Crttkism ttpon A'ktmide'i Piemures xyf the Imagination. 2 1 3 



1324.] 



Jrapiifly aikliiced He llicn slates, 

 obvioaslj wiHi great cori-ectiTess, llmt 

 From |)a8gion's posvcr alone our nature 



holds 

 Essential pleasure : 



a<;(l that, wcic it not for our passions, — 

 Rust wonJd rise, and foulness, by degrees 

 Encmnbering, choke at last what Heavea 



desigii'd 

 F-or ceaseless raotioH and a rop.iul of toH. 



This allusion to the influence of passion 

 is a prchide to some sag-o observations 

 from a hermit, who, in an allegoriral 

 maimer, and under the simililude of a 

 <lrcam, describes the l)api)iness resulting 

 from virtue, and tlio trrals attendant 

 thereoru To the immortal honour of 

 llie author, bo has hero very forcibly 

 impressed two most important and con- 

 solatory truths: viz. that virtue is inse- 

 parably connected with pleasure; and, 

 that there is no situation whatever in 

 life, but tJiat the difficulties with wliicb 

 we may be surroinided, may be dispelled 

 by perseverance and fbrtilnde. Such 

 «ntinrents are trite and liomely, still 

 they are truths that cannot be sufficiently 

 inculcated. There are none that can 

 expect to be blessed with a perpetual 

 round of snnsliiuo in this chequered 

 ■scene; and, during the storms of life, 

 sncli reflections will jitdvc a sure and 

 faithful anclroragc to the mind. The 

 following passage seems to me to pos- 

 sess great strength and bcanfy. A\- 

 Indiijg to (he demon who personifies the 

 «1«tacles to virtue, it is observed that 

 lie is — 



iirave by lhy fears, and in tliy weakncfg 



strong, 

 This Iiotir he ttiiunphs; — but confront his 



inigiif. 

 And dare liini to iJie combat, dien with 



ease 

 Disann'd and qiKll'd, his fierceness Ite 



lesigns 

 To bondage and to scorn. White thus 



iniif'd 

 Uy watchful danger, by unerasing toil, 

 The imniovt'dl mind, superior to his fate, 

 Amid ihe oiilrage of external tliiuf-s, 

 Finn as the solid base of this great world, 

 /Jests on liis own fuimdatiou<. jilow, ye 



\\ inds '. 

 Ye wavts! ye thimdcrs! roll your teni- 



pi'st on; 

 Shake, ye old pillars of llie maible sky! 

 Till all its orl)s, and all its worlds of tirx; 

 I'e looM'u'd from their seats ; yet still 



serene 

 Tkc-iincoii(|nercd mind loflks down upon 



llie wreck, 

 A«i<l eveji stronger as lite storms advance, 

 •2 



Firm through the closing ruin holds his 



way, 

 Whet'e nature calls him t« tlve dcstin'd 



goal. 



This part contains some other beau- 

 tiful passages, |)arlicnlarly the descrip- 

 tion of a faithful lover, aud ol the feel- 

 ings excited in tlw mind upon seeing a 

 sJiipwreck from the shore. 



The third and last part of this capti- 

 vating poem is certainly not inferior to 

 any of tlio others. lu tire outset, it is 

 occupied in describing the influence of 

 " fancy's sportive ray," upon the opi- 

 nions and conduct of mairiiitid. Every 

 one, as Tristram Shandy sa)'s, lias 

 his hobby-lrorse, — a remai'k whi-cli 

 Akensidc has here very amusingly 

 illustrated; aird that, too, in a manner, 

 which evinces pretty extensive .-.nd ac- 

 curate observation upon bnman charac- 

 ter. Some of the illustrations he has 

 given of tlic cai3ses which excite lidicule 

 in our minds, are exceedingly happy. 

 Tho author then pToc«e<ls to stale thtj 

 origin, th« nature, and the progress, of 

 taste in the mind, which he has done in 

 the most elegant and beautiful lan- 

 guage ; and in a manner that evinces, 

 in a high degree, his great philosophical 

 acumen. This affection, if it may be 

 so called, of the mind, he ascribes en- 

 tirely, neither to the capacities confer- 

 red upon us by nature, to association, 

 nor to the effects of culture, but to a 

 combination of tho whole of these ; 

 attachir;g, of coiirsc, the greatest degree 

 of importance to the capacities conferred 

 by nature, — for how is it possible to 

 cultivate where there is no soil ? There 

 arc, however, none, but who have at 

 least " one talent of gold to Ir.ide upon 

 during their Lord's abseiKH'," to use n 

 Serijiture, and very interesting, simile. 

 Akensido has ha-e shown himself 

 compk'tely master of this intiresting 

 subject; and, it may be (juestioned, if 

 an additional glimpse is tiirown n|)on it 

 by all the iiondcrous luenbrations of 

 met:i|)liysical writers sin(t! Ids time. 

 'J'lie poem concludes viitb showing tire 

 happiness to be derived fiom a culti- 

 vated and well-regulated imagination; 

 o!)scrving, that it is a source of enjoy- 

 ment altogether sublime, lliat it is open 

 to tho high and to the lou, a circiim- 

 stanrc which evinces the benevolence of 

 the Author of luture in thus :ilfor(ling 

 the means of such refined happiness 

 to all ; and that, too, of a kind infi- 

 nitely superior to the cravings of the 

 poor, abjeet, and degraded, wretches, 

 who lliirsi alone for worldly distinction, 



and 



