the law; afterwards he became addicted to drinking "As we were guests at Mozeffer Mirza s house, wine. During nearly forty years that he was King Mozeffer Mirza placed me above himself, and hav of Khorasan, not a day passed in which he did not ing filled up a glass of welcome, the cupbearers in drink after mid-day prayers; but he never drank waiting began to supply all who were of the party wine in the morning. His sons, the whole of the with pure wine, which they quaffed as if it had been soldiery, and the town's people, followed his exam- the water of life. The party waxed warm, and the ple in this respect, and seemed to vie with each spirit mounted up to their heads. They took a fancy other in debauchery and lasciviousness. He was a to make me drink too, and bring me into the same brave and valiant man. He often engaged sword circle with themselves. Although, all that time, I n hand in fight, nay, frequently distinguished his had never been guilty of drinking wine, and from prowess hand to hand several times in the course of never having fallen into the practice was ignorant the same fight. No person of the race of Taimur of the sensations it produced, yet I had a strong Beg ever equalled Sultan Hussain Mirza in the use lurking inclination to wander in this desert, and my of the scymitar. He had a turn for poetry, and com- heart was much disposed to pass the stream. In posed a Diwân. He wrote in the Turki. His poet my boyhood I had no wish for it, and did not know ical name was Hussaini. Many of his verses are far its pleasures or pains. When my father at any time from being bad, but the whole of the Mirza's Diwân asked me to drink wine, I excused myself, and abis in the same measure. Although a prince of dignity, stained. After my father's death, by the guardian both as to years and extent of territory, he was as care of Khwajeh Kazi, I remained pure and undefond as a child of keeping butting rams, and of amu- filed. I abstained even from forbidden foods; how sing himself with flying pigeons and cock-fighting." then was I likely to indulge in wine? Afterwards One of the most striking passages in the when, from the force of youthful imagination and constitutional impulse, I got a desire for wine. I had work is the royal author's account of the mag- nobody about my person to invite me to gratify my nificence of the court and city of Herat, when wishes; nay, there was not one who even suspected he visited it in 1506; and especially his im- my secret longing for it. Though I had the appeposing catalogue of the illustrious authors, art-tite, therefore, it was difficult for me, unsolicited as ists, and men of genius, by whom it was then adorned.

"The age of Sultan Hussain Mirza was certainly a wonderful age; and Khorasan, particularly the city of Heri, abounded with eminent men of unrivalled acquirements, each of whom made it his aim and ambition to carry to the highest perfection the art to which he devoted himself. Among these was the Moulana Abdal Rahman Jàmi, to whom there was no person of that period who could be compared, whether in respect to profane or sacred science. His poems are well known. The merits of the Mulla are of too exalted a nature to admit of being described by me; but I have been anxious to bring the mention of his name, and an allusion to his excellences, into these humble pages, for a good omen and a blessing!"

I was, to indulge such unlawful desires. It now came into my head, that as they urged me so much, and as, besides, I had come into a refined city like Heri, in which every means of heightening pleasure and gaiety was possessed in perfection; in which all the incentives and apparatus of enjoyment were combined with an invitation to indulgence, if I did not seize the present moment, I never could expect such another. I therefore resolved to drink wine! But it struck me, that as Badia-ez-zeman Mirza was the eldest brother, and as I had declined receiving it from his hand, and in his house, he might now take offence. I therefore mentioned this difficulty which had occurred to me. My excuse was approved of, and I was not pressed any more, at this party, to drink. It was settled, however, that the next time we met at Badîa-ez-zeman Mirza's, I should drink when pressed by the two Mirzas."

He then proceeds to enumerate the names of between thirty and forty distinguished per- the conscientious prince escaped from this By some providential accident, however, sons; ranking first the sages and theologians, meditated lapse; and it was not till some to the number of eight or nine; next the poets, about fifteen; then two or three paint-cherished and resisted propensity. At what years after, that he gave way to the longers; and five or six performers and composers of music;-of one of these he gives the following instructive anecdote

"Another was Hussian Udi (the lutanist), who played with great taste on the lute, and composed elegantly. He could play, using only one string of his lute at a time. He had the fault of giving him self many airs when desired to play. On one occasion Sheibani Khan desired him to play. After giving much trouble he played very ill, and besides, did not bring his own instrument, but one that was good for nothing. Sheibani Khan, on learning how matters stood, directed that, at that very party, he should receive a certain number of blows on the neck. This was one good deed that Sheibâni Khan did in his day; and indeed the affectation of such people deserves even more severe animadversion."

In the seductions of this luxurious court, Baber's orthodox abhorrence to wine was first assailed with temptation:-and there is something very naïve, we think, in his account of his reasonings and feelings on the occasion.

*No moral poet ever had a higher reputation than Jami. His poems are written with great beauty of language and versification, in a captivating strain of religious and philosophic mysticism. He is not merely admired for his sublimity as a poet, but venerated as a saint."

particular occasion he first fell into the snare, unfortunately is not recorded-as there is a blank of several years in the Memoirs previous to 1519. In that year, however, we find him a confirmed toper; and nothing, indeed, can be more ludicrous than the accuracy and apparent truth with which he continues to chronicle all his subsequent and very frequent excesses. The Eastern votary of intoxication has a pleasant way of varying his enjoyments, which was never taken in the West. When the fluid elements of drunken ness begin to pall on him, he betakes him to what is learnedly called a maajun, being a sort of electuary or confection, made up with pleasant spices, and rendered potent by a large admixture of opium, bang, and other narcotic ingredients: producing a solid intoxi cation of a very delightful and desirable de scription. One of the first drinking matches that is described makes honourable mention of this variety :

"The maajûn-takers and spirit-drinkers, as they have different tastes, are very apt to take offence with each other. I said, 'Don't spoil the cordiality of the party; whoever wishes to drink spirits, let

him suffering from the same wound.

him drink spirits; and let him that prefers maajûn, | place till bed-time prayers. Mûll Mahmud Khalifeh take maajun; and let not the one party give any having arrived, we invited him to join us. Abdalla, ille or provoking language to the other.' Some sat who had got very drunk, made an observation down to spirits, some to maajûn. The party went which affected Khalîfeh. Without recollecting that on for some time tolerably well. Bâba Jân Kabûzi | Mûlla Mahmud was present, he repeated the verse, had not been in the boat; we had sent for him when (Persian.) Examine whom you will, you will find we reached the royal tents. He chose to drink spirits. Terdi Muhammed Kipchâk, too, was sent fur, and joined the spirit-drinkers. As the spiritdrinkers and maajûn-takers never can agree in one party, the spirit-bibing party began to indulge in toolish and idle conversation, and to make provoking remarks on maajûn and maajûn-takers. Bâba Jan, too, getting drunk, talked very absurdly. The upplers, filling up glass after glass for Terdi Muammed, made him drink them off, so that in a very short time he was mad drunk. Whatever exertions I could make to preserve peace, were all navailing; there was much uproar and wrangling. The party became quite burdensome and unpleasant, and soon broke up."

The second day after, we find the royal cacchanal still more grievously overtaken : "We continued drinking spirits in the boat till bed-time prayers, when, being completely drunk, we mounted, and taking torches in our hands came at full gallop back to the camp from the river-side, falling sometimes on one side of the horse, and sometimes on the other. I was miserably drunk, and next morning, when they told me of our having galloped into the camp with lighted torches in our hands. I had not the slightest recollection of the circumstance. After coming home, I vomited plentifully."

Even in the middle of a harassing and desultory campaign, there is no intermission of this excessive jollity, though it sometimes puts the parties into jeopardy,-for example :

Mully Mahmud, who did not drink, reproved Abdalla for repeating this verse with levity. Abdalla, recovering his judgment, was in terrible perturbation, and conversed in a wonderfully smooth and sweet strain all the rest of the evening."

In a year or two after this, when he seems to be in a course of unusual indulgence, we meet with the following edifying remark: "As I intend, when forty years old, to abstain from wine; and as I now want somewhat less than one year of being forty, I drink wine most copiously!" When forty comes, however, we hear nothing of this sage resolution -but have a regular record of the wine and maajun parties as before, up to the year 1527. In that year, however, he is seized with rather a sudden fit of penitence, and has the resolution to begin a course of rigorous reform. There is something rather picturesque in his very solemn and remarkable account of this great revolution' in his habits:

"On Monday the 23d of the first Jemâdi, I had mounted to survey my posts, and, in the course of my ride, was seriously struck with the reflection that I had always resolved, one time or another, to make an effectual repentance, and that some traces of a hankering after the renunciation of forbidden works had ever remained in my heart. Having sent for the gold and silver goblets and cups, with all the other utensils used for drinking parties, I "We continued at this place drinking till the sun directed them to be broken, and renounced the use was on the decline, when we set out. Those who of wine-purifying my mind! The fragments of had been of the party were completely drunk. the goblets, and other utensils of gold and silver, I Syed Kasim was so drunk, that two of his servants directed to be divided among Derwishes and the were obliged to put him on horseback, and brought poor. The first person who followed me in my rehim to the camp with great difficulty. Dost Mu-pentance was Asas, who also accompanied me in hammed Bakir was so far gone, that Amîn Muhammed Terkhân, Masti Chehreh, and those who were along with him, were unable, with all their exertions, to get him on horseback. They poured a great quantity of water over him, but all to no purpose. At this moment a body of Afghans appeared in sight. Amin Muhammed Terkhân, being very drunk, gravely gave it as his opinion, that rather than leave him, in the condition in which he was, to fall into the hands of the enemy, it was better at once to cut off his head, and carry it away. Making another exertion, however, with much difficulty, they contrived to throw him upon horse. which they led along, and so brought him off."

On some occasions they contrive to be drunk four times in twenty-four hours. The gallant prince contents himself with a strong maajun one day; but

my resolution of ceasing to cut the beard, and of numbers of Amîrs and courtiers, soldiers and perallowing it to grow. That night and the following, sons not in the service, to the number of nearly three hundred men, made vows of reformation. The wine which we had with us we poured on the ground! I ordered that the wine brought by Baba Dost should have salt thrown into it, that it might be make into vinegar. On the spot where the wine had been poured out, I directed a wâîn to be sunk and built of stone, and close by the wâîn an almshouse to be erected."

He then issued a magnificent Firman, announcing his reformation, and recommending its example to all his subjects. But he still persists, we find, in the use of a mild maajùn. We are sorry to be obliged to add, that though he had the firmness to persevere to the last in his abstinence from wine, the sacrifice seems to have cost him very dear; and he continued to the very end of his life to hanket after his broken wine-cups, and to look back with fond regret to the delights he had ab

Next morning we had a drinking party in the same tent. We continued drinking till night. On the following morning we again had an early cup. and, getting intoxicated, went to sleep. About noon-day prayers, we left Istâlîf, and I took a manjun on the road. It was about afternoon prayers before I reached Behzâdi. The crops were ex* 46 This verse, I presume, is from a religious tremely good. While I was riding round the har-poem, and has a mystical meaning. The profane vest-fields, such of my companions as were fond application of it is the ground of offence." of wine began to contrive another drinking. bout. Although had taken a maajun, yet, as the crops were uncommonly fine! we sat down under some trees that had yielded a plentiful load of fruit, and began to drink. We kept up the party in the same | Scripture."

This vow was sometimes made by persons who set out on a war against the Infidels. They did not trim the beard till they returned victorious. Some vows of a similar nature may be found in

jurea for ever. There is something abso- | tribution levied on her private fortune. The lutely pathetic, as well as amiable, in the following brief anecdote speaks volumes as to following candid avowal in a letter written the difference of European and Asiatic manthe very year before his death to one of his ners and tempers:old drinking companions:

In a letter which I wrote to Abdalla, I mentioned that I had much difficulty in reconciling my self to the desert of penitence; but that I had resolution enough to persevere,―

(Turki verse,)

"Another of his wives was Katak Begum, who was the foster-sister of this same Terkhan Begum. Sultan Ahmed Mirza married her for love. He was prodigiously attached to her, and she governed him with absolute sway. She drank wine. During her life, the Sultan durst not venture to frequent any other of his ladies. At last, however, he put her to death, and delivered himself from this reproach."

I am distressed since I renounced wine; I am confounded and unfit for business,Regret leads me to penitence, In several of the passages we have cited, Penitence leads me to regret. there are indications of this ambitious warIndeed, last year, my desire and longing for wine rior's ardent love for fine flowers, beautiful and social parties were beyond measure excessive, gardens, and bright waters. But the work It even came to such a length that I have found abounds with traits of this amiable and, with myself shedding tears from vexation and disappoint-reference to some of these anecdotes, appar. ment. In the present year, praise be to God, these troubles are over, and I ascribe them chiefly to the ently ill-sorted propensity. In one place he Occupation afforded to my mind by a poetical trans-sayslation, on which I have employed myself. Let me advise you too, to adopt a life of abstinence. Social parties and wine are pleasant, in company with our jolly friends and old boon companions. But with whom can you enjoy the social cup? With whom can you indulge in the pleasures of wine? If you have only Shir Ahmed, and Haîder Külli, for the companions of your gay hours and jovial goblet, you can surely find no great difficulty in consenting to the sacrifice. I conclude with every good wish."

chekîn-taleh

found only in one narrow spot of ground, as we emerge from the straits of Ghurbend."

And a little after

In the warm season they are covered with the the Aimâks and Turks resort to them. In the grass in a very beautiful manner, and skirts of these mountains the ground is richly diversified by various kinds of tulips. I once directed them to be counted, and they brought in thirty-two or thirty-three different soris of tulips. There is the rose, and which I termed laleh-gul-bûi (the roseone species which has a scent in some degree like scented tulip). This species is found only in the We have mentioned already that Baber ap- of ground, and nowhere else. In the skirts of the Desht-e-Sheikh (the Sheikh's plain), in a small spot pears to have been of a frank and generous same hills below Perwan, is produced the laleh-sedcharacter-and there are, throughout the Me-berg (or hundred-leaved tulip), which is likewise moirs, various traits of clemency and tenderness of heart, scarcely to have been expected in an Eastern monarch and professional warrior. He weeps ten whole days for the loss of a friend who fell over a precipice after one "Few quarters possess a district that can rival of their drinking parties; and spares the lives, side of it are gardens, green, gay, and beautiful. Its Istâlif. A large river runs through it, and on either and even restores the domains of various water is so cold, that there is no need of icing it; chieftains, who had betrayed his confidence, and it is particularly pure. In this district is a gar and afterwards fallen into his power. Yet den, called Bagh-e-Kilân (or the Great Garden), there are traces of Asiatic ferocity, and of a which Ulugh Beg Mirza seized upon. I paid the hard-hearted wastefulness of life, which re- price of the garden to the proprietors, and received mind us that we are beyond the pale of Eu- garden are large and beautiful spreading plane from them a grant of it. On the outside of the ropean gallantry and Christian compassion. trees, under the shade of which there are agreeable In his wars in Afghan and India, the prisoners spots finely sheltered. A perennial stream, large are commonly butchered in cold blood after enough to turn a mill, runs through the garden; the action--and pretty uniformly a triumphal and on its banks are planted planes and other trees. pyramid is erected of their skulls. These Formerly this stream flowed in a winding and horrible executions, too, are performed with tered according to a regular plan, which added much solemnity before the royal pavilion greatly to the beauty of the place. Lower down and on one occasion, it is incidentally record-han these villages, and about a koss or a koss and ed, that such was the number of prisoners brought forward for this infamous butchery, that the sovereign's tent had three times to be removed to a different station-the ground before it being so drenched with blood and encumbered with quivering carcasses! On one occasion, and on one only, an attempt was made to poison him-the mother of one of the sovereigns whom he had dethroned having bribed his cooks and tasters to mix death in his repast. Upon the detection of the plot, the taster was cut to pieces, the cook flayed alive, and the scullions trampled to death by elephants. Such, however, was the respect paid to rank, or the indulgence to maternal resentment, that the prime mover of the whole conspiracy, the queen dowager, is merely put under restraint, and has a con

crooked course,

but I ordered its course to be al

a half above the level plain, on the lower skirts of the hills, is a fountain, named Khwajch-sch-yárân three species of trees; above the fountain are many (Kwajeh three friends), around which there are beautiful plane-trees, which yield a pleasant shade. On the two sides of the fountain, on small eminences at the bottom of the hills, there are a num. ber of oak trees; except on these two spots, where there are groves of oak, there is not an oak to be of this fountain, towards the plain, there are many met with on the hills to the west of Kabul. In front spots covered with the flowery Arghwân tree, and besides these Arghwan plots, there are none else in the whole country."

We shall add but one other notice of this

"The name Arghwân is generally applied to the anemone; but in Afghanistan it is given to a beautiful flowering shrub, which grows nearly to the size of a tree."

285

elegant taste-though on the occasion there | but of the native simplicity and amiableness mentioned, the flowers were aided by a less of this Eastern highlander. delicate sort of excitement.

The

This day I ate a maajûn. While under its in- boundless, and great beyond expression. "My solicitude to visit my western dominions is Auence, I visited some beautiful gardens. In dif- affairs of Hindustan have at length, however, been ferent beds, the ground was covered with purple reduced into a certain degree of order; and I trust and yellow Arghwan flowers. On one hand were in Almighty God that the time is near at hand, beds of yellow flowers in bloom; on the other hand, when, through the grace of the Most High, every red flowers were in blossom. In many places they thing will be completely settled in this country. prung up in the same bed, mingled together as if As soon as matters are brought into that state, I they had been flung and scattered abroad. I took shall, God willing, set out for your quarter, with my seat on a rising ground near the camp, to enjoy out losing a moment's time. How is it possible the view of all the flower-pots. On the six sides that the delights of those lands should ever be of this eminence they were formed as into regular erased from the heart? Above all, how is it possibeds. On one side were yellow flowers; on another ble for one like me, who have made a vow of abthe purple, laid out in triangular beds. On two stinence from wine, and of purity of life, to forget other sides, there were fewer flowers; but, as far the delicious melons and grapes of that pleasant as the eye could reach, there were flower-gardens region? They very recently brought me a single of a similar kind. In the neighbourhood of Per-musk-melon. While cutting it up. 1 felt myself ahâwer, during the spring, the flower-plots are ex-affected with a strong feeling of loneliness, and a quisitely beautiful."

sense of my exile from my native country; and I could not help shedding tears while I was eating it!"

We have, now enabled our readers, we think, to judge pretty fairly of the nature of this very curious volume; and shall only liking for "the Tiger"-and the romantic, On the whole, we cannot help having a present them with a few passages from two though somewhat apocryphal account that is letters written by the valiant author in the given of his death, has no tendency to diminish last year of his life. The first is addressed our partiality. It is recorded by Abulfazi, to his favourite son and successor Hùmâiûn, and other native historians, that in the year whom he had settled in the government of after these Memoirs cease, Hûmâiun, the be Samarcand, and who was at this time a sover-loved son of Baber, was brought to Agra in a eign of approved valour and prudence. There state of the most miserable health: is a very diverting mixture of sound political counsel and minute criticism on writing and composition, in this paternal effusion. can give but a small part of it.

We

sepa.

In many of your letters you complain of ration from your friends. It is wrong for a prince to indulge in such a complaint.

There is certainly no greater bondage than that in which a king is placed; but it ill becomes him to complain of inevitable separation.

while several men of skill were talking to the em"When all hopes from medicine were over, anu peror of the melancholy situation of his son, Abul Baka, a personage highly venerated for his knowreceive the most valuable thing possessed by one ledge and piety, remarked to Baber, that in such a case the Almighty had sometimes vouchsafed to friend, as an offering in exchange for the life of life was dearest to Hûmâiun, as Hûmâiûn's was to another. Baber, exclaiming that, of all things, his "In compliance with my wishes, you have in- him, and that, next to the life of Hûmâiûn, his own deed written me letters, but you certainly never was what he most valued, devoted his life to Hearead them over; for had you attempted to read ven as a sacrifice for his son's! The noblemen them, you must have found it absolutely impossible, around him entreated him to retract the rash vow, and would then undoubtedly have put them by. I and, in place of his first offering, to give the dia contrived indeed to decipher and comprehend the mond taken at Agra, and reckoned the most valumeaning of your last letter, but with much diffi-able on earth: that the ancient sages had said, culty. It is excessively confused and crabbed. Who ever saw a Moamma (a riddle or a charade) in prose? Your spelling is not bad, yet not quite You have written iltafat with a toe (in stead of a te), and kuling with a be (instead of a kaf). Your letter may indeed be read; but in consequence of the far-fetched words you have employed, the meaning is by no means very intelligible. You certainly do not excel in letter-writing, and fail chiefly because you have too great a desire to show your acquirements. For the future, you should write unaffectedly, with clearness, using plain words, which would cost less trouble both to

correct.

the writer and reader."

The other letter is to one of his old companions in arms-and considering that it is written by an ardent and ambitious from the capital of his new empire of Hinconqueror, lustan, it seems to us a very striking proof, ot only of the nothingness of high fortune,

that it was the dearest of our worldly possessions alone that was to be offered to Heaven. But he persisted in his resolution, declaring that no stone, his life. He three times walked round the dying of whatever value, could be put in competition with prince, a solemnity similar to that used in sacrifices and heave-offerings, and, retiring, prayed earnestly have borne it away! I have borne it away! to God. After some time he was heard to exclaim, almost immediately began to recover, and that, in proportion as he recovered, the health and strength The Mussulman historians assure us, that Hûmâiûn of Baber visibly decayed. Baber communicated his dying instructions to Khwâjeh Khalifeh, Kamber then at court commending Hûmâiûn to their proAli Beg, Terdi Beg, and Hindu Beg, who were tection. With that unvarying affection for his of his life, he strongly besought Humaiûn to be family which he showed in all the circumstances mised-and, what in such circumstances is rare, kind and forgiving to his brothers. Hùmâiûn prokept his promise."

POETRY.

(March, 1819.)

Specimens of the British Poets; with Biographical and Critical Notices, and an Away on English Poetry. By THOMAS CAMPBELL. 7 vols. 8vo. London: 1819.

WE would rather see Mr. Campbell as a If he were like most authors, or even like poet, than as a commentator on poetry:-be- most critics, we could easily have pardoned cause we would rather have a solid addition this; for we very seldom find any work too to the sum of our treasures, than the finest or short. It is the singular goodness of his critimost judicious account of their actual amount. cisms that makes us regret their fewness; for But we are very glad to see him in any way: nothing, we think, can be more fair, judicious -and think the work which he has now given and discriminating, and at the same time us very excellent and delightful. Still, how-more fine, delicate and original, than the ever, we think there is some little room for greater part of the discussions with which he complaint; and, feeling that we have not got has here presented us. It is very rare to find all we were led to expect, are unreasonable so much sensibility to the beauties of poetry, enough to think that the learned author still united with so much toleration for its faults; owes us an arrear: which we hope he will and so exact a perception of the merits of handsomely pay up in the next edition. every particular style, interfering so little When a great post and a man of distin- with a just estimate of all. Poets, to be sure, guished talents announces a large selection are on the whole, we think, very indulgent of English poetry, with biographical and judges of poetry; and that not so much, we critical notices," we naturally expect such verily believe, from any partiality to their own notices of all, or almost all the authors, of vocation, or desire to exalt their fraternity, whose works he thinks it worth while to as from their being more constantly alive to favour us with specimens. The biography those impulses which it is the business of sometimes may be unattainable-and it may poetry to excite, and more quick to catch and still more frequently be uninteresting-but to follow out those associations on which its the criticism must always be valuable; and, efficacy chiefly depends. If it be true, as indeed, is obviously that which must be we have formerly endeavoured to show, with looked to as constituting the chief value of reference to this very author, that poetry proany such publication. There is no author so duces all its greater effects, and works its obscure, if at all entitled to a place in this more memorable enchantments, not so much register, of whom it would not be desirable to by the images it directly presents, as by those know the opinion of such a man as Mr. Camp- which it suggests to the fancy; and melts or bell-and none so mature and settled in fame, inflames us less by the fires which it applies upon whose beauties and defects, and poetical from without, than by those which it kindles character in general, the public would not within, and of which the fuel is in our own have much to learn from such an authority. bosoms,-it will be readily understood how Now, there are many authors, and some of these effects should be most powerful in the no mean note, of whom he has not conde-sensitive breast of a poet; and how a spark, scended to say one word, either in the Essay, which would have been instantly quenched or in the notices prefixed to the citations. Of in the duller atmosphere of an ordinary brain, Jonathan Swift, for example, all that is here may create a blaze in his combustible imagi recorded is "Born 1667-died 1744;" and nation, to warm and enlighten the world. Otway is despatched in the same summary The greater poets, accordingly, have almost manner-"Born 1651-died 1685." Mar- always been the warmest admirers, and the lowe is commemorated in a single page, and most liberal patrons of poetry. The smaller Butler in half of one. All this is rather ca- only-your Laureates and Ballad-mongerspricious:-But this is not all. Sometimes the are envious and irritable-jealous even of the notices are entirely biographical, and some-dead, and less desirous of the praise of others times entirely critical. We humbly conceive than avaricious of their own. they ought always to have been of both descriptions. At all events, we ought in every rase to have had some criticism, since this could always have been had, and could carcely have failed to be valuable. Mr. C., we think, has been a little lazy.

But though a poet is thus likely to be a gentler critic of poetry than another, and, by having a finer sense of its beauties, to be better qualified for the most pleasing and im portant part of his office, there is another requisite in which we should be afraid he