The Sun.
London, England, 1823-01-09 00:00:00

LITERARY NOTICE.

WORDSWORTH'S ECCLESIASTICAL SKETCHES.
Whilst the productions of Poets, and of No-
vellists, daily issue from the Press, supported by
the united plaudits of unthinking admirers, and
Political Retainers—with a splendour of cele-
brity, too, which is but the precursor of almost
immediate annihilation—it has excited our re-
gret, though not our astonishment, that the few
works of real merit with which this age is gifted,
should not be more generally appreciated, and
better known. The causes of this perversity of
taste it would be foreign to our purpose to In.
vestigate, though the investigation Might perhaps
be beneficial; let those in whose power it is, to
direct, and give its tone to the taste of the age,
take shame to themselves for suffering the inte-
rests of private friendship, 'or. the jealousies of
rival booksellers, to preponderate in the scale
against individual and public justice.
But we hasten to lay before our readers some
observations on the volume before us. 'lt con-
tains, as its title imports, Sketches of remarkable
incidents in the Ecclesiastical History,—chiefly
of this country, which are abruptly brought be-
fore the notice of the reader in a series of Son-
nets, each generally devoted to its peculiar inci-
dent. There is something extremely pleasing in
this mode of description, which " modo Thebis
modo ponit Athenis," presents the reader, by a
sudden transition from time and place, with a
varied view of events, which cannot fail to excite
interest and engage attention. We look as it
were through a vista of accumulating ages—
darkened at one time by the thick clouds of a
gloomy superstition, at another illuminated by
the splendid though delusive blaze of Popish
pageantry, till the view ends in the pure and
chastened lustre of our own Hallow-church.—
The events themselves are calculated to awaken
the most lively sensations, but an additional in-
terest, and still livelier feelings, are kindled by
the truly poetical and sublime spirit which
breathes through every line of the ,description.
We shall presently adduce a few examples,that
our readers may judge for themselves.
The poem is divided into three parts, the first
embracing the period which elapsed between
the first- introduction of Christianity into Bri-
tain and the consummation of the Papal domi-
nion, The second,, the interval between that
epoch and the troubles in the reign of the first
Charles ; and the events which took lilacs be-
tween the Restoration and the present times,
form the subjects of the last part. We shall pro-
ceed to treat of these in order. And now a
difficulty presents itself of giving to the reader
any account whereby he may connect the inci-
dents with each other ; for, In fact, as was be-
fore observed, they have little or no immediate
connection. We must therefore dispense with
this form (almost a "tine qua non" in modern
criticism), and suffer that which constitutes one
of the chief beauties in the poem, to create a
main deficiency in our outline of it. Supposing
the 'reader then acquainted with the leading
events of our Ecclesiastical History, we beg him
to recal to his recollection the destructidn of the
Monastery of Old Bangor by Ethelforth : the
following is a beautiful description of that deed
of savage barbarity :
" The oppression of the tumult—wrath and :corn—
The tribulation—unithe gleaming blades—
Such is the impetuous spirit that pervades
The song of Taliesin ;—ours shall mourn
The unarmed host, who by their prayers would turn
The sword from Bangor's walls, and guard the store
Of Aboriginal and Roman lore,
And Christian monuments, that now must burn
To senseless ashes. Mark ! how all things swerve
From their known course, or pass away like steam;
Another language spreads from coast to coast;
Only perchance some melancholy stream
And some indignant hills old names preserve
When laws and creeds, and people, all are lost !"
Describing the " war-worn Chieftain," retired
'rem the world in the seclusion 'of a monastery
le Poet says--

" Within his cell,
Round the decaying trunk of human pride,
All morn, and eve, and ►midnight's silent hour,
Do penitential cogitations cling ;
Like ivy round some ancient elm they twine
In grisly folds, and strictures superfine,
Yet, while they strangle without mercy, bring
For recompence their own perennial bower."

Who will withhold his tribute of admiration '
from these lines so exquisitely beautiful and
poetical 1 poetical in the full and unqualified ac-
ceptation of the term.' To us they are perfectly
original, and we have seldom seen a happy idea•
carried to such an extent with such delicate ac-
curacy, if we may be permitted the expression.
Indeed, through the whole series of these Son-
nets, there are evident touches of the liana of a
mighty master of thoughts that speak " the
depth .and not the „tumult of the soul," a vivid
imagination chastened by the power of a con-
templative and philosophic piety. Some one
has observed that one of the chief beauties of
poetry . consists in. giving a new turn to;. and
an original adaptation of, familiar imagery--ori-
ginal either in comparison or in diction. Few
beauties of the natural world have had more de-
vote' admirers than the Queen of night. Yet
she is placed in a new point of view in the
following lines. Having spoken of the Danish
conquerors, and the superstitions which they
again implanted in this Island, the Bard of our
Church describes' the gradual revival'. of the
Faith :
" Thus, often, when thick gloom. the East o'enhrouds
"The full-orbed Moon, slow-climbing, loth
Silently to consume the heavy clouds;
How no one can resolve ; but every eye
Around her sees, while air is hush d, a clear
And widening circuit of etherial sky."

Willingly would we cast a glance on the Royal
Minstrel Canute and his good oarsmen on the
Mere, with the sweet sonnet which treats of
them. But we fear we have quoted, already,
more than strict necessity required—certainly
sufficient to convince every one, whose taste and
feelings are not alike perverted, of the beauties
and excellencies of this little volume. We shall
take an opportunity of renewing' our ohservatioes
on the second and third parts on some future day.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

ROBBERY IN THE TOWER STORE-ROOM.

The military store-room in the Tower was some days agu
plundered of a great number of soldiers' reat coats, which had
been worn three years, and ,became at the conclusion of that
period no longer the:property of the Crown, but were placed at
the disposal of the Commanding Officer, for the benefit of the
men collectively. The store-room had been entered by means
of skeleton keys and the officers were very anxious to tind out
the thief,.but still more desirous of catching the purchaser.—
Two dealers in clothes who reside near the Minones, the one
named Allan, the other Burgess, were brought before the Loan
MAYOR, charged by the Commanding Officer, John Banbury,
Esq., with having purchased 22 of the coats, knowing that they
were stolen, property.
Serjeant-major.Sutton, of the Grenadier Company of Guards,
stationed at the Tower, stated that between 50 and 60 military
coats, which had been laid by for the above-mentioned purpose,
were stolen on the 3d instant from the store-room. He procur-
ed a search-warrant and searched Allan's house, where he found
twenty-two of the coats. Allan, without hesitation, pointed
out Burgess as the person from whom he had purchased the
coats, and Burgess said he had made sale of the number speci-
fied and more, and that he had bought them from a soldier,
who told him that they were his comrade's coats, who had sold
them to him, and that he expected to make sixpence a piece by
them. Burgess said he should know the seller of the coats, and
he accordingly was brought into the presence of the Guards at
the Tower, where he soon put his hand upon a private named
Allen, as the person with whom he had dealt for the stolen pro-
perty. Burgess added, that he had purchased the goods openly
inglosemary-lane, and sold them as openly at a fair profit.
The Commanding-officer said that Burgess had once before
been charged with a similar offence and had escaped punish.
merit in consequence of his povtrty. To permit such a person
to escape a second time, would be an encouragement to the nu-
merous receivers in the neighbourhood. There was a penalty
of 6/. upon every purchase of soldiers' necessaries, hut It was
not his intention to_iirosecute for that penalty. e was deter-
mined to prosecute Burgess as the receiver of stolen property.
Mr. A LLY, who attended upon the part of Burgess, shewed
that neither the charge of having knowingly received stolen
goods, nor that of having purchased soldiers' necessaries could
be substantiated. It would be proved that the coats were
openly purchased, and evidence had already been given, that
at the conclusion of the 3 years they were no longer soldiers'
necessaries, but became disposable for the benifit of the soldiers.
The Lord MAY 011 held this objection to be fatal to the pro.
secution of Burgess in either way. Burgess was then heard as
a witness against the soldier. Allan, the other clothesman,
was discharged, there being no imputation whatever upon eba.
meter. _ _

Burgess stated, that the soldier brought about 40 great coats,
at different times, to him for sale, and gave him the most po-
sitive assurances that he became honestly possessed of them.
Witness purchased them at 3s. a piece. The soldier said he
had brought them froth Knightsbridge-barracks.
The soldier declared that he had never sold a coat, nor stolen
a cdat, nor seen Burgess in his life,
Elizabeth Ilughes, servant in the Crown and Shears, public-
house, Rosemary-lane, swore that she saw the soldier dealing
with Burgess in the manner described, and that the former had
frequently sold coats in the lane.
Another witness deposed to the same effect.
Martin, the officer, stated, that upon searching thesoldier's
lodgings, he found a bunch of skeleton keys, one of which
opened the lock of the store-room in which the coats had
been kept.
The soldier was fully committed for trial.
The Loup MAYOR advised Burgess to beware of such deal-
ings in future, and bound him over to give evidence against
the soldier.