POETRY, &c. Art. 28. A Call to the Country; infcribed to the Right Hon. William Wyndham, Secretary at War, 4to. 1s. Stockdale. From the tragicus boatus of this addrefs to Mr. Windham, (to whom the author pays, if we are rightly informed, a well-merited compliment on his literary and fcientific accomplishments,-to which he adds his warm approbation of the Right Hon. Secretary's political conduct,) we think that this poem fhould have been baptized a roar. instead of a call to the country; hear him! hear him! The ftorm is up: t Lur'd with the fcent of blood or scent of spoil, The above fpecimen, we prefume, will be deemed fufficient proof of the author's poetic powers, as well as of the reader's patience, provided he abides the form to the end of the quotation. Art. 29. Matilda; or the Dying Penitent: a Poetical Epiftle. By George Richards, M. A. Fellow of Oriel College, Oxford. 4to. Is. 6d. Robinsons, &c. This is a pretty plaintive poem, facred to the forrows of a frail FAIR-ONE, expreffed in a strain of eafy and melodious verfification. Though unequal to the ingenuous fimplicity of Hammond, it is fuperior to the generality of modern elegies, which abound more with unnatural flights of fancy and the tinfel of epithet, than the genuine energies and expreffions of nature. Writers who attempt the pathetic fhould first feel, otherwise their labours will be scarcely the echoes of fenfibility. The recollection of her days of innocence is tenderly and poetically expreffed by the FAIR PENITENT. We shall prefent the lines to our readers as a fhort fpecimen of the author's abilities. Ah happy days, remember'd with a tear, To lonely mufing Melancholy dear! Vifions of Youth, to you my Fancy flew ! Sorrow enhanc'd the blifs which Memory drew. Thou penfive Star of Eve, whose beams were shed Ye woodbine bowers in artlefs Childhood rear'd; Was it not rather a stumble at the threshold, to mif- fpell the gentleman's name in the very addrefs? The poet's intention of this roar, or call, was to roufe his countrymen to arm against Foes without and Foes within.' With With holier joy than once my foul poffefs'd, To weep the Wanderer's Tale, and cheer his breaft; To fome poor Mourner's forrowings fad as mine.' Our readers will recollect the former poetical publications of this ingenious writer, viz. The aboriginal Britons; fee Rev. N. S. vol. vi. p. 398; and Songs of the aboriginal Bards of Britain,' reviewed in vol. x. p. 55. Art. 30. Corfica, a Poem. By Clement John Wafey, A. M. of Oriel College, Oxford. 4to. 1s. 6d. Rivingtons, &c. The author of this poem feems to labour under a defect which is not uncommon among our modern poets, viz. a poverty of fentiment, which he endeavours to conceal by a pompous phrafeology and a bloated kind of magnificence: but, in this attempt, he frequently degenerates into harfhnefs and obfcurity, and generally finks into the low and vulgar. The fubject of the poem is the hiftory of Corfica, with its various revolutions, from the earliest times, 'till it was annexed to the British dominions. It is the practice of many poets, when they meet with a stubborn word, which they cannot easily bend to their purpose, entirely to reject it but this Mr. Wafey thought too great a facrifice, or he would never have written the following couplet: Where bland Reftonica pours its mineral rill, Where the swift Muffoli bounds from hill to hill.' It might, indeed, be alleged in his excufe that, had he not introduced the name Reffonica, he must have loft an opportunity of fhewing his learning, (a temptation which few men can refift;) for he tells us that Reftonica is a fmall though celebrated river in Corfica, its waters being of a mineral nature, and poffeffing the property of whitening every thing immerfed in them,-particularly iron and feel, to which it gives the appearance of filver. We fhall lay before our readers the following addrefs of the Genius of Albion to the celebrated Pafcal Paoli, by which they may be more fully enabled to judge of Mr. W.'s merit as a poet : Illuftrious Chief! in whom refplendant fhine The friend to whom the epiftle is addreffed. of Of converfe gentle, and of placid mien, Deep in thy country's heart, enroll'd by fame ;- From Genefe cruelty, and with liberal hand To cultivate and civilize thine ifle, On which fair commerce fcarce had deign'd to fmile Thy countrymen, by fix'd and wholesome law; But lo! mid clouds, where awful thunders roll, It is poffible that the author, in the heat of compofition, might conceive this paffage to be fublime: but few of his readers, we fuspect, will be of the fame opinion. Art. 31. The Farmer's Daughter. A Poetical Tale. By Chriftopher Anftey, Efq. 4to. 1s. 6d. Cadell, jun. and Davies. 1795. The wit and genius of the author of the BATH GUIDE have been long and univerfally acknowleged; and if any thing could add to the literary fame which Mr. A. has fo juftly acquired, it is the motive that gave rife to the prefent publication: which, to ufe his own expreffion, is to fet innocence on its guard, and to promote the cause of virtue. The hiftory of the Farmer's Daughter is fhort and fimple, but, according to our author's account, founded on fact. She is feduced by a military officer, and afterward deferted by him; filled *The antient name of Corfica. with anguish, shame, and remorse, not without fome remains of love for the destroyer of her innocence, the leaves her father's houfe, in fearch of her perfidious lover, and perishes through fatigue and cold, in one of the inclement nights of the laft fevere winter. The verfification of this little piece is eafy and elegant : but we fear that the united labours of our Poets, Moralifts, and Divines, will avail but little towards leffening the number of seductions, unless the virtuous part of the FEMALE SEX, inftead of encouraging and careffing rakes and libertines, will fhew a decided and marked contempt and abhorrence of the violators of female honour, and the infringers of the most facred rights of fociety. Art. 32. The Gamiad: a Poem. Addreffed to T.W. C. Efq, M. P. To which are added, fome Poetical Sketches, the Virgin Offspring of an Infant Muse. By Candour. 4to. IS. Boag. 1794. The object of this rhyming complaint-for a poetical fatire we cannot call it,-is fome great landholder, who, if we are to credit the complainant, has exercifed his power in a very arbitrary and oppreffive manner for the protection of his game.-The complaint, whether juft or otherwife, does not come before our court. All that it is neceffary for us to fay is, that the brief is not drawn up in a manner very likely to intereft the court either in favour of the plaintiff or his caufe. With refpect to the rest of the pieces, we do not well know what to make of the virgin offspring of an infant mufe: but the fcraps of verse, to which the writer has prefixed this character, are too infignificant to merit notice, even as the first chirpings of an unfledged bird of Parnaffus. Art. 33. A Poetical Epifle to a Prince. 4to. Is. Parfons, &c. 1795. The first part of this performance contains a " biting" fatire on paft indiscretions: but, towards the end, the angry bard grows more lenient, and promises (on reformation,) to drop the rod, and to affume the weapon of panegyric: Then will I join to hail the auspicious day, That fhall thy virtues to the fight display; Each tongue fhall bless thee, and each heart adore.' We hope and truft that this time will come, which the writer feems to anticipate with a degree of pleasure that may, perhaps, animate him to excel the prefent fpecimen of his poetic abilities, in refpect to correctnefs and elegance. Art. 34. Touchstone; or, the Analysis of Peter Pindar: with Curfory Remarks on fome modern Painters, &c. 8vo. 1s. 6d. Crosby. 1795. Various writers, by no means fuperior in poetic ability to Peter Pindar, are perpetually aiming their angry fhafts at him. Some of them, years ago, fetting up for prophets as well as poets, ventured to * On internal evidence, every reader of this epiftle will fill up the fuperfcription to the R-1 Inhabitant of C-It-n House. foretell foretell his fpeedy confignment to oblivion: but, if they really deemed this a just fentence, in regard to his literary existence and fame, why do they, by means of their own performances and public attacks on his writings, endeavour to keep him out of the gulph? Why thus abfurdly act in oppofition to their own predictions The leaft exceptionable part of this fatiric production (next to the handfome printing,) is, in cur apprehenfion, that which contains the author's obfervations on most of the principal painters of the prefent age, who have figured in this country; in which he fharply cenfures the very free criticiims on fome of them, [particularly on Wright and Weft] which have been occafionally thrown out by P. P.- who is himself an artift, and frequently finds amufement in the exercife of the pencil; and here our author embraces the opportunity of retaliating on the modern Pindar, by a fevere attack on his favourite, Mr. Opie *. Art. 35. Poems on feveral Occafions. By Mrs. Darwall, formerly Mils Whately. 8vo. 2 Vols. 6s. Boards. Lowndes. 1794.. The character of thefe pleasing little volumes may be expressed in a few words. Without any uncommon flights of genius and fancy, the author expreffes natural fentiments, chiefly of the tender kind, in fmooth and eafy verfe. If the reader's feelings fhould not be fired into rapture by "words that burn," they will be agreeably foothed into fympathy by the harmonious ftrains of a gentle mufe. The foft beauties of nature, and the tender fentiments of the heart, are the writer's favourite themes; and the poctical firings which accord with thefe fhe touches very agreeably. The general air of these pieces is fo uniform, that, in prefenting our readers with one short extract, we fhall give them a tolerably correct idea of the writer's talents. We fhall felect the following lines: ON HEARING A BLACKBIRD SING EARLY IN MARCH. Welcome sweet harbinger of fpring! Thou fofteft warbler of the grove! Thou bid't the dreary woodlands ring True love, and well-try'd faith, can bear, Sing o'er the fcanty hard-earn'd fare, Nor e'er regret the funshine paft.' * Most of our readers have probably heard that this ingenious artif who very early mounted to confiderable eminence, was first introduced to public notice by his friend and conftant patron P. P. Efq. |