the invention and imagery of their contemporaries are puerile and abfurd,' we have nothing to object against it's conftruction; but as it is directed, not exclufively indeed, but immediately against the cenfure of Mr. Headley, we object against it's conftruction, that many are contained in it of high poetic eminence, who have flourifhed, not merely pofteriour to the publication of Mr. Headley's work, but who did not flourish till after the death of that elegant fcholar. By placing an afterisk against their names, the objection would be completely obviated; fhould an opportunity occur, Dr. D. will, perhaps, attend to this hint.

It will fave the parade and formality of any further arrangement, if we notice the remaining numbers as of a mifcellaneous nature. Number 11 treats on the government of the imagination,' and exhibits fome melancholy inftances of infanity, refulting from an unlimited indulgence of it by men of glowing genius and warm emotions. Taffo flourished whilft the gothic mythology retained it's full influence, and our author conjectures, that the compofition of his immortal epic, by giving fcope to the boldeft fights, and calling into effect the energies of his exalted and enthufiaftic fancy, whilft with equal ardour it led him to entertain hopes of immediate and extenfive fame, laid moft probably the foundation of his fucceeding derangement.' P. 38:

We have had one melancholy inftance, and toward the middle of the eighteenth century, where difappointment, operating ppon enthusiasm, has induced effects fomewhat fimilar to thofe recorded of the celebrated italian. In the year 1756 died our lamented COLLINS, one of our moft exquifite poets, and of whom, perhaps,' without exaggeration it may be afferted, that he partook of the credulity and enthufiafm of Taffo, the magic wildnefs of Shakspeare, the fublimity of Milton, and the pathos of Offian. He had early formed fanguine expectations of fame and applaufe, but reaped nothing but penury and neglect, and flung with indignation at the unmerited treatment his productions had met with, he burnt the remaining copies with his own hands. His Odes to Fear, on the Poetical Character, to Evening, the Paffions, and on the Superftitions of the Highlands of Scotland, ftrongly mark the bias of his mind to, all that is awefully wild and terrible. His addrefs to Fear,

"Dark power! with fhudd'ring meek submitted thought
Be mine to read the vifions old

Which thy awakening bards have told :
And, left thou meet my blafled view,

Hold each strange tale devoutly true."

was prompted by what he actually felt; for, like Taffo, he was, in fome measure, a convert to the imagery he drew; and the beautiful lines in which he defcribes the italian, might, with equal propriety, be applied to himself:

It was published by Cadell in 1787. It is now become scarce, a new edition, comprising the original poems of Mr. Headley, which are perhaps still more fcarce, would be an acceptable prefent to the public.

"Prevailing

"Prevailing poet, whofe undoubting mind,
Believ'd the magic wonders which he fung."

If the indulgence of a wild, luxuriant fancy, however, were of itfelf fufficient to produce this melancholy derangement, how di the all-creative Shakspeare preferve the integrity of his intelle

The acuteness, the inexhaustible variety of his genius, his talens for humour, and his almoft intuitive penetration into the follies and vices of his fpecies, enabled him to avoid, in a great measure, that tredulity which his wild, terrific, yet delightful and confitent fictions, almost riveted upon others.' The deep and varied eruditio of Milton, and his cultivation of abftrufe science, operated to pr ferve him from the fatal effects of his fublime and inexhaufible imagination. Our author draws fome practical inferences, which may be very useful. relative to the government of the imagination. The third is an elegant effay on the tender melancholy which ufually follows the acuter feelings of forrow; it treats particularly on the effects of fcenery. It appeared originally in the Speculator.

Numbers VI, VII, VIII, IX. The first of thefe treats on gothic fuperftition,' and it's capability of furnishing materials for poetical compofition. We certainly are not of the number of thofe, who condemn the introduction of any kind of fupernatural agency; but feel rather difpofed to accord with Dr. D., than differ from him, when he predicts, that if at any time the romantic legends of popular fupertition be totally laid afide, our national poetry will degenerate into mere morality, criticism, and fatire; and that the fublime, the terrible, and the fanciful, in poetry, will no longer exift. The introduction of myfterious fuper-human agency, however, requires the hand of a master, and if any thing fhould make us lofe the relish for it, it must be the odious and defpicable abortion, the monftrous and misthapen beings, which people the pages of our modern dramas and romances. We believe Dr. D. is not correct, when he ftates it to be the fashion among critical writers, to condemn the introduction of any fupernatural agency. He feems to confound the condemnation, which critical writers have very generally paffed on the unmeaning introduction of beings, whofe attributes and agency are equally extravagant and ridiculous, with the condemnation of the general principle of their introduction itfelf. Refpecting ourselves, we have lately had two occafions to touch upon this fubject *, in one of which our opinion was fpecifically stated.

Illuftrative of the effect of introducing the two fpecies of gothic fuperftition, the terrible and the fportive, our author has given us, in the three laft-mentioned numbers, a gothic tale, Henry Fitzowen.' This tale appeared in the Speculator under the title of Sir Gawen: the introductory paper, alfo, we remember to have feen there: in the prefent volume they affume a much more polished and correct appearance. We are inclined to think, that Dr. D. has erroneously attri

* See our review of Mr. Lewis's Caftlé Spectre, p. 179 of the prefent vol., and our review of Mr. Sotheby's translation of Wieland's Oberon, p. 279.

buted

buted the fragment of Sir Bertrand to the pen of Mrs. Barbauld; we believe Dr. Aikin is the author of it.

Numbers x11 and XIII contain an hiftorical sketch of the dark days of chriftian Europe, the eighth, ninth, and tenth centuries, as contrafted with the caliphates of Bagdad and Cordova. In this effay Dr. D. feems to have imitated the full periods of Gibbon, who is laid under confiderable contribution. It is built with fome of the materials of a paper in the Speculator.

Thefe,' fays our author,

Number xv, on objects of terrour. may with propriety be divided into those which owe their origin to the agency of fuper-human beings, and form a part of every fyftem of mythology, and into thofe which depend on natural caufes and events for their production.' In the effay on gothic fuperftition, the former fpecies has been noticed; Dr. D., in the prefent effay, delivers a few obfervations on the latter, and terminates them, as he did before, with a tale, Montmorenci, in illuftration.

The abbey of Clunedale, number xx, is a tale, told with a great deal of fimplicity and pathos.

6

Number xx1 contains fome remarks on social affection,' which appeared in the Speculator. Appended to them is a defcription of Loch Leven, introduced for the purpose of noticing the amiable and unfortunate young poet, Michael Bruce, who, in the twenty-first year of his age, perifhed under that fcourge of our ifle, a pulmonary confumption. Dr. D. has given a beautiful extract from Mr. Bruce's poem on Loch Leven; we cordially unite with him in wishing that it may recommend it to further notice.

Number XXII, on the evening and night fcenery of the poets, as mingled or contrafted with pathetic emotion.' In this paper are felected, with much felicity and tafte, fome of the most exquifite fpecimens of poetry, where the affections of the heart are mingled or contrafted with the adjacent fcenery. We remember a note in Mr. Headley's Select Beauties' on a fubject fomewhat fimilar to the prefent, that is to fay, the note was illuftrative of the strong intereft excited by a fimile arifing from the fubject itself, or fome collateral branch of it. In mere unempaffioned defcription, the author obferves, fimiles, which are derived from foreign and remote objects, are frequently used with fuccefs, but in pathetic fituations a fimile ⚫ taken from the ground of the piece' excites our fympathy with greater effect. Dr. D., by fhowing the effect of poetical allufions, mingling or contrafing with the paflions of the human breast, has improved upon the observation of Mr. Headley.

Number xxv. Maria Arnold, a tale.' This was published in the Speculator. A very fpirited and pleafing imitation of the fixth fatire of the fecond book of Horace is added, written by the rev. Francis Drake, B. D. Fellow of Maudlin College, Oxford.

Number XXVIII and xxIx treat on the fuperftitions of the highlands of Scotland.' No country better exemplifies the effect of fcenery; while a peculiar fyftem of fuperftition, fublime and aweful in it's general texture, and ftrongly indicative of the country, has long reigned in the highlands of that kingdom; in it's lowland districts a mild and more fportive vein of fabling prevails, well adapted to the beautiful and paftoral fcenery of that delightful region.' In the effay on gothic fuperftition our author had already

obferved,

obferved, that the popular creed of the lowlands was very fimilar to the lighter gothic; in the prefent effay he declines any further confideration of this fpecies of mythology, and confines himself to the detail of the traditionary fuperititions peculiar to the highlanders The pages of Oihan furnish him with abundant materials; the fubjeû is a very curious one, and furnishes fpeculation to the philofopher and the hiftorian *.

The only remaining number to be mentioned, No. xxx, appeared in the Speculator. It contains Agnes Felton, a tale; Stanzas; Ode to Content.'

We have thought it better to particularize the fubject of each paper in this volume, than to give any general account of it's contents; for any general account of fo mifcellaneous a publication as the prefent mult neceffarily have been, in fome meafure, vague and unfatisfactory. On the whole, we have derived fo much amufement from Dr. D.'s Literary Hours, that, if they do not interfere with his profeffional avocations, we fhall be happy in an opportunity of lounging with him by his ftudy fire-fide on any future occafion.

ART. XIII. Critical, poetical, and dramatic Works. By John Penn, Efq. 2 vols. Svo. About 500 pages each. Price i5s. in boards. Hatchard. 1798.

THE latter only of these two volumes is new; the tracts which compofe the first having, all of them, been published feparately, and at different times, before. The Battle of Eddington' first made it's appearance in 1792, and, in every refpect, had a very unfavourable reception; it feems to be the boat of it's author, that this claffical play' is formed upon ftricter rules than thofe of Ariftotle. Nothwithtanding, however, the fcrupulous obfervance of the dramatic unities, &c. by which the Battle of Eddington is diftinguifhed, Mr. P.'s application to the managers of our different London theatres for an audience was unfucccfsful; he was more fortunate in his application to captain Wathen, the owner of the Richmond theatre, where his play was performed, and, we are told, gave general fatisfaction.

We are not among thofe, who confider the total difregard or contempt of all dramatic rules as any proof or any symptom of genius we forget thefe rules, indeed, in reading the works of a Shakipeare and a Schiller; but when a minor poet prefumes to hake off every retraint, and, because those great mafters of the art have done fo with impunity, fancies the fame indulgence is to be extended to himfelf, we generally have felt ourfelves rather dif gutted at his arrogance, than pleafed at his fpirit. In coinciding thus far with Mr. P., of whofe critical talents we think respectfully, let it not be understood, that we adopt, in toto, his opinions on the structure and mechanifm of the drama; when he talks about calculating tafe, and pronouncing on the dramatic decifions of a manager or a reviewer by reference to arithmetic; when he augurs

On popular illufion in general fee a paper of Dr. Ferriar's, in the third vol. of the Manchefter Tranfactions.

+ See p. 99, of Mr. P.'s Tranflation of Calfabigi's Letter on Tragedy.'

well

well of a tragedy if the fcenes are to the lines nearly as fixty-five to fifteen hundred, and the former amount to between fixty and feventy*, we are reminded of Sterne's critic: "And what of this new book the whole world makes fuch a rout about?-oh! 'tis out of all plumb, my lord,-quite an irregular thing!-not one of the angles at the four corners was a right angle. I had my rule and compaffes, &c. my lord, in my pocket.-Excellent critick! -And for the epick poem your lordship bid me look at—upon taking the length, breadth, heighth and depth of it, and trying them at home upon an exact fcale of Boffu's 'tis out, my lord, in every one of it's dimenfions.-Admirable connoiffeur!"

In the structure of Mr. P.'s own dramatic bairn, it's creator may have distributed, with anatomical precifion, every bone, every mufcle, every nerve; all the arteries, the veins, aye, and the very capillaries; but after all, he has neglected to breathe into it the breath of life! to infufe the fpirit of animation! To drop the metaphor, we must frankly confefs, that the Battle of Eddington, with all it's accuracy, is, in our opinion, a tame infipid drama.

From Mr. P.'s Reply to the Strictures of the Monthly Reviewers,' which makes a part of the first volume, it feems that our opinion, concerning his play, is not fingularly unfavourable : here, it would be inexcufeable if we did not bear teftimony to the gentleman-like manner in which this reply is conducted; Mr. P. vindicates the principles on which his Battle of Eddington is written, with confiderable acumen, and a very natural degree of warmth, at the fame time he pays that refpect to the opinion of the Monthly Reviewers, to which their learning, their judgment, and their various talents, very justly entitle them. A tranflation of Ranieri di Calfabigi's letter to count Alfieri, on Tragedy,' with notes by Mr. Penn, ftill farther illustrative of his dramatic dogmas; and Poetical Mifcellanies,' complete the first volume. Poetical Mifcellanies are of unequal merit: they confist of a modernized verfion of the Squire's Tale of Chaucer; an imitation of Perfius's fixth Satire; Odes; an Elegy; Sonnets; Epigrams; and Tranflations, chiefly from Petrarch.

The

The contents of the fecond volume are as follows: the Art of English Poetry, being an imitation of Horace's Epistle to the Pifos; and a reduction of Milton's Samfon Agonistes, Ben Jonson's Silent Woman, and Voltaire's Semiramis, according to the dramatic principles exemplified in the Battle of Eddington,' in order to show their effect on works of established reputation.

The best way, to give our readers an idea of Mr. P.'s imitation of the Epistola ad Pifones, will be by offering them a fhort extract; the following paffage is imitated from 1. 92, &c. (Singula quæque lacum teneant fortita decenter): Vol. 11, P. 59.

Styles Nature ne'er together link'd
Eternally be kept diftinét!

Yet 'tis in comedy no fault,

If even her voice she should exalt;

See p. 18, 19, 22, of Mr. P.'s Reply to the Monthly Reviewers.'

And