The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1805-11-01

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to detaeh them, without injury, in the form Of quo
tation. 1t is but fair appre the reader. on the
ther hand, that he will meet with very heavy paf-
FACES, and with variety of details which are not
likely to intereit any ono but Bordersr or AN anti
quarry. We like very well to hear of the Gallant
Chief of Otterburne, or the Dark knight of Lid
dedale and feel the elevating power of great Names
when read of the tribes that muItered to the war;
beneath the erea Of old Dunbar, and Hepbun's
mingled banners' But really cannot 70 far fym-
Pathe with the local partiaities of the author,
tofecl any glow opariotfn ancient virtu. in hear
ing OF the Ts'rig Jobzfsa Clans Of Eots, A,ns-
Rresgs, and Tis!inn5 fill les reliih the in
PRODUCTION of BLACK John Of Ai6ef~ue, Ip5i:dads to.
Hsscs A,fkpr. fre-i6s-byass, Red Ha!aad Fsyf~r,
any other of thele worthless who
Sought the b-eves, that made their broth,
In Scotland and in England BOTH
into poem which has any preenfions to ferioufncfs
or dignity. The ancient metrieal romance might
have admitted thefe homely personalities but the
preicnt age will not endure them and MIR. Scott
ruit either fasrice his Border preudices, offend
all his readers in the other parts of the empire.
There are many panages we have already in
nuated, which have the general character of heavi-
neis, fuch the mnirels account Of his preceptor,
and Determines lamentation over the dead body of
Muigrave but the goblin page is, in opinion
| she capital deformity of the poem. We have alrea-
dy faid that the whole machinery is ufeefs but the
magic Rudies Of the lady, and the riAed tomb of Mi
| ehae Scott give location to 60 much admirable poe
| try, that account content to part with
| them. The page, the other hand, is perpetu-
al burden to the poet, and to the reader: it is an
| undigrihed and Improbable fiction, which excites
| neither terror, admiration nor atonhment, but
medically debates the Arain Of the whole work, and
exetes at once our ncredulity and contempt. lie
is not tricky friri,' like Ariel, with whom the
imagination is irrei(fibly enamoured, nor tiny mo-
march, like Oberon, dpofng Of the defines of NOR
tails: he rather appears be an awkward fort
Ola mongrel between Puck and Caliban, ola ierve
and brutal nature, and limited in his powers to the
indulgence of petty magnity and the nAiaon of def.
Picabe injures Befides this objection his charac-
ter his exiltenee has no fupport from any general
| or etabliled fuperftition. Fairie, and devils,
ghot' angels and witches, creatures with whom
we are all familiar, and who excite in all claGes of
mankind emotions with which we can eafily be
| made to fympathiGe But the rory of Gipin Homer
was never believed out of the village where he is faid
to have made his appearance, and has no claims upon
the credulity OF thoie who originally of his
acquaintance. There is nothing at all intereifnp or
elegant in the cenes of which be is the hero and in
reading thefe panages, really could not help fuf
Peeing that they did not ftand in the romance when
the aged nntrel recited it the royal Charles and
his mighty earls, but were inherited afterwards to u,
the aite OF the eottasers among whom he begged hi.
bread on the Border. We Mr. Scott to inquire
into the grounds OF this fpeion, & to take advantage
OF any decent pretext he lay hold of for puren
the lay" OF this ungraeeful intruder. We would al
10 move for Quo Wayrans againt the fpirits of the
river and the mountain; for though they are come of
very hardy lineage, do not know what lawful bu-
ines they could have Branklone eaie in the year
! 1850.
OF the diaion Of this poem we have but little to
| lay. From the extracts we have already given our
readers will perceive that the vercation is in the
hghet degree irregular and capricious. The nature
OF the poem entitled MIR Scott to ome lcene in this
rslPect and he often employs it with very plesing
effect but he has frequently exceeded it. ul mealire
and preiented with iueh combinations of metre a,
mum put the teeth of his readers, wa think, in iome
jeopardy. He has, when he pleafes a very melodi-
Gus and fonorous ye of notification, but often COM
pofes with inexcufea5le negligence and rudenel,
| There is great number of lines in which the verfe
can only be made out by running the word. together
IN very mutual manner; and fome appear us to
have no Pretenfon to the of verfes at ALL What
apology, for nfance, will Mr. Scott make for the Ian
i OF theie two lines
| For when in fudous mood he paced
| ST. Kentigerns hall
Or for thefe--
| How the brave boy, in future war,
| Should tame the unicorn's pride
| We have called the negligence which could leave
uch lines as thee in poem of this nature inexcuiabe
becauie it is perfectly evident from the general fran
OF his competition, that Mr.. Scott has very accurate
ear for the harmony of notification, and that he COM
poles with facility which NUT tighten the Iabour of
correction. There fome maer faults in the die
! ton which might have been as well corrected alto
there stoo much ALTERATION; and he redupIicates
his words often We have never, never, feveral
times; beGdes tits DER, tbs DER. e in vain in vain
It's done It's done and feveral other echoes as
ungraeeful.
We will not be tempted to fay any thing more of
this poem. Although it does not contain any grea,
diiPlay of what is properly called invention, il indi
Gates perhaps much vgour and originality of poet
ical genius any performance which has been lately
offered to the public The locality of the fubiee IS
likely to obtrua its popularity and the author BY
combining hinielf in great meafre to the defcription
OF manners and perfona adventures has forfeited the
attraction which might have been derived from the
deineation of rural feenery. But ne has manife(ed
a degree of genius which cannot be overlooked, and
given indication Of talents that feen we'll worthy of
being emitted in the fervce of the epic msle
The notes. which contain great treafure of Border
history and antiquarian learning, are too long, we
think, for the general reader The form of the pub
lication is alto too expenlve and we hope ioon to
fee FIR aer edition, with an abrdgement Of thenote,
| tor the uie Of the mere lovers Of poetry.
NOTICE.