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A. CRITICAL DISSERTATION ON FALCONER^S 

 SHIPWRECK. 



- ' :;co 



Concluded- from page 163. -T^^ 



Milton has attempted to remedy the deficiency of 

 actors in his piece, by creating two imaginary beings ; 

 — Falconer might have had this in view where he 

 introduces his '' Angel of the wind/* 



" And lo ! tremendous o'er the deep he springs, 

 Th' inflaming sulphur flashing from his wings ! 

 Hark ! his strong voice." 



A less aspiring genius had been content with the 

 subhmity of this picture ; not so Falconer, unless he 

 make it pathetic also. Telemachus takes the helm 

 on account of the pilot being intoxicated, an indul- 

 gence natural enough in a native of Cyprus. Arion 

 is brought to the wheel by a more affecting incident 

 — the helmsman has been struck by lightning. And 

 then the delicate glance at the rough master. 

 " Touched with compassion gazing on the blind " 



Who has not admired Gray's " Wierd Sisters," 

 hurrying to the field of battle ? 



" Each astride her sable steed." 



Falconer has recourse to them to accelerate the 

 catastrophe of the poem, 



"' The fatal sisters on the surge before. 

 Yoke their infernal horses to the prore." 



In the " Iphigenia sacrificed," Timanthes, aware 

 that his art was unequal to cope with the father's 

 grief, threw a veil over the face of Agamemnon ; I 

 plead the same excuse for passing over the horrors 

 of the wreck. One or two incidents connected with 

 it, and we proceed to the last point for our consider- 

 ation, the sentiments and moral of the piece. 



The poet, in noticing the fate of Palemon, simply 

 tells us, that he was one of the first to quit the 

 ship on a raft : Shakspeare in his wild drama of the 

 Tempest, touches on such a point more fancifully : — • 



VOL. v.— 1835. BR 



