Perhaps Barnabee's Journal cost the author least pains; and he therefore thought it his worst performance. Criticism, and the artificial rules of composition, are the things which often turn genius out of its path. A critic loves technical rules, because it requires neither taste, nor talent, to comprehend and apply them. He thinks things excellent just in proportion as they are artificial; viz. as they want genius!

What arises from the uninterrupted flow of a happy vein, they have not the tact to appreciate. The natural association of images; the sentiments which are their unsought companions; the simple diction, which does not overdress the thought, these are the marks of that intrinsic power, that golden ore, which never loses its value. And these belong to Barnabee's Journal! Yet Barnabee's Journal, tho' the work of a voluminous and well-practised author, lay forgotten for 56 out of the first 66 years of its existence; and has been only partially revived, till within the last 16 years; while the hand, that wrote it, has been only discovered within these three years!

Still we are insultingly told, that nothing is forgotten, which deserves to be remembered that the public taste is supreme : that it neglects not, thro' whim, or prejudice, or dullness; that it praises not without adequate cause !

If others do not go quite so far; if they admit that the generous Public sometimes praises without reason, they insist that it never condemns to unmerited oblivion!

IV.

PETRARCH'S INDUSTRY.

IN Petrarch's Sonnets, taken together, is a course of high sentiment, and passion, embodied! The enthusiasm of his love: the visionary circumstances, that it associates with all the incidents belonging to it; the ideal charms annexed to Laura's person; her movements; her feelings, all partake of the nature of Creation,

or Invention.

PETRARCH'S love of solitude; and love of the spiritual World, mutually inflamed each other!

He knew that his splendid faculties ought not to be wasted on common-place affairs, which others could discharge as well as himself.

The greatest faculties must not expect to have all their strength at command without industry and discipline. Leisure, silence, calmness, unbroken attention, are requisite. Exercise operates surprisingly in the attainment of facility ideas gradually develop themselves with clearness, that at first seemed involved in the darkest incomprehensibility.

Magnas partes >> (says our poet) << rure ago, nunc etiam, ut semper, solitudinis appetens, et quietis. Lego, scribo, cogito; hæc vita, hæc delectatio mea est, quæ mihi semper ab adolescentiâ meâ fuit. Mirum, tam jugi studio, tam pauca tanto in tempore didicisse ».

If Petrarch, the most eloquent, fertile, and copious

writer of his laborious and wonderful age could say this, what can a puny modern say?

V.

MILTON'S SELF CONFIDENCE.

No one ever executed a great work of intellect, without high self-confidence.

But who can have this confidence, if his opinion is to depend on the capricious judgements of others? Not only erroneous taste, but envy and jealousy, may cloud the judgements, that we suppose most free from them. Johnson says of MILTON, that «< it appears in all his writings, that he had the usual concomitant of great abilities, a lofty and steady confidence in himself; perhaps not without some contempt of others ». But who can be compared with Milton?

The confidence will « come and go » in weaker minds: it will be a succession of provoking hopes evaporating in melancholy diffidences active life will have been surrendered; but the substitute not enjoyed. It will not be as it was with the noble poet just mentioned.

<< I trust hereby », says he, « to make it manifest, with what small willingness I endure to interrupt the pursuit of no less hopes, than these; and leave a calm and pleasing solitariness, fed with chearful and confident thoughts, to embark in a troubled sea of noise and hoarse disputes, put from beholding the bright countenance of Truth, in the quiet and still air of delightful studies «<.

VI.

YOUNG'S UNIVERSAL PASSION.

YOUNG has endeavoured to prove, that Love of Famé is the Universal Passion and to elucidate it by a satirical poem, full of point and wit. The only difference is in the mode taken to obtain this: and this is as diversified, as human character, and human action.

Mankind, however, seem to have agreed, that the ambition of intellectual excellence is among the most laudable of human impulses.

But the road to Excellence is not always the road to Fame.

VII.

GRAY'S PURSUITS, AND HABITS.

Is it to be lamented, that Gray wrote so little? Did he make the due use of the talents conferred on him by Providence? Is it not true, that

« When in the breast the imperfects joys expire »,

when they are not embodied in language, and communicated, they are not only useless to others, but unsatisfac tory to him, whom they have visited?

What was the faculty, that Gray principally employed in reading? If he only employed memory, he neglected the higher faculties, which he possessed! It is not sufficient to comprehend, and remember what others have written : it ought to be enriched by the reader's own reflections. The power of original thought improves wonderfully by practice but he, who is occustomed to go in leading-strings, can seldom venture alone.

:

It cannot be questioned that Gray could think for himself; and did think for himself on all great occasions. He thought not only powerfully, but rightly. His fault was fastidiousness. He was too little disposed to be pleased; and he exacted too rigid correctness.

*

Who are of consequence? Who have made themselves worthy of general notice, and general esteem? Who have done that, which has not been equally done, or cannot be equally done, by a thousand others? Could many others have written the Elegy; the Ode on Eton College; etc. of Gray? What is most excellent seems easy to be done the trial proves the contrary.

but

There must be something of uncommon felicity in that to which we perpetually recur after other things have lost all interest with the loss of novelty! Is it the polish, and terseness of expression; the happy selection of images; or the simplicity, truth, and pathos of the sentiments ?

Gray, personally received but little of the incense of attention and praise, which the fame of his writings drew upon them. He mingled scarcely at all in that sort of society, who were fitted or disposed to estimate duly his genius.