuftrated with Ten Plates. 8vo. boards. Taylor. London, 1789.

THE architecture of the ancients, like their poetry, com

mands univerfal admiration; and the models of it which remain have given laws to all the fubfequent efforts of genius in the productions of that elegant art. It is divided into five orders, a competent knowledge of which is regarded not only as an ornamental, but useful accomplishment. To give a general idea of thofe characteristic diftinctions is the defign of the present author, who treats of the subject with equal perfpicuity and concifenefs. The orders, as now executed,' fays he,

Are five, and range as follow: the Tufcan, the Doric, the Ionic, the Corinthian, and the Compofite; which are distinguished from each other by the column with its bafe and capital, and by the entablature.

The Tuscan order is characterifed by its plain and robust appearance, and is therefore used only in works, where ftrength and plainnefs are wanted; it has been used with great effect and elegance in that durable monument of ancient grandeur, the Trajan column at Rome; indeed, general confent has established its proportions for fuch purpofes, beyond all others.

The Doric poffeffes nearly the fame character for ftrength as the Tufcan, but is enlivened by its peculiar ornaments, the triglyph, mutule, and guttæ or drops, under the triglyph; these decorations characterife the Doric order, and in part are infeparable from it. Its proportions recommend it where united ftrength and grandeur are

wanted.

The Ionic partakes of more delicacy than either of the former, and therefore, as well as on account of its origin, is called Feminine, and not improperly compared to a matronic appearance; it is a medium between the mafculine Tufcan and Doric, and the virginal flenderness of the Corinthian: the boldnefs of the capital, with the beauty of the fhaft, makes it eligible for porticos, frontifpieces, entrances to houses, &c. Denteles were fir added to the cornice of this order.

The Corinthian poffeffes more delicacy and ornament than any other order; the beauty and richness of the capital, with the delicacy of the pillar, render it very properly adapted, when magnificent elegance is required; it is frequently used for internal decoration to large or ftate rooms; the appearance is of virginal delicacy and gay

attire.

I

• The

The Compofite order is the fame as the Corinthian in its proportions, and nearly alike in its effects; the addition of the modern Jonic volute to the capital, gives a bolder projection. It is applicable in the fame manner as the Corinthian.'

Of the Tuscan order our author obferves that there is no regular example of it to be found among the remnants of antiquity. The Trajan column at Rome is reckoned of this order, though it has eight diameters for the height; and the capital is certainly more ornamented than is confiftent with Tufcan plainnefs. Of the Doric order there are many examples ftill remaining; fome of very high antiquity, and of proportions so different from the practice of later times, that they feem to have been produced before the rules of art were established. The regular proportion of the height of the Doric column is feven diameters (modern practice allows eight and a bafe); but in feveral buildings exhibited in the ruins of Pæftum, Ionia, and even of Athens, the height of the column does not exceed four diameters, or at most four and an half. Our author is of opinion that the Doric and Tufcan orders were originally the fame. The original proportion of the Ionic column was eight diameters; but fucceeding architects allotted eight and an half to this order. The Corinthian order, in the opinion of Vitruvius, differs from the Ionic only in its capital, the latter having no more than one third of the diameter of the column for its height; but the Corinthian capital is allowed one entire diameter, which gives the column a noble, but delicate grandeur, The Compofite order unites the proportions of the Corinthian order with the ornaments of the Ionic.

For the various ornaments of the different orders, such as the aftragals, architrave, frize, cornice, triglyphs, &c. we must refer our readers to the work, where they are diftinctly illuftrated with plates. We fhall, however, for their amufement, present them with the historical account of the origin of one of the orders. Let it be the Corinthian :

A marriageable young lady of Corinth fell ill, and died; after the interment her nurfe collected together fundry ornaments with which she used to be pleased; and, putting them into a basket, placed it near her tomb; and, left they fhould be injured by the weather, the covered the basket with a tile. It happened the basket was placed on a root of acanthus, which in fpring fhot forth its leaves; these running up the fide of the basket, naturally formed a kind of volute, in the turn given by the tile to the leaves. Happily Callimachus, a moft ingenious fculptor, paffing that way, was ftruck with the beauty, elegance, and novelty, of the basket furrounded by the acanthus leaves; and, according to this idea or example, he afterwards made columns for the Corinthians, ordaining the proportions fuch as conftitute the Corinthian order.'

On the whole, this treatife is well calculated for giving a ge neral idea of architectural knowledge; for the more ready attainment of which, the author has fubjoined a dictionary of terms used in that art. Befides the useful plates with which the work is furnished, it is ornamented with a ftriking likeness of the late celebrated Mr. Stuart, generally known by the name of Athenian Stuart, contained in a vignette upon the title.

ART. VIII. An Introduction to the Practice of Midwifery. By Thomas Denman, M. D. Licentiate in Midwifery of the College of Phyficians. Volume the Firft. 8vo. 6s. boards. Johnson. London, 1789.

SINCE midwifery became a diftinct profeffion, the art has received great improvements, and feems now, indeed, to be brought to a degree of perfection. The author of the present work is one of those who have cultivated it with great fuccefs; nor can we behold him lay before the public the fruits of his attentive obfervation and long experience, without deriving satisfaction from the event. Many of the papers, however, collected into this volume have been before printed; but the republication of them with the author's corrections, and the rendering them fubfervient to a general fyftem of obstetrical knowledge, must always procure them a favourable reception among readers of that class.

The first chapter of the work treats of the pelvis, an accurate acquaintance with which may juftly be regarded as the foundation of the practice of midwifery; the fecond and third chapters contain respectively an account of the external and internal parts of generation; the fourth is employed on the parts contained in the cavity of the pelvis; the fifth, on menftruation; the fixth, on conception; the feventh, on the figns of conception, and the diseases of pregnancy; the eighth, on utero-geftation; and the ninth, on labour.

The following extract, on a contested subject, affords a proof of the author's caution in admitting hypothetical conclufions:

When pregnant women have the fmall-pox, there is much difference in the opinions entertained of the poffibility of the child being infected. Some have contended that, if the mother has this disease, the child could not escape; whilft others are perfuaded that the child could not, according to the laws of the animal economy, receive this difeafe. Cafes are recorded by various writers in confirmation of both the opinions; and many inftances have been communicated to me, by men of integrity and attention, with the view of deciding