with knobs of brass, and her gloves of white cat-skin, the fur turned inwards, &c. G. They were also called Fiolkyngi, or Fiol-kunnug; i. e. Multi-scia: and Visindakona; i. e. Oraculorum Mulier, Nornir; i. e. Parcæ. G. 7. What virgins these. L. 75. These were probably the Nornir or Parcæ, just now mentioned: their names were Urda, Verdandi, and Skulda; they were the dispensers of good destinies. As their names signify time past, present, and future, it is probable they were always invisible to mortals; therefore when Odin asks this question on seeing them, he betrays himself to be a god; which elucidates the next speech of the prophetess. 8. Mother of the giant-brood. L. 86. In the Latin "Mater trium Gigantum." He means, therefore, probably Angerbode, who, from her name, seems to be "no prophetess of good," and who bore to Loke, as the Edda says, three children; the wolf Fenris, the great serpent of Midgard, and Hela, all of them called giants in that wild but curious system of mythology; with which, if the reader wishes to be acquainted, he had better consult the translation of M. Mallet's Introduction to the History of Denmark, than the original itself, as some mistakes of.consequence are corrected by the translator. The book is entitled Northern Antiquities.-Printed for Carnan, 1770, 2 vols. 8vo. ODE X. Mr. Gray entitles this Ode, in his own edition, a FRAGMENT; but from the prose version of Mr. Evans, which I shall here insert, it will appear that nothing is omitted, except a single hyperbole at the end, which I print in italics. Fanegyric upon Owain Gwynedd, Prince of North Wales, by Gwalchmai, the son of Melir, in the year 1157.* 1. I will extol the generous hero, descended from the race of Roderic, the bulwark of his country; a prince eminent for his good qualities, the glory of Britain, Owen the brave and expert in arms, a prince that neither hoardeth nor coveteth riches. 2. Three fleets arrived, vessels of the main; three powerful fleets of the first rate, furiously to attack him on the sudden : one from Jwerddon,t the other full of well-armed Lochlynians,‡ making a grand appearance on the floods, the third from the transmarine Normans, which was attended with an immense, though successless toil. * See Evans's Specimen of Welch Poetry, p. 25. and for the original Welch, p. 127. + Ireland. Danes and Normans. upon 3. The dragon of Mona's sons was so brave in action, that there was a great tumult on their furious attack; and before the prince himself there was vast confusion, havoc, conflict, honourable death, bloody battle, horrible consternation, and Tal Malvre a thousand banners; there was an outrageous carnage, and the rage of spears and hasty signs of violent indignation. Blood raised the tide of the Menäi, and the crimson of human gore stained the brine. There were glittering cuirasses, and the agony of gashing wounds, and the mangled warriors prostrate before the chief, distinguished by his crimson lance. Lloegria was put into confusion; the contest and confusion was great; and the glory of our Prince's wide-wasting sword shall be celebrated in an hundred languages to give him his merited praise. ODE XI. From the extract of the Gododin, which Mr. Evans has given us in his Dissertatio de Bardis in the forementioned book, I shall here transcribe those particular passages which Mr. Gray selected for imitation in this Ode. 1. Si mihi liceret vindictam in Déirorum populum ferre, 2. Amicum enim amisi incautus, Qui in resistendo firmus erat. Non petiit magnanimus dotem a socero 3. Viri ibant ad Cattraeth, et fuêre insignes, Vinum et mulsum ex aureis poculis erat eorum potus. Trecenti et sexaginta tres aureis torquibus insigniti erant ; Et egomet ipse (scilicet Bardus Aneurinus) sanguine rubens: Whoever compares Mr. Gray's poetical versions of these four lyrical pieces with the literal translations which I have here inserted, will, I am persuaded, be convinced that nothing of the kind was ever executed with more fire, and at the same time, more judgment. He keeps up through them all the wild romantic spirit of his originals; elevates them by some well-chosen epithet or image where they flag, yet in such a manner as is perfectly congruous with the general idea of the poems; and if he either varies or omits any of the original thoughts, they are only of that kind which, according to our modern sentiments, would appear vulgar or ludicrous: two instances of this kind occur in the latter part of this last Ode. How well has he turned the idea of the fourth line: “Ex jis qui nimio potu madidi?" and the conclusion, "Aliter ad hoc Carmen compingendum," &c. The former of which is ridiculous; the latter insipid. 4. I find amongst Mr. Gray's papers, a few more lines taken from other parts of the Gododin, which I shall here add with their respective Latin versions, They may serve to shew succeeding poets the manner in which the spirit of these their ancient predecessors in the art may be best transfused into a modern imitation of them. Have ye seen the tusky boar, So Carádoc bore his lance. Quando ad Bellum properabat Caradocus, Filius apri silvestris qui truncando mutilavit hostes, Taurus aciei in puguæ conflictu, Is lignum (i. e. hastam) ex manu contorsit. Conan's name, my lay, rehearse, The crimson harvest of the foe. Debitus est tibi cantus qui honorem assecutus es maximum, Qui eras instar ignis, tonitrui, et tempestatis, Viribus eximie, eques bellicose, Rhudd Fedel, bellum meditaris. SONNET. 1. If what Boileau says be true, in his Art Poetique, that Un sonnet sans defauts vaut seul un long poeme→ the merit of this little poem is decided. It is written in strict observance of those strict rules, which the Poet there lays down.-Vide Art Poetique, Chant. ii. l. 82. Milton, I believe, was the first of our English poets who exactly followed the Italian model: our Author varies from him only in making the rhymes in the two first quartetts alternate, which is more agreeable to the English ear, than the other method of arranging them. In ling'ring pain, in death resign'd, Was felt for him, who could not save 2. Whom what awaits, &c. L. 11. The construction here is a little hard, and creates obscurity, which is always least to be pardoned in an epitaph. EPITAPH II. This is as perfect in its kind as the foregoing Sonnet. Sir William Williams, in the expedition to Aix, was on board the Magnanime with Lord Howe; and was deputed to receive the capitulation. ELEGY WRITTEN IN A COUNTRY CHURCH-YARD. 1. The most popular of all our Author's publications; it ran through eleven editions in a very short space of time; was finely translated into Latin by Messrs. Ansty and Roberts: and in the same year another, though I think inferior, version of it was published by Mr. Lloyd. The reader has been informed, in the Memoirs, of the time and manner of its first publication. He originally gave it only the simple title of "Stanzas written in a Country Church-yard." I persuaded him first to call it an ELEGY, because the subject authorized him so to do; and the alternate measure, in which it was written, seemed peculiarly fit for that species of composition. I imagined too that so capital a poem, written in this measure, would as it were appropriate it in future to writings of this sort; and the number of imitations which have since been made of it (even to satiety) seem to prove that my notion was well founded. In the first manuscript copy of this exquisite poem, I find the conclusion different from that which he afterwards composed; and though his after-thought was unquestionably the best, yet there is a pathetic melancholy in the four rejected stanzas, which highly claims preservation. I shall therefore give them as a variation in their proper place. 2. The knell of parting day. L. 1.- · IMITATION. squilla di lontano Che paia 'l giorno pianger, che si muore. Dante. Purg. 1. 8. G. 3. Far from the madding crowd's ignoble strife. L. 73. VARIATION. The thoughtless world to majesty may bow, But more to innocence their safety owe, And thou, who mindful of th' unhonour'd dead, Hark! how the sacred calm, that breathes around, No more, with reason and thyself at strife, And here the poem was originally intended to conclude, before the happy idea of the hoary-headed swain, &c. suggested itself to him. I cannot help hinting to the reader, that I think the third of these rejected stanzas equal to any in the whole Elegy. 4. Ev'n in our ashes live their wonted fires. L. 92. IMITATION. Ch'i veggio nel pensier, dolce mio fuoco, Fredda una lingua, et due begli occhi chiusi Rimaner doppo noi pien di faville. Petrarch. Son. 169. G. VARIATION. Awake and faithful to her wonted fires. Thus it stood in the first and some following editions, and I think rather better; for the authority of Petrarch does not destroy the appearance of quaintness in the other: the thought, however, is rather obscurely expressed in both readings. He means to say, in plain prose, that we wish to be remembered by our friends after our death, in the same manner as when alive we wished to be |