34 And FARQUHAR, when the hand he holds, The hist'ry of the pulse records The fear that bids the mind prepare Medic' is used more than once for medical; and sat and fate, and phrase and pace, are employed as rhimes. It would occupy considerable space even to transcribe the titles of the poems of the Gleaner in this collection; and we must restrict our farther notice to Mum's Cot, written while on a visit to Mr. and Mrs. Brimyard * at Woodlands, in the New Forest, on the author's beginning to recover from a severe indisposition.' Here Mr. Pratt, inspired by the hospitality of his kind host and hostess, and exhilirated by the refreshing gales of the Forest, so pleasantly describes his visit to Woodlands, that we should not be displeased if Mr. and Mrs. Brimyard would open the door of Mum's Cot not only to Bards but to Reviewers; who are sometimes much in want of fresh air and wholesome exercise, and would gladly exchange a score of dull books for a trot on a forest poney. The poet here appreciates matters with reason, as well as rhime, and seems to know what's what " Now, as to Helicon's proud Mount, I wish of my acquaintance still; * Who lately kept the Dolphins at Southampton. And The contributions are from H. J. Pye, Esq., Miss Pye. the Rev. Dr. Mavor, Charles James, Esq, Rev. Dr. *****, John Taylor, Esq., R C. Dallas, Esq., A Sybil, Dr. Wolcot, Mr. Hutton, An Invisible, A Lady, Mr. Meyler, J. Morfitt, Esq., Rev. Philip Parsons, John Bullar, jun. &c. In this collection, many pleasing effusions will be found: but we must abstain from copying a single poem. An examination of Mr. Pratt's select republications will not be required of us. The poem on Sympathy is not only improved, but is now, for the first time, printed with notes and illustrations. Some laughable literal errors occur in the first volume; as Siste Veaton, for Viator; abeste profacie, for profani; and civilis querus for quercus; which are imputable (we are assured) to the compositor. Whatever may be the judgment of severe critics respecting the merit of Mr. Pratt as an author, he appears by his benevolent and well intentioned writings to have procured a host of friends; and, as the reading of the Poet's Cottage' procured him from a generous stranger the offer of a piece of ground, on which he might build the cottage which he has described, we shall take our leave with hoping that his former Gleanings, with the produce of his literary Barn, will afford him ample means of realizing his views; and that, for the remainder of life, he may sing "Content in a Cottage, and envy to no man." ART. IX. Ode Graca Pramio dignata, quod donavit Academia Can brigiensi Vir Reverendus Claudius Buchanan, A. B. Coll. Regin. Cantab. et Vice-Præpositus Collegii Bengalensis in India Orientali. Auctore Georgio Pryme, A.B. Trin. Coil. Cantabr. 4to. Is. Cadell and Davies. 1804. ART. X. Ode præmio à Reverendo Viro, Claudio Buchanan, S.T.P. Etonensibus præposito, dignata. Auctore T. Rennell, Coll. Reg. Eton Alumna. 4to. Is. Payne and Mackinlay. 1804. WE place these two odes together, on account of the similarity of their nature, and of the circumstances in which they have originated. They will not, however, detain us long in making our report of them; and we shall speak of them separately, in the order which we have assigned to their titles. PRYME. The ode, which is the production of this gentleman, contains several spirited stanzas; and though there are passages to which we could object, and others which are obscure, it is on the whole a creditable performance.-It is not allowed us to know who were Mr. Pryme's opponents, nor what were the productions which were judged inferior to the Ode before us: but its general merit induces us to think that it might not be undeserving of Mr. Buchanan's Prize, whoever were the competitors. It is written in the common Greek Sapphic measure; which has not been happily selected for such a subject,--ows γενέσθω. Whether Mr. Buchanan meant that the ode should allude to Creation, and describe the moment in which "Light Ethereal, first things, quintescence pure, Sprung from the deep;-and from her native East To journey through the airy gloom began," is to us doubtful. We should have supposed that he intended the prominent topic to be mental" lightness from darknessdivided," by the foundation and establishment of a College at Bengal. RENNELL. The subject of Mr. Rennell's Ode, and the metre, are the same with those of Mr. Pryme's composition. It was also produced in consequence of the prize which Mr. Buchanan offered to the younger Students at our Universities, and to the senior Boys at Eton College, From a scholar of Dr. Goodall, and a son of the Master of the Temple, much must be expected, even at an early age. On On the present occasion, the hopes of friends were sanguine, as we have been informed; and those who peruse young Rennell's Ode will not find that they were cherished in vain. It must be mentioned, however, that there are some obscurities, which ought to have been avoided. We have heard it observed in conversation, that the able pen of the Parent had been employed in the service of the youthful Bard. The charge was very malevolent, and was not proved, and though it is natural and proper, that a father should point out what he might see wrong in the composition of a son, yet a wise man would not readily trick out his offspring in borrowed plumage; which could only in future become the cause of disappointment and disgrace to both parties. The true scholar, however,-and it is not said to lessen the reputation of the author,-needs only read the present verses, to feel persuaded that the composition received little correction from the pen of the learned Dr. Rennell. We close this short article with recommending the author to avoid, in future, the gaping Hiatus, which he has so frequently allowed to destroy the terseness and beauty of his verses. ART. XI. Poema, Numismate annuo dignatum, et in Curia Cantabrigiensi recitatum, A.D. 1805. Auctore Gul. Edv. Pretyman Tomline, Trin. Coll. Printed at Cambridge. T HIS ode has a higher claim to the praise of perspicuity, than either Mr. Pryme's or Mr. Rennell's composition, on which our sentence has just been passed. In point of correctness, also, it is not inferior; and when it is considered as a poetical production, it rises much above them. The subject is the death of the lamented Duke d'Enghien; and the plaintive strains of the young Poet* are well adapted to the lyre of Sappho. It was written to gain one of the three prizes which were left to the University of Cambridge, about thirty years ago, by the late Sir W. Browne, formerly President of the College of Physicians. The first premium is for the best Ode in Greek Sapphics: the second, for the best Latin Ode; and the third, for the best Epigrams. The candidates must be Under-Graduates; The author, Mr. Tomline, we understand to be the son of that able mathematician and erudite prelate, the Bishop of Lincoln.With respect to compositions from the learned Sons of learned Fathers, it is unnecessary to repeat what was observed in the review of Mr. Rennell's Ode. and the subject is to be proposed annually by the Vice-Chancellor. There seems a strange impropriety in thus fixing the metre of the Greek composition, without regarding the subject, in the slightest degree. Is every possible topic suited to Sappho's hendecasyllabics; or must the Vice-Chancellor select for the young Academicians such as may be proper for this plaintive and amatory measure? Such Sappho appears to have deemed it: Sappho, who invented it, or at least was the first who used it to any great extent. Αλλ' ἐν γὰρ αὐτὸς παιδ ̓ ἐπίστασθαι βροῶι πέροκεν. Rhes. Sir William might possess physical skill, and certainly had great good humour: but for his learning and literary judg ment, we shall not stand forwards as champions. When the Devil on two Sticks first appeared at the Little Theatre in the Haymarket, Mr. Foote inimicked, with great success, this very identical knight, as the Prases in his mock Warwick Lane council. The imitation was striking: but there was a deficiency, which the true President was the first in discovering. Sir William always wore a muff, and Mr. Foote appeared destitute of this decoration. The President therefore immediately sent his own muff to our English Aristophanes, in order that, when he next played the part, his dress might be complete! Sir William's knowlege of Greek Poetry was not great, though he was fond of writing English doggrel verses; and his taste was more limited than his reading.-As to the Latin Ode, the youthful Bard is merely confined to the Lyric metre of Horace. This restriction may be tolerated; though it is an unnecessary if not a hard restriction. Every writer ought to know his own powers best; and, when a subject is proposed, if he has read to solid purpose, he will soon adopt a metre which may prove his good taste, and will be commensurate to his abilities. But to the Ode before us. The author of it, Mr. Tomline, if our memory fails us not, gained Sir William Browne's Prize last year, by his Greck ode. That composition we recollect to have seen: but, as critics, even out of their magisterial chair, cannot close their eyes, nor shut their ears, such a Syren is the art which they foliow,we observed some mistakes in it, which rendered it very inferior to the present Ode. In both, however, we remark a degree of perspicuity and a facility of style, which are in general. hopelessly sought in compositions of this nature. It is now incumbent on us to mention that in all these odes, the metrical canon, which was first laid down and originally established |