jects such as are unfit to be forced upon the tyranny of the majority* certainly exceednation by a bare superiority of numbers? ing any that an European King could exer. Surely there can be no time in which it is cise. This book affords an excellent comless necessary to bring this ancient institu- mentary upon Locke; and may, perhaps, tion into question, than one in which it re-reconcile the framers of constitutions in Gerpresents generally the opinions of almost a many, as it has us, to that aristocracy which moiety of the popular representatives, and the same author describes (p. 104), in a the same at least, if not a majority, of the phrase eminently applicable to our House of popular electors; and a very large, almost Lords, as "a firm and enlightened man, who overwhelming, majority of the upper classes, never dies." so much so, that if the Lords were replaced by an elective Chamber, chosen by gentle. men of moderate incomes, it is almost cer. tain that the votes of that Chamber would be such as they now are, if not even less in unison with those of the representatives of the people.

ART. VII.-Floresta de Rimas Modernas Castellanas; o Poesias Selectas Castellanas desde el tiempo de Ignacio de Luzan hasta nuestros dias, con una Introduccion historica, y con Noticias biograficas y criticas recogidas y ordenadas, por Fernando José Wolf, Secretario de la Biblioteca Imperial de Viena. 2tom. 8vo., 1837. Paris y Viena.

down to the present day; and the value of the work is considerably enhanced by the biographical and critical sketches which accompany the specimens.

It is not in our power to describe with the accuracy without which we are unwilling to attempt it, the alterations which have been made, since Heeren wrote, in the Constitutions of the several states of Germany. We believe that they have all borrowed something from the Constitution of England, and they have all attempted to reconcile the growing THESE volumes cannot but form a welcome spirit of Democracy with "the monarchical addition to the library of every lover of Spanprinciple." We are among those who pray, ish poetry. They supply well-selected specithat that spirit may still be tempered, as in mens of all the writers who have distinguished England, by monarchy and aristocracy; and themselves in the realms of poetry from the all that we have lately heard of the most ex- commencement of the eighteenth century, tensive and unmitigated democracy that is to be found among established governments, confirms us in our wish that we may not become entirely democratic. We have already noticed (vol. xv. p. 470,) the work of Tocque The period in the history of Spanish litera. ville, who has applied to the consideration of ture which the learned editor has fixed upon Democracy in Americ aa judgment singular. to commence his labors, is one of considera. ly calm and impartial. His recommenda- ble importance, and one at which a great tion of Democracy may be summed up in change began to operate, both in the form one short sentence, in which he says that, and spirit of the national poetry. It is the "if the laws of Democracy are not always moment when Ignacio de Luzan, far from respectable, they are always respected." (vol. being discouraged by the failure of the atii. p. 123.) When people are satisfied, or tempts made by the Marques de San Juan persuaded, that the measures of Government to introduce into his country, the poetical emanate from their own opinions and wills doctrines of the French school, as exempli. they are satisfied with them, though they fied in Corneille's tragedy of Cinna, endeavorbe, and perhaps for that reason the more, un-ed, by the publication of his Poetica in 1737, wise or unjust.

This consideration generates a very diffi. cult question for a practical and conscientious statesman; how to steer between the right and the expedient? How far to give way to the public opinion of the moment, when he believes that its effects will be permanently injurious? Certainly, to us Englishmen, this advantage of having laws " respected though not respectable"appears too dearly purchased. Tocqueville gives one instance of this want of respectability; in the unwillingness of the House of Representatives to punish fraudu. lent bankrupts, because fraudulent bankruptcies are frequent; and he describes the 27

VOL. XX.

to infuse new vigor into the listless veins of the Spanish muse, and to awaken his countrymen to a knowledge of those poetic laws which had received the authority of Aristotle, Horace, and Boileau. Not content with insisting upon the necessity of obeying the dic. tates of these great masters of the critical art, Luzan determined himself to practise the doctrines he advocated; and in this he was readily assisted by many of his friends. In the year 1749, a poetical society was instituted in Madrid, under the name of Buen

* See the notice of this part of Tocqueville in Sir Robert Peel's speech at Glasgow, January 13th, 1837.

Gusto, over which the Condesa de Lemos forward to resist the growing partiality for presided; and which numbered among its the French school, and recall his countrymen members, besides many other men of talent, to a love of their own national and romantic the Count Torrepalma, Augustin Montiano, style. But though reasonably gifted with Ignacio de Luzan, José Porcel, and Luis poetic powers, and strong in the virtues of a Velasquez. Of these members of the aca- good cause, Huerta was compelled to give demy "del Buen Gusto," Torrepalma dis- up the field to his more numerous, though not The classicists tinguished himself by his poem of Deucalion, more skilful adversaries written in the style of Ovid; Montiano by triumphed for a time, but their triumph was his two tragedies, Virginia and Ataulfo;- short;-the diviner spirit was wanting, for José Porcel by his Eglogas Venatorias, the poetical, like all other institutions of one much applauded at the time, but which have country, languishes and deteriorates, exag. never been published; and finally Luzan gerating only its original imperfections, when himself, by some translations and lyrical transplanted to a foreign soil: and thus the compositions. But neither the doctrines nor poetry of Spain remained but a poor reflex the example of these members of the society of that of France, containing no elements of for the promotion of poetry, exercised any vitality, and destined once more to fall into a beneficial influence upon the national taste; state of inanition. and lamentable indeed is the state of degra But while Huerta and the advocates of the dation into which its poetical literature had French style were engaged in this combat of fallen at the close of the reign of Ferdinand opinions, in Salamanca was gradually formthe Sixth, as described by no less competent ing a native school, which inculcated the an authority than Nicolas Ferrandez de doctrines that the first principles of their naMoratin. In fact, the only composition of tional poetry must necessarily be derived distinguished merit which appeared during from their own ancient writers; and at the the first half of the eighteenth century, was head of this school eventually appeared Juan the Satira contra los malos escritores de su Melendez Valdes. In 1785, Melendez pub. tiempo, in which, with much wit and elegance, lished the first volume of his poetical works, Jorge Pitillas vented his indignation at the displaying the result of his studies into the miserable condition of the literature of his national forms of his country's popular song. native country. This poem, the only pro- It was received with loud and general apduction of its clever and patriotic author plause; and the lovers of the early literature known to exist, is reprinted in the present collection.

He

of Spain, who saw how successfully he had followed the footsteps of Garcilasso, Leon, But the year 1737, which gave birth to and Herrera, did not hesitate to proclaim him Luzan's Poetica, (again forgotten in the year the restorer of the muse of Castile. 1760,) gave birth to one destined to exercise was certainly the founder of a new school, a more powerful and cheering influence over not less imitative than that of Luzan and the poetical spirit of his countrymen. Nico- Moratin, but nevertheless based on national las Fernandez de Moratin, for he it was, models, and national therefore in its formliving under far more favorable circumstan- it was, in short, a new school of Spanish ces, and gifted with far greater poetical poetry.

talents, contributed most effectually to the But though this was the prevailing, it was reformation of Castilian poetry, and to pre. by no means the only system of the time. paring the way for its regeneration. But Other writers sought for models among the the models which Moratin selected for his poets of Italy, whose works display, in their own study, and held up to the admiration of outward forms at least, considerable resemhis countrymen, were derived from the banks blance to those of Spain. Among those who of the Seine: they lacked the fire and energy may be said to have adopted the Italians as that distinguished the national poetry of their models, are Leandro Fernandez de Spain, and substituted for those vigorous and Moratin, Juan Bautista de Arriaza, Manuel characteristic charms, the more effeminate de Arjona, and Francisco Martinez de la graces of neatness and elegance. These Rosa. however, were felt by some patriotic spirit of The works of Melendez and his followers, the day, to be but inefficient substitutes for however, prepared the minds of their coun. the absence of that spirit which had distin- trymen to receive and esteem the doctrines guished the earlier productions of their coun- of the new, or, as it is more frequently styled, trymen; and they wished to see the elegance the romantic school of poetry; which, rejectof the classic school combined with the ener- ing the frigid dogmas and enslaving laws of gies of the old Spanish writers. Amongst the classicists, holds up to the admiration and the foremost who insisted upon this necessity, imitation of the world the glorious creations Vicente Garcia de la Huerta boldly stepped of Homer, Shakspeare, Dante, Lope de Vega,

and Schiller. This taste is rapidly develop-| ing itself, in the literary circles of Spain, and, among those who have served most effectu. ally to disseminate its beneficial principles among their countrymen, Augustin Durand,

In idle war the headlong waves advance
While, as th' unvarying star

That to the trembling pilot points his
course,

Through Aquilo and Notus try their force,

ing havens far.

We take another specimen from this poe tical Address, and again see his genius sinking under the prevailing and imbecile torpor of the age.

and Angel de Saavedra Duke de Rivas, She guides our wandering bark to sheltershould be especially noticed: the former by his essay "On the Influence which Modern Criticism has exercised in the Downfall of the Ancient Spanish Theatre;" by his "Trovas;" and his excellent editions of the "Romanceros," and of the "Talea Española, o Coleccion de Dramas del Antiguo Teatro Español:" and the latter no less effectually by his own poetical works which have ap. peared of late years.

To illustrate the various phases of Spanish poetry since the commencement of the preceding century, is the purpose of these volumes, of which we now take our leave; first rendering our best thanks to Dr. Wolf for the good taste and industry displayed in every page, and earnestly commending them to the student of Spanish poetry, as a storehouse in which he will find many productions of the Spanish muse not readily to be met with elsewhere, and so arranged as to exhibit a perfect view of the progress of that branch of the national literature from the era of Luzan to our own days. The volumes may be said indeed to form an indispensable companion to the "Floresta de Rimas Antiguas" of Don Juan Nicolas Bohl de Faber.

We must commence, however, the more useful labor of translation from our few extracts, which are offered with all due diffi. dence, beginning with one from Luzan's Lines to the Academia de las Nobles Artes.

Its ever varying sway
Inconstant fate exerts o'er all.
Borne subject to successive fall
Each earthly state!-Fleeting the ancient
glory

Of early Greece and Rome's immortal

Light and mingling shade

Being and birth on Painting first bestowed:
Beneath her hand the varying colors glowed,
And fair Design in long Perspective showed.
In the warm tablets' flowing lines, en wrought
With brightest hues, from living nature

Touch alone could tell,

caught,

How deeply treasured here deception's
spell!

All that the eyes surveyed,
All that Imagination's power could trace,
Breathed in the Pencil's imitative grace:
O'er the cold canvas Form, and Soul, and
Feeling,

That wondrous art infused, with power

of life;

Portrayed each pulse, each passion's might revealing,

Sorrow, and joy, love, hatred, fear, and

strife.

Though haply mute, th' eternal doubt upsprung,

Can such perfection be denied a tongue ?

We proceed to give a short extract from Nicolas Fernandez de Moratin's "Love and Honor," in imitation of the ancient ballads, but without either their pathos or energy.

By the lovely Belerifa

Was Benzayde well-beloved;
He a Moor, discreet and gallant,
Few of years-of strength approved.

He too, proud at feast and revel
To display his cherished flame,
Broidered round his bright green mantle
With the ciphers of his dame.

Never from his lance he parted,

Never left the hostile field,
Till the forceful weapon quivered,
Piercing through the foeman's shield.

With his love in soft endearment,
Long a calm retreat he chose,
Nor from such prolonged enjoyment,
Ever weariness arose.

Twenty moons, in rapture fleeting,

Passed without a pause to move
Doubt that could divide their friendship,
Coldness to diminish love.

Not Guadalete's rapid wave

Could stay his flight, who knew the dread
Of captive chains and conquering wrong;

In vain his arms the torrent brave,
His body sleeps beneath its bed,
The current bears his robe along.

Let the reader compare this with the forlorn pathos and energetic grandeur of the ancient ballad so magnificently translated by Lockhart.

"From the last and fatal battle

Where the Moor had won the day,
Fled the hosts of Don Roderigo
Scattered round in wide dismay.

"There where Guadalete wanders,
And our Lady's-harbor lay,

*

There he took his lonely way.

*

Our last extracts must be taken from the works of the Minister Martinez de la Rosa, whose prose style, so elaborately elegant, is perhaps as little known here as his poetry. We select a slight but graceful

ANACREONTIC.

Who hath drained this cup, declare!
Doubtless it has been a Bee,
For his venom still is there,

And his sting I seem to see.

'Guest, no bee hath near it been,
'Twas a lovely Boy, I ween.'

A Boy ?-'Yes.'-Armed?' His eyes
were bound.'

Enough!-the rest my breast has found. We must conclude with a few elegant lines, entitled

THE ALHAMBRA.

Come to my bidding, gentle Damsels fair
That haunt the banks of Douro and Genil;
Come, crowned with roses in your fragrant hair
More fresh and pure than April balms distil.

With long dark locks adown your shoulders straying;
With eyes of fire, and lips of honied power;
Uncinctured robes, the bosom bare displaying,
Let songs of love escort me to the bower.

With Love resounds the murmur of the stream;
With Love the nightingale awakes the grove;
O'er wood and mountain Love inspires the theme,
And Earth and Heaven repeat the strain of Love.

Even there, where midst th' Alcazar's Moorish pride
Three centuries of ruin sleep profound,
From marble walls, with gold diversified,

The sullen echoes murmur Love around.

Where are its glories now?-the pomps, the charms,
The triumphs, the emprize of proud display!
The song, the dance, the feast, the deeds of arms,
The gardens, baths, and fountains-where are they?

Round jasper columns thorns and ivy creep;
Where roses blossomed, brambles now o'erspread:
The mournful ruins bid the spirit weep;

The broken fragments stay the passing tread.

Ye nymphs of Douro! to my words give heed;
Behold how transient pride and glory prove;
Then, while the headlong moments urge their speed,
Taste happiness, and try the joys of Love.

We are satisfied, for the present, with offering these few extracts, of no great interest generally, to the reader, and shall reserve

more elaborate specimens for a more com. prehensive view of the peninsular poets.