504 Retrafpedi of Dom: ftic Literature.—Novels and Romances. 
that is executed with a very fuperior ener- 
gy and fpirit. Mr. Herbert informs his 
‘readers that in his tranflation he has aimed 
at clofene(s rather than ornament, though 
it would have been cafier to adorn than to 
copy faithfully. If Mr. Herbert's verfron 
is faithful, Mr. Cottle mult have taken 
very unwarrantable liberties. “The other 
poems which Mr, Herbert has publithed 
in his firft part are, The Battle of Hafu- 
ro Bay ; The Defcent of Odin; The Dy- 
ing Song of Afbiorn ; Gunlang and Ra- 
fen; The Combat of Hialmar; ‘The 
Song of Hrcke, the Black; the Death of 
Hacon; and a Fragment of Biarkamal. 
A gentleman of the fame name, Mr. 
HERBERT, ‘has publifhed a volume of 
“ Tranflations froin the German, Daniph, 
&c. . They are executed with fpirit.— 
The following is an original production, 
which our readers will perufe with pleafure. 
ODE TO DESPAIR. 
O thou, the fiend to Death allied, 
Who fitt’ft by weeping Sortaw’s fide, 
And bidd’ft unreal fhapes arife, 
Of monttrous port and giant fize— 
Defpair! thy Gorgon eye 
Can numb the heart with ftern controul, 
And bind in ice the palfied foul, 
W here’er beneath fome whittling fhed 
Thy fullen form is laid, : 
Scaring from orphan breafts the balm of fleep ; 
Or liftening to the hollow figh 
Of her whofe infants watch and weep; 
While round her fide, with low confuming 
pangs 
The barking dogs of Famine hang. 
IT. 
Or caft upon fome tracklefs fhore, 
*4Sainft which the barren billows roar, 
Thou turn’ft thy leaden eyes in vain 
Acrofs the immeafurable main; _ 
And, thro’ the hoarfely murmuring fpray, 
Hear’ft the fad fea-fhriek die away, 
While through the howling ftorm, in awful 
pride, — 
The baleful fpirits of the thunder ride. 
HI 
Oft by the taper’s mournful ray, 
In arched vaults but dimly feen, 
Where cloifter’d virgins vainly pray, 
Thou lov’ ft to mark the folemn fecene ; 
And haunt the gloomy cell 
Where pale Regret and hopelefs Memory 
dwell, 
And weeping Love; and by his fide 
Unfated Lutt and ling’ring Pride, 
Who left the world they lov’d fo well, 
And Shame, that fhuns the day. 
IV. 
But fierce, on the blood-ftain’d ground, 
Where cruth’d Ambition ftares around, 
And kindred Vice, of coward foul, 
That hugs the knife with downcaft eye, 
And dreads the blow fhe dares not fly 5 
There fits thy dark terrific form, 
With fwollen balls, that wildly roll, 
And points the flowly gathering ftorm 
Big with the threats of Fate. 
Around thee hideous phantoms wait, 
And chiefly he, the giant power, 
Whom luftfai Sin to Murder bore, 
Fell Suicide, that talks behind, 
With ghaftly {mile and baneful breath, - 
When Hope has left the guilty mind, 
Sounding the dirge of Death. 
<< Poems by CHartes A. ELTON, E/g. 
Captain of the 48th regiment.” "This vo- 
lume is the firft produétion of a young 
officer inthe army. The fubiects are ge- 
nerally pleating, the di€tion poetical, and 
the verfion good: the poems betray marks 
of hatte, but the profeffion of the author 
will plead his excufe for minor ioaccura-_ 
cies. Many of thefe little poems are ad- 
drefled by Captain Elton to his wife: 
they do honour to his heart. 
Dr. Brown, the able oppugner of 
fome of Dr. Darwin’s theories, has pub- 
- lifhed two volumes of ** Poems,’ of very 
unequal merit. They are chiefly ama- 
tory :_but the fires of Jove play idly round 
‘the Dogtor’s heart; they warm it not. 
One fentiment of fincere affeétion from 
Captain Elton to his wife, a fingle fianza, 
a fingle line in teltimony of connubial 
love, bas far greater charms for us than 
a thoufand fonnets to a thoufand Coelias. 
°* Good Tidings; or News from the 
Farm: a Poem, by RopertT Brioom- 
FIELD.” It has been the fate of fome 
authors to * rife like the rocket, and fall 
like the flick ;’*> Mr. Bloomfeld’s genius 
burns with undiminifhed luftre. Nature 
marked him fora poet in his cradle, and 
the youth negle&s not the high calling. 
An elegant edition is jutt publifhed of 
FAaLCONER’s ** Shipwreck,” by the Rev. 
STaniER CLarke, who has illuftrated | 
the text by various notes, and:given a Life 
of the author. 
NOVELS AND ROMANCES. 
© Confefions in Elyfium , or the Adven- 
tures of a Platonic Poilofopher. From the 
German of C. M.Wietann. By Joun 
BATTERSBY ELRINGTON, Ef.” Wie- 
land here attempts to defcribe Grecian | 
manners and Grecian lyftems; he is not 
very fuccefsful. . 
Mr. Brown’s ‘* Edzar Huntley, or the- 
Memoirs of a Sleep-Waiker,” difplays con- 
fiiderable genius: the fcene is Jaid in Ame- 
rica, and the defcriptions are faid to be 
accurate. 
“6 The 
