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the other had nothing to restrain project of Eolus, who would have him. This writer more than per-confined the winds. We see poetry, haps any other, knew the secret like love, springs of human action, he knew when to touch them and unfold the cabinet of mind. Hence, notwithstanding the carpings of criticism, his plays in which ghosts are introdeeed, are in truth those which please best at the present day.

"at sight of ev'ry tie. Claphis light wings and in a moment fly." It is still necessary for human refinement, that rules should be enforced against both. Passion is thus purified and taste improved.

The production before us is not

It is always more pleasing to as-without merit, but its merit would certain the native force of the mind certainly not have been lessened, of an author, than to determine with had the author paid more deference accuracy in what grade to rank his to the requisitions of Prosody, less performances. Hence, as Doct. frequently violated the precepts of Johnson expresses it, "there is al-Syntax, and been a more submissive ways a silent reference of human subject to the laws of English Hexaworks to human abilities;" and peo- meter. Prosody is outraged twice in ple generally consider a man's two lines, p. 13. means and opportunitis before they«Iis brown cliffe towering to the sunny make final decisión on his powers.

sky;

Shakespeare viewed in this light is "Where, glens and wild woods trembling one of the most stupendous struc

tures of human intellect, which ever p. 45.

at the sound,"

gratified the sight of mortals. How-"He sees the green 'Slope to the west deever, therefore his foibles may be

considered to depart from probabil-p. 54.

scend"

main."

ity, we are so enamoured of their "I see your clear waves hastening to the effects that we are loth to condemn him, and wish we had never doubted his correctness.

VERITAS.

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61. p.

not a tree,

"Waves in thy green bounds but is dear

to me."

These instances and others, that might be mentioned, break all rules, that have for their object to create and preserve an unbroken harmony of English verse. Such infractions are pardonable only, when essential to the echo of sound to sense. The word real has a greater quantity allowed it in these numbers, than we think verse will admit. It is uniformly used as a disyllable and has two full feet allowed it to make out the legal measure of every line, in which it happens to be placed. We are aware, that Walker supports this division. We are ready to rally round the banner this writer has unfurled, as the only true standard.→→ But we say this generally. We do

not believe, nor will any man pretend, that he is correct and infallible in every, the most minute particle. We have ever been of opinion, that real was as fairly a monosyllable as rear, and the most accurate elocutor in the country will not be able to read the numbers in which the word "real" is thus divided, and not feel something wanting to complete the fulness of sound. The lines of "HOME" are, some of them, prosaic, and the so frequent recurrence of the "needless Alexandrine” is absoJutely intolerable. The wounded snake drags its slow length along" at every twentieth line upon an average throughout the poem. The use of this line is justified only by what justifies many other exceptions to rules of verse, necessity to the echo of sound to sense, and by the peculiarly emphatical nature of the idea intended to be conveyed. The latter reason comes in aid of the last line in this poem, which is the only authorised Alexandrine in the whole production.

An error in grammar appears to have escaped the poet in the 33d rage, which is noticed, because common. It is using the affirmative for the negative conjunction. The

line runs thus:

"Relentless watch, that knows not rest or sleep."

We know no poetic license, that will make the participle an adverb. Common use probably betrayed into this error.

Prosody and Syntax are portions of universal grammar. Violations of these would in any language be faults. But there is an object for criticism, as to many English productions in verse, from which those of some languages are proudly exempt. "The polished Greek knew nothing of it. The noble Roman was above it." RHYME is at best restraint. It makes fetters for verse. The bard, that will wear chains, should clank them in music. To do this, he should regard the precepts of those who have long attentively listened; who hear him attempt "to groan with grace and writhe in melody." These have said their vernacular tongue would admit but two sorts of rhyme. First the rhyme, which is produced from a correspondence in the last sounds of verses, when accurately pronounc ed. This is in fact the only perfect rhyme in the language. The other is that produced from a correspondence in the orthography of the last words of verses, even though their sounds should be different, and is in truth rhyme only to the eye. This last is rather an indulgence than a right. Within one or other of these descriptions must a couplet come, in order to be a legitimate rhyme. In the poem before us there are countless examples of couplets, that come within neither., "BLOOM, HOME; break, cheek; voice, joys;

This should have been nor; not is here used for neither. Analogy might have taught the bard, that Goldsmith or Pope would have written it thus, Relentless watch, that knows nor rest given, heaven; pours, flowers; re

nor sleep.

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treat, regret; mirth, hearth; receives, gives; tie, joy; driven, heaven; bcrne, morn; strews, repose;

are among the terminations of verses this production affords, without the correspondence either of sound or orthography.

foam"

he really gives us Eathos well brezv

In passing over these pages one Embrown the earth, and turn the seas to Instance of unwarrantable digression met observation. It is in the 27th page. The peet had been singing ed. the joys of the cottager" The endearing ties of husband, father," aerial swell" we fear we shall ever

child." He then passes to joys of higher zest.

Where genius, science, taste, their
gifts bestow,

Bliss higher,joys more intellectual, flow."
With these, "twere madness but to

breathe a sigh

For aught beside that chance or fate deny.
Shall Wealth, who scorpions views
amid his store;
[more;
Shall Pleasure, at her banquet craving

Page 115. What is meant by

be utterly at a loss to determine.
"The sun, now low, has bid the vales
farewel,

But pours a richer blaze o'er each
aerial swell.”

Here DELLA CRUSCA fairly mounts a sun beam to beset a cloud. The author's Home is a variety shop. What it wants in Bathos, it makes up in Bombast. The beautiful

Shall Power, who grasps the land and episode on Falconer, is checquered strides the wave, slave; as is the rest of the poem, with Yet trembles, as he eyes his trembling personifications of various objects. After the four prelimininary lines The "exulting vessel," that bears the reader is fairly led to expect him, is noticed. Hope is put upon the resuk will be, that "Wealth," deck. The vessel takes fire. "Power" and "Pleasure" can add gives rise to two personifications, nothing to the bliss of "genius, sci-smoke and flame. Hope, smoke ence, and taste." Poets are not and flame are then, all hands upon privileged to disappoint expectations deck.

This

they raise. Yet in the next conplet: In sable wreaths see smoke aspire, the bard leaves the subject of the The gloomy offspring of a shining sire! paragraph he so unequivocally an-O'er the blue arch of heaven he bends nounced at the cutset and relapses his way,

into the song of" The endearing ties

of husband, father"

Shall these pale forms that vainly minnie

joy,

Thehusband, father from his home decoy?
The writer has here gone beyond
Bounds, has passed the Ultima
Thal of poetic digression.

And

clasps with swarthy arms the bright hair'd day.

vessel bends its way o'er the bluc To say that the smoke of a single arch of heaven and clasps bright hair'd day, is rant and nonsense. It is elevating a mean object, to a style of dignity, that makes it ri diculous, like a prank of a merry We wonder at this pect's using prince, dressing a cobler in the robes the preposition "andust" whereof a king. The personification of aid would evidently promote har- the flame is happy. mony of versification. Pope did not thus make his election. Amongst w:dch is fairly the counterpart, is now rarely or never used.

blaze

Nor pauses, phrenzied till one mighty [displays. His conquest to the trembling dep The use made of the fiction of This ad hus yet to unlearn the Pliny « Lauri fruticom non icit," is art of sinking. To talk of hosts of fortunate and fair: It is even hop-clouds strung the sunny sky is rapier, then Shakespeare's striking ther Hat; but when he goes on to say, allusion to another popular fiction, "Though o'er mid-heaven the sounding tempests dy,

....the toad, ugly and venemous, Bears yet a precious jewel in its-lvondt.

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"Love needs them not. Let fortunes. gifts depart,"

Himself suffices to a faithful heart.

The moral to this is unexception able. But page 83d, the author makes a wife in phrenzy, dat

Grasp the steel that pierced her hus band's side,

And find the death unpitying foes de[nied Oh, guiltless death, which every stain above,

This is an unequivocal commendaVirtue might praise, and Piety approve tion of suicide. The author must have read Wicland, till he become a German in morals.

We wonder at the introduction of Azid, for the sake of invective against the slave trade. The bard intervallo. thus follows Cowper, sed sub longe

The close of this poem is sub lime. The terrific grandeur of the gospel prediction," the elements shall melt with forvent heat,” does indeed dwindle in the expression. the next couplet, "Ruin, grasping "Earth shrink with, heat;") but stern the starry frame," presents a personification, of genius bold and daring. It would betray a spirit of Petty detraction, considering the merit of the first line of this couplet, to notice the defect in the last.

The author of this Poem, though by no means their equal, would not disgrace the company of Rogers and Campbell, nor would "Home" dishonor the shelf, that bears the Pleasures of Memory and Pleasures of Hope..

RHODOLFHUS,

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MR. STEEVENS, in his advertise ment to the edition of the twenty plays of Shakespeare, which were published in the life-time of that immortal poet, thus delivers his opinion of the publication of the private letters of celebrated authors after their decease.

The benefits of the art of printing are depraved by the facility with which scandal may be diffused, and secrets revealed; and by the temptation by which traffic solicits avarice to betray the weakness of passion, and the confidence of friendship..

I cannot forbear to think these

posthumous publications injurious to society. A man conscious of! literary reputation will grow in time afraid to write with tenderness to his sister, or with fondness to his child; or to remit on the slightest occasion, or the most pressing exigence, the rigor of critical choice and grammatical severity. That esteein which preserves his letters, will at last produce his disgrace; when that which he wrote only to Kis friend or his daughter, shall be laid open to the public.

The modest Addison was accused by a lady of being dull and heavy in conversation. Madam," he replied, with great dignity, "I have only nine pence in my pocket--but I can draw for a thousand pounds."

Godwin in his life of Chaucer, speaking of the necessity which existed during the reign of William of Normandy, of speaking and writing in French, thus elegantly comments on the difficulty of composing in a foreign language.

guage in the words of another, is a
position not less unfortunate, than to
be condemned to contemplate a
beautiful woman, not by turning our
eyes immediately upon her person,
shadowed in a mirror.
but by regarding her figure as.

From a life of Dante prefixed to a new translation of his works by Henry Boyd, we learn that "eloquence was one of the many talents which Dante possessed in an eminent degree; on this account he is said to have been employed in fourteen different embassies during the course of his life, and to have succeeded in most of them.

Or pathetic and beautiful simplicity, we have a fine example in the twenty-seventh Canto of Boyd's

translation of Dante's Inferno.

Sweet is the dialect of ARNO's vale! Hail, native tongue! congenial spirits, Still, in the shades below, Remembrance keeps

hail!

The mournful image of her ancient joys:
Still on the sadly pleasing task employs
Her settled thoughts and o'er the pic-

ture weeps.

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A certain author was introduced by a friend to Mr. Addison, who was desired to peruse and correct a copy of English verses, which were then presented to him. Mr. AddiFor a man to communicate the son took the verses, which he afterthoughts he has formed in one lan-Lwards found very stupid; and obs

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