TO THE EDITOR OF THE EUROPEAN MAGAZINE.

SIR,

A Lady of my acquaintance has favoured me with the enclosed lines, which the informs me the copied from an original ma. nuscript in Chatterton's hand-writing, that was lent her some years ago by a female friend of Bristol. The spelling was in the antique fashion, which she altered at the time for the convenience of reading with more facility. They appear to me, to bear intrinfic marks of having been the genuine effufions of that unfortunate young man, while his mind was engaged in the conflict, under which it ultimately funk; and confequently deferve a place in your valuable mifcellany, if they have never before been made public. If they ever have been published, I presume they cannot have escaped your notice, though I have no recollection of having seen them before.

0
GOD! whose thunders shake the sky,
Whose eye this atom globe surveys,
To thee, my only rock, I fly;
Thy mercy in thy justice praise.
The mystic mazes of thy will,

The shadows of celestial night,
Are past the pow'rs of human skill;
But what the Eternal acts is right.
O teach me, in this trying hour,

When anguish swells the dewy tear, To ftill my forrows, own thy pow'r, Thy goodness love, thy juftice fear. If in this bosom aught but thee, Incroaching, fought a boundless sway, Omnifcience could the danger see, And mercy took the cause away. Then why, my foul, dost thon complain? Why drooping feek the dark reçels ? Shake off the melancholy chain, For God created all to bless. But, ah! my breast is human still, The rifing figh, the falling tear, My languid vitals feeble rill, The fickness of my foul declare. But yet, with fortitude resign'd, I'll thank the inflictor of the blow; Forbid the figh, compose my mind, Nor let the guth of mifery flow.

The gloomy mantle of the night,
Which on my finking spirit steals,
Will vanish at the morning light,
Which God, my East, my Sun reveals.

Is it

THE WINTRY DAY.

BY MRS. ROBINSON.

in manfions, rich and gay,
On downy beds or couches warm,
That NATURE Owns the WINTRY DAY,
And shrinks to hear the howling storm
Ah! no!

'Tis on the bleak and barren heath,
Where MIS'RY feels the shaft of death,
As to the dark and freezing grave
Her children, not a friend to fave-
Unheeded go!

Is it in chambers, filken drest,

At tables, with profusion's heap;
Is it on pillow's soft to reft

In dreams of long and balmy fПсер?
Ah! no!

'Tis in the rushy nut obfcure,
Where POVERTY's low fons endure,
And, scarcely daring to repine,
On a straw pallet mute recline,
O'erwhelm'd with woe!

Is it to flaunt in warm attire,

To laugh and feast, and dance and fing, To crowd around the blazing fire,

And make the roof with revels ring?
Ah! no!

'Tis on the prifon's Ainty floor-
'Tis where the deaf'ning whirlwinds roar,
'Tis when the fea boy, on the mast,
Hears the waves bounding to the blaft,
And looks below!

Is it in chariots gay to ride,

To crowd the splendid midnight ball,
To revel in luxurious pride,

While pamper'd vassals wait your call ?
Ah! no!

'Tis in a cheerless, naked room,
Where MIS'RY's victims wait their doom1
Where a fond MOTHER famith'd dies,!
While forth a frantic FATHER flies,
Man's desp'rate foe!

Is it where, prodigal and weak,
The fiky spendthrift scatters gold,
Where eager folly hastes to seok
The fordid wanton, false and bold?
Ah! no!

bow'r

Ah! why invade that sweet, that blissful Which lib'ral art delighted to adorn, Where Nature, smiling in a lavish hour, Exclaim'd-in rapture, Hamilton is born!

Say, 'mid that bow'r, where fancy lov'd to dwell, Did want or mifery unheard complain? Ah! no; an age to come shall fighing tell, 'Twas then they aik'd, and never afk'd in vain.

Ah! Douglas! Douglas! round thy tangled dells, When time has swept this wild wood wreath away, The Peafant group to thee shall strike their shells,

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And greet thy spirit 'mid the Realms of

Day. December 20, 1799.

SOPHIA.

WRITTEN ABOUT THE YEAR 1760. (Now first printed.)

He

The following Lines were intended as an Answer to a Copy of Verfes wrote by a young Lady, calling herself SOPHIA: the plan of which was as follows. Apollo, furpriz'd at being so long uninvok'd, sends a Courier to enquire the state of Poetry on Earth. He comes, and examines every different degree of people. goes into the Park, but there finds nothing but Beaux; at Court, all anxious for interest; in the City, all bent on industry. Tired with a fruitless search, he is returning to Parnaffus, but feeing a young Lady writing by herself he steais the paper from her, and carries it to Apollo. The God approves it, and the concludes her Poem with this Line:

SOPHIA'S mine, so sign'd-APOLLO

Where oft he courts the tuneful Maid,
Who ne'er to him declines her aid;
And let him own, with proper praise,
That WHITEHEAD justly wears the bays;
Correctly easy, sweetly strong,
Is this our fav'rite's moral fong:
Full well he knows the pleasing art
At once to charm and mend the heart.
Then shall he say, that dear to Fame
Is matchless MASON's honor'd name:
And next he hails Oxonia's pride
In genius, as in bleod ally'd;
Health, Nature, Fancy, are their themes
They've deeply drank the learned streams;
Avoiding all the glare of Folly,
They woo the vestal, Melancholy.
SHENSTONE in every thought of thine,
What pure, what sterling beauties shine;
Sure to thy sweetly plaintive Muse
Envy can scarce her love refuse.
Then bid him all due homage pay
To that exalted genius GRAY.
As modest merit recommends
DODSLEY, 'mongst us ne'er wants for

Such chearful Wit adorns his fong,
He well deferves to join the throng.
But One there is, whose glorious flame
To deathless honours lays a claim;
And fince I dare not name the man
I'll draw his picture if I can.
A pleasing afpect, foul fincere,
For worth distrest a gen'rous tear;
For diffidence, a smile benign
(The likeness grows at ev'ry line):
Tho Clio call him all her own,
To us his talent's not unknown;
His spirit breathes thro' ev'ry page
The just Hiftorian, and the Sage.-
I'll stop-or you'll too plainly fee
That none but CAMPBELL can be He.
Thus having spoke, with modest grace
The candid Muse resum'd her place.
Phœbus approv'd of her report,
And for that day - adjourn'd the Court.

and charm,

Whilst here, by turns, my thoughts dismay
A friend accosts, and kindly takes my arm.
Now much I ask, and more am told,
Of what the world's about;
Some news is new, and some is old,
Some true, and some 1 doubt:
He tells me, and I hear without surprise,
Our Naval Glories foon will reach the skies.

Yet of his tale I wish my friend

Would give the full extent;

Says he, 'tis certain they intend
To raise a Monument,

Our Naval Triumphs to commemorate,
For worlds unborn those acts to celebrate.

Before the gate of Neptune's hall

The fubject Tritons bend;

Fame fwells the blast, 'tis Honour's call,

The Orders Five attend;

Aonian meatures tune the Doric reed,

In fimple grace the Doric takes the lead,

The folid base is free from flaw,

Where skill and faith combine;

No cursed mole with tooth or claw
That pile can undermine;
Thy lofs by fraud or force we must deplore,
Palladium facred !-guard of Albion's shere!

Againft corruption or decay,

Against the thunder's stroke,
Beneath our honour'd fabric lay
A wedge of Irish oak;
To over-weening zeal of patriot love,
This amulet a counter charm shall prove.

On each right-neble generous deed
I turn enraptur'd thought;
In pure defence when warriors bleed,
Full well that battle's fought:
This cause flings laurels on the British Tar,
Whilft we lament the fad effects of war.

My friend and I, like flint and steel,
Produce the sparkling thought,
And now his glowing hint I feel,

And then my flame he caught;
The structure rifes in ideas bold,
With fancy's eye the column we behold.

When half inclining to adore,

Reflection takes her share,

The imag'd pillar is no more,
It fades in viewłess air:

The work of man thus leaves an empty

space,

And God's best work now occupies the place.

The sculptur'd dye, the high relief,
Why, fay, when all is done,
The trophies, flags, the conqu'ring chief,
What's all? - A lifeless ttone.

Think, Britons, if the waves you'd still com

mand,

Clarence the pillar is that props your land.

His lib'ral mind, this structure fair
Of dignity and grace,

In ornament both rich and rare,
A candid view may trace;
Intent by study nature to improve,
And England's good inspires his noblest love.

Tho' powerful as he's benign,

Yet affable as great;

So, whilft his private virtues shine,
His talents serve the state:

Our Column in its patron shall be prais'd,
These words infcrib'd-By CLARENCE this

SECOND LETTER from the MINISTER for FOREIGN AFFAIRS, at Paris, with its accompanying Inclofure;

AND THE

ANSWER returned by the Right Hon. LORD GRENVILLE, his Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.

[TRANSLATION.]

Paris, 24 Nivose, 8th Year

MY LORD, (Jan. 14, 1800).
LOST time in laying before

Agents; and England set particularly this example by the dismissal of the Minifter accredited to her. Finally, France was, in fact, attacked in her independence, in her honour, and in her fafety, long time before the War was declared.

Thus it is to the projects of subjec. tion, dissolution, and dismemberment, which were prepared against her, and the execution of which was feveral times attempted and pursued, that France has right to impute the evils

official Note, under date of the 14th Nivose, which you transmitted to me; and I am charged to forward the Answer, equally official, which you will find annexed. Receive, my Lord, the afsurance of my high confideration.

(Signed)

CH. MAU. TALLEYRAND. To the Mimister for Foreign Affairs, at London.

TRANSLATION OF THE NOTE RE

FERRED TO IN NO. I.

The official Note, under the date of the 14th Nivose, the 8th year, addressed by the Minister of his Britannic Majesty, having been laid before the First Conful of the French Republic, he observed with surprise, that it refted upon an opinion, which is not exact, refpecting the origin and consequences of the present War. Very far from its being France which provoked it, the had, it must be remembered, from the commencement of her Revolution, folemnly proclaimed her love of Peace, and her disinclination to Conquests, her respect for the independence of all Governments: and it is not to be doubted that, occupied at that time entirely with her own internal affairs, the would have avoided taking part in those of Europe, and would have remained faithful to her declarations.

But from an oppofite disposition, as foon as the French Revolution had broken out, almost all Europe entered into a league for its deftruction. The aggretfion was real long time before it was public; internal resistance was excited; its opponents were favourably received; their extravagant declamations were fupported; the French Nation was infuited in the perfon of its

have afflicted Europe. Such projects, for a long time without example, with respect to so powerful a nation, could not fail to bring on the most fatal consequences.

Affailed on all fides, the Republie could not but extend universally the efforts of her defence; and it is only for the maintenance of her own independence, that she has made use of those means which the possessed, in her own strength, and the courage of her Citizens. As long as she saw that her enemies obstinately refused to recognize her rights, the counted only upon the energy of her refiftance; but as soon as they were obliged to abandon the hope of invasion, on, the fought for means of conciliation, and manifefted pacific intentions; and if these have not always been efficacious; if, in the midst of the critical circumstances of her internal situation, which the Revolution and the War have fucceffively brought on, the former Depositories of the Executive Authority in France have not always thewn as much moderation as the Nation itself has shewn courage, it must, above all, be imputed to the fatal and perfevering animosity with which the resources of England have been lavished to accomplish the ruin of France.

But if the wishes of his Britannic Majesty (in conformity with his affurances) are in unifon with those of the French Republic, for the re-establishment of Peace, why, inftead of attempting the apology of the war, should not attention be rather paid to the means of terminating it? And what oostacle can prevent a mutual understanding, of which the utility is reci.

procal

procal and is felt, especially when the First Confal of the French Republic has perfonally given so many proofs of his eagerness to put an end to the calamities of war, and of his difpofition to maintain the rigid observance of all Treaties concluded ?

The First Conful of the French Republic could not doubt that his Britannic Majesty recognised the right of Nations to choose the form of their Governmen, fince it is from the exercise of this right that he holds his Crown; but he has been unable to comprehend how to this fundamental principle, upon which reits the existence of Political Societies, the Minister of his Majesty could annex infinuations which tend to an interference in the internal affairs of the Republic, and which are no less injurious to the French Nation, and to its Government, than it would be to England, and to his Majesty, if a fort of invitation were held out in favor of that Republican Government of which England adopted the forms in the middie of the last century; or an exhortation to recal to the throne that Family whom their birth had placed there, and whom a Revolution compelled to

descend from it.

If at periods not far diftant, when the Confiitutional System of the Republic presented neither the strength nor the folidity which it contains at prefent, his Britannic Majefty thought himself enabled to invite a negotiation and pacific conferences, how is it poffible that

he should not be eager to renew negonations to which the prefent and reciprocal situation of affairs promises a rapid progrefs? On every fide the voice of Nations and of Humanity implores the conclufion of a war, marked already by fuch great calamities, and the prolongation of which threatens Europe with an univerfal convulfion and irremediable evils. It is, therefore, to put a stop to the course of these calamities, or. in order that their terrible confequences may be reproached to those only who shall have provoked them, that the First Conful of the French Republic proposes to put an immediate end to hoftilities, by agreeing to a fufpenfion of arms, and nanting Plenipotentiaries on each fide, who thould repair to Dun, kick, or any other town as advantageously situated for the quickness of the respective communications, and who hould apply themselves without any

VOL. XXXVII. JAN. 1809.

the War,

His Majesty cannot forbear expreff ing the concern with which he obferves in that note, that the unprovoked aggreffions of France, the fole caufe and origin of are systematically defended by her present Rulers, under the fame injurious pretences by which they were originally attempted to be disguised. His Majesty will not enter into the refutation of allegations now universally exploded, and (in so far as they respect his Majesty's conduct) not only in themselves utterly groundless, but contradicted both by the internal evidence of the transactions to which they relate, and alfo by the exprefs teftimony (given at the time) of the Gevernment of France itself.

With respect to the object of the Note, his Majesty can only refer to the anfwer which he has already given.

He has explained, without roserve, the obstacles which, in his judgment, preclude at the prefent moment all hope of advantage from negotiation. All the inducements to treat, which are relied upon in the French official Note i

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