Ni faciat, maria, ac terras, cælumque, profundum, Quippe FERANT rapidi secum VERRANTque per auras. In some future letter I will offer a few more remarks upon Schiller's other productions, and a translation of some of his finest passages: for the present I conclude this epistle with quoting an ode of Dr. Watts' upon the Day of Judgement, which is, in my opinion, grand, and awful, and sublime. It will not suffer by a comparison with Schiller. It is very unlike the usual style of his poetry, which is turgid and bombastic; and hence (as is often the case), the obscurity of the present really beautiful production. I say obscurity; for I have mentioned it to some literary friends, who seemed not aware of its THE DAY OF JUDGMENT, When the fierce north-wind, with his airy Rears up the Baltic to a foaming fury; comes Stop here my fancy! (all away, ye horrid Throned, yet adoring! O may I sit there when he comes triumph- me as being one of the finest compoI confess this ode has always struck sitions of its kind in our language: the ideas are grand, the expressions correspond with the ideas, and the subject is itself awful and important. I remain, &c. W. July 16, 1807. Shakes the Creation; CRITICISM. "Nulli negabimus, nulli differemus justitiam." Specimens of the later English Poets, all attempts at eccentricity, all perwith Preliminary Notices. By versions of genius, all violations of ROBERT SOUTHEY. 3 vols. 8vo. common sense, ever will succeed; by 1907. attracting the notice, the imitation, MR. SOUTHEY has earned a name the applause of weak and giddy in literature by various produc- minds, and by exciting in men of tions of various merit; he has aspired sound judgment and pure taste, ridito be the founder of a new school of cule and contempt. We have read poetry, and he has succeeded to a Mr. Southey's productions, nor do we certain degree; he has succeeded as wish to deny that they possess some good passages; we having seen in less incumbrance upon literature. The them enough to entitle their author to utility, interest, and originality of a decent reputation while he lives, and Mr. Ellis's work, gave it permanent perhaps, an obscure corner in some fu- claims to notice; it embraced a peture biographical dictionary after his riod respecting which little was death; but we have seen likewise, a known to the general reader; it afforced and turgidstyle,a silly affectation forded many curious specimens of of pathos which has more frequently early English poetry, which must be been the true bathos; pages of pro- read with pleasure by those who deaic inanity, miscalled poetry; every light to contemplate the progress of possible fault against true taste and mind; it comprehended a definite genius; and a nauseating appearance period of time, easily ascertained; for of simplicity in thought and diction, these reasons, therefore, such a work which often reminded us of the in- was calculated to become valuable fantile puerilities of the nursery. He and popular. But Mr. Southey's is an elaborate manufacturer of epics compilation can lay claim to none of and quartos, in which we believe he al- these advantages. It commences at ready equals Sir Richard Blackmore* a period familiar to the most careless of epopeean memory; and whose sin- reader of English poetry; it consists gular fate as an author we recommend of injudicious extracts from poets that to the reflection of Mr. Southey. If men are in the library of an apprenticewill mistake the habit of writing boy; and it pretends to fix an æra in pensyllable lines usque ad infinitum English literature, the certainty of for the inspirations of true genius, which can be known only to postethey ought to be reminded that the rity. These defects are not to be inmost exuberant powers of mind may puted to Mr. Southey, they are insedegenerate into perfect emptiness, parable from the object of the work; if suffered to dilate upon every topic and we therefore wish he had never of fancy with such alarming diffu- undertaken it, Where is the utility sion. Homer, Virgil, Tasso, Milton, of a book that is filled with a few exwere content with giving one epic to tracts from Dryden, Pope, Young, the world, and that the result of Goldsmith, and the most popular many years' painful labour and fre- poets? But it will perhaps be replied, quent revision; but Mr. Southey it presents extracts also from Anboldly comes forward with them as thony, Motteaux, Mary Leapor, fast as they can be written; supposing Walter Harte, Charles Gildon, &c. that while he has power to hold a &c.: it does so; but these are authors pen, he has power likewise to exer- of no rarity. Those who wish to read cise the most brilliant faculties of in- them may find them upon every vention and of language. But this is a book-stall in the metropolis; and to fallacy which Mr. Southey is yet the philologist they are of no advan young enough to learn; and we shall tage. The stability of the language now proceed to offer a few remarks was too firmly secured by the proupon the work before us. ductions of the optimates of English "It is intended," says Mr. S. " to poetry to be susceptible of deterioraaccompany Mr. Ellis's well-known tion or improvement from the works Specimens of the Early English Poets." of forgotten scribblers. Upon the We do not think that it will answer principle which has influenced Mr. this purpose; indeed we cannot help Southey in the compilation of these regarding the present work as a use- volumes, as many inore might have been produced; every poetaster, who has published a song, an ode, au Sir Richard Blackmore is a re- elegy, or a satire, ought to have his markable instance of the imbecility share of glory. An ideal epoch toọ of genius. He wrote so much abso- of the declension of our literature has lute nonsense, that what was really been assumed, by confounding the good was forgotten and confounded existence of bad writers with the with the surrounding dullness. His depravity of public taste; not re"Creation" has many excellent pas- flecting, that while these Grubeun sages full of poetical vigour. heroes were lavishing forth their trea UNIVERSAL MAG. VOL. VIII. E sures, men of real genius were also authors; for we are informed, that giving to the world their lucubrations, "an old and dear friend" of Mr. which were received by the distin- Southey's supplied some of them. guishing few in the manner they de- They are trite and superficial, vapid, served; and the distinguishing few and often erroneous. They appear to are all that ever will, in any age or in us to answer no purpose whatsoever; any country, be the encomiasts of to call them criticisms would be abundoubted talents. In our own times surd; to consider them as biograwe have seen proofs of this: we phical sketches would be equally have seen the transitory popularity so; as registers of the birth and of the multitude crowning the most death of each poet, they are of some worthless productions of degraded advantage, but then they might have genius; but they have had their day, been much shorter. There is an af and are now forgotten; these too fectation of brevity and pompous dethat at the present are in the dazzling cision in some of them that is ridicu height of their renown, will soon lous. Nor can we account why to pass away, and leave behind them some authors no prefatory notice is the solid structure of "patient merit." prefixed. Mr. Southey indeed says, But independently of this radical of a few great writers it was unnedefect of plan, Mr. Southey has cessary to say any thing;" but shewn neither taste nor judgment in here is a marked inconsistency-for his selections; from celebrated au- example, to Dryden, Collins, Goldthors he has chosen their very worst smith, and others, these preliminary productions. Is it thus that he meant notices are prefixed; to Addison, to shew the progress, decline, and Pope, Prior, they are not prefixed; revival" of our poetry? This is, as consequently the former are not to be if a man should go into an honest included among the "few great tradesman's shop, and finding an names." article of inferior quality, hold it up as a specimen of his wares. It is a disingenuous proceeding, and besides it is subversive of the proposed object of the work. To have shewn accurately the progress of literature, he should have considered with deep attention the general character of an author's productions, taking neither Can any thing be more truly flipthe very best nor the very worst; pant than this? Besides, the fact is but to have done this demanded not " certain;" Pomfret is an author united skill, taste, and leisure. In read by very few. His "Choice" fact, Mr. Southey appears just to was indeed once popular, but it is have chosen at random from each no longer so; and even were "the author, careless whether what he fact certain," we really cannot conadopted was characteristic of that ceive where would be the utility of author, or not. From Pope, for the "solution." We have said that they are often vapid and erroneous; let the following, which is all that is prefixed to Pomfret, be our proof: "Why is Pomfret the most popular of the English poets? The fact is certain, and the solution would be useful." example, he has taken an Epistle The observations on Savage, vol. i. to Mrs. Martha Blount, with a copy p. 444, are false; his writings conof Voiture's Works"-from Dryden, tain many fine passages. The whole a spiritless epitaph and prologue of his "Bastard" is written with spifrom Young, a couple of "Odes," rit and pathos; and in his lighter that may be almost termed burlesque, &c.-and these he terms specimens of the later English poets. We really cannot conceive a more glaring instance of bad taste and erroneous judgment than this; for, besides failing in its professed plan, it is thus rendered useless and uninteresting as a selec tion. Of the prefatory notices we can say nothing that will please their pieces he possesses ease, harmony, and variety.-The strictures on Mallet, vol. ii. p. 348, are merely personal; they relate to his moral, not to his poetical character, and therefore ought not to have appeared there. Often, too, the language employed is coarse and vulgar; as, when speaking of Paul Hitlerman (vol. iii. p. 123), it is said, "an amusing account of this eccentric and despicable scoun and correspondent Moses Mendezz his only separate publications were, 1, The Surprise, or the Gentleman turned Apothecary, 1789, versified from a Latin translation of a French original. drel," &c. Such debased expressions tions of Dodsley, and of his friend become neither a gentleman nor a scholar; and, however they may be defended when occurring in the warmth of conversation, they are utterly inexcusable when suffered to stain the calm effusions of the study. We shall close this account with extracting the following singular production, together with its prefatory notice. "JOHN ELLIS. "It is wonderful, Sir, (said Dr. Johnson), what is to be found in London. The most literary conversation that I ever enjoyed was at the table of Jack Ellis, a money-scrivener, behind the Royal Exchange, with whom I at one period used to dine generally once a week.' "John Ellis, who is thus honourably mentioned, attained to civic, as well as literary, honours; he was a common-council- man, deputy of Broad-street ward, and was four times master of the scriveners' company. His mother was one of the fierce old Calvinists; she had him flogged at school for looking at a top on a Sunday, which had been given to him the day before. "The small-pox had injured the sight of one of his eyes in infancy very materially, so that when he was advanced in life, he could only use the other to draw, write, &c. with the help of a glass. But by some unaccountable operation of nature, when he was fourscore years of age, the sight of that eve became suddenly darkened, and the one which had been useless resumed its faculties, so that he saw far better than before. The change occasioned no pain or sensation whatever; it occurred during a walk by moonlight, and its immediate effect was, that though he saw the path distinctly, he could not keep it, but deviated to the right, and so much that his companion was obliged to lead him home. "All the seasons of relaxation from business he emploved in walking: and when he was questioned on bis omitting to go to church, his usual reply was-Nathan walked with the Lord. "For more than twenty years he was in the habit of writing verses, some of which appeared in the collec "The canto added by Maphæns "Most of his works remain in manuscript; there is among the a trans lation of Ovid's Epistles ready for the press, which Johnson, it is said, advised him to publish. The very curious specimen of his taste and poetry is copied from the European Magazine, which contains an account of this happy and remarkable man at some length, and a good portrait. "Sarah Hartop's Love Letter versified, "The following Epistle was written by a girl at Deal, to her sweetheart, a sailor on board of a man of war in the Downs.. THE ORIGINAL.) "Lovin Der Charts. "This with mi kird lov to yow, is to tel yow, after all owr sport and fon, i am tik to pa fort, for i am with child, and wors for all, ini sister Nan nos it, and cais me & here and bich, and is redy to ter mi sol cwt, and Jack Feny lis with her every tim he cums ashor, and the saci dog wuld hav lade with me to, but wold not let him, for i will be always onest to you, therefor der Charls, cum a-hor and let us be mared to saf my vartu; and if yow hav no munui; i with paun mi nu tas and semi to nu smoks you gav me, and that will pa the parson and find us a diner: and pra der Charls cuin ashor, and dont be afraid for want of a ring, for I hav stol my sister nans, and the nasti tod shal never hav ino mor, for she tels about that i am goin to hay a bastard, and, god bles yor der lovin sol, cum sune, for I longs to be mared accordin to your promis, and i will be your der vartus wif tel deh. Sarah Hartop. Feb. 7, 1734. "P.. Prav dont let yor mes-mat Jack see this if you do bel tel owr nan,' and shelter ini hart owt then, for she is a divil at me now. the same. Her loose associate sated from her flies, O haste and wed me, and preserve my fame. The finry which your fondness did bestow, The nuptial feast awaits you, and the bed: store; Confirm the truth, you plighted me before; I beg you will not to your friend impart, The traitor lurks the undermining foe. A New System of Domestic Cookery, formed upon principles of economy, and adapted to the use of private families. By a Lady. Second edition, considerably enlarged and improved To which are now added, en illustrative plates. One vokyne Svo. matter, which is very useful in numerous parts of domestic economy. Anthologia. A Collection of Epi grams, ludicrous Epitaphs, Sonnets, Tales, miscellaneous Anecdotes, &c. interspersed with Origi nals. One vol. small 8vo. 1807. ON NE of the many amusing trifles of the day. It contains some good things, gleaned from all possible Sources. What is termed the "Originals" form the worst part; they are trite and uninteresting. The following was new to us, and may be so to many of our readers: SAPPHICS, IN IMITATION OF SOUTHEY'S. Friend of Humanity and the Knife-Grinder, cc Needy Knife-grinder! whither are you going? Rough is the road, your wheel is out of order, Bleak blows the blast ;-Your hat has gota hole in it, So have your breeches! "Weary Knife grinder!-little think the Who in their coaches roll along the turn proud ones, What hard work 'tis crying all day Knives pike-road, and «Tell me, Knife-grinder, how came you to 'Scissars to grind O !' grind knives? Did some rich man tyrannically use you? "Was it the 'Squire for killing of his game? or Covetous Parson for his tythes distraining? "(Have not you read the Rights of Man, Ready to fall as soon as you have told your Knife-Grinder. were THIS is useful last as This poor old hat and breeches, as you see, tice; Justice Oldmixon put me in the parish, |