enthusiasm and mockery, satire and sublime description, alternating with a rapidity absolutely fascinating; it is written in the octave stanza of Ariosto's school. The outline of the work is the old Spanish legend of Don Juan de Tenoro used by Molière and Mozart, but the plot is desultory, and there is no clue given as to how he would have finished it.

(1832.) CRABBE'S POEMS.

CRABBE forms the connecting link between the age of Johnson and Byron, retaining the correctness and severity of form of the past age, and the intense human interest and choice of real passion as subject, of the writers of the early part of this century. "THE LIBRARY," his earliest work, is not characteristic of his peculiar style, but "THE VILLAGE" struck out a path in which he had neither predecessor nor rival. "THE PARISH REGISTER" relates the principal events therein chronicled during a year. "THE BOROUGH "

relates the lives and adventures of the principal characters in a small country town.

"TALES IN VERSE" are some pathetic, some humourous. "TALES OF THE HALL" are the lives of two brothers, whose paths have diverged, and who meet and relate them in old age. "SIR EUSTACE GREY" is the story of a madman, related by himself with terrific

energy.

"THE HALL OF JUSTICE" is a story of crime and retribution, related by a gipsy criminal. The two last mentioned are written in a peculiar rhymed short lined stanza; the rest in ten syllabled heroic verse, whose neat regularity contrasts strongly with the intense realistic passion and quaint humour of the scenes. No poet has more subtly analysed

human motives.

(1832.) JEREMY BENTHAM,

The author of "THE BOOK OF FALLACIES," and of the famous maxim, "Utility is the measure and test of all virtue," carried for

ward, with the school of Philosophers and Political Economists whom he so much influenced, the work begun by Hume and Adam Smith, and continued in our day by Bentham's illustrious follower, Stuart Mill.

SIR WALTER SCOTT'S WORKS.

His "MINSTRELSY OF THE SCOTTISH BORDER and "SIR TRISTREM," continued the work of Percy's "RELIQUES OF ANCIENT POETRY" and Ritson's "METRICAL ROMANCES," by adding those of the Border land. His poems appeared between 1805-1814; they are perfectly original in subject and construction, and for a time caused a revolution in taste. His popularity slightly declined after the publication of "RODERICK" and the "LORD OF THE ISLES;" perhaps he was outshone by Byron. Perfectly aware of the fact, however, he abandoned poetry, and began his unrivalled career as a historical novelist. The form of his poems was borrowed from the French trouvères; its modification was suggested by

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Coleridge's exquisite fragment, “ Christabel,” the real measure of the trouvères being the octosyllabic rhymed measure, which becomes too monotonous for modern readers. Scott, therefore, merely retains the accents as a basis, and varies the syllables in every conceivable manner, occasionally introducing the short Adonic measure of six syllables.

"THE LAY OF THE LAST MINSTREL" is the most irregular and least finished work, though, perhaps, it has the most poetic fire. "MARMION" is more stately; "THE LADY OF THE LAKE" more dramatic. He paints characters from without; they are drawn, not analysed. "ROKELY" has many beautiful descriptions and songs. "THE LORD OF THE ISLES" some sublime passages; the rest are

much inferior. His "TALES OF A GRANDFATHER," and "LIFE OF NAPOLEON," rank him among historians.

NOVELS.

He here aims at picturesque effect, rather than logical coherency of plot. His power

of making his readers realise the figures and scenes present to his own imagination is marvellous. His secondary characters have often more individuality than the principal ones, and, as in the poems, his characters and scenery are finished pictures drawn from without, not analysed; his novels, in short, may truly be called romances in prose, being totally distinct from both the sensational and domestic school of fiction. His style is easy and animated, rather than careful or elaborate, and abounds in Scotticisms. "WAVERLEY" was the first,"COUNT ROBERT" the last, of the series; the periods from which the plots are taken varying from the first Crusade, the scene of the latter, through all the centuries. to the latter part of the eighteenth.

COLERIDGE'S WORKS.

The influence Coleridge exercised on others had more to do in forming the characteristics of the period than his own works, few of which are finished performances. He has