highly animated; and there is something particularly striking and original in the figure of Death exulting on the embattled plain, and clapping his raven wings. This is in the true spirit of poesy. From the carnage of war, the transition to Luxury is well managed, and seasonable. The allegory of Youth sailing down the smooth stream of Life is finely drawn, and has many of the beauties without the obscurity of Horace's famed allegory: O navis, referent in mare te novi There is great strength of reasoning in the remonstrance against Suicide; and the address to the unhappy Man meditating his own destruction, is very tender, solemn and affecting. Milton has represented the varying power of Death in a remarkable manner when opposed to Satan : So spake the grisly terror, and in shape, So speaking and so threat'ning, grew tenfold More dreadful and deform. Our author, in the Poem before us, has successfully adopted the same idea to express the extraordinary devastations of the king of terrors : In no common form Death then appears, but starting into size Th' astonish'd earth, and from his looks throws round The a The prosopopoeia of the astonish'd earth, is very happy and characteristic of that general dismay occasioned by uncommon instances of mortality. In the description of the effects produced by the dreadful looks of Death, we are again reminded of Milton, who describes Satan as a Comet portentous of public calamities, according to the old opinion: On th' other side Incens'd with indignation Satan stood But the finest instance of the prosopopoeia in the present Poem, unquestionably is that of the Pestilence; and it is wrought up with uncommon accuracy and beauty. At dead of night In sullen silence stalks forth Pestilence; All that they touch, or taste, or breathe, is Death. The idea of contagion tainting the steps of the destroyer, is exquisitely beautiful; and the whole picture is a perfect description of the physical ravages made by this awful judgement of Heaven. Nor Nor is the description which follows, of an earthquake, drawn with less judgement, or wrought up with less force of colouring. The prayer to the Deity is affecting, and most judiciously closes the piece: At thy good time Let Death approach; I reck not-let him but come Too much for man to bear. There is a charming application of scripture language in the address to the Redeemer, as being led from Heaven by soft-eyed Pity. And the prayer to him for faith in the dying hourr, is expressed with great energy and poetic beauty. DEATH; A SEATONIAN PRIZE POEM. RIEND to the wretch whom every friend forsakes, woo thee, Death! In fancy's fairy paths et the gay songster rove, and gently trill he strain of empty joy. Life and its joys leave to those that prize them. At this hour, 5 his solemn hour, when silence rules the world, nd wearied nature makes a gen'ral pause; Trapt in night's sable robe, through cloysters drear And And charnels pale, tenanted by a throng Of uncouth shapes, stand his dread Ministers. And firmest friend: next him Diseases thick, A *Milton's Paradise Lost, Book II. 673. |