604 
develope, and has produced a better effect 
than-could be accomplifhed by any dif- 
‘play of the earlier and more romantic 
attachments. 
for the author who is attracted by fuch 
motives, and who flates himfelf to have 
been, in fome meafure, influenced to the 
delineation of conjugal fidelity and love, 
‘<from the hope of counteraéting, in a 
fmall. degree, the influence of thofe 
writers, particularly the dramatic, who 
{to the great injury of fociety, as well as 
facrifice of truth, and with an uniformity 
not very honourable to their invention, ) 
delight in reprefenting profound mifery 
as the almoft invariable attendant on the 
marriage ftate.”” Mr. Cottle, in a future 
edition of his, Poem, will, doubtlefs, 
avail himfelf of thofe critical remarks 
which it hath called forth: he will pro- 
bably alter or entirely expunge, the firttand 
the twenty-third books, where the intro- 
duétion of fupernatural machinery creates 
an inconfiftency in the condu& of the 
Poem which had better be avoided: fome 
harfh expreflions, fome falie accentua- 
tions, and fome inftances of unauthoriled 
phrafeology, moreover, require to. be 
corrected - 
They who have read that beautiful 
Poem which appeared fome time ago, cn 
the ** Birth and Triumph of Love,”’ mutt 
have felt a confcioufnels that the author 
enjoyed capacities, for far loftier and 
more excurfive flights in the regions of 
poely. } 
Sir JAMEs Burces has now fhown 
that this flattering anticipation w4s not 
iil-founded: his ‘¢ Richard the \Firft, a 
Poem, in Eighteen Books ;” though not 
Genominated epic by the author himfelf, 
has certainly fair claims to the title, both 
from its matter and conftruétion. 
heroic achievements of the Firft Richard, 
the Lion-hearted Champion of the Crofs— 
his checquered fortunes—his melancholy 
captivity, and his triumphant reftoration, 
are narrated with the requifite unity. 
Sir Janies Burges has adopted the very 
dificult flanza of ‘*Spenfer,”” which 
he {eems to manage with uncommon faci- 
lity 3. his variations in the paule and ca- 
dence are made with fuch peculiar fkill 
and judgment, that the frequent recur- 
rence of the rhymes, far from producing 
2 monotonous and unpleafant effet on the 
ear, is grateful, and by no means imme- 
lodious. . The Poem, however, has ‘its 
faults as well as its beauties 3 if among 
the latter are to be claffed feveral very 
firiking and original fimilies, among tie 
Who does not feel refpeét 
tet! 
The. 
Retrofpec? of Dome/tic Literature—Puetry. 
former muft be cenfured demoniacal in 
terference in the concerns of mortals. 
‘The perfonification of human prepenfities 
and paffions brought unwillingly to our 
recolleétion ‘the Henriade: tf swe have 
the <*‘ Demon of Difcord’’ inthe one, we . 
have *‘Falfe Philofophy” in the other, 
exciting the fubjets of Richard to rebel- 
lion againt his Government. In the 
twelfth book alfo, (where thcfe Jacobini- 
cal Devils make their appearance) we have 
a regular Diilertation between the hero 
of the piece and Belial, under the form 
of the Demagogue. Baldock ; and Falfe 
Philofophy not only foretells her future 
triumphs in France and the fuccefsfal 
refiftance of Great Britain to her machi- 
nations, but abfolutely alludes to the 
active part taken by Mr. Pitt in the con- 
This istoo much: whatever be his 
political tenets, we cannct but think that ~ 
a found critic will unite in opinion with 
us, that Sir James Burges fhould have 
concealed the cloven-foot: the Poet 
fhould certainly have taken care not to 
remind us, that he had been Under Secre~ 
tary of State for the Foreign Department. 
A fecond edition of this beautiful poem 
will, doubtlefs, be fpeedily demanded, 
and if the author has but perfeverance to 
beftow on it an accurate revifion, and 
courage enough to expunge all party 
politics and allufions, he may, with much 
facility, make fuch improvements as to 
render it one of the beft which modern 
times have produced. mae oe 
The Rev. Wittiam COL ier, Sew. . » 
Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge, 
has publifhed two volumes of ** Poems 
on various occafions,’” written in time of 
affuence and happinefs, and now, alas! 
committed to the prefs for the purpofe of 
relieving the preflure of pecuniary bur- 
dens. -The Poems are of unequal merit, - 
many of them have been written on the 
fpnr of the occafion, and none of them were 
originally intended for the public eye: if 
fome of the elegies are puerile and infi- 
pid, the odes are fublime and: in the 
higheft ftrain of poetry; and Mr, Collier _ 
indeed has a warm imagination and a 
corres: tafte. The fecond volume con- 
fits of tranflations from various. authors - 
in the Greek, Latin, French, Italian, and 
Spanith languages, and are executed with 
a great deal of {pirit. | 28 
We are indebted toan anonymous bard © 
f.r a tranflation of ‘* Leander and Hero,” 
from the Heroic Epilties of Ovid, which 
is executed with much fkill and tatte: the 
author has adhered with faflicient fidelity 
ees ie 
2 
