Whofe fhadows, fhifting, as the fun proceeds,
Impart a deeper verdure to the meads.
A limpid ftream, or rolls its glittering maze,
Or, 'fcapes from view beneath the birchen sprays.
Expanded, now, it fcarcely feems to glide,
While pebbled ifles th' unruffled glafs divide;
Now, join'd where ragged banks contract its courfe,
Its waters deepen, and increase their force;
Advancing, with refiftlefs eddies, fweep
Projecting rocks, and roar along the fleep,
Till, farther on, they pour into the plain,
Swell with uniting rills, and meet the main.

"But, ere this ftream has left its native hill,
It forms a fcene that mocks the painter's skill;
From rock to rock the raging torrents roam,
The rugged furface whitening with their foam;
Below, a fullen, black abyfs appears,
Scoop'd by the waters of a thoufand years;
Tremendous crags o'erhang the deep cafcade,
Whofe hoary fides the cleaving bushes shade.
The noon-tide glare, that radiant fummer darts,
But doubtful twilight to the dell imparts.
It never yet beheld the folar beam
Illume the trees, or tremble on the stream.
Majeftic Horror breathes her fpirit o'er
The fcene, and liftens to the torrent's roar.
Beneath the hill, that intercepts the ray
Emitted from the fetting orb of day,
A winding lake of liquid cryftal laves

The fhelving fhores with gently murm'ring waves,
Each cloud, that flits along the changing sky,

Surveys its image, as it paffes by,

Save when the fog, defcending from the steep,

Sails o'er the margin, and involves the deep.

"In this recefs, Simplicity's abode,

The modeft manfion of a man of God

Stood near the dome, where weekly prayer afcends

To gain the audience, heavenly Mercy lends." Vol. I p. 9. With an impartiality, worthy of a fuperior mind, this poet laments the defolating turn taken by the Reformation in Scotland, under the conduct of Knox.

"When pure Religion's renovated dawn
Arofe on fhades long o'er the nations drawn;
When Caledonia felt the kindling ray,

Hail'd its afcent, and blefs'd the growing day;
Again, the facred page to man was giv'n,

"The voice of God was heard, again, from heaven.

It

It hook, Corruption's fabric to its bafe.
Impofture, dragg'd to view, conceal'd her face.
Enlighten'd Reafon, with derifion faw

What ages

had beheld with facred awe.

Impetuous Knox, with daring zeal poffeft,
Spread the refiftlefs flame from breast to breaft.
Dark Superftition's magic fpells were fcorn'd,
Her fceptre broken, and her throne o'erturn'd.

"But, as the ftream, whofe placid course bestows
Prolific moisture wherefoe'er it fows,
Swoln with fierce torrents, and o'erwhelming rains,
Contemns its banks, and fweeps along the plains,
Difpels, at once, each fmiling hope it gave,
And carries ravage in its foamy wave;
Or, as the fire, that breathes a genial air,
Or, for the board, matures the cheering fare,
When, from the hearth, in lambent flakes, it flies,
Afcends the roof, and blazes to the skies,
Spreads the deftructive conflagration wide:
Difmay and Horror ftalk on ev'ry fide:

So, frantic Zeal, o'erthrowing Reafon's bound,
Sweeps, rages, flashes, burfts in peals around,
And deaf to Wisdom's, deaf to Nature's call,
Bids one tremendous ruin fwallow all.

"Why, Knox! illuftrious in the Scotifh page,
Why ftain thy zeal with defolating rage?
Could't thou not true Religion's light reftore,
And drive Corruption from thy natal fhore,
Unless, while Havoc howl'd with favage yell,
The facred Temple, with the idol, fell;
Unless whate'er was elegant, and grand,
All Art had rear'd to beautify the land,
Was yielded to th' infuriate mob a prey,
And fwept, with more than Vandal rage, away!
"Why, Scotia! whom ingenious arts refine,
Has this ferocity been folely thine?

On other coafts, when true Religion broke
Her bonds, and trampled Superftition's yoke,
She purg'd, but not deftroy'd, the Houfe of God;
And occupied again her pure abode.

As blazing beams the vifual orbs distress,
Producing darkness from the light's excefs;
So, Truth, that flashes with o'erpowering rays,
Dazzles, and leaves the mind in Error's maze.
Unhappy inan! extremes delight thee ftill,
The path of Reafon tires thy wav'ring will;
Ev'n Right itfelf betrays thee into Wrong,
And Wirdom's voice is tun'd to Folly's fong.

"Why unconnected ftands that crumbling wall?
Why leans that turret nodding to its fall?
Why bears that column no incumbent mafs?
Why, o'er yon broken window, waves the grafs?
Why fits the owl on yonder arch, and fereams
To the pale luftre of the lunar beams?
Why must the traces of the aile be found
In rugged furrows that indent the ground?
Why does the ruin, dashing 'midft the deeps,
Startle the midnight-watch the failor keeps ?
Thefe are the feats that frantic Zeal perform'd,
When Superftition's battlements were storm'd!"
Vol. I. p. 75.

In the following rapid view of the various fyftems of policy, and the glorious refult of a due modification of them in the BRITISH CONSTITUTION, we recognize the feelings and principles which firft introduced the author to our regard.

"Philemon, next, explores the diff'rent plans.
Of polity; their proper merits fcans.

If crouching nations wait the Monarch's nod;
If haughty Nobles shake their iron rod;
If frantic mobs, detefting to be flaves,
Launch on Democracy's tempeftuous waves,
Or Rule is tainted, or her vigour rent,
And Man's improvement ev'n its means prevent.
A spaniel, here, he fawns with fervile awe,
Or, there, a tiger, rears his bloody claw;
But, foon again, his favage fury broke,
The defpot-demagogue provides the yoke.

"Thefe fimple forms, fo vicious, when disjoin'd,
Show one harmonious system, if combin'd.
As jarring elements, in Nature's reign,
Difcordant concord, through the whole, maintain;
So, in a ftate, when balanc'd pow'rs confine
Each other's action to th' appointed line,
With blended vigour to one point they draw,
And end in fafety, liberty, and law.

Where lives this bright refult? In Britain's isle.
Heav'n fmil'd propitious on its rifing foil.
The waves retir'd. Th' effulgent orb of day
Blaz'd on the gulf that open'd to his ray.

Th' Eternal's voice was heard from bending skies;

'Rife, Queen of Ifles! wide Ocean's Empress! rife,

Dd

BRIT. CRIT, VOL. XXXVIII. OCT. 1811.

Time

Time! run thy courfe; accomplish the decree!"
Britannia, powerful, gen'rous, brave, and free!
Raife, Liberty! thy dome, in her domain,
Which Greece and Rome fall try to rear in vain !'
Vol. I. p. 100.

The vifion in which Ithuriel (the guardian angel) rifes to warn bis charge against rafhly choosing the clerical profeffion is, at once, one of the molt poetical paffages of the work, and full of fublime inftruction.

"When filent Midnight rock'd him to repose,
This ftriking vifion to Philemon rofe.
Ithuriel's image flashes on his fight,
Array'd in all the majefty of light.

A radiant circle, round his temples, gleams;
And, from his eyes, are darted Phofphor's beams.
Awe dwells upon his brow. O'er all his mein
The caft of folemn fanctity is seen.

He thus feems to addrefs, with tone severe :-
• Approach the ark of God with holy fear.
Before thy judge, ten thousand fouls will stand
To found thy glory, or thy name to brand,
Charge thee with treafon, or the Pastor blefs
Who led to joys, no language can exprefs.
One faithlefs fervant wounds the Saviour more
Than hofts of open foes that round him roar.
The voice re-echoes through the vault of heaven,
To flames perpetual be the traitor driven !
Such is thy fate, if merely bread, or cafe,
Or aught, the worldly foul delights to seize,
Prompts thee, with facrilegious hands, to ftain
God's altar, and his miniftry profane..
Hell, certain triumph to its caufe defcries,
When Vice is cloth'd in facerdotal guife.

But, O! what peace, what praife, what peerless joy

Are his, whom holy, heav'nly tasks employ, s
Who brings the flock, committed to his care,
To water'd paftures, and falubrious air,
To all their dangers, all their wants attends,
Directs their course, and from affaults defends ;
Till all their wand'rings, all their perils past,
He leads them to delights that ever last.
For him white robes are weav'd by Seraph's hands,
For him prepar'd the palm triumphal Itands,.
For him the Saint's reat aramanthine bow'rs,
And fragrance breathes from Paradife's flow'rs.'

"

Vol. I. p. 150.

Having given thefe fpecimens of the ftyle and fentiment of this poem, we fhould not omit to fay, that it is not all didactic; that feveral affecting incidents are interwoven in it, and interefting characters difplayed; with fufficient variety to excite and fupport attention. In a word, Philemon will amply repay the time of all who thall perufe it to the end; its plan is inftructive, and original; and its execution fuch as we have amply fhown. A few notes are subjoined at the end, illuftrative of the poem, and often interetting in themfelves. When we further confider the au. thor as Principal of an important place of education, we cannot but regard the work as peculiarly fuited to his character and fituation.

ART. XII. Crifews Griefbachiana in Novum Teftamentum Synopfis. Edidit Jofephus White, S. T. P. Lingg. Hebr. et Arab. Prof. in Academia Oxonienfi, et adis Chrifti Canonicus. Cr. 8vo. 238 pp. Oxon. Typis Academicis. Lond. Rivingtons. 1811.

THIS very learned and worthy Profeffor, anxious to ferve the caule of truth as long as poffible, impofed upon himself the task of compiling the prefent volume, partly with a view to familiarize the refults of Griefbach's laborious work, by removing from them the obfcurity of abbrevia tions; but principally, as he fays himfelf, to make manifeft to all, by a short and eafy proof,, how fafe and pure the text of the New Teftament is, in the received editions, in all things that affect our faith or duty; and how few alterations it either requires or will admit, on any found principles of criticifm. This fmall volume is exactly conformable in its defign to the beautiful edition of the N. T. published by Dr. White in 1808; and contains all the variations of any confequence, which can be confidered as established, or even rendered probable, by the inveftigation of Griefbach. The chief part of thefe readings were given in the margin of that edition, diftinguifhed by the Origenian marks. Here the value of each reading or propofed alteration is ftated in words at length, and therefore cannot be mifapprehended. This book may therefore be confidered as a kind of fupplement to that edition, or illuftration of it.

We conceive, however, that we are not to confider Profeffor White, either here or in his edition, as adding his own opi

Dd2

nion