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ceive that we have been doing some service to the cause of piety-and poetry-by thus attempting to widen the sphere of their circulation. They seem to be fast going through editions -the Christian Psalmist having reached a fifth-nor is there any person of any persuasion-if he be a Christian -who will not be the better of having such volumes often in his hands.

Mr Montgomery's critical remarks, it will have been seen, are often eminently beautiful, and very profound. His common-places are always those of a poet, whose genius is ever felt to be in subservience to his piety. The simplest of his sentences has often the deepest meaning; and though he sometimes loves to diffuse himself over a subject that is dear to him, he often says much in few words. There may to some-nay to many minds, be something startling in his sentiments-expressed as they often are, with no deference to the authority of old opinions, or of new, come from what quarter they will; but there is never any thing-judging by our own feelings on certain occasions when we could not entirely sympathize with them-never any thing repulsive; and if there be any differences in his creed from ours-so fervent and sincere is every word and every look of the man, (we speak of him, from his writings, as if he were a personal friendthough we have never seen his thoughtful face but in a picture,) that we trust these differences are neither many nor great for we should suspect our own Christianity, were it not, in essentials, the Christianity which, in much noble verse, and much plea sant prose, has, for twenty years past and more too, been issuing from the pure spirit of the Bard of Sheffield.

There is a fine humanity in all his criticism. Thus, in alluding to the rough style and harsh metre of some ancient poems-or verses rather, in the Christian Psalmist to their forbidding as pect he says that every piece has some peculiar merit and interest of its own and he asks, who would think his time misemployed in conning over eleven dull lines by Anne Collins, for the sake of meeting, in the twelfth, an original and brilliant emanation of fancy? Anne Collins, in one of her Divine Songs and Meditations (1653), in telling us that happiness is not to be found in the creation, concludes

her little lay by beautifully saying of pomp and splendour

"Yet could they no more sound contentment bring,

Than star-light can make grass or flowers spring!"

And can, he asks, the very humble stanzas of poor Anne Askew, made and sung in Newgate, while waiting for her crown of martyrdom, be read without emotions more deep and affecting, and far more powerful than poetry could awaken on a subject of fictiti

ous woe?

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"Yet, Lorde, I Thee desyre,
For that they doe to me,
Let them not taste the hyre
Of their iniquytie."

In like manner, can any of the "Prison Poems" in the volume-Sir Thomas More's, Sir Walter Raleigh's, Sir Thomas Overbury's, Sir Francis Wortley's, George Wither's, John Bunyan's-can any of them be read with ordinary sympathy, such as the verses themselves, if written in other circumstances, would have excited?

"Surely not; the situation of the unfortunate beings, who thus confessed on the rack of personal and mental torture, or in the immediate prospect of eternity, gives intense and overwhelming interest to lines, which have no extraordinary poetic fervour to recommend them. With what strange curiosity do we look even on animals driven to the slaughter, which we should have disregarded had we seen them grazing in the field! Who can turn away his eyes from a criminal led to execution, yet who can fix them on his amazed and bewildered countenance? The common place,' of the gallows,

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his last dying speech and confession,' though consisting of a few hurried, broken words, which almost every felon repeats, and hardly understands their meaning himself while he utters them, may produce feelings which all the breath of eloquence, from lips not about to be shut for ever, would fail to awaken. But a good man struggling with adversity, which even the heathen deemed a spectacle worthy of the Gods to contemplate with admiration, becomes an oracle in his agony; and to know how he looked, and spoke, and felt, for the last time, does literally elevate and purify the soul by terror,-terror in which just so much compassion is mingled as to identify him with ourselves in sensibility to suffering, while we are identified with him in exaltation of mind above the infirmity of pain and the fear of death. No eccentricity or perversity of taste, manifested in literary effusions under such circumstances, can destroy the force of nature, or render her voice unintelligible in them, though speaking a strange language, provided it be the language of the times, and not the affected style of the individual, assumed to express sentiments equally affected."

How much of the pleasure which we derive from poetry does indeed depend upon contingent circumstances, which confer on the writer or the subject a peculiar, local, personal, or temporary interest and importance! Such interest and importance, says Mr Montgomery, belong to all the subjects of this small volume,-for all the writers are dead!

"These thoughts, then, of the departed, expressed in their own words, and brought to our ears in the very sounds with which they uttered them, and affect ing our hearts even more than they affect ed their own, by the consideration that they are no longer living voices, but voices from beyond the tomb, from invisible beings, somewhere in existence, at this moment, these thoughts, thus awfully associated, will prove noble, strengthening, and instructive exercises of mind, for us to read and to understand; for the application required to comprehend them duly, will heighten the enjoyment of the poetry when it is thus understood; the obscurity and difficulty, not arising from the defects of the composition, but from the unacquaintedness of the reader with the models in vogue, when the author wrote. These specimens of 'pious verse' will not be idle amusements for a few spare minutes,-yet for the delight of

spare minutes they are peculiarly adapted. They will not glide over a vacant mind, as sing-song verse is wont to do, like quicksilver over a smooth table, in glittering, minute, and unconnected globules, hastily vanishing away, or when detained, not to be moulded into any fixed shape. They will rather supply tasks and themes for meditation; tasks, such as the eagle sets her young when she is teaching them to fly; themes, such as are vouchsafed to inspire poets, in their happiest moods. Nor can the inexpert reader be aware till he has tried, how much the old language improves upon familiarity; and how the productions of the old poets, like dried spices, give out their sweetness the more, the more they are handled. The fine gold may have become dim, and the fashion of the plate may be antiquated, but the material is fine gold still, and the workmanship as perfect as it came from the tool of the artist; nor is it barbarous, except to eyes that cannot see it as it was intended to be seen, in connexion with the whole state of human society and human intellect at the time. Changes have taken place, within the last century, in the style of religious poetry, which formerly was too much assimilated to the character of So

lomon's song, a portion of Scripture often paraphrased, and, it may be added, always unhappily. In judging of our poets of the middle age, from Elizabeth to James the II., we are bound to make the same allowances which we do natur

ally, in reading the works of our divines of the same period, who, with many extravagances, have left monuments of genius and piety in prose, unexcelled by later theologians, in powerful argument, splendid eloquence, and learned illustration. With such a preparation of mind, the reader, sitting down to this volume, will find every page improve to his taste, in proportion as his taste improves, to relish what is most rare and exquisite in our language,-the union of poetry with piety, in the works of men distinguished, in their generation, for eminence in the one or the other of these, and frequently for pre-eminence in both. It is, however, greatly to be lamented, that the heterogeneous compositions of the most popular of the Authors, even in the present muster-roll, (with few exceptions,) cannot be indiscriminately recommended. Few, indeed, of the poets of our Christian country, previous to the era of Cowper, have left such manuscripts of their wayward minds, as would be deemed altogether unexceptionable, even by men of the world, who had no particular reve

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rence for vital Christianity, In the present
day. So far, at least, has the indirect in-
fluence of our holy religion purified po-
pular literature, within the last forty
years; few books, which are not notori-
ously profligate, now contain such inde-
licacies as contaminate the pages of some
of our most celebrated moralists in rhyme,
of former ages. The fact is cursorily
mentioned, lest the inexperienced reader
should imagine, that every writer, from
whose remains a page or two has been
adopted here, was a Christian Poet.'
With the personal characters of those
writers, the Editor had nothing to do in
this case. His object was to present to
the public a volume of miscellanies in
verse, which, when candidly estimated,
might be fairly called Christian Poetry;
for though every piece (much more every
line) may not be directly devotional, he
thinks, that there is not one which might
not have been written by a Christian
Poet, or which may not, in some degree,
tend to edify or delight a Christian read-
er. Of course, the Editor cannot be pre-
sumed to approve of every sentiment or
phrase in such a multitude of extracts
from the works of writers, themselves so
much at variance on minor points of
Christian doctrine. What is here given,
is given, not as the word of God, but as
the word of man, and consequently no
more infallible in sentiment than it can
be expected to be faultless in phrase.
They who read for profit, will find profit
in reading; others, if they be so inclined,
may discover errors and imperfections
enough to gratify their taste, though not
to compensate them for ths loss of time,

which had been better spent in seeking
better things."

The subject which we have so imperfectly treated in this article begins to shew itself in many new lights, as we glance over its and we shall pages; return to it with fervour during some silent evenings, when, after the duties of the day-such as they are we have "sacred leisure" to give our disengaged spirits up to the tender and lustrous contemplations, which the

some

hymns of pious men-now gone to

their reward-Inspire by the hearth of home, when the household is hushed. Feelings and thoughts, we hope, may then arise, which may be not altoge ther an unworthy commentary on those breathed forth by the genius that sung by the altar of religion. Specimens, too, of many of these compositions may be thus presented to many minds to whom they are at present unknownand this miscellany of ours, which,various as its spirit has been, and will be, has we hope, amidst all its mirth and gaiety, and why should not fancy occasionally tinge with her streaks the melancholy atmosphere of human life, -ever been, with all its errors and defects, which none but the hopelessly base and wicked, or the hopelessly dull and stupid, would seek to exaggerate,-the friend-the enthusiastic and not unsteady friend of genius, virtue, and religion.

One truly delightful volume alluded to in these pages, its excellent author must not think we have overlookedwe mean "The Christian Year.” When we began to write, it was our intention to have confined ourselves almost entirely to it; but our illustrations took another course, and not one sacred composition of Keeble's now graces our disquisition. "The Chris tian Year" deserves an article-and a long one too-exclusively devoted to itself-for it is full of poetry and piety, both as simple and as sincere as the writer's own heart. This volume is winning its way into many a library-nor will it lie unread on the shelves to which the soul, when wea ried or alarmed with this life, turns for consolation to the musings of those men of holy spirit, who

"Have built their Pindus upon Lebanon,"

and, in still more awful moods, have feared not to murmur their melodies even on Mount Calvary, at the very feet of the Cross.

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INDEX TO VOLUME XXIV.

Affairs, on the present state of, 475. Eng.
lish policy as it was and as it is, ib.-
Foreign policy of Mr Canning, 476-in
regard to Greece, 477-policy in regard
to Ireland, 478

Allowa, The Goode Manne of, 561
Ambrosianæ, Noctes, No. xxxvii. 501—
No. xxxviii. 512—No. xxxix. 640-No.
xl. 677

America, Notes on the United States of,
621

Antescript, 500

Appointments and promotions, military,
128, 400, 797

Awkwardness of man, remarks on, 211
Ballad Stanzas, by Delta, 498
Bankrupts, monthly lists of British, 130,
402, 802

Bachellor's Beat, The, No. v. A day at
the sea-side, 335
Bath, a satire, 462

Battle of New Orleans, sketch of the, 354
Beauty, verses to, 30

Bhurtpore, Letter from an officer relative
to the siege of, 94
Bidcombe Hill, 345

Births, lists of, 131, 403, 804

Bowles, the Rev. W. Lisle, and his resi-

dence at Bremhill, 226

Brownie of the Black Haggs, the, 489
"Buy a Broom," Chap. i. 709-Chap. ii.
Cardo's Legend, 715-Chap. iii. 717—
Chap. iv. 723 Chap. v. 727-Chap. vi.
732 Chap. vii. 735

Castle of Time, the, by Delta, 362
Catholic Question-On the coronation

oath in reference to the, 1-On a late
long debate in the House of Commons
on the subject, 87-Note of proceedings
and divisions in Parliament on the, 93
-On the state of Ireland in relation to
the, 410

Substance of Sir R. Inglis's two
Speeches on the, Review of, 811
Christianity, on the missions of, 31
Christopher-see North

Clapperton, Captain, death of, 136
Clare Election, letters concerning the, 219
Close of the London Season, letter on, 326
-State of the Ministry, ib.-Catholic
and Corn questions, 328-Huskisson's
resignation, 329-The Opposition, 330
-King's College, ib.-Grub street, 331
-King's Theatre, 332-Mlle Sontag,
333

Corn Markets, 125, 749
Coronation Oath, in reference to Roman
Catholics, remarks on the, 1-On Dr
Phillpotts' letter on the subject, 8—On
Mr Lane's Treatise, 10—Opinions of

the Edinburgh Review combated, 14—
Casuistry of Dr Milner, 23-Mr Burke's
opinion, 25

Court of Darkness, the, 481
Cruelty to Animals, remarks on, 834
Darkness, Court of, 481

Dawson, Mr, remarks on his speech on
the state of Ireland, 412

Dead, the message to the, 353
Deaths, lists of, 133, 405, 807
Delta Summer morning landscape, by,
103-To Ianthe, in absence, by, 176—
Elegiac Stanzas by, 217-Ballad Stan-
zas by, 498

Dreams, the land of, 783

Duellists, the, a Tale of the " Thirty
Years' War," 541

Duncan, Dr Andrew. senior, death of, 408
Elegiac Stanzas by Delta, 217
Elements of Rhetoric, Review of Whate-
ly's, 885

Evening, an ode, 37

Execution in Paris, an, 785

Flies, on the cruelty of killing, 834
First Play of the Season, the, 557
Good Works, on the Nothingness of, 870
Goode Manne of Allowa, the, 561
Grillpurzer's drama of the Golden Fleece,
Review of, 155

Hamlet, on the character of, 585--Post-
script, 592

Hieroglyphics, Marquis Spineto on, 313
Horæ Germanicæ, No. xxv. Grillparzer's
Golden Fleece, 155

Hougge, Mr, ane rychte gude and preyti-
ous ballande be, 177-Ane most strainge
and treuthfulle ballande, made be, 561
Huel-Rose, the, 737

Huskisson, Mr, remarks on his resigna-
tion of place, and his correspondence
with the Duke of Wellington, 107
Inglis, Sir R., substance of his two speeches
upon the Catholic Question, 811
Interscript to an article on Shakspeare,
583

Intruding Widow, the, a dramatic poem,

765

Ireland, state of, in relation to the Catho-
lic question, 410-Effects of the "sys-
tem of conciliation" upon the Catholics,
411 Mr Dawson's speech on the state
of the country, 412-Remarks upon it,
413-Influence of the Pope on the Ca-
tholic Church, 416-Catholics have no
claims on the ground of right and jus-
tice, 421-The removal of their disabi-
lities must make continual political war
a part of their religion, 423-and can-
not operate as a remedy for the frightful
state of the country, but the reverse, 424

Value of the securities offered by the
emancipators, 424-What might be ex-
pected from the removal of the disabili-
ties, 427-Hostility of the Catholics to
religious and civil liberty, 432_The
present Lord Lieutenant, and his Go-
vernment, 433-Measures which ought
to be adopted to quiet the country, 434
Ireland as it is; in 1828. Chap. i., 453—
Chap. ii., 456-Chap. iii. Its politi-
cal state, 550-Chap. iv. Assemblages
of the people, 554-Chap. v. The land
and the Jandlords, 752-Chap. vi. Ma-
nufactures and commerce, 756
June Jaunt, the, a chapter omitted in the
life of Mansie Wauch, 909
Kuzzilbash, the, a tale of Khorasan, 52
Land of Dreams, the, 783

Letter from an infantry officer, relative to
the siege of Bhurtpore, 94

on the Clare election, 219

on the close of the London season,
326

Liberals, the rise and fall of the, 96
Living Poets, their residences, 226
Loretto, remarks on the miracles of, 357
Maid? art thou the, 912

Marriages, lists of, 132, 404, 805
Martin's picture of the Fall of Nineveh,
remarks on,
36

Meteorological Tables, 127, 796
Message to the dead, the, 353
Military appointments, promotions, &c.,
128, 400, 797

Missions of Christianity, remarks on the,
31

Monkeyana, or men in miniature, remarks

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913

Music of the spheres, the, 225

New Orleans, sketch of the battle of, 354
Nineveh, remarks on Martin's picture of
the fall of, 36

Noctes Ambrosianæ, No. xxxvii, 501-Rus-

sian and Turkish war, ib.-The Greeks,
503 The Pacha of Egypt, 504-Don
Miguel and the Portuguese constitution-
alists, 505-Corn, currency, and Catho
lics, 507-Song, 511-No. xxxviii, 512
-The Shepherd on dreams, 514-The
Lily of the lea, 518-Education-The
march of intellect, 521-Albums, 524
-Astronomy, 532-Song, 535-Speech
of Christopher North on proposing the
health of the Duke of Wellington, 536

No. xxxix, 640-Origin of poetry, 616
-Affairs of Ireland, 657-Brunswick
clubs, 659-Ministers and sermons, 661
-The Medicean Venus, 665-Charge
of indelicacy against the Noctes, 666—
Retzsch's illustrations of Hamlet, 668-
The Annuals, 672-No. lx, 677-Edin-
burgh in summer, 679-and in winter,
ib.Advertiser for a wife, 681-Song,
"John Nicholson's Daughter," 688-
Song, the Twa Magicians, 691-Edin-
burgh Review, 692-Calumnies on Ma-
ga, 695-Annuals, 698-Morning jour-

nals, 699-Catholics of Ireland, 781—
Absenteeism, 702-Agitators, orators,
and Irish affairs, ib.-708
Nothingness of good works, on the, 870
Norfolk Punch, an incantation, 101
North, Christopher, brief remarks by, on
a late long debate on the Catholic Ques-
tion, 87
in his sporting jacket,
Fytte first, 273-Fytte second, 288—
Fytte third, 300

Speech of, on proposing

as a toast the Duke of Wellington, 536
Notes on the United States of America,
621

Notices, travelling and political, by a
Whig-hater, 184-Of the Catholic As-
sociation, 186-Lord Eldon, 188-Coun-
ty of Wicklow, 189-Bath, 190-Bris-
tol to London, 191-London: Whigs
and Liberals, ib.-House of Commons,

192

Ode to Tan Hill, 762

O'Hara Family, remarks on the Tales of
the, 469

Old system of trade, and the new, remarks
on the, 370

Old maid's story, an, 835
Oxford, three years at, 864
Paris, an execution in, 785
Phillpotts, Dr, and Mr Lane, remarks on

their pamphlets on the coronation oath, I
Play, the first of the season, 557
Poetry The Tour of Dulness, 29-To

Beauty,30-Evening, an Ode, 37—Nor-
folk Punch, an incantation, 101-Sum-
mer morning landscape, by Delta, 103
-To Ianthe, in absence, by Delta, 176
-Ane rychte gude and preytious bal-
lande, compylit be Mr Hougge, 177—
Elegiac stanzas, by Delta, 217 The
music of the spheres, 225-The message
to the dead, 353-The Castle of Time,
by Delta, 362-Court of darkness, 481

The goode Manne of Allowa, 561—
Tasso's Coronation, 614-The voice of
the wind, 639-Song, "John Nichol-
son's Daughter," 688-The twa Magi-
cians, 691-Ode to Tan Hill, 762-The
Vaudois wife, 682-Art thou the maid?
912

Poor proscribed animal, recollections of a,

593

Postscript to an article on the character of
Hamlet, 592

Prices current, 795
Promotions, appointments, &c. 128, 400,
797

Publications, monthly lists of new ones,
123, 398, 791
Recollections of a poor proscribed animal,
593-Chap. i, ib. Chap. ii, 603-Note
613

Remarks on the coronation oath, in refer-
ence to the exclusion of Catholics from
political power, 1-On the missions of
Christianity, 31-On Martin's Fall of
Nineveh, 36-On Monkeyana, or men
in miniature, 42-On the Usury Laws.

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