portant incidents with chronological minuteness; and by confining her attention to those circumstances alone, which for warded or retarded the great object of the action, (the restora-. tion of American independence,) it enables her to give to every event its relative situation, and to every character, its relative importance. Of the two most celebrated warriors who were engaged in the contest, we are only told by Mr. Barlow, that "Moultrie led his banded powers," (V. 625) and that Lee, with "Jackson, Hampton, Pinckney, matcht in might, VII. 377. The following passages, on the contrary, at once excite our sympathy, and gratify our curiosity. "From glebes, by nature rich, by culture fair, "Child of the sun, proud Carolina, rise !* If, 'mid their bloom, the culturing captive bleed! * Moultrie. "Or what avails, that many a sumptuous dome The conclusion of a poem is the best calculated for the display of a writer's powers; and the most likely to excite his emulation. We shall therefore extract the recapitulatory passages of both these poems, and shall leave the reader to decide on their relative excellence. "Here then, said Hesper with a blissful smile, 66 Repay thy labours, and remove thy pain." The conclusion of the Columbiad. "Thus sung the minstrel, by the theme inspir'd, Though the cold clime subdue the Muse's flame, Till, as the streams of epic music roll, Of deathless deeds the measured meed proclaim And round the hero's twine the poet's name, Who, with prophetic voice, and votive lyre, Breathes what the muses, and the god inspire. In this bright hour, when opening truth appears, Conclusion of Beacon-Hill. We think that none of our readers will hesitate to ascribe the superiority to the last of these extracts in delicacy of language, harmony of verse, and energy of thought. That want of synonomic precision however for which we have condemned Mr. Barlow, is observable in the concluding line. A globe may be encircled, but cannot be entwined. Yet though we are willing to allow Mrs. Morton considerable praise: though she displays a tournure of expression, that would do credit to the compositions of an English lady; and an enthusiasm which proves at once her patriotism, and sensibility, we would not encourage her to persevere in her arduous undertaking. She is an eloquent versifier, and not a poetess. To say that she is the best manufacturer of heroic rhyme that America has produced, is a praise of which the insignificance can only be counterbalanced by the extent of its probable duration; and her talents and acquirements appear to be such as, if they were directed to the humble walks of prosaic composition, would enable her to establish a reputation, of which the splendour would be equal to the permanence. OBSERVATIONS ON THE HISTORICAL WORK OF THE LATE RIGHT HONOURABLE RIGHT HONOURABLE CHARLES JAMES FOX: BY THE RATIVE OF THE EVENTS WHICH OCCURRED IN THE Ir has been frequently remarked, that while in the seventeenth century, the nobility of this country stood high in literary fame, and literature enrolled among her votaries, with many other illustrious names, a Shaftesbury, a Roscommon, and two dukes of Buckingham; since the accession of the house of Hanover, few persons of high rank have attained much eminence in science. In the work before us, however, we meet a compound of aristocratical literature; a right honourable critic on a right honourable historian. Yet it is not from this circumstance, that the Reviewer feels a peculiar delicacy in giving to the public his opinions of this work; but from the necessity he must be under, while he is examining the character of the observations, to advert frequently to that of the historical work on which they are made; a task peculiarly difficult from the high and acknowledged talents of the gentleman who has already reviewed the Historian in the former numbers of the London Review. This difficulty, however, will be obviated as much as possible, by strictly confining these remarks to those parts only of the history which have fallen under the animadversion of Mr. Rose, It may perhaps be justly questioned, whether the historian of any period however remote, or any country however distant, ever has written with strict impartiality. The senate, the people, Cæsar and Pompey, have still their partisans among the modern historians of ancient Rome, and a gentleman equally excellent in profound learning, and accurate and impartial investigation, who is now employed in the history of ancient Greece, has stripped off the false honours in which Plutarch, and almost all subsequent writers, had dressed the characters of Dion, of Timoleon, and of Demosthenes. To advert to the early part of our own annals, some, (indeed the majority of writers,) represent William the First as a bloody and tyrannical invader, and Harold as a rightful sovereign, falling in the defence of his crown and his people; while others consider William as called upon by that people, and the dying voice of the last king of the Saxon dynasty, to deliver the country from a Danish usurper, who had waded to the throne through the blood of those who had a legal claim to the possession of it. If such is the case with regard to events in which we are so little interested, how much stronger must our partiality be with regard to those which strongly influence the political opinions of the present day? In fact, every history of England from the accession of the house of Stuart, to the present day, has more the appearance of the pamphlet of a party, than the work of an inpartial historian : and least of all, could impartiality be expected in the historical work of a person so deeply engaged in political contest as Mr. Fox, whose ardour of mind, which made him so formidable a champion in public debate, was adverse to a calm and unbiassed investigation of the real actions and principles of mankind.* 66 * For, to use the words of Mr. Rose, a man accustomed to debate, is too often apt to argue more for victory than conviction.— |