664 
of great excitement, his Christian Loyalty 
and Patriotism, as the son phrases it, was 
strongly manifested, especially during the 
war with France, when he was always ready 
with sermons on the times; in one of 
which, we observe, he recommended to his 
congregation, Robson’s Proofs of a Con- 
spiracy—which will indicate to the discern- 
ing pretty plainly, the spirit of his Christian 
politics—not but the spirit of his deduc- 
tions, and the drift of his spiritual advice, 
were. correct and applicable enough. The 
late king seems to have been often the sub- 
ject of his pulpit eulogium, and, of course, 
in language that accords very slightly with 
the suggestions of common sense in a con~ 
stitutional monarchy. But it must never 
be forgotten, that when the principle of the 
government was changed, the language of 
the liturgy was not, as it ought to have 
been, conformed ; and, of course, it cannot 
be expected that ministers of that liturgy 
will not fondly cling to the language and 
all that it involves. 
The analysis of the intellectual and 
moral character of the man—who was, 
doubtless, eminently influential and useful 
to his party—a good man, too—always 
honest and well-meaning—with some talents 
for business, and some eloquence, and some 
acquirement—displays a good deal of dis- 
crimination, and shews the son to be an ob- 
servant and intelligent person. 
The Legendary Cabinet: a Collection 
of British National Ballads. Ancient and 
Modern, §c. By the Rev. J. D. Parry; 
1829.—This is not strictly a collection of 
old ballad-romances—for, after Percy, Rit- 
son, Scott, Jamieson, &c. there could be no 
sort of occasion for such a thing—but rather 
a selection out of the collected mass of old 
and modern—conducted, in the language of 
the editor, on a MORAL plan; or, at least, 
with an exclusion of all articles of a directly 
unexceptionable character. This is the cha- 
racteristic of the selection, and what entitles 
it to the preference of parents and instruc- 
tors. The editor further remarks, his pur- 
pose has been—seeing subjects of this kind 
have such peculiar charms to both old and 
young—to render what is thus popular com- 
paratively innocent, which nobody, it seems, 
has attempted or thought of before him; 
and, in “ this commendable purpose, he has 
had the satisfaction of coinciding with the 
ideas of a high ecclesiastic character,’ but 
whose name he is not at liberty to mention. 
This, to be sure, is intelligence there was 
no withholding; but, really, it becomes, 
now-a-days, a matter of wonderment that 
young and unbeneficed clergymen do not 
discover that the opinion of a diocesan, or 
other church dignitary, is, not once in a 
thousand times, on a thousand topics, of 
so much importance to the world as it seems 
to. be to themselves.—But this, by the 
way. 
The editor has further wished to make his 
selection national—excluding, with one or 
two exceptions, not only foreign pieces, but 
Monthly Review of Literature. 
[JuNE, 
foreign subjects. The volume, too, we per- 
ceive, is, with exemplary equity, equally 
divided between the ancient and modern— 
the ancient admitting none below the vener- 
able age of 200 years—though among them 
we remarked Hardyknute, which, the editor 
himself observes, first appeared in 1719, and 
speaks of as a modern forgery, and ascer- 
tained to be the production of Lady Wardlaw, 
or of Sir John Nicholls, who employed the 
intervention of that lady in the publication. 
But the greater part are taken from Percy’s 
Reliques, or from Scott, Jamieson, Evans, 
&c. : such as Chevy Chace, Robin Hood, and 
his encounters with Guy, and the Curtal Friar, 
and the Fisherman, St. George and the 
Dragon, Johnny Armstrong, George Barne- 
well, Valentine and Ursine, &c. The mo- 
dern half consists of compositions of the 
last seventy years (what is the authority for 
this new statute of limitations ?), and some 
of the present century: such as the Red- 
cross Knight, Hermit of Warkworth, Friars 
of Orders Gray, Goldsmith’s Hermit, &c., 
with some of Southey’s, Wordsworth’s, Miss 
A.M. Porter’s, Walter Scott’s, Wiffen’s, 
&c.,—and one of the editor’s own. 
But why—we must ask—why should the 
editor be so excessively angry with Ritson 
The language, as well as the sentiments, 
of the old ballads should surely be sacred. 
Suum cuique is a good rule always. Now, 
Dr. Percy took great liberties, which no- 
body denies, with both; Ritson remon- 
strated; and for this, apparently—for no 
other reason peeps forth—the editor charges 
the unlucky remonstrancer with being en- 
vious and malicious; and, by way of make- 
weight, he must needs add, after an ap- 
proved fashion—gross and impious; the 
applicability of which is not wholly to be 
denied} but which the editor was not fairly 
called upon to urge. 
The editor has, however, done what he 
had to do, well; and we have a perfect con- 
fidence that the new volume he contemplates 
will be equally acceptable, and furnis 
another specimen of his own powers in this 
line, equal to his “* Ella.”— 
No !—yet, even yet, for Ella’s love, 
I'll mighty deeds essay ; 
Those nobler feats of worth I'll prove, > 
That lead to heaven the way. 
My op’ning buds, so sweet and fair, 
Pll first secure amain ; 
Good Clement holds that tender care 4 
In Ina’s holy fane. a 
In arms full clad, an errant knight, 
T’'ll roam o’er hills and seas, 
Restoring to the wrong, their right, 
And to the afflicted, ease. 
I'll ’venge the cause of orphans poor, 
I'll crush the tyrants down ; 
T'll raise the meek, that pensive cow’r 
Beneath a dastard’s frown. 
Once more shall Ella’s chief have place 
In many a minstrel’s song ; 
And all the fruits his name that grace = 
To Ella’s love belong.—&e. 
