Poetry. 203 



scriptive excellence to any that have been men- 

 tioned, are some of the poems of Robert Burns, 

 the Ayrshire bard. Though his versification is 

 frequently faulty, yet, for ease and vigour of lan- 

 guage, for strong descriptive powers, and a vein of 

 rich and exquisite humour, his productions have 

 few rivals. None can read the works of this justly 

 celebrated writer without admiring the genius 

 which, amidst so many difficulties and discourage- 

 ments, could soar so high; nor without lamenting 

 the misfortunes and the vices which, with such a 

 genius, and amidst so many excitements to virtue, 

 could sink him so low. 



Walks in a Forest, and the Vales of Wever, by 

 Mr. Gisborne, display a very honourable share of 

 original and strong descriptive powers. A Tour 

 through Wales, by Mr. Sotheby; Grove-Hill, by 

 Mr. Maurice; The Sea, by Mr. Bidlake; The 

 Pleasures of Memory, by Mr. Rogers, and the 

 Pleasures of Hope, by Mr. Campbell, are all con- 

 sidered by critics as possessing rich and various po- 

 etic beauties. The Farmer s Boy, by Robert 

 Bloomfield, to ease and sweetness of versification, 

 adds descriptions of such original and inimitable 

 excellence, as shows that they were drawn from 

 nature; and it possesses likewise a vein of senti- 

 ment and morality of the most elevated kind. 



pastoral poetry. 



The Pastoral poetry of the eighteenth century 

 is also highly honourable to modern genius. A 

 brief review of the principal names which belong 

 to this class of authors will show that the last, with 

 respect to this kind of poetic excellence, may be ad- 

 vantageously compared with any former age. 



The pastorals of Pope, though not equal to 

 most of his other works, have yet considerable 



