Billeder på siden
PDF
ePub

and prudence, which had also adorned his youth, continued through a long and difficult reign, to give him the victory over his enemies, and to establish his kingdom in an orderly and flourishing condition."

In the lecture on the second part of the history of Solomon, the author takes notice of doubts which have been entertained by those who have treated of Scripture-geography, respecting the position of Tarshish and Ophir; and, as the articles of the freight of the Tarshish ships, viz." gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks," do not seem to have been sufficiently considered, in ascertaining the sea on which this port must have been placed, we shall transcribe Dr. Hill's illustration of this subject:

It was long a matter of uncertain conjecture where Tarshish and Ophir lay; and it appeared difficult to explain how a voyage to any country then known, should last for three years, and why the length of time should be always the same. But here, as in many other instances, the progress of knowledge, and that intimate acquaintance which we are acquiring with all the regions of the globe, have vindicated Scripture from objections which ignorance had suggested, and have placed, in the most striking light, the accuracy of the sacred historians. A late travellerer* directing our attention to the course of the winds in those seas, to the manner of navigation in ancient times, and to various circumstances of the voyage, has confirmed what former researches had rendered probable, and has demonstrated to the satisfaction of all who read his work, that the navy of Solomon, setting out from Eloth and Ezion-geber, past down the Red Sea, and entering through the straits of Babelmandel into the Indian Ocean, took there a westerly direction, by which it arrived in the second year at the kingdom of Sofala. This kingdom, which was sometimes called Ophir, lies on the coast of Africa, opposite to the island of Madagascar. It abounds with gold and silver mines, which appear to have been wrought from the earliest times; and Tarshish is the name of a place situate near these mines. The navy, after completing those parts of its cargo which were found in that country, sailed in the second year on its return home. It was obliged to touch at other places for some of the articles which constituted its cargo; and from the course of the winds which blow in those seas, it could not reach Eloth till near the end of the third year.

The kingdom of Sofala is represented by some ancient authors, and by the traditions of the adjoining countries, as having belonged to the Queen of Saba, or Azab, who is called by the sacred historian the Queen of Sheba, and by our Lord the Queen of the South, and whose dominions extended as far as the Straits of Babelmandel, along that coast of Africa which is washed by the Indian Ocean. The quantity of gold and silver which was sent in every voyage from her mines to the land of Palestine, drew the attention of the Queen of Sheba; and having learnt by the intercourse of successive voyages, that the King of Palestine was no less famous for his wisdom than for the splendour of his court, she resolved, like other lovers of wisdom in those days, to travel to Jerusalem, in order to state to this living

Bruce's Travels into Abyssinia.'

P 2

oracle,

oracle, difficulties which the measure of knowledge in her country was unable to solve, and to enlarge her mind, by visiting the court of a prince, whose fame exceeded that of all the kings of the earth.'

We have no doubt that a second edition of this useful work will be demanded; when, probably, Dr. Hill will improve some of his sketches of Scripture-characters.

POETRY.

Art. 21. Woburn-Abbey Georgics; or, the Last Gathering. A Poem, in Four Cantos. Cantos III. and IV. 8vo. pp. 48. Chapple.

In Vol. lxxii., N. S., p. 213., we took a rapid glance at the first two cantos of this satirical poem. The conclusion now before us is in the same style with the parts already noticed, involving in a stream of ridicule every individual who figures in the drama. The resolu tion of the present Duke of Bedford, respecting the discontinuance of the annual sheep-shearing-festivity at Woburn-Abbey, is the subject of deep regret with gentlemen-agriculturists; and the last gathering brings them together, not indeed in doleful dumps, but just in that humour which converts apparent seriousness into comicality. We think that more spirit is diffused through the satirical narrative in the last two than in the first and second cantos of this poem. The duet between Messrs. Priest and Young is skilfully managed; the sheepshearing contest is well related; and the stroke of satire introduced unavoidably excites a smile. It is the dinner-scene, however, in the last canto, for which the poet reserves his powers of ridicule; and the speech of the Duke, in dismissing the agriculturists to find a dinner elsewhere, will be a very fair specimen of the talents of this laughing bard:

"Friends! 'tis my faith, I need not say,
That proud ye make me, here, to day;
As, round my hall and table, stand
The rank, weight, talents, of the land:
All in the common cause embraced,
To save the land from running waste;
To do, what's past the power of pen,
To make clowns farm like gentlemen.
Patterns we set-they do not heed;
Stock we improve-they will not breed;
Books we send forth-they cannot read.
Prizes I offer still in vain ;

None irrigate, or under-drain:

And, where a candidate makes claim,

Coke on his farming cries out- Shame!'

Year after year has thus o'er past,

And this not better than the last;
Why, then, should I your labours ask,
Farther, in this ungrateful task!
And why, the word I pledged in vain,
That aye this meeting shall remain,
Should ye not give me back again?

There,

[blocks in formation]

But, long as my poor life endures,

My thanks, my house, my heart, are yours.
One parting word; and, then, farewell !—
Something, on which you all may dwell;
That royal maxim let me tell-

· Keep your

land clean, and muck it well!'— And, in your minds, sink this also —

-

[merged small][ocr errors]

After this speech, silence for some time ensues.

At last, how

ever, Lord Somerville laments the death of Duke Francis: but, being badly seconded in this dirge, Lord Erskine delivers the meeting from its embarrassment by volunteering a song, which we might quote for its humour, but must reject and reprehend for its inuendoes.

This poet pays little regard to his rhimes; being more sollicitous to produce satirical effect than to polish his numbers.

Art. 22. The Modern Antique; or the Muse in the Costume of Queen Anne. 8vo. 12s. Boards. Pople. 1813.

Severe and addicted to censure as we are sometimes considered, we seldom have reason to dispute the free option of an author to affix his own title to his own work. The present anonymous gentleman, therefore, we hope, will attribute to none but the purest motives the slight alteration which we venture to suggest for the benefit of his book; and the rather as it would convert the first page into a kind of index to the whole. We think, and we recommend it to his serious thought, that by the mere substitution of "Mother Goose" for "Queen Anne," the author will honestly represent to his readers the true, genuine, and lively idea of what they are permitted to expect.

In adverting to its contents, whither shall we turn; to the right, or to the left; to the prose, or to the verse; in what chosen spot of all the mazes of this merry foolishness will our readers most willingly disport? Shall we pluck a flower or two from the preface, as we pass along; or shall we tear them by bunches and by clusters from those hot beds of nonsense, the Odes to Music, to Marriage, and to Genius? Shall we simply take measure of the author's head, and, wreathing a few chaplets from his songs, sonnets, and elegies, present to him, in this sweet and engaging form, the delicate tribute of our admiration? Each of these compliments might separately be injudicious and ineffectual. The field is vast, but our limits are small. Good and gentle reader, accept a small specimen or two, and may they do thee good!

[blocks in formation]

ON A RAINY-DAY.

Fair Nature in tears,
More lovely appears,
As seeming to borrow

Fresh charms from her sorrow;
Behold her lamenting,

Thus bitterly venting,
For ev'ry mishap,
For every flaw,
For every gap,

That saddens her law.'

THE FLOWERET IN JUNE.

'As the flow'ret in June

So is man in his prime;
Ah! that perishes soon!
E'en so short is his time.

• See his blossom of youth!
in the Sun;

Fall

away

Ripe to reason and truth

See he drops, and life's done!'

Again, in a sort of dythyrambus, or rhapsody of verses excessively long and excessively short, we encounter the following noisy words:

The vestibule reverb'd his wrath

So thunder tells the lightning's scath;
Words could ill restrain his ire,

Rage involves the soul in fire.
To calm his anger,

Call not reason;
The trumpet's clangor

More in season;

Music alone can quell his

rage,

Music the fatal storm assuage.

• CHORUS.

To calm his anger

Call not reason;
The trumpet's clangor

More in season;

Music alone can quell his rage,

Music the fatal storm assuage.

Sin Down, Down, Down, Derry Down!

Art. 23.

1814.

Sir Hornbook; or Childe Launcelot's Expedition; a Grammatico-Allegorical Ballad. Pocket 4to. Is. 6d. Sharpe and Hailes. This little poem is not sufficiently plain to be substituted for the first pages of an English Grammar, but it is written with spirit, and it will both exercise and reward the ingenuity of its young readers.

Art.

Art. 24. No Popery! George Gordon's Ghost; Catholic Emancipation; the Papists' Petition; the Prince Regent's Reply; the Middle Course; and other Poems. By Harry Hornet, Esq. 4to. 5s. Eaton.

The gentleman who here assumes the name of Harry Hornet would have us suppose that his poetry carries a sting in its tail; and the advocates for bigotry and intolerance may probably feel the sharpness of his goad, though no poison be injected into the wound. He inlists his muse on the side of Catholic emancipation, and in alexandrine stanzas pleads for liberal policy: but his verse is deficient in several respects, and will not be fully tolerated even by the warmest lovers of toleration. The very first line is sadly lame:

In George Third fifty-second, what prescience e'er reckon'd?' Indeed, this line is not English, and some of its brethren are in the same predicament.

'The Papists' Petition' contains the following stanzas:

O grant us "Catholic Emancipation;"

Let Freedom's charter" be to all unfurl'd!

So thy three kingdoms

[ocr errors][merged small]

Shall form, whose union may defy the world!"

• Nor zealots heed, who seek, to dash our hope,
Thy facile mind of danger to convince !

Tho' as our church's head- we own the Pope,
Our Liege, and Country's head, we hail our Prince!

Yes! for that Prince, and country, Truth declares,
Our lives, our fortunes - we with zeal expose;
Nor is our Loyalty less staunch than their's,
Who falsely libel all our sect, as foes!'

The Prince Regent is made to reply to the Catholic petition in a very rough and uncourtly style. In the petition itself, the Prince is reminded that

"All England's greatest Kings were Catholics !"
Such have our Edwards and our Henrys been;
Till the eighth Harry, in his lustful freaks,
"Divorc❜d religion, to divorce his queen!"

to which he thus answers:

True! Eighth Harry, his old teazing spouse to divorce,
Nor be tied in his amours to "good things" of one sort,
Did divorce" his old faith ;" and I'd do that, or worse,
To be rid of "my cousin, my subject, and consort!”

And, as to the title, the Pope once conferr'd;
Why, what folly to think, "change of faith has repeal'd it.'
Tis mine by succession; and who ever heard
"Of a title renounc'd-'cause a scoundrel entail'd it ?"

[blocks in formation]
« ForrigeFortsæt »