The Columbiad. A Poem. By Joel Barlow. Large 8vo. pp. 426.

THIS is, we believe, the first transatlantic poem which has come under our notice. The ground-work of it was originally published, several years ago, under the title of The Vision of Columbus. Mr. Barlow has, however, made such changes and improvements, that The Columbiad may be considered as a new poem. An American epic is rather a curiosity in England. Let us begin by noticing its defects. In the first place, we find an inundation of words, many of them borrowed from the French, and others obsolete, local, or awkwardly formed, which, though Americans may tolerate them, are intolerable to an English reader. Among a multitude of the same sort are, crass, role, brume, croupe, allinement, derouted, grade, withes, vagrates, aland, awest, thirled, ameeds for awards, empalms for measures, and endorse for to fasten on the back. In the next place, Mr. Barlow frequently uses inelegant and low expressions, which give a ludicrous air to his composition. We will quote a few instances—“ Highland drains with lowland drench repays"-"the nerve that pumps the pearly tear"-" heaves an eternal light"

Hemodia strut no more"-a dragon" besoms wide the plain"-"wallowing wave"-" hills by hundreds rise"-"grim gang"-"flouncing godhead"-" fieryfoaming jole," and "foams with fiery jole." Thirdly, Mr. Barlow is generally unfortunate in his personifications. The personifications of Cruelty, War, the Delaware, and the Genius of Frost, are lamentable failures; and the contest between Hesper and the Genius of Frost, is quite in the mock heroic style, and excites laughter. Fourthly, he sometimes flags for whole

pages, so as hardly to rise above prose. Fifthly, his versification, apparently formed on the model of Dr. Darwin's, is often monotonous and tedious, in consequence of the want of variety in the cesural pause, and the perpetual recurrence of lines which open with the trochaic foot.-Well, reader! after all this, you doubtless imagine that The Columbiad is a poem which we shall advise you not to peruse; a very bad poem indeed! You are, however, quite mistaken.

The Columbiad is a poem of great merit, and we are sure that the perusal of it will amply repay the trouble. Mr. Barlow is a man of by far more talent than taste. He is certainly a poet. His poem contains an abundance of fine, and many grand passages; and numerous descriptive parts which are touched in a picturesque and masterly manner. The versification, too, when Mr. Barlow avoids the fault of which we have complained, has a musical flow, and is highly animated. On the whole, we think that America has reason to be proud of The Columbiad.

Bannockburn; a Poem. In four Books. 8vo. pp. 248.

It

ONE would really have thought that the subject of this poem might have inspired any man, and especially a Scotchman, with something like poetical ideas. has, however, had no such inspiring effect upon the author before us. "Ale or viler liquor" is certainly his Helicon. We have looked in vain, through the whole of his 248 pages, for a poetical passage. To grammar he feels an antipathy; and rhyme he frequently seems to consider as a thing which may be discarded without ceremony; but to expletives he displays as warm an affection as if he were the father of them, and accordingly he contrives to introduce "did, do, and doth" into almost every line. The reader shall judge

what happy ideas of grace and dignity the author possesses. Wallace says to Edward:

A lawless king, nor serve a foreign crown;

Nor bend submissive to a mortal's rod,

Except my righteous king; so help me God!"

We wonder that, in the style of a justice's clerk, he did not make Edward say "kiss the book." Now for a feast, after the manner of Homer:

"A haunch of Cheviot's fattest deer,
And brimming pots of English beer,
Before the chief are laid."

Speaking of a minstrel, he elegantly says,

"The guests do praise his minstrel skill;
And Douglas doth the goblet fill,

And took it in his hand, &c."

Edward, on hearing of the revolt of Bruce, falls into a violent passion, and swears that he will do wondrous things; but let the author speak for himself:

" "Twere meet to tell how England's king,
So soon as he had heard this thing,
Was very wroth, and vengeful swore,

Scotland, should Scotland be no more!"

Bruce having led the Scots to the field, a messenger is dispatched to inform Edward that he must send reinforcements. The language and rhyme are exquisite : "Else if he did not stop the spreading wreck,

He'd soon have his own country to protect." (proteck) We shall conclude with a splendid imitation of the death of Marmion :

"And death, now sporting with his pain,
Rais'd wild delusions in his brain,

For still the hero cried "On, on!

Down with the foe, Clan Ross! down, down!"

MISCELLANEOUS POETRY.

The Romantic Mythology; in two Parts.

Part II.,

Faery. To which is subjoined, a Letter, illustrating the Origin of our marvellous Imagery; particularly as it appears to be derived from the Gothic Mythology. 4to. Pp. 197.

THIS Volume contains a description of the fairies, their manners and customs, and of fairy land. The author has a lively imagination, and respectable powers of description. His versification is polished, and not devoid of spirit. The subjoined letter proves the author to have read extensively upon the subject. We shall be glad to see the first part of the Romantic Mythology; of which sorcery is to be the theme.

Epistles on Women, exemplifying their Character and Condition in various Ages and Nations. With Miscellaneous Poems. By Lucy Aikin. 4to. pp. 142.

We have received great pleasure from the perusal of these epistles. They are, in no common degree, pointed, polished, and energetic. The versification, too, is of the best kind. It is flowing, without being insipid; and varied, without being harsh. Of the miscellaneous poems, several have appeared in our volumes, and our readers, therefore, are enabled to form

some judgment of them. The Swiss Emigrant, vol. iii. p. 195; Lines on seeing the Sun, vol. iv. p. 325, and Sonnet to Fortune, p. 378; Ode to Ludlow Castle, vol. vii. p. 254, and Futurity, p. 464; the Lines on Gilbert Wakefield, p. 321 of our present volume, and Necessity, p. 501, are from the pen of Miss Aikin: the

two latter were printed in our Fugitive Poetry before we received Miss Aikin's volume. The miscellaneous poems which she has now published for the first time, are not inferior to those to which we have referred our readers.

The Borough; a Poem, in twenty-four Letters. By the Rev. G. Crabbe, L. L.B. 8vo. pp. 344.

CHEERED by the general approbation of his poems, an approbation which they richly merited, Mr. Crabbe has now given to the world a work of considerable extent. By that work he has added to his reputation—a consequence not always resulting from second works. In the volume before us he has described the characters of a country borough, and the scenery of the country, with a felicity which has never been surpassed. He brings before our eyes every object which he describes. Nor are his powers confined to description alone. Almost every page contains passages which belong to a higher order of poetry. We hope that "The Borough" will not be the last poem with which the public will be favoured by Mr. Crabbe.

Poems on various Subjects. By the Rev. Dr. Lucas. Written chiefly in the early Part of the Author's Life. 8vo. pp. 296.

THESE poems, though they will not give Dr. Lucas a place among the British poets, will not do him any discredit. They are generally elegant and pleasing, and many of them are not wanting in spirit. We are sorry that Dr. Lucas should have absolutely murdered the poem of Broughton Green (which otherwise has much merit) by the abominably pedantic and annoying