gs 
‘The ruined walls overgrown with bram- 
bles and thiftles, heaps of rubb:fh lying in 
the once beautiful garden, now the abode 
of loathfome reptiles ; 
Where the fair neétarine grac’d the funny 
walls, - 
Rank nettles rife, and dark’ning ivy crawls, 
Midf ruin’d heaps each noxious reptile dwells, 
And fhadows flalk along the gloomy cells. 
‘The flower-garden and efpaliers, nowa 
fhapelefs mais of ruins, form a group of 
imagery which the poet has certainly 
wrought into a finithed pifture. The 
apoftrophe to the decay of youth and beau- 
ty, asa moral reflection on the decayed 
manfion, is brought in with judgment, 
and happily expreifed. 
In the body of Village Scenes is inter- 
woven a beautiful but melancholy ftory of 
Aurelia and Favonius.—The firft bud- 
dings of a virtuous paffion in Favonius, 
the amiable and modett confeffion of Au- 
relia at its declaration, the defcription of 
a mutual affection and efteem, of their 
union, of their domeftic happinefs, with 
the account of the unfertunate and prema- 
ture fate of Aurelia, and of the feelings 
and fituation of Favonius at the time, are 
told in no common ftyle of poetry, and 
befpeak the author to be acquainted with 
the internal workings of the human mind. 
The account of the fuperftitious credulity 
of the country people, their terror of 
ghofts, and their tales of haunted woods, 
deferves- commendation; not only for the 
happy manner by which they are intro- 
duced into the poem, but alfo for the 
Beautiful imagery which accompanies the 
defcription : 
Where yon broad oaks their rugged arms 
outipread, 
Dark bending o’er the nightly pilgrim’s head, 
There oft’, "tis faid, terrific fpeétres ftalk 
Over pale Credulity’s no€turnal walk. 
Oft round the wintry fire, to audience pale, 
Grey-headed age repeats the fearful tale 5 
In the dark wood dim-glimmering lights are 
feen, 
Quick glancing ghofts rufh by, of haggard 
mien 3 
Vile imprecations, indiftin@, and cries 
Imploring pity, thro’ the gloom arife ; 
Now difmal founds of death the ear invade, 
And lamentations echo thro’ the glade. 
The appeal to Phiiofophy, againft the 
magic fictions of fuperftition, and againtt 
the idea that in a future ftate friends and 
relations will not recognize one another, 
concludes Village Scenes; which will cer- 
tainly be read with confiderable intereft 
and amufement, interfperfed as they are 
Account of the Poems of T. Batchelor. 
{Dee. 1, 
with truly poetical defcriptions of objects 
in the ceconomy of human life. 
The Progrefs of Agriculture, or the Rz- 
ral Survey, is the {econd piece of poetry 
in this volume. After opening this poem 
by a farewell to Spring, and after an ac- 
count of the’ confufed flate of aricient 
eericuliurey the poet defcribes the rough 
uncultivated heath, and the barren moor, 
*¢ with wandering flocks by lonely fhep-- 
herd fed." The playful rabbit, the timo- 
rous light-heeled race, tripping over the 
fedgy prals, the zgnis fatuus dancing over 
the dark morafs, are happily painted: 
Foul ftagnant pools rofe o’er the dark morafs, 
be tg fring’d, and chok’d with fedgy 
grafs: 
And frequent thence mephitic vapours fprung, 
Which all the peafants’ brawny nerves un- 
firung 3 : 
And oft when night’s dark mantle cloth’d 
the fky, . 
Phofphoric glimmerings met the 
eye, 
Delufive lights o’er faithlefs pools that play, 
And tempt th’ unwary to a dangerous way. 
~The happy effects of proper cultivation, 
with the change it has produced from the 
{wampy watte to the {miling well till'd 
plain, the different procefles of burning 
the weeds, draining, and irrigation, next | 
engage the attention of the reader, and 
certainly deferve confiderable praife. The 
confolidation of many fmall farms next 
forms a complaint of this rural poet. He 
pathetically defcribes the compiaints of 
the little farmer whofe land has been, 
fwallowed up by this monopoly. 
The poet, however, derives confolation 
from the thought that there exifts a race 
of men attentive to the miferies of the 
poor, and watchful guardians of the liber- 
ties of their country ; confiderable anima- 
tion pervades thefe lines, which glow with 
the facred love of liberty ; » 
High o’er the grov’ling, felfifh, reptile crew, 
A noble, powerful, gen’rous race I view, 
Still prompt, at pure Humanity’s commands 
To banifh mif’ry from their native land. 
Thefe, in the Senate, plead the facred caufe 
Of genuine Liberty and equal laws, 
Drag forth Corruption from her dark retreat, 
And break the fetters from the guiltlefs feet, 
The tyrant’s frown, the tyrant’s fteel defy, 
In glory live, or nobly dare to die. - 
Upon this occafion an opportunity is taken 
to pay an appropriate and juft tribute to 
the memory of the late Duke of Bedford ; 
Is there a name fuperior to the reft, 
Whom Agriculture’s laurel wreaths invefy 
Patron of peace, and liberty, and law, 
Whom flaves efteem’d, and fattions heard 
with awe, 
Tr 
we 
traveller’s 
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