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ENGLISH POETRY.

Only a sweet and virtuous Soul,

Like season'd timber never gives,

But when the whole world turns to coal
Then chiefly lives."

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Francis Quarles is an Author of the same stamp ; with a fine genius, but the vilest taste in the world. His writings are full of powerful effort, ill directed. His Poetry, in all it's faults and merits, is well illustrated by his engravings. There is much of what Artists call good intention in both, but never was good intention so marred in the execution. His Poetry is not more like Milton's, than his pictures are like Raffaelle's; yet both are full of originality and power: the mere chippings and parings of his genius, combined with a little taste and judgment, would have been sufficient to have formed either an Artist, or a Poet, of no ordinary rank.

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The Odes and Choruses of Milton are perhaps the most perfect Lyrics in our language. The Hymn on the Nativity," beginning, "It was the Winter wild;" the lines "On a solemn Music,"-" Blest pair of Syrens! pledges of Heaven's joy!" and the Choruses of "Sampson Agonistes," are altogether matchless. Like all the writings of Milton, they are remarkable for their union of the sublimity and daring of the Greek

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Poets, with the holy fervour and sanctity of the Scriptural writers. He is, as it were, Isaiah and Pindar combined. He soars on the pinions of the Theban Eagle, yet his lips seem touched with the same coal of fire from the Altar, as were those of the inspired Prophet of Israel.

Of all Authors, ancient or modern, who have been subjected to the inflictions of Translators, certainly the Royal Psalmist, David, has been treated with the greatest indignity; for, in no language in Europe, has justice been done to him. He has been traduced into French, overturned into Dutch, and done into English, with equal beauty and felicity. In our own country, the Psalms, like every thing else appertaining to the Church, seem to be considered Parish property, and to be under the control of a Select Vestry; every vestige of genius, or Poetry, in them, is therefore most carefully picked out, lest they should interfere with the popularity of the Verses of that most ancient and respectable parochial officer, the bellman! The words which are feloniously attributed to the "sweet singer of Israel," might, with greater probability, be considered the authorship of the Parish Clerk, who drawls them out; or of the Charity Children, who lend their most "sweet voices" to grace them with appropriate melody.

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It is, certainly, most extraordinary, that a work which is worthy of the highest Poetical powers of any age, or of any country, should hitherto have been generally abandoned to the ignorant, the incapable, and the presumptuous. But the truth is, that so long as the purposes of Public worship are exclusively kept in view, and the Translator is confined to the drawling long, and short Metres, the straight waistcoats of Verse, which are now used, it will be impossible to infuse into any English version, the power and feeling, the spirit and energy, of the originals. It is obvious that many of these Psalms are not fitted for public use; and that the variety of their subjects, requires an equal variety of Metre. Some of them breathe all the ardour of triumph; some, all the dejection of humility; some are sweet and gentle Pastorals; others are grand and melancholy Songs, which are fit to be warbled only amidst the scenes which they describe; in solitude, and captivity, amidst danger and distress; by the rivers of Babylon, and among the tents of Kedar.

One Translator has had the conscience to render a part of that fine Lyric, the 137th Psalm, which runs thus, "If I forget thee, Oh Jerusalem! may my right hand forget her cunning; if I do not re

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member thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth!" in the following manner:

"If I forget thee ever,

Then let me prosper never,

But let it cause

My tongue and jaws

To cling and cleave together!"

Songs

William Slatyer published, in 1642, the “ of Sion, or certain Psalms of David, set to strange Tunes, and rendered into a strange Tongue." Of the Tunes, I can say nothing; but the tongue is strange enough. For instance, a part of the 6th and 7th Verses of the 52d Psalm,-" The righteous also shall see, and fear, and shall laugh at him: Lo! this is the man that made not God his strength; but trusted in the abundance of his riches!" is thus versified :

"The righteous shall his sorrow scan,
And laugh at him, and say, behold!
What has become of this here man,
That on his riches was so bold!"

Archbishop Parker, in the year 1564, printed a Version of the entire book of Psalms, for private

circulation, which was never published; but a copy

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which has fallen into my hands, does not say much for the Most Reverend Prelate's Poetical talents. His version of the 1st verse of the 125th Psalm will suffice as a specimen of the entire Volume. The Prose translation is as follows:-" They that trust in the Lord shall be as Mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever:" which the Archbishop versifies thus:

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"Who sticketh to God in stable trust,
As Sion mount he stands full just;
Which moveth no whit, nor yet can reel,
But standeth for ever, as stiff as steel."

Other parts of the Scriptures have scarcely suffered less at the hands of versifiers than the Psalms; for, in the reign of Edward the Sixth, Dr. Christopher Tye turned the whole " Acts of the Apostles" into rhyme. His Metre is something like that of Mr. Moore's Song of "Fly from the world, Oh Bessy, to me!" and the Reverend Doctor begins his task thus:

"In the former Epistle to thee,

Dear friend Theophilus,

I have written the veritie

Of the Lord Christ Jesus !"

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