LY TANG, idle and unemployed, in a vacant and joyless hour, spake thus: "Behold the sun, star of the morning, rise on my furnace, and illumine my hall under an imperial dynasty. "Great is the beauty, and high the antiquity of sacred Vases, simple but exquisite in their form, which it requires time to go in quest of, and opportunity to possess, and length of days to arrange and set in order, as incentives to the pursuit of virtue and the performance of good deeds." The cup, from which the poem is taken, is engraved as a vignette in the title. Among the poetical fruits of "early age," we notice, with no small satisfaction, the "Poems and Translations from the minor Greek Poets, and others, written chiefly between the Ages of Ten and Sixteen," by a YOUNG LADY." The Canzo net for three Friends" is one of the best among the original compositions. A considerable share of praise is also due to Mr. J. B. FISHER, for his " Pathe tic Tales, Poems, &c." "The Senses, an Ode, in the Manner of Collins's Ode on the Passions," will rank among the more successful specimens of imitation. But while mentioning new claimants to praise, we must not forget those who have both long and permanently pleased us. Mr. CAMPBELL'S " Gertrude of Wyoming, a Pennsylvanian Tale," has flights of true poetry, and passages of deep pathos, equal to any, we remember to have seen in his former productions. Insulated extracts would afford no idea of its plan, and we have not room for a complete analysis. The Death Song of the Oneyda Chief, with which the Poem closes is certainly one of the finest parts. From the stanzas, which concern the death of Gertrude, we shall select four. They will probably lead many, who have not already seen the Poem, to enquire for it. * And tranc'd in giddy horror Gertrude swoon'd; Yet while she clasps him lifeless to her "Clasp me, a little longer, on the brink Of Fate! while I can feel thy drear caress; And, when this heart hath ceas'd to beatoh! think, These drops?-Oh God! the life-blood is her own; And falt'ring, on her Waldegrave's bosom thrown "Weep not, O Love!" she cries, "to see me bleed Thee, Gertrude's sad survivor, thee alone Heaven's peace commiserate; for scarce I Weed These wounds, yet thee to leave is death-is death indeed. 2 And let it mitigate thy woes' excess, That thou has been to me all tenderness, And friend to more than human friendship just. Oh! by that retrospect of happiness, And by the hopes of an immortal trust, God shall assuage thy pangs—when I am laid in dust. "Go, Henry, go not back, when I depart; The scene thy bursting tears too deep will move, Where my dear father took thee to his heart, And Gertrude thought it ecstacy to rove With thee, as with an angel, through the grove Of peace-imagining her lot was cast In heav'n; for ours was not like earthly love. And must this parting be our very last? No! I shall love thee still, when death itself is past. If In future times?-no gentle little one, To clasp thy neck, and look, resembling Yet seems it, ev'n while life's last pulses run, thee !" notice In this class also we have to "A Translation from the Latin of Ve nier, Book xv. upon Fish;" by the late Rev. JOHN DUNCOMBE, of Christ Church College, Cambridge; with a brief Intro duction, and Passages from English Writers, selected as Notes. The trans lation itself appears to have been made about 1750. The notes have been of late added, and seem to form the most curious part of the pamphlet. The works they are taken from, are Silvester Du Bartas; the Dialoges of Creatures Moralyzed; Fawkes's Theocritus; Gayton's Art of Longevity, 1659; Polychronicon; Gower's Confessio Amantis, 1554; Purchas's Pilgrimes; A strange Metamorphosis of Man, 1634; Epitaphes, Epigrams, &c. by Turbervile; Baldwin's Owen Glendour; Llewellyn's Men Mincles, 1656; Breton's Ouranta; Florio's Translation of Montague; Mickle's Syr Martin; Topsell's History of Fourfooted Beasts; Hercules Furens, 1581; Flecknoe; Barnaby Googe's Palingenius: England's England's View, 1603; Whitney's Emblems, 1586; and Bartholomeus de Proprietatibus Rerum, 1535. As a specimen of the Translation, we shall quote the description of the Trout: "The Trout loves rivers in obscure retreats; And with smooth grass and turf adorn the side; Let the clear bottom shining gravel show, And gently murm'ring o'er smooth pebbles flow. This situation always grateful proves, For still the Trout a murm'ring current loves. And still the same desires her bosom warm, Nor has she chang'd her manner with her form: For once she liv'd a nymph of spotless fame, In an obscure retreat, and Truta was her name. It chanc'd that in a flow'ry path she stray'd, It chanc'd the robber Lucius, through the shade, With eager eyes, perceiv'd the lonely maid; He saw and lov'd her riches, or her face, For both her dress and form appear'd with equal grace. The nymph now heard the rustling with affright, She saw a man, and trembled at the sight; Swiftly along the winding shore she fled, And cry'd, and vow'd, and call'd the gods to aid. Truta despairing sought, with trembling speed, And, once the fairest nymph that trod the plain, A rock that overlook'd the watery mead; tain'd Swims fairest fish of all the finny train." Cheaply with loss of life: while here she stood, The new and splendid edition of "“ Pas lestine," by Mr. REGINALD HEBER (a poem which has been already introduced to the notice of our readers in a smaller form), is accompanied by a fragment not less poetical, entitled "The Passage of the Red Sea," A few lines, by way of extract, will speak more for its merit, than a lengthened commentary. And just prepar'd to leap into the flood; The Pike of slaughter fond, and fierce appears, "Yet not from Israel fled the friendly light, Or dark to them, or cheerless came the night. Still in their van, along that dreadful road, Blaz'd broad and fierce the brandish'd torch of God. Its meteor glare a tenfold lustre gave And tenfold darkness broods above their line. Yet on they fare by reckless vengeance led, And range unconscious through the ocean's bed; Till midway now-that strange and fiery form Show'd his dread visage lightening through the storm; With withering splendour blasted all their might, And brake their chariot-wheels, and marr'à their coursers' flight. Fly, Misraim, fly!"-The ravenous floods they see, And fiercer than the floods, the Deity. Fly, Misraim, fly!"-From Edom's cora! strand, Again the prophet stretch'd his dreadful wand. With one wild crash the thundering waters sweep And all is waves-a.dark and lonely deep. Yet o'er those lonely waves such murmurs past, As mortal wailing swell'd the nightly last-; And strange and sad the whispering surges bore The groans of Egypt to Arabia's shore. Oh! welcome came the morn, where Israel stood, In trustless wonder, by th' avenging flood! In faultering accents sobb'd his gratitude." POLITICS POLITICS AND POLITICAL ECONOMY. The most valuable work in this class, and, indeed we do not hesitate to pronounce it one of the most valuable works which have appeared in the course of the present year, is Mr. NEWENHAM'S View of the National, Political, and Commercial Circumstances of Ireland.”Of the magnitude and importance of the subjects of which Mr. NEWENHAM treats, our readers will be best able to form an estimate from his own words. "The Eastern possessions of Great Britain," says he," are confessedly valuable in a high degree; so also are her possessions in the Western parts of the world. But, coneidered as sources of imperial strength, they are indisputably upon the whole inferior to Ireland. The supplies drawn from the former, may appear, to certain descriptions in the British community, far more desirable than those which are drawn from the latter. But if the view be disinterestedly extended to the whole aggregate of the real means of imperial energy, it will doubtless be acknow, ledged, that the supplies of the East, and those of the West, industriously augmented to the utmost, must ever fall infinitely short of those which Ireland, if wisely and solicitously governed, might become capable of yielding. The prosperity of her eastern setclements, and her western colonies, may de cline; yet Great Britain may thrive. These distant dependencies may even cease to be parts of the British dominions; yet Great Britain and Ireland, firmly united, and sagaciously and impartially governed, with all their various sources of wealth and strength fully disclosed and skilfully improved, may still constitute a flourishing and unvanquishable empire. But if the prosperity of Ireland be suffered to decline, Great Britain, what ever others may think, will hardly find an adequate compensation for the effects of that declension on her own prosperity. If the real value of the former be not practically evinced, the British empire as a belligerent power, will ever appear in a paralysed condition to all who can discern, and justly estimate its native means of strength. And if ever Ireland, unfortunately, cease to be an integral part of that empire, Great Britain will probably soon cease to be an independent nation; or, at least, to use the words employed by Davenant, on the same subject, a hundred years ago, and when the state of Europe was much more favourable to the individual existence of England as an independent nation, than it now is, the sum of affairs will be in danger. The prosperity of a country, which annually purchases manufactures from Great Britain, and rude produce from her colonies, to the amount of eight millions sterling; and which may acquire the means of purchasing infinitely more-of a country, which now begins to supply Great Britain annually with near one million bar rels of grain, and with other necessary pro visions to the amount of upwards of three millions sterling ; and which certainly might, with vast advantage to both countries; be rendered competent to supply as much as Great Britain could require-of a country, chiefly fed-of a country, whereof the trade from whence the seamen of the empire are now annually employs 1,200,000 tons of British shipping, yielding to their owners near two millions sterling; and which might give employment to a vast additional number-of a country, from whence two milions of me. ney, at least, are annually drawn by absentees residing in England; and whereof the expen diture conduces to swell the public revenue of the latter, and to give extraordinary encouragement to the industrious therein-of a country, which adds near six millions to the revenue of the empire; and which unques tionably might be made to add, at no distant period, as much more-of a country, actually encumbered with a public debt amounting to upwards of seventy millions; for the greater part of which Great Britain is responsible-of a country which must, yearly, remit two millions, in the shape of interest, &c. to public creditors in Great Britain; and which, probably may be obliged to remit, at least, one fourth more;-finally, the prosperity of a country, which furnishes at least 100,000 hardy and intrepid soldiers and seamen, for the defence of the empire; and which, with a rapidly increasing population, might fairly be expected to furnish, if requisite, many, many thousands more-ought surely to excite a much greater degree of solicitude, on the part of the ministers of the crown, than the prosperity of any, or, perhaps, of all the foreign appendages of Great Britain: nay, as great a degree of solicitude as the pros➡ perity of Great Britain herself can be deemed to demand. That every addition to the wealth of Ireland must, eventually. operate in augmenting that of England, is truth which has long been received as indisputable among intelligent men, and which a multitude of substantial facts conduce to place beyond the sphere of controversy. The different manufacturers, the merchants, and ship-owners, of the latter have already had ample practical proofs of it. To promote, therefore, the prosperity of Ireland, is, in effect, the same thing as to promote that of England. In truth, it might safely be affirmed, that, under existing circumstances, a spirit of industry and enterprise ought to be much more munificently encouraged in the former thats in the latter. In Ireland, that spirit is still in its infancy: in England, it has acquired sufficient strength. Every natural advantage of England has been rendered productive: many of the natural advantages of Ireland still remain in a comparatively unproductive state. Ireland is, as yet, far from that point of internal improvement and proportionate national wealth which England has reached. Capitals may be actually employed with much greater obtained, Britons will have very little reason to admire the union, as a specimen of com summate political sagacity; and Irishmen will have ample ground for dissatisfaction. If additional vigour be not diffused through the British empire by a perfect consolidation of its constituent parts; if its resources be not explored and improved; if the vast natural advantages of Ireland be not more productively employed in the augmentation of national wealth than heretofore; if the grievances and exigencies of the Irish people be slighted and neglected, while the petitions of turbulent, ignorant, and, probably, instigated operative manufacturers are deemed worthy of the consideration of the legislature; if the interest of the Irish nation be, in a signal manner, precipitately, and without due examination, sacriticed to that of West India planters, merchants, and mortgagees, whose accidental distresses the legislature ought, no doubt, to relieve, both promptly and effectually; but, surely, not at the sole expense of a country, to which the fostering aid of government has not been habitually extended, and which has, unquestionably, a singularly well-founded claim thereon; if the conduct of successive administrations towards Ireland continue to exhibit a tissue of neglect, partiality, and er ror, the union will surely be regarded, by all reflecting and unbiassed men, as a vain, illusive, nugatory, and even mischievous measure; nay, it is not unlikely that a disposition to manifest their dissatisfaction, during some future interval of perplexity, remiss ness, or debility, on the part of government, may at length become general among the people of Ireland. But neglect of Ireland, partiality to Great Britain, or her dependencies, and a series of errors, some, perhaps, of a fatal nature, must constantly be apprehended, so long as an imperfect knowledge of the circumstances of the former, or an indistint perception of its real value, shall prevail among those who conduct the affairs of the empire, or those of whom its legislature is composed." profit in the former, than in the latter; and consequently with greater effect in augmenting the general wealth of the empire. But there is another consideration, and one of a very momentous nature, namely, the tranquillity of Ireland, which seems peculiarly calculated to perpetuate an unremitting anxiety, in behalf of its prosperity, among the efficient statesmen of the empire, and which, it is hoped, will no longer prove abortive. The strength, indeed, in times like the present, the very stability of the British empire in controvertibly requires the permanence of tranquillity in Ireland. If the spirit of industry be assiduously cherished, and liberally succoured therein; and if the Irish people he invariably governed in prudent conformity with the principles of the British constitution, disaffection can never be dangerously preva lent among them. For what can Irishmen desire beyond a full participation of the prosperity of Great Britain; a full participation of the political benefits which Britons enjoy; a participation of the splendour, renown, and incolumity of the British empire? Ambitious and turbulent men may have other aims: but the good sense of an overwhelming majo rity of the Irish people will assuredly teach them to appreciate these enjoyments justly, and thus effectually frustrate the endeavours of those who would alienate them from Great Britain. On the contrary, if the prosperity of Ireland be inconsiderately disregarded; if the projects of designing men be thus incautiously facilitated, the least evil that can happen, is that which has already been experienced, the appropriation of a vast military force to the preservation of Ireland, which, under more prudent management, under the impulse of more becoming principles, might elsewhere be employed with, perhaps, incalculable effects; and which, in the year 1799, equalled the whole effective and disposable native military force of Great Britain, during the height of the last American war. Whatever may have been the secondary or adventitious objects of those who projected the incorporation of the British and Irish legisla- Mr. NEWENHAM divides his work into tures, it must in candour be presumed, that four parts, which are again subdivided the principal and ultimate scope of their eninto sections. The first of these parts deavours to accomplish this arduous and hazardtreats" Of the natural advantages which ous undertaking, was that prodigious invigo ration of the British empire, which was likely qualify Leland for the acquisition of com to ensue from disclosing and rendering ade-mercial wealth" the second, quately productive its various sources of wealth and strength, and from a complete removal of the ground of that jealousy, which had long impeded, and still threatened to impede, the growth of Irish prosperity; but which desired invigoration could not, in the opinions of many, be thus effected, so long as the legislatures of the sister-kingdoms remained distinct, without endangering the permanence of that connection between them, whereof the preservation may be considered as the highest duty of a British statesman. And certainly, if this reputed object-be not thus Of the causes which frustrated the natural advantages of Ireland;" the third," Of the remote cause which eventually operated in frustrating the natural advantages of Ireland;" the fourth," Of the circumstances which have tended to prevent a complete fruition of the natural advantages of Ire"land, since the removal of the principal causes, which operated in rendering them See Reports of the Committee on the distillation from molasses. comparatively & comparatively abortive; and of the effects resulting from these circumstances."Lastly, an Appendix, containing tables of the exports and imports of corn from or into Ireland, since the commencement of the last century; of the quantities of beef, butter, pork, and live cattle, ex'ported from Ireland in the same period; and various other tables, accounts, and official returns, of the highest value to every one who wishes to form a correct judgment of the present condition of Ireland, and of its capacity for improve ment. Our Author's view of the subject is so well expressed in his introduction, that we cannot deny ourselves the satis"faction of laying it before our readers. "During the time of my service in Ireland (says Sir John Davis) which began in the first year of his Majesty's (King James I.) reign, I have visited all the provinces of that kingdom in sundry journeys and circuits. Wherein I have observed the good temperature of the air; the fruitfulness of the soil; the pleasant and commodious seats for habitations; the safe and large ports and havens lying open for traffic into all the west parts of the world; the long inlets of many navigable rivers; and so many great lakes and fresh ponds within the land, as the like are not to be seen in any part of "Europe; the rich fishings and wild fowl of all kinds; and lastly, the bodies and minds of the people endued with extraordinary abilities by nature.* "Had it not been (says Sir William Temple) for circumstances prejudicial to the increase of trade and riches in a -country, and which seem natural, or at least to have been ever incident, to the government of Ireland, the native fertility of the Irish soil and seas in so many rich commodities, improved by a multitude of people and industry, with the advantage of so many excellent havens, and a situation so commodious for all foreign trade, must needs have rendered this kingdom one of the richest in Europe, and made a mighty increase, both of strength and revenue to the "crown of England."t "Ireland (says the intelligent Mr. Brown), is, in respect of its situation, the number of its commodious harbours, and the natural wealth which it pro duces, the fittest island to acquire riches of any in the European seas; for, as by its situation, it lies most commodious for * Historical Relations, p. 1. † Miscellaneous Works, vol. iii. p. 8. 1 the West Indies, Spain, and the northern and east countries, so it is not only supplied by nature with all the necessaries of life, but can, over and above, esport large quantities to foreign countries, insomuch, that had it been mistress of a free trade, no nation in Europe of its extent, could, in an equal number of years, acquire greater wealth."* "To illustrate the ground of these remarks, and to draw forth, from comparative obscurity and oblivion, such of the natural and political circumstances of Ireland, as appear to merit particular attention, are the principal objects of the present work. "With this view it is proposed, first, to exhibit those natural advantages by which Ireland seems, in an eminent manner, qualified for the attainment of great commercial opulence and national strength. Secondly, to disclose the various causes which operated in rendering those advantages almost abortive. And thirdly, to review the circumstances which have tended to prevent a complete and uniform fruition of them, since the removal of the principal causes by which they were frustrated. "The more efficient natural advantages which qualify a country for the attainment of riches, by means of external and internal traffic, are a favourable situation, relatively to other countries; numerous and commodious harbours; extensive navigable rivers; a convenient supply of materials for making durable roads; a temperate climate; an abundance of such minerals and fossils as are capable of being greatly enhanced in value by the labour and ingenuity of man; productive fisheries; and a fertile soil, with the means of increasing and preserving its fertility. Under a well-constituted and perma nent government, competent to afford due protection to its subjects, an indus trious people, enjoying personal liberty, security of property, internal peace, and experiencing suitable encouragements on the part of a prudent and serious legis lature, can scarcely fail to acquire commercial wealth and national strength, in proportion to the number of these natural advantages, and the extent and value of each. "With respect to a few of them, individually taken, and considered in their Essays on Trade in general, and on that of Ireland in particular, page 38; published in 1728. útrioss |