134 A CRITICAL DISSERTATION. 



" But see ! in confluence borne before the blast, 

 Clouds roird on clouds." 



The wind which had been increasing, with squalls, 

 all day, becomes a gale towards evening ; Nature 

 and Truth are never at variance. The Corsair's atten- 

 dant is surprised at the suddenness of the order to 

 weigh anchor. 



" To night Lord Conrad ? — aye, at set of sun : 

 The breeze will freshen when the day is done." 



I notice the shoal of porpoises in this place, as it 

 affords a comparison with the noble author just 

 quoted. 



Lord Byron's picture is that of a vessel just 

 before sunrise in fine weather ; — 



"The dolphins, not unconscious of the day, 

 Swam high, as eager of the coming ray." 



But Falconer sets before us the porpoises rolling 

 themselves along, in the manner peculiar to those 

 fish, as something more than merely adjunct to the 

 scene: they are aptly made to indicate the approach 

 of foul weather ; 



"Tlieir rout sagacious form 

 To shun the fury of the approaching storm." 



Would any view, a sketch of this kind as height- 

 ened by the resources of Greek mythology ? let him 

 look at Amphitrite and her train in the 4th book of 

 Telemachus. 



The incidents of a voyage are almost uniform ; 

 with little relief from the ordinary routine of a ship's 

 duty ; we cannot therefore but admire the art with 

 which Falconer has contrived to diversify his narra- 

 tive. Besides the instance given above, the sea view 

 in one place is enlivened by a waterspout and the 

 means taken to destroy it; — ^just after we have the 

 beauties of a dying dolphin faithfully and vividly 

 pourtrayed. I say faithfully, though in the only case 

 that lias fallen under my observation, the poet's col- 

 oring mioht perhaps wear a hue in advance of nature. 

 But what say the critics ? The poet's province is to 

 embellish nature — to give her features an attraction 



