ment and legitimate authority. Nor, again, is the predicted power, whatever it be, likely to "wear out the saints," fortified as they are with patience, and inured to sufferings in all ages, in the short space of three years and a half. That expression and other circumstances in the prophecy lead us to expect a persecution of far longer continuance, and to interpret the sym bolical terms, "a time, times, and the dividing of time," of the days which they contain, namely 1260, each day standing for a year. And there is, alas! and has been a power upon the earth about 1200 years, whose secret enmity and open vengeance have been uniformly levelled against those who abhor idolatry, and hold the truth in its primitive simplicity, whom she honours with the name of Heretics! But it is not our business at present to inquire who is meant by the little horn, but only to show, that Gogue is not meant by it, if Gogue is the late invader of Russia. Mr. Penn brings the prophecy of Balaam (Num. xxiv.) into his system, where he says the seventh verse was read by the Septuagint," and his [the Messiah's] kingdom shall be exalted over Gogue," p. 129. But in our copy it is, " and the kingdom Gogue [or, of Gogue] shall be exalted." He holds the common doctrine of the Millennium to be an illusion,"reserving for a future opportunity what he has to allege against this prevailing error," p. 51. In the mean time, he observes, that the term is used indefinitely," and "ap pears evidently to denote a very long period," embracing, as St. Augustine says, "the whole compass of time between the first coming of Christ and the end of the ages, when he will come again." P. 167. These notions, whether just or otherwise, it is sufficient to mention. The volume, which has detained us so long, is cer tainly in a high degree interesting, and the prophecy, which is the subject of it, awful and momentous. But in the page of Ezekiel it seems to stand detached and alone; except that if it is the intent of prophecy, and therefore the gracious design of Heaven, that the hitherto blind and obdurate sons of Jacob should one day repent and believe in "Him whom they pierced," and return with songs to their own land, then it does seem to be manifestly intimated, in the latter part of the prophecy, (xxxix. 21-29.) that their conversion shall ensue shortly after the overthrow of Gogue. If we may view the prophecy in conjunction with this, apparently, its only necessary connection, we readily allow, that in many of its great outlines and peculiar features, it bears a striking resemblance to the late wanton invasion of the empire of Russia, the sudden repulse of the insolent aggressor, and tremendous wreck of his fugitive army. * But But still there remains one very great and, to us, insuperable difficulty, that the Gogue of this warfare did not "fall on the face of the field," and has not yet been buried with his slaugh tered legions, in the valley, which from that circumstance might justly be denominated, "the valley of the multitude of Gogue.” ART. II. Les Recherches sur les Ranz des Vaches ou sur les Chansons Pastorales des Bergers de la Suisse, avec Musique.. Par George Tarenne, Paris, chez F. Louis, Libraire Rue de Saooie. No. 6. THIS is a most amusing, or most provoking book, according to the humour, in which we happen to be, when we take it up. We have all of us occasionally, at least for ourselves we confess, that we have sometimes our moments of cold "insouciance," when the grossest absurdity inclines us rather to laughter, than pity, or indignation; we believe this temper of mind is now-a-days styled philosophy-at such times we overlook the melancholy worthlessness of the book, and enjoy heartily the ridiculous specimens, which it contains. In more serious, and (we will venture to add) more worthy moods of the mind, we remember that it is written on a most interesting, and as yet unbeaten subject; and are vexed not merely, that it gives us little or no information on that sub. ject, but that where every idea, every scene, and every recollection should have inspired good taste, and the manliest simplicity, our author has by the fatal preponderance of something within him, overlaid this fair field with the most mawkish and tawdry sentimentality. We say "something within him ;" for if his subject had influenced him, there is scarcely a sentence in his work, that could have appeared in its present form. Probably in all the range of literature there is scarcely so fair a field for a truly elegant mind to trifle on, as the national music of Switzerland. Its accompaniments of bewitching, though solemn scenery, its antiquity, and history, its great simplicity consistent with its perfect sweetness, above all its romantic sway over the feelings of " those far away,' present all together a combination of circumstances, which we may not easily find in any other subject. Of these however though M. Tarenne has said much, it is very evident be thought little; while he wrote, he was busied, we guess, á l'ordinaire with a certain personage, of great merit doubtless, with whom however he is certainly on the best of terms. It is a common remark on the dispensations of Providence, that however excellent in their own nature, yet in their relation to us they become instruments of good, or ill according to the quality of those, on whom they are bestowed, This is a remark often uttered, but, like many other religious reflections, too little dwelt ou; for it is able, if soberly meditated, to stir the soul with the deepest, the most solemn, we had almost said, the most fear. ful train of thoughts. Our present task will not allow us to pursue it; nor should we have alluded to it, but for the sake of remarking how analogously the appearances, and phenomena of the natural world operate on that faculty of our mind, which we call taste, or the sensation of the sublime and beautiful. Another proof this, if others were wanted, of that mysterious harmony in the whole government of the One Universal Ruler, which, whenever we comprehend it thoroughly, seems to operate with uniform means, and in an uniform manner; as in this remarkable instance of the moral and physical world, and the influence they exert varying both in force and kind according to the nature of the recipients. Perhaps on a subject rather subtle we have not expressed our→ selves very clearly; we shall be excused therefore if we explain ourselves a little more diffusely. To the simple and feeling heart, the solemn majesty, or the rich beauty of the world around us speak with a power, that makes affectation of sentiment a thing impossible, the waving of woods, the almost unearthly piping of the winds, the quiet motion, and deep clearness of inland waters, the dark forms of mountains, and the eternal, yet ever-varying roar of cataracts; all the accidents of light and shade, of cloud or sunshine, of time and season; these are powers, if we may be allowed the word, which weigh upon the man of true taste; their moral impression is indelible; and they excite a feeling of delight which he is not indeed ashamed of, which rather he glories in, but which he certainly fears to impart except to congenial boHe well knows, that the impressions, he has undergone, would appear to many minds unnatural, or affected; and to him who feels strongly, there is no bugbear of opinion so dreadful, as the character of affectation. Such a man then, we may depend upon it, seldom communicates to the world, the sensation with which he has witnessed the grand displays of the magnificence of nature; they are his pearls, not hoarded through avarice, but respectfully treasured up, that they may not by accident, or carelessness be cast before swine. soms. True it is, and a seeming exception to the rule, that the poet at times bursts forth in wild, and touching enthusiasm with almost loquacious fondness for the loveliness, or sublimity of nature; but it should be remembered, that he then ordinarily ex presses presses only the feelings of recollection, somewhat softened in their excess, and somewhat also strengthened in their hardihood; he thinks too and writes in the fearlessness of solitude; and when the glowing thought comes boldly forth in the pomp and music of verse, it is not so much the admiring tribute of the panegyrist, as the devout hymn of the worshippers. But how do these same scenes affect people of a different description; the teemings of that most prolific of all mothers, the press, afford the best answer to the question; is it not too a melancholy fact, that the greatest nonsense has always been written in describing the finest country? Minds such as those to which we now allude, feel none of the divinity of nature; on first view of a fine prospect they cast about for as fine an epithet, or as fine a sentence to characterise, or describe it by; cruelly interrupting the silent pleasures of those who do feel, it is quite impossible they should themselves be affected; they have no time; they are otherwise employed. In the evening the fine epithet, or sentence find their way into the fine note book; and at the end of a few weeks the fine note-book splits into chapters, swells with compilations, is tricked up with fine poetry, and tinted sketches; and so becomes a standing drawing room dish for the London season. Monsieur l'Auteur is as well content to be a standing dish in the dining room where he reigns lord paramount in matters of taste, and so, as Duval says, "Voila, Madame Mathurine, l'histoire de mon amour pour Madamoiselle votre fille." We have followed our reflections, a little out of the straight path of our subject; yet they are not wholly foreign to our purpose, for it is only on a theory something like that which we have laid down, that the existence of the present work can be accounted for. M. Tarenne appears from his own statement, p. 11. to have travelled in Switzerland a few years ago; in a very early morning walk in the Canton de Vaud it was his good, (or perhaps considering all the unhappy consequences, we should rather say his bad) fortune to light on a young peasant girl, who sung a ranz des vaches, as she conducted her cattle to the pasture. M. Tarenne was probably fresh from a sojourn at Paris "As one, who long in populous city pent, Adjoined, from each thing met conceives delight, VOL. III. MARCH, 1815. If If chance, with nymph-like step, fair virgin pass, What pleasing seemed, for her now pleases more." He assures us accordingly, that it would be quite impossible to express "the ravishment and ecstasy" into which he was thrown by this damsel's song. At breakfast he could do nothing but talk of what he had seen and heard; and he set all his friends at work to procure him a copy of the music. He was astonished, he says, to find that there were extant many different airs, peculiar to the different cantons; this led him to extend his researches, and we are now presented with the result of labours, which occupied the author and his friends many months." 66 We confess with great deference to Monsieur Tarenne, that we should have been better pleased, if instead of limiting us to eight airs selected by his own judgment, his book had contained all those with which the kindness of his friends supplied him. Any music, which is really national, and characteristic, must be interesting; but unless we are much mistaken, the Swiss Ranz des Vaches have an absolute, and no inconsiderable merit. The quality, which pervades them all, is a wild and pathetic simplicity; and the alternations of quick, and slow movements are peculiarly appropriate to the words, which are sung to them, and the actual employment of the singers. In the slow parts, the poetry, rude as it is, sometimes in the way of soliloquy, sometimes in dialogue, turns on the occupations and circumstances of the peasants of Switzerland; in the quick movement the singer seeming to recollect himself, addresses his cattle, either urging them to pass to the feeding ground, or calling them to the chalet to be milked. The following is the first couplet of the Grugere Ranz des Vaches, which we give with the French interlineary translation, as being the most popular, and common in Switzerland. Liauba, Liauba por aria á Vaches, Vaches pour (vous) traire. Then follows the quick movement, which is the burthen of all the succeeding couplets. "Vinidé toté, bliantz et naïré Sous |