Sivut kuvina
PDF
ePub

The shaken temple's vast foundations rock
Beneath their feet.. break up with awful shock,
And bury half the host!.. with phrenzied cry,
Far from the storm the pale survivors fly;

And, scattering terror through their kindred ranks,
Announce the avenging God who rules the Franks.
Wretches! this gulf, and mighty tomb, foretell
The eternal gulf, the unbounded tomb of Hell."

Vol. II. P. 298.

We pass over the passage of Charles through the catacombs; the narrative of the civil war in Aquitania, and its fortunate result in the flight of the Moors, the death of Theodobert, and the return of the Aquitanians to their allegiance. The camp of Charlemagne is surprised, a desperate conflict ensues, in which Egbert, the Heptarch, bears a triumphant part: assistance is again vouchsafed from Heaven to Charles.

LXXI.

"He spoke..and to the ranks, where carnage grew,
Eager, at once, the Christian monarch flew.
No shield, no arms, defend his weakened frame,
But courage, zeal, and faith, his heart inflame.
-A radiant cloud, a glorious veil of light
Bursts out immediate on his dazzled sight!
His wound a viewless aspiration heals...

The monarch shouts! the touch divine he feels..
While, raised above the energies of man,

An unknown vigour through his bosom ran...

LXXII.

"King of the Franks!' exclaimed the heavenly voice,
Thine is the recompense of faith! rejoice!

God to its end his promised vengeance brings..
SÉE, COMBAT, TRIUMPH, FOR THE KING OF KINGS.”
Asunder torn at this tremendous sound,

The cloud discovers, from its breast profound,
War's dread Archangel, in the azure field

Of air, outstretched on high..a monstrous shield
On his left arm the holy town o'erspread,

And his vast spear waved o'er the Pagan's head.

LXXIII.

"Even from the sacred ramparts to the hills The sky that buckler's brilliant circle fills.

In words of fire, upon the brazen plain,

Shine CYRUS, CONSTANTINE, AND...CHARLEMAGNE {*
The gazing monarch, rapt in holy trance,

Seizes his sword, springs forward in advance,

YOL. IV, JULY, 1815.

G

And

And cheers the Christian host...celestial awe
O'erwhelmed the shuddering Pagans as they saw.
An universal horror and despair...

On his pale brow rose Rodmir's bristling hair!
His soldiers fly...he calls them to the fight..
Trembles himself, and, trembling turns to flight."

Vol. II. P. 364.

This is perhaps the most sublime and striking image in the whole Poem, and does equal credit to the invention of the Poet and the language of the translator.-The whole Lombard army are either destroyed or put to flight. Armelia dies in the battle, while rushing in despair upon the christian line. Rodmir perishes in the ruins of St. Peter's. The triumph of victory follows, and the Poem concludes with the meeting of the Pontiff and his deliverer Charlemagne.

We have thus given a faint outline of the conduct of this extraordinary Poem, which we are assured will fully justify in the opinion of our readers the criticism which we passed upon it in our last Number.

To Dr. Butler and Mr. Hodgson the highest obligations are due from Lucien for the masterly manner in which they have both executed their arduous task. They have added an interest to the Poem which it never possessed before, particularly to the English reader; and we have no hesitation in saying, that so far from losing a single beauty in the translation, it reads infinitely better in its borrowed, than in its original dress. To the French Poem indeed we should be almost inclined to apply the epigram of a French wit (Menage we believe) upon the Pucelle of Chapelain.

Iila Capellani dudum expectata puella

Tandem post longo tempore prodit anus:

The enthusiastic rapture which announced its approach is lost in the stillness of the most provoking indifference, from which nothing but the animation, the elegance, and the classical language of the translation can redeem it.

Our readers will perceive that the six first Cantos are for a very obvious reason inferior to the rest of the work. It is not till he marches onwards unfettered by the relics of an able friend that Dr. Butler appears in full strength. To draw any comparison between his co-adjutor and himself would be almost superfluous, as they both appear to have been inspired with the same views, and to have proceeded in their mighty task pari passu. Their styles indeed are not so different, but that the translation might to any one, who was unacquainted with the history of the co-partnership, appear the work of the same hand. Mr. Hodgson perhaps may be considered as exhibiting

the

the more uniform flow of poetic animation, while Dr. Butler, without his general sustainment, proves himself fully equal in detached passages. Both are deserving of the crown of victory, and were we called upon to decide upon whose head the bay should rest, we could only exclaim

Arcades ambo

Et cantare pares et respondere parati.

[ocr errors]

ART. VII. A Charge delivered to the Clergy of the Archdeaconry of London, at the Primary Visitation. By J. Holden Pott, M. A. Archdeacon of London. 4to. 36 pp. Rivingtons. 1815.

FEW appointments have given greater satisfaction to that most respectable and exemplary body, the Clergy of London, than the promotion of the worthy author of this Charge to the important station which he now holds. We consider it as fortunate for the Church, when Archdeaconries of so much weight and consequence are entrusted to those who are qualified by ecclesiastical experience to direct, and by their temperance to conciliate the Clergy who are committed to their care.

The worthy Archdeacon calls the attention of his Clergy to the state of the Church in former periods of our English history, and to a review of those venerable characters, who, in foriner times, have filled the stations which they now occupy.

It is not an uncommon cry with a certain party in the Church, that the faith of the Reformation are to be zealously contended for, and its leading features accurately preserved; intimating at the same time, in pretty plain terms, that they alone among the Clergy preach its doctrines, and maintain its character and spirit. To such the following judicious observations are exceedingly applicable, both to regulate their zeal and to increase their candour.

"In paying due respect to the modes of teaching, writing,, and discoursing, which were practised at that period, our first care I think should be to strive to profit with each bright example, but to avoid an injudicious application of the pattern. The circumstances and occasions which gave the chief direction, and communicated the decisive turn to the thoughts and studies of men in those times, are much to be observed. The circle into. which they were led was not altogether that to which their choice would have disposed them. The course which they took was' that which the calls and exigencies of their day suggested. It was marked

@ 2

marked out to them by the great work which they had to do. Accordingly to those points and questions which were the prevailing objects of attention at that time, their chief notice was directed, and their most assiduous exertions of necessity confined. Good men are the same in all times, but their minuter modes of thinking, of speaking, writing, and discoursing, will be borrowed from the special urgency of those inducements which press most on their regard. I am inclined to give to those distinguished persons, who braved the terrors and exposed the frauds of Rome, the full benefit of this remark, and I mean to claim it also for such as have succeeded them, who appear to me to have sometimes suffered undue censure for want of that allowance which should govern our opinions both of men and manners in their several ages. Without such considerations, we shall be apt to imitate improperly, or we shall be led to scatter harsh reflections with as little reason or advantage." P. 5.

The whole of this part of the subject is treated with so much ability by the Archdeacon, that we cannot sufficiently recommend it to be read and studied by all. To those, who in these days are in the constant habit of reprobating "will worship" as they term it, and are perpetually inculcating spiritual devotion, (not according to the true meaning but the party application of the term,) these observations are addressed with considerable effect:

"I shall only add one further illustration of that just measure of discernment, which we should endeavor to apply with reference to our own age. We have spoken hitherto of speculative topics; but when knowledge was much stinted in its channels, and when a species of devotion, ill-turned and ill-directed, served but to sever a few pious persons from the larger number of those who went forward in a mixed course of ceremonious pageantry, joined with real laxity of life, the general exhortations which were employed by such as stood forth to redress those evils, were adapted more particularly to that state of mens minds and habits. Admitting then that no speech can be too ardent or too plain, where corruptions of the heart of any kind are to be taxed, and that no exhortations can be too piercing to induce those to return to spiritual courses, who. at any time are wedded to unprofitable usages, coupled with deceitful remedies for the hurts of conscience, still will any one pretend to say that it is as necessary now as heretofore, to dissuade men from devoted habits of attention to external forms of duty, or to recall them from a blind submission to the yoke of arbitrary laws? Will any sober and considerate person, who knows the state and character of our own times deny that the mischiefs and obliquities of our days are lapsing fast to an opposite extreme, in which even very salutary laws and wise provisions, imited to the Word of God, and measured by that rule, are con

temned,

[ocr errors]

1

temned, and prove the frequent sacrifice to some wild claim of self-
willed and self-authorized commission ?" P. 10.

The Archdeacon traces the features of the different periods
of the Church down to the present day with equal accuracy and
judgment. He reminds the Clergy of the many able defences
both of Christianity at large and of the Church, to which the
city of London has given birth. The Collection of Tracts
against Popery by Bishop Gibson; the Collection of Cases and
Discourses to recover Dissenters to the Church; the Discourses
delivered both at the lecture founded by the Hon. Robert
Boyle and Lady Moyer, which in themselves furnish a body of
strength against the virulence of the deist and the infidel. To
those, who have attempted in recent publications to undervalue
these masterly defences of our Christian faith, as presenting no-
thing but "Socrates, reason, and moderation" the Archdeacon
thus warmly replies:

"Shall we forget the debt of gratitude which we owe to such men, who shaped their weapons to their warfare; who defended the great truths of religion by clear, sound reasonings, and by solid strength of argument, against those who challenged them to such proofs, and provoked them to such demonstrations? Shall we be told now that the style and method to which the circumstances of their day and the vigour of their minds might lead, was fit only for the closet; adapted to the calm seats of philosophy; but too cold and correct, and too much fraught with cautious argument and close reflection, to excite the heat of any warm attachment in the hearts of men? Shall we offer this return for labours which have placed the towers of truth upon the ruins of an hideous Babel, and raised triumphant banners high over the prestrate wreck of long laboured sophistries, of false reasonings, wild, indecent declamations, calumnies, and slanders? Do their writings furnish to the world no other proof that they knew how to lay the first foundations of the faith in simple hearts, as well as to refute deceitful adversaries, and withstand audacious disputants? Let us then be just at least to the past service of the wise and good, of whom so many stood where we stand at this day, and were the guides and pastors of this great metropolis; let us render that tribute of acknowledgment, even if we feel disposed to claim a preference for other modes of teaching and discoursing as adapted more to ordinary purposes, and better framed for general utility." P. 18.

In the latter part of the Charge the subject of National Education in the principles of the Church of England is treated with the earnestness due to so important a point. The lamentable deficiency of Churches not only in the metropolis, but in all, our great manufacturing towns is mentioned as an object

worthy

[ocr errors][ocr errors]
« EdellinenJatka »