CHARACTERS. 



807 



Nor heeds the passenger who looks that 

 way. 



In the above description there 

 are many minute strokes,— ^er Jiow 

 untasted cheek — busy mtddliiig me- 

 mory^ &c. which mark the superior 

 peet. 



From the apostrophe to friend- 

 ship^ which immediately follows, 

 the heart catches sympathetic feel- 

 ings ; and the amiable poet leaves 

 on it the impression of all that is 

 tender, generous, and endearing. 

 There is beautiful description, and 

 much poetical enthusiasm, in the 

 following lines : 



-Oh ! when my friend and I 



In some thick wood have wandei'd 

 heedless on. 



Hid from the vulgar eye, and sat us 

 down 



Upon the sloping cowslip-cover'd bank, 



\V here the pure limpid stream has slid 

 along 



In gratelul errors through the under- 

 wood, 



Sweet murmuring; methought the shrill- 

 tongu'd thrush 



Mended his song of love; the sooty 

 blackbird 



Mellow'd his pipe, and soften'd ev'ry 

 note: 



The eglantine smell'd sweeter, and the 

 rose 



Assum'd a dye more deep; whilst ev'ry 

 flower 



Vied with its fellow plant in luxury 



Of dress — Oh ! then the longest sum- 

 mer's day 



Secm'd too, too much in haste : still the 

 full heart 



Had notiuiparied half; 'twas happiness 



Too exquisite to last. 



The following passage strongly 

 reminds us of hhakspearc, and is 

 equal to any of the most admired 

 parts of that wonderful dramatist. 



Dull grave ! thou spoll'st the dance of 



youthful blood, 

 Strik'st out the dimple from the cheek of , 



mirth, 

 'And ev'iy smirking feature from the 



face; 

 Branding our laughter with the name of 



madness. 

 Where are the jesters now? the men of 



health, 

 Complexionally pleasant? Where the 



droll, 

 Whose ev'ry look and gesture was a 



joke 

 To clapping theatres and shouting 



crowds. 

 And made e'en thick-lip'd musing Me- 

 lancholy 

 To gather up her face into a smile 

 Before she was aware ? Ah ! sullen now. 

 And dumb as the green turf that covers 



them. 



The description of a funeral, 

 beginning, but set! the wt ll-plum'd 

 hearse, &c. has the beauties and de- 

 fects of the same admirable writer. 

 The apostrophe to beauty is a mas- 

 terly passage ; as are those of the 

 death of the strung man, the philoso- 

 pher, and the physician. This ex- 

 pression in the last reminds us of 

 Milton. 



From stubborn shrubs 



Tliou wringst their shy retiring virtues 



out, 

 And vex'd them ia the fire.— 



The sexton will be recognised as 

 a relation of the grave-digger, ia 

 Hamlet. 



-hoary-headed chronicle. 



Of hard unmeaning face, down which 



ne'er stole 

 A gentle tear ; with mattock in his 



hand, 

 Digs through whole rows of kipdred aud 



acquaintaucCi 



By 



3 F 4 



