Mr. Pratt has long promised the is from Parnell's Night-piece : public specimens of his youthful Those graves with bending osier bound, friend's genius: and we hope he will That nameless heave the crumbled ground. not withhold them in consequence of that melancholy event which has placed their writer beyond the echoes of renown; beyond the hopes and fears of a literary candidate; those hopes that seldom cheer, those fears that too often bring terror to the heart of him who adopts literature as a profession. We should be among those who would gladly see the long expected promise. Sept. 20, 1910.

"For them no more the blazing hearth,"&c. is evidently a mixture of Thomson's, The fire fair-blazing, and the vestment In vain for him th' officious wife prepares

A CRITIQUE on the ELEGY written in a Country Church-yurd.

SIR,

No poem has been more frequent

ly read, and more seldom criti

cised, than Gray's exquisite Elegy,

warm;

In vain his little children, peeping out
Into the mingling storm, demand their sire.
and of Lucretius's,

At jam non domus accipiet te læta req;

uxor

Optima, nec dulces occurrunt oscula mati,
*Præripere, et tacita pectus dulcedine tan-
gent.
Lib. 4, 907.
and of Ovid's,

Non illis ultra genialis flamma micabit,
Non uxor solitum nocte movebit opus.

"How bow'd the woods beneath their
sturdy stroke,"

nor is there a poem in the language is from Spenser's February:
that better deserves the pen both of But to the wood bent his sturdie stroake.
the critic and of the commentator,
since its originality in some parts is
equalled only by its judicious imita-
tions in others. His first line,

"The curfew tolls the knell of parting day"
is evidently derived from Young's,
It is the knell of my departed hours.

In the third line,

"The ploughman homeward plods his

weary way,"

"The short and simple annals of the poor," certainly from Chaucer's:

is

As talis of poore garsonnes bee,
Alle shortnesse and simplicitie.

"The desert air" appears to be from his favourite Pindar:

Ερημας δι αιθερο

« For who to dumb forgetfulness a prey, This pleasing anxious being e'er resign'd, Left the warm precincts of the cheerful day,

Nor cast one longing, ling'ring look behind?"

an ignorance of farming is displayed in his making the ploughman not return till nightfall; unless indeed he would have us suppose the time of Dr.Johnson observes, of this idea, that year to be about March or October; it is perfectly original; and yet I in which case the beetle, mentioned think the germ of it appears in Bein the succeeding stanza, could not lial's speech in the second book of wheel his droning flight: as Buffon the Paradise Lost: expressly informs us, and every farmer knows, that this little animal is visible only between April and August. But Gray drew from books, not nature, and probably did not forget that the ancient Jews ploughed by moonlight.

"The moping owl does to the moon com-
plain

This is a lame line, and the feeble
expletive does is unworthy of so ac-
curate and nervous a poet as Gray.
"Wher: heaves the turf in many a mould-
*ing heap,"

UNIVERSAL MAG. VOL. XIV.

For who would lose, Tho' full of pain, this intellectual being?

Both sentences are interrogatory, and almost exactly similar in import.

"The brook that babbles by." Divided by a babbling brook. Th Spring.

ever yet been afforded, to the unfor- I know not whether you, or any of

tunate subjects of the most afflicting malady with which it has pleased the Almighty, in his wisdom, to visit his creatures; and they are induced to hope, that such assistance as they now require, will not be solicited in vain, in a country whose greatest characteristic is its noble and generous solicitude to alleviate the miseries, administer to the necessities, and heal the diseases of the people.

your readers are aware of a similar instance of inability to receive nourishment which occurred some years ago in Scotland, in the person of the Fasting Woman of Ross-shire, as she was called. As the account is curious, and not very long, I will copy it here from Pennant's second tour into Scot land, in the Appendix to which No. IV, it may be found.

"Katherine M'Leod, daughter to Subscriptions will be received by Donald M'Leod, farmer in Craig, in Richard Clark, Esq. chamberlain of the parish of Kincardine, Ross-shire, London, (the treasurer of Bethlem an unmarried woman, about thirtyHospital), Bridge-street, Blackfriars; five years, sixteen years ago contractand by the banking houses of Sir ed a fever, after which she became Richard Carr Glyn and Co. Birchin- blind. Her father carried her to selane; Messrs. Willis and Co. Lom- veral physicians and surgeons to cure bard-street; Messrs. Forster,, Lub- her blindness. Their prescriptions bock, and Co. Poultry: Messrs. Vere, Lombard street; Messrs. Robarts and Curtis, Lombard-street; Messrs. Stephenson, Lombard-street; Messrs. Ladbroke, Bank-buildings; Messrs. Hoare, Fleet-street; Messrs. Hodsoll and Stirling, Strand; Messrs. Coutts, Strand; Messrs. Drummond, Cha ring-cross; Messrs. Hammersley, Pall Mall; and by Mr. Bolton Hudson, receiver, Bridewell Hospital.

JOHN POYNDER, Clerk.

Bridewell Hospital, 16th July, 15IO.

ANNE MOORE, of TUTBURY. Sir,

SOME time has now elapseden

to

proved of no effect. He carried her also to a lady skilled in physic, in the neighbourhood, who, doubtful whether her blindness was occasioned by the weakness of her eyelids, or a defect in her eyes, found, by the use of some medicines, that the blindness was occasioned by a weakness in her eyelids, which being strengthened, she recovered her sight in some measure, and discharged, as usual, every kind of work about her father's farm; but tied a garter tight round her fore head to keep up her eyelids. In this condition she continued for four or five years, enjoying a good state of health, and working as usual. She contracted another lingering fever, of which she never recovered perfectly. "Some time after her fever jaws

fell, her eye lids closed, ved stress the public respecting the singular case her appetite. Her parents declare. of this woman; whether she be alive that for the space of a year and three or deal, whether she eats, or whether quarters they could not say that any she still practises the same landable meat or liquid went down her throat. economy of living without it, in these Being interrogated on this point, they difficult times. I confess I should owned they very frequently put somelike to be acquainted with the final thing into her mouth: but they conissue of this matter, if it have yet cluded nothing went down her throat, taken place; or with any other ac- because she had no evacuation and counts of a recent date, if such have when they forced open her jaws at appeared. I have therefore chosen one time, and kept them open for the medium of your miscellany to some time by putting in a stick bemake my inquiry; and as it is very tween her teeth, and pulled forward probable that some further particulars her tongue, and forced something have been promulgated within these Jast six months, (it being full that period since I have read any) I should be glad to be informed when and where they may have appeared.

down her throat, she coughed and strained, as if in danger of being choaked. One thing, during the time she eat and drank nothing, is remarkable that her jaws were unlocked, and

she recovered her speech, and retain- ately threw it up again, as her parents ed it for several days, without any ap- had told me she used to do, and she parent cause for the same: she was endeavoured with her hand to dry her quite sensible, repeated several ques- mouth and chin. Her forehead was tions of the short catechisms; told contracted and wrinkled her cheeks them that it was to no purpose to put full, red, and blooming. Her parents any thing into her mouth, for that told me that she slept a great deal, nothing went down her throat as and soundly, perspire sometimes, and also that sometimes she understood now and then emitted pretty large them when they spoke to her. quantities of blood at her mouth.

"Sometime before I saw her, she "For about two years past they received some sustenance, whey, wa- have been wont to carry her to the ter gruel, &c. but threw it up, at least door once every day, and she would for the most part, immediately. When shew signs of uneasiness when they they put the stick between her teeth, neglected it at the usual time. Last mentioned above, two or three of her summer, after giving her to drink the teeth were broken. It was at this water of the well of Strathconner, she breach they put in any thing into her crawled to the door on her hands and mouth. I caused them to bring her feet without any help. She is at preout of bed, and give her something sent in a very languid way, and still to drink. They gave her whey. Her throws up what she drinks." neck was contracted, her chin fixed on her breast, nor could by any force be pulled back: she put her chin and gust 1769. I remain, Sir, mouth into the dish with the whey, and I perceived she sucked it at the

This account was written in Au

Your obedient servant,

above-mentioned breach as a child Chichester, Sept. 11, 1810. would suck the breast, and immedi

T.

AN AUTHENTIC NARRATIVE OF was taken down in short-hand from FOUR YEARS' RESIDENCE AT TONGATABOO, one of the Friendly Islands in the South Sea. By who went thither in the Duff, under Captain Vilson, in 1796. With an Appendix, by an eminent Writer. Svo. 1810. THIS is a volume which we have Treasat unuch pleasure, and from which we have derived some information. The hero of the narrative, Mr. Peeson (whose, name, though not disclosed in the course of the work, is known), experienced many vicissitudes in the course of his voluntary exile, and his adventures were sometimes such as nearly threatened his existence. To the authenticity of the narrative we have no ground of objection, as we think there is sufficient internal evidence of that authenticity. It is not, however, written by Mr. Veeson himself, but drawn up by a person who signs himself A Clergyman of the established Church.' Every circumstance

the mouth of the author,' and it was afterwards repeatedly revised in concurrence with him. The statements also have been amply verified, as we are informed by the writer of this work (whom we must distinguish from the author), by reference to the Missionary voyage, and by consulting persons who were capable of confirming or disproving what is asserted. Under such circumstances, the mind is satisfied, and the book is read with confidence: but an important consideration is excited by the mode of its production. Was Mr. Veeson unable to compose his own narrative? Had he neither powers of language nor concentration of ideas? Was he ignorant of grammatical construction? or what deplorable deficiency was it that rendered the assistance of another requisite to detail such simple, unadorned facts as are here detailed, and which required only the plainest form of composition, and no peculiar energies of mind? If Mr. V. were

tural quotation: no matter how profligate or how vicious soever the missionary has been if he can establish the chronology of his own conversion, and maintain that he knows God, all is done. He is shipped off, with the sores of old vices in his heart, only skinned over, and the inclination to fresh ones as vigorous as ever. Removed from all actual control, he resigns himself to the impulses of his disposition, and if he does not convert

at least begins to repent of his own excesses as soon as he is tired of them. The present volume (and to which we shall now turn our attention) is nothing more, in one respect, than a shameless avowal of the author's own profligate mode of procedure.

really incompetent to such a labour, it becomes a very obvious question how he should be competent to the higher and more important labours of a missionary? Is it likely that a man of rude and uncultivated mind, a man ignorant in the common qualifications which a common course of education would give, possessing neither the powers of persuasion nor the energy of action necessary to convert a people, or even individuals; is it likely that such a man would suceed the heathens to whom he is sent, he as a missionary? We know, indeed, that modern methodists affect to depreciate knowledge: they affect to depreciate it as the ferocious hordes of conquering barbarians depreciated the arts, and knowledge, and cultivation, which were diffused over the Roman empire: they despise what Mr. Veeson sailed in the Duff, they cannot attain, and endeavour to Capt. Wilson, on the 23d Sept. 1796, . reduce the intellect of man to a de- with twenty-eight other missionaries, grading state of darkness and imbe- sent out to convert the South-Sea cility, for then, and not till then, islanders. After a prosperous voyage, will their empire commence. All they arrive at Otaheite, where they worldly wisdoin they deride: it is remained ten days, during which prethe wisdom from above: it is the light parations were made for the accomfrom heaven it is the grace of God to modation of such missionaries as had which ignorance is supposed to have fixed on this spot as the scene of their peculiar claims, as beggars have to future labours. Application was made alms: it is the knowledge of things to Manne Manne, high priest of the eternal which they value, and which island, and who had the chief control they value as a straw-crowned mo- over it, for a habitation and a piece narch in St. Luke does his king- of ground from which they might dom, without possessing it. To tell raise their food. This request was them, therefore, that to send out readily granted, and a certain number missionaries who have no other qua- were left behind, while the ship sailed ifications than a holy cant of re- on for the Friendly Islands, and at ligion, is to obstruct rather than to length arrived at Tongataboo. This facilitate their object, would be in is composed of two words, Tongavain; what would be their answer? Taboo, signifying, properly, Sacred The Apostles were not worldly wise: Island, so denominated because it is they were poor, uneducated men: the habitation of Duatonga, a high but the grace of God was upon them, priest, who is reverenced and reand so all was accomplished. From sorted to by the inhabitants of all the such arguments the man of common surrounding islands. sense flies: we cannot confute them, Here they were pleasingly surprised for folly, unsubstantial as its sire, to find two Europeans, one named which is ignorance, eludes the grasp of Benjamin Ambler, and the other John conviction. While, however, they con- Conelly; the former a native of Lontinue to send such labourers in the cause don, the latter of Cork. They repreof conversion, they must expect such sented themselves as having quilted results as have attended their missions an American vessel, and taken up to the South Seas: results which are their abode at Tongataboo from preto be attributed less to the nature of ference; but, from their nefarious the field chosen, than the insufficiency conduct towards the missionaries, it of the agents. No other qualification was more probable that they had been is deemed necessary than an avowed transported thither for some misdedesire to go, and an aptitude in scrip- meanor.