their eruption is preceded by head-ach, ficknefs, and pains of the ftomach; and if they be fuddenly repelled from the furface, the fame fymptoms return in a violent degree. In other cafes, the affection of the fkin is not fo obviously connected with a diforder of the ftomach: nevertheless it may in general be said, that this fpecies of prurigo is attended with a state of ill health in the conftitution; for thofe perfons are most liable to fuffer frequently om it, who are of a fallow complexion, who are weak and foine what emaciated, or who labour under obstructions of the vifcera. The fame conclufion may be deduced from the nature of the caufes, which ufually precede the difeafe: thefe, I have often had occafion to obferve, are grief, watching, fatigue, and a poor diet. However, as all perfons are not equally affected in the fame circumftances, fomething muft neceffarily be referred to the original texture of the skin, or state of the cutaneous glands. With respect to this predifpofition, I have only been able to remark, that the greater number of patients had a more than usual coarseness or roughness of the skin, which feemed often to have been communicated hereditarily and that when the itching and papulæ disappear at the termination of the disease, the cuticle is left dry, fcaly and thickened.' P. 77.

:

Our author tried every mode of cure without fuccefs, and at laft found fixed alkali, with or without fulphur, the best remedy, the patient, at the fame time, drinking an infusion of faffafras and the tops of juniper: fometimes a little opium was added. In our experience, though we have often been disappointed, we have most effectually fucceeded with the vitriolic acid. The hepatifed waters and applications seem to have been the most useful of external remedies.-The prurigo fenilis is well known to be almost incurable; but the warm (perhaps the fulphurated) baths appear to be beneficial in this difeafe. In one inftance, it feemed to have been occafioned by a kind of pulex.

The external pruritus is often highly diftreffing; and it fometimes feems to be connected with an internal state of the conftitution, as diforders have been relieved by its coming on, and as death has fometimes followed its too fudden repulfion. The varieties of its appearance are well known. Could we diffeminate more generally one new remedy, one new mode of alleviating this complaint, we would do it with pleasure. It may be proper to fuggeft a fufpicion, that afcarides in the rectum may excite this pruritus in the neighbouring parts, and that a diseased state of the urinary organs may have a fimilar effect.

We have paid particular attention to this first part of Dr. Willan's work, because it is much wanted, and because its intrinfic merit, as well as its embellishments, 'claim our regard; and we hope that the cheering fmiles of public approbation will urge him forward in his career.

Oberon, a Poem, from the German of Wieland. By William Sotheby, Efq. 2 Vals. 8vo. 12s. Boards. Cadell and Davies. 1798.

THE Oberon of Wieland has long been celebrated in this cory; and the English reader has long been defirous of feeing in his own language, a piece fo popular among the Germans. Of a poem of fuch extent the merits can be fairly difplayed only by an analysis of its plan.

The poem commences with a kind of prophetic exordium, which difclofes too much of the future ftory. The action begins with the departure of Sir Huon for Babylon. At Libanon he meets with Sherafmin, the old efquire of his father, and informs him of the cause of his journey, declaring that he had killed Scharlot, the treacherous fon of Charlemagne, who had wounded his brother and attacked him. Charlemagne, incensed at the death of his fon and the falfe accufations of his companions, had fentenced Huon to banishment, even after he had, in the opinion of the world, proved his innocence by combat. The nobles all interfere, and Charlemagne, in fome degree appeafed by their interceffion, promifes pardon to Huon.

Yet hear the terms; hear what no earthly power
"Shall ever change!"-He spoke, and wav'd below
His fceptre, bent in anger o'er my

brow

"Yes, thou may'ft live-but, inftant, from this hour

"Away: in exile rove far nations o'er :

"Thy foot accurft fhall tread this foil no more,

"Till thou in due obedience to my will

"Shalt, point by point, the word I speak fulfil;

"Thou dieft, if this unwrought thou touch thy native shore.

"Go hence to Bagdad: in high feftal day
"At his round table, when the caliph, plac'd
"In ftately pomp with fplendid emirs grac'd,
"Enjoys the banquet rang'd in proud array,
"Slay him who lies the monarch's left befide,
"Dafh from his headlefs trunk the purple tide,
"Then to the right draw near, with courtly grace
"The beauteous heirefs of his throne embrace;
"And thrice with public kifs falute her as thy bride,

And while the caliph, at the monftruous scene,
"Such as before ne'er fhock'd a caliph's eyes,
Stares at thy confidence in mute furprize,
"Then, as the Eafterns wont, with lowly mien
"Fall on the earth before his golden throne,
"And gain (a trifle, proof of love alone)

"That it may please him, gift of friend to friend,
"Four of his grinders at my bidding fend,

"And of his beard a lock with filver hair o'ergrown.' Vol. i.

P. 33.

For this enterprise the knight now prepares, and old Sherafmin accompanies him in his journey. They reach a wood, which Sherafmin vainly endeavours to prevent fir Huon from entering, by relating the mischievous pranks of a wicked goblin who holds his court there. The account only serves to make Huon more determined upon paffing through the wood: the old man follows him, and they are bewildered, at night, amidst its mazy paths. At length they difcover a central spot; And while they gaz'd around in mute despair,

'Mid the wild woods a diftant caftle gleams
As woven from the evening's rofy beams.
It lifts itself, and glitters in the air.
In Huon's eye delight and terror stole,
In doubt, if truth or fancy charm his foul.
Breathless he floats, as drawn by magic hand,
And fees the caftle's golden gates expand,
And forth a filver car drawn on by leopards roll.
A boy more beauteous than the god of love

In fmiling Cytherea's foft embrace,

Sat in the filver car with heavenly grace,

And held the filken reins, and onward drove

"Fly!" Sherafmin exclaims-" he comes!-we're dead!"
And feiz'd Sir Huon's fteed, and fwiftly fled.
“You're loft, for ever loft, if you delay!".

How fair he is!" cries Huon "Fair! away!
"A thousand times more fair, a thousand times more dread
"Oh, fly, Sir! or your life's not worth a song!"-
Sir Huon strives, indeed, but strives in vain;
The old man fpeeds in fulleft flight amain,

And after him drags Huon's horfe along :

O'er ftock and stone, thro' bufh and brake they race,
Nor hedge nor ditch impedes their defperate pace:
Nor ceas'd the wight to fcamper, fear-purfu'd,
Till clear from out the compafs of the wood,

They find themselves at last amid an open space. Vol. i.

P. 52.

A tempeft overtakes them in their flight; but the voice of Oberon is heard through the storm, inviting Huon to return and confide in him. Sherafmin ftill drags him on till they reach a convent, to which fome monks and nuns, difturbed in their proceffion, are haftening in confusion. Oberon appears

among them, and founds his horn: at the found, the monks, the nuns, and Sherafmin, begin dancing, and cannot cease till Huon, who alone is free from the enchantment, entreats the

dwarf to let them reft. Oberon complies; and then gives the knight a bowl, which will fupply him with wine whenever he lifts it to his mouth, and alfo the ivory horn, of which he has already witneffed the power, and which, by a louder blast, will fummon Oberon at any time to his affiftance.

An epifode, in which Sir Huon delivers a damfel from a giant, occupies the greater part of the third canto. In the courfe of his peregrinations, hé refcues a Saracen from a lion, and gives him the goblet to refresh him but the magic bowl refufes its wine to the unbeliever, and burns his hand, He

Raves, and roars, and ftamps, till wearied at the scene:
The knight with facred fword, and threat'ning mien,
On fudden to convert the bafe blafphemer goes.'.

The infidel, however, flips away, leaps upon Huon's fteed, and escapes.

Having reached Babylon, the knight is entertained by an old woman, mother to the nurse of the princess. She informs him that the princefs is to be married to Babekan, prince of the Drufes, on the morrow; but that she is difinclined to her deftined husband, in confequence of a dream, in which a dwarf, with a lily wand, had prefented to her a knight with blue eyes and golden hair.

The nuptial morning arrives, and Rezia again has feen the blue-eyed ftranger in a dream. Sir Huon finds the dress and equipage of an emir ready for him: thus appareled, he enters the banquet-hall. What follows fhould be told in the words of the tranflation.

Now to the table he advances nigh,
And with uplifted brow in wild amaze
Th' admiring guefis upon the ftranger gaze:
Fair Rezia, tranc'd with fafcinated eye,

Still views her dream and ever downward bends:
The fultan, bufy with the bowl, fufpends
All other thoughts; prince Babekan alone,
Warn'd by no vifion, tow'rds the gueft unknown,
All fearlefs of his fate his length of neck extends.
• Soon as Sir Huon's fcornful eyes retrace
The man of yesterday, that he, the fame
Who lately dar'd the Christian God defame,
Sits at the left, high plum'd in bridal grace,
And bows the neck as confcious of his guilt:
Swift as the light he grafps the fabre's hilt;
Off at the inftan: flies the heathen's head!
And o'er the caliph and the banquet fhed,
Up fpirts his boiling blood, by dreadful vengeance fpilt!

As the dread vifage of Medufa fell

Swift flathing on the fight, with inftant view
Deprives of life the wild-revolted crew;

While reeks the tow'r with blood, while tumults fwell,
And murderous frenzy fierce and fiercer grown,
Glares in each eye, and maddens every tone-
At once, when Perfeus fhakes the viper hair,
Each dagger ftiffens as it hangs in air,

And every murderer ftands transform'd to living stone!
Thus at the view of this audacious feat,

The jocund blood that warm'd each merry guest
Sufpends its frozen courfe in every breaft:

Like ghofts, in heaps, all thiv'ring from their feat
They start, and grafp their fwords, and mark their prey;
But fhrunk by fear, their vigour dies away:

Each in its fheath their swords remain at reft:
With pow'rlefs fury in his look exprest,

Mute funk the caliph back, and ftar'd in wild difmay.

The uproar which confounds the nuptial hall

Forces the dreamer from her golden trance:*
Round her the gazes with aftonifh'd glance,
While yells of frantic rage her foul appal:
But as he turns her face tow'rds Huon's fide
How is it with him when he fees his bride!--
"'Tis the 'tis the herfelf!" he wildly calls:
Down drops the bloody fteel; the turban falls!
And Rezia knows her knight as float his ringlets wide.

"Tis he!" the wild exclaims: yet virgin fhame Stops in her rofy mouth th' imperfect found:

How throbs her heart! what thrillings ftrange confound!
When with impatient speed the stranger came,
And, love-embolden'd, with prefumptuous armst
Clafp'd in the fight of all her angel charms!
And, oh! how fiery red, how deadly pale
She chang'd, as love and maiden fear aflail,

The while he kift her lip that glow'd with fweet alarms!
Twice had his lip already kift the maid-→→
"Where fhall the bridal ring, oh! where be found?”
Lo! by good fortune, as he gazes round,
The elfine ring fhines fuddenly display'd,
Won from the giant of the iron tower :--
Now, all unconfcious of its magic power,

This ring, fo feeming base, th' impatient knight

Slips on her finger, pledge of nuptial right—

"With this, O bride belov'd! I wed thee from this hour!"

Then, for the third time, at these words, again