206 Monthly Review of Literature. 



he would make but a sorry figure, were he or his ghost to attempt to cast in a 

 mould made a hundred years ago the present existing state of society. So 

 silly a task has the author of "Sydenham" attempted ; and he has deservedly 

 failed. 



The story besides is not over moral. The hero is a scamp who causes his 

 father's death by his misconduct, neglects his studies and squanders his 

 patrimony, jilts a virtuous girl, figures as a defendant in crim. con., visits the 

 Bench, becomes literary, reports for a newspaper, attracts notice by radical 

 articles and contrives to get into parliament, rats over to ministers and does 

 their dirty work, resigns when obliged, and as a reward for his manifold vir- 

 tues receives for wife the ex-minister's daughter. Oh most lame and impotent 

 conclusion ! most contradictory to every rule of dramatic justice ! 



Some of the scenes are good ; for instance, some of his scenes in London 

 during early life his adventures with gamblers, his amour with the diplo- 

 matist's lady at Buxton or Matlock, we forget which his interview with the 

 benchers old friends with new faces and some others. The " Temple" 

 scenery and the cabinet picture of the newspaper-editor's room are very badly 

 done, indeed beneath contempt, for they have no truth or probability in them. 



The author of " Sydenham" must do better if he wishes to retain the post 

 that he holds in the ranks of our national light literature. 



Cain and Abel, or the Morning of the World ; a Poem. By the Rev. 

 C. I. YORKE. Post 8vo. pp. 148. W. Crofts. 



THE work now before us is not the first bark that the author has ventured on 

 the sea of public opinion ; but we do not remember to have met with his 

 " Verses for Pilgrims/' We know no subjects so difficult to treat as the sub- 

 limities of Scripture ; and we have found among the whole catalogue of 

 ancient and modern poets, no more than half-a-dozen who have done justice 

 to the noble themes of their song. Mr. Yorke must excuse us for not num- 

 bering him among the successful, and yet again for the opinion mediocribus 

 esse poetis non di, non homines, &c., especially in the department of poetic 

 literature which he has chosen. 



It is not our intention to deny the possession of all poetic talent to Mr. 

 Yorke ; for the extract, which we shall presently give, plainly indicates its 

 presence. We simply hint to the excellent and learned author that he may 

 more certainly expect success, where the subject is more suited to his general 

 poetic abilities. 



The apparent object of the poem is to mark the progress of the evil princi- 

 ples and practices of man immediately after the Fall, and their substitution 

 for the sinless purity of the Paradisaic state prior to the Fall. The first of 

 the four parts or cantos is entitled Scepticism, the second, Passion, the 

 third, Crime, and the fourth, Established Apostasy. 



From the last we extract what we think to be a favourable specimen of the 

 author's powers : 



" To unknown lands, 



Fresh from his crime, when Cain for refuge fled, 



His brother's blood pursued him; in the air, 



Over the sun, along the matted grass, 



It seemed suffused, and ever in his eyes ; 



And angels might have shook, then to behold 



The thoughts and feelings, that his face declared 



Would not be banished where'er he might roam. 

 At first he chose a spot, the very nest 



Of life and beauty, near a cataract 



Facing the sun, which sent up, as it fell, 



A broken shaft of spray, like jewel-dust ; 



Then smooth and massive poured into a pool, 



Ample, and round, and placid as the moon. 



