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in all: he tossed Shakspeare, gored in the province of both poets. HowMilton, and trampled "Pope. The ever, after the formal announcement same pert and petulant vanity pranks of a new theory of rural poetry, and itself in our faces when he writes after the bragging bravery of St. verses himself. In his Dithyrambic Lambert's critic, we should at least to the Shade of Voltaire, we have this have looked for something original : couplet :

and it will not be easy for a believer

in prefaces and critical flourishes to Auprès de Crebillon Eschyle ici placé Le contemple, surpris de se voir surpassé ;

trust his own eyes, when he finds

mere Frenchified silhouette of as well he might be: and in the Thomson's gorgeous but masterly “ epitre sur les effets de la nature picture; not merely the general plan champêtre,” he calls St. Lambert but the intimate details being with“ le vainqueur de Thomson :” a out ceremony adopted from the Enpitch of impudence at which he had glish poet. In short, we have the already arrived in his prose critiques. phenomena and labours of the proIt may be worth while just to look gressive year regularly detailed and at St. Lambert.

described, with the interchanged reThe author of the “ Saisons" lief of episodical tales : the worthy wishes to persuade us, and it must poet has even given us a bathing be owned has succeeded in persuad- scene, entitled, “ Damon and Lise,” ing himself, that he has struck out which is a paltry version of Damon a path entirely distinct from that and Musidora, degraded by French trodden by Thomson. “ Thomson, grossness. If the reader of the anit seems, aimed at making Nature ad- nexed passage (not at all an unfamired; it is St. Lambert's object to vourable specimen in point of diction make her beloved.” An antithesis, and versification), be reminded of like a bon-mot, is always something “O quis me vallibus Hæmi,” will he with a Frenchman: but the blunder not be equally reminded of Thom(for it is one) is of the same sort as son ? Yet M. St. Lambert, who that on which the French stumble in goes through the loves of the aniregard to Milton: as if he could only mals, and all the old Virgilian as deal with the gloomy and the terri- well as Thomsonian common-places, ble. Tender feelings, and pictures really dreams that he is all the time of soft and delicate beauty, are with- no less original than charming.

Oh! que ne puis-je errer dans les sentiers profonds,
Ou j'ai vu des torrens rouler du haut des monts,
A travers les rochers et la sombre verdure ?
Que ne suis-je égaré dans la vallée obscure,
Où des monts de Luna, qui portent son canal,
Tombe le Nil immense en voûte de cristal ?
Je verrais réjaillir ses eaux precipitées,
Le soleil enflammer leurs masses argentées,
Et sous un ciel serein les humides vapeurs
De la brillante Iris etaler les couleurs.
Le bruit, l'aspect des eaux, leur écume élancée,
Refraicheroient de loin mes sens et ma pensée ;
Et là couronné d'ombre, entouré de fraicheur,

Je braverais en paix les feux de l'equateur. But what materially injures the Æolus and Ceres, and the rest, wheneffect of the rural details of the poem,

ever he has occasion to mention the and what would alone suffice to de- sea, or the wind, or the harvest. termine Thomson's immeasurable su

Let us

come back to our periority of taste and feeling, as the times. poet of simple nature, is the pedan

MILLEVOYE has made some cletry of St. Lambert's style. Thom- ver versions from the Iliad. When son is a little too oriental; but he he says of Achilles, does not rummage out from the

son enorme poitrine Pantheon the old dust-powdered Rayonne sous l'aciergods and goddesses, Neptune and he shows an attention to the Ho

own

merio traits of barbarlan * bulk of in ten-syllable verse, and is airy and stature which Pope wante. Mille- elegant. The machinery is supplied voye complimented Napoleon with by the machinations of an enamoura poem on Austerlitz, and dedicated ed and vindictive fairy. The followto the Empress the metrical ro- ing pretty invocation has equal mance of “Charlemagne at Pavia." merit in the numbers and the imaIt is written in irregular rhyme, and gery:

“ Sylphes brillans, aimables infidèles,"
Illusions, compagnes d'amour,
Prenez vos luths et parfumez vos ailes ;
Si tant de fois votre invisible essaim,
Glissant dans l'ombre aux heures du mystère,
Fit soupirer la vierge solitaire,
Et souleva l'albâtre de son sien ;
Si par vos soins le miroir de la nue,
Qui se colore aux flammes du matin,
Lui présenta dans un riant lointain
Du jeune amant l'apparence inconnue:
A la lueur du magique flambeau
Accompagnez mon nocturne voyage ;
“ Je vous prepare un triomphe nouveau :
Elle se tut: dans la troupe volage
Un bruit flatteur doucement circula ;
Comme le bruit du mobile feuillage,

Ou l'abeille aux montagnes d'Hybla." VIGÉs is an agreeable writer; but preux chévalier, against Milton and his subjects are too local and tem- Pope, and ransacks all history in porary to excite much interest their favour: among us. He takes the tone of Pope, from whom he borrows, and Tout commande l'amour, même l'idolatrie, has written an epistle on the “ Uti- exclaims the gallant Frenchman. lity of Criticism," and two satires, The style of Le Gouvé partakes of « Les Visites ” and “ Ma Journée.” the common French defect: it is too

Le Gouvé is the French Rogers. didactic. The poems are rather He is the author of “ Les Souvenirs,"essays in verse than poems. We “ La Sepulture,” “ La Melancolie," meet, however, with pleasing pasand « Le Mérite des Femmes.” In sages; as in the allusion to the cethe latter he defends the sex, like a meteries of Switzerland.

Là, les siens, près du temple,
Vont déposer sa cendre en un bocage épais,
Y plantent des lilas, des roses, des aillets,
Arrosent chaque jour leurs tiges abreuvées ;
Il semble qu'en ces fleurs, par leurs mains cultivées,
Ils raniment l'objet près d'elles inhumé,
Et respirent son ame en leur souffle embaumé.

LACENTO. Homer describes Achilles returning his sword by the circumstance of his pressing his heavy hand on the hilt : Pope had not the courage to retain this; but says tamely and taylor-like,

“ In the sheath return!d the shining blade." Dryden saw the beauty, and tried to seize it, by transferring the force of the epithet to the verb:

“And in the shining scabbard plunged the sword;" but this suggests rather impetuosity of feeling than gigantic strength. Cowper has it

On his silver hilt the force of his broad hand impressing, sent the blade

Home to its rest:This is too much laboured; more suv.

IN MY BOWER SO BRIGHT

In my bower so bright
As I lay last night,

The moon through the fresh leaves streaming,
There were sounds i' the air,
But I could not tell where,

Nor if I were waking or dreaming:
'Twas the sound of a lute
To a voice half mute,

That sunk when I thought it was swelling;
And it came to my ears
As if drown'd in the tears

Of the being whose woes it was telling.
Some accents I heard
Were like those of the bird

Who the lee-long night is mourning;
And some were like those
That we hear, when the rose

Sighs for her Zephyr's returning.
The tones were so sweet,
I thought it most meet

They should not be tones of gladness;
There are notes so fine,
That were melody mine

They should only belong to sadness.
And the air-creature sung,
And the wild lute rung

Like the bell when a cherub is dying :
I can tell no mo,
But the tale was of wo,

For the sounds were all lost in the sigbing.
And still it sung on
Till the stars were gone,

And the sun through the dews was peeping :
When I woke in my bower,
Every leaf, every flower,

Every bud, every blossom-was weeping!

FOREST LEGENDS.

No. II.

BRADGATE IN THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY. There is scarcely any period in hering with frantic eagerness to the the annals of England more replete cause he had espoused, totally heedwith trying or interesting events, than less of the confusion and misery such the latter part of the reign of the ill- strife must entail upon their fafated Charles; when the hand of the milies. child was lifted against the father ! During this era of public calamity, brother against brother!-each ad- no part of England partook more largely or entered more actively and the flocks to herd together in into the different feuds, than Leices- every shadowy nook, in search of tershire and the adjoining county of shelter. Nottingham. Scarcely a peasant re- The woman, Priestly, had fixed mained inactive, to such a pitch was her abode in a spot, lonely enough, party spirit carried ; and it is well but one well adapted to her vocaknown, that most of the principal tion, being seated about half way up families were subject to the greatest a considerable eminence, whose top, reverses of fortune, which they bore crowned with dark granite, hewn with heroic fortitude, so ardent were and shapen by nature into a thouthey in the cause they had under- sand fantastic forms, hung in frowntaken.

ing grandeur over it. Close by the Numerous are the incidents hand- mud-built cottage of the dame, but ed down to us, from these eventful rather above it, issued a small stream, times; but the following tale, de- which, springing from amongst the scriptive of circumstances connected rocks, and falling with considerable with the then noble mansion at Brad- velocity over them, served by its gate, and affording some account of monotonous sound to impress the it, in its pristine splendour, has in- mind with a still more powerful feelterested us, since we confess a strong ing of solitariness! One ragged half attachment to the place, even in its decayed oak bent its withered trunk present dilapidated lonely state! and across it, serving the double purpose we are anxious to impress others with of sheltering the habitation with its the same favourable feelings.

few remaining branches, and of afIt was near the hour of noon, on fording a passage over the stream a fair summer's day, that a party of when swollen by the rain that occayoung maidens were observed taking sionally poured into it from the sumtheir course along the valley which mit of the acclivity: and which, with separates some of the highest emi- the exception of a few evergreens nences of Charnwode.

cultivated by the miserable tenant They were gaily dressed, in what of the cottage, was the only foliage might be considered their best holi- worthy of commemoration on that day attire; and as the bright rays of side of the eminence. the sun fell full upon them, they ex- By the side of this little brook, hibited a pleasing and interesting which from Dame Priestly’s habitaspectacle. Most of these damsels tion descended in a winding course bore a small basket upon their arm, along the valley, paced the already containing some little trifle, such as mentioned maidens, in close and kerchiefs, ribbons, or fruit, accord- eager converse, each countenance ing to the means they severally exhibiting a faithful picture of what possessed.

was at that instant passing in her The truth is, these young maidens heart. In outward appearance the were pursuing a journey, in their group seemed composed chiefly of imagination of no small import, be- the lower order of females; but the ing no other than a visit to a certain Dame's habitation was the resort of wise woman, called Deborah Priestly, rich as well as poor, male as well as a person well known in that neigh- female !--Persons of all rank, of all bourhood, who had the reputation of ages, were at times observed stealpossessing more craft than was usual ing along the road that led to her in the art of foretelling events. The abode, seeking for advice in the tryweather was hot and sultry, not a ing difficulties of the times; and, to cloud was visible to disturb the deep do her justice, the old woman had azure of the heavens, or break the penetration and adroitness sufficient long unvaried line of blue vapour to make herself useful to such as had that spread itself over the sides and faith enough to seek her. summits of the hills, making the very In this party, however, there flowers to droop through weariness, were two, who differed greatly from

a

* Bradgate is still a fine ruin on the verge of Charnwode in Leicestershire ; but as it has been already so amply and pathetically described by a very pleasing and popular writer, in the London MAGAZINE, we shall not at present notice it farther.

the rest, and these lingered apart, as were exposed, the younger of these though they were either ashamed of females stepped aside from the path their errand or their company.- they were pursuing, and, bending Whichever it might be, no two over the stream, took a draught of damsels ever afforded a stranger con- its refreshing coolness; but that actrast than they did to each other, tion, natural as it was, drew down and they seemed as if they were upon her the censure of her comthemselves conscious of it; for, though panion, on whose features sat a a feeling of pride appeared to draw double portion of the scorn before them from their companions towards so manifest, as she murmured: each other, they neither looked or “ It is an evil course, lady, that spoke, but kept as far apart as the turns aside either right or left, when narrowness of the rocky ascent would Dame Priestly's dwelling is the goal permit. One of these maidens,'to sought for! Bitter will be the porjudge by external appearance, seem- tion of her who dares it." ed born to command; her form was "I know of no evil likely to befal erect, her step firm, she advanced those who intend none, said the haughtily, whilst marks of scorn and other simply ; “I seek the abode of pride were legibly imprinted upon Deborah for good, not ill, and I her brow; her dress was costly, and doubt me much, if the old woman the basket which she bore upon her will concern herself whether I slake arm, in which her little offering was my thirst at this fair stream or not.” deposited, glittered with many a No farther altercation passed, but splendid gewgaw. The tread of the the scornful fair one drew-the folds other was more elastic, she seemed of her rich robe more closely about something of the “fairy tribe” as her, and darting another look of she bounded over the mossy surface, contempt, advanced onwards ;--the so light and agile were her move- younger one followed her example, ments. The dress of this young girl, but it was not till she had tarried an though far above that of her com- instant, to press again the clear bepanions, saving the one who, like verage to her lips, and tie up her herself, had lingered behind, was so locks, which from the action had modest and indefinite as to render it fallen wantonly upon her shoulders. difficult to determine in what sphere Eager in expectation and in hope, of life she moved, had not her ex- and refreshed by the momentary treme beauty, and the elegance with pause they had made, the youthful which she moved, bespoke her of party went rapidly on, and as the high rank; yet so unassuming was white curling smoke of the Dame's she withal, that it should seem as if cottage became contrasted with the the very circumstance drew down deep blue sky, each heart beat lighter upon her the envy of her companion, and more animated. who every now and then greeted her “ There is old Deborah's dwellwith a glance of scorn as she passed ing!” exclaimed the foremost fesilently along. Despite of this an- male. “ Think you the old lass will noyance, the poor girl continued be propitious to-day?” her way; and though a shade of " And why not? anxiety seemed spread over her Nay, she is not always in good countenance, she met the regards of humour; when I was here some her associate with so sweet and irre- weeks ago, she would neither acsistible a smile as might have dis- cept my present, nor hear me speak, armed a heart less alive to philan- but called me, silly minx,' and bade thropy: as it was, she amused here me go home to tend my father's kine, self by gathering the wild flowerets like a fool as I was !”

а that grew among the rocks; and “ Well, she shall not serve me so," having culled several, wiped them said another, a pert young maiden, carefully, and picked away every somewhere between eighteen and bit of loose grass from athwart their twenty-“ For my share, I'll not stems, she formed them into a little budge till she has bouquet, and placed them in her Aye, we shall see,” said the bosom.

first. Having paused for a moment un- “ And we shall see,” said the same. der the excessive heat to which they whose name was Alice; “No-no