And breathes o'er fancy's budding wreath • Something but what was never known: Upon his heart and soul in blaze!' pp. 105, 106. If we had room and it were necessary, we might shew at once the author's habit of describing by similitudes and giving a dream-like aspect to things, in a remarkable passage-pp. 19, 20,-beginning with: 'But they speed like coursers whose hoofs are shod, With a silent shoe from the loosen'd sod!' The following attempts were not worth failing in. 'And lightnings left his eye,' p. 49. his flashing eye And echoed word along his far ranks fly, With flash and sound as brief as counted musketry! p. 77. With arrows not like his of sport-that go In light of music from a silver bow.' p. 32. • And round about a languid cheek are blowing That youthful rider, what an awful brow! 20 Faith 'tis a glorious vision! how his hair Is blown about his brow, as if it were A living ripeness clustering in the air.' p. 65. We must now warn the author against setting too great a value upon his thoughts. When watery melodies find birth.' 'And angel melodies find birth.' And solemn melodies have birth.' p. 113. p. 125. p. 129. Where the waters of melody flow, love.' p. 155. 6 with much more of watery tunes,' tunes and pipes.' silky tunes,' and windy 'Mirror of garland-weaving solitude.' p. 27. This is the mirror of dim solitude.' p. 40. Such expressions as these occur too often. And her plumes were unfolded abroad o'er the sky.' p. 5. Of starry banners are abroad again. p. 83. Abroad upon the winds. p. 87. 6 And robe abroad upon the air.' p. 113. While the stars are all busy and bright, love.' p. 135. This is too much in Leigh Hunt's childish way, when he says "There's something at work in the moon-shiny air.” They pass like thoughts o'er a clear blue eye.' p. 140. 'Land of white bosoms, and blue laughing eyes! Like miniature pictures of transparent skies, Where young thoughts like the blessed are seen.' His boats are always aerial. 'Like the enchanted skiff that dreamers see As that etherial bark that sails on high P. 12. Now, o'er the waters ye may faintly see A shadowy something coming silently. p. 46. 66 He borrows largely, and often with a show of originality. The talking rills" of Hunt, Byron's "earthquake's birth," and a daring but sad imitation of his storm among the Alps, are hardly worth mentioning. Forms, that rock as the waters flow, p. 140. seems to have been suggested by a passage in the Bride of Abydos,― "His head heaves with the heaving billow." &c. 'The spirit of departed days.' p. 126. This line may be found in two modern poets, with this difference, that one has hours instead of days. "And heaven's blue arch ring back the sprightly melody.' p. 41. In Ogilvie's hymn, the line runs thus,— "Till heaven's broad arch ring back the sound." This line has undergone further amelioration in this country. "Till heaven's wide arch repeat the sound." The original itself is not very remarkable, but it could not be improved, though it might not be worth borrowing. Like bells upon the wind that come and go again.' p. 26. This is expressed with freedom, as if it were original. It was probably suggested by Cowper's description of the same thing. The Indian sleeping fearlessly, 'On jutting cliff-above a tumbling deep,' p. 29. just reminds one of Collins' bold personification of Danger ; "Or throws him on the ridgy steep Of some loose hanging rock to sleep." How like a shade the horse and rider seem ! p. 25. Campbell's verses "Now o'er the hills in chase he flits The hunter and the deer a shade,”— 6 might have been in the author's mind-and Campbell might have read the Dying Indian' of our own poet, Philip Freneau, where are these lines. "No deer along these gloomy forests stray, No huntsman there takes pleasure in the chase; That ramble through these visionary glades.” It will be perceived, that we have spoken more of the defects than beauties of this work, as if we thought that the former threatened more than the latter promised. The truth is, that the faults of this writer do not appear to be the consequences of an overheated mind, such as work their own cure, but of a perverted taste, a bad system, a mistaken adoption of other men's peculiarities. Where he has done well, he is mostly indebted, we think, to his own powers. He is one, whom men censure in the hope,-too generally a vain one,―of seeing him grow better. It gives us no small pleasure to cite so many good passages from the work of a native poet, and we trust that the author will not allow this to be our only opportunity. It will be time enough, by and by, to shew the disadvantages which our poetry may suffer from its growing up under the eye of critics. Their chief business at present is to save it from being a bad imitation of popular authors abroad ; -they will do no harm by insisting upon originality.—It is some consolation to think, that a true poet will never consult critics to ascertain the extent or proper direction of his powers. It is enough, if he can learn from them his mistakes, their source and correction, and especially if he can find that he is surrounded by men who understand him thoroughly.-Nor will a true poet consult his readers too often ; -he is more concerned with his thoughts than his success ; and if he thinks of the subject at all, he will feel that to humour men is not the way to be permanently in favour with them. If there were any serious danger that the censures of critics or even public opinion might repress literary enterprise in a great mind, it would be time now to urge upon authors and readers the very wholesome remark of Bishop Hall; Certainly, look what weather it would be, if every almanac should be verified,-much what like poems, if every fancy should be suited.' ART. VIII.—1. A Discourse delivered before the Literary and Philosophical Society of New York, July 4th, 1814, with notes and illustrations. By De Witt Clinton, LL. D. President of the Society. New York, Van Winkle & Wiley. pp. 184. 2. Address delivered before the Literary and Philosophical Society of South Carolina on the 19th of November 1817, on Physical Science, and particularly the Science of Chemistry. By Timothy Ford, Esq. one of the Vice Presidents. Charleston, S. C. J. Hoff. pp. 31. As these very respectable Discourses are already in the hands of many of our readers, and their merits sufficiently known and acknowledged, we shall venture to depart somewhat from our usual practice, by merely offering such remarks as the subject may suggest. We regard the establishment of learned societies as one of the principal causes, that have contributed to the rapid progress of the mind during the two last centuries. The ancient philosophers were involved in perpetual disputes, and those of later times were too much secluded from each other and from the world. The learned societies of the present day are united to each other, by a common object, by frequent intercourse, by a mutual exchange of the fruits of their labours, and by a reciprocation of honours and civilities. They embrace persons of all ranks and all professions, the nobleman and the mechanic, the merchant and the scholar, the statesman and the man of business, the observer of nature and the speculative man. They invite to all sorts of inquiries, they profess themselves of no school, they adopt no dogmas; in the examination of nature they acknowledge no authority, but reason, and they propose no end, but the discovery of truth and the advancement of the dignity and welfare of mankind. Noble, sublime project, worthy the most enlightened nations of the most enlightened age of the world. We are not, however, claiming for learned societies all the discoveries and improvements, that have rendered the period of their history so illustrious. This splendid era was commenced by individuals, in many instances unsupported and unpatronized, nay, in spite of public opinion, and in opposisition to doctrines that had received the sanction of the wise and good, and had been hallowed by time, and in violation of |