they were * not to be procured. The lady and her husband are both fill'd with difmal apprehenfions as to their expected child; who, however, proves to be a very fine boy, not mark'd with grapes, nor in any way disfigured; all thefe dire prognoftications are turned to joy and rapture. The author's verfification is in general fmooth and polished, but not invariably fo; as there are occafionally fome lines that can fcarcely be deemed verfes; and the poem lofes much of its attraction by frequently reminding us "of fomething better we have feen before." So clofely does the author tread in the foot. fteps of Pope. The foliowing defcription of Spleen (though not wholly new) will however fhow his poetical talents in a favourable. light. In thofe mid-regions, whence the tempeft pours Thunder and hail, eaft winds and weftern fhow'rs, From ev'ry object fhe averts her eyes; From crowds of foldiers, courtiers, parfons, heirs, Who daily kill huge multitudes of cares, The hydra monsters are alive again. Soon as mid thefe arofe Sir Florio's pray'r, And with fwift wings forfake the nether fky." P. 13. ART. 18. Original Poetry; by Vider and Cazire. 8vo. 64 PP. 45. J. J. Stockdale. 1810. When we ventured to fay that poetical taste and genius abound in the prefent day, we by no means intended to affert, that we always meet with either the one or the other. Miferable, indeed, are the attempts which we are often doomed to encounter; fo We apprehend that hot-houfe grapes may be procured almost at any feafon of the year in London. But the prefumed difficulty is perhaps fufficient in poetry. miferable miferable fometimes, that it feems quite wonderful how any individuals, fancying themfelves able to write, fhould be fo far behind their contemporaries. One of the unknown authors of this volume begins by complaining, mott fincerely, we are convinced, of the difficulty of writing grammatically; but there is another difficulty, which feems never to have entered the lady's head, (if a lady!)—that is, the difficulty of writing metrically. In this the is ftill lefs fuccessful than in the other; and does not feem at all to fufpect it. The verfe intended to be used, is that of the Bath Guide: and fo it is, fometimes: but fometimes alfo not. For example: "This they friendly will tell, and ne'er make you blush, With a jeering look, taunt, or an O fie! tufh! Then ftraight all your thoughts in black and white put, Not minding the if's, the be's, and the but." P. 6. Again, "My excufe fhall be humble, and faithful, and true, Such as I fear can be made but by few.” P. 7. This humble and faithful lady lays claim only to "fenfe, wit, and grammar!"-Yet fhe tells her friend; "Be not a coward, Shrink not a tenfe, But read it all over, and make it out fenfe. What a tire fome girl!-pray foon make an end." P. 9. The laft line, if not measure, contains at leaft truth in the firft part, and a very reasonable with in the fecond. Two epiftles, in this exquifite ftyle, begin this volume, which is filled up by fongs of fentimental nonfenfe, and very abfurd tales of horror. It is perfectly clear, therefore, that whatever we may fay in favour of the poetry of this time, fuch volumes as this have no fhare in the commendation. One thing may be faid in its favour, that the printer has done his talk well: would he had been employed on fomething better! If he has tafte as well as skill, he muft dread the names of Victor and Cazire. Edited ART. 19. The Caledonian Mufical Mufeum, or complete Vocal Library of the best Scotch Songs, Ancient and Modern. by Mr. Robert Burns, Son of the celebrated Robert Burns. 288 pp. 4s. 6d. Dick. 1810. 12mo. We are happy to be introduced to a fon of Robert Burns, though he appears fo literally in the character of a mere editor, that he has given neither dedication, preface, advertisement, note, nor any other illuftration, except an alphabetical lift of the fongs. The interefting remarks of the elder Burns on a collection of Scottifh fongs, which were published by Mr. Cromek in his Reliques of that that author, may ferve, as far as they go, to illuftrate the fongs published by his fon. But the latter are so much more numerous, that a very large part remains without elucidation. Nor has Mr. Burns, ftrong himself in a Caledonian lore, condefcended to give a fingle interpretation of a word, for the benefit of his fouthern purchafers. He has been equally referved alfo as to the names of the authors, which are no where given. The following is written in the spirit of his father, but we do not find it among his works. Whoever was the author, it does credit to his genius and patriotism: "Bonaparte o'er the sea, Threatens you, and threatens me; We'll while o'er the lave o't*. "And, for the fiend-like fons o' ftrife, "We'll fight like men who dare be free, "In his King and country's caufe, Loud fame proclaims him in her ha's, And glory tells the brave o't. "Loud found your pipes, your chanters blaw, Our King, our liberty, and law, Our country, or a grave o't." P. 186. This is the feeling which, if we could infpire into the natives of Spain, with refpect to their own country, the eagles of the tyrant would not long dare to fpread a pinion to the west of the Pyrenees. ART. 20. The Statue of the Dying Gladiator, a Poem; being the Prize-Subject at Oxford, but not written for the Prize. By a Non-Academic. Dedicated to the Right Hon. Lord Grenville, 7 PP. 6d. Cadell. 1810, 12mo. Nothing but the extreme modesty of this author, in his * The reft, or the end of it. Rev. addrefs Not addrefs to the reader, can fave him from the reprehenfion, which otherwife he would appear to merit, for bringing forward a compofition fo extremely inferior to that of Mr. Chinnery, which actually obtained the Oxford prize. that the verfes of this anonymous youth are bad in themselves, or his ideas ill adapted to the fubject; but that the verfes and ideas of the young Academic are both fo extremely fuperior, as to make the very appearance of competition ridiculous, We fhall not quote any of the lines, after this reprefentation, but content ourselves by recommending to the author to employ his talents on fome open fubject, where he has not been anticipated by fo very formidable a rival, ART. 21. The Beauties of Carlo Maria Maggi paraphrafed, to which are added Sonnets by Mariana_Starke, Author of the Widow of Malabar, The Tournament, Letters from Italy, &c. 8vo. p. 5s. 5s. Longman. 1811. Carlo Maria Maggi flourished in the latter end of the feven. teenth century, and is mentioned with very high encomiums in the letters between Mrs. Carter and Mifs Talbot. The Dowager Lady Spencer alfo when refident at Pifa, printed a Scelta of his works; we fubjoin a fpecimen of the tranflation or rather para. phrafe, as well as of the original Sonnets, "EVENING, ON THE BANKS OF THE SEA, "Sol finks embosomed in the saffron main : Thro' Heaven's wide concave balmy breezes reign; Inviting weary Man from toil to ceafe, And tafte the rich rewards of reft and peace. "Slow let me prefs, in meditating mood, The quiet margin of the briny flood; In whofe clear mirror objects we defcry Which oft with dreams th' excurfive foul fupply. "Here, while the ftars, by Heaven's appointment, keep Kind watch o'er Mortals in the hour of fleep; Here, while the lucid waves fupinely rcft, Reflecting bright thofe Manfions of the Bleft, Here Here with yon firmament refplendent join Which thro' Creation's wondrous fabric shine." P. 22. ΤΟ TEMPERANCE. "Mark that athletic Nymph who fternly throws Behold him, like a fleed, in trammels led! 'Tis Temperance :-careffing Health, she cries; "My Child, my Joy! infenfate muft they be Who ought prefer, on this fide Heaven, to thee!" P. 46. If our readers agree in opinion with us, they will prefer the latter to the former, and be very well fatisfied with the whole. ART. 22. Romance; a Poetical Capriccio. 4to. P. 3s. 6d. Setchel. 1811. This is a very elegant and pleafing compofition, and full of genuine poetical tafte and feeling.-Various fcenes of romantic fancy are progreffively brought before the reader, all of them ftrongly marked with ingenious contrivance, and painted with great warmth of colouring.-After reprefenting a Gothic Hall, a feaft of heroes, fongs of minftrels, the captivity of a warrior, &c. the poet afcribes himself as encountering a hermit in his folitude, and the following dialogue paffes between them "Father," methought I feem'd to say, "Man is the being of a day! His years are number'd ;-few can tell Here, then, remote from human ftrife, * ALCINA is the name given, by ARIOSTO, to fenfual Pleasure, fee Orlando Furiojo; Books VI, and X. 2 'Twere |