186 Poetry, 



author's own country, as the subject; and from 

 some egregious faults in the incidents and ma- 

 chinery, the best critics have denied to this poem 

 the praise of first-rate excellence. 



The Leonidas of Mr. Glover is one of the most 

 meritorious efforts in the department of epic poe- 

 try which English literature presented, during 

 the age under consideration. This work has long 

 maintained a high character among English critics. 

 The Calvary of Mr. Cumberland is entitled to 

 the next place; a poem which has been pro- 

 nounced to be " imbued with the genuine spirit of 

 Milton, and destined, therefore, most probably, 

 to immortality. " Though the author has not, per- 

 haps, given sufficient scope to his imagination, but 

 confined himself too closely to the sacred history, 

 for the full exertion .of his poetic strength, yet both 

 the plan and execution of his work do him im- 

 mortal honour, and afford high pleasure both to 

 the critic and the christian. The Joan of Arc, by 

 Mr. Southey, while it obviously betrays the haste 

 and carelessness with which it was written/ dis- 

 covers, at the same time, the undoubted genius and 

 taste of the author. The sentiments, in general, 

 are noble and generous; the characters introduced 

 are, for the most part, well supported; the imagery 

 is bold and impressive, and the versification, with- 

 out being always correct, is easy, harmonious, and 

 beautiful. To these may be added Arthur, or the 

 Northern Enchantment, by Mr. Hole, and several 

 other epic poems, which, though not entitled to 

 rank with those above mentioned, yet do credit to 

 the poetic talents of their respective writers. 



But, if no poet since the time of Milton have ho- 

 noured our language with a work which deserves to 

 be compared with the Paradise Lost, yet this period 



/ The Joan of Are probably furnishes the first instance in the history of 

 literature of an epie poem of equal length being written in six iveeh ! 



