r 3o ] 



village images which we feel to be impreflive, and fentiments 

 which we acknowledge to be juft. 



The conduifi: of thcfe poems, if not flridlly regular, is na- 

 tural and unembarraffed : the digrelTions are always feafonable, 

 and the returns eafy. The Dcfcrted Village begins with a general 

 view of Auburn in its former (late of happinefs and popula- 

 tion, which is immediately contrafted with its prefent decay 

 — then the author recurs to more diftindl particulars of its 

 recollected profperity — to the clergyman, the fchoolmafter and 

 the village ale-houfe — he contemplates the decay — he invefti- 

 gatcs its caufes — he contrafts the benefit with the evils of luxury 

 — he paints the horrors and marks by a pathetic detail the 

 progrefs of emigration. If any part appears not firmly rivctted 

 to his fubjedl, it is the conclufion, that beautiful eulogium on 

 poetry which no reader would fliew himfclf fo coldly attached 

 to method as to give up. The Traveller feems to have no part 

 fuperfluous and none ill placed. To the concluding topic, of 

 which Doctor Johnfon fays the Deferted Village is too much the 

 echo, we are naturally led. The omiffion of the undiftinguifhed 

 character of the Netherlands was peculiarly judicious. The only 

 improvement which might be fuggefled would be the intcr- 

 pofing a character of Spain between Holland and England. 

 The connexion between thefe as it ftands in the poem is faf- 

 tened on a flimfy feeble minutenefs thrown unnecefTarily and 



unreafonably 



