to Drayton or to Browne. We are certainly becoming better acquainted with the poetry of our forefathers than our immediate predecessors seem to have been; and this is one symptom of improvement in our taste. A raciness and a vigour are displayed by these founders of English harmony, which will be of peculiar use to the student who has hitherto only reposed on the smoother verse of their followers. Drayton's verses to Browne, quoted at page 122. of the second volume, will be to some readers a surprizing specimen of the perfection to which the art of versification had been brought before the days of their exclusive favourites, Dryden and Pope. In fact, too much stress is laid on the later improvements in the smoothness of English verse. It was in the rich and varied harmony which Dryden introduced, that his principal merit consisted. Not only was "Waller smooth," but many before him. — We are deviating, however, from our subject, and must return to chew the cud a little longer with the present essayist. In one of his ruminations, he calls our attention to Quarles's Emblems, and some other works of that quaint but far from original author. In another, we have a brief notice of Cowper's translation of Homer, justly placed at an immeasurable distance below that of his great rival. A fault committed by them both is mentioned, which indeed has often been stated before; the second syllable of Sperchius is made short by both translators. -We have also a republication of Anstey's version of Gray's Elegy, which was scarcely necessary; though the version isone of the best of those "numbers numberless" which have appeared. The Epitaph, with the exception of the first line, is peculiarly happy. An extract from Warburton's Correspondence with Hurd, a book of such very recent date, seems hardly admissible into a miscellany professing to be original. It is, however, difficult to say whether the extravagance of modern publications does not in some measure palliate the offence of those who favour us with selections from them, and thus (if they do not violate the laws of literary property) contribute to the general knowlege of valuable works. We were much gratified by the eloquent tribute to the memory of Algernon Sydney, at page 164. of the second volume; and we confess that we contemplate the portrait of this illustrious patriot with nearly the same sensations of respect as those which the Ruminator' describes himself to have felt when walking along the galleries of Penshurst, and looking at the stern countenance of Sydney in the seat of his ancestors. The anecdote at page 170. of Vol. ii., in an essay on the Pleasures and Uses of Fancy,' of an eminent mathematician who could find no merit nor amusement in Virgil, because he could find no proof in him,' is a fair characteristic of the turn of mind which is produced by exclusive habits of mathematical study but, generally speaking, the abstractions of the metaphysician are infinitely more favourable to a taste for the arts of imagination. Indeed, without some inquiry into the principles of the human mind, it is clear that we shall be unable to give a reason for the pleasure which we receive from beautiful passages of poetry; and, if this should be considered as unnecessary by the careless mass of readers, we shall even be deprived of much additional enjoyment, from wanting a full perception of the skill of the poet.-This, however, is opening a subject that would require a volume to illustrate it. At page 184. we have some stanzas from the poem of "Childe Alarique:" but we have already offered our critique on that performance *.- In an essay on Posthumous Fame, we have much too high-flown a panegyric on Mr. Wordsworth, We are far from insensible to the great original powers of this writer but, in the whole catalogue of excentric aberrations from sound and established taste, we know not any instance so striking as his poetical theory, and the examples by which he has supported it. Abounding in facilities for conveying pure and unmixed pleasure to his readers, he has chosen to debase his most natural passages with that sort of familiarity which is sure to "breed contempt;" and he has at times almost emasculated his understanding by a vain fondness for his own phantom of simplicity: "Non illa priorum simplicitas.” We wish that the Ruminator' would have attended more to the advice furnished by one of his correspondents, in the opening words of the subjoined sentence: but we cannot too strongly protest against the sweeping conclusion. What! are we to have no relief for our cares, no participation of our enjoyments, our most secret cares, and our deepest enjoyments, in any human breast? This must have been, assuredly, an unintentional or an idle generality of expression. There are secret stores of cherished thought which ought always to be secret; which we may partake indeed with the friendly paper on which they are arrested and fixed; but never, never, with any human being!' Dii meliora piis.—What fol lows is not unamusing; and the truth of the remark with which it ends should be generally felt and acknowleged: am pleased with that expression attributed in the news-papers to Lord Wellington, that, if he thought even the hairs on his head were acquainted with any of his plans, he would shave them off and wear a wig. In the same narrative (which whether * See Review for March last. I false false or authentic it is needless for me to consider,) it is observed that Lord W. is always frank and cheerful among his brother officers; an example of frankness and reserve existing (as they almost invariably do) at one and the same time in a great character.' In the essay on the Character of Sir William Jones,'-that "mind of ages in a single breast," as Wrangham nobly says, his Farewell to the Muse is prettily translated: but the remarks on Rousseau want much revision. A perusal of the character of that extraordinary being, which we lately selected from the "Picture of French Literature *," would be of service to the essayist. Number 100. contains some good observations on Johnson. Having alluded to his unfortunate fondness for victory in argument, which degenerated at times into a complete passion for contradiction, the author proceeds: But there was another circumstance which had a tendency to warp the justice of his sincere opinions. Early in life he had probably discovered the inclination of his own imagination to predominate dangerously over his reason. On this account he used every exertion to subdue it; to reduce it to the severest trammels of argumentation, and the most sober paths of mental employment. Hence he acquired a habit of preferring the lower departments of the muse; he best liked reasoning in verse; dry ethical couplets; and practical observations upon daily life.' We acknowlege much justice in these reflections; and we think that they are not undeserving of the attention of those who, from feeling the predominant bias of their mind towards the exercise of the imagination, are apt to run into the contrary extreme, and labour to extinguish all their natural enthusiasm. We shall leave the Ruminator' exulting, in his 102d number, over the illustrious deeds of the noble family of Clifford, with which he claims honourable connection; only observing that it depends entirely on ourselves whether hereditary pride in the merits of our ancestors be the most pleasing or the most painful of sensations. ART. V. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. For the Year 1813. OBS [Article concluded from p. 79.] ASTRONOMICAL PAPERS in PART I. BSERVATIONS of the Summer Solstice, 1812, at the Royal F.R.S. * See Appendix to Vol. lxxi. of the Monthly Review. A Catalogue of North Polar Distances of some of the principal fixed Stars. By the Same. Observation of the Winter Solstice of 1812, with the Mural Circle, at Greenwich. By the Same. ASTRONOMICAL PAPERS in PART II. Catalogue of North Polar Distances of eighty-four principal fixed Stars, deduced from Observations made with the Mural Circle at the Royal Observatory. By the Same. Observations of the Summer Solstice, 1813, with the Mural Circle, at the Royal Observatory. By the Same. We are here presented with the first series of observations which have been made with the new mural circle at Greenwich, and we are happy to find that this beautiful instrument is likely to possess that extreme degree of accuracy which the celebrity of the artist and the well known talents and experience of its original projector led us to anticipate. Dr. Maskelyne had long looked forwards with pleasure to the time at which he might commence a course of observations with this new circle, but unfortunately he did not live to see it completed; and it is now, therefore, from his successor, Mr. Pond, that astronomers are expecting the confirmation or correction of former observations, and the dependent results. We could have wished to have seen a description of this master-piece of art, before our attention had been called to its application: but this interesting communication has been reserved till the instrument can be completely finished; and probably it would have been as well to have waited the same time before the results of the observations themselves had been reported, since the final completion seems to be as necessary in the latter case as in the former: As it is intended,' says Mr. Pond, that a minute description of the mural circle lately erected at the Royal Observatory, when completely finished, shall be laid before the Royal Society, I think it unnecessary to accompany this communication with any other remarks on its construction, than such as are absolutely necessary to render the annexed observations intelligible; being only anxious to take an early opportunity of transmitting the result of the observations of the sun, made at the last summer solstice. For, notwithstanding the instrument was at that time in a very unfinished and imperfect state, I have reason to think, that the observations made with it were much more exact than could have been made with any other instrument hitherto constructed: the uncertainty of the result, as far as the instrument itself is concerned, does not, I believe, exceed a small fraction of a second; but I think it necessary to offer a few remarks on the elements of the computation, by which the result is obtained. The distance of the sun from the pole at the moment of the solstice, may either be considered as a simple arc, or as composed of two others, namely, the distance of the sun from the zenith, and the distance of the zenith from the pole. From the construction of instruments which take their point of departure from the position of a plumb-line or level, it is a general method to measure these two arcs separately; that is to say, the zenith distance of the sun is considered as the immediate object of investigation, and the remaining arc, or, as it is usually termed, the co-latitude of the place, (the knowledge of which is presumed,) is added to complete the polar distance. But in whatever way we consider the subject, it is evident that the sole object of the practical astronomer is to obtain by some mechanical means the measure of this total arc. • The mural circle at Greenwich has neither level nor plumb-line, nor do I conceive that the least advantage could be derived from the application of either: its principle enables the observer to determine this total arc without any intermediate or zenith point; hence the colatitude, the knowledge of which is so essential from the construction of other instruments, is in this case rather a question of curiosity than of absolute necessity.. I find it, however, convenient (for reasons which I hope to have an opportunity of stating more at large in a future paper) to assume an intermediate point, which I call the zenith point, without being at all anxious to know whether it is really so or not; because I find myself possessed of the means of determining the position of this imaginary point of departure, on the instrument, to within the tenth of a second, a degree of precision, which I apprehend no level or plumbline can ever be expected to equal. From this point of departure, I measure the distance of the sun to the southward, and of the pole to the northward, and the sum of these two measures is evidently the north polar distance of the sun, which in every method is the ultimate object to be attained. I have, as an example, annexed a computation of the same solstice obtained by direct measurement, from the pole, without the aid of the intermediate point above mentioned; and it will be seen that the results do not in this case differ above a quarter of a second from each other. There is indeed no other difference between these two methods but that, in the former case, the part of the arc Z P is obtained rather more accurately, by a great number of observations both before and after the solstice, than could be done in the short interval of time in which the solstice itself is observed. By sixty observations of y draconis, of which only three differ so much as 1" from the mean, it appears that the zenith point which I have assumed is 2, 18′, 64, south of the mean position of y draconis for the beginning of the year 1812, which is the same quantity that is found by the observations with the zenith sector, 1811.' We are anxious to see an illustration of the principle adopted to avoid the use of the plumb-line and level; which, we apprehend, if once well established, must be deemed an important improvement in astronomical observations: since we presume that it will be the means of avoiding those errors which have been, |