642 
Quebec, by Mr. Howard of Wadham 
College, which obtained the Prize in 
1768; The Love of our Country, by Mr. 
Butson of New College, 1771; The be- 
neficial Effects of Inoculation, by Mr. 
Lipscombe, of Corpus Christi College, 
1772; The Aboriginal Britons, by Mr. 
Richards, of Oriel College, 1791; Pales- 
tine,by Mr.Heber of Brasen-nose College, 
1803; and a Recommendation of the 
Study of the Reinains of ancient Grecian 
and Roman Architecture, Sculpture, and 
Painting, by Mr. Wilson, of Magdalen 
College, 1806 ; of these, the Love of our 
Country, the Aboriginal Britons, and 
Palestine, are probably the best: al- 
though the beneficial effects of Inocu- 
lation, unpoetical as the subject may at 
first sight seem, are treated with no or- 
dinary degree of embellishment. 
following lines may serve as a fair speci- 
men of “ Palestine.” 
When coward Asia shook in trembling woe, 
And bent appall’d before the Bactrian bow 3 
From the moist regions of the western star, 
The wandering hermit wak’d the storm of war. 
Their limbs all iron, and their souls all flame, 
A countless host, thered-cross warriors came: 
E’en hoary priests the sacred combat wage, 
And clothe in steel the palsied arm of age ; 
While beardless youths, and tender maids 
assume 
The weighty morion and the glancing plume. 
In bashful pride the warrior virgins wield 
The ponderous falchion, and the sun-like 
shield ; 
And start to see their armour’s iron gleam 
Dance with blue lustre in Tabaria’s stream. 
The blood-red banner floating o’er their van, 
All madly blithe the mingled myriads ran: 
Impatient Death beheld his destin’d food, 
And hovering vultures snuff’d the scent of 
blood. 
“¢ Sympathy, Landscapes in Verse, Tears 
of Genius, Cottage Pictures, and other 
Poems, revised, corrected, and en- 
larged, by Mr. Pratt; with engravings 
by Cardon, after Drawings by Louther- 
bourg and Barker.” This elegant volume 
will be welcomed no less by the admirers 
of beautiful typography, and masterly 
engravings, than by the lovers of Poetry, 
The designs. of Loutherbourg are very 
finely conceived, and spiritedly executed. 
The “ Social Savage,” and “‘ The Hermit,” 
from the Poem of “Sympathy,” are 
chef d’ceuvres in their way; both from 
the hands of Barker, the painter of the 
“ Woodman,” &c. Of the contents of 
this volume we cannot speak too highly. 
“Sympathy,” has long since taken its 
rank among the very best Poems of the 
age; and will never be out of fashion 
2 
The - 
Retrospect of Domestic Interature.—Poetry. 
while there are hearts susceptible of en- 
joying the best and purest pleasures. of 
human nature. If there he any one sub- 
ject better adapted than another to the 
Muse of Mr, Pratt, it is unquestionably 
that of Sympathy. “ Cottage Pictures,” 
written during a year of alarming scar- 
city, contain much useful information 
and admonition, as well as much delight- 
ful poetry. Besides Tears of Genius, 
and Landscapes in Verse, there are in 
this collection several occasional Poems, 
of recent dates, which are pleasing proofs 
that the fire of imagination still keeps 
pace with the benevolent warmth of the 
Poet’s heart.. In short, we thank Mr. 
Pratt for this volume, which by its man- 
ner and matter isso well adapted to super- 
sede the political squibs in verse, and the 
licentious ballads, that have too long 
been the nuisance of the toilette, the 
drawing-room, and the alcove. 
The circumstances under which Mr. 
Fyre’s “ Poems and Criticisms” appear, 
demand peculiar indulgence. He did 
not live ta publish them himself; and by 
their success the cause of the helpless is 
to be supported. Among the Poems on 
the different months we are teld, ** Febru- 
ary,” was in such an imperfect state that 
it could not be inserted, and the months 
“October” and “ November,” were not 
to be found. These are clear indica- 
tions, that if the different specimens had 
received the author’s last correction, they 
would have appeared to greater advan- 
tage than at present. “ January,” is one 
of the best. The criticisms are more 
neatly written than the Poetry: though 
we think we have read the substance of 
several before. That which relates toa 
passage borrowed from Dryden, by Gold- 
smith, we think is hardly made out. If 
it is, Goldsmith improved wonderfully 
upon the lines he stole. 
The Poem, however, which seems to 
demand the greatest attention in our 
present Retrospect, is Mr. Sornrsy’s 
“<Saul:” in blank verse. It has less 
freedom perhaps than almost any of his 
former productions, and is in many in- 
stances abrupt, But there is a strain of 
piety in it, and an occasional beauty of 
language which deserve our warmest 
commendation. It consists of two parts, 
in four books each. The first book. 
opens with the symptoms of Saul’s pos- 
session with the evil spirit. Mr. Sotheby 
supposes the unhappy king to be haunted 
by a spectre which successively assumes 
his own form and character in the days 
of shepherd innocence: from time to 
time 
