"Each through the adverse ports their contents pour," &c.

get their shrouds afoul; and learn, after all, that "Crew and cargo glut the watery grave." The great river Plata, too, appears. with extraordinary magnificence: "And highland drains with lowland drench repays."

The rhymes are equally original:plain rhymes to man-blood to God, and share to war, in three successive couplets.

Before closing these hasty and imperfect notices of the characteristicks of this new language, it seems proper to observe, that if Mr. Barlow's authority is to be relied on, it may also be known from all other tongues, by an utter disregard of all distinction between what we should call lofty and elegant, and low and vulgar expressions. These republican literati seem to make it a point of conscience to have no aristocratical distinctions-even in their vocabula

ry. They think one word just as good as another, provided its meaning be as clear; and will know no difference, but that of force and perspicuity. Thus, we hear of rivers that tap the upland lakes; and are told that, in North America, there are "hills by hundreds," of such a height, that, if set beside them,

"Taurus would shrink; Hemodia strut no more."

In the same taste, in an elaborate description of the celebrated feat of William Tell, our attention is particularly directed to the stretching of his knuckles as he draws the cord,

and to the skill with which "he

picked the pippin" off his boy's head. picked the pippin” off his boy's head. Niagara, we are afterwards informed, "bluffs high his head,"

"And Chili bluffs, and Plata flats the

the coast."

And in a pompous description of a storm, we see the crew "spring to quarters," "haul their wind," and

for the saving which it occasions in the carrier's toil. Contagion is said to be promoted by "heaps of putrid meat," and steams are represented as arising from her "box." With an equal regard to dignity, the flames in a great conflagration, are represented as "sucking up the cinders." Some of the republican forces are said to be "hard pusht;" and other are obliged to "climb hard" up a hill, to get out of the reach of the enemy. The tripod of the Delphick priestess, moreover, is elegantly

called her "stool;" and the watchword of the night-sentinels is pleasantly termed "sly."

From the view which we have now given of the diction of this American epick, it might, perhaps, be concluded, that the whole must be equally unintelligible and intolerable to an English reader; and that that Mr. Barlow had stolen the style we could not be serious in saying, of Darwin, who versifies, in general, with great elegance, and seldom mixes any thing with his English

but terms of science or of art. The truth is, however, that the greater part of Mr. Barlow may be understood by a careful reader, even in this country: that his versification is, and that, notwithstanding the occagenerally, both soft and sonorous: sional lowness and constant want of purity of his diction, there are many passages of rich and vigorous description; and some that might lay claim even to the praise of magnificence. The fatal want of simplicity, passion, and character, unfortunately leave no room to doubt of his destiny as an epick poet; but there is a power, now and then, both in his descriptive and didactick passages,

that, under stricter management, might turn to some account in another department of poetry. That he resembles Darwin, no one, we think, will doubt, after glancing at the following passages:

"Indignant Frost, to hold his captive, plies His hosted fiends that vex the polar skies, Unlocks his magazines of nitrick stores, Azotick charms and muriatick powers; Hail, with its glassy globes, and brume congealed,

Rime's fleecy flakes, and storm that heaps the field.

The loosen'd ice-isles o'er the main advance,

Toss on the surge, and thro the concave dance;

Whirl'd high, conjoin'd, in crystal mountains driven,

Alp over Alp, they build a midway heaven; Whose million mirrors mock the solar

ray,

And give condensed the tenfold glare of day,

As tow'rd the south the mass enormous

The long-lived olive mocks the moth of time,

Pomona's pride, that old Grenada claims, Here smiles and reddens in diviner flames; Pimento, citron, scent the sky serene, White woolly clusters fringe the cotton's green,

The sturdy fig, the frail deciduous cane And foodful cocoa fan the sultry plain." p. 35.

A modern battle, Mr. Barlow observes in his preface, is "far more magnificent, more sonorous, and more discolouring to the face of nature, than an ancient one could have been; and is consequently susceptible of more pomp and variety of description." He adds also, that he found these descriptions particularly easy to write. It is but just, therefore, to present the reader with a specimen of one of them. The following exhibits, we think, in very fair proportion, the characteristick faults and excellences of this writer.

man,

In dreadful silence tread. As, wrapt from sight,

The nightly ambush moves to secret fight; So rush the raging files, and sightless close In plunging thrust with fierce conflicting foes.

They reach, they strike, they stagger o'er the slain,

Deal doubtful blows, or closing clench their man,

Intwine their twisting limbs, the gun forgo, Wrench off the bayonet and dirk the foe; Then struggling back, reseize the musket bare,

Club the broad breech, and headlong whirl to war.

Ranks rush on ranks with equal slaughter gored;

Warm dripping streams from every lifted sword

Stain the thin carnaged corps, who still maintain,

With mutual shocks, the vengeance of the plain.

At last, where Williams fought and Campbell fell,

Unwonted strokes the British line repel. The rout begins," &c. p. 227, 228.

There is a sea-fight given with still greater detail; but more horribly

crammed with bloodshed and bombast; and exhibiting, in a very striking way, the greatness of this author's mistake as to the true fountains of force and grandeur in description. The first four lines are

laudable.

"So, hazing thro the void, at first appear White clouds of canvass floating on the air,

Then frown the broad, black decks, the sails are stayed,

The gaping portholes cast a frightful shade,

Flames, triple tiered, and tides of smoke, arise,

And fulminations rock the seas and skies. From van to rear the roaring deluge

runs,

The storm disgorging from a thousand guns,

"Stroke after stroke with doubling force he plied,

Foiled the hoar fiend and pulverized the tide. The baffled tyrant quits the desperate

cause;

From Hesper's heat the river swells and thaws.

The fleet rolls gently to the Jersey coast, And morning splendours greet the landing host." p. 189.

The philosophick, or prophetick part of the poem, in which the author, reviewing the past destiny of man, ventures to delineate his future progress, is far superiour, in our estimation, to the narrative or historical part. His retrospects have far more breadth and dignity; and his anticipations far more spirit than his chronicle. We take the following passage almost at random:

"At last, a soil more fixt, and streams