And all regardless of the fcenes it leaves, Its flrainings all are vain -THE FOND DELUSION'S O'ER. Yet I will bear it, and tho' Hell deride, My pangs fhall foothe, my curfe fhall be my pride. Then be it HIS, for many a year t'enfold And with fierce taunts my cherish'd griefs invade, Till on my pow'rlefs tongue the laft MATILDA" fade.” Two portraits, one of Della Crufca, the other of Anna Matilda, are additions to thefe volumes. Art. 28. The Deluge: a Poem. By the Rev. John Roberts, M. A Fellow of King's College, Cambridge. 4to. pp. 16. 1 s. 6d. Cadell. 1789. Mr. Roberts was the fuccefsful candidate for Seaton's prize, in the university of Cambridge. We naturally attend, with fome de grec gree of expectation, to the effufions of the Laureat of this favoured feat of the Mufes; and though we have often been disappointed, we ftill hope for better things from genius thus voluntarily coming forward; actuated, too, by the view of other reward, than merely that of fame. We can not, however, fay much in commendation of the prefent performance, which, throughout, is full of turbulence and agitation. The author appears to be labouring to make his verfe, like his fubject, vaft and profound. He wishes to be great, and he becomes unwieldy. On the cloud-piercing hill, Offa or Pelion, why has Ocean left His produce, vermeil coral, blanched shell, In the fame ftyle, it is asked, • Whence that shout, Herald of Riot's orgies? From Eastern Nod This laughing bevy came; anon the lute, We afterward learn that, With these the fhepherds dalliance held: too foon Connubial Love caught inaufpicious fire, Oh moft lame conclufion! In the next page, we find that, - bright fpots of ruddy fire Flecker the azure vault, with dusky hue Darting impetuous down; the cowling Sky Night palpable!' After much more to the fame purpose, the Spirit of the waters' is introduced, driving the winds before him; not, however, without receiving a blast in return; The Spirit of the waters stalks abroad, Tranfverfe Tranfverfe along heaven's champaign, which 'gin blows Gigantic, and grim joy, troubles the deep, Which rofe from earth to heaven: the lathing furge Oh moft lamentable conclufion, again! "Ceafe rain," pronounc'd th' Almighty; the rain ceas'd. We fear that this imitation of a beautiful and fimple expreffion in fcripture, will not imprefs the mind of the reader with that fenfation of fublimity, which it, doubtlefs, was intended to produce. Perhaps Mr. Roberts has fucceeded better in the following inftance of correspondence between the found and the fenfe. Who can deny that the fudden and jarring ftoppage of a fhip running aground, is finely defcribed by the jolt in the verfe: • The waves Subfiding, funk as if by gentle ftealth Stopt.' Our minds are here jerked forward, as our bodies would be, in the ship. Art. 29. 1790. The Prifon, a Poem. 4to. PP. 52. 2s. 6d. Printed for the Author, and fold by Staiker, &c. The writer of thefe verfes has informed us, in a private letter, that his fituation in life is not elevated; and that he poffeffes no advantages from education.-Such, however, is at prefent the diffufed ftate of learning and knowlege, that almost every one comes in for a fhare; and, in general, a little fhare is fufficient to enable its poffeffor to fet up as an author. It happens, nevertheless, that fometimes they who call themselves unlettered, have in reality read a number of volumes; and here we are in a manner tricked into giving a degree of applaufe, which arifes only from our furprize. The author of the Prifon' fhews more learning than we could have expected, as he quotes from books which are not ufually confulted by perfons who move in his inferior fphere. Still, however, as he cannot imagine himfelf qualified to inftruct, his motive for publishing can only be to amufe. Now, as he has asked our opinion on this cafe, we will honefly fay, that if, by publishing, he injures his pecuniary circumstances, he had better defift, fince it would be unreasonable to diftrefs himself in order to add to the public amusement: nor would he gain this end, fince his books could not be read if they were not fold. On the contrary, if neither his finances are injured, nor his time is mifemployed, in the fervice of the Mufes, we can have no objection to perufe verfes, which, though faulty, are fuperior to thofe of many of his rhyming contemporaries. * A livery servant, if we mistake not. We We add the four following ftanzas, as a favourable fpecimen of By fiction rais'd, the legendary tale Refounds with caftles drear, and giants fell; With famith'd knights, whom brazen walls impale, In real life too oft the like was fhewn; Too oft our annals teem with just complains, The throne a portal to fome death-fraught hold. Where maffacre and treafon center'd then ; Of regal bondage in the lion's den.' Art. 30. A Complimentary Epistle to James Bruce, Efq; the Abyfa finian Travelter. By Peter Pindar, Efq. 4to. pp. 39. 2s. 6d. Kearfley. 1790. Still keeping, as we lately remarked t, his watchful eye on the times, and feizing thofe objects that are most suitable to the tafte of his Mufe, and most likely to answer every purpose of publication, this keen hawk of Parnaffus now fixes his piercing talons on Mr. Bruce; whofe travels have been, for fome months paft, one of the principal topics of public animadverfion. He treats this work as abounding, like the lucubrations of Katterfelto, with "Wonders!-Wonders!! -Wonders!!!" and accordingly, the poem before us is a continued ridicule of the celebrated traveller, and his extraordinary narratives. -We do not think this production of Mr. Pindar's the happieft of his prolific Mufe: but we are of opinion that it contains fome fine ftrokes of humour, and many very laughable paffages. The following extract will fhew our readers in what vein of pleafantry he treats his prefent fubject. Affecting to compare his own rambles abroad with the travels of Mr. B. he thus points out the mighty difference between his private unexaggerated remarks on the fcenes which he vifited, and the defcriptions which would have been given of them by the explorer of Abyffinia.-As we cannot tranfcribe the whole paffage at length, a few lines from it may fuffice: O had thy curious eye beheld, like mine, The ifle which glads the heart with richest wine! *The Tower of London. + See his Ode to a future Laureat,' Rev. vol. ii. of the New Series, P. 447. + Madeira. Where rofe the hut, and neither rich nor poor, Touch'd, when the labours of the day were done,, Where, bleft, a tender offspring, ranged around, Strange! thou haft feen the land, that, to its fhame, Alas, I never met with royal scenes! No vomits gave to Abyffinian queens! Nor fcotch'd with fleams, a fceptre'd lady's hide : Ventur'd to turn a princefs infide out; Nor, blushing, ftripp'd me to the very skin, I never faw (with ignorance I own) Mule-mounted monarchs feck th' imperial throne ; Those who have perufed Mr. Bruce's Travels, or even our extracts from them, will be at no lofs to judge of the propriety of Mr. Pindar's allufions to particular paffages in them, in the lines above quoted. The poem concludes with a brace of very pretty odes; in the first of which, the mirthful bard again * glances at Mr. Bofwell; fuggefting an idea of the travelled merit of that gentleman, placed in comparison with that of Mr. Bruce. Art. 31. Selec Poems on various Subjects, with an Introduction, wherein is briefly stated fome Obfervations on the Progress of Aftronomy among the Ancients. By Jane Smith. 12mo. pp. 71. 2s. 6d. Printed for Mrs. Smith, Norfolk-ftreet, near Bandyleg Walk, Borough. Poems from Bandy-leg Walk! Were we to be biaffed by names, we should fay there was fomething ominous in this title, and, like See his Congratulatory Addrefs to J. Bofwell, Efq; on his Jourmal of a Tour, &c. mentioned in the 74th vol. of our Review, p. 307. II true |