With inborn majesty, that spreads an awe
On them that scorn'd divine and human law,
And cruelty a short suspension found.
Behold a wonder! with Demonian wrath *
Four sons of darkness mount the stage of death
Like men, but each an hideous vizor wore,
With strange distorted looks. A strangling cord
Was twisted close around each neck abhorred,
And every hand a bloddy dagger bore.
O'er every visage hung with horrid shade
Their locks, like unshorn fields in ruin laid,
By Eurus in his rage: and every face
In characters of blood diselos'd a name
By justice doom'd to everlasting fame,
Foul regicides and foes of human race.

< First Ankerstrom and Damiens met the sight.
Ravaillac next, a more infernal sprite,

But, with the shadow of his hand, the last
Conceal'd his title. Soon the Stygian band
Seiz'd on their victim with remorseless hand,

And bound him for his fate with cruel haste.

Then like his LORD, who with his latest breath,
Pray'd for the cruel authors of his death,

And cry'd "O Father, why forsake thy son
Beneath the fatal edge, the fiend-like crew,
With force combin'd the royal victim drew,
Before his saintly orisons were done.
"Receive my spirit, Lord," he cry'd aloud,
"And save my people, save this blinded crowd."
He could no more, for now a ruffian hand
Led him beneath the steel with fatal force;
Aloft the steel was rais'd without remorse,
By a dark second of the bloody band.
His consecrated locks another held,
And downward to the fatal block compell'd
The royal head; a fourth the fatal twine
Cut sheer, and down the forceful engine fell.
Earth shook, and ocean seem'd in rage to swell,

While Heav'n in thunder gave the fatal sign.'

The soul of the injured monarch flies to heaven, and is greeted by a host of Gallic Martyrs. Hugo then pierces through the crowd, and implores forgiveness of his earthly offences. Louis grants his suit, and enjoins him to protect the queen and the dauphin, and to stimulate the powers of Europe, particularly the Pope, to avenge his death.-A band of demons and spectres, in the meantime, crowd around the royal body, to

These beings are supposed to be seen only by the two spirits."

drink the blood, but are driven off by an angel with a fiery sword. This band is led by four regicides, and graced by Voltaire, Diderot, Helvetius, Rousseau, &c. The Jansenists are stationed in the centre; and the Atheists, headed by the author of Le Système de la Nature, bring up the rear. As Basseville was startled on beholding the ghost of Raynal, he is informed that, although that philosopher be still living, his spirit is among the damned, and his body animated by a fiend.Four angels next descend to the netlier world to rouse the nations to arms, and are encountered by two airy forms, on the vest of one of whom are figured the principal scenes of the revolution. All Europe prepares for war. Hugo asks how such extensive commotions are to terminate; and the angel very wisely tells him that, if he comes with him, he shail know. Here ends the original poem.

In the succeeding cantos, Napoleon holds converse with a demon, in visions of the night, and learns his future destiny from witches. The Vices boil a cauldron, and produce a direful being, y-clept Anancus, or Necessity. The Corsican them proceeds victoriously, abolishes the Directory, and defeats the powers leagued against him.-The supplement, therefore, furnished by the translator, still leaves the story incomplete; and the wandering spirit is dismissed with a vague assurance that truth shall finally prevail over error. Mr. Boyd's continuation of the poem likewise manifests less fertility of invention than the original cantos, and has a more pointed refer ence to the blood-stained career of Napoleon I. than to the destinies of Hugo de Basseville. The whole performance, indeed, is somewhat sombre and tiresome, and will probably enjoy only an ephemerous existence. Mr. Boyd betrays a decided propensity to dark allegory and solemn numbers: but we could wish that he had exercised his genius and talents on themes of greater magnitude than the murder of a French agent in the streets of Rome. His manner, we may add, appears both more obscure and more paraphrastic than accords with the simple severity of his prototype; while the structure of his mea sure is by no means calculated to relieve the languor with which we peruse a grave poem on the death of a person, who was neither sufficiently conspicuous nor sufficiently virtuous to arrest general sympathy. The music and majesty of his lines are frequently marred by inadmissible rhymes: but a few detached stanzas have considerable poetical merit.

To this poem is subjoined an imitation of Gray's Descen: of Odin, intitled The Witch of Lapland, supposed to be written. after the storm that drove the English flest from Brest, in

January,

January, 1803. This minor piece, which possesses claims to

praise, begins thus;

UPROSE the fiend of Gaul with speed,
And seiz'd his fiery-footed steed,
And over sea and land he flew,
Till near the witches' den he drew ;
The lofty rock, the gloomy cave
Echoed to Finland's roaring wave,
And far within the fiend's abode,
That rule the blasts and vex the flood,
"Give me a wind," the Demon cry'd,
"To sweep the broad Atlantic tide,
And drive away the British train,
That block our ports and guard the main:
A storm, a storm, to scour the sea,
And claim a noble gift from me;

Grant me a storm, and name your price,
My pupil gives me large supplies."

The Witch then asks what will be her reward; and, though the demon proffers a store of human miseries, the inseparable attendants of war and oppression, she will be satisfied with nothing less than the hand of Nelson :

"I know the hand, I hate the name,"
The fiend reply'd, with eyes of flame,
And seaward soon he took his flight,
Borne on the dragon wing of night,
And oft he search'd the sea-wolf's jaw,
And oft the shark's voracious maw.
At length a shatter'd arm he found,
And bore to Laplaud's stormy bound.
• The crone her crimson flag unfurl'd,
Dread signal to the vap'ry world,
And soon her elves, with sullen tune
Drew a dim halo round the moon,
Loud and long the tempest blew,
Uptackle ran the gallant crew,
furl'd her sails in haste,
Half-yielding to the furious blast.
But mightier powers had render'd vain
The compact of the hellish train,
And soon like eagles, scatter'd far
By the rude rage of windy war,
The squadrons rallied to their post,
Lining with fate the trembling coast.
Storming with rage, the Demon finds
The grey commandress of the winds,
And loud, with furious bans assail'd,
Demanding why her magic fail'd?
E 3

The navy

"Alass"

Alas!" the beldam cry'd, and sbook
Her sides with laughter as she spoke ;

66

My friend, you quite mistook my meaning,
Dead fingers from the ocean gleaning;
That hand I meant is active still,
And He that baffles all our skill,
Defends from every chance of war
That member with peculiar care
But for the spoils you and your chief,
Gave me, a treasure past belief,
They shall be paid (by hell I vow)
With tenfold usury below.'

Another publication by Mr. Boyd is the subject of the en suing article.

ART. VIII. The Woodman's Tale, after the Manner of Spenser, To which are added, other Poems, chiefly Narrative and Lyric, and the Royal Message, a Drama. By the Rev. Henry Boyd, A.M. Translator of the Divina Comedia of Dante, &c. 8vo. PP-475. Is. 6d. Boards. Longman and Co.

MITATIONS of the poets of ruder times would not often be I desirable, nor are they likely to be generally successful, Their faults may be more easily copied than their beauties; and even some features, which in their day might be deemed attractive, will now cease to gratify the feelings, or to excite commendation. Obscurity may create something like a pleasing awe, when real grandeur is discoverable beneath, and even licentiousness may be relished when it is seasoned with irresistible humour: but when dullness or absurdity alone is shaded by the misty cloak, and grossness on the contrary appears without the alluring dress which it so much requires, weariness and disgust must be the effects produced.-If we can wholly acquit Mr. Boyd of the latter part of this charge, it will not be found that we can absolve him from the former.

The first and last pieces in this collection are the most considerable in point of extent; and, like Mr. B's other original effusions, they bespeak a laudable familiarity with the language and ideas of poetry, while they betray too little regard to correct judgment, good taste, or patient revisal.-The design of the Woodman's Tale is to expose the pernicious effects of indulging in the use of ardent and fermented liquors ; a very commendable intention, but not very likely to be forwarded by an obscure allegory in the Spenserian stanza. By the aid of the Introduction and a few notes, we are, indeed, informed of the meaning and conduct of this very singular performance:

but

but we may be allowed to doubt that it will ever reclaim a single votary of Bacchus.

According to the relation of an old hermit, called Agdistes, the antient kings of the island of Ogygia originally sprang from man, but the race was afterward mixed by intermarriages with the Naiads, in spite of the artful attempts of Circe to captivate young King Crenæus. Lycurgus having banished Bacchus and Comus from Thrace, the last mentioned exile repairs to Ogygia, and gains the good graces of Ceres, who bears him a son. This wicked imp, in order that he may subject the island to the dominion of Circe, instigates the spirits of the fogs and storms to rebellion, and to assail the Naiads with the fatal charms of Circe's cup. The Sun himself conspires to effect the diabolical scheme, by drying up the fountains, and constraining the poor water-nymphs to have recourse to the baleful contents of the cup, which induce pride and madness, and force them to ascend in the form of pernicious vapour.-The. offspring of Comus and Ceres next counterfeits shipwreck on the coast, and acquaints the Ogygians that he is marked out by the Delphic oracle as the victim whose sacrifice should appease the anger of Phoebus and the Naiads; that he had in vain fled from the island, since the wrath of heaven pursued him; and, that he now solicited to undergo his fate. The atonement, he adds, will be complete, if they mix his remains with the sacredlymph of the Naiads, sublimed by Vulcan.-After various discussions, he is immolated in the manner which he prescribed; and to the islanders he bequeaths his children, who, like priests, are destined to appease the deities on great occasions. As the island is immediately visited by storms and calamities, the inhabitants have recourse to their lately ordained Flamens, who enjoin the performance of new ceremonies, and especially recommend a grand masked ball, which has a melancholy termipation :

"Short and fallacious were their joys, for soon

The Stygian masquers dropp'd their fair disguise,
And, ranging to a loud Tartarean tune,
Display'd the features of the nether skies.

Now hideous forms on ev'ry side arise,

And threat with savage looks their trembling prey;
Each with Demonian glee his victim eyes,
Their victims stand in horrible dismay,

Irresolute alike to fly or stand at bay.

"A dragen there, voluminous and vast,

Shoots forth his dreadful length, to light reveal'd,
And clasping round his prey, secure and fast,
Keeps him awhile in deadly durance held,