And end thy flight; ne'er may thy pinions tire: Thereto may he his grace, and gentle heat inspire.

Now let me end my easier-taken story,

And sing this island's new recover'd seat; But see

Our panting flocks retire into the shade.

The shepherds having sheltered their charge from the heat of noon, we find at the opening of the second canto,

-Thirsil on a gentle rising hill

Where all his flock he round might feeding view,
Sat down, and circled with a lovely crew

Of nymphs and shepherd boys, thus 'gan his song renew.

are

The anatomical view of the human frame, is continued through this, and the four succeeding cantos, and although we do not expect the reader would find much entertainment from an entire perusal of these, there are many passages of peculiar character, as well for close painting of rural scenery and pastoral habits, (the identity of the shepherd-minstrel being all along preserved,) as for correct and sweetly flowing versification, for which indeed these brother bards remarkably distinguished. The opening and closing stanzas of each canto are of this description, and there are also interspersed throughout admirable similies, sentiments, metaphors, and allusions, many of which it would be very delightful to extract. Perhaps, however, we shall do our author injustice not to admit a specimen of the dexterity with which he manages, for the most part, his equally delicate and intricate subject. He divides his "Isle of Man" into three parts, or regiments," as in the following stanzas, from the second canto, to which we will add those that conclude the fifth; the first of these demonstrating the nature and offices of the skin; and the latter giving due'

praise and honor to all the powers and faculties of that wondrous and important organ of good and ill-the tongue. In this conclusion of the first part of his subject, he appears rejoiced to escape, (as the reader will be,) as it were, from the theatre of the anatomist, to enjoy the recollection of his earlier studies, and to have an opportunity of culling again some of the choicest flowers that delighted his studious rambles in the classic garden of Eton. The few and short notes annexed to the descriptive stanzas, may perhaps excite a smile from our professional readers, but these will prove that our author wrote only according to matter of fact, as it was held in his days, when medical science had not been enlightened by the result of those enquiries which that great honour to our county, DR. WILLIAM HARVEY, Soon after this period commenced in the Circulation of the Blood; a result of far greater advantage to mankind than the discovery of the new world. The whole Isle, parted in three regiments,* By three metropolis's jointly sway'd; Ordering in peace and war their governments, With loving concord, and with mutual aid: The lowest has the worst but largest see; The middle less of greater dignity;

The highest least, but holds the greatest sov'reignty. Deep in a vale doth that first province lie,

With many a city grac'd, and fairly town'd; And for a fence from foreign enmity,

With five strong builded walls encompass'd round;+

The whole body may be parted into three regions, the lowest, or Belly; the middle, or Breast; the highest, or Head in the lowest the Liver is sovereign, whose regiment is the widest, but meanest; in the middle the Heart reigns, most necessary; the Brain obtains the highest place, and is, as the least in compass, so the highest in dignity.

the

The parts of the lower region are either the contained, or the containing; the containing either common or proper; common are the skin, the fleshy panicle, and the fat; the proper are the muscles, or the inner rim of the belly.

;

Which my rude pencil will in limning stain::

A work more curious than, which poets feign
Neptune and Phœbus built, and pulled down again.

The first of these is that round spreading fence,'
Which like a sea girts th' Isle in every part;
Of fairest building, quick, and nimble sense,
Of common matter, fram'd with special art:
Of middle temper, outwardest of all,

To warn of every chance that may befall;
The same a fence and spy, a watchman, and a wall.

His native beauty is a lilly white;†

Which still some other coloured stream infecteth,
Lest like itself, with divers stainings dight,
The inward disposition it detecteth:

If white, it argues wit; if purple, fire;
If black, a heavy cheer, and fix'd desire;
Youthful and blithe, if suited in a rosy tire.

It cover'd stands with silken flourishing, t

Which, as it oft decays, returns again, The others' sense and beauty perfecting ;

* The skin is a membrane of all the rest, the most large and thick, formed of a mixture of the most nourishing fluids of the body; the covering and ornament of parts that are under it; the temper moderate, the proper organ of outward touching (say physicians.)

The native colour of the skin is white, but (as Hippocrates,) changed into the same colour which is brought by the humour predominant: when melancholy abounds, it is swarthy; when phlegm, it is white and pale; when choler reigns, it is red and fiery; but in the sanguine, of a rosy colour.

The skin is covered with the cuticle, or flourishing of the skin; it is the means of touching, without which we feel, but with pain: it polisheth the skin, which many times is changed, and, (as it is with snakes,) put off, and a new and more amiable brought in.

Which else would feel with universal pain :

With pleasing sweetness, and resplendent shine, Soft'ning the wanton touch, and wand'ring eyne, Doth oft the Prince himself with witch'ries undermine.

*

*

With Gustus Linqua† dwells, his prattling wife,

Endowed with strange and adverse qualities; The nurse of hate and love, of peace and strife; Mother of fairest truth, and foulest lies,

Or best, or worst, no mean, made all of fire, Which sometimes hell, and sometimes heavens inspire,

By whom oft truth's self speaks, oft that first murd'ring liar.

The idle sun stood still at her command

Breathing his fiery steeds in Gibeon;

And pale-fac'd Cynthia at her word made stand,
Resting her couch in vale of Ajalon.

Her voice oft open breaks the stubborn skies,

And holds the Almighty's hands with suppliant cries:

Her voice tears open hell with horrid blasphemies!

Therefore that great Creator, well foreseeing

To what a monster she would soon be changing, Though lovely once, perfect and glorious being! Curb'd with her iron bit, ‡ and held from ranging;

And with strong bonds her looser steps enchaining, Bridled her course, too many words refraining, And doubled all his guards, bold liberty restraining.

*The taste or palate. The tongue. The tongue is held by a ligament ori ginally called a bridle.

For close within he sits twice sixteen guarders,
Whose harden'd temper could not soon be mov'd;
Without the gate he plac'd two other warders,
To shut and ope the gate as it behov❜d:

But such strange force hath her enchanting art,
That she hath made her keepers of her part,
And they to all her flights all furtherance impart.

Then, with their help, by her the sacred muses
Refresh the prince dull'd with much business;
By her the prince, unto his Prince oft uses
In heavenly throne from hell to find access;

She heaven to earth in music often brings,

And earth to heaven:-but ah! how sweet she

sings,

When in rich Grace's key she tunes poor nature's strings

Thus Orpheus won his lost Eurydice,

Whom some deaf snake that could no music hear, Or some blind newte, that could no beauty see, Thinking to kiss, kill'd with his forked spear;

He when his plaints on earth were vainly spent,
Down to Avernus' river boldly went,

And charm'd the meagre ghosts with mournful blandishment.

There what his mother fair Calliope

From Phoebus' harp and muses' spring had brought

him;

What sharpest grief for his Eurydice,

And love redoubling grief, had newly taught him,

* The tongue is guarded with thirty-two teeth, and with the lips; all which do not a little help the speech, and sweeten the voice.

Y