poatic excellence ftands at a higher mark in Edinburgh than at . any other place of education. This volume contains alfo more than is promifed in the title. Prefixed to the poem on India is an elegant Addrefs, in couplet verfe, of feveral pages, "to a Friend in India ;" and fubjoined to the Latin Ode is a poetic paraphrafe in English; while both parts are introduced by pres fatory remarks of fome extent, and of confiderable merit. Of the introductory verfes we cannot give a more pleasing specimen than the invitation to the author's friend to return home, with which they conclude. They complete the picture of a truly ami able man, as the friend is finely reprefented to be throughout the Addrefs.

"Come then, with other wealth than marks the knave
To fcorn, or loads for life the gorgeous slave,
With India's many voices rich thy ftore,
And all the mystic fecrets of her lore;

More rich in hearts that ftill thy name fhall hail,
And fighs and bleffings that purfue thy fail!
Come-With thy praife a milder pleasure blend!
Adorn thy country, and rejoice thy friend." P. xvi,

The principal poem is in blank verfe; and we might almoft at a venture take a paffage from it, without felection, yet fecure of the approbation of the reader. We choofe, however, the fol. lowing picture of the Indian Widow preparing for the fatal facrifice of fuperftition.

"The facred wood is heap'd,-the perfume pour'd.
Come to the bridal couch, which waits the dead,
But not the dead alone!-The pomp is near,
The bramin, and the fire, and the who warm
With youthful beauty, in the bower of peace
And wedded love, the year of new delight
Thrice hail'd with fearlefs happiness. She comes,
With graceful step ferene; and ftill her eye
Smiles, as tho' other fummers, yet more foft
With cloudless joy, were opening on her home
Of undivided fondnefs. Ceafe, ye founds,
That on the dark, bat guiltlefs breaft, oft breathe
A melancholy milder than its own,
A fanctity of fweetnefs! Not on deeds
So dread, with profanation of delight,
Mingle the melodies of heav'n, like beams
Of holy moonlight, melting o'er a plain
Of blood, and fmiling on the death-fick eye!
Thrice has the pile been circled, thrice pronounc'd
The mystic words of union. To her lord
The glance of fpoufal falutation lifts

The victim bride." P. 54.
P. 54

3

The

The Latin Ode is in Alcaic ftanzas, but it is inferior to the English verfes, and the fubject of it is unhappily extinguished by the diffolution of the College. The volume, however, will re. commend itself to thofe who open it at all.

ART. 11. Sonnets and other Poems, by Martha Hanfon. 12mo. 2 vols. 145. Mawman. 1809.

z

Thefe poems are of the better order, and highly creditable to the fenfibility, tafte, and elegance of the writer. They do not indeed afpire to the loftier claims of the Mufes, but they will be perufed by every lover of poetry with great complacency and fatisfaction. Some of the fonnets are indeed very good, as will eafily be believed by the following specimen.

"SONNET XV.

Occafioned by returning to my native place. ·
"Oh ye loved fcenes, and do mine eyes once more
From your wild heights behold the fun defcend,
While his bright flames their parting rays extend,
Tinging the wave that bathes my native fhore,
A fweet tranquillity pervades the frene,

In hushed repofe the ocean's bofom fleeps,
Save where the oar its meafured dafhing keeps,
Or feaman's voice difturbs the blue ferene.
I feel my heart expand to pleafure's glow,

As here once more I breathe the freshning gale,
And at each breath I feem new health t'inhale.
More than or wealth or power can e'er bestow,
To me, dear fcenes of nature, ye impart;

Ye chafe misfortune's gloom, and soothe my heart.”

We would willingly have inferted the Ode to Poetry, which is very fpirited and very elegant, but our limits would not per. mit. We were heartily glad to fee fo numerous and refpectable a list of subscribers to a poetical collection which well merits encouragement.

ART. 12. Specimens of the Poetry of Jofeph Blackett, with an Account of bis Life, and fome Introductory Obfervations. By Mr. Pratt. 8vo. 143 pp. Printed for the Author, by Galabin and Marchant. 1809.

ha

ve had occafion to mention, not long fince, with apWe *, a production of this youthful, and almoft felf-taught probation

See Brit. Crit. Vol. xxxiii. p. 408.

Poet,

Poet, who is very kindly and liberally patronized by Mr. Pratt. The collection now before us has not yet, we believe, been advertised for public fale. It was printed for private diftribution, and was communicated to us by a friend. We readily give it a place, in hopes of promoting Mr. Pratt's benevolent intentions, and multiplying the benefactions which, through him, the unfortunate author has received. Ill health, we understand, will, for a time at least, prevent his refuming the occupation by which he might procure comfort to himfelf, and maintenance for an infant child. Of the fpecimens before us, there are feveral which difplay confiderable genius, though not any fingle Poem which can be faid to rival the "Farmer's Boy" of Bloomfield; with whom Mr. P. is fond of comparing this writer. The plan, it feems, is to fofter the young man's talents for dramatic poetry, as the branch of literature moft likely to afford him a permanent fupport. We rather doubt the policy of this fcheme, at least in the prefent age; which, though prone to applaud dramatic eccentricity and nonfenfe, is flow in countenancing real merit. But we will hope the beft, and prefent our readers with a specimen of this youth's poetical abilities; which is, we think, the beft entire Poem that can be brought within our limits; though fome of the larger compofitions contain more ftriking and elevated paffages.

LINES ON THE DEATH OF HUGH MEYLER,

Written on Good Friday, 1809.

"Mufe of forrow, heavenly guest,
Come, poffefs my aching breaft!
Quick my trembling hand infpire
To touch with kill the hallowed lyre;
The hallowed lyre, whofe ftrains impart
Comfort to the bleeding heart.

Alas! fee where, in manhood's bloom,
A victim to the dreary tomb,
The parent's hope profoundly fleeps ;
And fee, oh fee! that parent weeps:
Weeps o'er the plant he rear'd with pride;
Which fcarcely bloffom'd e'er it died.

"Come then, foother fweet of grief,
Mufe of forrow, bring relief.
From thy folitary cell

Kindred notes of paffion fwell;
Notes, like Gilead's balmy power,
To affuage the anguifh'd hour.

"But what founds are thofe I hear,
Hovering on my liftening ear?
U 4

Sure

Sure fome heavenly minstrel brings
Solace from celeftial strings:
Yes, I fee, in yonder cloud
An angel ftrikes his harp aloud,
And with ftrains of soothing peace
Bids the mufe of forrow cease.
"Now, methinks I hear it fay,
Hafte, my brother! hafte away
From a world of various woe,
From the fhades of death below.
Haften, foaring spirit, bleft,
Haften to thy brother's breast.
"Hark! the kindred fhade replies,
As through yielding air it flies,
Yes, my brother, yes, I come
Exulting o'er the raylefs tomb:
Summoned to an equal feat,
Cherub may a cherub greet.

"Yet, what means this hollow moan?
Ah! it is my parent's groan

Hovering round me in my flight

To the azure fields of light.

Ceafe then, ceafe, fond parents dear!

Check, ah! check the tender tear.

Soon our tranfports ye will fhare,

And, in realms of purer air,

Meet the rich award of heaven,

Which to fuffering worth is given."

The foregoing lines, though not quite original, or entirely faultlefs, do credit to the genius, and ftill more to the feelings of the writer. We are concerned to hear that his ill health continues, and that his recovery is very doubtful; more especially as his decease would leave an unprotected female infant to the mercy of the world.

ART. 13. The Parliament of Ifpahan: An Oriental Eclogue. Tranflated from the Perfian of his Excellency the . . . . . . . Ambafador. With Notes explanatory and illuftrative, by Sir.... 8vo. 33 PP. 2s. 6d. Mercer. 1810.

"Ye British Reviewers, ye full-grown Critics," (fays the author before us)" this work is not intended for you; for children I have written, and by them only will I be judged."

Were our juvenile Reviewers at hand we fhould readily ac quiefce in this proteft, and the author fhould be configned to the jury which he has chofen. But as they cannot at prefent be

affembled

affembled, we “full-grown gentlemen" must beg leave to offer our fentiments, and suggest to "his Excellency" the Ambassador (we fuppofe of Perfia) that before he gives any more of his Eaftern productions to the British public, he fhould employ a tranflator who is acquainted with the ftructure of English verfe. The metre is intended to be the fame as that of the " Bath Guide,” and of the ingenious little poem, "The Peacock at Home," of which this work is manifeftly an imitation. Yet it halts even in the fifth line ("And now as the laws of the realm prefcribe,") which is not a verfe. Here and there line is faulty in having a fyllable too much. Authors might furely, before they publish what they deem poetry, take the trouble to learn the principles of metre. Thefe errors our juvenile Critics would have detected, but they would scarcely have comprehended all the terms, or known how to apply all the characters in this poem. The obvious drift of it is, to ftigmatize the leading perfons in Oppofition by comparing them to certain animals (for the most part) of a mischievous nature. But the comparisons are in general ftrained, and feveral of them are to animals but little known to readers in general, and confequently uninterefting. We muft except that to the Cameleon, the fuppofed properties of which feem applicable enough to the perfon alluded to. The author himself bears witness to the obfcurity of the text by long explanatory notes. Upon the whole, though we agree, in fome points, with the political fentiments of this writer, we do not think he has, in this production, evinced that eafy vivacity and genuine humour which are required to ren der thefe trifles amufing.

A ridiculous frontispiece, caricaturing an Ex-Chancellor and a Late Chancellor of the Exchequer, is, to us, the most facetious part of the work,

DRAMATIC.

ART. 14. The Pleafures of Anarchy: A Dramatic Sermon. 8vo. 134 pp. Hatshard. 1809.

It is difficult to fay whether the dramatic piece before us is intended as a ferious compofition or a burlefque, or why it is termed a Dramatic Sermon. Perhaps the author intended, in this piece, to illuftrate the nature of political by an example of dramatic anarchy, for a more complete chaos in compofition never yet came under our notice. A king and a prince of Terra In. cognita are affailed by a captain and band of malecontents, and betrayed by a falfe brother of the king. After various combats both the royal perfonages are flain, and the Drama, if it may be fo called, ends in univerfal conflagration and confufion. We are unable to give any more precife defcription of this ftrange work,

the