Retrofpect of Domeftic Literature.— Poetry. 
=°Tis for Albion’s rock-built feat, 
Whofe hills the darkfome foretts crown 5 
Whofe flocks in fleecy Imyriads bleat 
O’er many a far extenfive down, 
Ripen’d by autumnal fkies, q 
Rich her golden harvetts rife ; 
While her loaded orchards gleam, 
Ruddy, to the mellowing beam ; 
Burfting from a thoufand hills, 
Flow the plenty-giving rills 
Bright to the fun her rivers fhine, 
The haunted Dee, Northumbrian Tyne, 
Fam’d Severn’s wide-expanded waves, 
And Thames, whofe entering ftream ree 
nown’d Augufta laves. 
°Tis for Albion’s wealthy fhores, 
Whofe fleets on every ocean ride, 
To whom each region’s richeft ftores 
Are borne on every {welling tide. 
There man, difdaining ftill to bow, 
Freedom piétur’d on his brow, 
And valour, native of his. mind, 
Moves the lord of human kind. 
While with luftre hahf-divine 
Her love-infpiring daughters fhine 
Beauteous as the fabled train 
Of Venus on the Idalian plain, 
Or thofe fweetly fmiling powers, 
The Houris, who repofe in Eden’s fancied 
bowers. 
’Tis for Albion, glorious power, 
Where oft, within the filent dell, 
Rapturous in the infpiring hour, 
The Mufe hath ftruck her fweeteft fhell: 
Where divine philolophy 
Hath commerc’d with the ftarry {ky ; 
Where hung of old on valour’s thigh 
The {word of gorgeous chivalry ; 
Where infant Yenry pois’d the lance, 
That won the lofty throne of France; 
Where Edward to the wondering fhore 
Gallia’s captive monarch bore; 
Where Marlborough rofe, the pride-of war, 
And ftay’d in mid career ambition’s thunder- 
ing car. 
“ AV indication of the Genuinenefs of the 
Ancient Britifh Poems of Aneurin, Talie- 
Jin, Llywach Hen, and Merdbin, with 
Specimens of the Poems. By SHaRON 
Turner, F.A,8S.” 
This very curious work is from the 
hiftorian of the Anglo-Saxons, who has 
engaged in the fiudy of Welfh literature, 
and by a fevere invcftigation has endea- 
voured to eftablih thz genuinenefs and 
antiquity of many of the great bards of 
Wales, If thefe poems br genuine, Mr. 
Turner jultly obferves, that they muft 
furnifh very interefting matter for the con- 
templation of the antiquary and the philo- 
fopher, even though their rude and mar- 
_tial ftrains fhould want thofe elegancies 
which delight the refined tafte. Their 
general fubjeét, he continues, is above all 
MontTuiy Maa. No. 117. 
665 | 
others interefting: it is the ftruggle of 
the Ancient Britons againft the invading 
Saxons. They defcribe the battles of 
which all other memory has perifhed — 
They celebrate many patriotic warriorsy, 
whom time has almoft defrauded of their 
fame. They exhibit curious and ftriking 
manners, They throw much light on the 
hittory of their zra, and they contain 
many paffiges which poets need not dif- 
dain to applaud. It is much to be hoped 
that the powerful and conneéted body of 
evidence which Mr. Turner has brought 
to prove the genuinefs of thefe intereiting 
relics, will excite the attention of oihet 
antiquaries and hiftorians.* 
‘© Ancient Englifo Romances, feleGed 
and publifbed by JosePH RiTson.” 
No man was better qualified than Mr. 
Ritfon to be the editor of fuch a work as 
the prefent: ‘* every article is derived, 
(we are adopting his own heterography, 
vile as it is) from fome ancient manufcript 
or old printed copy, of the authenticity of 
which the reader has all poffible fatistac- ° 
tion; and is printed with an accuracy and 
adherence to the original, of which the 
public has had very tew examples. The 
utmoft care has been obf{(rved in the Glof- 
fary, and every neceffary or ufeful infor- 
mation is given in the Notes.’” Thefe 
volumes are prefaced with a long differta- 
tion on Romance and Minttrelfy, of which 
the firft {ection treats upon the origin of 
romance; the fecond is conceraing the 
Saxon and Englifh language; the third 
treats of Englifh romances; and the 
fourth on minitrels and minitrelfy. 
We are glad to fee publifhed a com- 
plete edition of “* The Poetical Works of 
CHARLEs CHURCHILL, with explana- 
tory Notes, and an authentic Account of 
Pegler a 
The notes are exceedingly curious and 
interefting ; they contain a number of 
anecdotes, iiluftrative of allufions in 
Churcnill’s works. 
‘© Fables, confifting of fele& Parts from 
Dante, Berni, Chaucer, and Ariofto. Imi- 
tated in Englifh HeroicVerfe, by RicHARD 
WuHartTon, &/g. M. P.” . 
This felection from the principalltalian 
poets, is made with great talte, and the 
tranflation is execu:ed with fpirit, ele- 
gance, and harmony. 
* See a learned and a laboured Review of 
Mr. Turner’s ** Vindication,” in the Critical 
Review for May, 1804, page 1o. The re- 
viewer fupports his infidelity with fingular 
ingenuity and acuteneis, 
4 S © Poems 
