Mercy, 186; A Chorus, 142; The Story-Tellers, R. 178 irabeau, Revolutionism of--Dublin Univer- 8. 494 537 Sketches of American Society--See American. Scott, David, R. S. A.-See Biographies. National Observatories-See Observatories. Smoking, Praise of—Bentley's Miscellany, 281 Science, Poetry of-See Science. 0. Sorel, Agnes-See Agnes. POETRY.-Francis Lord Jeffrey, 24; I hear a Spirit Women in the East-Bentley's Miscellany, 239 can Society. zine, Walpurgis Night, Phantasies of-Tait's Maga- 259 the Čloud obscure, 104; Air Song, 123; Flowers of Zumpt, The late Doctor-Chambers' Journal, 85 1. The Life and Correspondence of Robert Southey. Edited by his Son, the Rev. CHARLES CUTHBERT SOUTHEY, M.A. Vol. 1. 1849.* 2. Memoir of the Life and Writings of the late William Taylor of Norwich. By J. W. ROBBERDS. 1843. 3. Early Recollections. By JOSEPH COTTLE. FOR a period of more than fifty years the | writings of Southey were among those which, in England, most contributed to create or to modify public opinion. His first published poem was written in the year 1791; and from the date of its publication till the close of his life, there was not, we believe, a year in which he did not hold communication with the minds of others, in almost every form which a retired student can employ. Literature was not alone his one absorbing passion, but it was also his professional occupation. Southey, when speaking of Spenser, describes him as 1837. served. It may seem to be regretted, that they who serve the altar have to live by the altar; but to the necessity in which he found himself, of working out a livelihood by unwearied industry in the occupations to which the higher instincts of his nature called him, we no doubt owe much of what is most genial in the works of this true poet. To this alone-such, at least, seems the probabilitywas it owing that he became a prose writer at all, for none of his prose writings have that unity of purpose and design which distinguishes the works of pure imagination; and yet there can be no doubt that, as a prose writer, he is one of the most graceful in our language. It is, however, as a poet that we think Southey must be most remembered. It is not depreciating Goldsmith's unequaled prose works to say, that it is as a poet he takes highest rank. Had he not been a poet, he could not have written those prose works, and so with Southey. Dispose, however, of this question as the reader may, the earlier portion of his biography with 1 which we have to deal will compel us rather | How such a mind was originally formed, and how it was not spoiled by the wear and tear of life-how the purity and singlemindedness of childhood was preserved through manhood and to age, and this by a man frequently writing on the most exciting political topics, is surely a subject well worth studying, with such aids as we can find. connected, and elucidated by some interspersed narrative, carries us on to the poet's twenty-fifth year, and concludes the first volume of the work-the only part yet published. The "Life of William Taylor of Norwich" supplies us with another very interesting series of his letters, which, it so happens, commencing just where the other closes, enables us to trace the progress of the poet for seventeen years more-and those the years in which his greatest works were written. This part of Southey's correspondence was published with his own sanction, by Mr. Robberds, the biographer of Taylor. The Reminiscences of Mr. Cottle, of Bristol, give us some further help in bringing Southey distinctly before the mind at the period of early manhood. We feel, therefore, that while to ourselves it would be pleasant to forbear writing on the subject till the completion of Mr. Cuthbert Southey's book, there is no reasonable ground for such delay. Of Southey's paternal ancestors we are told, in the autobiography, that the Southeys were a numerous tribe in Somersetshire, one of whom, the sixth in the ascending line from the poet, a great clothier in Wellington, had eleven sons, who peopled that part of the country with Southeys. The poet infers from their having armorial bearings, that they were of gentle birth. "I should like," says he, when describing the chevron and crosslets on his paternal shield, "to believe that one of my ancestors had served in the crusades, or made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem." If such fancy were founded in fact, the fact has escaped the chroniclers. Few persons were so well read in the class of books where it would be likely to be found as the poet; and he says he never met the name in a printed book. Family tradition represented one of them as a great soldier. "In the great rebellion, I guess, it must have been, but I neither know his name nor on Among those aids we find a series of which side he fought." Another was out letters written by Southey in the forty-sixth with Monmouth: his sword was preserved or forty-seventh year of his age, in which till the time of Southey's father. An uncle he relates all he can remember of the first of Southey's grandfather was an attorney fifteen years of his life. With these letters, at Taunton, and was registrar of the Archhis "Life and Correspondence, edited by his deaconry. He married an heiress, and son, the Reverend Cuthbert Southey," opens. Southey's grandfather settled on the estate They were addressed to Mr. May, an old in the parish of Lydiard St. Lawrence, friend. Their publication at some future about ten miles from Taunton, under the time was no doubt contemplated by the Quantock hills. What is family tradition? writer. About half a volume of the work Of his grandfather, Southey can find no is filled by this autobiography. A selection record, except that he was a subscriber for of such of his letters as could be recovered," Walker's Sufferings of the Clergy," from |