animated ftrains, compofed with fo much claffical correctness. Belfour's Spanish Heroism*, if more obnoxious to criticism, is also entitled to the Critic's praise; and Erin, by Mr. Smedley †, though it does not exhaust, yet indicates and opens a truly noble fubject. Two poems, which the writers have not chofen to avow, have yet their claim to commendation. These are the Renovation of India written for Dr. Buchanan's prize; and the Hofpital §, a poem on a familiar fubject, according to the plan of Mr. Crabbe, but not, like his, affifted by the charm of rhyme. Turning to collections of poems, we are reminded of Mifs Mitford, whofe name our. compofitor disfigured, and whofe verfes, elegant as they are, did not quite efcape his perverfion. When her name is changed again, we truft it will be for a better purpose. If we might reject a few compafitions from Mr. Holloway's volume, entitled the Minor Minstrell, it would have lefs of the minor character in it; the author is by no means deftitute of poetical talent, but the frequent operation of his taste is to deprefs his natural powers. The fonnets and other Poems of Martha Hanfon ** have alfo their claims to our praife; and the fpecimens of Jofeph Blackett's compofitions ++ juftify the exertions of Mr. Pratt on his behalf. We come now to tranflations, among which fome of diftinguished merit have lately come before us. Mr. Girdieftone's Pindar ‡‡, the first complete tranf lation in our language of that Poet's remains, is honourable to the talents and learning of the tranflator; nor is Mr. Elton's Hefied §§ unworthy to take its place in the fame clafs. To give the Iliad in blank 3 verfe, after the tranflations which had appeared, was a still more arduous tafk; but Mr. Morrice* has done credit to himfelf, though he may not have eclipfed his competitors. In tranflating from a modern poet, Gessner, Mr. Baker † difplayed confiderable powers; but, if we are not mifinformed, our praises can no longer gratify his mind. In the comic drama, appearing as it ought to appear, in verfe, Sir James Burges has given new life to a play of Maflinger; and his compofition, entitled Riches 1, pleased, as it deferved to pleafe, the audiences of London. For the republication of Headley's Specimens, accompanied with a life of the elegant and lamented editor, the public owes a real obligation to Mr. Kett §, whofe zeal for his departed friend, though active, is not in any refpect extravagant. The fe lection of poetry, entitled English Minstrelsy, is not uncreditable to the tafte of the compiler, and comprises a few original compofitions, MISCELLANIES. To this place we have been obliged to referve the collected works of Dryden; for who fo various as that copious writer in the exertions of his powerful pen? Nor is the edition which Mr. Walter Scott has prepared, by any means unworthy of the author. Something, in fo extenfive a work, must always be liable to exception; but we examined it without a wish to cavil, and gave our fentiments at large, in a way which we thought likely No. IV. p. 368. No. VI. p. 634 not Mr. Kett give the public the Fletcher, which he poffefles in MS.? + No. I. p. 68. I No. II. p. 97. III. p. 272. V. p. 465. VI. p. 574 to be useful. Whoever is not envious of their, fuccefs, muft rejoice at the progrefs of Mr. Beloe's volumes on Literature. The fourth, which we lately noticed, is as replete with curious anecdote as the former volumes; and the topics, already announced, promife a continuation not at all inferior. Mr. Card's Literary Recreations † are of a different ftamp, but by no means, deficient in attractions; and Mr. Blagdon's Flowers of Literature are continued with the fame fpirit which they always poffeffed ‡. Nor is even a Catalogue, well digefted, an inconfiderable acceffion to Literature; as that of Mr. Harris, compiled for the Royal Institution, will long continue to evince. We have many other books to notice, in this concluding fection of our Preface, which cannot eafily be connected by any natural tranfition. Such are the Correspondence of Sir Richard Steele, which, if we had recollected our former ideas, we should have claffed with biographical works, as illuftrative of the character of the writer; the Manual of various Effays, and the Manual prepared for Anglers, by the ingenuity of Mr. Howitt **. Still more heterogeneous are Mr. Marf's Introduction to Harmonics tt, Mr. Jenning's tract on the Dutch Commiffioners, the pamphlet of a Scotch Farmer, on Landed Property S, and the Remarks of Sir Thomas Bernard on the New School . Yet all these have, in their various lines, by far too confiderable merit to be palled over in filence. Here, however, we hold our hand. Some minor publications, which we had noted down as worthy of fome notice, are fo trifling in comparifon, that No. II. p. 171. No. II. p. 199. they would rather caft a fhade on those which we have mentioned, than be raised into confequence by the diftinction. They will be found in their refpective places, with the commendations, which they feem to deserve. Forfitan hæc aliquis, nam funt quoque, parva vocabit ; To our readers we wish pleasure and advantage from the whole of this volume; and thus we take our leave for another half-yearly period. |