330 The Battle of the Nile. [April. 



Now Victory paused, to rouse no more 

 Death's iron engines' thund'ring roar 



In Aboukir's lone bay ; 

 While wond'ring natives throng'd the shore, 

 The shatter'd squadrons to explore 



Of this unrivall'd day. 



Here, wrapt in fancy's brightest dreams. 



What glory on a Briton beams ! 



When, with proud step, and high command, 



From ancient Egypt's trophicd strand 



He turns towards his native land ; 



Or views the scene with rapture's'eyes, 



'Till Ocean's wild creations rise : — 



Sees nymphs, that deep in caverns dwell, 



Elated, leave their crystal cell, 



And deckt with shells, and coral flow'rs. 



And gems that grow in sea-pearl bow'rs, 



Sport blythc away their morning hours ; 



To victory their harps they string, 



And Nelson is the theme they sing ; 



I'hcir chorus, his transcendant deeds — 



GIpry and love for him who bleeds; 



And for the' slain, deep Ocean's weeds. 



While on the margin of the main. 



Surrounded by his jovial train. 



The God of Oceans stood ; 

 AV'ho saw Britannia gladden'd smile. 

 And deck the laurel-wreath the while. 

 To grace the Hero of the Nile ! 

 The Guardian of fair Freedom's Isle ! « 



And Champion of the Flood ! 



hor.t: polonicj:. 



No. I. 



PoLANU, it is said, has a chance of again making its appearance on the map of 

 Europe. We shall not stop to discuss the probability of the rumour, far less to 

 enter into disquisitions on the political consequences deducible from such an 

 event, if it were to occur. Our business is with its literature; and it is not 

 hazarding much to say that, in a literary point of view, the removal of foreign 

 dominion would be a benefit to its language and its intellectual productions. 



With respect to its language, those who are unacquainted with its structure 

 form very erroneous ideas of it, from the uncouth-looking words which figure in 

 its maps, and in the catalogues of its names. In reality it is, when spoken, 

 almost as musical as Italian, for the consonants that appear so thickly bestrewn 

 in its words, convey with them vowel sounds, which of course give them grace 

 and harmony. It is a fact that it is, in point of pronunciation, the most regular 

 of the European languages, there being no exception whatever, as the Poles 

 themselves assert, to the general rules laid down on that subject. If so, it is more 

 than any other language, even the Italian itself, can boast. It must not be conceal- 

 ed, however, that the pronunciation is very difficult of attainment, and as a neces- 

 sary consequence, a Pole, who of course can speak his own language, finds not 

 the slightest difficulty in obtaining the exact accent of any other. In point 

 of fact, they are the greatest linguists in Europe, every Polish gentleman 

 speaking Russian, French, and German, many speaking Turkish and the cognate 

 Oriental tongues, together with the Sclavonic dialects, and a great number 

 English. In all these languages, they pronounce with almost the purity of a 

 native. Its literature, it may be easily conjectured, is more worthy of being con- 

 sidered as an object of curiosity than in any other point of view. Poland has 



