"After this statement, my correfpondent, fenfible that it is the spring crop which principally claims the attention of the public, and on which I ought to lay peculiar ftrefs in recommending the practice, difmiffes the fubject with faying, that the hay crop was, as ufual, about fifteen tons, and was fix weeks in growing.

"The above fum, it fhould be obferved, was made by the owner of this meadow at a time when other grafs-land is in a dormant state, or exhibits but feeble symptoms of vegetation. He had received more than four pounds an acre for his land, when his lefs fortunate neighbours were only looking forward to two future crops, in which expectation he has at least an equal profpect with them.

"But the reader will perhaps fee the advantages of this art, in a ftill ftronger light, when he is told, that this meadow, which is now in the occupation of a miller, was a few years ago in the hands of a farmer, who, being at variance with the miller, was entirely deprived of the use of the water, for a whole winter, which unfortunately was fucceeded by a very dry fpring and fummer; of course the fpring-feed was loft, and the whole hay-crop of eight acres was only three tons.

"Such a fpecimen of productiveness as the above, one would hope, will carry fufficient weight with it to turn the scale against any objections to the practice, arifing from a dread of expence, or from an averfion which many entertain to what they ftyle cutting their land to pieces; and will prevail upon every one, who poffibly can, to adopt this mode of improving his land. I truft, likewife, that the above inftance of fertility will be efteemed a proof that this is not merely book-farming, but is worthy the attention of real practical farmers; and, in confirmation of this, I could adduce several instances of renters of land having profitably expended several hundred pounds in forming meadows of this kind, without any allowance from their landlords; than which, a more clear demonftration of the great utility of floating, in my opinion, cannot be given."

This writer ftates, that he has never given one pofitive direction, without confulting practical men (P. 7) on its pro-. priety and on this ground he obferves, (P. 37,)

"I havo

"I have expreffed myself with the more confidence, conscious that I have advisers who have executed the work, and feen its effects, under almost every variety of circumftances that can occur in this ifland. For I can, with no fmall degree of fatisfaction, say, that I have been inftrumental in fending thefe men into various parts of Wales and Scotland, as well as England, and hope very foon to receive farther commiffions for the fame purpose."

He thus concludes, (P. 94)—

"I have thus thrown together the fum and fubftance of all that I have feen, heard, and read on the fubject of watering or floating meadow land and if what I have here written fhall in any degree tend to give a clearer conception of the true practice than has hitherto been conveyed, or fhall induce even any one perfon to try the extent of the advantage to be derived by floating from a large and rapid river, I fhall, at least, feel, that I cannot be deemed an intruder on the prefent occafion.

"I fhall ftill think it my duty to give any farther explanation or information in my power; and if any one, imagining that he has a confiderable tract of land capable of being thus improved, and yet fufpecting that difficulties may occur which he himfelf may not be able to furmount, be defirous that I should send him a Gloucestershire floater, I fhall be happy in executing fuch a commiffion; because I imagne that I can thereby ferve both the proprietor of the land and the floater; and at the fame time benefit the public. A letter addreffed to me (free of poftage) at Mr. Scatcherd's, Bookfeller, Avemaria Lane, London, will readily find me. The above floaters ufually charge a guinea per week and their board, and will not only take an active part in the manual labour, but will give inftructions to as many men as it may be thought fit to employ under their direction."

From fuch extracts the reader must perceive that Mr. Wright is a strong advocate for practical agriculture, and coincides in opinion with Lord Somerville, the prefent President of the Board of Agriculture, relative to the fuperior advantages of experimental farming. Amongst the nobility and gentry who have adopted Mr. Wright's fyftem to its full extent, the Duke of Bedford and Mr. Talbot (of Penrice Caftle, Glamorganfhire,) are particularly noticed. This book difplays a ftrong mind, a clear head, much accurate obfervation, and well-authenticated information. The language is • plain and capable of being understood, not only by the gentleman farmer, but by working men of the middle clafs, and, confequently, may be more generally ufeful; the matter is well arranged, the inftructions relative to the conftruction of wears, the conductors, and the formation of the meadows, may be easily comprehended by a reference to the plates, and we

Kk4

firmly

firmly believe, that the more general adoption of the "Art of floating Meadows" would be extremely beneficial to the agricultural world.

ART. VIII. The Nurfe a Poem. Tranflated from the Italian of Luigi Tanfillo. By William Rofcoe. 4to. Pp. 79. Price 5s. Čadell and Davies, London. 1798.

THE

HE claffical pen of Mr. Roscoe is here exercised on a fubject worthy of his mufe. Well-verfed in the lore of the Italian fchool, which affords fuch a vast variety of rich delicious food to the tasteful mind, he has felected the work of a poet but little known for the difplay of his poetical talents, and the felection does credit to his heart; for the object of the poem is most commendable. In strains harmonious, elegant, and impreffive, the bard labours to recall his fashionable countrywomen to the ways of religion and the paths of nature. With honeft zeal, and with impaffioned earneftnefs, he pleads the cause of the forfaken infant, abandoned by its mother, and indebted for its nourishment, and with it, for its firft impreffions, mental and corporeal, to a ftranger's breast. He depicts the various ills that arise from this unnatural practice, both to the parent and the child; and, having fhewn that it prevailed, more or lefs, in all ages, ancient as well as modern, he concludes by imprecating that

great and radical reform in the feelings and manners of domeftic life, upon which all the best interests of human fociety immediately depend." In the justice of the inference, and the neceffity of the imprecation, we heartily concur with the bard.

Prefixed to the poem is fome account of Luigi Tanfillo, who flourished in the fixteenth century, and was a native of Nola, a very ancient city of the kingdom of Naples. He was contemporary with Ariofto, Bembo, Cafa, and the two Taffos; and Mr. Rofcoe confiders him as "not inferior to any writer of his time, in the fimplicity of his diction, the elegance of his tafte, or a strict adherence to nature and to truth." But this appears to us (judging entirely from the Balia, for his other poems we have not feen,) to be a partial judgement; for, though we easily discover his fimplicity, and, in moft cafes, his regard for truth and nature, we have not been able to defcry the elegance of his tafte. He has an excellence, however, of a fuperior kind, difplayed in the choice of his fubject; and, on this account, Mr. R. is entitled to the thanks of the public for introducing him to their notice.

notice. In his tranflation, which might, we think, with more propriety, have been termed an imitation, he feeks to preferve the mind and fpirit of the original, but not the letter and expreffion; and we deem it no extravagant praise to fay, that, in many parts, the British appears to us to have greatly furpaffed the Italian bard. As a fair fpecimen of Mr. Rofcoe's poetical abilities, we shall extract the dedicatory Sonnet, addreffed to his wife :

"As thus in calm domestic leisure bleft,

I wake to British notes th' Aufonian strings,
Be thine the ftrain; for what the poet fings
Has the chafte tenor of thy life expreft.
And whilft delighted, to thy willing breaft,
With rofy lip thy fmiling infant clings,
Pleas'd I reflect, that from those healthful springs
-Ah not by thee with niggard love repreft-
Six fons fucceffive, and thy later care,

Two daughters fair have drank; for this be thine
Thofe beft delights approving conscience knows,
And whilst thy days with cloudless funs decline,
May filial love thy evening couch prepare,
And foothe thy lateft hours to foft repofe."

In order to enable our readers to form fome judgement of the fpirit and accuracy of the tranflator, we fhall extract the concluding lines of the first canto; the Italian first, and then the English :

"La nobiltà, l'altezza fignorile,

Che tanto da' fuoi ceppi oggi traligna,
Perchè credete, che fia baffa, e vile?
"Di che talor la plebe empia, e maligna
A voi fuol recar colpa, e dice, e crede,
Che al terren voftro indegna pianta alligna.

"Quefto degenerar, che ognor fi vede,
Sendo voi cafte, Donne mie, vi dico
Che d'altro, che dal latte non procede.

"E' altrui latte ofcurar fa'l pregio antico
Degli Avi illuftri, e adulterar le razze ;
Es infetta talor fangue pudico.

"Vediam di fagge Madri figlie pazze,
E d'onorati Padri infami figli

Tutto di per le cafe, e per le piazze.
"Dal latte ogni animal convien che pigli

Gran qualità, che inchina, fe non sforza,
Che 'I fanciullo alla Balia alfin fomigli.

«Non

Non pur in quanto al corpo, ed alla fcorza,
Ma fu l'animo fteffo, e fu i costumi

Il latte, a par del feme, ha quafi forza.
"Cofi quel vero Sol gli occhi vi allumi

A feguir l'orme mie, qual io mi sono ;
E vi toglia dinanzi l'ombre, e i fumi.
"Fumi di fafto, ed ombre d' onor fono,

Ed amor proprio quei, che v' ban tenuto
Tanti anni, e tengon fuor del cammin buono.
"Bafti, Donne, il mal fatto, e'l ben perduto;
E perdonate, prego, s' io vi pungo

Con un ago troppo afpro, e troppo acuto.
"Ho detto affai, nè pur al mezzo giungo:
Ma acciochè, Donne mie, non vi dia angofeia
Più io, che non le Balie, col dir lungo;
Ripofiamoci un poco, e torniam pofcia."

Sprung from a line of heroes, that of old
Tho' rude were liberal, and tho' gentle bold,
Whofe frowns a tyrant's wafteful rage could awe,
Guardians of freedom, bulwarks of the law,
What fecret taint, what dread contagion runs
Thro' Britain's noble, but degenerate, fons ?
-Not on your chastity, ye fair, fhall reft
The charge, whate'er th' invidious vulgar jeft,
Tis from his nurfe your offspring draws difgrace,
And thence adulterates his generous race.
"Till the kind father fees with wondering eyes
A motley offspring round his table rife;
Unlike the parent stock from whence they sprung,
And various as the breasts on which they hung.

"Late, but not loft, O fun of truth appear,
From error's gloom the female mind to clear!
Shades of falle honour, darker mifts of pride,
Touch'd by the beam ethereal quick fubfide.
Self-love his long prefcriptive rule foregoes,
And every feature with THE MOTHER glows.
Enough, ye fair, the dread neglect has coft,
The ills experienc'd, and the pleafures loft;
Yet, ah, forgive the bard, whofe venturous strain
Has dared to give your gentle breasts a pain,

And let him reft awhile, ere yet the fong

Vie with the drawlings of the nurfe's tongue." P. 28-31.

We strenuously recommend the attentive perufal of "The Nurfe" to all our fair countrywomen; and, meanwhile, we