~ | Retrospect of Domestic Literature— Poetry. 
And glitter in the morning beam, 
And chime to rest the closing day : 
While the vast mountain’s dizzy steep 
The, whirwind’s eddying rage assails, 
The gentlest zephyrs softly sweep, 
The verdure of thy sheltered vales : 
While o’er the wild and whitening seas 
The unbridled north triumphant roars, 
Thy stream scarce ripples in the breeze,- 
That bends the willow on thy shores: 
And thus, while War o’er Europe flings 
Destruction from his crimson wings ; 
While Danube rolls, with blood defiled, 
And starts to hear, on echos wild 
The battle-clangors ring, 
Thy pure waves wash a stainless soil, 
To crown a patrivt people’s toil 
And bless a patriot king.’ 
The course of the Thames is next 
viewed from its source near Kemble 
meadow in Gloucestershire to the 
Nore. Toward the close of all we have 
a comparative adversion to the ancient - 
state of the Euphrates and Araxes, at 
Babylon and Persepolis. At the end 
are a few explanatory notes. 
Another poem of merit, perhaps su- 
perior, will be found in ‘* Constance 
de Castile,’ by Wituram Sornesy, 
Esq. 
Cuvee de Castile, the heroine of 
the poem, was the daughter of Peter 
the Cruel, king of that country, in 
whose right the same title was after. 
wards assumed by John of Gaunt, 
Duke of Lancaster, her husband. The 
few anecdotes remaining to us on 
authentic evidence of Constance’s life 
appear to have left Mr. Sotheby at full 
liberty as a poet. We have not room 
to state the outline of the story; but 
we present the reader with a short 
extract descriptive of the _march 
through the Roncevalles pass, which 
may serve as a fortaste of numerous 
' passages of equal spirit, should he feel 
inclined to peruse the whole. 
“« ‘The banners wave, the signal’s given, 
Wide clangour rends the vault of heaven. 
From Bourtleaux’ towers the long array 
Swells onward through the crowded way, 
And shouts of joy, and sighs of woe 
Pursue the warriors winding slow, 
‘* Along the realm of Gasgony 
_ Passes the flow’r of chivalry, 
?Mid champaigns, o’er whose fertile bed 
Free streams, and winding waters spread, 
And from their mountain cradle pour 
On earth’s green lap their gather’d store: 
Plains,—where the pipe of evening leads 
., Fair flocks amid juxuriant meads, 
Where autumn earruls as the Swain 
Shakes from full leaves the golden grain, 
And sees down each sun-purpled brow, 
Oil, and the jocund vintage flow. 
“* Now the green vales are left behind: 
Slowly the length’ning battles wind 
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673 
Through glens, where wolves at randont 
prowl, 
And bay the moon with ceaseless howl, 
More slow the toilsome march ascends 
Where the bold mountain range extends, 
Where eagles in their aerie nest 
On the top cliffs ice-mantled crest, 
And famine on her bleak domain 
Frowns 0’er the rocks that barrier Spain. 
The minstrels lead the host along, 
And cheer the march with harp and 
song.” 
But the most important poem 
we have to notice, is ‘* The Curse of 
Kehama,” by Rosert Sourney. We 
cannot explain the intention of the 
ae better than in the words of the 
REFACE. 
‘© In the religion of the Hindoos, 
which of all false religions is the most 
monstrous in its fables, and the most 
fatal in its effects, there is one re- 
markable peculiarity. Prayers, pe- 
nances, and sacrifices, are supposed to- 
possess an inherent and actual value, 
in nodegree depending upon the dis- 
position or motive of the person who 
performs them. They aredrafts upon 
heaven, for which thiggods cannot ree 
fuse payment. The worst men, bent 
upon the worst designs, have in this 
manner obtained power which has 
made them formidable to the supreme 
deities themselves, and rendered an 
Avatar, or incarnation of Veeshnoo 
the preserver, necessary. This belief 
is the foundation of the following 
poem. ‘The story is original; but in 
all its parts consistent with the super. 
stition upon which it is t 1ilt ; and how- 
ever startling the fictions may appear, 
they might almost be thought credible 
when compared with the genuine tales 
of Hindoo mythology.” 
Immediately after the aecount of the 
conteats of the poem, follows a brief 
explanation of the mythological names 
used in it. 
The substance of the story seems to 
be that Arvalan, the son of the 
Rajah Kehamah, having been slain by 
Ladurlad, (to whose daughter he had 
offered violence,) his spirit invokes the 
vengeance of his father against the 
person who had deprived him of life. 
Thelatter pronunces a curse upon La- 
durlad, the operation of which is ex.— 
hibited under a variety of forms. 
Kailyal, the daughter of Ladurlad, is 
made a prominent character through- 
out the poem, and presents an emi._ 
nent instance of virtuous fortitude. 
Kailyal and Kehama at last appear be- 
fore the throne of Yamen the Hindoo 
judge of the dead, They both _ 
the 
