of their islands, fuppofed to be inhabited by dæmons, who forbid all accefs to it, by thunders, earthquakes, &c. Eudemon relates a tradition in Greece, that in one of the Northern Islands of the Ocean, fome of the Titans were confined after their overthrow by Jupiter. Brutus, to confound their fuperftition, refolves to land in that island.

Brutus fails thither in a small veffel of fix oars, attended only by Orontes, who infifts on sharing with him in this adventure. When the boat approaches the fhore, a violent hurricane rifes, which dafhes it against the rocks, and beats it to pieces. All the men are drowned but Brutus and Orontes, who fwim to land. They find a thick forest dark and impenetrable, out of which proceeds a dreadful noife.

All at once the fun was darkened, a thick night comes over them; thundering noises and bellowings are heard in the air, and under ground. A terrible eruption of fire breaks out from the top of a mountain, the earth fhakes beneath their feet. Orontes flies back into the wood, but Brutus remains undaunted, though in great danger of being fwallowed up, or burnt by the fire. In this extremity he calls upon God; the eruption ceafes, and his Guardian Angel appears to Brutus, telling him God had permitted the evil spirit to work feeming miracles by natural means, in order to try his virtue, and to humble the pride of Orontes, who was too confident in his courage, and too little regardful of Providence. That

the

the hill before them was a volcano; that the effects of it, dreadful, though natural, had made the ignorant favages believe the Ifland to be an habitation of fiends. That the hurricane, which had wrecked his boat, was a ufual symptom, preceding an eruption. That he might have perifhed in the eruption, if God had not fent him his good Angel to be his preserver.

He then directs him to feek the fouth-west part of Great Britain, because the northern parts were infested by men not yet disposed to receive religion, arts, and good government, the fubduing and civilizing of whom was reserved by Providence for a son, that fhould be born of him after his conqueft of England.

Brutus promifes to obey; the Angel vanishes : Brutus finds Orontes in a cave of the wood; he is fo afhamed of his fear, that he attempts to kill himself. Brutus comforts him, afcribes it to a fupernatural terror, and tells him what he had heard from the Angel. They go down to the coaft, where they find Hanno, with a ship to carry them off.

The enfuing Book defcribes the joy of Brutus, at fight of the white rocks of Albion. He lands at Torbay, and, in the western part of the Island, meets with a kind reception.

The climate is defcribed to be equally free from the effeminacy and foftnefs of the fouthern climes, and the ferocity and favageness of the northern. The natural genius of the natives being thus in the medium between these extremes, was well adapted to receive

the

the improvements in virtue, he meditated to intro duce. They are represented worshippers of the Sun and Fire, but of good and gentle difpofitions, having no bloody facrifices among them. Here he meets the Druids, at an altar of turf, in an open place, of fering fruits and flowers to Heaven.

Then follows a picture of the haven, which is fucceeded by an account of the northern parts, fupposed to be infested by tyrants, of whom the Britons tell strange stories, reprefenting them as giants, whom he undertakes to affift them in conquering.

Among these islands, our Poet takes notice of the ifland Mona, groaning under the lafh of fuperftition, being governed by priefts.

Likewife of another, diftracted by difmal anarchy, the neighbours eating their captives, and carrying away virgins; which affords room for a beautiful episode, defcribing the feelings of a paffionate lover, who prevailed on Brutus to fly to the rescue of a favourite fair-one, whom, by his aid, he recovered from the arms of her brutal ravisher.

Our Poet also speaks of a third, under the dominion of Tyranny, which was ftronger than the reft, and defended by giants living in castles, high rocks, &c. Some of these giants our Poet names, as Corinaus, Gogmagog, &c. Here he proposed to moralize the old fables concerning Brutus, Gogmagog, &c.

Brutus, however, is oppofed in his attempt by the priests, conjurers, and magicians; and the priests are fuppofed

fuppofed to have had fecrets, which paft for fupernatural, fuch as the ufe of gunpowder, &c. He meets with many difficulties likewife from his own people, which interrupt his defigns; particularly from one of his kinfmen, who is fierce, young, and ambitious. He is earnest for conquering all by force, and treating the people who fubmitted to him as flaves.

But Brutus gives it as his opinion, not to conquer and destroy the natives of the new-discovered land, but to polish and refine them, by introducing true religion, void of fuperftition and all falfe notions of the Deity, which only leads to vice and mifery, among people who are uncorrupted in their manners, and only want the introduction of useful arts, under the fanction of a good government, to establish and enfure their felicity.

This turbulent kinfman likewife endangers a revolt, by taking away a woman betrothed to a Briton.

Some of Brutus's followers take part with him, and raise a faction, which, by his wisdom and firmness, he fuppreffes, and brings the difcontented back to their duty; who at length unite with him against the giants, their common enemy. It must not be omitted, that the kinfman is reprefented as repenting of his feceffion, and much afhamed that Brutus, having left him a victim to female blandishments, went to the war without him.

VOL. IV.

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Brutus,

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Brutus, in the end, fucceeded in his enterprize against the giants, and enchantment vanished before him; having reduced the fortreffes of fuperftition, anarchy, and tyranny, the whole Island fubmits to good government, and with this the Poem was intended to clofe.

Such was the outline of this Poem, which, if he had finished, it would not, perhaps, have added much to his reputation.

He had likewise planned two Odes, or Moral Poems, on the Mischiefs of Arbitrary Power, and with a the Folly of Ambition. The first was to open view and defcription of Mount Etna or Vefuvius, after a long intermiffion from eruptions; in which was given a picture of all rural felicity, in the most enchanting scenes of vine-yards and olive-yards in one place; the products of Ceres in another; and flowery pastures, overfpread with flocks and herds, in a third; while the fhepherds were indulging themselves in their rural dances, fongs, and mufic; and the hufbandmen in feats of activity. In the heat of these amusements, is heard the rumbling in the bowels of the mountain, the day is overcaft, and after other dreadful fymptoms of approaching defolation, a torrent of liquid fire breaks out from the mouth, and running down the declivity, carries away every thing in its passage; and as Milton fays

"All the flourishing works of Peace deftroys."

That