falconer's shipwreck. 203 



There is a fine passage in Milton, where the poet 

 catching sympathy from our first parents, joins in 

 their evening worship. 



" They adored 

 The God who made the moon's resplendent globe 

 And starry pole." 



And then the fine transition 



" Thou also madest the night, 

 Maker omnipotent, and thou the day." 



Longinus has an instance of this kind out of 

 Homer; and Virgil in addressing Hercules adopts a 

 similar figure. 



I give this at some length — because in almost 

 every devout aspiration in this poem Falconer has, 

 I think, as far as the flow of his verse admitted, 

 resorted to this manner of transition. One instance 

 may suffice. 



Albert, the shipmaster, has been giving all the 

 necessary directions their perilous situation called 

 for: — 



" Great in distress the master seaman stood." 



And most so where he breaks off to apostrophize 

 him, at whose word "the stormy wind ariseth." 



" Oh ! source of life, our refuge and our stay. 

 Whose voice the warring elements obey — 

 Tis our's on thine unerring laws to trust 

 With thee, great Lord, "whatever is, is just." 



