fhortly have been converted into a frozen chaos. How ad. mirable the wisdom, how skilful the contrivance, that, by fubjecting water to a law contrary to what is obferved by other fluids, the water, as it freezes, becomes fpecifically lighter, and, fwimming upon the furface, performs an important fervice, by preferving a vaft body of caloric, in the fubjacent fluid, from the effects of the furrounding cold, ready to receive its own accuftomed quantity, upon the first change of the atmosphere. Thefe reflections, perhaps, will not be thought to be misplaced, should they but afford "One ray of light in this terrene abode, "To prove to man the goodnefs of his God!" P. 94. Such reflections, which on every proper occafion are introduce, and never in an awkward or impertinent manner, give a diftinct value to the book, befides its philofophical merit, great as it is; and will be properly estimated by all right-minded re.ders. BRITISH CATALOGUE. POETRY. ART. 15. The Affociate Minstrels. Crown 8vo. 214 pp. 75. Conder. 1810. It is fometimes a matter of regret to us, that we cannot affign to every meritorious volume of poems a confpicuous place, among our larger accounts of new works. But, on well confidering the alternatives, it feems better to give a fhort, but early commen dation to fuch a volume, than to let it wait for the precarious chance of admiffion into the higher ranks. This reflection, and this only, has induced us to place the "Affociate Minstrels” in our catalogue. Who, or how many, thefe affociates may be, we know not, but it gave a favourable impreffion of their poetical connections, when we faw their volume dedicated to JAMES MONTGOMERY*; whom they ftyle their "friend." Obferving various fignatures, we prefume that the contributors are feveral, but this is of little importance; the chief point is, that the poems are good, which may be faid of them, perhaps, without a fingle exception. Some, of courfe, are fuperior to others, and a few of these we fhall particularize. The first poem in the collection is on "Silence." This is a * See our account of his collected Poems, vol. xxxvi. p. 277. fubject fubject which afforded many far-fetched conceits to the metaphyfical poets. But no fuch trifling will here be found. The whole is the refult of genuine feeling, under the guidance of correct tafte. Other poems in the collection may, to fome readers, feem more pleasing; but this is clearly the most elevated. It is, indeed, in many parts, not only elevated, but fublime. following paffage, blending the fublime of Scripture with that of imagination, may perhaps be justly reckoned the fineft, yet many others are so good, that we pass them by with no small share of regret. "When Deity to man his chariot bent, Though many an awful harbinger he fent, And last, a still, fmall voice the Prophet heard, And SILENT, trembled at Jehovah's word." P. 10. The There are paffages of different character. The part where the poet enquires of Silence, "Has the no voice?" &c. is extremely beautiful. This fine poem is almost the only one in the collection which has no fignature. Some of the compofitions have appeared before, in the Athenæum, and one, addressed to H. K. White, in the fourth edition of that youth's poems. The following Aanza in a short poem "On throwing away a flower," has all the fimple beauty of natural thought, without being trite. "For ever!—what a volume lies! The poem entitled "The Remonftrance," is apparently from a female author: but the juftnefs as well as beauty of its thoughts, on the relative characters of the two fexes, entitle it to much admiration. It will be found at page 91, and is subscribed A. But most will every married man, of right feelings, envy the thoughts and expreffions of the poem, addreffed to my Old * 1 Kings xix. 11, &c. Woman." Woman." It is written in the ftanza fo much used by Burns, and other Scotch poets, and is full of admirable touches of feeling and poetry. Some flight deductions might be made by fcrupulous criticifm, from the general merits of this volume, but we do not think them worth infifting on. That poetical tafte and genius abound among us at this period, much more perhaps than at any former time, has long been our firm perfuafion. Were the matter doubtful, this volume alone, the work apparently of fix or more writers, might almost decide it. ART. 16. The Wonders of a Week at Bath, in a Doggrel Addrefs to the Hon. T. S. from F.T. Efq. of that City. 8vo. pp. 83. 7s. Cawthorn 1811. This little poem is manifeftly an imitation of the celebrated Bath Guide, and may, upon the whole, be deemed a tolerable copy of that inimitable original. It contains a fatirical defcription of the prefent ftyle of life, and amusements at Bath, with delineations of fome individual characters. Of the numerous imi. tators of the late Mr. Anftey, it is furprifing how few have attain'd (what we fhould fuppofe the eafieft part of their task) any refemblance to his fmooth and correct verfification. They fre quently place the accent on a wrong fyllable, and fometimes leave out a fyllable from the middle of the verfe; which makes it halt difagreeably. The last of these faults is frequently committed by the writer before as *. On the whole, however, his lines are eafy and flowing, and his general fatire not wanting in vivacity, as the following paffage, (which by the way contains one of the faulty lines alluded to) will fufficiently fhow. It concludes the account of a Monday at Bath. And then in the evening there's nothing at all, No public amufement, except the drefs-ball; Never think it worth while to put on their beft clothes, And really become very vulgar of late. The room is fo large, all can dance at their eafe, *For instance-" And Englishmen hang, and Englishmen drown" (P. 2.)--" Seem made for the fick, and mix up a hum” (P. 12.)"For though you may faint, you never can fall” (P. 16.) There are feveral other lines of the fame kind. In one paffage (P. 68.) there are two in the fame triplet. that That you're ready to faint, but that's nothing at all,- The males are fo fcarce, to take what can be had: Nor ask who you are,-'tis enough you're a man. P.15. In his defcriptions of the other days of the week, the author falls too much into perfonal fatire; which, befides being unfair, is uninterefting, the individuals alluded to being, in general, little known except to the frequenters of Bath. One great merit of Anftey's fatire was that most of his characters (though they might be applied to certain individuals) were in themfelves of a general nature. This writer ako dwells on circumftances little interefting to the public at large, fuch as a difpute refpecting the office of Mafter of the Ceremonies at Bath, and the fpeeches made on that important occafion. Though the work has thefe faults we deem it, on the whole, one of the moft tolerable of the imitations of the Bath Guide, which have appeared of late years, and in parts, not wholly unworthy of perufal. ART. 17. Iphotelle; or the Longing-Fit. A Poem by Ralph Palin. 8vo. pp. 71. 5s. Cadell and Davies. 1810. This Author's object (as he informs us in the advertisement) is," to combat the common prejudice of the force of imagination in pregnant women;" a prejudice which, we believe, is now almoft wholly laid afide, at leaft by women of liberal education and found fenfe. If however it ftill exifts, in any degree, it is certainly a very proper fubject for ridicule. This Author's poetical talents are by no means contemptible; yet we cannot fpeak of his performance with unreserved commendation. It is, in many parts, a clofe imitation of Pope's celebrated Rape of the Lock." The Goddefs of Spleen invoked by a beau, whofe addreffes, Lucinda the heroine, had rejected, fends her attendant Gnomes to disturb the fair one's repofe, and excite unquiet paffions in her breaft. Failing in this attempt, fhe dispatches an evil spirit call'd by the author Iphotelle, to infpire the lady (who, it feems, was "as women with to be who love their lords,") with a longing-fit. This fcheme unfor tunately fucceeds, and great confternation is occafioned in the family by her calling for a bunch of grapes in the winter, when Dd4 they not to be procured. they were The lady and her husband are both fill'd with difmal apprehenfions as to their expected child; who, however, proves to be a very fine boy, not mark'd with grapes, nor in any way disfigured; all thefe dire prognoftications are turned to joy and rapture. The author's verfification is in general fmooth and polished, but not invariably fo; as there are occafionally fome lines that cam fcarcely be deemed verfes; and the poem lofes much of its attraction by frequently reminding us "of fomething better we have feen before.' So closely does the author tread in the foot. fteps of Pope. The following defcription of Spleen (though not wholly new) will however fhow his poetical talents in a favourable light. In those mid-regions, whence the tempeft pours Thunder and hail, eaft winds and western show'rs, From crowds of foldiers, courtiers, parfons, heirs, Who daily kill huge multitudes of cares, The hydra monfters are alive again. And with fwift wings forfake the nether fky." P. 13. ART. 18. Original Poetry; by Victor and Cazire. 8vo. 64 pp. 4s. J. J. Stockdale. 1810. When we ventured to say that poetical taste and genius abound in the prefent day, we by no means intended to affert, that we always meet with either the one or the other. Miferable, indeed, are the attempts which we are often doomed to encounter ; so * We apprehend that hot-house grapes may be procured almost at any feafon of the year in London. But the prefumed difficulty is perhaps fufficient in poetry. miferable |