of their farms (acquired by the greater dearth of their produce, and too often from the unrewarded toil of their half-paid and half-ftarved labourers) to obtain a fhare in the vanities and follies of their fuperiors: facrificing folid advantages to empty trifles and ufelefs baubles; and common prudence to the ridiculous affectation of a falfe though fashionable taste. The capacious tankard of double-racked cyder, or wholefome, though home-brewed, October beer, improved by the addition of a nutbrown toast, with which, and perhaps a broiled rafher or a fteak of hung beef, the hofpitable Franklin of the last century could regale himself, his neighbours, and friends,-are now rejected for a complete fet of tea-tackle and a fugar-loaf; the bounties of Ceres and Pomona undervalued; and the difpiriting infufion of the leaves of an Afiatic fhrub, preferred to the exhilerating beverage derived from the red-ftreak apple-tree or the barley mow. The glittering rows of plates and platters, which of yore adorned the dreffer and fhelves of the neat and oeconomic houfe-wife, give place to frangible earthen dishes and faucers, lefs fit for their purposes than even the wooden trenchers in ufe before the neglect to cultivate and preserve our timber made more work for the miners, pewterers, and cutlers. But glazed earthen plates must now dull the edges of our. knives; and the country 'fquire, to keep a ftep higher than his neighbouring farmers, to please his modish madam, and efcape being cenfured as a taftelefs churl, muft prefer the brittlenels and frailty of Drefden porcelain to the folidity and permanence of Danmonian pewter.” The editor wishes to have continued the work, if a proper affiftant could have been procured. But, as Rifdon's Survey is much mutilated, and very scarce, we would recommend the re-publication of one of the beft manufcripts, probably that of Mr. Southcombe, of Rose-Afh, which appears to have been the property of Mr. Giles Rifdon, our author's eldeft fon, together with the notes and corrections by Mr. Chapple, which ftill remain. In this way, with little labour, the public may obtain an accurate account of the ancient state of the very refpectable county which was the object of our author's review. Landscapes in Verfe. Taken in Spring. By the Author of Sympathy. Second Edition. 4to. 2s. 6d. Becket. TH 'Heodorus, an enthusiast in love and poetry, is introduced as bewailing the abfence of his Cleone, and drawing a melancholy kind of fatisfaction, which fenfibility only can feel or conceive, from reflecting on the object of his paffion, and contemplating the rural fcenes around him. He hails the deep folitude, Sacred to love, to filence, to Cleone." Come, with Imagination's pregnant ftore Of fragrance heavenly fweet, and hue divine.. Unblemish'd from the tomb, in all their charms.” We object but to one word in the above paffage, and that we should have fufpected to have been owing to an error in the prefs, had it not been retained in the fecond edition: for know'ft, in the ninth line, we must read knows, to render it grammatical. Theodorus proceeds farther to invoke Fancy, and illuftrates her power by imagining Cleone prefent, and participating with him the pleafure which natural objects afford to the contemplative and fentimental mind. As they reft awhile on the fkyey fummit,' he introduces a defcription, which those who have loved will undoubtedly feel, of the pleasures arifing from a mutual affection. ; - The joy of admiration undisturb'd; The ardent gaze of fondness o'er the face That blooms a thousand graces on the look, As deep attention draws the varying blush ;The thrilling glance, that in the trembling heart Stirs the deep figh, and pierces ev'ry fenfe With aching rapture, Love alone can feel ;The touch which holiest Innocence allows, A touch, though lighter than the goffamer, Or the thin down that from the thistle flies When fummer zephyrs fport, can fhake the frame More than the hurricane the beading reed;'They proceed to trace the varied beauties of the vale ;" and then, under the infpiration of Fancy, now introduced as feated on the hill,' he etches the vernal landscape in such a mánner as proves that the deity, fo often introduced, has not been offended with our author's frequent invocation. After having exhibited a picturefque delineation of various objects, he hears < The village bell with melancholy found The thought which it excites in Theodorus, of the mifery he muft feel, fhould he furvive his Cleone, is well introduced,and the paffage tender and affecting. He now hears the frequent repetition of -O frail mortality! Re-ecchoed thro' the hollow of the grove.' At length I faw, From the furrounding foliage rushing forth In mourning garments-difarder'd locks. For clamour too profound :-'Twas dumb defpair. Knoll'd thro' the firs-the falling fhades of night I crofs'd his path-his eyes were bent on heav'n :- This description is nervous and energetic. An epifode follows, which informs us, who this man of forrow' was. The ftory, though much inferior, bears fome affinity to that of Celadon and Amelia, in Thomfon's Seafons. The marriageday is fixed for the two lovers, Fanny and Agenor: on the preceding evening; • Season of universal calm! all breath'd From all eyes but their own! Such fweets to taste, All those who have felt true paffion' are called upon to tell, we fhould rather read conceive or imagine, O tell the extacy which now they shar'd, Arm wreath'd in arm, and foul to foul conjoin'd!' A dreadful storm of thunder, lightning, and rain, comes on. Affrighted at perceiving the electric fire darting round Agenor, Fanny flies in terror, where darkness wrapt The fullen pool:' Agenor hears a plunge in the contiguous ftream,' and flies to her affiftance. ' with eager ftretch That hook the pool he swam ;' but on this brook, ftream, or pool, for it is diftinguished by each appellation, a different way Poor Fanny floated!-but at length, with voice In his dear arms, O let me breathe my laft!" Agenor comes too late, and his forrow terminates in phrenzy. The ftory is by no means artificially conducted. A word, a fcream of Fanny's, to have informed Agenor where she was, would have been more confiftent with probability than the fpeech fhe makes while drowning. Theodorus, ftill under the guidance of Fancy, continues to depicture various scenes in warm and glowing, perhaps fometimes in glaring, colours. He invokes the Mufes; and celebrates their power in foothing or directing, in a proper manner, the turbulent paffions; and exciting and invigorating those of a more amiable nature. They defcend in imagination before him. An ode is introduced, as fung by them, allufive to his fituation, the conclud, ing image of which is prettily expreffed. Absence, tho' it wounds, endears, Soft its forrows, fweet its tears; Pains that pleafe, and joys that weep, Trickle like healing balm, and o'er the bofom creep. Love and Sorrow, twins, were born On a fhining, fhow'ry morn, 'Twas in prime of April weather, When it thone and rain'd together; He who never forrow knew, Never felt affections true; Never felt true paffion's power, Love's fun and dew combine, to nurfe the tender flow'r.' Cleone • Cleone approaches, and Theodorus concludes the poem by comparing himself to a turtle, that, during the abfence of his mate, fooths his forrows by a foft confolatory fong; but at the fight of her, Then glad he gives his plumage to the breeze, And fprings along to welcome her return.' The author informs us that this poem was no hafty production, but the labour of three years. This, though certainly a compliment to the public tafte, renders its defects, however trivial, more juftly liable to critical obfervation. We have felected fome few paffages that we thought objectionable, and others might be added. The last line of the poem, for inftance, is by no means happily expreffed. To fpring along,' though defcriptive of fpeed, gives an inadequate idea of flight. It might, with propriety, be applied to the light bounding of a hare or greyhound, but not to the fmooth motion of a bird. In more than one place the author, poffibly with a view to give his style a refemblance of Milton's, affects & ftudied negligence of the laws of verification. -'Withdrawn, thus tuned th' enthufiaft lay. And next appear'd, winding th' eventful avenue." In the first of these lines, enthusiastic would have founded better than enthusiast;' it would have conveyed the fame mean. ing; and the epithet eventful' in the fecond, not only militates against metrical law, but injures the fenfe, as the * fact alluded to, Fanny's death, did not happen in or near the avenue. To aim at the imitation of Milton's beauties, is a laudable ambition; but to copy his harsh expreffions, and unpolished numbers, which doubtlefs proceeded not from defign but negligence and inattention, betrays a want of judgment. This fault, however, is feldom to be found in our author; he is more often too ftudiously polished and ornamental. On the whole, there is confiderable merit in this performance; and the drawings of + Mr. Lawrence, which accompany it, are executed in a very pleafing manner. Eugenius: or, Anecdotes of the Golden Vale: an embellished Narrative of real Fact. 2 Vols. 12mo. 55. Jewed. Dodsley. WE are indebted for this pleafing performance to the fame author who has often entertained us with obfervations dictated by good sense, and a cultivated taste. . We allude to See page 32. The author informs us that this ingenious artift is now but fixteen years old. |