cipate in all thofe incidents which his fancy or his feelings may have selected, if judiciously, to embellish the fcenery he describes. Mr. Skurray has endeavoured in his principal poem to excite and intereft all fuch feelings. The language is unequal, but often pleafing; the fentiments pure; with a ftrong tincture of the trueft piety, and most ardent benevolence pervading the whole. That the reader may judge of the objects and incidents felected, we fhall tranfcribe part of the author's own analysis of the poem.

"Invocation to the Mufe of Denham-Defcription of the Hill-Morning and Evening, with their accompaniments-The Happinefs of a Paftoral Life-Fox-hunting defcribed and vindi. cated-Cley Hill-Its Palm Sunday Sports-Apoftrophe to Liberty as enjoyed by Englifhmen, with Allufion to the unjuft Detention of our Countrymen in France-Lanfdown Hill, with Thoughts fuggefted by juvenile Recollections-The Druids Barrow-The fanguinary Ceremonies of that ancient Superftition contrafted with the benign Spirit of the Gofpel-Glaftonbury Tor-Fonthill Abbey Alfred's Tower-Stourhead-Longleat," &c.

As fpecimens of the poetry we fhall first felect (what cannot fail to intereft every British reader) the following juft tribute to the memory of the immortal Nelfon, in which the general forrow for his lofs, and the univerfal joy for the victory achieved, are happily brought into one point of view. After defcribing the fplendid reception of the hero in times paft, at the noble manfion of Fonthill (one of the moft confpicuous objects in the neigh bourhood of Bidcombe Hill), Mr. Skurray proceeds:

"But lo! the houfe of banquetting is chang'd,
From mirth and revelry to fcenes of grief;
E'en while on Bidcombe's fav'rite fpot I ftand,
Viewing the pile, where once the Hero fat,
Amid the dainties of the mirthful feaft,
The muffled bells from villages around
Proclaim him victor at the coff of life;
And blend rejoicing with alternate woe.
I liften to the cheerful, tragic found,
And mix my forrows with the tide of joy.—
When on the deck the bleeding Hero funk,
Loud acclamations from the adverfe crew,
Mingled their tumult with the cannons roar,
At Nelfon's fall to teftify their joy.

Ceafe, barbarous foe, to triumph o'er the wound;
Forth from his duft fhall other Nelfons fpring,
Tofcour the ocean, and avenge his doom.—
The patriot twines amid the laurel wreath,
The doleful cyprefs and funereal yew,

.

While from each heart fpontaneous accents* rife,
To fpeak a nation's gratitude to Heaven.
His gladden'd country wears the face of grief,
Refembling moft the clouded orb of day,
Sparkling 'mid gloom and glorious e'en in tears.
Oft as the hind fhall ken yon facred pile,
The honeft drops fhall gather in his eyes--
A tear of forrow, mixed with tears of joy."

The following compliment to the noble family at Longleat does credit to the author's heart, as well as to the objects of his. panegyric.

"Upon the fite of confecrated ground,

The lordly manfion ftands! where once the monk,
In pilgrim habit clad, forgot the world,
And with coarfe diet mortified defire.
Now plenty reigns, and hofpitable fare,
Exceeded never in thofe halcyon days,
Which poets fable of the golden age.

Where never wedlock's chafter joys were known,
Now dwell examples of connubial love,

And all the focial charities of life.”

The volume is enriched with engravings illuftrative of the fcenery defcribed in the principal poem: among thefe are Views of Bidcombe Hill itfelf, of Maiden Bradley Priory, and the noble and fplendid manfion at Longleat.

ART. 14.

Porms and Tranflations from the minor Greek Poets and others, written chiefly between the Ages of ten and fixteen, by a Lady. Dedicated, by Permission, to her Royal Highness the Princess Charlotte of Wales. 8vo. 165 pp. 5s. Longman and Co. 1809.

In our 33d vol. p. 517, we noticed the first edition of this work as a phenomenon in literature; producing one fpecimen of the tranflations, and another of the original poems. A fecond and a third edition have fince appeared, (which unluckily are not nowin our hands,) containing 33 additional pages. But we have now before us 24 other pages, which the writer's accidental lofs of fight detained from the prefs, till the third edition had been pub. lifhed. Thefe pages contain An Efay on Mufic, begun at ten years. of age. Our readers fhall again be enabled to judge for them. felves concerning the poetical talents of this extraordinary female.

Alluding to the day of General Thanksgiving,

1

The

The feveral parts of this Effay are,- A young Minstrel's In-
Vocation, The Origin, Progrefs, Prefent State, First Principles,
Theory, Graces, Pleasures, Power, and Triumph of Mufic.
"THE PLEASURES OF MUSIC.

"But not to lengthen beauty's tranfient reign,
Not to extort the lavish boon of praife,
(Oft venal or reluctant) nor to foothe
The torpid hours of indolence and pride,
Is heav'n-born Music's privilege. Her place,
Her nobleft place is in the rich retreat
Of modeft Virtue and her fifter Peace.
There, at the clofing hour of busy day,
When focial converfe paufes-(if among
Hearts knit with hearts foft converfe finds a paufe}
Let MUSIC oft her welcome vifit pay,

The sweet refource of leifure! the mild guide
To focial blifs, domeftic and ferene;

Itfelf her emblem: the concordance fweet
Of hearts attun'd to gentle unifon!
Ah! happieft they who in the downy lap
Of love, parental love! repofe fecure,
And taught by homefelt harmony, delight
To tread the flow'ry path, and win the prize
By tuneful Science to her vot'ries fhown.
Thrice hallow'd, if her dulcet power aflifts
The foft folicitudes of filial care,
And cheers the vigil of repofing age
With brief but facred rapture. On the lyre,
Touch'd by the duteous hand of grateful love,
To footh a parent's ear, a cherub fits,

And breathes fuch magic melody, as wafts

The foul of Age to its expected Heaven!" P. 217.

ART. 15. English Minstrelly; being a Selection of Fugitive Poetry from the beft English Authors, with fome original Pieces hitherto unpublished. 2 vols. 1 2mo. 14s. Murray. 1810.

This is a very pleafing felection of poetry from our moft diftinguished bards, from the time of Harrington and Fletcher to thofe of the prefent day, with a few original compofitions. A collection made with fo much tafte cannot fail to be generally acceptable, and the very nature of the thing makes any cri tical obfervations unneceffary. We are glad, however, to adorn our pages with the following pieces, which are new, at leaft

to us.

ON A RUINED EDIFICE.

"I asked of Time, To whom was reared the mafs
Whofe ruins now thou crumbleft with the foil?"

He answered not, but furious fhook his glass,
And flew with fwifter wing to wider spoil.

"I asked

"I afked of Fame, O thou whofe breath fupplies
Life to high works of wonder what remains?
Abashed to earth fhe bent her mournful eyes,
Like one who fighing filently complains.
Loft in amaze, I turned my fteps afide,
When o'er each pile I faw Oblivion ftride
With haughty mein, and air of deep defign.

Then thou,' I cried, mayft know, ah deign declare.*
Stern did the answer hoarfe, while thunder rent the air,
Whofe once it was feek not, now it is mine.'"

This is from the Italian of Petrocchi, and might be better rendered at the end;

"Whofe once it was I care not, now 'tis mine." The following is by Mifs Baillie.

"THE HEATHCOCK.

"Good morrow to thy fable beak
And gloffy plumage dark and fleek,
Thy crimfon moon and azure eyė,
Cock of the Heath, fo wildly shy;
I fee thee flily cowering through
That wiry web of filver dew
That twinkles in the morning air,
Like cafement of my lady fair.
A maid there is in yonder tower,
Who peeping from her early bower,
Half fhows, like thee, with fimple wile,
Her braided hair and morning file.
The rareft things with wayward will
Beneath the covert hide them still;
The rareft things to break of day
Look fhortly forth and fhrink away.
A fleeting moment of delight
I funned me in her cheering fight,
As fhort I ween the time will be
That I shall parley hold with thee.
Through Snowden's mift red beams the day,
The climbing herdboy chaunts his lay,
The gnat-flies dance their funny ring, '
Thou art already on the wing.

ART. 16. England and Spain, or Valour and Patriotifm. By
Felicia. Dorothea Browne. 4to. 28 pp. 5s. Cadell and

Davies. 1808.

If fine words and fmooth verfes were fufficient to constitute a good poem, Mrs. (or Mifs) Felicia Dorothea Browne might be congratulated on her fuccefs in the prefent effort. The following lines will afford a specimen.

Dd

BRIT. CRIT, VOL. XXKY, APRIL, 1810,

" Is

"Is there no bard of heavenly power poffeft,
To thrill, to roufe, to animate the breaft?
Like Shakespeare o'er the fecret mind to fway,
And call each wayward paffion to obey?
Is there no bard, imbued with hallow'd fire,
To wake the chords of Offian's magic lyre;
Whofe numbers breathing all his flame divine,
The patriot's name to ages might confign?
Rife! Infpiration! rife, be this thy theme,

And mount, like Uriel, on the golden beam." P. 9.

If it would fatisfy the author to tell how often we are condemned to read verfes infinitely inferior to thefe, words worfe chofen, periods worfe arranged, we could produce fuch instances without number; yet after all we cannot honeftly praise her poem. Beyond the track of common place we never find her wander; and though her memory feems ftored with the most approved artifices of poetic ftyle, the whole fails of effect. From what cause this failure arifes we forbear to fay; but we confefs that we fee, without pleasure, the intimation of a volume by the fame writer,

TRAVELS.

ART. 17. The Real State of France, in the Year 1809; with an Account of the Treatment of the Prisoners of War, and Perfons otherwife detained in France. By Charles Sturt, Efq. late M. P. for Bridport, refident in France before the War, and detained nearly eleven Years as a Hoftage. Second edition. 8vo. 168. pp. Ridgway. 1810.

Mr. Sturt naturally incenfed against the tyrant, from whofe fhameless injuftice he has been a fufferer fo many years, is indig nant and aftonished, as well he may be, that there fhould be found in England any panegyrifts of fuch an offender. He difclaims, in a manly way, all pretenfions to elegance and even correctness of ftyle, and profeffes only to offer truth to the perufal of his country. men. "The multiplicity of my private concerns," he fays, "after a painful and long captivity, will not now allow me time to revife what I write; but I claim credit for the truth of my statements,"

Thefe ftatements, rather defultory in the mode of delivering them, go principally to prove thefe points; that France is im poverished and unhappy under the domination of Buonaparte; that the French in general deteft his character, and are afhamed of his perfidy; and that the treatment of the English, whether prifoners of war, or arbitrarily detained, is vexatious and cruel in the extreme. The laft of thefe, indeed, is a fact of which Mr. S. is able to speak by melancholy experience; the others are opinions, collected probably on good grounds, and we doubt not fundamentally true; but not fo implicitly to be received,