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perhaps, even the existence of Buonaparte depended, is admirably expressed.

"Fate, in these various perils past,

Reserved thee still some future cast ;-
On the dread die thou now has thrown,
Hangs not a single field alone,
Nor one campaign-thy martial fame,
Thy empire, dynasty, and name,
Have felt the final stroke;

And now, o'er thy devoted head

The last stern vial's wrath is shed,

The last dread seal is broke."

P. 31.

As the panegyric upon the Duke of Wellington has appeared in most of the public papers, we shall not extract it; the stanza is sufficiently stately, but somewhat stiff.

We now come to a part of the poem which will command much more general attention and admiration. An epicedium upon those who fall in their country's cause, will always find a passage to the heart of an Englishman, when panegyric fails in its purpose. Mr. Scott has succeeded admirably in this part of his poem. The following thoughts are not indeed new, but selected with judgment, and expressed with a delicate and disciplined feeling.

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"Here piled in common slaughter sleep
Those whom affection long shall weep;
Here rests the sire, that ne'er shall strain
His orphans to his heart again;
The son, whom, on his native shore,
The parent's voice shall bless no more;
The bridegroom, who has hardly press'd
His blushing consort to his breast;
The husband, whom through many a year
Long love and mutual faith endear.
Thou can'st not name one tender tie
But here dissolved its reliques lie!
O when thou see'st some mourner's veil,
Shroud her thin form and visage pale,
Or mark'st the Matron's bursting tears
Stream when the stricken drum she hears;

Or see'st how manlier grief, suppress'd,

Is labouring in a father's breast,

With no enquiry vain pursue

The cause, but think on Waterloo." P. 36.

When our poet proceeds to name the departed heroes of the day, his selection is not less happy; the following lines are more truly classical, than any which we have yet seen of the same author.

M m 2

<< Thou

"Thou saw'st in seas of gore expire
Redoubted PICTON'S Soul of fire-
Saw'st in the mingled carnage lie
All that of PONSONBY Could die-
DE LANCY change Love's bridal-wreath,
For laurels from the hand of Death-
Saw'st gallant MILLER'S failing eye
Still bent where Albion's banners fly,
And CAMERON, in the shock of steel,
Die like the offspring of Lochiel;
And generous GORDON, 'mid the strife,
Fall while he watch'd his leader's life.—”

P. 38.

Our extracts will conclude with the following passage, which we consider as unrivalled in beauty and pathos. "The poor soldier's lowlier name," is a new and most classical idea. Though the lines come home to the heart of the reader, yet he will find no general nor common place application. The peculiar circumstances of situation are so artfully interwoven as exclusively to point out the field of Waterloo.

"Forgive, brave Dead, the imperfect lay!
Who may your names, your numbers, say?
What high-strung harp, what lofty line,
To each the dear-earn'd praise assign,
From high-born chiefs of martial fame
To the poor soldier's lowlier name ?
Lightly ye rose that dawning day,
From your cold couch of swamp and clay,
To fill, before the sun was low,

The bed that morning cannot know.
Oft may the tear the green sod steep,
And sacred be the heroes' sleep,

Till Time shall cease to run;

And ne'er beside their noble grave,
May Briton pass and fail to crave
A blessing on the fallen brave

Who fought with Wellington!" P. 39.

We have selected for our readers the most brilliant parts of the poem before us; should they be discouraged however from purchasing the remainder by this declaration, we would protest against their resolutions by informing them that the profits arising from its sale are dedicated by its patriotic author, to the national fund for the sufferers of Waterloo. The dedication of his talents and of their produce upon this altar, is no mean offering from such a man as Walter Scott, and we trust that it will be accepted with the gratitude which it deserves.

ART.

ART. VIII. A Serious Address to the Clergy of the United Kingdom, on the Duties of the Pastoral Office, in a Visitation Sermon, preached at the Parish Church of St. Paul's, Covent-Garden, on the 19th of May, 1815, before the Archdeacon of Middlesex and his Clergy. By the Rev, W. Gurney, A.M. Rector of St. Clement Danes, &c. 8vo. pp 25. Walker.

1815.

WHEN a Visitation Sermon is published without the request either of the clergy or their visitor, we take it for granted, either that it contains matter which appeared to them objectionable, or at least, that it is more highly esteemed as a composition by the preacher, than by his audience. This Visitation Sermon was not published at the request of the archdeacon and clergy present, nor will any reader be surprised that it was not. It is blazoned forth, indeed, at the head of the title-page, as A Serious Address to the Clergy of the United Kingdom, on the Duties of the Pastoral Office. Mr. Gurney, or any other clergyman, is indeed at liberty to address his brethren seriously, but after this labour of the mountain, what is the production? In good truth, there has seldom appeared a sermon from a Minister of the Established Church, so vague, so unsatisfactory, and so ill expressed. The particular points of practice recommended, have indeed little objectionable in them, but they are inculcated in so bad a style, that they appear forced and unimpressive. Yet is it curious to observe with what solemn preparation our preacher sets out, first assuring us of the diffidence he felt before such an audience, an assurance, by the way, which the remainder of the Sermon shews not to have been unnecessary. However, he soon rallies, and then bespeaking a candid and attentive audience, he trusts,

"That, upon serious and calm reflection, my language, though simple will not disgust; my arguments, though plain, will not be weak; my application, though close, will not be offensively personal: and, upon the whole, I sincerely hope I shall be enabled to hold fast the form of sound words." P. 5.

Now we must confess, from this beginning, we did expect a philippie personal enough, and that the form of sound words would hardly have been retained to the end. Yet excepting certain Calvinistic inuendoes respecting experimental feeling, &c. there is little doctrine, and less personality; all is sufficiently tame and spiritless. To be perfectly intelligible, as he states it, he divides his subject into three parts.-1st. The object of the shepherd's care, the flock of God. 2dly. The duty enjoined, feed the flock. 3dly. The frame and temper of the shepherds

in the discharge of that duty. This last head is not intelligible to us-the frame of the shepherds. We have read an advertisement for a porter, one that feared God, and could carry 3 cwt. But we do not recollect the frame of a Christian pastor ever becoming a subject of enquiry before. Mr. Gurney must surely mean to have written" frame of mind", in this and other places where the expression occurs. In pages 6 and 7, we have frequent allusions to the dignity of the flock; then observing that they are not forgotten of their Heavenly Father, he says, "Do they suffer for his sake? They shall reign with him. Do they follow him in the furnace of affliction?" Now we have never heard or read in the Scriptures, or elsewhere, of our Heavenly Father passing through the furnace of affliction. Where Mr. G. obtained his intelligence, it would have been kind to have informed his learned brethren. Then again follows:

"What a glorious contrast hath God put between his sheep and the goats, in these solemn words of the Prophet- Behold the day cometh that shall burn as an oven, and all the proud, and all they that do wickedly, shall be stubble, and the day that cometh shall burn them up, and leave them neither root nor branch; but to you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise, with healing in his wings; and ye shall come forth and grow up as calves of the stall.' P. 7.

But behold the contrast is between stubble and calves of the stall. There is here, however, a more serious objection. The prophet speaks of the wicked being destroyed as stubble in the oven, root and branch. And is this a glorious object of contemplation to a fellow-creature, to one who ought to tremble under the consciousness of his own sins and infirmities?-Awful indeed is the thought. In page 8, occurs the following inexplicable passage:Hope, as an anchor of the soul both sure and stedfast, entereth into that (what?) within the vail, whither our forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus." In page 11, we have the strange expression of "involving eternal destinies ;" an expression fabricated by atheists, and re-echoed by jacobins and revolutionists. The next sentence mentions the church's caution to her rulers to lay hands suddenly on no man. But the rulers un

fortunately have not always the information they have a right to expect. We reprobate, in as severe terms as Mr. Gurney himself would apply, the too great facility afforded by both our universities of procuring college testimonials, which are generally the only evidence which a bishop can procure of the character and conduct of his candidates for orders. We agree with Mr. Gurney, that too strict an enquiry into the life and habits of a candidate for orders cannot be made, and we are certain that he

will agree with us in the necessity of more frequent refusals on the part of colleges to grant unfounded testimonials.

There is, however, an opinion delivered with sufficient gra vity, which we cannot reconcile with Mr. G.'s own practice, if at least the report of the Morning Chronicle in the beginning of November last be correct. He very truly says,

"The good shepherd knows the propensity of sheep to stray; their natural defect in sagacity to find their way back; their want of courage and strength to resist the numerous enemies to which, in a scattered state, they are exposed. It is his duty, then, to keep his eye upon them, as well as to supply them with fresh pasture and suitable food, so as to leave them no temptation to wander." P. 15.

Now who would suppose after this that Mr. G. would introduce, under colour of a Bible Association, strange shepherds, of various denominations, within the very walls of his own Church, to lead his flock astray, and by their insufferable cant, and disgusting dissensions, to desecrate the sanctuary of God. May we not apply to himself an observation of his own, true indeed, but conveyed in language never before used on such an

occasion.

"If from doctrines which include the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, the pastor, by defect in practice, should at least give room for suspicion that he himself dissents, 'tis not a strange, though it is a lamentable consequence, if the flock should shortly follow his example."

"Can

Another example of odd language occurs in p. 21. the flock committed to our trust bear testimony of our praying the Church prayers." And in p. 24, we have the still less intelligible expression of "the world conferring its honours on heads more pliable than those," &c.

We believe this species of skull is not to be found in Messrs. Gall and Spurzheim's collections. From this strange expression however, it is clear in what degree of respect Mr. Gurney is disposed to hold the highest authorities in the Church.

We could select various other beauties of style in the composition before us, but we have given enough to satisfy the readers of its merits. Mr. Gurney, if we are rightly informed, usually addresses his audience extempore. If then a sermon drawn up with care, printed, and published, and addressed to the Clergy of the United Kingdom, exhibits such a mixture of strange incongruous expressions, what would his extemporaneous productions afford, could they be taken in short hand, and published? We are told indeed, p. 23, "not to be envious or jealous at the popularity of others, nor to be puffed up with our own." Now

we

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