Ah! then and there were hurrying to and fro,
And gathering tears, and tremblings of distress,
And cheeks all pale, which but an hour ago
Blush'd at the praise of their own loveliness;
And there were sudden partings, such as press
The life from out young hearts, and choking sighs
Which ne'er might be repeated; who could guess
If ever more should meet those mutual eyes,

Since upon nights so sweet, such awful morn could rise!
And there was mounting in hot haste; the steed,
The mustering squadron, and the clattering car,

Went pouring forward with impetuous speed,
And swiftly forming in the ranks of war;
And the deep thunder, peal on peal afar;
And near the beat of the alarming drum
Roused up the soldier ere the morning star;
While throng'd the citizens with terror dumb,

On whispering, with white lips-"The foe! They come, they

come!"

A fine specimen of Byron's writing may be seen in section xii., allotted to Henry Kirke White.

SECTION XX.

ROBERT POLLO K.

His chief work is "The Course of Time," an admirable poem, displaying more than ordinary poetic ability, and great profundity of thought. Unlike too much of the poetry of the age, it conveys definite and valuable ideas. It is free from that wordy indefiniteness which is the fault of much of modern writing. It presents just views of human character, history, and condition, while the Divine government over our world is correctly and strikingly portrayed. It abounds in beautiful and impressive pictures. It is written in blank verse, and can be read without weariness.

One of his biographers informs us that his habits were those of a close student: his reading was extensive; he could converse on almost every subject: he had a great facility in composition: in confirmation of which, he is said to have written nearly a thousand lines weekly of the last four books of the "Course of Time." For so young a man, this poem was a vast achievement. The book he loved best was the Bible, and his style is often scriptural. Young,

Y

Milton, and Byron, were the poets which he chiefly studied. He had much to learn in composition; and, had he lived, he would have looked almost with humiliation on much that is at present eulogized by his devoted admirers. But the soul of poetry is there, though often dimly enveloped, and many passages there are, and long ones, too, that heave, and hurry, and glow along in a divine enthusiasm.

The following description, by him, of a poet, is thought to apply to S. T. Coleridge, whom we have already noticed:

"Most fit was such a place for musing men, Happiest sometimes when musing without aim. It was, indeed, a wondrous sort of bliss

The lonely bard enjoy'd, when forth he walk'd
Unpurposed; stood, and knew not why; sat down,
And knew not where; arose and knew not when;
Had eyes, and saw not; ears, and nothing heard;

And sought-sought neither heaven nor earth-sought naught,
Nor meant to think; but ran, meantime, through vast

Of visionary things, fairer than aught

That was; and saw the distant tops of thoughts
Which men of common stature never saw,

Greater than aught that largest worlds could hold,.

Or give idea of to those who read.

He enter'd into Nature's holy place,
Her inner chamber, and beheld her face
Unveil'd; and heard unutterable things
And incommunicable visions saw."

The following extract exhibits a prophetic view of the literature of the Course of Time, particularly descriptive of our own day of multitudinous publications; too many of which are faithfully portrayed in the language of the author, as being

"Like swarms

Of locusts, which God sent to vex a land
Rebellious long."

THE BOOKS OF TIME.

"One glance of wonder, as we pass, deserve
The books of Time. Productive was the world
In many things; but most in books: like swarms
Of locusts, which God sent to vex a land
Rebellious long, admonish'd long in vain,
Their numbers they pour'd annually on man.
From heads conceiving still: perpetual birth!
Thou wonderest how the world contain'd them all!

Thy wonder stay: like men, this was their doom:
That dust they were, and should to dust return.

And oft their fathers, childless and bereaved,

Wept o'er their graves, when they themselves were green; And on them fell, as fell on every age,

As on their authors fell, oblivious Night,

Which o'er the past lay darkling, heavy, still,

Impenetrable, motionless, and sad,

Having his dismal leaden plumage, stirr'd
By no remembrancer, to show the men
Who after came what was conceal'd beneath,"

NOVELS.

The story-telling tribe alone outran
All calculation far, and left behind,

Lagging, the swiftest number; dreadful, even
To fancy, was their never-ceasing birth;

And room had lack'd, had not their life been short.
Excepting some-their definition take

Thou thus, express'd in gentle phrase, which leaves
Some truth behind. A novel was a book
Three-volumed, and once read: and oft cramm'd full
Of poisonous error, blackening every page;
And oftener still of trifling, second-hand
Remark, and old, diseased, putrid thoughts,
And miserable incident, at war

With nature, with itself and truth at war:
Yet charming still the greedy reader on,
Till nothing found, but dreaming emptiness,
These, like ephemera, sprung in a day,
From lean and shallow-soil'd brains of sand,
And in a day expired; yet while they lived,
Tremendous, oft-times, was the popular roar;
And cries of-Live forever-struck the skies."

SECTION XXI.

MRS. FELICIA D. HEMANS,

born in 1793, of Irish and German origin, passed her youth among the mountains and valleys of North Wales, the sublime and beautiful scenes of which produced their natural effects upon her mind. “The earnest and continual study of Shakspeare imparted to her the power of giving language to thought; and before she had entered her thirteenth year, a printed collection of her Juvenile Poems was given to the world. From this period till her death, in 1835, she

has sent forth volume after volume, each surpassing the other in sweetness and power. A tone of gentle, unforced, and persuasive goodness pervades her poetry; it displays no fiery passion and resorts to no vehement appeal: it is often sad, but never exhibits a complaining spirit; her diction is harmonious and free; her themes, though infinitely varied, are all happily chosen, and treated with grace, originality, and judgment. Her poetry is full of images, but they are always natural and true; it is studded with ornaments, but they are never unbecoming.”

THE SWITZER'S WIFE.

The bright blood left the youthful mother's cheek ;
Back on the linden-stem she lean'd her form;
And her lip trembled, as it strove to speak,

Like a frail harp-string, shaken by the storm.
'Twas but a moment, and the faintness pass'd,
And the free Alpine spirit woke at last.

And she, that ever through her home had moved
With the meek thoughtfulness and quiet smile
Of woman, calmly loving and beloved,

And timid in her happiness the while,

Stood brightly forth and steadfastly, that hour
Her clear glance kindling into sudden power.
Ay, pale she stood, but with an eye of light,
And took her fair child to her holy breast,
And lifted her soft voice, that gather'd might
As it found language-" Are we thus oppress'd?
Then must we live upon our mountain-sod,
And man must arm, and woman call on God!
"I know what thou wouldst do-and be it done!

Thy soul is darken'd with its fears for me.
Trust me to Heaven, my husband!-this, thy son,
The babe whom I have borne thee, must be free
And the sweet memory of our pleasant hearth
May well give strength-if aught be strong on earth.
"Thou hast been brooding o'er the silent dread

Of my desponding tears; now lift once more,
My hunter of the hills, thy stately head,
And let thine eagle glance my joy restore!
I can bear all but seeing thee subdued-
Take to thee back thine own undaunted mood.

"Go forth beside the waters, and along

The chamois-paths, and through the forests go,
And tell, in burning words, thy tale of wrong
To the brave hearts that mid the hamlet glow.

God shall be with thee, my beloved!-Away!
Bless but my child, and leave me--I can pray !"
He sprang up like a warrior-youth, awaking

To clarion-sounds upon the ringing air;

He caught her to his breast, while proud tears breaking
From his dark eyes, fell o'er her braided hair-
And "Worthy art thou," was his joyous cry,
"That man for thee should gird himself to die.
"My bride, my wife, the mother to my child!

Now shall thy name be armor to my heart;
And this our land, by chains no more defiled,
Be taught of thee to choose the better part!
I go thy spirit on my words shall dwell;
Thy gentle voice shall stir the Alps-Farewell!"
And thus they parted, by the quiet lake

In the clear starlight; he, the strength to rouse
Of the free hills; she, thoughtful for his sake,

To rock her child beneath the whispering boughs,
Singing its blue, half-curtain'd eyes to sleep,

With a low hymn, amid the stillness deep."

We should be glad to quote more largely from this gifted poetess, and from others of Great Britain, but must limit ourselves to a criticism of Professor Wilson, of Edinburgh, upon them-as a class. The BRITISH POETESSES, he says, seem a series of exceedingly sensible maids and matronsnot "with eyes in a fine phrensy rolling"-nor with hair disheveled by the tossings of inspiration, but of calm countenances and sedate demeanor, not very distinguishable from those we love to look on by "parlor twilight" in any happy household we are in the habit of dropping in upon of an evening a familiar guest.

SECTION XXII,

HENRY KIRKE WHITE.

No one can read the memoir of this young bard, from the elegant pen of Southey the poet, without deep sensibility. We shall furnish a few sketches to allure the young student to an imitation of the literary industry of White, though it will be necessary to add a serious caution about that neglect of physical culture, and of health, which brought him to a premature grave at the age of twenty-one.

When very young, his love of reading was decidedly manifested. At eleven years of age, he one