As oft the painted offspring of the spring
Have open'd their frail bloffoms and expir'd.
Difdaining tranfient praife, the flow unfolds
Her fnowy flowers, by centuries matur'd,
To charm with fragrance children yet unborn,
And mock the perishable race of man.

"Thou, my efteem'd Aurelia, too canst boaft
An excellence by added years improv'd.
Let beauty, like the fluttering butterfly,
Enjoy a fummer's glory. Thou canft please
Ev'n in the autumn of declining life;
Nor is the dreaded winter of old age
Deftructive to the produce of thy foul:
Still fhall experience teach, good humour charm,
Judgment convince, and polish'd fenfe improve.
Nor thefe thy only praifes. Thou haft met
Thofe fharpeft daggers of adverfity,

That pierce with thrilling fenfe the nerves of pain;
Thy frame with weak decrepitude oppreft
Beyond the common lot, and from thy arins
Thy bofom's treafures prematurely fnatch'd,
And borne in life's full vigour to the tomb:
Yet thy calm fortitude fuftain'd the ftorm,
Like the firm oak befet around with winds,
Oppreft but not o'erthrown. To thy abode
The gay, the happy, and the young, repair;
Affur'd to hear no querulous complaints
At wayward fortune and degenerate times;
Affur'd to fee thy fprightly fallies wake
The unembitter'd laugh, to humour dear.

Pleas'd they arraign the theme, which paints old age
Auftere and uncomplying. Pleas'd they find
Superior minds, difdaining narrow views,

Affert the native dignity of man.

Pilgrims on earth, and journeying on to heav'n,

The feat of true felicity and peace,

They never feek the beauteous exiles here,

Nor blame a want by Providence defign'd." P. 238.

Fluttering butterfly" has a bad found: and nine lines after we ought to read,

"That pierce the nerves with thrilling fenfe of pain," "Nerves of pain" being bad: the reft is admirable.

In the light and playful ftyle of compofition Mrs. W. has feldom indulged; but the following is fo complete a proof of her ability to give grace and elegance to fuch fports of fancy, that we cannot refrain from giving it en

WITH THE ADVENTURES OF THE SIX PRINCESSES OF BABYLON,

"A king, dear Matilda, in Babylon reign'd:
'Tis a fabulous legend I quote-

Six daughters he had whom a fairy maintain'd;
Then fairies were people of note.

"Of droll Robin Goodfellow often you've heard,
Benigna was one of his sort;

But wildom and virtue by her were conferr'd-
Little Robin lov'd junkets and sport.

"Thefe 'forefaid young ladies, obferve they'd no brothers, Were handfome as- --stop, I've forgot;

I could mention their likeness if willing to others;
To you, I believe, I'd beft not.

"Now the fairy, regardless of beauty and birth,
Bade them only in virtue feek fame ;

For rank fhe affirm'd was ennobled by worth,
And I know your mamma fays the fame.

"In an elegant grotto, fequefter'd and cool,
She refided her pupils to teach;

But when they were old enough all to quit fchool,
She allotted a journey to each.

"Miranda was clever-I doubt fhe was idle;

So the fairy, that fault to reftrain,

For difcipline bad inclinations will bridle,
Defir'd her a distaff to gain.

"What? a princefs to fpin? I affure you I'm grave,
This distaff had powers would furprize you;
It was Industry call'd, health and riches it gave,
And to gain it I ftrongly advise you,

"The lady Floriffa poffefs'd a good heart,
But her temper her virtues obfcur'd;
She would often be fullen, or answer fo tart
That her manners could fcarce be endur'd,

"Now her excellent governess knew of a river

Which lay in a country far famed,

One draught of which courteous demeanour would give her,— Good Humour the river was named.

"So the fairy beftow'd a gold bottle upon her,
And told her what courfe to pursue ;

But when he return'd, I declare on my honour,
I fhould hardly have known her from you.

"Clementina, in all the warm ardour of youth,
From the grotto exulting tripp'd forth;

Her charge was to fetch, from the genius of truth,
A fpear of unparalleled worth.

"Poor damfel! full often fhe met with mifchance,
By the magic of falfehood deceiv'd;
But firm refolution procur'd her the lance,
The fame you from Nature receiv'd.

"By Bonetta the mantle of meekness was worn,
Its whitenefs the fnow might express;

It was bright as the luftre that waits on the morn,—
Don't you long for this elegant drefs?

"Allow me to mention one property more :
All who faw thefe fair dames did declare,
Though Bonetta was rather hard-featur'd before,
She now feem'd tranfcendently fair.

"Of narrow-foul'd Avarice doubtless you've heard,
It is felfish, and odious, and mean;

Its contraft, Profusion, is rash and abfurd,
But there lies a sweet virtue between.

"To prove it, when free from fictitious pretence,

A wonderful magnet was wrought;

This talifman, facred to judgment and sense,

By lovely Orinda was fought.

"Would you know her adventures at large, pray pursue her,

She gives a delightful narration;

It was found by a gallant young knight, and brought to her On a fhield which he call'd Moderation.

"Thus five of thefe ladies their wishes achiev'd,

At laft your young name-fake was fent; She too from Benigna a mandate receiv'd, 'Twas to fetch the white wand of Content.

"Disappointment, Ingratitude, Envy, and Grief,
Did many a peril devife;

But a cherub nam'd Innocence brought her relief,
And with cheerfulness gave her the prize.

"And now to Benigna the travellers came,

And ftated their toils for renown;

She gave them, I know you will with for the fame,
Bright Virtue's unperifhing crown.

"Now was I a fairy, I vow I would fend

To Matilda this crown by fome elf;

But as I am not, I'll entreat my young friend
To try to acquire it herself,

The

"The distaff, the mantle, the spear, and the wand,
The magnet, and river, fo rare,

Your mamma, my dear girl, has them all at command,
And can tell you at once where they are.

"For the prize which Benigna procur'd by her art
You need not to fairies appeal;

For the moment thefe qualities glow in your heart,
Your brow the bright cinture will feel.

"To speed your exertions, I'll tell you a truth
Difclos'd by Experience the sage;

Without them you'll ne'er know the pleasures of youth, Nor the rational comforts of age." Vol. 1v. p. 277. Besides those which we have enumerated, there are scarcely any ftyles of poetry not introduced by Mrs. W. into thefe two volumes, and none in which fhe has failed of fuccefs. We cannot therefore hesitate to give them the recommendation which her diligence, and ingenuity, her piety and entire rectitude of mind, fo very amply deferve.

ART. V. The Speech of the Hon. J. Randolph, Reprefentative for the State of Virginia, in the General Congrefs of America; on a Motion for the Non-Importation of British Merchandize, pending the prefent Difputes between Great Britain and America. With an Introduction, by the Author of "War in Difguife." 8vo. 76 pp., 2s. 6d. London; re-printed for Butterworth and Hatchard. 1806.

THE

HE able and truly patriotic author of "War in Difguife" has, in this publication, again exerted his talents and difplayed his public fpirit. To thofe talents and that fpirit we endeavoured to do juftice in our account of his former work. In the preface to the publication now before us, he has ftated the motives which induced him to cause the fpeech of Mr. Randolph, in the American congress, to be re-printed in this country, and to prefix to it fome hafty but important remarks.

A rumour, it feems, had gone abroad that his Majefty's minifters were on the point of giving way to the claims of America, and renouncing for ever the maritime rights in difpute. When he was taking up his pen to endeavour to arreft fuch a decifion, a Mail from America put into his poffeffion the important fpeech of Mr. Randolph; which appeared to him a defirable fubftitute for the arguments

* See Brit. Crit. Vol. XXVII, p. 29.
C 4

which

which he was about to compofe. He deems that, after pe. rufing this fpeech, no man can entertain the idle apprehenfion that a rupture with America would be the confequence of any delay in adjufting our difpute with that country; and that, even in a case of strong and acknowledged provocation, it cannot be apprehended that congrefs would not admit of a deliberate and even tedious difcuflion.

"It is not, however, folely, or chiefly in regard to the quef tion I have now in view, or the fafety of further difcuffion, that the fpeech of Mr. Randolph is important.

"I invoke the declarations of this American leader, made in the hearing of Congrefs, to atteft, that the ftrictures on the colonial traders of that country, contained in my former publication, were in no degree unfounded.-I appeal to his fentiments on the true interefts of his fellow-citizens at large, that they are on the fame fide of this controverfy with our own.I rely on his opinion, and ftill more on his irrefragable arguments, in proof that a war between that country and this, would be but in a flight degree noxious to the commerce of Great Britain; while its confequences would be ruinous to America, and fuch as her citizens would not even for a brief period, be brought patiently to endure.

"In a word, I quote this refpectable authority, not only as a caution againft precipitated determination, but to fhew that timid and ruinous conceffion may be fafely and finally avoided.

But what makes this very intelligent fpeech more encouraging to the friends of peace and juftice, as well as highly deferving profound attention in both countries, is the correctnefs of its views as to the power and policy of France. I rejoice for the fake of America and of Europe, that there are Statefmen in the new world, capable of fo clearly difcerning, and fo eloquently expofing, its dangers from French ambition, and its intereft in the navy of England." P. vi.

Having further purfued this topic, he adverts to the new foundation of right which arifes from the recent conduct of the enemy.

"What!" he exclaims, "is Bonaparte to exclude British fugar and coffee from the continent, and is America to enable him to do fo, by fupplying it with French and Spanish fugar and coffee in their ftead? Are neutral markets even, to be shut by violence against our planters, that our enemies may establish there a monopoly against them? Are the merchants of neutral states to be laid under an interdict as to the carriage of British manufactures to friendly ports, and, fubmitting to that interdict,

can