The Sun.
London, England, 1849-01-18 00:00:00

LITERATURE.
POEMS OF FELICIA HEMANS. A New

Edition. pp. 6.52.
Uniform with the beautiful editions in one volume
of Byron, of Southey, of Moore, of Crabbe, and of
others of our most celebrated poets, we have now from
the eminent establishment of the Messrs. Black wood
a new and complete edition of the poetical writings
of Felicia Hemans. We are grateful for this publi-
cation. For Mrs. Hemans has long since risen into a
classic. She requires no eulogium. Her composi-
tions constitute her truest panegyric. Her popu-
larity is her crown of bay leaves. She stands fore-
most amongst those graceful Queens of English litera-
ture, amidst the noblest of whom must be ranked
Letitia Landon and Elizabeth Barrett Browning. Any
criticism upon the works of Mrs. Hemans at this
period in the customary reviews of a journalist would
be miserably out of date : to carp at any blemishes
in the poems would be ungracious now that we have
obtained for the first time a correct collection of these
renowned productions : to utter a series of com-
mendations upon their merits would, to say the least
of it, be a matter of supererogation. How deeply
we ought to prize the eflusions of an intellect like that
of this woman, of exquisite susceptibility, may be felt
by those who have rightly read her most charming
poem of the " Diver." There it is that, speaking of the
dangers and agonies of those who seek the sub-
marine jewels in that perillous calling, she exclaims—
" Woe for the wealth thus dearly bought ;
And are not those like thee,
Who win for earth the gems of thought?
0, wrestler with the sea!
Down to the gulfs of the soul they go,
Where the passion fountains burn;
Gathering the jewels far below
From many a buried urn.
Wringing from lava-veins the fire,
That o'er bright words is poured;
Learning deep sounds to make the lyre
A spirit in each chord.
And who wilt think, when the strain is sung,
7111 a thousand hearts are stirr'd,
What life-drops, from the minstrel wrung,
How yush'd with every WO? d ?
None, fond—his treasures live like thine,
He strives and dies like thee;
Thou that bast been to the pearl's dark shrine,
0, wrestler with the sea!
Such treasures are crowded together in the casket of
this volume. There are the Welsh Melodies, the
Songs of the Cid, the Greek Songs, the Lays of
Many Lands, the Domestic Affections, the Juvenile
Poems, the Tales and Historic Scenes, the Songs of
the Affections, the Records of Woman, the Hymns
for Childhood, the Lyrics, the Scenes and Hymns of
Life, the Sonnets, the Vespers of Palermo, the
Siege of Valencia, the Crusaders or de Chatillon,
the Forest Sanctuary, the Sceptic, Superstition, and
Revelation, Dartmoor, Sebastian of Portugal, Mo-
dern Greece, the translations from Camoens and from
Horace, and a multitude of other pieces of a miscel-
laneous character. The following will be perused
with peculiar interest, and may be aptly transcribed
into our columns as a specimen of the completeness o:
the present remarkable volume :
CHRONOLOGY OF MRS. HEMANS' LIFE AND WORKS

1793.

Felicia Dorothea Browne, born at Liverpool, Sept. 25

1800 (ret. 7).
Removes with family from Liverpool to Gwrych, near
Abergele, Denbighshire—Shortly afterwards composes
Lines on her Mother's Birthday.

1804 (11).
Spends winter in London—Writes thence letter in
rhyme to Brother and Sister in \Vales.
1808 (15).
Collection of poems printed in 4to.—England and Spain
written—Becomes acquainted with Captaia Hemans.
1809 (16).
Family remove to Bronwylta in Flintshire—Pursues
her studies in French, Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese
—Acquires the elements of German; and shows a taste
for drawing and music.

1312 (19).
Domestic Affections and other poems published—
Marries Captain Hemans—Takes up residence at Da.
ventry, Northamptonshire.
1813 (20).
Son Arthur born—Returns to Bronwylfa.
1816 (23).

Publishes Restoration of the Works of Art to Italy;
also Modern Greece.

1818 (25).
Makes Translations from Carnoens and others—Pub-
lishes Stanzas on the Death cif Princess Charlotte
(Blackwood's Magazine, April).
1819 (26).
Tales and Historic Scenes published—Gains prize for
best poem on the Meeting of Wallace and Bruce—Cap-
tain Hemans takes up residence in Italy—Family con-
sists of five sons.

1820 (27).
Publishes poem of Sceptic—Becomes acquainted with
Bishop Heber and his brother Richard—Corresponds
with Mr. Gifford—Contributes papers en Foreign Li-
terature to Edinburgh Magazine—Publishes Stanzas to
toe Memory of Geurge the Third—Visits Wavertree
Lodge, near Liverpool (October).
1821 (28).
Poem of Dartmoor obtains prize offered by Royal So-
ciety of Literature—Corresponds with Rev. Mr. Milman
and Dr. Croly—Writes Vespers of Palermo—Extends
her German studies—Writes Welsh Melodies.

1822 (29).
Siege of Valencia, and songs of the Cid written ;
also dramatic fragment of Don Sebastian.
1823 (30).
Contributes to Thomas Campbell's IVelo Monthly
Magazine—Voice of Spring written (March)—Siege or
Valencia published, along with Last Constantine and
Belshazzar's Feast—Vespers of Palermo performed at
Covent-•garden (Doc. 12).
1824 (31).
Composes De Chatillon, revised MS. of which un-
fortunately lost—Writes Lays of Many Lands—Removes
with family from Bronwylti to Rhyllon.
1825 (32).
Treasures of the Deep, the Hebrew Mother, The
Hour of Death, Graves of a Household, The Cross in
the Wilderness, and many other of her best lyrics
written.

1826 (33).
The Forest Sanctuary published, together with Lays
of Many Lands—Commences correspondence with Pro-
lessor Norton of Boston, U.S., who republishes her
works there.

1827 (34).
Mrs. Hemans loses her mother :(11th January)—
Writes Hymns for Childhood, which are first published
in America—Corresponds with Joanna Baillie, Anne
Grant, Mary Mitford, Caroline Bowles, Mary Howitt,
and M. J. Jewsbury—Writes KOrner- to his Sister,
Homes of England, An Ilour of Romance, The Palm
Tree, and many other lyrics—Health becomes im-
paired.

1828 (35).
Publishes with Mr. Blackwood Records of Woman,
and collected Mi,cellunies (May)—Contributes regularly
to Blachwcod's Magazine Visits Wavertree Lodge
early in Summer—Removes to village of W avertree with
family iu September.