The killing dews, tempest and lightning shall Blush, droop, and wither, like a Love-sick Virgin." Shirley published two Pastorals, one called Phillis of Sciros, a translation from the Italian of Bonarelli, and the other The Arcadia, founded entirely on Sir Philip Sidney's work, bearing the same title. "The Faithful Shepherdess' is the only pastoral we ever read with much pleasure, and in those before us there is little to admire, but the facility of the translation in the one, and the ingenious compression of a long fable in the other. We now arrive at the Miscellaneous Poems by our author, and we lament that so little room is left for specimens; though generally speaking, we do not think them equal to the dramatic compositions of the same writer: the two first stanzas of the following lyric composition are better than the last, which savours too much of the stile of some of his contemporaries, at the head of whom is Dr. Donne, who often mistook conceit for fancy, and ingenuity for wit. "TO ODELIA. "Health to my fair Odelia; some that kuow Since I beheld thy lovely brow, Would count an age at least: Whose thoughts are still on thee, By thy black eyes, 'tis but an hour agoe. "That Mistris I pronounce but poor in blisse, That when her Servant parts, CRIT. REV. VOL. V. Jan. 1817. N The subsequent little piece, "Upon his Mistress Sad," is happy, but for want of space we omit particular comment. "Melancholy hence, and get Some peece of earth to be thy seat, Or by forelock hold him fast, We conclude our review of the works of James Shirley, by the following concise and admirable Epitaph by him upon the Duke of Buckingham. "Here lies the best and worst of Fate; Two Kings delight, the peoples hate; The Courtier's Star, the Kingdome's eye, Fears despiser, Villiers glory, The great mans volume, all time's story." J. P. C. Probably written when Shirley was serving under the Duke of New castle, in the civil wars of Charles. MONTHLY CATALOGUE. AMERICAN LITERATURE. ART. 11.-1. The American Analectic Magazine, and Naval Chronicle; published by MOSES THOMAS, Philadelphia, July and August, 1816, 8vo. 2 The American Portfolio; a Monthly Miscellany of Essays on various Subjects, Memoirs of distinguished Personages, Literary and Philosophical Intelligence, &c. Philadelphia, HARRISON HALL, August, 1816, 8vo. We have often regretted, that the spirit of disaffection which is too industriously promoted between the only two free nations of the world in political concerns, should have been extended to arts, literature, and philosophy; so that the inhabitants of the United States neither appreciate properly the liberal attainments of the people of this country, nor do the subjects of Great Britain estimate justly the acquirements of men of genius in the Western Republic. We wish to draw them near to each other, because we are confident that they will mutually improve on a close intimacy. There are advantages peculiar to old and to new countries, and the perfection of a state consists in the union and perfect incorporation of these benefits; and it should seem sufficient to be sensible of this obvious truth, to bring about that reciprocal good understanding. which we would so earnestly recommend. We have had frequent opportunities of forming a judgment of the state of feeling of the more enlightened part of society in America, by the communications of literary friends, and by the regular receipt of the journals, and other periodical publications; and from these means of experience we must say, that the alienation we complain of is not less promoted on the other side than on this side the water, as a few extracts from the works which supply the title to the present paper, would sufficiently explain, if we were willing to transplant these noxious weeds, instead of leaving them to decay and perish on their own soil. The Analectic Magazine is principally devoted to literary intelligence, and was on the first of January instant, to be connected with a new work under the title of the Quarterly Journal;* both of which are to afford, if the purpose of the editors be fulfilled, a complete body of miscellaneous reading. "The Monthly Publication," say they," contains a various treasure of the lighter articles of periodícal literature, while the Quarterly affords a less multifarious fund of its more substantial productions." We recommend to the editors the alteration of this title, as the terms. involve a contradiction. In the first of the numbers we have notice, we have the life of Paul Jones introduced by the following observations. "Whatever may have been the defects in the character of Paul Jones, or whatever his demerits towards the place of his birth, from us he deserves at least such a justification as may be warranted by the truth. He served this country well in her hour of peril, and if, in so doing, he broke the ties which bound him to another, is it for us to become his accusers, or listen in silence to the accusation? No duty requires from an individual or a nation that they should be ungrateful; nor, for our part, do we know of any moral obligation which forbids us to extenuate the faults, or vindicate the fame of one who was our friend, when friends were valuable in proportion as they were rare. His motives were nothing to the United States; and we will now. proceed to the detail of his life and actions, so far as they have come to our knowledge With all due respect to the editors, we take leave to observe to them, that these sentiments do not intimate that liberal spirit with which such works should be conducted. We do not censure the Americans for having employed such a useful ruffian as Paul Jones; but it is one thing to avail themselves of his courage, and another to extenuate his faults, and vindicate his motives. Morals have no locality: they are universal in space, as they are eternal in obligation; and a traitor to his country is in no region to be justified, but every where is to be exposed to the detestation of mankind. The Portfolio is devoted to literature, science, and history; comprehending public documents as connected with the latter: aud to the person by whom it is conducted we would especially request attention to the friendly admonition we have just given, as his principal object professedly is, "to vindicate the character of American literature and manners from the aspersions of ignorant and illiterate foreigners; to expose their injustice, and repel their calumnies." "It is in vain," he says, " to disguise the fact: we pay an humiliating. reverence to the haughty and supercilious opinions of foreign despots over the empire of letters. Our light is always subsidiary, instead of blazing in its own refulgence (effulgence). Such is the predominating influence of foreign literature in this country, that we dare not form ■ judgment upon a narrative of scenes that have passed under our own eyes, or express an opinion upon the merits of a picture at our own fire-sides, until it has been tried in the ordeal of Edinburgh or London criticism. It comports with the national pride, as well as the private interests of the gentlemen who wield these powerful engines of modern literature, to misrepresent and degrade the Ameri can name." We would apprise this gentleman that we have not the smallest objection to the justification he contemplates of American literature, that we shall be as glad as perhaps he himself would be, to see that liferature advance to its meridian splendour: but we would convince him that this glory can be alone attained by the assistance of foreign eru dition, whether from London, Edinburgh, Paris, or Vienna. Nothing, according to our views, can more obstruct American improvement than the absurd persuasion, in defiance of all truth and philosophy, that she has acquired an extent of knowledge which renders her as independent in her literature as she is in her government; and if any thing can endanger the security of the latter, it would be the ignorance that would feed her vanity in the former. Under just views of the relations of life, it will appear to be no humiliation to improve by the attainments of others; and the solitary arrogance that would shut itself up in its own self-conceit, but adds vice to folly, and we are forced to contemn what we should be willing to commiserate. No, worthy citizens! let your interchange in foreign literature be as free as your interchange in foreign trade, and you will derive equal advantages in both: the narrow principle which would lead you to reject either, is one of those mischievous prejudices that partakes more of pride than prudence-more of presumption than patriotism. ARCHITECTURE. ART. 12.—A new and improved Builders' Price Book, formed upon actual calculations carefully digested and corrected from the present price of materials and labour; also, the Workman's prices for labour only, &c. with hints for the selection of materials, and some Practical Observations on the prevention of the Dry Rot, &c. By W. R. LAXTON, Surveyor, London. Longman and Co., 8vo. 1817. pp. 128. It is remarked somewhere, that it requires considerable knowledge to put proper questions. The difficulty in obtaining information of Surveyors without heavy charges in measurements, valuations, &c. has led to the publication of numerous pamphlets under the title of the Builders' Price Book; by which a general knowledge of the expense attending edifices, or their repairs, may be collected without proposing questions to professional gentlemen, the answers to which would be followed by such serious expense. Among these is the work before us; and it is rendered the more necessary on account of the late diminution in the price of labour, the recent fluctuation in the rate of materials, and the almost daily introduction of articles of a new description, occasioned by the various and extensive improvements in Architecture. We believe that the production before us is edited with great care, and that the prices may generally be relied upon as accurate. To the work are added some practical observations upon the prevention of dry rot, which is attributed to the want of a free circulation, or the exclusion of a stream of air in the situation affected; and the simple process recommended for the cure of this disease, is, therefore, the introduction of a free current of that fluid. We recommend this work as a very useful manual for the purposes to which it is directed. |