"The stream it kissed it's pebbled shore,

O'erhung with wild woods thickening green; The fragrant birch and hawthorn hoar

Twin'd amorous round the raptur'd scene.

6

"The flowers sprang wanton to be prest,
The birds sang love on every spray ;
'Till too, too soon, the glowing west
Proclaim'd the speed of winged day.

7

"Still o'er these scenes my memory wakes,
And fondly broods with miser care,
Time but the impression stronger makes,
As streams their channels deeper wear.

8

"My Mary, dear, departed shade,

Where is thy blissful place of rest?

See'st thou thy lover lowly laid,

Hear'st thou the groans that rend his breast? (To be continued.)

THIRD SECTION.

AMERICAN LITERATURE REVIEWED.

IN

accordance with our promise, made in the Magazine for the last month, we hasten to lay before the reader the conclusion of the review of Alfred, with which we were favoured by the Archer, and the insertion of which we were, very reluctantly on our part, obliged to defer 'till the present time.

ALFRED; AN HISTORICAL POEM.

WRITTEN BY A CAROLINIAN OF 18.

(Concluded from page 392. Vol. 1.)

"Lav'd by the wide Atlantic, hostile fleets
Ravag'd his shores. He spoke,-from nodding groves
Huge oaks descend,-bend into ships,-up-plough
The foamy wave, and guard with watchful care
The queen of isles. Full proudly o'er the main
Triumphant rides the fleet: while commerce' sails
By prosp❜rous zephyrs fill'd, bear from all climes
The produce of each soil.

"Now learning smiles;

Now rise Oxonia's walls, by Alfred's hand

Up-rais'd. The youths with bright ambition, throng
To taste the Aonian spring. From heav'n descends
Religion, in her snowy vesture clad,

And all the virtues smiling in her train.

Call'd from long slumbers by his quick'ning voice,

The tuneful bard awakes; sweet poesy

With music, hand in hand, her sister join'd,
Trips o'er the mead, and sings on every hill;
The distant mountains catch the waving sound,
And echoing vales prolong the raptur'd strain.

"Now sacred law the subject's right secures ;
Not e'en the felon dies, whate'er his crimes,
Till by twelve peers condemn'd.-The common law,
Offspring of Alfred, into system grows,

VOL. II.

T

And reigns supreme, and guards the spacious realm.
Hail! prince of princes! Hail thou first of men!
Born to command, and save, and bless mankind.
Hail! Albion! prosperous in thy happy sway;
Free to all good, as reason would be free.
No furious faction fill'd thy realm with rage,
And rous'd thy sons to blood.-Foul anarchy
Fled hissing from thy shores-Fair order rose,—
Peace by her side, and smiling, walk'd the land,
Dispensing every joy.-Bless'd in thy prince,
And in thy sons, and in the gifts of heaven,
What raptures fill'd your bounds, as time roll'd on;
Each day with pleasure fraught; each joyous scene
The morning gilded, and seren'd the eve.

"Oh how unlike in these degen'rate days,
In thoughts, in words, in deeds, philosophists!
Alfred ennobled, they debase the mind;
He lov'd true liberty, they rank excess:
Religion's schools, with virtue, science-fraught,
By him supported, flourished through the realm;
Schools of impiety, base stews of vice,

Founded by them corruption wide bespread ;
He wove the web of love,-they burst the loom.
From carnage wide, from desolation drear,
The land a garden blooms, new nations rise.
Hail! Alfred! Father, saviour of the state!
O'er vernal fields, with every beauty gay,
O'er peaceful climes they bid wild havoc stalk,
Whelm plains in blood, inflame the lofty dome,
While furious sophists light the angry fire.

"Just is the portrait, then, Columbia, judge-
Embrace true wisdom, and thy God adore;
The atheist spurn, and real freedom claim.
Thy spacious fields, in gayest vestments rob'd,
Wave wide their golden harvests: India's corn
Rears its green head, and shakes its silken crest;
And crops of every form, and every dye,
Here grace the plains, and there the hills adorn.
The various tints of colour spread around;
From bolder strokes, to shades of nicer touch;
From live carnation to vermilion's glow;

From azure deep to hues more delicate,
In lively contrast charm the lingering eye.
In simple grandeur winds Ohio's stream—
Old Hudson feels incumbent freighted barks,
And joyous rolls them to the destin❜d port.
Gay scenes of pleasure, innocent as gay,
Amuse the senses, and the soul refine.

"Thy Constitution, glorious monument
Of worth and wisdom; where the sister-states
In union, harmony, and love combin❜d,
Sublime around their commoy centre roll.
Of vice beware, shun vain philosophy;
And peace, contentment, virtue, and pure bliss,
Conjoin'd, shall reign, religion's sun shine forth,
And, with unmingled glory, light the world."-

Having brought the republication of the poem of " Alfred” to a conclusion, we shall now, agreeable to the promise, which we made in the ninth number of our first volume, offer some remarks, in as brief a manner as the subject will allow, on the general merits and defects of this performance.

With regard to the historical events, upon which the poem is founded, we have already stated our opinion. They are interesting, and of that commanding nature, which is well calculated to excite the noblest feelings, and to support the dignity of the historical muse. Of the management of the plot, what may be termed the business of the poem, we wish we could speak in terms of equal approbation. We do not say there is any thing unnatural in the arrangement, or in direct violation of established rules; but the incidents are, in general, too much crowded, and some of them are dismissed with a precipitancy, which, in our opinion, takes away a good deal from the interest of the work.

We cannot, however, withhold our applause from the exquisite description of the discovery by the wandering prince of the fair Elfrida ;-the lines beginning with,

"From a dark grove, beneath the mountain's brow,”

present a charming picture of the meeting of this faithful pair ; and the address of Elfrida to Alfred, previous to his hazard

ous visit to the Danish camp, is replete with the purest sentiments of conjugal affection, and does equal honour to the head and heart of the youthful author.-The battle is well described. The meeting of Holgar and Oscar; the fall of the latter, and the circumstance of Oddune revenging his death, with some other proofs of nice discrimination in catching particular occurrences in the heat of the action, shew more judgment, than we should have expected to have found in so young a writer, and convince us, that he has studied the best masters with more than ordinary attention.

But that, which has afforded us most pleasure, is the incident of Elfrida saving the life of her beloved hero. It is introduced with peculiar felicity, and is managed with great success. Heroism ever commands applause, even when displayed in the conduct of the warrior, to whom we naturally look for deeds of noble daring ;-but when it glows in the female bosom, and is lighted up by the pure flame of wedded love, the pleasure we receive is in proportion to the surprize we experience, and common applause is heightened into admiration and rapture. The general pardon, which Alfred extended to the Danes, is here judiciously introduced. It is not only perfectly consistent with the character of the English prince, but is precisely what would have naturally flowed, at such a moment, from a noble and generous mind; delighted with the prospect of the peace and happiness of his country, and gowing with transport at this last and strongest proof of the affection and fidelity of his wife.

As the work advances, the plans of wisdom and policy, which occupy the soul of Alfred, are related with considerable effect. The contrast between the pure philosophy of that great and good man, and the pernicious doctrines of modern sophists, is drawn in strong colours, and gives a value to the production; far above the praise of just and animated description, and of elegant and correct language. In the apostrophe to America, the young poet, in describing her natural bouties, has proved that he possesses powers of no common order; and the advice, which is contained in the concluding lines, ought to strike deep into the heart of every real lover of his country.