At midnight only dare we roam ; The wild winds whistle o'er the wafte. Let the winds whiftle o'er the wafte, Quick mount upon my teed. She lightly on the courfer fprung, In fwifteft gallop off they go, The ftones and fparks around they throw, The foaming courfer forward flew, Like whirlwinds dafh'd around. Not only flew the landscape by, We ride like death: fay, lovely maid, A grave new dug arrefts the pair: Scarce had he spoke, when, dire to tell, 'Twas Death that clafp'd the maid. -The hideous fpectres hover round, Her earthly course is done. . When mortals, rash and impious, dare ENG. REV. VOL. XXVIII. JULY 1796. F The The fable of this poem, as already obferved, being made out of the ancient religion of the northern nations, and the most interefting fituations of human life, is well fitted to arreft the attention, and engage the hearts of Chriftian Europe. The religious notions of the Tartarean nations that over-ran this quarter of the world, have, in fome measure, mingled themselves with the interpretations and ideas affixed to the terms in which the doctrines of our religion have been handed down in languages now dead. And thofe notions even aggravate that terror which is excited by a juft apprehenfion of the righteous judgments of God as denounced against the impious and improbous in our facred writings. The wild, dirge-like, and awful folemnity that forms the tone and character of this poem, is fuftained throughout with great force and fire of imagination. The defcription of the rapid flight of Death through the aerial region is not exceeded by any thing in DANTE or ARIOSTO. And all this in the moft harmonious numbers, and in a stanza that has been appropriated to fuch folemn and awful fubjects. We speak of the tranflation. The German language, though, perhaps, even more fufceptible of energy and pathos, does not admit of fuch smooth and flowing verfification as the English. The German poem concludes with a stanza, the literal meaning of which (fays the publisher, Mr. Miller, in a preface) is in the following words: Now in the moonshine, round and round, And as they dance in howling found, May God unto thy foul be kind.' And thus also it was concluded by the tranflator in the first edition. But, fince the first publication of the poem (fays Mr. Stanley in a letter to the editor), I have often doubted, whe"ther it was not calculated (as far as its effects could extend) to injure the caufe of religion and morality, by exhibiting a representation of fupernatural interference, inconfiftent with our ideas of a juft and benevolent Deity.' It is of more importance than is generally believed, both to human happiness and virtue, that the Being we adore should be confidered as amiable and impartial, and not as either capricious or morofe. Obedience to his will should furely be procured from men (if poffible) by an appeal rather to their affections, than to their fears. But what opinion, of either the kindness or justice of Pro vidence, vidence, can be formed from the defcription of a young girl expofed to the most cruel of all punishments, abandoned to the malignity of every fiend of hell let loofe for her deftruction, only becaufe, in the firft paroxyfms of defpair and agony, for the fuppofed lofs of a lover, thinking God indifferent about her fate, the refufed all comfort, and wifhed for death. • Such reflections have tempted me to make the alterations I have alluded to. I am, however, doubtful whether they will be approved of by the public. Those who think the merit of the poem confifts in its power of exciting terror, and who love to retain the impreffion of fuch fentiments when once excited, will probably condemn every deviation from the original as prejudicial to its interefts; but, on the other hand, many may prefer it as it will appear in your new edition, who think that the firft object of all writing, particularly of all poetry, as bearing the character of more ftudied compofition, should be to teach men clear ideas of juftice and injuftice, vice and virtue. They will be pleased to find the Almighty no longer held out to their contemplation as an irritable and vindictive ruler, ever watchful for offence, and prepared to punish; but inttead, as the friend and affectionate parent, having but one intereft with his creatures, happy in their happiness, and affociated to their nature in the captivating forms of fympathy and love.' Inftead of the ftanza in the German book already quoted, after the lines (also already quoted) in the mouths of spectres and fiends, claiming impious mortals who abandon themfelves to defpair, as their own, Mr. Stanley adds eight ftanzas of his own, in which the ftyle and manner of the German poet are imitated with fingular felicity, and in which Leonora, penitent and contrite, finds mercy at the hand of God, and is bleffed, even in this world, by an honourable union with the worthy object of her love: Yet thus was heard, in milder strains, When man repents and is refign'd, -Leonora, ere her fenfe was gone, Thus faint exclaim'd, Thy will be done; Lord, let thy anger cease.' Soft on the wind was borne the prayer, The spectres vanish'd into air, And all was hush'd in peace. Now reddening tints the skies adorn, The fun afcends, new warmth he gives, F 2 -Sweet -Sweet fpirits! wave the airy wand, Wake, Leonora! wake to love! The conduct of the tranflator, who fhews correct tafte, as well as a happy talent for poetry, we entirely approve. If the German poet interefts and agitates the mind by the horrors of the northern fuperftition, Mr. Stanley finally brightens up the gloom with a gleam flowing from a religion of love; of which it is a leading doctrine, that there is forgivenefs for the penitent for the penitent even at the latest hour of life. Although the danger and prefumption of trufting to a death-bed repentance be loudly denounced in fcripture, and of finning because grace abounds; yet there is a confpicuous proof and example of its acceptance with God, in the thief on the crofs. This is, indeed, a very rare, and perhaps a fingular inftance in fcriptural records; and feems intended, on the one hand, to reftrain mortals from prefumption; and, on the other, to preferve them from defpair. ART. XXVIII. English Grammar, adapted to the different Claffes of Learners. With an Appendix, containing Rules and Obfervations for affyting the more advanced Students to write with Perfpicuity and Accuracy. By Lindley Murray. The Second Edition, with improvements. pp. 248. 12mo. Darton and Harvey. London, 1796. THE HE world is peftered with grammars. Almost every mafter of a confiderable fchool thinks it neceflary, or at least expedient, for him to write a grammar, or fyllem of education. This, however, is one of the beft lately published. And the author may be excufed for adding to the heap; as he has, in his appendix, given fome very plain and practical, and very useful inftructions, for writing with propriety, elegance, and effect; and as he has, on the whole, obferved a due medium between too much concifenefs and too much diffufeness. For For the ENGLISH REVIEW, For JULY 1796. A RETROSPECT OF THE ACTIVE WORLD; OR, A GENERAL REVIEW OF DISCOVERIES, INVENTIONS, AND PRACTICAL CONTROVERSIES AND CONTESTS. OF MECHANICAL ARTS AND INVENTIONS, ENGLAND, though by no means a country famous for original inventions, is the country in the world where moft inventions have been carried to the greateft ftate of perfection: and why is it fo? Not certainly from fuperior genius, but from fuperior encouragement, and fuperior means. In England, which is a country perfectly free with refpect to the efforts of genius, where the public, or the prince, or any other individual, cannot wreft from a man his invention, and where there is ready fale for whatever is worth purchafing, ingenuity, being well rewarded, flourishes in proportion. The tafte of a people always regulates, in fome degree, the ingenuity of its arifts: and though there be a fort of re-action, in which the capacity of the artift charges in fome degree the tafte of the people, yet it is the tafte of the people at large that may be called the regulator. This pofition may be illuftrated by contrafting England with France under its former monarchy. In France, the taste of the people was for whatever was rich, fplendid, and magnificent.Architecture, painting, and fculpture, were generally encouraged, rich ftuffs and rich furniture were purchafed, and vaft fums were expended on toys and trinkets; all which were manufac tured in a ftyle of fuperior elegance and taste. The mafons, carvers, gilders, and goldfmiths of France, exceeded all others in modern Europe for goodness of make and fuperiority of workmanship: vet all France could not produce a fimple, cheap, and good, lock and key, or a Lancashire tool, or plated candlestick, like thofe of Sheffield. The Frenchman F 3 put |