,,

us from claiming her as our own. With a masculine vigour of intellect and justness of taste, she combines a tenderness, a vivacity, and an elegance, so truly feminine, that we should really have doubted which were the attributes of the sex, and which the endowments of the individual. We have on hesitation in ranking her with the most accomplished female poets; and are of opinion, indeed, that there are but few living votaries of the Muse equally chaste without insipidity, and original without affectation. Some of her poems, perhaps, would not warrant so high an encomiuin; but where the subjects have been favourable to the display of her talents, we are confident of a general concurrence in our decision. Her very sensible and pleasing poem, on the competition of the two sexes, often reminded us of Cowper, The reader may form some idea of it from the following stan

VOL. VI.

Perverse by nature, both have trod
The crooked path astray;
Each wandering alike from God,
His image worn away,

• In sorrow and in sin combined,
Sad partnership they bear
Strange policy, that lurks behind,
Their better ties to tear !

Eve fled for refuge from her shame,
Her grief, to Adam's breast;

The ruined hero felt the claim,

Nor generous love represt.

Sweet were the pilgrimage of those
Who, hand in hand to heaven, E
Would learn the cynic eye to close,
Forgiving and forgiven.

In another

So, through the moistened vale of life,
United may they tread ;

Nor waste its little joys in strife

For who shall be the head.' pp. 100, 101.. poem of this writer's, there is some fine paint

ing of rural scenery, including among other objects, The ivy clinging round the bark;

The fairy-penciled spray;

The flitting of the upward lark;

The last light tints of day,

From evening's crimson clouds that float,

To gild the village spire remote ;

• The rural church-yard, where we sit,
Or trust its mossy pale,

To mark the beetle's sudden flit,

Or night-owl's heavy sail;

Or simple, pensive morals learn

From osiered grave, and sculptured urn.' p. 105.

Her Maniac's Song is superior to almost any similar production, in combining painful ideas into a rhythm that can hardly be pronounced without shuddering. We must omit every thing else, however, for the sake of inserting entire the beautiful poem addressed to her brother on his coming of

age.

• Once wandering in a stormy night
On a wild rocky shore,

A sudden slumber dimmed my sight,
And brought strange visions o'er.
I saw, methought, a venturous bark
From the warm haven blown:
It glanced between the billows dark,
And rode the storm alone...

'Twas like a little shining speck
Tossed on the sea-green wave:
A thousand such had gone to wreck,
As gallant and as brave!

• Its ballast light, its cargo less,
Hoisting a daring sail;

While many a signal of distress
Came mourning in the gale;

Scarce the lone mariner could keep
The pole-star in his eye,

With quicksands round him in the deep,
And whirlwinds in the sky.

"And can he live the storm," I cried,

"Launched in so foul a day,

"Beyond the tempest's roar,

"Hope hangs aloft her smiling star,

"Over a distant shore.

"Young steersman, spread thy fullest sail
"Let the long streamers fly:

"The breath of heaven is in the gale,

"Its watchlight in the sky.

*" Let not the mermaid's dangerous song

Allure thee from thy mark:

"There fix thine eye, and urge along

"Thy yet unanchored bark.

"From gloomy deeps and liquid graves

"Her magic voice proceeds;

"Down to unfathomable caves

"Her treacherous music leads!

"But, cheer thee, mariner forlorn;
"Th' horizon still is bright;

"Nor tremble, though by tempests borne
"To such a land of light!"

It ceased; and hope's returning tide
Filled the young steersman's soul
"Blow, angry winds, your worst," he cried;
" And all ye billows, roll:

"I'm but a voyager, though distrest,

"Bound to a distant shore :

"My fair inheritance possest,

"And I shall toil no more.

"The spicy groves to which I sail
"Send a sweet welcome here-
Ye golden mountain-tops, all hail!
That o'er the waves appear."

• He seized the helm: the dashing foam
O'er his warm forehead broke:

I staid to bid him welcome home

But started, and awoke.' pp. 121–124.

It would not be difficult to select some very pleasing pas

sages from the contributions of the other writers; but we have said enough to recommend the Associate Minstrels to the patronage of our readers, and it would answer no useful end to attempt an accurate distribution of praise among so amiable a circle. We cannot promise their volume, perhaps, an universal or undecaying popularity; for its contents are very unequal, both in real merit and general interest. This however, we should conclude, was not their object. In offering a garland at the altar of Friendship, they must have been fully aware that the flowers which composed it would fadeexcept a few that might take root afresh and bloom for ever; and must have valued it less for its beauty and fragrance, than as the produce of their individual labours united into a testimony of their mutual esteem. It is with particular pleasure we observe, in most of these associates, not only indications of virtue and kindness, but a decided prevalence of religious principle; and we think the highest gratification they can derive from this volume, should arise from the consciousness of having contributed in some degree to remove those fatal prejudices,-that piety is the canker of genius,and that literature is an enemy to religion.

Art. XI. A Discourse on Cruelty to the Brute Creation. By the Rev. James Beresford, M. A. Fellow of Merton College, Oxford. 4to. pp. 12. Price 2s. Miller. #1809.

NOTWITHSTANDING that very little space in this sensible dis

course is occupied with introductory or foreign matter, its peculiar subject is not permitted to fill more than eight pages of very open printing; an unaccountable and culpable parsimony of sentences, in a person who, in pleading the claims which some parts of the brute creation have to our kindness on the ground of the valuable services they render us, could write such a paragraph as the following, and whose subject comprises very many topics deserving of such paragraphs.

Such are the claims of these creatures on our consideration and regard. Can we then be so unfeelingly heedless of these claims, as to impair, instead of supporting that strength, with which they supply our weakness? Can we be capable of wantonly wounding those bodies, which are meekly bent to receive our burden, because they sometimes sink under the task, which we have ourselves disabled them from performing? Can we consent to abridge them of that food, which is the only reward of their labours, and for which they more than repay us by those new efforts which it enables them to make for our advantage? Can we insult that patient obedience, to which it is owing that they submit, without resistance, to our lashes? When we have one of these hapless animals before our eyes, drooping with weariness, exhausted by the drudgery of procuring us the necessaries, or the conveniences of life, can we, at such a moment, with ease instead of compassion in our looks, be capable of heaping up all his sufferings, by adding pain to toil

and thus still further hastening the end of that life, which from its first to its last hour, has been employed in promoting the health, wealth, or pleasure, of its master? p. 10.

The answer to these interrogations is most perfectly ready. Yes, we can do all this with perfect self-complacency; many of us directly, and the rest of us virtually. The direct perpetration is a great luxury to a large proportion of rustics, waggoners, coachmen, and more than a few of what will call themselves gentlemen. The indirect perpetration (and yet not very indirect) is a matter of perfect ease, on the score; of conscience, to all sorts among us, who can afford to ascend hackneycoach, stage-coach, or post chaise not to specify numberless other modes of criminal participation; and not to enumerate all the classes, from coxcombs and fribbles, to fat tradesmen and portly justices of the peace; from voters carrying their consciences to sell at the election for the dirty trifle of a reward, which indeed they are hardly worth, to the pretended advocates of justice who demand bags of guineas for driving, out on expeditions to confound right and wrong; from the lowest thing in office, to persons on whose quality the whole synonymy of splendid and prostituted epithets has been exhausted.-All sorts can, with much self-approbation, do their part of this wickedness; our legislature can refuse to sanction the measures proposed for diminishing it; and we all together can nevertheless extol ourselves as a humane and Christian nation.

Art. XI. Human Life Represented. A Sermon occasioned by the Death of Mr Richard Fisher. Preached at Winchcomb, Glocestershire, on Sunday, January 28, 1810. By Josiah Hill. 8vo. pp. 39. Price 1s. Hamilton, and Etheridge. 1810.

A pertinent, animated, and impressive discourse; accompanied by a sketch of character, describing such a man as no circle of friends or religious society could be willing to resign, but in submission to the divine sovereignty.

Art. XIII. An Historical and Critical Essay on the Life and Character of Petrarch, with a Translation of a few of his Sonnets. Illustrated with Portraits and Engravings. cr. 8vo. pp. 270. Price 10s. 6d. boards. Murray. 1810.

EVERY admirer of Petrarch will be desirous of reading this elegant es

say, which is a republication with considerable alterations and enlargements of a pamphlet by the same writer, which appeared in 1784. The Abbé de Sade's hypothesis, that the incomparable Laura was born, died, and was buried at Avignon, that she was wife of Hugo de Sade, and mother of eleven children, and consequently that the attachment between Petrarch and herself was disgraceful to both, is here, we think, very satisfactorily disproved. It will greatly enhance the pleasure of perusing his poetry, to be as ured he spoke nothing but truth when he said, In amore meo nil turpe, nil obscænum, nil denique præter magnitudinem culpabilis. The translations are not without merit, and the engravings are a real ornament to the volume.