the agency of the generous Cookesley, singled out Gifford as the champion of his cause against the mad rebels, who threatened to overturn his empire upon earth, or at least in Britain. Be this as it may, we will assert that the poet's connection with the god is distinguishable in every line; and that the defeat of the Cruscan phalanx could not have been more complete had the muses and their master fought in person. And though Mr. Gifford himself observes, in a note to the Mæviad, that "the contest was without danger, and the victory without glory," from the impotence of these Askaparts, we must dissent from this observation. It surely required no slender degree of skill or courage to attack a host, however puny in themselves, who had the current of popular applause for their intrenchment, and columns behind columns of prostituted and venal journals ready to repcl the attack. Accordingly the champion of sense and poetry was in his turn assailed, by the "angry ebullitions of folly unmasked and vanity mortified." In the approbation and applause of the good and wise, however, Mr. Gifford found solid cause of self-congratulation, while the imbecile attacks of fools or knaves passed by him like "the idle wind."

The MAVIAD appeared in the year 1795, and may be deemed a second part of the BAVIAD. The satire of the former was particularly restricted to the sonnetteers and ode-mongers of the Cruscan school; but the latter embraced Cruscan and Harlequin dramatists.

pler, began to rave) I determined, without much confidence of suc cess, to try what could be effected by my feeble powers; and accordingly wrote the following poem."

As there has existed but one opinion upon the merits of these poems, our criticism would be as useless as we confess it would be feeble, on account of our limits. We cannot, however, refrain from selecting two or three short passages from these poems, which will convey a juster idea of Mr. Gifford to those who can understand them, than any description of his character by another hand.

Is a grateful remembrance, in prosperity, of those who were the friends of our adversity an amiable trait? -Hear Mr. Gifford.

"Thrown too soon on the world's dangerous tide

"To sink or swim as chance might best decide;
"Me, all too weak to gain the distant land,

"The waves had whelmed, but that an outstretch'd hand
Kindly upheld, when now with fear unnerv❜d,

"And still protects the life it then preserv'd.

The following lines are perhaps unequalled in their poetical beauty, at the same time that they display sympathies none but the good can cherish.

"Sure, if our fates hang on some hidden power,
"And take their colour from the natal hour,
"Then, IRELAND, the same planet on us rose;
"Such the strong sympathies our lives disclose.
"Thou know'st how soon we felt this influence bland,
"And sought the brook, and coppice, hand in hand,
"And shap'd rude bows, and uncouth whistles blew,
"And paper kites (a last, great effort) flew:
"And when the day was done, retir'd to rest,
"Sleep on our eyes, and sunshine on our breast.
"In riper years, again together thrown,
"Our studies, as our sports before, were one.

46

Together we explor'd the stoic page

"Of the Ligurian, stern tho' beardless, sage!

* The Rev. Mr. Ireland, vicar of Croydon, Surrey, author of "Vindicia Regiæ," &c. &c.

Together too, when Greece unlock'd her stores,
"We rov'd in thought o'er Troy's devoted shores,
"Or followed, while he sought his native soil,
"That old man eloquent" from toil to toil;
Lingering with good Alcinous o'er the tale,
Till the east reddened, and the stars grew pale.
"So part our life; till Fate, severely kind,

Tore us apart, and land and sea disjoin'd

"For many a year; now met, to part no more,
"The ascendant power, confess'd so strong of yore,

Stronger by abience, every thought controuls,
"And knits in perfect unity our souls.

Again need any one enquire the habits of him. who wrote these lines.

"An hour may come, so I delight to dream,
"When slowly wandering by thy sacred stream,

Majestic Thames! I leave the world behind,
"And give to Fancy all the raptured mind.

"An hour may come, when I shall strike the lyre
"To nobler themes: then, then the chords inspire
"With thy own harmony, most sweet, most strong,
"And guide my hand thro' all the maze of song!

The merits of the Baviad and Mæviad are of a nature to perpetuate the memory of their author, and the translation of Juvenal, which Mr. Gifford has recently given to the world, would have consecrated his name to the homage of remote posterity, even had no other production served as its precursor to fame. The satires of Juvenal are justly ranked among the best productions of the ancient poets, and, "taken for all in all," are not inferior to any. Yet it was not until the beginning of the seventeenth century that a com

We

plete translation of Juvenal was attempted; and even then the versions of Sir Robert Stapylton and Barten Holyday were the only means by which an unlearned reader could obtain a glimpse of the literary treasures of the Roman satirist, for a period of nearly an hundred years, when Dryden's translation appeared. With the character of this translation every reader must be sufficiently acquainted. Dr. Johnson has said of it," that it preserves the wit, but wants the dignity of Juvenal!" Without enquiring whether the Doctor meant to convey praise or censure by this character, we are clearly of opinion that a want of Juvenal's dignity, cannot be atoned for by any other merit in his translator. But it is not necessary to discuss the merits of former translations for a deduction of the necessity of Mr. Gifford's, as we have seen that other motives than the public service first urged him to his task, stimulated its progress, and decided its publication. It might be deemed arro gant in us to pronounce judgment on a performance so lately in the hands of the public; we will therefore reftrain those expressions of admiration and applause which would flow "trippingly from our tongue," sensible that the judgment of posterity will do ample justice to the " Juvenal of OUR age."

Since this article was begun to be written, the nobleman to whom Mr. Gifford personally, and on his account the British public generally, owe boundless obligations, has left our world. We could wish it were engraven on his tomb-" HERE LIES THE PATRON OF WILLIAM GIFFORD." Alas! how few

among our degenerated and degenerating nobles can claim so proud an epitaph! ONE however remains, of whom the poet himself has thus sung:

"Yet one remains, ONE NAME for ever dear,
"With whom, conversing many a happy year,
"I mark'd with secret joy the opening bloom
"Of virtue, prescient of the fruits to come,
"Truth-honour-rectitude--"

It is needless to add, that the nobleman alluded to was Lord BELGRAVE, now the Earl of Grosvenor.

Blessed with such a friend,' the subject of these memoirs is safely sheltered from the storms of life, in an harbour which affords him competence, tranquil lity, and respect. In the society of the first characters in this country for rank, talents, and taste, does the ci-devant cabin-boy of the Two Brothers mingle, as in a sphere for which nature evidently designed him. Contrasting, therefore, the origin of William Gifford with his present eminence in society, we may describe the emancipation of his genius in the same words as Pope describes the liberation of the soul by death, and say,

"As into air the purer spirits flow,

"And sep'rate from their kindred dregs below,
"So flew the soul to its CONGENIAL PLACE."

PROFESSOR CARLYLE.

CONCERNING Professor Carlyle the curiosity of the public has been excited both by his writings and by his late travels in the Eaft. We fhould have been