bio 
The public has long been acquainted 
with the poetical merits of Mr, Bib- 
LAKE. ‘*A Summer’s Eve’’ has been 
the fubjeét of incidental defcription by 
many of our beft writers; Mr. Bidlake, 
unintimidated, has minutely delineated 
its various beauties in a poem replete 
with appropriate imagery, Aware, how~ 
ever, that mere imagery foon fatiates, Mr. 
3B. has inter{perfed many domeftic inci- 
dents and moral reflections, and has 
roduced a poem which evinces a culti- 
vated tafte and a feeling heart. 
Tt is now above thirty years fince the 
Englith public became acquainted with 
the Dramas of Metaftafic, by means of 
the elegant and claffical verfion of Mr, 
Woore: this gentleman has continued 
to employ his pen in the tranflation of 
his favourite author, and has now pab- 
lifhed the fubftance of his labours in 
three oftavo yolumes. Artaxerxes, the 
Olympiad, Hypfiphyle, Titus, Demetrius, 
and Demophgon, are the fix dramas which 
appeared in the oid edition ; Mr. Hoole 
has now added, The Dream of Scipio, 
Achilles in Scyros, Adrian in Syria, Dido, 
Otius, The uninhabited Ifand, Zenobia, 
Toemiftocles, Siroe, Regulus, Romulus and 
Herfilia, and the facred drama of Fo/ep, 
befides the Cantatas. A fhort account is 
prefixed of Metaftafio’s life and works, 
taken chiefly from Crifiini and Dr, Bur- 
ney. : 
We are indebted to Mr. Moore for 
a highly polifhed and luxurious verfion of 
the Odes of Anacreon. The idea which 
we fhould have formed of the old bard of 
Teos, from the tranflations which we 
have hitherto feen, would rather be that 
of a grofs fenfualift, a mere good- 
humoured bacchanalian, than an elegant 
and refined voluptuary, of warm imagt- 
nation indeed, but of genuine tafte. The 
eafy verfification, the attractive fimpli- 
city and concifenefs of Mr. Moore’s 
tranflation would have completely un- 
deceived us: in his hands we hear the 
bard’s own lyre, and, lulled with liften- 
_ Ing, 
On his harp then fink in flumbers, 
Dreaming ftill of dulcet numbers! 
An introduétory differtation prefixed to 
this volume has given the recorded but 
queftionable particulars of Anacreon’s 
hfe, ana an elegant and judicious criti« 
cifm on his writings, 
Mifs ANNE BaNNERMAN has pub- 
hithed a volume of “ Poems,” in which 
are united vigour, harmony, and tafte, 
Retrofped of Domeftic Literature.— Poetry 
The publication of Mrs, Hare’s 
“ Poetical Attempts’’ was prompted by 
the ardent defire of extricating an amiq- 
ble and worthy family from the difficul- 
ties in which they are involved: we 
cannot but wifh her fuccefs in fo laudable 
and humane a caufe. 
Mr. CHANDLER’s ‘ Sir Hubert” 
evinces fome powers of poetry with very 
little judgmenc. 
“ Britannia’s Tears, by A, PETER- 
KIN.’’——Well may Britannia fhed tears 
at the perufal of fo pitiful a poem ! 
‘Beaumaris Bay” is a poem, with 
Notes, defcriptive and explanatory, par- 
ticularly of the Druids, founders of 
fome of the Fifteen Tribes of North 
Wales, the Families defcended from 
them, and Quotations from the Bards; 
with an Appendix, containing an Account 
of the Battle of Beaumaris in 1648, and 
the taking of the Caftie. Although the 
author has by no means fulfilled the pro- 
mife in his title-page, his poem is fpirit- 
ed, and his notes are entertaining. 
Mr. ComrTie’s * Pleafures of Soli- 
tude” is a poem which ewiaces the au- 
thor to be a man of feeling and contem- 
plation. 
Mr, BotLanp has obtained another 
Seatonian prize for his poem, * Saint 
Paul at Athens.’”’ The fpecimens which 
Mr. Bolland has given us of his rich 
poetic genius and correé tafte, have 
raifed high our expeétations of his future 
fame. iii 
The author of * An Epiftie from the 
Marquis de ]a Fayette to Wathington” 
_ has attributed to the marquis fentiments 
which it is poffible he would not ac- 
knowledge: the author’s poetical powers 
are by no means defpicable. 
A. fecond volume has appeared of 
* The Annual Anthology,” which, like 
the former, contains pieces of very un- 
equal merit. 
The /ofs of the American Colonies i8 
the fubjeét of a poem, which the author 
—an united rifaman probably—has called 
‘“¢ Britain Preferved.”” The poem is a dull 
one: it is a mixture of rafh panegyric, 
confufed allegory, and exaggeration too 
extravagant even for the mufes to pardon. 
‘¢ Sappho Search’s Poetical Review of 
Mifs Hannau More’s. Striétures on 
Female Education” is a very {prightly 
and good-humoured jex d’efprit: fome 
handfome compliments are paid to the 
fair moralift, though many of her rigid 
orthodox tenets are held up to ridicule 
in a very lively fatire. 
: Mr. 
