the large bodied moths; but few winged infects escape its wide-extended mouth.

"It makes a fingular noife, like the found of a large fpinning wheel, and which it is obferved to utter perched, with the head lowermoft; befides which it emits a fharp fqueak, repeated as it flies.

"The Goatfucker is moft plentiful in the wild tracts of uncultivated land, interfperfed with rocks and wood. We have seen in Scotland eight or ten on wing together in the dusk of the evening, skimming over the furface of the ground in all directions, like the Swallow, in pursuit of infects."

We might object, in fome places, a careleffness of language, and fuch odd overfights, as fpelling Dr. Jenner's name with a G, throughout the Introduction; but there is fo much merit in the compilation at large, that we wish not to dwell on inferior blemishes. In the Introduction, the author has collected fome general obfervations on birds, which could not fo properly be placed in the alphabetical arrangement of the book. Among thefe, feveral remarks and facts will be found well worthy of attention. The reader alfo will be pleased to know, that Mr. Montagu pledges his own perfonal obfervation for the principal contents of his work, which, he tells us, "has been compiled from the notes of twenty years fearch and attention."

BRITISH CATALOGUE.

POETRY.

ART. 15. Tales of Superßition and Chivalry. 12mo. 144 PP 45% Vernor and Hood. 1802.

This beautiful little book belongs, as its title implies, to the family of Tales of Wonder. It is printed without a name; but, if we are not misinformed, it is the production of Mifs Bannerman, already known for poetical talents. The Tales abound with fancy; but it is fancy perverted to the purpose of raifing only horror, and raifing it by præternatural agency. This uniformity has an effect not pleafing to thofe, who have not learnt to accommodate their taste to a tranfient fashion; and we, who can fee through the difguife the marks of talent formed for better things, cannot but regret that the volume is not of a more miscellaneous kind. Its contents are ten Tales, illuftrated by three

three plates; the third of which, prefixed to " the Murcian Cavalier," is not without elegance. The following almoft regular Sonnet, is placed at the beginning, under the title of

"PROLOGUE.

Turn from the path; if fearch of gay delight
Lead thy vain footsteps back to ages paft!
Frail are the blighted flowers, and thinly caft
O'er the dim regions of monaftic night.
Yet in their cavern'd, dark receifes, dwells
The long loft Spirit of forgotten times,
Whofe voice prophetic reach'd to distant climes
And rul'd the nations from his witched cells;
That voice is hush'd !-But still, in Fancy's ear,
Its firft ucmeasur'd melodies refound!
Blending with terrors wild, and legends drear,
The charmed melody of mystic found,
That rous'd, embodied, to the eye of Fear,
Th' unearthly habitants of faery ground."

The measure used in most of the Tales is of the ballad kind, and an imitation of ancient fimplicity feems every where to be intended. As the effect of fuch narratives arifes from the whole context, we shall not attempt to give a partial fpecimen; but, recommending the book to thofe who love to fhudder o'er the midnight fire, we advise the author to make a livelier and a better ufe of a fancy stored with images.

ART. 16. The Infidel and Chriftian Philofophers; or the laft Hours of Voltaire and Addifon contrafted. A Poem. 4to. 18. Hull printed; Vernor and Hood, London. 1802.

The intention of this little Poem is fo excellent, that it is with regret we find ourselves obliged to qualify our approbation, by faying that the execution is far inferior to the defign. It is founded on the dreadful account, given by the Abbé Barruel, and confirmed by Mr. de Luc, of the dying horrors of Voltaire, compared with the calm and pious death of Addifon; who, in a neat vignette, in the title-page, is reprefented as in his bed, grafping the hand of Lord Warwick, and faying to him thofe memorable words, "Behold how a Chriftian can die!" It is a pity that fome fkill and taste in verfification fhould be wanting to give effect to fo useful a contrast. We fhall cite the best verfes we can find, though we fear they will not recommend the Poem. "See where, upon yon couch ferenely laid, The Chriftian hero refts his drooping head! Tho' racking pains his frame unceasing tear, A placid fmile his languid features wear:

Mark where RELIGION near him takes her stand,
And waves the olive fceptre in her hand!
His bed of ficknefs the with rofes ftrews,
Illumes his profpects, elevates his views;
Bids fcenes of foul-enchanting pleasures rife;
And while yet breathing wafts him to the skies!

'Tis the that takes away (what fin first gave)
The fting from Death, and vict'ry from the Grave.
Tho' o'er his breaft that shaft the spectre shakes,
At fight of which the harden'd finner quakes,
To his firm foul, unaw'd by guilty fears,
No frightful fhape the ghaftly phantom wears;
He deems that ftroke which human life deftroys,
The welcome paffport to celeftial joys." P. 15.

ART. 17. Poems. By J. Bidlake, A. B. Chaplain to his Royal Highnefs the Duke of Clarence, &c. No. 2. 12mo. 15. Murray and Highley, Fleet-ftreet. 1803.

N. B. No. 1. contains Youth, a Poem, lately published.

The unfortunate perfuafion that he is a poet, is perpetually bringing this gentleman before the public. If he would judge of the validity of this opinion, let him compare his own Elegy, entitled the Penitent, P. 39 of this book, with Mrs. Opie's beautiful Poem, cited in our zoth volume, p. 553. The fubject is the fame; but, in the one, all is delicacy, and pathos that thrills to the very foul; just thoughts, expreffed with elegance and vigour: here, alas, all is flat, and mean, and inefficient; thoughts that ought to be pathetic, degraded by nerveless language. The idea of publishing a collection of original poems in numbers is rather new. Youth, which we noticed in our preceding volume, p. 75, was, it feems, the firft number, and the fecond is now before us. As we have neither knowledge of the author, nor undoubtedly the fmalleft hoftility towards him, we will take the leaft exceptionable specimen we can find; which is the opening of the Poem to Evening.

Peace-breathing Evening! ftudious pow'r!

Oft let me court thy fhadowy hour!
Note thee o'er daified meadows tread,
With penfive ftep; or on the bed
Of violets blue or cowflips gay,
Taking thy flow and lingring way,
While not a blade of tenderest green,
On dufky hills or vales between,

E'er fhrinks beneath thy printless feet,

While foft thy blush! thy breathing sweet!"

Is it very good policy in Mr. Bidlake, who is probably expected to inculcate tafte and teach verfification, as mafter of a grammar fchool, to fuffer his own attempts to be fo perfectly within the reach of parents and scholars, as to be fold in fhilling numbers? We answer clearly in the negative. Yet, that the author has his fcholars in his eye, is plain from the concluding couplet in this number, which, not having the fmalleft approach towards poetry, could only be inferted for the fake of the inftruction it conveys.

"Thus youth in life's smooth stream is ill aware,
That every joy may fecret anguish bring.”

ART.

ART. 18. Poems on various Subjects. By Thomas Dermody. 12mo. 206 pp. 4s. 6d. Hatchard. 1802.

We had occafion to notice, with approbation, a former collection of poems by this writer. Since the publication now before us made its appearance, he has paid the debt to nature. Undoubtedly he was a young man of real genius; but, if the pieces in this volume were compofed at a later period than thofe in the former publication, it does not appear to us that his taste had much improved during the interval. The chief poems in this collection had, as he informs us, received the warmeft applaufe from fome diftinguished literary eharacters; and we admit them to difplay a power of fancy far above that of ordinary men. Yet, in our opinion, they have been praised in too extravagant and unqualified terms: for, though many paffages fhow ftrong conception, it is overlaid (if we may use the expreffion) by an affected and pompous phrafeology; and the reader will feldom, in this volume, be gratified by the trains of pure nature, or fimple fublimity. The poem, as we understand, moft admired is that which the writer has termed an Extravaganza. Notwithstanding the merit of fancy, which it certainly poffeffes, the quaintnefs of language, and the profufion of laboured epithets throughout, difguft us more than the writer's originality, in some of the thoughts, ftrikes or pleases us. But as perhaps no two readers of poetry precifely agree in tafte, we will extract fome ftanzas from the laft-mentioned poem, in order that every one may judge for himfelf. The following paffage, which is part of a defcription of the Sylphs, Gnomes, &c. fuppofed to be given to the poet by one of their number, will afford a fair fpecimen of his manner in this poem; which, we fhould obferve, is profeffediy written in an antiquated ftyle and language.

"Should'ring the beach, when angry billows rave,
Some in the bitter blaft for plunder yell,

And plunge the drowning wight beneath the wave;
Some in the dire volcano love to dwell,

Oft laying cities wafte with fury fell;

Some torture the defigning, murd'rous knave,
His palfied nerves with ftony glare awake,
And round his pillow fulphurous torches shake.
Some, when the night-dog bays the whistling wind,
(Boding fure ill,) and ftrange, fad voices fhriek,
When the lone pilgrim often looks behind,
And the blood freezes in his ghaftful cheek,
Gigantic rifing, from Day's durance break,
Inceft, or rape, or parricide, to find ; ·

Then, falvage, tear his breaft with fcorpion-whip,
Or hurl the caitiff down the craggy steep.

#Vol. xvii. p. 79.

Some

F

BRIT. CRIT. VOL. XXI. JAN. 1803.

Some dapper imps and fwart, the mine attend,
And thrid, with agile ftep, its glift'ring maze;
The gnarled oak fome from the mountain rend,
And, ere cock-crowing, in the valley place;
Some, in one night, a flinty fabric raife,
And to its bafe, the next, its turrets bend;
While fome, the dol'rous fervants of defpair,
With headless steeds the car of death prepare.
Four skeletons the coal-black courfers ftride;
With flamy fingers four direct the way;
A winding-fheet fo white, diftended wide,
Dabbled in blood, the coffin doth array:
Four hideous urchins at each corner play,
And, in quaint gambol, fhift from fide to fide;
Meanwhile, the thrice-repeated groan fevere
Smites the expiring finner's closing ear."

The Pleasures of Poetry and The Enthufiaft are poems of a fimilar character, and nearly equal merit with The Extravaganza. In all the three poems the epithets are much too numerous, and, though fometimes original and expreflive, often far-fetched and extravagant. The Ta'e of Aribert and Angela did not admit of much ornament; and this is, on the whole, the most unexceptionable of the longer poems. Some fpirited lines on Sir James Burges's Richard the First P. 154. The fonnets and other fhort compofitions are, in general, ne t, and often of confiderable merit.

NOVELS.

ART. 19. Canterbury Tales.

appear at

Volume IV. By Harriet Lee. 8vo. 8s. Robinfons. 1801.

The third volume of these Tales was noticed by us in our 14th vol. p. 431. The names of Sophia and Harriet Lee were annexed to that portion of the work; this performance is by Harriet Lee alone. This volume contains two Tales, namely, the German's Tale, and the Scotfman's Tale. They are entitled to the fame commendation which we bestowed on the preceding, namely, that they difplay good fenfe, found morality, and elegant compofition. We hope to have more of these

Tales.

ART. 20. Home. A Novel. In Five Volumes. Izmo. 11. 6s. Mawman. 1802.

There is a great deal to praife in this performance, and but little to object. The fentiments are good, the moral excellent, the language elegant. But the tale is tedious and unneceffarily protracted, and the intereft for the laft two volumes hardly kept awake. Nevertheles we should be well pleafed if fuch publications more frequently came before us, being far, very far fuperior to the licentious trumpery, or the extravagant fooleries, of the French and German preffes.

ART.