Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1819-10-15

from BtdckWOod's Edinburgh DIuga-iue
IOIlN GILPIN AND MAZEPPA.

JOHN GlLPiN AND MAZEpPA.
Had the poem Of John Gilpin appeared in.-
mediatrly after that of Mazeppa, we shonld
h'Ne believed, III this age ofparody that Cow
yer wished to have his joke upon Lord Bv-
,,:n' As ilIs we cannot help suspectiug that
ms i'o,u>hip has been aiming sly hit at the
bard OF Olney and though his satire is occa-
Si"ii;'ly rather stiff aud formal, il canno, he
seemed mat, on the whole, The Hetman of the
,-"N>achN is very amusing double of the train
PAM captain of the Cockacys
john Gilpin has always appeared TO ms a
very hhe chivairOuS poem. Unlues tionabIy
,ue author sometimes iudul.es in d strain of
nn"onr which. To 'as'idions minds, lessons
tue submit, of The principal character and
"i as deStihies yet, we believe. that hy more
philosophical readers, this mixture OF lie Iud,-
cf""s win The terrible, is felt 10 present "A
mere ttme ana affecting picture OF human life
IN childhood and cary Youth we are. ,iter
All, tae best judges Of representation Of human
passion. We see objects incidents and events.
a. HEY really are ; we estimate their etfect
o. iiie agents engaged with them, {, zee from ali
O'"s amd mere wards, Mere poetry, However
nuch They may delight us are dariue that
WISE and blessed age, unable 10 pervert our
Judgment, or nisiead the natural affections of
hFnt.
Accordingly" John Gilpin" is that poem
"hivh mas drawn from yontl, more tears and
N'niieS' inan perhaps any other in The whole
f'n-e oi English poetry Ii is treasured IN
~ every anable and sensitive heart and thai
m,h IS little TO he envled whose roniuyai affet.-
TON would not kindie at the inn ut Edinunston.
at
tue Caieuder's house at VaIe
IL Is not Our Intention 10 give an elaborate
a"hlysis OF Jein Gipni," az d philosophical
exposition OF The principles on which that
great poem II INSTRUCTED This world ne
ceSsariIy lead us into "a discussion of the D, IN
cries OF all poetry, which we prefer giving
some months hence, IN a separate treatise
AR Wordsworth has, 10 be sure, done this al
ady, in his preface 10 the Lyrical ballads :"
bai unless we are greatly mistaken mi fallor)
he has not exhausted the subiect--and we do
not tear that among the numerous Vuartos vet
!'ne written ihereupon, oars can failof attract
lag some potion of public re.trd which we
gratefully acknowledge 10 have hitherto been
50 tdSlshiy bestowed on our incmbrations.
LII seems TO have been Lord Ryron's inren-
tion 10 show what John Gilpin's feelings
would, IN all probability, have heen. had he
beeh placed III circumstances different from
those III which lie found himself ON The ami
NerNary OF ms marriage with Mrs Gilpin
ana surely the least imaginative eider will be
OF opinion that the hOble lord has attained this
d,'ncuii object IN AlaLeppa. After the perusnI
OF The two works, we feel that if john liilpin's
SEARS I'd" perint'.eh II, he was jnst the mau to
daFe oecone Tue monarch OfIhe Ukraine s. NJ
So 1eisd, That AieLeppa, but for the accde.t o.,
h!S BIRTH might have established highly re-
spectdble firm ia Cheapside
Gowper has not given us any account of tI,s
AM Drpiial loves of John liiipin bat introduce
eh MN at once TO our acquaintance as a mar
RED inan, with considerable family and i'm .
iHTiV"S ,fadt. Makeppa, on the other hand
Poem IN very improper Intrigue But hu-
iHai nature Is the same in all countries aud
no goou objection could have been brought
against either bard, though john Gipin had
been described as gallaniing a citizens wife on
water-Pdrty 10 Richmond, ~ Mazeppa COM
fortaOiy settled vtha wife * family i'm some
mercantile townohl The frontiers OF Poland As
Mr. Wordsworth remarks" simiIitnde diSxi
militude, is one of tie chief sources oF tba
sUDt.ne III poetry.
Flat principle being once admitted. Ma
ltpp" wiii probably seem to every one sufici-
eu;ly Ike john GIipin in character and sim
ton III Lite. Let MS next look at the two yrn-
tiemen after they are fairly mounted There
- TO occasion 10 quote tue whole description
o. J0hh, tor II Is probably familiar to orr read
c'S S"ihce II TO Iemn.d them that,
- John GiIpin at his horses side
iasi seized the lowing name :"
And thli Afterwards
Then over all. illgt he iaigbt be
Equipped ron Iop To Toe,
Hts long red CLOAK, well brushed and .e.,
lie nAntuliy did throw"
Lord ByrOu is more minute in his de,cr;n
tipii ana from IL we suspect that ON The
wno'e, Mazeppa was better mounted than
J.hH GtiPIn.
- Bf g forth the horse the horse was btou,bt
In ttuln he was noble steed,
Iartar, Ug tie Ukraine breed :"
john Gipiu'S horse was we have reasop IN
k0ow, ah Irishmau-HS friend the Calender
having imported hun from the c0uutv nf rin
pera'y.% On the other hdnd, though Letter
mo""ied, MazepPd Was worse dressed, for he
wdS,
q" In nalures nAkednes."
ihiS hons tie case, Ia probably in the
long run no bett-r Oh lhau john Giipin, of
WhOm II IS wiitteu hat
" The 'nnuiug beast hogan to trot
Wbicb CALLED him IA bis seat"
Hitherto Tie similarity between the Hoffman
and dIe Liueh-drdper has been sufficient, an
I'drCtt bat l., much more striking after they
Aa'o stlrledr
:" So, iaif aud s.hly. John he cried,
Dnt J"iI. ne cried In VAIN,
bH ''"' hecdne gdliop soon,
10 Spfte ct curb or REIN
So STOPPING d1wh, as needs he must
WAC cannot ST upright,
lie grd5prd tue nIibe with botb his hands
AuH che lii aii hs might.
Ills horse, Who never in that sort
idd haudled been before,
What tlinz uyon his back bad got
bid Won ieT mirt aud more"
Nothing can bs .hnsr aud more headlonq |
thdu tiiis, except what follows:
" Away, away ms breath had zone
saH Mt where he hurried on
iwas scarcely yttth break Of day
Ahd on be foaned away, away r."
10 one yery remAi kabie particular, John Gil !
lh"is distinguished from Mdzeppa.
" >" stopping dowH, ssHeeds he must
VINO tdhHUt sit upright.
re gTaspydtis mane with both his hands
Aud eke with al bis might
OB The contrary, NidZeppa SAYS
" " ith saaGen Wfatb 8renched my hand
AHa sHApped tue cord, winch to The name
Hadh'dnd ny neck ia lieu Of rein"
" wo1G appear, therefore, that on first /
starting, Maleppa,(i III w,lluo doubt be said in /
rdW@4WiiyJ had Gs arms round his horses NECK |
but afterwards heid them more like 4 cen |
tleHan who had tab lessons IN riding, where /
as, lOlU Gbpia. first of all, probably sttemnt
cd to elevate las bridie-hand, but afterwards |
c"Hreiye0 u mOfe sjuIaiy to embrace The |
neck o. has BaeePhaio'. This, hOwevcr,is |
w. was bred nv ------- Blennrfss,sst. t,o see |
ssOlaas s'"s~.'.e u. .aa. sc-8.