Paradiso. Tradition says that Dante used often to wander in the romantic country about Udine, and to the Grotto of Tolmino, where a stone is still pointed at, on which he used to sit, absorbed in the contemplation of the wild Alpine beauties which surrounded him. Mr. Viviani has compared the Bartolinian MS. with sixty-six others, from the principal libraries in the North of Italy; one, belonging to Marquis Trivulzio, of Milan, bears the date of 1337*. Now, with regard to the passage in question, Mr. Viviani reads

Che al Re Giovane diedi i ma' conforti.

By which both the sense and the prosody become correct; and the learned Mr. Salfi, one of the best living authorities in these matters, approves of the alteration.

With regard to the minor charges brought by the critic against Mr. Tarver, we should think the latter gentleman must know something of his native language, and that therefore his mode of spelling has not been adopted by him on slight grounds. The fact is, that many double consonants are now retrenched in modern French writing, and that Calchas may be spelled either with or without the h. As for the genitive dell' Inferno, it is not used as a nominative in the title-page, which bears the title l' Inferno; but in the half-title, Mr. Tarver has adopted the former case, and this is not inconsistent. Before dell' Inferno may be understood cantica, poem, vision, &c. The titles of many Italian books begin with the genitive case. Perticari wrote lately a work under the title "Della 'Vita e de' Fatti di Guidobaldo, libri xii. Goja, del Merito o dalle Ricompense; Beccaria, dei Delitti e Pene," after which the nominative may be either expressed or understood. In the same manner Virgil styles his poems Eneidos, and Delille translates it by l' Enéide. Here we will close our review of Mr. Tarver's book. We repeat, that we are persuaded Mr. T. never thought of entering the lists with Mr. Cary, their works being of a too different character from each other. The latter gentleman's version is a beautiful poem, and wonderfully close to the original withal. Mr. T.'s translation is a production of humbler pretensions, but when coupled with his volume of excellent notes, it constitutes a work of the greatest utility to those who wish to study the Divina Commedia in its original language. Mr. Tarver's critique of some passages of the former version, although, perhaps, not sufficiently explicit in its wording, was of a temperate nature, and such, we think, as could give no offence, much less draw upon him any obloquy, and expose him to the ridicule which flippancy and misconception have endeavoured to throw upon him. He wished to show that a poetical version cannot give such a clear idea of many obscure passages as a literal prosaic interpretation, accompanied by copious notes; and this seems to us a self-evident position.

*See Revue Encyclopédique for September, 1824.

MY DEAR EDitor,

To Frederic Vernon, Esq.

It is with heartfelt regret that I announce my inability to furnish any further aid to No. VI. than is contained in the accompanying song. I could explain the causes of this my deficiency, and lament the effect, for whole pages of sorrow and wirewove; but what would explanation or regret avail? There is a power which none can resist, even the Saxon deity Must, called by the Romans Necessity, and whom the late Emperor of the French apostrophized in his bulletins by the name of Destiny. To this imperious divinity even editors must render willing or unwilling submission.

I will not quarrel with you for posting up Cave canem over my Shelley; nor even for putting words into my mouth, like the widow of Tekoa of old. The cry raised against Shelley by the official makers and menders of errors in criticism, politics, and theology, had so pre-occupied the minds of men, that it is no marvel that a well-meaning editor, like yourself, and naturally solicitous for the reputation of his work, should be startled at the idea of admitting even an attempt at his vindication. I will not carry my courtesy so far, as to own myself convinced by your arguments. There, however, let them stand, with the criticism to which they belong-the bane and the antidote, side by side. I have little anxiety as to the result, at least with those who do not come predetermined to be guided by the opinions of persons wiser and better than themselves.

I have to apologise to E. H. Barker for having annoyed him (as appears from a late classical journal) by a heedless and somewhat slighting allusion to his article on Nightingales. I feel the more compunction for this, inasmuch as Mr. B. has not been fairly and charitably used by the critics; and this might wear an appearance of insulting the undeservedly fallen. Mr. Barker is a man of extensive reading, and, what is much more, a benevolent and worthy man—of this I have convincing evidence-and therefore it is, that I have expressed my contrition for the unintentional offence. I beg leave to assure him, however, that if I did not respect him sincerely, I should not laugh at him. I can afford to be amused by the failings of individuals, only when there is no danger of such amusement interfering with the kindlier feelings I bear towards them. But why will Mr. Barker render himself obnoxious to ridicule? why will he persist in quoting where he

ought to refer, and making his quotations five times as long as is necessary? I respect the unpretending worth of indexes and lexicons, and I can easily believe that the Bury and Norwich Post may be an able and independent paper; but why will he not be content with considering the first as merely books of reference, and confining the latter to its proper and legitimate situation on his breakfast-table ?

Yours in haste, as wont,

E. HASELFOOT.

Nov. 26.

THRICE thro' the gloom of night was heard that fearful denouncement,

"Woe to the Magazines! to the quill-driving people, destruction!" Loud, as when Bow sends forth his cockney-awaking alarms, Rang the voice; from the east to the west, from Princes' to Fleet

street,

Rang the redoubling voice, and the soul of the bookmaker trembled. Fearful wax'd the dreams of the English devourer of opium:

Sacre! quoth Colburn's Frenchman; O'Doherty, bearer of standards,

Newly aris'n from his doxy's embrace, to bespatter Don Juan,

Chok'd 'twixt a vow and a d-mn: the Sans-culotte Bramin of

Bridge-street

Dropp'd the half-written puff, and Morris sprang to his pistol.

Far in the caves of the past, the Retrospective Reviewers

Heard, and were pale: doubt seiz'd the bold Commander, misgivings, Terror unknown before: the long-winded trumpet of

Drown'd in that mightier peal, wax'd weak as the quail-pipe of Proctor.

*The above remarks do not apply to the article on Nightingales so much as to some others; it is an amusing miscellany.

SONG OF A PERSIAN GIRL.

I LOVE thee still, my wild gazelle ;
I love thy soft dark eye,

More bright than all that prophets tell
Of Houris in the sky.

Come, sport with me one little hour,
And wile my grief away:

If thou wilt share my lonely bower,
I will not weep to-day.

With thee I played in thoughtlessness,

A little laughing child,
And oft thy nestling mute caress
My childish tears beguil❜d.

Alas! a few, few fleeting years
Have chang'd my smiles to sighs;
And I have wept more bitter tears
Than fall from children's eyes.

A voice, I thought could ne'er betray,
The words which love had spoken:

255

MALTA DURING THE LATE WAR.

"I WOULD as soon allow the English to have possession of the heights of Montmartre as of the island of Malta," said Buonaparte, then First Consul, to Lord Whitworth, in his memorable conference with that minister, during the short-lived peace of Amiens. In fact, the disputed possession of the rock of Malta was one of the principal causes of the breaking out of that second war, which ended at last by the English not only retaining Malta, but taking moreover possession of those very heights of Montmartre, the ne plus ultra of Buonaparte's foresight of improbabilities! The emphatic expression just quoted, however, shows the great importance that quick-sighted chief attached to the dominion of an island less than sixty miles in circumference, and producing hardly any thing but some cotton and a few oranges. But it is the situation of this island, in the centre of the Mediterranean, at a most convenient distance from Asia, Africa, and Europe, and at the entrance of the Adriatic, the Tyrrhenian, and the gean Seas, as well as its strength both natural and artificial, that render it of such immense importance to any of the great maritime powers. England, therefore, has wisely retained it; and it now forms one of the brightest, though smallest, jewels of the British Crown.

The appearance of Malta from the sea, as you approach the point of St. Elmo, conveys a full idea of its consequence and strength. The two spacious harbours, between which the city stands, proudly seated on a lofty peninsula; the commodious creeks which branch out of the main basins, and afford security to vessels; the vast extent of fortifications towering perpendicularly over the sea which dashes its waves against the cliffs below; the formidable ranges of batteries placed one above the other; the cavaliers, bastions, and detached forts which appear frowning on every side as you enter the port; the splendid churches, the handsome alberghi, or hotels formerly belonging to the knights; the broad quays and capacious warehouses which line the shore,all these constitute one of the most magnificent harbour-views in the world. It is a panorama, the most striking objects of which are the production of art; no trees or mountains are to be seen, but a low coast at the inland extremity of the harbour, and white naked hills on the left. Five distinct towns, each enclosed by separate walls, arise in an amphitheatre around the principal or eastern harbour, Valletta and Floriana to the right; and Vittoriosa, Senglea, and Cospicua to the left: the three latter are joined together by the lines of Cottoner, which enclose besides a very xtensive tract of open ground. The population of this assemVOL. III. PART II.

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