New-York Literary Gazette.

In addition to these faults of Mr. Fairfield's first volume, is a frequency of broken and far-fetched metaphors, of ambiguity and of obscurity in the meaning. For example, "On every crannied cliff sublime, On every roscid emerald spray, Below, the rills symphonious chime,

The feathered minstrels wake their lay." This is obscure enough in poetry, let us try it in prose: the only subjects of the sentence are the feathered minstrels, which we presume to be birds, inasmuch as we have never heard of musical men who were feathered.* The plain prose then of this stanza is, "the birds are singing on every high crannied cliff, on every dewy spray, and below the

Poems, by S. L. Fairfield. Baltimore, 1825. MR. FAIRFIELD's new volume of poetry is by far superior to the former productions of his muse; it has fewer of his characteristic faults of style, and displays a much greater finish of versification. The contrast between the present volume and his publication of 1823, is very marked. We shall follow the order of time, and first consider his volume of 1823. It is crowded with new-coined words from the Greek, Latin, and Hebrew, creditable enough to the author's scholarship, but sad stumbling blocks in the way of his readers; at every symphonious chime of the rill," that is, the page the learned reader is obliged to stop birds are singing under water! This may and trace some long-legged word to the be true, but we should like to speak with language from which it is formed, and to one of the fish who attended the concert, divide it into the simple words of which it is before we make up our mind to believe it. compounded, while the unlearned reader, Mr. F. has given us in page 113, a piece after searching Johnson, Ash, and Bailey, which is neither prose, poetry, nor blank in vain, exclaims in his vexation, "whence verse; what to call it we know not-it is and what art thou, execrable word?" His entitled "Columbia, a Sapphic Ode;" but licenses in prosody are "beyond all com- of the forty lines which are meant for Sappass;" let us take for example the first stan-phic and Adonian lines, there are but six za of a "cantlet," page 149.

"When winter winds, wailing,
Tear the fair robes of autumn,
When icy hills sailing

Hear the rude polar drum;"

Here, autumn, in order to rhyme with drum, must be accented on the last syllable autumn. Again, the "Hymn," page 42, begins thus:

"Ere creation heard thy mandate,

And vast spheres with love were beaming,
Ere rays of glory from thy state

Along the concave blue were gleaming."

Here, mandate must be accented on the last syllable, to rhyme with state, and the first line, if read so as to please a poetical ear, must be divided thus,

Ere cre-ation-heard thy-mandateand if read thus, would not the hearer, although satisfied with the melody, be sorely puzzled with regard to the meaning? These violations of prosody recall to mind the parish-clerk's attempt at euphony in reading a psalm, one of Sternhold's versions we believe: the worthy clerk seemed resolute in his adherence to the rule, that the last syllable in poetry should be long.

"The race is not
Always got

By him that swiftest runs.

Nor the battelle [battle]
By the peopelle [people]
That carry the longest guns."

which can be resolved in the number of
feet which form the Sapphic, and but six of
the Adonian verse. This kind of verse re-
quires five feet, viz. a trochee, spondee,
dactyle, and two trochees, and every fourth
line, which is Adonian, consists only of a
dactyle and spondee, as in the following
from Horace,

Scanditæra- tas viti- | osa naves
Cura nec tur- mas equi- tum relinquit
Oci or cer- vis et a- | gente nimbos
Ocior | Euro.

Now let us scan one of Mr. Fairfield's Sap-
phic verses.

Eagle of the West, from thine eyrie | thou
Didst stoop and wrest | from grandeur's dia- | dem
The choicest gem that glittered there in ❘ pride!
Invaluable.

The fourth line is resolvable into the Ado-
nian verse, but not one of the first three is
Sapphic; a syllable is wanting at the end
of all. The verse might be made Sapphic
by adding the interjection, oh!-as follows;

* Although a musical man has never worn feathers, English vessel, and amongst the captives was a travela gentleman has. The Algerines once captured an ling gentleman, who took upon himself a great many airs, and refused to perform any kind of labour for his masters; as he was really unfit for hard work, the humane barbarians decked him witha pair of feather smallclothes, and to his unspeakable dismay set him to hatch chickens. This was certainly the practical part of transmigration, and far more useful than the theory bas ever been.

Eagle of the West! from thine | eyrie | thou oh!
Didst stoop and wrest from grandeur's diadem oh!
The choicest gem that glittered there in pride oh!
Invaluable.

"There" means "in that place"-if we resolve the second line into prose it reads, "And the violet blushed by in that place." Again

"When raven Time

Instead of "Columbia, a Sapphic Ode," the title of this piece should be, "Columbia, an Ode of forty lines, six of which are Sapphic and six Adonian," for such is the We will take it upon ourselves to swear

fact, ascertained by actual admeasurement.*

Amongst Mr. Fairfield's faults in prosody, his abuse of proper names stands conspicuous. Ti-siph'o-ne would be more of a fury than ever, to hear herself twice called Ti-siph-o'-ne; Nem'e-sis, should she ever catch Mr. F. (which we hope she never may), will perform her duty with more than ordinary rigour, from his having called her Nem-e'sis—the fountain Ag-a-nip'pe would overflow with wrath at being called Ag-an'ip-pe; and the warlike widow of Ninus would once more put on her armour to punish the man who dares to call her Sem-i-ram'is!

Spread his fleet pinions to the pauseless blast,
Awoke the emulgent empyreuma"--

that the author cannot tell "what he would be at" in this sentence. "Emulgent" means "milking out,” and “ empyreuma" is a chemical term, denoting “the taste of the fire remaining after distillation

by intense heat." Let us try prose again—

"When time, who is a raven, expanded his pinions to the wind, which blows all the while, [heavens! what an industrious wind!] and awoke the taste of the fire which was milking out"! We have often heard of a fire's going out, but never before did we hear of a fire's taking up the occupation of a dairy-woman-and the cows that would agree to such a substitute must be stoics indeed!

Mr. F. has also "misused the King's" English, and the Grand Monarque's French -We have our doubts whether the horizon will be satisfied with the change of its name « to horizon, unless it be by especial act of the legislature of this state, or of the British Parliament; and the French word hauteur will probably deem it a gross infraction of the law of nations, in Mr. F. an American-born citizen, to call it "hor'chure." The “ taran’tula” will bite him, so severely, that he may dance a century without effecting a cure, if he again calls it the "fell tarantula," and a host of flowers, birds, insects, &c. &c. will long remember him, with angry feelings, for having treated their names so unceremoniously.

Mr. F's philological sins are numerous and manifold.

"There hung the beryl and the gem,
And by there blushed the violet;
The myrtle waved, love's diadem-
And stately rose the mignonette."

*The Sapphic verse is altogether unsuited to the poetical taste of the present age. Whether it be less in character with the spirit of modern, than with that of ancient languages, is a different question, on which we shall offer an opinion in our next No. as we have no

Again

"The refluent sun flung his mantle of gold O'er childhood's cloud-wrapt mountain"

Refluent" means "flowing, or running back"-What could induce the sun to cut such a caper? Did he see any thing at his rising, more than usually hideous on this vile earth, that made him take to his heels in affright, and fling away his mantle of gold, in bears a good character for steadiness, this order that he might run the faster? As he exploit could not have been a mere " jeu d'esprit," and it behoves him to assign the Icause of his behaviour. "Your reason, Jack, your reason."

These are but a few of the faults which abound in Mr. F's first volume, and yet notwithstanding all these errors, Mr. Fairfield is a man of genius, and a poet, and his name will take this rank in the annals of our literature. His last volume is a perfect contrast to the one we have criticised thus freely; the style is freed from the affectation and puerility by which the first is marked, the language is simpler, the thoughts are better connected, and in every respect the spiritof improvementhas exercised a most benign influence on the author's mind. Indeed,

room for it in the present. The taste of modern times is against modern Sapphics, while the finest poems of Horace, the splendid fragment of Eriona, the exquisite Ode of Sappho to Venus and the still greater remaining Ode of this immortal woman, which has no parallel the difference between the two is so surpriseither in its own beautiful language, or in any other, are all composed in Sapphic verse, yet this same verse seems to be "one step from the sublime," when the English language is adapted to it! We shall try to explain this paradox.

ing, that it seems scarcely credible that they belong to a common parent. So much, (and we will say, so justly) were we prejudiced

CROSS READINGS.

against Mr. F. by a perusal of his first book, | enthusiasm. He has deserved well of his that we opened the second with repugnance, country, and she does but justly in rewardand without the slightest expectation of being him. ing pleased. We could not deem that a morning of clouds, mists, and fogs, could be the herald of aught but an obscure and uninteresting day. It is with sincere pleasure that we acknowledge our mistake; ere we had perused half of the last volume, our prejudice was at an end. Mr. F. with his No. 10, Cypress-street, next door to-a Doctor Bolus has removed his office to two books, may be compared to a father great variety of ready-made coffins. with two children, one of whom is deformed,

ing better for a New-Year's present thanNew-Year's Gifts.-We know of notha lovely woman's heart.

awkward, and lame; the other, well-pro-saac Sage to-50 hogsheads of prime NewMarried, on Thursday evening, Mr. Iportioned, agreeable, and graceful. The Orleans Sugar. Indians bill their deformed children-we would recommend the example to our author, and if he be indited for child-murder, we offer our services to plead his cause.

adopted, in favour of purchasing—a large A report of the Finance Committee was assortment of Christmas and New-Year Cakes, at 1s. 9d. per Ib.

the last five years been grievously afflicted
Nine Spanish merchant vessels-have for
with dyspepsia and loss of appetite.

G. R.-sailed yesterday for Liverpool.
The Dwelling House and Store of Col.

ber, can be served with-a large quantity
Dinner and Supper parties, of any num-
of arsenic.

attend the funeral of-1000 bales of cotton. The public is respectfully-requested to

terday convicted of horse-stealing, and senThe London Greek Committee-was yestenced to three years' imprisonment.

We have given, in our poetic department of this week, four extracts from Mr. F's new volume: they are fraught with that deep feeling, strong thought, and energetic language, which can belong only to one upon whom the spirit of Poesy has descended and rested and while we condemn, with scarcely an exception, the pages of his first volume, we are free to speak in praise, and high praise too, of his second. In this he has shown, to our satisfaction, that he is one of the sons of song, possessing a rightful claim to "Nature's first, great title, mind ;" and if it should be thought that we have been unnecessarily severe, in our notice of the first volume, it is enough to reply, that the first volume deserves all that we have said of it," and more, much been published in America, and very few more; its faults are numberless." We copies of the English translation are to be might further say, that we have been found in the country of which it treats. prompted to this course, less by a desire to Marquis de Chastellieux commanded one of The amuse ourselves in cutting up the author, the French regiments which assisted us in than by an inclination to do him justice, in the war of the revolution. He travelled showing the marked contrast between what over a considerable portion of the United he was and what he is-a contrast which States, and after his return to France, pubredounds to his honour, and one which we lished his "Travels." The work is chahave observed with surprise and with plea-racterized by liberal and just comments on

sure.

nan, of Kingston, is preparing a new edition CHASTELLIEUX'S TRAVELS.—Mr. Brenof the translation of this work. It has never

the state of things in this country at the so peculiar to French writers. It should time, and by the sprightly and animated style be in the library of every family in America.

Appointment. Col. George Croghan has received the appointment of Inspector General of the U. S. Army-to this act of the administration, every friend to courage and liberty of adding some notes of his own to The English translator has taken the worth will say, amen. Col. Croghan won the Marquis's work, which are not only unhis laurels at the age of 18, by his heroic necessary, but also founded on false infordefence of Fort Sandusky, in which he dis-mation. Mr. Brennan has, with great proplayed not less military talent, than martial priety, decided upon leaving out these notes

in his new edition, as they have nothing to do with the work, and are the gratuitous appendages of the English translator.

For the Literary Gazetté.

There is a hope which brightly burns,
Deep shrined and hidden in the breast,
Which when from strife the spirit turns,

Can lull that spirit into rest
There is an high exalted thought,
Which glads us on our lonely way,
And charms-from pleasure vainly sought,
This thought is immortality

And we may search in vain to find

A thought so dear to human mind.
Oh were it not for those feelings high,

Which sweetly with existence blend,
And fire the heart, and light the eye,

When early life's fond visions end-
How dark would be the misty gloom,
Which shrouds the soul while lingering here,
Darksome and sad man's earthly doom,

His bosom desolate and sere.-

This work ought to have been published long ago; it is very rarely to be found in this country; in all the libraries, public and private, that we have ever examined, we have seen but two copies. The estimation in which the work is held by those who are the most competent judges of its value, may be known from the fact, that Mr. Brennan has amongst his patrons, Mr. Jefferson, Mr. Madison, Gen. Armstrong, Col. Fish, Col. Varick, Col. Troup, and many others of their venerable compeers, men who moved and acted well their parts in those scenes about which their descendants have prated and boasted in 4th of July orations, in the full swell of annual gratitude! A gratitude which consists in drinking to the memory of battles, and neglecting the heroes who battled-in toasting the names of the dead, and forgetting the claims of the living-in to an extremely deaf person, when you are Having to make a very humble apology getting most patriotically drunk, and shout-compelled to raise your voice to such a tone ing loud huzzas to their freedom and the of vociferation as to completely destroy the "spirit of "76," and defrauding (it is a effect of your intended humiliation. harsh but true expression) of their rights, the bestowers of that freedom, the heroes of 176!

While love and life, and hope's young bloom
Are withering on joy's early tomb.

X. C. C.

MISCELLANEOUS.

ADDITIONAL MISERIES OF HUMAN LIFE.

your white silk stockings, by an urchin too Having a rusty iron hoop trundled against young to admonish, much less to thrash.

Walking very methodically along the ed by a string, at the one end of which is a street, when your legs are suddenly checkdog, at the other a butcher's boy, too greasy

negative.

Having helped yourself to a very fine when you cut through it, to have more the looking potatoe at table, discovering it, appearance of a mince-pie.

The citizens of Providence are making preparations to welcome the aged Barton to his home, and to do him honour on his re-to collar. turn from long and wearisome imprison- Continuing an important conversation ment. Were Gen. Barton's case ours, we with a perfect stranger, instead of your should beg leave to decline any welcome, friend, who has accidentally stopped to look and any honours that any Americans might in at a print-shop. be pleased to offer, whether they come in ving your nose against a blind man's foreThe unpleasant sensation you feel on drithe shape of public dinners, military pro-head, having exclaimed, “Curse it, can't cessions, or long-winded addresses. The you see?" and receiving his answer in the dear love and friendship that just happen to recollect a benefactor at the precise moment when, for the first time in twelve years, he stands in no need of their assistance, when their ardent affections cost them no- Receiving an insult from a chimneything, will not perhaps convince the time-sweeper, whom you can only grin at in reworn warrior that he is under any great obligations to his fellow-citizens individually or generally. But for Fayette's visit to our shores, Gen. Barton would have died in the merciful arms of justice; for be it remembered, that amongst all the wealthy and prosperous sons of wide America, there was not one who ever thought of opening the prison gates that confined the soldier, and setting the captive free!

turn, if you have any regard for cleanliness.
with a narrow-bladed knife.
Lapping up soup, for want of a spoon,

article which you cannot find, but in its
Searching your pocket some time for an
stead find a tremendous hole.

Skating in summer on the pavement, instead of ice, on a piece of orange-peel instead of skates.

tion of two persons at the same time, to neiAttending and answering the conversather of whom you wish to show inattention.