658 
Madoc is difficult, one muft makea griev- 
ance of the levelnefs of manner, of the ex- 
tent of narration, and of the abfence of the 
wonderful, in order to provide the hoitile 
converfer with topics of invective. Againft 
fuch cavils, the philofophic criticiim of 
Hobbes has fuggetted an appropriate re- 
ply. “ There are fome (fays he) who 
are not pleafed with fiction unlels it be 
bold ; not only to exceed the work, but 
alfo the poffibility of nature. They would 
have impenetrable armours, inchanted 
caftles, invulnerable bodies, iron men, fly- 
ing horfes, and a thoufand other fuch 
things, which are eafily feigned by them 
that dare. I diffent from thofe who think 
that the beauty of a poem confifteth.in the 
exorbitancy of the fiction. For as truth 
is the bound of hiftorical, fo the refem- 
blance of truth is the utmo% limit of poeti- 
calliberty. In old time, among the hea- 
thens, fuch ftrange fictions and metamor- 
phofes were not fo remote from the arii- 
cles of their faith, as they are now from 
ours, and were therefore not fo unpleafant. 
Beyond the asiual works of nature a poet 
may now go; but beyond the conceived 
pofibility of nature never.” 
To all the other epopeas conftru%ed on 
this principle, fuch as the Henrjad, the 
Araucana, the Pharfalia, Mr. Southey’s 
is far fuperior. Since the appearance of 
Milton’s Paradife Loft, no poem has quit- 
ted the Englifh prefs equal in merit to 
Madoc. It is a great anda durable ac- 
cefflion to our literature, a fit object of na- 
tional pride, and of Eurepean gratula- 
tion. 
The Lay of the Laft. Minfirel,” a 
Poem, by WALTER ScoTT, Efq. 
Mr. S. in his three elegant volumes of 
the Minftrelfy of the Scottifh Border, and 
in his edition of Sir Triftram, a metrical 
yomance of the thirteenth century, by the 
Rhymer of Ercildoune, not only brought to 
light fome curious remains of Scottiin po- 
ety, illuftrative ofthe coftume, characters, 
and manners, of ancient times, but gave 
{uch fpecimens of his own poetic powers, 
as to excite a general hope that he would 
exert them in the production of fome. ori- 
ginal work. ‘This hope is now gratified : 
ivir. Scott has from the refourees of his 
own genius, produced a poem which wall 
be long read and admired for the intereft 
of the ftory, the eafe and harmony of the 
language, the piCturefquenefs of the inct- 
dents and icenery, and for the faithful de- 
lineation of the manners of the ancient bor- 
derers, This laf, indeed, is avowed to 
be the primary object of the author, and 
for the attzinment of it, he has adoped the 
Retrofpect of Domeftic Literature. —Poetry, Fe.” 
plan’ of the ancient metrical romance, 
<‘ which allows greater latitude, in this 
refpeét, than would be confiftent with the 
dignity of a regular poem. The fame 
model,””? he continues, ‘* afforded other 
facilities, as it permits an occafional alte- 
ration of the meafure, which in fome de- 
gree, authorifes the change of rhythm in 
the text. The machinery alfo adopted, 
from popular belief, would have feemed 
puerile ina poem which did not partake of 
the rudene(fs of the old ballad or metrical 
romance.”? The ftory is fimple and in- 
terefting : an aged minftrel, the laft of the 
race, is fuppoted to be wandering near 
the feat of the Docheis of Buccleuch, wi- 
dow to the unfortunate Duke of Mon- 
mouth, who was beheaded in the reign of 
James II.; he is invited into the caitle, 
cheered and refrethed by the kincnefs of 
the Duchefs and her ladies, and, to gratify 
them, he fings tohis harp a tale of feat of 
arms and chivalry, the action of which is 
fappefed to pafs about the middie of the 
fixteenth century, when moft of the cha- 
raters mentioned in it aftually flou- 
rifhed. , ‘ 
<< The Powers of Genius 7’ a Poem, in 
three Parts, by’ Joun BiLarr Linn; 
A.M. 
This gentleman is a native of America: 
he is a young man of confiderable fancy 
and feeling, and we augur fromthe work 
before us, that in maturer years he may 
produce a poem of much higher excel- 
lence.- . 
We have perufed with great pleafure a 
volume of “ Mifcellaneous Poetry,” by 
Epwarp Coxe, Efq. Some of the tmi- 
tations of Horace are truly Horatian, and” 
the tranflations from the Italian are ex- 
tremely elegant, thongh certainly too pa- 
raphraftic. In the tender and pathetic, 
Mr. Coxe is remarkably fuccefsful. 
Mr. Mercer’s ** Lyric Poems’ have 
come ta a fecond edition: there 1s fome- 
thing fo unaffeGted in thefe effufions of-a 
foldier’s mafe, fo much rea} feeling and ge. 
nuine tafte are difplayed, that we are not 
furprifed at the encouragement which the 
author has defervedly met with. Some 
additional poems are introdueed into this 
edition. 
Mr. Matrutas, who has cultivated 
Italian literature with fuch fingular fue- 
cels, and recommended it with fo much 
earnefinefs to the attention of his coun- 
trymen, has, in uniformity with his pre- 
ceding elegant publications, now edited 
“I, Arte Poetica Italiana da BENEDET- 
TO Marzini;” “ Bacco in Tofcana Di- 
tiramba di Francesco Repi;” wm 
, Wace hay Ar? 
