fess: but his happiest efforts neither please by their felicity, nor astonish by their brilliance. The stream of his verse is. always muddy, or interrupted; it never glides along in tranquil clearness; nor "rushes impetuous down" in a torrent of unpremeditated melody. His lighter productions are without the simplicity of nature, or the elegance of art; and his loftier flights rather resemble the tiptoe flutterings of the ostrich, than the towering and adventurous soarings of the Mæonian eagle. If a correct ear and an intimate acquaintance with English literature, animated by an anxious desire for literary fame, and an enthusiastic attachment to the political institutions of his country, could atone for the higher qualities of taste and genius; Mr. Barlow might claim preeminence over all the poets who have preceded him. But deficient in their higher, and necessary qualities, the talents that he really possesses have been warped, and degraded by political prejudices and the disadvantages of local situation. Instead of filling a nich by the side of those great masters of heroic poety, whose excellencies he has vainly essayed to emulate, he now only stands distinguished as a melancholy monument of talents misapplied; and as a friendly beacon to those whom vanity, or ignorance might seduce to enter the irremeable paths of poetical ambition.

There is still extant the first book of a poem, intitled BEACON HILL, the production of Mrs. Percy Morton; which appears, as far as a judgment can be formed from so short a specimen, to be much superior to the Columbiad in every excellence of descriptive, or heroic poetry. "As many (she observes) of the great events that form the subject of the piece, originated within the view of that interesting eminence; the mind, by the natural association of ideas, will be easily led to contemplate every succeeding occurrence of the revolution." This plan is far superior to that of Mr. Barlow's, without being deficient in simplicity, or comprehensiveness; itprecludes the necessity of detailing unimportant incidents with chronological minuteness; and by confining her attention to those circumstances alone, which for warded or retarded the great object of the action, (the restoration of American independence,) it enables her to give to every event its relative situation, and to every character, its relative importance. Of the two most celebrated warriors who were engaged in the contest, we are only told by Mr. Barlow, that "Moultrie led his banded powers," (V. 625) and that Lee, with

"Jackson, Hampton, Pinckney, matcht in might,
"Roll'd on the storm, and hurried fast the flight."

VII. 377.

The following passages, on the contrary, at once excite our sympathy, and gratify our curiosity.

1

"From glebes, by nature rich, by culture fair,
"Crown'd with thy name, majestic Delaware,
"Lee, fiery champion of the people's right,
"Invites the war, and seeks the coming fight,
"Disdaining fear, impatient of control,
" Pride in his port, and passion in his soul.
"From Albion's clime he drew his earliest breath,
"And Prussia's field had felt his deeds of death:

"Now, in his wane of years, neglected fame
" Is all the boon his glorious actions claim;
"Stung by revenge, beneath Columbian skies,
"He seeks that hope his native realm denies;
"First of a valiant band, in war's array,
"To Freedom's Chief directs his furious way."

"Child of the sun, proud Carolina, rise !*
"And say, what chief thy haughty land supplies;
"Canst thou contend for freedom, while yon vale
"Pours its deep sorrows on the sultry gale!
"Thus rise, with patriot heart supremely brave,
"Nor heed the scourge that breaks thy shackled slave?
"What boots the fleecy field, and ricy mead,
"If, 'mid their bloom, the culturing captive bleed!

"Or what avails, that many a sumptuous dome
"To every traveller yields a generous home,
"If the rich banquet, and the costly cheer
"Are fann'd by sighs, and moisten'd with a tear!"

The conclusion of a poem is the best calculated for the display of a writer's powers; and the most likely to excite his emulation. We shall therefore extract the recapitulatory passages of both these poems, and shall leave the reader to decide on their relative excellence.

"Here then, said Hesper with a blissful smile,
"Behold the fruits of thy long years of toil,
"To yon bright borders of Atlantic day,
"Thy swelling pinions led the trackless way,
"And taught mankind such useful deeds to dare,
"To trace new seas, and happy nations rear;
"Till by fraternal hands their vales unfurl'd,
"Have wav'd at last in union o'er the world.
"Then let thy steadfast soul no more complain,
" Of dangers braved, and griefs endured in vain,
"Of courts insidious envy's poisoned stings,
"The loss of empire, and the frowns of kings;
"While these broad views thy better thoughts compose
"To shun the malice of insulting foes,
"And all the joys descending ages gain,

"Repay thy labours, and remove thy pain."

The conclusion of the Columbiad.

"Thus sung the minstrel, by the theme inspir'd,
With truth, with freedom, with ambition fir'd;
What though her brow no laurel wreath displays,
To lure attention by the power of praise;
Though the cold clime subdue the Muse's flame,
And colder bosoms blast the hope of fame,
Some bard, more blest, may the high strain prolong,
Till free Columbia feel the sway of song;.
Till, as the streams of epic music roll,
Past scenes of glory fill the patriot's soul;
The torpid heart of dull indifference charm,
To pity waken, and to virtue warm;
Of deathless deeds the measured meed proclaim
And round the hero's twine the poet's name,
Who, with prophetic voice, and votive lyre,
Breathes what the muses, and the god inspire.

1

In this bright hour, when opening truth appears,
And o'er the mind her starry sceptre rears,
When warring empires own her powerful sway,
And rend the fetters of their youth away,
Thou, pure instructress of the searching thought,
Whose chastening ray the wanton nations caught,
Thou, blest Columbia, shalt, with cloudless fame,
Spread the mild lustre of thy temperate flame,
And still abhorrent from the blast retire,
That wraps the realms in extirpating fire;
While from its rage insulted freedom flies,
And on thy virtues rests her wearied eyes;
A patriot muse the mystic mandate bears,
That wills the triumph of her future years.
When, led by thee, she wings her rapid flight,
And through the dark earth sheds her mental light,
From the hard bosom of the ice-clad seas,
To the hot forehead of the austral breeze;
From where the morning wakes her infant beam,
And golden Ganges slopes his amber stream,
To where the West a crimson robe extends,
And o'er La Plata's spreading mirror bends;
Till the full ray of EQUAL FREEDOM shine,
And, like the sun, this genial globe entwine."

Conclusion of Beacon-Hill.

We think that none of our readers will hesitate to ascribe the superiority to the last of these extracts in delicacy of language, harmony of verse, and energy of thought. That want of synonomic precision however for which we have condemned Mr. Barlow, is observable in the concluding line. A globe may be encircled, but cannot be entwined.

Yet though we are willing to allow Mrs. Morton considerable praise: though she displays a tournure of expression, that would do credit to the compositions of an English lady; and an enthusiasm which proves at once her patriotism, and sensibility, we would not encourage her to persevere in her arduous undertaking. She is an eloquent versifier, and not a poetess. To say that she is the best manufacturer of heroic rhyme that America has produced, is a praise of which the insignificance can only be counterbalanced by the extent of its probable duration; and her talents and acquirements appear to be such as, if they were directed to the humble walks of prosaic composition, would enable her to establish a reputation, of which the splendour would be equal to the permanence.

OBSERVATIONS ON THE HISTORICAL WORK OF THE LATE RIGHT HONOURABLE CHARLES JAMES FOX: BY THE RIGHT HONOURABLE GEORGE ROSE. WITH A NARRATIVE OF THE EVENTS WHICH OCCURRED IN THE ENTERPRIZE OF THE EARL OF ARGYLE IN 1685: BY SIR PATRICK HUME.

Ir has been frequently remarked, that while in the seventeenth century, the nobility of this country stood high in literary fame, and literature enrolled among her votaries, with many other illustrious names, a Shaftesbury, a Roscommon, and two dukes of Buckingham; since the accession of the house of Hanover, few persons of high rank have attained much eminence in science. In the work before us, however, we meet a compound of aristocratical literature; a right honourable critic on a right honourable historian. Yet it is not from this circumstance, that the Reviewer feels a peculiar delicacy in giving to the public his opinions of this work; but from the necessity he must be under, while he is examining the character of the observations, to advert frequently to that of the historical work on which they are made; a task peculiarly difficult from the high and acknowledged talents of the gentleman who has already reviewed the Historian in the former numbers of the LondonReview. This difficulty, however, will be obviated as much as possible, by strictly confining these remarks to those parts only of the history which have fallen under the animadversion of Mr. Rose,