much ground there, as produced one weed of a proud carriage, but of little fragrance,-the Turk's Cap, probably: "The eagle's force subdues each bird that flies; Doth not the sun dazzle the clearest eyes, So much for the Royal Polygamist and his despotic verses. "Fools," indeed, to allow a son of clay like themselves, to insult them in poetry, as if prose were not sublime enough to express the greatness of their insignificance ! The Emperor Adrian had, undoubtedly, a soul for poetry: the pathetic lines, which he wrote whilst on his death-bed, have never been equalled, though frequently imitated, by those who would blush to be compared with him as poets: "Animula, vagula, blandula, The diminutives and titles of endearment which the dying Emperor applies to his soul, give these verses a prettiness, yet of a melancholy sort, which no translation into English can attain. It is worth while remarking, that the epithets-pale, stiff, and naked, cannot be preserved, except when the national mythology allows the spirit to be material, or, at least, visible, as was the case with Paganism. It is so, likewise, perhaps, with vulgar, but certainly not with true and philosophical, Christianity. But of Royal Poets, David is at once the most ancient and most illustrious: the Sacred Minstrel can alone, of all the sceptred race, be said to have enjoyed, in its highest degree, the gift of poetic inspiration, unless the "Song of Solomon" be properly so entitled. In one of his Psalms, there is a description which far exceeds in point of sublimity the highest flights of profane imagination: the Muse of Homer or of Shakspeare, in her loftiest hours, would not have dared to utter such magnificent language as this: "Then the earth shook and trembled: the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken, because He was wroth. He bowed the heavens also and came down: and darkness was under his feet. And he rode upon a cherub and did fly: yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind. He made darkness his secret place: his pavilions round about him were dark waters, and thick clouds of the skies. The Lord also thundered in the heavens: and the Highest gave his voice, hailstones and coals of fire. Yea, he sent out his arrows and scattered them; and he shot out lightnings and discomfited them. Then the channels of waters were seen, and the foundations of the world were discovered: at thy rebuke, O Lord, at the blast of the breath of thy nostrils." Poetry of such tremendous sublimity as this, renders all other composition mean and grovelling. It transcends, by an infinite measure, Virgil's description of Jupiter striking Mount Athos with a thunderbolt, in his "Georgics." Milton, whose temerity in the sublime is remarkable, and whose subject often inspires him with more than mortal strength of imagination, appears tame and feeble beside the poet of God. History informs us, that Alexander the Great usually slept with "Homer" and his sword under his pillow. It is probable, however, that the martial and adventurous nature of these works procured them this honour, not their poetical merit. But as to Alexander himself, he was certainly no poet-at least if he was, history has forgot to mention it. Pisistratus, tyrant of Athens, is said to have collected the scattered verses of "Homer" -a better proof of his taste, than Alexander has left us of his: nevertheless, there is a great difference between the compiler and composer of verses. One or two instances more than those we have given, might be cited to increase the miserable band of Poets Royal:* in examining their pretensions, however, it is but fair to own, that they are very humble, and, indeed, (except in the sacred examples,) should be so. ON THE POETRY OF ROBERT BURNS, AND THOMAS MOORE. (From Blackwood's Magazine.) THERE are few things more worthy of being studied, either in their character or in their effects, than the poems of Robert Burns. This man, born and bred a peasant, was taught, like all * James I. of Scotland, author of "King's Quair” and "Christ's Kirk of the Green," wears his laurel like a true soldier of Calliope. other Scotsmen, to read his Bible, and learned by heart, in infancy, the heroic ballads of his nation. Amidst the solitary occupations of his rural labours, the soul of the ploughman fed itself with high thoughts of patriotism and religion, and with that happy instinct which is the best prerogative of genius, he divined every thing that was necessary for being the poet of his country. The men of his nation, high and low, are educated men; meditative in their spirit, proud in their recollections, steady in their patriotism, and devout in their faith. At the time, however, when he appeared, the completion of their political union with a greater and wealthier kingdom, and the splendid success which had crowned their efforts in adding to the general literature of Britain-but above all, the chilling nature of the merely speculative philosophy, which they had begun to cultivate, seemed to threaten a speedy diminution of their fervent attachment to that which was peculiarly their own. This mischievous tendency was stopped by a peasant, and the noblest of his land are the debtors of his genius. He revived the spark that was about to be extinguished-and taught men to reverence, with increasing homage, that VOL. II. S |