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lets, lakes, and rivers; the efficacy of mineral waters, and the bustle of a watering-place; the various changes which water undergoes in different temperatures, its transmutation into

ice, which leads to a short description of skaiting.

"L'hiver a ses plaisirs; son souffle rigoureux
"Souvent est le signal des courses et des jeux,
"C'est alors qu' emporté par un coursier rapide
"Court le traineau léger sur la neige solide.
"Alors, en se jouant, des pieds armés de fer
"Vont sillonnant les flots endurcis par l' hiver.
"L'œil se plait à les voir dans leurs joûtes rivales
"Poursuivant à l'envi leurs courses inégales,
"Se chercher, s'éviter et se croiser entr' eux..
"Souvent le fer glissant trahit un malheureux;
"Il court, il tombe, on rit; lui, reprenant courage,
"Se relève, repart, et venge son outrage."

This is followed by a hail-storm, and a fall of snow, with the distressing story of the wood-cutter perishing in the snow, which is likewise a free translation from Thomson.

Both versions, the first of which is only acknowledged as such, are too long for insertion. Some lines are almost literally translated. The English poet says:

In vain for him th' officious wife prepares
The fire fair blazing and the vestment warm;
In vain his little children, peeping out
Into the mingling storm, demand their Sire
With tears of artless innocence, alas!
Nor wife, nor children, more shall he behold,
Nor friends, nor sacred home.

This is rendered in French:

"Envain en l'attendant sa femme prévoyante
"Prépare du sarment la flamme pétillante
"Et de clauds vêtements, et son sobre festin;
"Par ses touchants regrets le rappelant envain,
" De ses enfants chéris la troupe aimable pleure;
" Envain, d' un air timide entr'ouvrant leur demeure
"Ils avancent la tête et le cherchant de l'œil
"De frayeur et de froid frissonnent sur le seuil :
"Sa femme, ses enfants sa cabane chérie,
"Il ne les verra plus!......"

The canto closes with a tribute of praise to the courage of those, who on Mount St. Bernard exert themselves in saving the travellers, that, without their assistance, would perish un der the snow.

The fourth canto, on Earth, records the wonderful discoveries of modern chemistry. Lavoisier's name is introduced :

"Lavoisier, tu parois, et par toi l' univers

"Apprend que l'eau contient deux principes divers."

but not a tear is dropped on his barbarous fate. The account of the diamond contains a just tribute to Newton :

"Il pare la grandeur, il orne la beauté,
"Et pour comble d'honneur ce Newton, qui des mondes
"Dirigea dans les cieux les sphères vagabondes,
"Jetant un œil perçant dans l'avenir lointain
" Dévina son essence et prédit son destin."

An animated description of the revolutions of our globe names Cuvier as the principal discoverer of the organic remains of animals in the quarries near Paris, and closes with this spirited abhorrence of war :

4

" Mais plus puissante encor que le feu du volcan,
"Et la mer turbulente et l'affreux ouragan,
"La guerre aux pieds d'airain, l'inexorable guerre,
"Bouleverse en courant la face de la terre.
"Parcourez l'univers, voyez de toutes parts,
"Des plus fières cités les cadavres épars:
"Sion pleure son temple, Athènes son portique,
"Rome à ses murs nouveaux demande Rome antique,
"Et de sa vieille pourpre étalant les lambeaux
"Son ombre ensanglantée erre sur des tombeaux.
"Tombeaux, trônes, palais, tout périt, tout s' écroule;
"Dans le même torrent le même sort les roule;
"Tandis que de l' Olympe habitant les sommets,
"Dieu seul voit tout changes et ne change jamais."

Mr. De Lille now enters upon the theme announced by the title of his poem, the three kingdoms of nature. In his fifth canto, on the Mineral Kingdom, he briefly enumerates the different mineral and metallic substances; and to prove himself an adept in his new art of treating a subject by digressing from it, he tediously narrates the adventures of Ormond, Dolcé, and Elvire, who being obliged to fly from Florence during a political storm, find shelter in a deserted mine, and when restored to their former greatness, apply themselves to study.

This heavy narrative takes up twenty-one pages, and the didactic or descriptive part of the canto not more than seven, in which we find many verses as unintelligible as

"Et ce metal docile où l'onde s' emprisonne."

Who would guess that this is lead? Quicksilver, however, is well described

" Et le mercure enfin qui connu par son poids

" En globules roulants glisse et fuit sous nos doigts."

We only lament that the author has not availed himself of the affecting story of that Austrian nobleman who for a time was condemned to the quicksilver mines at Idria in Friuli, and whose young and beautiful wife voluntarily accompanied him to such a dismal abode.

In the sixth canto, on the Vegetable Kingdom, we recognize the elegant translator of Virgil's Georgics. The formation and grafting of plants; the circulation of their juices; their peculiar characters and nature; their colours, attributes, and varieties, are followed by a just tribute to the memory of Linné, of whom it is prettily said, that

"Le Zephire agitant ses ailes odorantes
"Porta vers son berceau les doux parfums des plantes;
"Déjà ses yeux fixoient leurs formes, leurs couleurs
"Et ses mains pour hochet demandèrent des fleurs."

From the rearing, habits, and loves of plants, which are described in Mr. De Lille's best manner, he passes to the principal vegetable products which constitute the food of man, or enlarge the sphere of his enjoyments; and the fire with which

he sings champaign, leads us to suspect that the sparkling glass had not been long removed from his lips when he wrote:

"Mille vins différents, sous mille noms divers,
"Vont charmer, égayer, consoler l'univers ;
"Aï brille á leur tête, aï dans qui Voltaire
"De nos légers François vit l'image légère:
"C'est l'ame du plaisir, le charme du festin.
"Dans le cristal brillant son nectar argentin
"Tombe en perle liquide, et sa mousse fumeuse,
"Bouillonne en pétillant dans la
coupe écumeuse
"Puis écartant son voile avec rapidité
"Reprend sa transparence et sa limpidité.

;

"Au doux frémissement des esprits qu'il recèle,
"L'allégresse renait, la saillie étincelle ;

"Son bruit plait à l'oreille, et sa couleur aux yeux;
"Son ambre en s'exhalant va faire envie aux dieux,
"Et l'odorat charmé savourant ses prémices,
"Au goût qu'il avertit en promet les délices."

The canto closes with the episode of Columbus, mentioned in our introductory remarks.

Of the seventh and eighth cantos, which treat of the Animal Kingdom, the former relates the general organization of animals, their varieties, forms, qualities, instinct, labours, and industry; and glances rapidly at the beaver, elephant, bee, ant, silkworm, whale, insects, serpents, and birds. The snail is well described, "Ce reptile gluant qui traine sa maison:"

but when, speaking of its eyes, Mr. De Lille adds

"Ces yeux pour l'œil de l'homme admirable spectacle,
"Dont les nôtres à peine égalent le miracle,

Et que Dieu seul peut-être une fois put former;"

he is evidently betrayed into a reminiscence of a line of Voltaire's-

L'instruction fait tout, et la main de nos pères
'Grave en nos foibles cœurs ces premiers caractères;
"Que l'exemple et le temps nous viennent retracer,
Et que peut-être en nous Dieu seul peut effacer.'

We cannot refrain from transcribing Mr. De Lille's apostrophe to those descendants of the feathered tribe that are doomed-

To brook the harsh confinement of the cage.' it offers so characteristic a contrast with Thomson's sentiments on the same subject.

The thoughts of the Frenchman, accustomed to the fetters of despotism, and wearing them with his usual levity, are entirely engrossed by the frivolous advantage which the imprisoned bird derives from being fed and nursed by the hands of beauty-whilst the English bard bemoans, with exquisite feeling, the loss of liberty, which nothing can compensate, and the calamities which are its inevitable attendants.

The French poet says

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Fiers d' habiter une brillante cage,
" Déserteurs des forêts et transfuges des bois,
"Paisibles casaniers vous vivez sous nos toits.
"Là sans aller au loin quêter à l'aventure
" De vous, de vos enfants l'incertaine pâture,
" D'une jeune maitresse esclaves favoris,
"Par elle caressés et par elle nourris,
" Au lien du ver rampant, de la sale chenille,
"Le sucre le mouron nouroit votre famille;
"Chaque jour la beauté revient d'un air riant
"Vous offrir le biscuit et l'échardé friand,
"Porte sur vos besoins une vue attentive,
"Soigne la propreté du lieu qui vous captive,
"A vos maux passagers assure un prompt secours,
"Prépare vos hymens et soigne vos amours,
"Vous apprête du bain la fraicheur délectable :
"Vous luvez dans sa coupe, assistez á sa table,
"Folâtrez sur son sein, perchez sur ses cheveux,
" Et son amant lui-meme est jaloux de vos jeux."

Born on the soil of true liberty, and unused to consider the gilded chains of slavery otherwise than as chains, the English poet exclaims

'Be not the Muse asham'd here to bemoan
'Her brothers of the grove by tyrant man
'Inhuman caught, and in the narrow cage
'From liberty confin'd and boundless air.
Dull are the pretty slaves, their plumage dull,
Ragged, and all its bright'ning lustre lost;

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