POLWHELE’S HISTORY OF CORNWALL. 
culous story, but that the inventor and 
relator of it ought to be classed with 
the species of animals denominated— 
Naturals. 
The fourth chapter embraces what 
our author calls a review of * the civil, 
military, and religious architecture of 
Danmonium;” in which he has in- 
cluded some long digressions on the Ro- 
man roads, stations, and camps in De- 
vonshire and Cornwall. ‘This volume, 
though entitled a history of the latter 
county, may be considered almost equal- 
ly a history of the former ; as its princi- 
pal historical dissertations apply equally 
to both. It is certainly no easy task to 
separate the two in their early historical 
relations; but as Mr. Polwhele has al- 
ready written largely on “ the historical 
views of Devonshire,”? he should rather 
have taxed his own exertion and patience 
than that of his readers, in separating 
the two. 
The remainder of the first volume is 
appropriated to the subjects of ‘ wood- 
land, pasturage, agriculture, and gar- 
dens: to mining, manufactures, and 
commerce: to language, literature, and 
earned men: to population, manners, 
and usages.’’ These latter subjects are 
treated in a very concise manner; and 
the volume is terminated with twenty- 
_ three prints of monuments, antiquities, 
_ views, &c. Some of them are copied 
from Borlase’s very inaccurate prints, 
and the others are so very indifferent, 
_ that they rather disfigure than ornament 
the book they accompany. 
_. The first volume professes to embrace 
all historical subjects included in the 
riod from Julius Cesar to Vortigern; 
md in the second part the same subjects 
e reviewed in their progress and im- 
rovement, from Vortigern to Edward 
the First. ‘This portion of the work 
becomes more interesting than the for- 
Mer, as it is founded more on the evi- 
dence of fact and record; yet the first 
_ part of it is much depreciated with the 
Bibles of the renowned Arthur, and some 
' other British champions. The ravages 
and piracies of the Danes are particu- 
arly detailed. Long genealogies of 
ome Cornish families, with accounts of 
“the princes and dukes of Cornwall, 
“@ccupy many pages. The notes, which 
are numerous, and very copious, are 
401 
printed in small letter, and in many in- 
stances fill whole quarto pages: but as 
they are generally extracts from other 
publications, they do not occupy much 
of the author’s thinking time. 
With the following extracts, descrip- 
tive and historical, of St. Michael’s 
mount, we take leave of these volumes 
and our author for the present. 
«¢ St. Michael’s mount is one of those rare 
and cominanding objects which arrest and 
fix the attention the moment they are seen. 
Its peculiar situation, and the sublime cha- 
racter it assumes, from appearing to rise im- 
mediately from the waves, singularly +inte- 
rest the imagination of the observer ; though 
when viewed from the land, its real magni- 
tude is apparently diminished, from the vast 
extent of the horizon and the expanded tract 
of water which surrounds its base. ¢ Itisa 
scene(says Mr.Britton*) singularly calculated 
to inflame the enthusiasm of the poet; and 
a mind of no common mould has thus pour- 
ed the note of sublimity from the vocal shell, 
on contemplating the beauty of the prospect, 
and revolving the events which the tradi- 
tionary lore of past ages represents to have 
occurred on this spot.’ 
«¢ Majestic Michael rises : he whose brow 
Is crowned with castles, and whose rocky 
sides 
Are clad with dusky ivy; he whose base, 
Beat by the storms of ages, stands unmoved 
Amidst the wreck of things ;—the change of 
time. 
That base, encircled by the azure waves, 
Was once with verdure clad: the towering 
oaks 
Here wav’'d their branches green; the sacred 
oaks 
Whose awful shades among, the Druids 
stray'd, 
To cut the hallowed misletoe, and hold 
High converse with their gods.” 
H. Davy’s Mounts Bay.” 
Another poet of genius has also cha- 
racterized the mount in the following 
terms. 
«¢« Mountain, the curious muse might love 
to gaze 
On the dim record of thy early days ; 
Oft fancying that she heard, like the low 
blast, 
The sounds of mighty generations past. 
Here the Pheenician, as remote he sail’d, 
Along the unknown coast, exulting hail’d; 
And when he saw thy rocky point aspire, 
Thought on his native shores of Aradus and 
Tyre.— 
re 
; ? By a subsequent part of this extract, it appears to be taken from ‘The Beauties 
of England and Wales,’ a work which bears the joint names of Messrs. Britton ard Bray- 
Jey, and therefore Mr. Polwlicie should have mentioned loth names, or neither. 
Ayn. Rey. Vou. Il. 
Dd 
