phecy, could not have written: and it may reasonably be doubted, whether he would if he could. "Swartz, Gerické, Vandérkemp, Kicherer, Ib. p. 300 To fay the truth, the lines, (for verfes they are not all) have no very close connection with the place where they stand, and might, we think, have been better introduced elsewhere, or even omitted altogether. The author fays in a note, "names not formed for metre, but fomething better." But, as there are notes, why should not that fomething better have been referved for them? It may feem perhaps unjust, to difmifs a work of fo much extent and labour, with fo fhort an account, But poetry is like wine, it is altogether a luxury, and if the flavour of a glafs is bad, there is no temptation to try the reft. The author might be praised with juftice for diligence, and for fome branches of learning, but it must be with the referve that thofe qualifications might have been better employed in a work of fome different kind, For the prefent, it feems only to excel in the art of making an interefting narrative tedious, ART. 15. Modern Wonders, or Bell and the Dragon, a Poetical Romantic Narrative, in Two Cantos, dedicated to the Seven Champions of Christendom, with Notes of Admiration. Embellished with an appropriate Frontispiece. 4to. 5s, Stockdale. 1813. This is a facetious attempt to ridicule the controverfy which at prefent exifts on the fyftems of national education as pursued under the different aufpices of Dr. Bell and Mr. Lancaster. How, ever ferious and important the fubject itself may be, and decided as our opinions long have been in favour of Dr. Bell, it is impoffi ble to read without a finile this poetical effufion. We cannot, however, refrain from expreffing our wishes that the wit and hu mour had been exerted on a different fubject. The following fpecimen will fhew that this Hudibraftic attempt is far from contemptible. "Few words he muttered--next a book Of magic lore from pouch he took, If book it justly might be called, Of idol fraud through every nation, Trophonius' Cave, and Witch of Endor, Of whining knaves and convert-makers, Of Merlins, mountebanks, and quakers, &c. &c." ART. 16. British Scenery; a Poetical Sketch. By a Quendam Oxonian and Carthufian. 4to. Bickerstaff. 4s, 1811. This is a very good fpecimen of blank verfe, and the author demonftrates himself to be both an accurate obferver and an animated defcriber of the beauties of nature. In the poem the reader will find a pleafing fketch of many of the more picturesque scenes which, in this country, attract the attention and deferve the admira tion of travellers. We fubjoin the defcription of Bath. "Of Europe's towns the queen, in ftructured pride, To emulate the rainbow, &c, &c." ART. 17. The Tocfin, with feveral Minor Poems. By a Member of the Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn. 4to. 45. Bickerstaff. 1811. This is an elegant publication, and very creditable to the peetic taste of the writer. The Tocin, which introduces the tract, is a ferious admonitory poem, in the manner of Goldfmith's Traveller, and much refembling that delightful compofition in many particulars. We give a fpecimen of the fmaller poems. Lines Lines written while viewing the tomb of Ariofto, in the Church of the Benedictines at Ferrara. Nov. 13, 1796. 1. "Ye willows green that wide extend And mourn your favourite bard-no more! "Yet ftill Orlando's fame furvives, His wreath of laurel never dies." It is a pity that the author does not pay a little more attention to the accuracy of his rhymes, of which the preceding lines exhibit an example. We have alfo destroyed, as a rhyme to cry'd, foil, beguild, afcends, winds, &c. &c. 13. 6d. ART. 18. Ovid's Metamorphofes, tranflated by Thomas Orgar. Sherwood and Though we cannot without referve approve the execution of this tranflation, yet we are willing to allow that it has merit, and the pleafing modefty of the author puts that merit in its fairest light. "At a period," he fays, "fo fertile in poetic excellence, it may excite furprise that, to tranflate a poet of fo much celebrity, has devolved upon a man of no celebrity at all; and who has probably mistaken admiration of the author's beauties in the original, for abilities to do juftice to thofe beauties in a translation." The following fpecimen is in fome refpects favourable, in others not. "Earth had not yet by heav'n's paternal care Earth, Earth, water, air, maintain'd a mingled reign While heat with cold maintain'd a dubious fight Among thefe lines the third and fourth couplet are eminently good clofe to the original, and well expreffedjin English. The mention of Jove, foon after, is particularly exceptionable; as Ovid ftudiously avoids naming any particular Deity, and fays a few lines lower "quifquis fuit ille Deorum." The remainder of the paffage is fo loofe and paraphraftical, as hardly to be traced to the original. The author, in his Preface, has fufficiently juftified his undertaking; but among the reasons why a perfon, not established as a poet, fhould attempt a claffical tranflation, there is one not enu merated, which feems particularly applicable to him; namely, that he may try his powers, and exercife them on a good fubject. If this was one of his objects, he has to a confiderable degree fucceeded. His verfification is fmooth and spirited, and his expreffions, such as have been ftampt with the mint-mark of Poetry. Let him therefore perfevere; but with redoubled care and atten. tion. ART. 19. Poems and Letters by the late William Ifaac Roberts, of Bristol, deceafed, with fome Account of his Life. PP. 247. 103. 6d. Longman. 1811. The author of thefe poems adds another melancholy name to the lift of thofe juvenile poets, who have been removed from this earthly fphere, before age and experience had matured talents just beginning to fhow themfelves, and without their being ani, mated to future efforts by the cheering tribute of applaufe. Examples of premature talent have often been held up to public obfervation; but amongst thofe of later times, w, perhaps, have been more remarkable than thofe of Henry Kirke White, whofe memoirs by Mr. Southey were prefixed to a pofthumous edition of his poems not very long fince. We have been induced to mention the name of White in particular, from the ftriking fimilarity that existed in difpofition, talent and genius between him and Roberts. We are informed by Mr. Southey, that White was for for fome time articled to an attorney, and that he pursued this ftudy with the greateft zeal, whilft the author of the prefent work was equally induftrious and attentive to his duties in a banking houfe; nor was the application of White in the hours of leifure from bufinefs more ftrenuous than that of Roberts, excepting that the object of the one was to be enabled to purfue his ftudies under the foffering aufpices of Alma Mater, while the other only afpired to the acquifition of learning. With the fuccefs of the former our readers are already acquainted, and it only remains for us to Lament that the fame unfortunate crifis intercepted the career of Roberts. In acknowledging with due praife the early genius of White, we are compelled to remark a want of filial reverence and decorous fenfibility with refpect to his mother; neither do we recollect throughout his poetic effufions any that breathe the more tender paffions of the foul. The heart of Roberts, however, was of more malleable materials, as the following fhort but ele gant little poem will evince. "Yes, Lady! I had hufh'd my woes, Had almoft foothed defpair to fleep; .P. 40. A mind capable of producing at fo early an age, these and other lines breathing much poetic feeling, we can easily conceive to have been of no common caft; but were not this fufficiently evident, the author of the memoir prefixed, pourtrays his character in fo amiable a point of view, that we cannot help fubjoining the fol lowing extract: "The period at length arrived when the remoteft expectation of his recovery could no longer be entertained, and it was then refolved that the hopeleffness of his ftare fhould be candidly dif lofed to him. He received the awful intelligence with his characteristic magnanimity, and expreffed a deep fenfe of obligation to the friend who had felt it his duty to perform this painful office. The tone and temper of his mind, however, remained fill unchanged. His fpirits fuffered no depreffion, his tranquillity no abatement. Every action, every word breathed a fpirit of calmnefs and refignation, while long and deep mufings often proved that his approaching diffolution was a fubject of ferious and folemn reflection. If fadnefs for a moment clouded his brow, it |