The Sun.
London, England, 1818-10-24 00:00:00

LITERARY REV! EIV.

CONVERSATION: a Didactic Poem, in Three Parts. By
Lt.tAm CooKe, Esq. (a) of Ole Middle Teraple, Barrister
at Law, &c. &c.

we resumed this department of our Paper,
Which it is our put'pose to render a con'stant fea-
ture of Tim SUN, we signified that we should
not confine our attention to the mere novelties of
the time, but direct our notice to works of ster-
ling merit, if not of recent publication. We
have too tong neglected the present work, which,
to use the words of a great living Poet, " is
Written its the good old stile, of our Elders and
our Betters." The Author has evidently built
upon the model of DRYDEN and Pope, who Will
be admired and revered Mien the fantastic 'pro-
ductions of the day have sunk hitt? oblivion. A
Poem, with the title of CoNvartskrtoN, appeared
many years before the present work, written by
Mr. STILLINGFLFRT, an amiable aild a learned
man, but not gifted with the get .is .of a Poet.---
Elis k contained some good rules, bat they
were of the common-place kind, and the Poem is
110 longer remembered. The production before
us is animated by a poetical spirit, blended with
mriral energy, and the rules and maxims which it
affords ore ilksirated by natural and striking ex-
amples. Thoogh lively and sportive, as well as
didactic and moral, there is a methodical regula-
rity through the whole. • The several heaOties and
errors of CoNvEIisATIoN are displayed with such
grace as recommends the former, and the latter
are ;sainted with inch force as tends to remove
all such offensive violations of social intercourse.
Though it is impossible by precers to make a
WIT, any more than a Poet', yiq, by an attentive
observation of the rulcs here laid down, it will
be no difficult task for the Ryader to render him-
self a GENTLEMAN. The work has reached
fourth editiou, a:td if the world were not led
Astray by a new
.fashion in Poetry, as it seems to
be in Acting, it would have been, as it ought to
be, one of the favourite works of the time. The
Author, we understand, was a 111 ember of the
last Club to which Dr, JOHNSON beloliged, and
was in habits of intimAey with all the contempo-
rary Wits of that period, He is, we }find, still
living, in a green old age, and With powers of
conversation as animated as in the meridian of
his days. In the last edition of this agreeable,
and, if we may so descrihe'it, this amiable Poem,
be has introduced some of the Characters, a GA-
LAXY of Sages' and Wits, from thorn he derived
pleasure and instruction in his earlier days ; and
though thesechoracters are lateir productions of
his Buse, yet she seems to retain all her former
rigour and discrimination. We shall at present
select a few of these Poetical Portraits, and gra-
cifv Readers with more extracts at a future
opportuniy,

JoittstsoNlF, the Socrates of modern days,
Who must as often as he's named hare praise,
Who in an age where talent sought their way
Through various routes of taste--captive, or pay,
Though pressed by Poverty on every side,
Yet with a Wanly, firm—intrepid stride,
Fut trove himself a sr haul of moral truth,
As guides for age—as institute's for youth,
His own ekample beaming through the whole,
In all the spotless put ity of soul.

BURKEt, whose omniscient eye surveyed around
All that in learnine—morals—taste were found:
The powers of rhetoric were ail his own,
To shine—con Vince—or legislate alone ;
All turu'd obedient to his guiding hand,
And bowed submissive to his sole command;
Yet whilst we riew'd those powers in bright array,
Fruits more Inxuriantgrac'd tit' enamell'd way,
Ripe in experience—ripe in strength of thought,
Now warai'd by wit, and now by judgment wrought,
"('ill the wrapt mind by carious passions tost,
Found all its thoughts in admiration lost.

REYNOLDS:, whom nature from his earliest hour,
Endued with all her fascinating power,
Adorned with every aid of graphic at t,
To seize the genuine impulse of the heart;
I-knee when his pencil skrtch'd the human face,
lie gave the mind—the manners and the grace ;
The individual was not only known,
Purtrait and Character alike were shewni
To gifts like these so apposite and clear,
lie added all that could the man endear;
A sober sense, by easy manners led,
A fund of talk so perfectly well bred,
As aw'd e'en Malice to restrain her mind,
Knowing that. Reyhulds could not be malign'd.

Gn Lnsmirtat , whose t»oral, sweet desci iptice quill,
Pure as the fount on Aganippe's hill,
Displayed the-talents of a virtuous muse,
With all the graces Poets should infuse,
How oft, dear Bard of Auburn; hare we strayed
Round London's porliPus 141 the summer shade,
Then at the Grecian cliised our rambling day
With wits and Templars in the social way,
Where mirth and observation's pleasing powers,
.11Intned and vivified the fleeting hours ?
Ilmw oft 1 have seen • he says of nature start
Warm and impressive from thy honest heart,
In careless phra•cs•—sontetitue•s nprefin'd,
Yet all tit' effusions of a pregnant mind.

Mien dear Bard 1 and tho"tis many a year
Since Fate 'net stopp'd thy muse's bright career,
Sill Memory whispers with a grateful tongue,
How Reynold's painted—and how Goldsmith sung;
Still to my ear thy warbling lyre Conveys
'flee fond memorials of thy well earned praise,
,Alieviates still the loss it could not save,
And draWs one comfort front th' oblivious grave;
A comfort—time nor accident shall rend,
In feeling such a Poct.was my friend.

This elegant, aniusiug, and instructive Poem is
introduced by an Address to JoHN SY hiMoNS, E'q.,
a Gentleman well known in clic circles of Liiera-

lure and Taste, comaining an interesting cha-
racter of MAURICE MottuNN, P;.“1., Author of a
very ingenious Work on the Character of hastaff,
intended to piove that StIAKSVEAKE did not repre-
sent him as a coward.

If Dr. Samuel Johnson.
t Right Firm. :Jmund Burke..
I.. Sir Joshua Theynohls.
§ " plus 'scraper .quarn pingitur."
tl Dr. • • •
I Grecian Coffee-house, Temple.

PiLsmAILL: Carricz:4, &c.Life ofsis.si ti E lotrs, Esq. ELENENT3 of
(a) Author of qq.

.~

WELSH INDIANS.

EbtTon,---The very interesting accounts
s‘bieli -at different times have appeared in the Pub.
lie Prints, relating to the Emigration of -Welsh.
Men, \ruder 111:cnuG. a Prince of South %Vales,
nbOut the year 1170 and a subsequent visit to
America with a greater number of his country-
men, who are supposed to have finally -settled itt
the interior of South America ; have produced a
strong curiosity for any other information that cart
he obtained on the subject, as the much regretted
death of Mr. EYAss, whose exertions and mica.
yours to have liotsessed himself of all that 'could
be learned by an actual residence among the Pa.
doticas, or White Indians, has for the present:put
a stop fo all expectations on tie subject. I should
beg to propose a Subscription among the patriotic
and liberal Gentlemen with whom the Principa-
lity abounds, for the purpose of supporting one
Or more duly qualified p' rsuns in their researches
to render all doubt on this interesting subject un•
necessary, audio collect such infornw ion as cir.
CitnaSi n ces still afford, by au actual te*iti,.nce hi
that country. I have no doubt that a Commii tee
cot lit be immediately formed to direct an ma.
nage this much wished for object, (Lc attainNia
of Which 'is of much importance, and would be
highly gratifying to the world in gencril, and
particularly so to Welshmen of the present day,
and, all who are any way connected with Wales or
its history.
The subject has produced much conversation, and
I can answer for manyias well as:myself, who would
most cheerfully subscribe- liberally towards the
Undertaking. l have no doubt bat it will WO a
leading feature in the Estitbodd about to 1),.•• esta-
blished annually for the promotion of Welsh lite•
rature, and the revival of its ancient music; poe-
try, historical, antiquarian, sacred and,. moral;
and of other objects, in which the history of the
Principality is concerned.
Oct. 22, 1818. CAMBRO AMERICA:WS.