Графични страници
PDF файл
ePub

A death-like flumber shall a refpite give
To my long reftlefs foul, toft on extreme,
From blifs to pointed woe. Oh, gentle Pow'r,
Dear fubftitute of Patience! thou canst eafe
The Soldier's toil, the gloomy Captive's chain,
The Lover's anguish, and the Mifer's fear.

• Proud Beauty will not own thee! her loud boast
IS VIRTUE-while thy chilling breath alone
Blows o'er her foul, bidding her paffions fleep.

Miftaken Caufe, the frozen Fair denies
Thy faving influence. VIRTUE never lives,
But in the bofom, ftruggling with its wound:
There the fupports the conflict, there augments
The pang of hopeless Love, the fenfelefs ftab
Of gaudy Ign'rance, and more deeply drives.
The poifon'd dart, hurl'd by the long-lov'd friend;
Then pants with painful Victory. Bear me hence,
Thou antidote to pain! thy real worth

Mortals can never know. What's the vain boast
Of Senfibility but to be wretched ?

In her beft tranfports lives a latent fting,

Which wounds as they expire. On her high heights
Our fouls can never fit; the point so nice,
We quick fly off-fecure, but in defcent.
TO SENSIBILITY, what is not bliss
Is woe. No placid medium's ever held
Beneath her torrid line, when ftraining high
The fibres of the foul. Of pain, or joy,

She gives too large a fhare; but thou, more kind,
Wrapp'ft up the heart from both, and bidd'it it reft
In ever-wifh'd-for eafe. By all the pow'rs
Which move within the mind for diff'rent ends,
I'd rather lofe myself with thee, and share
Thine happy indolence, for one fhort hour,
Than live of Senfibility the tool

For endless ages. Oh! her points have pierc'd
My foul, till, like a fponge, it drinks up woe.
Then leave me, Senfibility! begone,
Thou chequer'd angel! Seek the foul refin'd:
I hate thee! and thy long progreffive brood
Of joys and mis'ries. Soft Indiff'rence, come!
In this low cottage thou shalt be my guest,

Till Death fhuts out the Hour: here down I'll fink
With thee upon my couch of homely rush,
Which fading forms of Friendship, Love, or Hope,
Muft ne'er approach. Ah!-quickly hide, thou pow'r,
Thofe dear intruding images! Oh, feal
The lids of mental fight, left I abjure
My freezing fupplication.-All is ftill.

IDEA fmother'd leaves my mind a waste,
Where SENSIBILITY muft lofe her prey.'

At

At page 83 we meet with Verfes occafioned by the Author's being prefented with a filver Pen.' The gift may be confidered as a compliment to her genius, though it cannot be admitted as expreffive of it. The agate mentioned by Pliny, on which, as he informs us, Apollo and the Mufes, with every fymbol of their characters, were reprefented-rudely indeed, but entirely by the hand of Nature, is the juft and proper emblem of Mrs. Yearfley.

There are undoubtedly faults in Mrs. Yeardley's Poems; but they are "faults which true Critics dare not mend." We fhall therefore conclude our account of this extraordinary woman, and her literary compofitions, with faying-that the juftness of the obfervation, Poeta nafitur, non fit, was never more powerfully 'exemplified than by herself.

MONTHLY

A.B.

CATALOGUE,

For DECEMBER, 1787.

AMERICA N.

Art. 16. Plan of the new Conflitution for the United States of Ame rica, agreed upon in a Convention of the States. 8vo. Is. Debrett. 1787.

[ocr errors]

S the fudden rife of a new empire in the world, conftituted on principles of government effentially different from the old, cannot fail to draw the notice of European politicians; every circumftance relating thereto, muft neceffarily become interefting and important.'

So fays the Writer of the Preface to this republication; and the obfervation is juft: we do not know a fubject that is more likely to attract the notice of an attentive fpectator of what paffes on the grand theatre of the world, than the progreffive fteps of the new American republic, toward the completion of a well-regulated government.

As to the articles contained in this plan for a new conftitution, &c. we refer those readers to the pamphlet, who have not already perused them in the news-papers. The Preface-writer alfo gives us the fol lowing refutation of a groundless report, which, indeed, we never credited, as it appeared totally repugnant to all our ideas of the unbounded influence which the great character of Dr. Franklin has obtained throughout the American states:

Some of the London News-papers mentioned a strong oppofition between General Washington and Dr. Franklin for the Presidency; and that General Washington was elected by a majority of one vote. We have authority to contradict this account. The fact is, that General Washington was elected with one voice, and not by a majority of one. Dr. Franklin, as the fenior perfon of the Convention, and who is already Prefident of the State of Pennsylvania, was the member who put General Washington in nomination, and he was conducted to the Chair with a unanimous voice.'

REV. Dec. 1787.

LI

TRADE,

TRADE, &c.

Art 17. Obfervations on the Corn-Bill; wherein the proposed Alteration in the Laws for regulating the Exportation and Importation of Corn, is fairly examined. 8vo. 1s. Debrett. 1787.

Ac

In this pamphlet, the alterations propofed to be made by the new corn bill, are stated in a plain, difpaffionate manner, by one who feems to be well acquainted with the fubject of the corn laws. cording to his account, the propofed bill is intended to produce alterations in refpect of the following particulars:

ift, It alters the mode of verifying the returns of the London cornfactors.' Every cornfactor is ordered to deliver, upon cath, a weekly account of his fales, and the prices.

2d, It alters the term of forming the average prices for the purpose of importation, from three months, to fix weeks. And it rectifies a fmall error refpecting the entries for exportation.' The alteration refpecting the entries here noted is, that the export and bounty fhall be governed by the returns of the preceding week, inftead of the preJent week.

3d, It divides coaft counties into districts, and directs how the prices fhall be collected and afcertained, to prevent abuses in the importations and exportations, at the out-ports.' Directs that the average prices of grain fhall be collected every week, from a number of market towns, not lefs than four, nor more than eight in each county, for the purpose of governing the exportation and importation at all the ports in each diftrict. The exportation by one week's average, and the importation by the aggregate average of fix weeks preceding every quarter feflion.

4th, It directs what weight of wheat, when it is fold by weight, fhall be deemed equal to a Winchester bufhel.' viz. Fifty-feven pounds.

5th, It prohibits the importation of flour, except from Ireland, when wheat is importable at the low duty.'

Thefe, we are told, are the principal heads of the bill; on each of which our obferver proceeds to offer fome remarks, in order to fhow that the regulations propofed will have a beneficial tendency. In this refpect we are difpofed, in general, to acquiefce in the opinion of our Author, though we are by no means convinced that they will remove future complaints concerning the corn laws. The radical evil of thefe laws we remember once to have feen pointed out, in a book that fell under our notice fome years ago, which has now escaped our particular recollection. It is the abfurdity of allowing the fame rate of bounty on the exportation of grain the moment it falls ever fo little below the rate at which exportation is permitted, as can be obtained were it to fink to one fhilling, or under, per bushel. Were the bounty in all cafes to rife, in a certain ratio, in proportion to the fall of price, and vice verfâ, we can easily conceive, that with the help of the regulations here propofed, and perhaps a very few others, this branch of commerce would become more ftable than hitherto, and far lefs liable to thofe abuses to which it has heretofore been fo peculiarly obnoxious.

An

[blocks in formation]

POETRY.

Art. 18. Poems, chiefly in the Scottish Dialect. By Robert Burns. Second Edition. 8vo. 6s. Creech, Edinburgh; Cadell, London. 1787.

We are glad to find, by the numerous and refpectable lift of fubfcribers prefixed to the volume before us, that this Bard of Nature has no reason to complain that "a poet is not honoured in his own country." It appears that he has been very liberally patronized by an indulgent Public; and we rejoice to fee that he may now have it in his power to tune his oaten reed at his eafe. Whether this change in his circumstances will prove beneficial to the caufe of literature, or productive of greater happiness to the individual, time alone can difcover; but we fincerely with it may prove favourable to both.

Having given a pretty full account of the first edition of these poems, in our Review for December laft, we only announce the prefent republication as an article of fome curiofity, and mention that in this edition, feveral new poems are added, which bear evident marks of coming from the fame hand with the former collection. The most entertaining of thefe additions appeared, to us, to be, "John Barleycorn, a Ballad," which gives a very entertaining allegorical account of the whole progrefs and management of barley, from its being fown in the ground, to its affording a warm, exhilarating liquor. The thought is not altogether new; but it is delivered in a ftyle of great pleafantry, and native humour. As this piece is written in English, it will be relished alike by the fouthern and the northern reader. Ann

Art. 19. A Poem written during a Shooting Excurfion on the Moors.
By the Rev. William Greenwood, Fellow of St. John's College,
Cambridge; and Rector of Bignor, Suffex. 4to. 2 s. Baldwin.
We fhall, with pleasure, extract from this pleafing performance,
the following defcription of the field diverfions of our ancestors:
In elder days ere yet defpotic sway

Claim'd what the ALMIGHTY's liberal hand bestow'd
For general uses, as a private boon,
Ufurping what the foreft's boundless wilds
Of animals free-wand'ring unconfin'd
Inharboured; or of fuch whofe varied plumes
Bore them uplifted through the liquid fky,
Now tow'ring loft as stronger pinion ferv'd
In airy fpirals, now with lighter wing
Dimpling the glaffy wave; our ancestors,
A free-born race, train'd up their hardy fons,
With bounding footstep over hill and dale,
Through thorny brakes or down the dizzy steep,
Headlong to urge their prey; and he, whofe arm,
With manlieft finew fped the javelin's point,

Was crown'd the banquet's Lord-Such once was fam'd
ARVIRAGUS, and fuch the CANTIAN Chiefs, who fir'd
With freedom's native ardour, undismay'd,

Rufh'd on th' invading foe, till ROME's proud hoft
Grew pale with envy, and ev'n CASAR frown'd!

[ocr errors]

Unconquer'd

Unconquer'd long, from Cambria's rugged brow,
Or deep recefies of Avonian glades,

In defultory war they ftill maintain'd
Stern Independence; till the NORMAN LORD,
Victorious, join'd in focial intercourse,
And from affimilating manners form'd
One common people: then grew feudal rights,
Each haughty Baron claim'd fome wide demefne,
To range whofe ample bound'ry uncontroul'd,
And rule the petty tyrant of the chace,
Was Valour's meed; and hence no vaffal arm
Dar'd 'gainst the branching honours of the stag
Bend the tough bow; to other flights confin'd
The shaft light-timber'd, from fome poplar's height
Down brought the cooing Dove, or, as he stood
On the green margin of the fedgy pool,
Transfix'd the Crane; but still fecurely sprang
The whirring Covey, and with rapid flight
Baffled the archer's aim. To other arts
'Then turn'd th' attention, and as oft it mark'd
The frong-wing'd Falcon, from his towering height
Down dart upon his prey, th' ungenerous thought
Suggested, 'gainft the feather'd kind to league
With their fell tyrant; and with docile hand
To fmoothe his ruffled plumes, and point his flight.
So yet where rolls the Rhine's impetuous courfe
Through many a winding vale, and foreft tall,
The patient German, with inceffant toil,
Trains the young gos-hawk, or the fiercer bird
On chilly Iceland's topmoft fummits bred,
With griping talons to arreft on high

The heron's flight, or ftrike the trembling hare.
Yet ftill imperfect were the fowler's joys!
For oft the eager Falcon, gorging high

His ravening maw, glut with intemp❜rate food,
Or droop'd with heavy wing, or dimly fhot

His eye's weak glances, and refus'd the flight.'

After this quotation, the poetical Reader, especially if he be a fportfman, will not need our recommendation, to induce him to give this poem a place in his collection. Some of the lines are profaic; but this is a defect which few poets have been able wholly to avoid, in the compofition of blank verfe.

B.

Art. 20. Poems. By John Macgilvray, A. M. Mafter of the Grammar School of Leftwithiel. 4to, 4s. Boards. Bew. 1787. Although this writer's Mufe feems unable to conduct him into the higher regions of poetry, the now and then leads him, pleasantly enough, along the fmooth vale of humble rhime: witnefs, the following eafy verfes on English poetry:

To pleafe our rough illiterate Sires
Rude minstrels tun'd their native lyres;
Though ftern the temper of the times,
They felt the power of homely rhimes;

Though

« ПредишнаНапред »