The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1821-1823, 1823-05-28

Jugal and maternal endearments, glides
out from the circle of her children, and
gives bold and shameless way to the
most abandoned and degrading vices
our notions of right and wrong are at
once confounded--our confidence in
virtue shaken to the foundations-and
our reliance on truth and fidelity at an
end forever.
:" This is the charge which we bring
against Lord Byron. We say that, un-
der some strange misapprehension as
to the truth, and the duty of proclaim
ing it, he has exerted all the powers of
his powerful mind to convince his rea-
ders, both directly and indirectly, that
all ennobling pursuits and disinterested
virtues are mere deceits OF illusions
hollow and despicable mockeries for
the most part, and, at best, but labori-
Gus follies. Love, patriotism, yalour,
devotion, constancy, ambition-all are
to be laughed at, disbelieved in, and
despised land nothing is really good,
SO far as we can gather but success
sion of dangers TO stir the blood, and of
banquets and intrigues TO soothe it again
If this doctrine stood alone, with its ex-
amples, it would revolt, we believe,
more than it would seduce-but the au-
thor of it has the unlucky gift of per-
sonating all those sweet and lofty illu-
sions, and that with such grace and
force, and truth TO nature, that it is inn
possible not to suppose, for the time
that he is among the most devoted of
IFS votaries-till he casts off the char
acters with jerk-and, the moment
after he has moved and exalted US TO
the very height of our conception, re-
sumes his Inockery at all things serious
or sublime, and let's US down ut once
on some coarse joke, hard-hearted sar-
casm, or fierce and relentless personali-
ty, as if on purpose to show
"Whce'er was edited, himself was not''-
or to demonstrate practically as it were,
and by example, how possible it is TO
have all fine and noble feelings, or their
appearance, for moment, and yet re-
tain no particle of respect for them,
or of belief in their intrinsick worth or
permanent reality. Thus, we have an
indicate but very clever scene of the
young Juan's cpncealment ia the bed of
an amorous matron, and of the torrent
of rafting and audacious eloquence"
with which she repels the too Just sus-
picions of her jealous lord. All this lie
merely Comick, and little coarse
But then the Poet chooses TO make this
shameless and abandoned woman adj
dress to her young gallant an epistle
breathing the very spirit of warm, de-
voted, pure and unalterable love-thus
profaning the hottest language of the
heart, and indirectly associating it with
the most hateful and degrading sensual
lty. In like manner, the Sabine and
terri6ck description of the shipwreck
IS strangely and disgustingiy broken by
traits pillow humour aud bufsoonery--and
we pass Immediately from the means
Of an agonizing father faintipg over his
son, to facetious stories of
juan's begging paw Of his fathers dog
and refusing slice of his tuiorl as
{ it we're fine thing to be hard-ileart-
pity and compassion were fit 10
De laughed at. in the same spirit, the
glorious Ode on the aspirations of
Greece after liberty, is instantly follow
I'd up by strain OF dull and coId-blood-
I'd ribaldry; and we are hurried en-
rom the distraction and death Of Eiaidee
o merry scenes Of intrigue and mas
4ueradipg in the seraglio. Thus all
good feelings are excited only 10 accus-
tom Us TO their speedy and complete
extinction ; and we are brought back
rom their transient and theatrical ex-
nlbition, TO the sta>le and substantial
doctrine of the work-the non-existence
Of constancy il women, of honour in men,
and the folly of expecting TO meet with
any such virtues, or Of cnltiyating them,
for an undeserving world-and all this
mixed up with so much wit and clever
ness, and knowledge of human nature,
as to make it irreslstibly pleasant and
plausible-while there is not only no
supplied, but every thing that
might have operated in that way has
been anticipated, and presented already
in as strong and engaging form as pos
sible, but under such associations as to
rob il OF all efficacy, or even turn it ID
to an auxiliary of the poison.
. This is our sincere opinion of much
Of Lord Byron's most splendid poetry
a little exaggerated perhaps in the ex-
preston, from desire to make our ex-
position clear and impressive--but, in
substance, we think merited and corr