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Sonnets.

UNLESS strikingly good, immediately forgotten. They please us like the scenery of a tame country; we look with pleasure upon a green field, and the light ash that bends over its hedges, and the grey alders along its clear brook side. But the next copse, or the little arch that spans the brook, effaces the faint impression; and they in their turn yield to the following picture. But the woods of the Wye, and the rocks of Avon, even these we long remember, and years will scarcely blunt the recollection of the Tagus, and the heights of Lisbon, and the thousand-fold beauties of Cintra.

be a gem in the dunghill, it is well to secure it and set it where its brilliancy may be seen. More often the rudiments of a thought are found-the seed that will only vegetate in a good soil, and must be warmed by the sun into life and blossom. So in this Milton has done-he has quickened grub ideas into butterfly beauty.

THE heroic writers of these countries must not be meted by the Epic measure; they are as our Drayton and Daniel in their plans. Writers that never can be popular yet ought not to be despised. The analogy indeed of language fails. Ours has been the slow-growing oak; theirs of so rapid a growth, that it never has exceeded sapling

KETT has well observed the likeness of strength. This is disadvantageous. A little the sonnet to the Greek epigram.

UPON amatory poems a general condemnation may be past. It is unfortunate that men will write nonsense, as well as talk it, to the women, with whom they amuse themselves; this is little honourable to the common sense of either sex. Cupid was very well in his day, on a cameo or a bas-relief, but his bastard descendants are insufferable that figure in a song or sonnet on an upholsterer's shop card, or a hair-dresser's shop sign at a watering-place.

PERSONAL Sonnets form a large class;— lords, dukes, kings, queens, and poets have had their share. Of these, the most are utterly worthless; some only useful as hints to the literary history of the times-like our old introductory verses-mementos of who and who associated together-of the names we know.

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Literary Observations.

AT the revival of letters, almost every poet was proud of imitating the ancients; the manner and the matter were new to an unlearned people, and they produced a bet

ter taste.

COPYING from obscure writers. If there

rust would hide the poorness of the medal.

POETICAL ornaments. These are not enough. If the groundwork be bad, they are like the rich colouring of a dauber's picture, like the jewels that bedizen a clumsy church-idol. To lard a good story with prettinesses, were like periwigging and powdering the Apollo Belvidere-and dressing the Venus of Florence in a hoop.

In poetry, as in painting, mediocrity is probably attainable by all. In these countries the poets resemble missal-painters ;— their colours often rich, their pencilling delicate; but no knowledge of design or perspective, and often as deformedly incorrect in outline as the pictures of the Mexicans. There are masons enough, but no architect. They have raised huge edifices, but faced them with a confused mixture of mud and marble.

DEVOTIONAL poetry usually unsuccessful, not because the subject is bad, but because it has usually been managed by blockheads.

NARRATIVE. Milton. Klopstock. Gessner. Bodmer. G. Fletcher. St. Isidro. The Antony-poems. Vida. Sannazarius. Marino.

HYMNS. Surely no worse a subject than old Pagan faith.

necessary; and it has ever been the plan of priestcraft to keep the people ignorant. A writer of original genius must wield

MYSTICAL. The Orientals. Crashaw. St. language at his will. The syntax must bend

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The modern languages were scarcely formed. There were no conventional phrases of poetry; no beaten road which the imitator might follow.

The mediocre poets, as in their vernacular works, have such. Have the better ones speculated amiss? Would Vida Fracastorius-above all, Flaminius, have been now so generally known, had they written in Italian? Could Erasmus have made Dutch readable?

Yet among the modern Latinists is no one poet of great and original genius. The reason is obvious.

The Jesuit system had its influence. A club composed of all nations conspiring for universal rule. A common language was

to him. He must sometimes create-who else are the makers of language?

Much as I shall do, much will remain. Many a pleasant bye-path remains, into which chance may lead the future traveller. Many a store of hidden treasure is to be found among the mouldering libraries. Many a conquest yet to be made from the worms and spiders. I omit no labour; but the traveller of most anxious curiosity wants a guide. I am not parsimonious; but there are bounds which independence must not pass. God has given me abundant talents, which have not been buried; but from society I have not received capital enough to produce interest.

[Spanish Bombast.]

"Tu auras les conceptions grandes et hautes, et non monstrueuses ny quintessencieuses comme sont celles des Espagnols. Il faudroit a un Apollon pour les interpreter, encor il y seroit bien empesché avec tous ses oracles et Trepieds."-RONSARD. Pref. to the Franciade, p. 25

[Outcast.]

Is our word outcast in any way traceable to Hindostan ?

[Gothic Genius.]

GOTHIC genius improved every fiction which it adopted. Like torch-light in a cathedral, its strong lights and shades made every thing terrible, and as it were living. See now the Seven Sleepers.

"In the weste syde of Germania is a people called Scribonius, that hath snowe all the somer tyme, and eteth rawe flesshe, and ben clothed in ghoot buck skynnes. In theyr countrees whan the nyght is short

men may see all the nyght the sonne bemes. And after, in the winter, whan the daye is short, tho men se the lyghte of the sonne, yet the sonne is not seen. Item, faste besyde that people, under the clyff of Occean, is a denne under an hyghe stone. Therin slepen seven men, and have long slept, and ben hole and sounde in bodye and clothynge and all withouten wemme,1 for whiche cause the comyn people have them in grete worshyp and reverence. They are supposed Romayns by theyr clothynge. There was a man somtyme that for covetyse wolde strype one of them, and have his clothyng, but forwith his arme waxed all drye. It may be that God lyste to kepe them so hole and sounde, for mysbyleved men, in tyme to comynge, sholde thrughe them be converted and tourned to good byleve."-Polycronicon, vol. i. p. 26.

[Simily,-Metaphor,-Machinery, &c.] "As simily is dilated metaphor, so machinery is dilated personification." The Sailor at San Miguels. Milton has not used machinery—for the supernatural powers are the characters of his poems, the agents themselves, not the wire-workers.

[Inventory of Grijalva's Treasure.] "IN the inventorie of the treasure that Grijalva brought from his wars, are

"A whole harness of furniture for an armed man, of gold thinne beaten.

"Another whole armour of wood, with leaves of golde, garnished with little black

stones.

"Four pieces of armour of wood, made for the knees, and covered with golden leafe.

"THE armour wherewith the Indians of Tabasco defend themselves are targets and

FORBY, in his Vocabulary of East Anglia, explains it," A small fretted place in a garment." It is pure Anglo-Saxon. See "BosWORTH," in v. "Wóm-wam-wam."

J. W. W.

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skulles, made of woode or barke of trees, and some of gold very thinne.

"IN the inventory of presents reserved for the K. of Spaine:

"A helmet of woode, champed with golde, and besette with stones, and at the bevier five-and-twentie belles of golde, and upon the toppe a greene birde, with his eyes, beake, and feete of golde.

"A sallet of flaunches of golde, and belles rounde aboute it, decked with golde.

"A targatte of woode covered with leather, beset round about with belles of Latton, and the bosse in the midst was planched with gold, and there was engraved upon the same 'Vitsilopuchtli, god of the warres,' and also foure heades set crosswise, whiche heades were of a lion, a tigre, an eagle, and an owle, very lively made with feathers."

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lord toke a little chafyngdishe in his hande and cast into it a certaine gume, whyche savoured in sweete smel much like unto frankincense, and with a sencer he smoked Cortez with the ceremonye they use in theyr salutations to theyr gods and nobilitie."

Kings' Presents.

"MANY skinnes of beast and foule, corried and dressed in their feathers and in haire.

"Twenty-four targets of gold feathers, and set with pearl, both curious and gallant to behold. Five targets of feathers and silver."

"THE Woodde whereof they make their armour and targettes is verye hard and strong, for they use to toast it at the fire."

"To send a shield and an arrow was the mark of defiance."-TORQUEM, Vol. 1, p. 128. "The temple and palace courts so polished, that they actually shone like burnished gold or silver in the sun."-Ibid, p. 251.

[Writers of Comedy.]

"WRITERS of comedy are very apt to overdo and overstrain, in complacency to the judgment of their audience, of whom the greatest part could not find out the jest, if it was within nature. They must understand delicacy, and the just bounds of wit, to relish natural beauties; but they can see the jest of a muff as big as a barrel, of a steinkirk' as large as a towel, and if thoughts are stretched in proportion, they will mistake the extravagance for humour, or wit, or both; and the writer acquires the reputation of an excellent poet." — OLD

MIXON.

1 "A muslin neckcloth carelessly put on, from the manner in which the French officers wore their cravats when they returned from the battle of Steenkirk."-GROSE's Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue, in v.-J. W. W.

From VILLEGAS.

"ENOUGH, enough, old Winter!
Thou workest to annoy us
With cold, and rain, and tempest
When snows have hid the country,
And rivers cease to flow.
The flocks and herds accuse thee,
And even the little ermine
Complains of thee, old Winter!
For thou to man art freezing,
And his white fur is warm.
The beasts they crouch in cover.
The birds are cold and hungry,
The birds are cold and silent.
Or, with a weak complaining,
They call thee hard, old Winter!
But not to one, old Winter!
Thy tyranny extends;

For I have wine and music,
The cheerful hearth and song."

March 3rd, Prospect Place, 1797.

Xarifa and Fatima. La mañana de San Juan, Al punto que alborcava, Gran fiesta hazen los Moros Por la Vega de Granada: Rebolvienda sus cavallos Jugando van de las lanças, Ricos pendones en ellas Labrados por sus amadas; Ricas aljubas vestidas De oro y seda labradas; El Moro que amores tiene Alli bien se señalava; Y el Moro que no los tiene Por tenerlos trabajava. Mirando las damas Moras De las torres del Alhambra, Entre las quales avia Dos de amor muy lastimadas La una llaman Xarifa, La otra Fatima se llama. Solian ser muy amigas Aunque agora no se hablan ; Xarifa llena de celos

A Fatima le hablava,

Hay Fatima hermana mia
Como estas de amor tocada!
Solias tener color;

Veo que agora te falta.
Solias tratar amores
Agora estas de callada.
Pero si los quieres ver
Asomate a essa ventana,
Y veras a Abindarraez
Y su gentileza y gala.
Fatima como discreta
Desta manera se habla,

No estoy tocada de amores
Ny en mi vida los tratara;
Si se perdio mi color
Tengo dello justa causa,
Por la muerte de mi padre
Que Malique Alabez matara.
Y si amores yo quisiera
Esta hermana confiada
Que alli veo cavalleros
En aquella Vega llana
De quien pudiera servir me,
Y dellos ser muy amada
De tanto valor y esfuerço
Como Abindarraez alabas.
Con esto las damas Moras
Pusieron fin a su habla.

Translation.

On the morning of St. Juan,
When the sun was in the east,

In the plain before Granada,

Did the Moors begin their feast. Now they spur their stately coursers, Now their banners they unfold, By their favourite ladies' labours

All adorn'd with silk and gold. He who has obtain'd a mistress

Seeks applause before her eyes, And the youth who is without one Now to gain a mistress tries. From the towers of the Alhambra

Many a lady saw the sport; Two were there by Love subjected, Maidens of the Moorish court.

Fatima and fair Xarifa,

They were ardent friends before,

Now they shunn'd each other's converse,

For they now were friends no more.

To her comrade spake XarifaJealous thoughts were in her breast"Fatima! ah my poor sister,

How art thou by Love possess'd!

"Once your cheeks were fresh and blooming,
Pale and sickly is your brow-
Once in love-tales you delighted-
You of love are silent now.

"Would you therefore see the pastime,
Draw towards this window near,
You may see Abindarraez

And his gallant carriage here."
Fatima, for she was prudent,

Thus the jealous maid address'd"Love-tales I have never heeded, Nor am I by love possess'd.

"If my cheeks have lost their colour,
I have cause enough for pain
For the slaughter of my father,
Who by Alabez was slain.
"And of this be sure, my sister,

If my heart were turn'd to love,
Many cavaliers are yonder,

Who are mine if I approve. "Gallant as Abindarraez,

He whose merits you allow."
So the Moorish maiden answer'd,
And they ceased their converse now.

La gran Perdida de Alhama.

"Y POR alegrarse un dia, se passeava (el Rey Chico) con otros principales cavalleros por la ciudad, por dar alivio a sus penas, rodeando de sus Zegris y Gomeles; le vino una triste nueva, como era ganada Alhama por los Christianos. Con loqual embaxada, el Rey Chico ayna perdiera el seso, como aquel que quedava heredero del Reyno. Y tanto dolor sintio, que al mensagero que la nueva le traxo le mando matar, y descavalgando de una mula en que se yva passeando, pidio un cavallo, en el qual subio y muy apriessa se fue al Alhambra,

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