DR, BARWIN. 319 



above paffage from the Night Thoughts ; 

 but there, a penfive interesting morality 

 cafts over them a foftening veil ; while 

 their gayer appearance and employment 

 on the Darwinian page, brings them into 

 glaring, and perhaps almoft ludicrous view. 

 That unpleailng change, which takes 

 place in the Helleborus after impreg- 

 nation, produces, in it's metamorphofis, a 

 fair nymph, fuddenly fmitten by a loath- 

 fome diftemper, which utterly deftroys her 

 charms. An odd comparifon enfues, the 

 fuppofed aclual transformation of Nebu- 

 chadnezzar into a beaft ; whereas the" 

 Scripture only fays, that he dwelt with the 

 beafts of the field, and took their prone 

 habits. His imputed change into their 

 Jhape is ingenioufly, but fomewhat ludi- 

 croufly painted ; and we are apt to fancy 

 the Euphrates flandered in thefe lines, 

 which finely defcribe a river of fluggim 

 and fullied current : 



Lolls 



