of the execution.-To object to his plan, did any objections. occur to us, would be impertinent; as every Writer, whether Poet, Philofopher, or Hiftorian, has a right to lay out his work in the manner that he finds the moft eafy and agreeable to

himself.

The first book opens with propofing the fubject; after which follows this animated and well adapted invocation.

O Thou whose spirit thro' this moulded clay
First breath'd the living foul, and taught its voice,
Young, faint, and unaflur'd, to lifp thy praise
With trembling accents, and th' impaffion'd heart
To feel the power of harmony, tho' plac'd
In this bleak fcene; far from the happier feats
Where ancient Genius bloom'd! To Thee I call;
Who thro' the vat of Nature, fpace, and time,
Dart'ft tby keen glance all-piercing; that pervades
The heart of man. O lend thy powerful aid,
Propitious! Thee the Mufe invokes, (of all
Befidés regardless;) her faint voice to raife;
To brace her fluttering pinions to a flight
Daring, that fcales the fteep of Time; to fwell
Her thought, capacious of i's mighty plan,
That tries to meditate thy wondrous ways.

The change and variety of feafons, have by fome been confidered as a proof of the wifdom, and the fuperintendency of Providence, and by others as a natural evil, confequent upon the fall and degeneracy of Human nature. The latter opinion, though less philofophical, is more poetical, and probably, for that reafon only, Mr. Ogilvie has made choice of it here.

Where are the gales of Eden? where the balm
Delicious, breath'd from aromat c bowers
Where fummer fmil'd perpetual, and the groves
Sigh'd to foft zephyrs, or the melting voice
Of birds low-humming through the vocal boughs
Mellifluous? Ah! the fmiling fcene no more
Breaks on the ravish'd sense, or breaks to steal
A tranfient vifit, fweeping from the fight
Like angels failing thro' the midnight gloom,
That melt in air! Thus blooms th' Elyfian scene,
And dies. Young Spring, from Winter's loofen'd graf
Efcap'd, dejected fees the blooming year

Shrink from her defolating blaft, that tears
His glittering pinions. Summer darts her eye
Light o'er the laughing mead, and gives her fpoils
To Autumn; fcowling thro' her changeful glance,
Fierce Winter looks, and as fhe fwims away,
Howling in horrid triumph, mounts the winds,
And drives her fhrieking thro' the turbid air.

Thofe irregularities that appear in the frame of Nature, arę thus ftrongly and poetically defcribed:

Whence too thefe haunts of folitude, thefe wild
And chearlofs defert; whence these fable cliffs,
Shapelef and rude, that thag the horrid face
Of earth, and mix the mountain with the skies ?
Are these thy offspring, Wisdom? did thy hand
Furrow the precipice abrupt, or cleave

The ragged rock, or pile th' enormous hills
To Heaven, and clothe them with eternal fnow;
That man might labour up the steep ascent,
Or fhiver on the fummit ? Shoots thine eye
Oft to the fuel'd mafs that boils beneath,
Or wakes thy breath its wildly rushing ftream
To shake the rocking frame, or whelm at once
The toil of ages Keafon gropes in vain,

Stunn'd with the dire effect, to search the cause.

Upon the above-quoted paffage the Author has the following note. Nemo unquam dixerit terram pulchriorem effe quod cavernofa fit, quod dehifcat in multis locis, quod difrupta caveis & fpatiis inanibus; ufque nullo ordine difpofitis, nulla forma: nec quæ aliud contineant quam tenebras & fordes; unde graves & peftiferæ exhalationes, terræ motus, &c. Theor. Tellur. v. 1. cap. vii. Let it be observed once for all, in this place, that we do not intend to propofe thefe apparent irregularities as objections against the existence of a Supreme Mind. They are only mentioned as feeming evidences that Providence does not conftantly fuperintend the government of the world, because their bad confequences are not prevented by its interpofition.The latter part of this note we cannot but condemn. It was fuperfluous for the Author of this poem to fay, that he did not intend to introduce the irregularities of the creation as an argument against the exiftence of a Supreme Mind. But the conceffion he makes, that Providence does not always fuperintend the government of the world, is enough to deftroy the utility of his whole fcheme.-For if the care of Providence can ever be fuppofed to be fufpended, what dependence can be had upon it? Such a conceffion was, moreover, by no means requifite. For thofe irregular phenomena in the constitution of the univerfe, may be as neceffary as fome diforders are in the animal body; and many of them are proved to be fo. Those whofe tendency we do not difcover, and at whofe particular inconveniencies we repine, may have fome reference to the good of the whole, which we are unable, by our prefent limited knowlege, to inveftigate; at leaft it is much more modeft for fuch a creature as man, to believe, that "all partial ill is univerfal good," than to conclude, that Providence is fometimes inattentive

tentive to the conduct of the world, becaufe of the admiffion of certain prefent evils.

Of the advice which the allegorical perfonage, Contemplation, gives the Poet elsewhere, he ought to have availed himself here: Heaven here

Checks not thy fearch-yet if the part expos'd
To reafon, points confummate wifdom; fair,
Proportion'd, beauteous; as it weighs the whole,
Impartial, let it judge the part conceal'd

Not lefs harmonious, tho' from mortal ken
Screen'd by a dark impenetrable veil.

The allegorical imagery is continued, and after Contemplation has fpoke, Fancy makes her appearance.-In fuch a conveyance fhe comes, and with fuch attributes, as only the richest poetical imagination could have given her:

He fpoke; and instant near the western fun
I fpied a cloud light-floating. O'er the cliff
It stretch'd immenfe, and from its radiant fide
Edg'd like the gilding of an evening fky,
It pour'd the ftreamy blaze; the middle glow'd
With deep vermillion, as the flaming ray
Of fcarlet, darting from the fun's bright orb,
Wrought thro' the fine fecreting glafs, conveys
Its trembling blufh to the tranfported view.
Defcending flowly on the gale, it flow'd
Spontaneous down, and nearer as it fail'd,
Disclosed a brighter radiance to the gaze
Of wonder wrapt in fight. At last it stood
All-loofe, and bursting like the fullen gloom
Before the lightning's rapid flafh, difplay'd
Bright Fancy crown'd. Her keenly-piercing eye
Glanc'd q'er the scene that lighten'd as the came
With hafty step, and shook her dazzling wings
That sparkled in the fun: a wavy robe
Mantled her bofom, fweeping as the trod,
In loose luxuriance, and the zephyr figh'd
Soft thro' its fielling folds. Her right hand held
A globe, where Nature's towering fabric rofe,
A living picture! All the fcenes that glow
Gay-rob'd and lovely, in fome aery dream,

Where Spring comes tripping o'er the low green dale,
And ftrows its lap with flowers. These o'er the piece
Profufely fhone. Her left a magic rod

Suftain'd, that waving as fhe will'd, transform'd
The face of things, as wildly-working thought
Call'd up difcordant images, or rul'd
By Reafon, form'd them gradual, to confirm
Some truth, yet dubious to sh' enquiring mind.

Light o'er the hanging cliff the fprung, the flew
Quick as the meteor gleaming o'er the plain;

Till near the place where wrapt in ftill amaze
Intent I ftood, her forward step she flaid
Elate, and fmiling, thus addreffed the Sire:

"Lo! to thy call refponfive, I attend
"Obfequious! from the fields of Ether, clad
"Eternal in the broider'd robes of Spring,
"Where the dew wets not her gay-blooming cheek,
"Nor Winter taints her purple plumes; I come
"Commiffion'd, of thy arduous task appris'd,
To dash the boast of high-prefuming Hope
"That dares to fcan th' Eternal; and unveil
"What Heav'n permits the prying thought to know."
She fpoke, and fudden o'er the fable scene
Waved her transforming rod; whofe touch diffolv'd
The mountain's brow, that gradual funk fupine
Down on the widening vale. Unfolding fair,
I faw, furrounded with contiguous fhades
A fpacious plain, within whofe circling bound,

Edged with brown forefts, meadows, groves, and lawns,
A mighty city tower'd; fublime as that

Fabled by Neptune's labouring arm, to rear

Its fpires to Heav'n, and fated to defy

All but the power of Wisdom. Round its fides,
A range of gardens, gay as thofe which crown'd
Thy work, Semiramis, luxuriant wav'd

With Autumn's, mellowy growth; the flowering fhrub
Breath'd myrrhe, and balm, and caffia, in the gale
Perfum'd with mingling odours, and the bough
Blufh'd with delicious fruitage: deeply ting'd
With downy gold, the nectar'd peach display'd
Its yellow rind, and loosely-cluftering near,
Grapes, melons, pines, the children of the fun,
Hung ripe, and tempting, to the forward hand
Of Luxury unfated. Fairer far

The blooming fcene, than fings the melting lyre.
Of foft Pomona's haunts, the fabled groves,
Where rofe-lip'd Pienty fhower'd the blufhing fpoils
Of each revolving feafon. All within

Was noife and paftime. O'er the fpacious street
Roam'd frolic Mirth, and fly Deceit behind
Danc'd like a gay Buffoon. Intemperance
Reel'd from the fealt of Bacchus. Bufinefs ran
Hurried and lumber'd, with dispatchful hafte
From man to man; while idly-lolling Eafe
Lean'd on a couch of down, by Zephirs cool'd,
And fweetly-lull'd by the lute's languid lay.

Charm'd with the fight, that to the glancing eye
Of Thought, recall'd ten thousand rushing scenes;

I gazed

I gaz'd transfix'd with wonder! Still Amaze
Lock'd up my powers a moment! Till releas'd
By Reafon's lenient hand, I caft my eyes
Loft in fweet tranfport o'er the dewy lawns;
Where gay-rob'd Beauty's liberal lap had shower'd
Profufe of wealth, the richest treasures out
Wild in unfpating wafte. "Almighty God
"This is thy work! (thus thought the kindling foul
"To transport raised) the deeply-tinctur'd bloom
"That paints yon blushing flower, is but the ftroke
"Of thy transforming pencil; and the air

46

Perfum'd with balm and myrrh, wafts the rich spoils "From all thy works in incenfe to thy throne!"

As a ftriking contraft to this gay vifionary Being, follows a defcription of Peftilence, executed with infinite force and propriety:

For lo! arifing in the foltry South,

Where the fun flam'd intense; a bluish mist
Wrought from a mine of nitre, breath'd its steam
Full on the tainted gale! An earthquake hook
The hollow ground, and Darkness rifing flow,
Rear'd her bold arm imperious to the fun,
And bloated half his beams. At last the Earth
Burst up, and shooting thro' the mighty void
Arofe a shapeless monster! On his brow,
Sat Terror and Defpair; dark, difmal, wan;
And nurs❜d a brood of fnakes, shed by the fell
Tyfiphone! The thirfty Furies fir'd

His thoughts to blood and flaughter; and his eyes
Shot like a gleam of lightning o'er the field,

And wither'd all its bloom. Medusa's head

That ftruck th' unwary gazer into stone,

Wrought not a change more wondrous. On he ftrode
With ftep terrific, for his baleful breath
Was blafting poifon, and his hand fuftain'd
A fword that smok'd with blood.

Grav'd on the blade

Appear'd confpicuous his distinguish'd name,

The PESTILENCE! Spare gracious Heav'n (exclaim'd
My frantic foul) Ofpare the race of man!

In vain! For onward came the griefly fhape:
And rais'd his wafteful hand, and fhook his hair
That dropp'd with fteamy fulphur. Thro' the gate
Of that proud city, tottering to a fall,
He pafs'd tremendous. Famine at his heels
Inceffant yell'd, and roll'd her ghaftly eyes;
And gnaw'd a living vulture. As they ftrode,
Loud rofe the voice of Woe! I faw the fword,
A gleamy blade, by that relentlefs hand
Plung'd in the heart of Innocence! I faw
Where the wild mother, to her throbbing breaft

Impatient