THE REFLECTOR.

[No. LVII.]

ALFRED,

AN EPIC POEM, BY JOSEPH COTTLE.

Cease to fear,

Ye holy martyrs! honour'd shades, behold
Behold our bands are broken, and Britannia's soil
Once more is free! Where is the languid heart
At such an hour? Where stands the man whose breast
Feels not my transport? Where is he who views
What heav'n hath wrought, with black indifference?
He lives not to pollute the air! Your hearts
Glow on your cheeks, and glisten in your eyes.

THE

ALFRED.

HE battle of Eddington proving fatal to the cause of the Danes, ALFRED was once more restored to the throne of these kingdoms. IVAR was slain during the fight; and HUBBA, who had received a wound, put an end to his existence with his own hands. The overthrow of the enemy appears to have been very great-though the British monarch, with his usual humanity, forbade unnecessary slaughter. Guthrum, in the mean time, retires with the remnant of the forces to a neighbouring fort, whither Oddune is sent to demand his surrender. The Danish chief, however, discovers his accustomed spirit and bravery.

Oddune obtains Alswitha from Guthrum, and conducts her to ALFRED, who, of course, receives her with the most interesting sensations of gratitude. -To the King she rush'd,

Alfred beheld her!

Im each other's arins

Speechless they stand! When, with ecstatic joy, Alfred exclaim'd And is it thou, O Queen!

Belov'd ALSWITHA

God of Heaven inspire This heart with everlasting gratitude!"

The next book contains a narrative of Alswitha's sufferings, which she tells to Alfred-at the close of her account, her child, whom she thinks dead, is mentioned to her as being safe, by which she is highly delighted. Oddune is again sent to Guthrum, who consents to submit to ALFRED-is received by him at first with an assumed anger-but Alswitha pleading for the Danish General, is pardoned. Guthrum wishes to become a christianand deplores his daughter as dead, when she is brought to him. ALFRED then proposes Guthrum's daughter to Oddune for a wife; she having, by her amiable temper, soothed in a very great degree the sorrows of the Queen in her captivity.

To Oddune then, Alfred his words addressed→→→
"Chieftain, I prize thee, and would fain behold
All happiness attend thee, but what joy
Can solitude afford? Society!

The smiles of her we love, th' endearing wife,
The hopeful offspring, these the charms of earth!.
THESE give a zest to all things here below;
And all beside possessing, but declares,
How sad the lot of him who cannot boast
These soul-enchanting treasures. May I say,
If beauty can attract, affection charm,

Or constancy delight thee, gallant chief,
Think on yon damsel !”
Oddune thus replied-

"Guthrum's fair daughter, who shall not admire ?
Her charms I own-her virtues revere;
But never must I strive, by wor Ior deed,
To win the damsel's love. Her I respect,
But more I cannot. To another maid

My vows are plighted; and I trust, ere long,
To taste domestic joys, and emulate

The virtues of my great and noble King."

ALSWITHA cried-❝ Brave man, thou hast a soul, Which all should reverence, all should imitate. The flower of British youth for her shall strive, Yet never one more worthy than thyself; ODDUNE, I like thy frank and manly speech! There is a race, vilest of human kind, Who rove from fair to fair, all maids alike, Deck'd with gay smiles, and courteous in all deeds, Boasting of conquests. On their tongues are found Maxims of worth, and true humanity.

And they can loudly talk of right and wrong,
Of honour and injustice, and true love,
Repeated oft, with meanings light as air,
Such of eternal constancy will vow,
Or at reserv'd affection humbly glance,
Or less presuming, but of equal force,
Speak only with the language of the eye,
And thus, with low and base hypocrisy,
Winding false way to woman's gentle heart.
These shadows of true men might dread the thought
To tarnish female honour, but would smile
To murder female peace; and unconcern'd,
Nay, with self-compliments and secret pride,
See grief corrode the cheek of innocence,
Behold the wreck of that maid's happiness,
Whose only fault was unrequited love.
Such is not ODDUNE! Thou a soldier art
In name and spirit. May thy sex, like thee,
Protect, not wound, the fond and guileless hearts
Of ALBION's beauteous daughters!"

-ODDUNE bow'd

Graceful to earth, and from the tent retir'd.

The 23rd book contains the Vision of Alfred's guardian Angel; here are some most excellent sen

timents, worthy of the greatest attention. There is not, indeed, that dramatic variety, observable in other parts of the work, but it possesses great dignity, and produces on the mind of the reader a very pleasing effect. We must not quote it, the entire whole interested our sensibility.

The 24th, or last Book, winds up the whole story, by the baptism of Guthrum and his followers-by an interview of Alfred and Alswitha with their infant child-and by the King's last address to his Troops, of which we will extract the emphatic conclusion

-Now subjects! that your days

Comfort may yet attend-one small return
Of me receive. Each man, whose sword was drawn
In this his country's cause, and who requires
A safe and quiet home shall soon possess,
Together with my smiles, a plot of land,
A cottage, that shall every good contain,
And I will be your Father! I will rule
In mercy; and my thoughts, by night and day,
Shall be to serve you, and to make
you feel
Protection and all joy.

When speaking of your valour and your might,
I know you but the instruments!. On high
Dwells the great Ruler of all mortal things!
With him have we found favour! He it was
Who this deliverance wrought, who by his hand.
Unseen made plain our path, and at this hour
Gives us to triumph! He it was who screen'd
Our heads in perils infinite! His arm
Fought on our side! Saxons, with me rejoice!
But to the God of Heaven be all the praise!"

Each replied,

"But to the God of Heaven-be all the praise!

Thus have we finished our account of a poem, which (whatever may be its defects) has this trait,

beyond all others we have read-that is, of deeply engaging the attention. The dignity of Alfred, and feminine mildness of Alswitha-the enthusiasm of Sigbert, and the steadiness of Oddune-the simplicity of Ceolric and Acca, together with the brutal fury of Ivar and Hubba, inciting their followers to deeds of cruelty, are most ably delineated. We know of no poem, indeed, in every respect, so favourable to the interests of the rising generation. Mr. Cottle deserves thethanks of the British community,

The writer of this article, engaged in the tuition of youth, has read the POEEM over several times to his pupils, and found it highly impressive in its effect. It reminds him of the American war, and its termination. ALFRED bears a resemblance to the patriot WASHINGTON, who led on his brave followers to victory.

THE

LIFE OF LYCURGUS.

THERE is to be and uncontroverted HERE is nothing to be related concerning Ly The accounts given of his family, his travels, his death, and especially of the laws he made, and the commonwealth which he founded, are very differ

ent.

But historians chiefly disagree as to the age in which he lived. Aristotle asserts that he flourished in the time of Iphitus*, and this appears the most

* Iphitus instituted the Olympian Games 108 years before the first vulgar Olympiad, which commenced in the year of the world 3174, or 3938, of the Julian period, and 774 years before the Chris

tian era.