222 Here S. virtually denies to musick her" prime attribute," that of alleviating sorrow. He will not suffer her apply a "soft assuasive voice," And when the soul is press'd with cares, "Exalt her in enliv'ning airs.". POPE. The intimated disapprobation of the license assumed in the line "I shall kiss, &c." is too puerile to deserve an answer, however, that license is one of those designated as predominant faults. The ninth stanza of Hafiz, Carlos has omitted, and we do not wish it restored. It is complained that Carlos comprizes the whole sentiment of the last verse of Hafiz in one line,' whereas, S. exhibits it. distended' to four. This though designed for censure is honourable praise. The whole stanza except "Once more bring full cups," is without any compression in the least degree injurious, comprehended in the sole line, And Hafiz will drink if allowed or forbidden. Until the brevity of which Carlos is accused, shall be proved to exclude an original ornament, or to obscure an original idea, we shall suppose that brevity to be commendable. some Were we in retaliation disposed to animadvert methodically on every passage in the version by S. harmless lines might be found, deserving of nothing more than the "charity of silence." We should disdain to use the Shandean penknife for the laudable purpose of scratching them into deformity. But let S. attempt to scratch a little sense into this line, Let roses their beauties will not dwell. Or rhythm into this, Again fill to the sparkling goblet's brim. In this line the cæsural pause must fall at the close of the first, or in the middle of the second foot. The painful effect of such an irregularity is not much alleviated by the succeeding division of the line. These asperities of sound might have been avoided; for instance, if, instead of misquoting the line thus, Once more the sparkling cup fill to the brim, he had cited it, Again the bowl "replenish to the brim." We do not "haunt Parnassus but to please the ear," however, neither tearing a word of two syllables into three, as spark-el-ing, nor such barbarous lines as the above can presume to expect toleration. The remaining three lines of the same verse, are rather tautological, Heed not the censor,' approve or disapprove,' 'forbidden or allowed.'-A version of the identical passage, which is rendered by Carlos in one line. The surest remedy my friends e'er found was wine. This is dull prose.' In reading it the contraction e'er cannot be made to sustain a just emphasis without an exertion which destroys the melody. This inelegancy would have been eluded and the original more faithfully represented thus compressed,' In wine the only remedy was found. But no more of versification. Does S. convey the full force and meaning of his authour, here, Can all the roses of the world excel. Forget they wither, for the wine we pour Excel in what? Does S. transfuse his authour's ideas into rhyme unenervated by superfluity? Let the reader collate them; and at the close of every verse he will decide in the negative. S. distinguishes three lines with the decisive epithets 'prosaick, dull and tame. Unfortunately the ode produced as a criterion is in almost every stanza tame, prosaick, and dull,' to that ode we transfer the terms as characteristick. When we read, Haste bring the moon that she may with us shine, We recollect, That "ten low words oft creep in one dull line." We advise S. to commit this couplet to memory; "Let such teach others who themselves excel, And censure freely who have written well." In criticism we expect candour; in criticism on the lines of a youth we look for favour; but when a writer undertakes to compare his own stanzas with those of that youth, we demand candour, favour, and the most delicate impartiality. When such examiner seems incapable of perceiving faults, we pity his want of discernment: but when he intimates that all on one side is beauty, and all on the other deformity; we despise him as disingenuous. Such a critick throws a carte blanche for retort, into the hand of the criticised. For all those strictures which we conceive to be liberally just we again express gratitude. The inaccuracies observed in the pieces signed Carlos will even to S. appear less reprehensible when informed that the writer is an uneducated youth of the" Western wilderness," three hundred miles remote from the sublime Penn sylvanian metropolis. As this is the first time he ever ventured forth in prose, and as he is now no intruder, the editor and the reader will readily pardon the crudities of his style. BIOGRAPHY. CARLOS. THOMAS PARNELL, D. D. The Parnells were a family long seated at Congleton, in Cheshire. The poet's father having been much attached to the republican form of government, found it convenient to deaconry of that see. Eloquent and remove to Ireland after the restora- THE NATIVE COT. Though with a firm undaunted heart The sailor quits each dearest tie, Yet at the signal to depart A tear unbidden gems his eye! Nor sighs nor murmurs at his lot: And, when he ploughs the distant seas, Or lends to heave the log a hand; On scenes like these will linger not, But flies with speed to that lov'd coast Where friends adorn his native cot. He, does the mighty tempest lower, tower, And waring waves the vessel lash; And when to meet the haughty foe, He steers where deep-mouthed cannons roar, Though the next shot may lay him low, While round the battle rages hot, My friends, my home, my native cot!" He still wherever doom'd to rome, Whether to India or the Pole, Ah! hear him now, all dangers past, His wife and children smiling near, And all his troubles are forgot, EPIGRAM. TO AN OFFICIOUS FRENCHMAN. Since, bending ever o'er my chair, SYNONYME. Cried Nell to her spouse, with a tongue quite in glee, "Still, 'twixt export and transport no difference I see !" "No difference, my dear! could I see you, exported "Excuse me !-but Oh! I should then be transported!" MERRIMENT. A stupid story, or idea, will sometimes make one laugh more than wit. I was once removing from Berkeley-square to Strawberry-hill, and had sent off all my books, when a message unexpectedly arrived, which fixed me in town for that afternoon. What to do? I desired my man to rummage for a book, and he brought me an old Grub-street thing, from the garret. The authour, in sheer ignorance, not humour, discoursing on the difficulty of some pursuit, said, "that even if a man had as many lives as a cat; nay, as many lives as one PLUTARCH is said to have had, he could not accomplish it." This quid pro quo surprised me into vehement laughter. Lady is fond of stupid stories.She repeats one of a Welch scullion. wench, who, on hearing the servants speak of new moons, asked, gravely, what became of all the OLD moons. A certain poet and player, remarkable for his impudence and cowardice, happening many years ago to have a quarrel with Mr. Powel, another player, received from him a smart box on the ear. A few days after, the former having lost his snuff-box, was making strict inquiry if any body had seen his box. "What," said another of the theatrical punsters, "that which George Powel gave you the other night?" The price of The Port Foilo is Six Dollars per annum, to be paid in advance. Printed and Published, for the Editor, by SMITH & MAXWELL, NO. 28, NORTH SECOND-STREET. (NEW SERIES) BY OLIVER OLDSCHOOL, ESQ. Various, that the mind of desultory man, studious of change and pleased with novelty, may be indulged-Cowp. Vol. VI. Philadelphia, Saturday, October 8, 1808. For The Port Folio. TRAVELS. ORIGINAL PAPERS. LETTERS FROM GENEVA AND FRANCE. Written during a residence of between two and three years in different parts of those countries, and addressed to a lady in Virginia. (Continued from page 218.) LETTER XLVIII. I SAW nothing of the Court of Milan.* The Empress was indisposed, or fatigued, and never came abroad. She is generally spoken well of for her mild and affable manners, for her beneficence, and for a good humoured and sensible recollection of former circumstances, while she does not seem, either by her conversation or appearance to be any way unfit for those of the present time. We every day met a courier from Milan, and were past by one from Paris, so regularly was the communication kept up between the two places. This single article cost one hundred Louis d'or a day. No. 15. She was observed to smile once as a person was presented to her in Paris, and as he expressed his high sense of the honour conferred on him, in being allowed to fill some place of Chamberlain, or gentleman usher about her person; observing, after he had retired, that she remembered having made interest to be invited to a concert at that gentleman's house, and of having been rather uncivily repulsed. Her son, the Vice Roy of Italy is said to be a good natured, brave, and well informed young man, who does the best he can to procure in private such amusements, as may console him for the tiresome trappings of greatness which encumber him in publick: the fate of the family is a singular one, and if ever they fall from their present elevated station, I wish it may be with as little mortification as possible. The emperour was absent; he was gone to receive the adorations, I can call them by no other name, Ff of his new subjects, and to determine what he should do with such powers as offered themselves to his government. If he reads Tacitus, he must often have in mind, the sentence which Tiberius was heard to quote, as he once quitted the Senate house. It is to be lamented that a genius so fitted by the arts of peace and war, for an elevated station, should have no Constitutional restraints opposed to his momentary opinions in the government of a great country. It is more than human nature can bear, and more than it should be exposed to: he is not likely either, to be opposed by the talents of any cotemporary Prince. That portion of the Bourbons which has been able to keep possession of the throne of Naples and of Spain, is not very advantageously spoken of; no genius springs up in Germany, and the King of Sweden excites no other notice than now and then a sarcastick paragraph in the Moniteur. Russia is too far off, and England is powerful only by sea. and the climate delightful, but th there was no command of water for irrigation; it had been formerly cultivated, but was abandoned, owing it is said, to a burdensome imposition of taxes, and was likely to remain for years in its present situation. La Lande, who travelled thirty years ago in the Milanese says, that land had sold as high as 2263 livres the arpent or acre, but that the price varied in general according to the quality and convenience for irrigation from 158 livres to 57. Rice land could then be hired at 15 livres the arpent or acre, and the average profit arising from agriculture was 3 1-2 per cent. on the capital: it was not in my power to learn if any difference had taken place since, but I believe it to be inconsiderable if any. Sesto is a small place, which had nothing to detain us, and we embarked in a boat navigated by four stout men, all of whom rowed standing erect with their faces to the prow, and two had an oar in either hand. We went with great But it is time to return to our velocity, and had soon got out of travels and to inform you that we the current, which is perceivable quitted Milan on the evening of at the extremity of the Lake, to the fourth day after our arrival where it was spread out in a I took the road to Sesto, which smooth expanse and diversified you will find on any map of Lom- here and there by a sail and by bardy it is situated at the spot the towns and villages which crown where the Tesino, after having its banks. Two of these little principally contributed to from towns in particular attracted our the Lac Maggiore, reassumes its attention, these were Angera and course again towards the sea, as Arona in face of each other. They the Rhone does at Geneva. I was reminded me of Dover and Calais, surprised to find a tract of uncul- and the resemblance, though in mitivated country near Gallerate niature, must have been striking, which the government was willing when two different and frequently to make grants of, I was told, to hostile powers possessed the opany one who presented himself. posite shores. The steep hill sides It was the first time I had seen in were chiefly in vineyards, and the Europe what we, in America, call houses which were scattered over vacant land, and to complete my their surface appeared more like astonishment the soil was good, places of retreat in the summer to |