Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1825-02-25
JUAN FERNANDES.
LITER
From me (.ioLe anil Fine,

8vo. PIP. ALB. London, 1925. Long,nan 4 Co.;
Edinburgh BiackWood.
Is Queen ltynde the citusion of an unstu,lled
shepherd, natural bard' there is a great deal
OF genius TO admire III 1t. Is Queen iyude the
composition OF practlsed writer, one TO be tried
by the rules OF all true poetry? there is as much
to censure as to praise. Though the story is IN
teresting, 1t is made uresomely long; and such
is the manner OF the author, that, a, the end of
1t, 1T dehes our penetration to tell whether he
means to be serious or burlesquc. There are
many line thoughts happy expressions and bill
liant 6itS, but hardly one passage exceeding SIX
lines, which could be quoted, without a glarinc
blemsh. Besides rhymes which only broad
Scotch car could tolerate, there are abundance
OF others still more objectionable. The gene
raj style is remarkable for constant OMISSION o.,
those parts oil speech called articles; but to com
Pensate Tor tins deficiency, nearly equal mum
Der OF needless eXpietivcs are ciappcd IN. New
words are coined without stunt and old pct words
arc hacineyed with like prolusiou. Uncou,h
intcXrons are found III almost every page, aud
phrases are employed quite unsuitable 10 the
period to which the poem belongs. There is
above all, sad tainpcring with sacred themes;
the name Of the Almighty is Utten heeLessi,
I'VE do not thlnl1 purpoSelyl proclaimed. and, to-
wards the conclusion, the use of heavenly inter
position is nearly as startling absolute BIAS
phemy we ever read.
Such. III b.lc!, are the most striking features
OF thiScurious and orlgIna. pruIuUtiUn-the work
of unquestlonaGie talent, but miserably dcfurrn-
ed by want of taste and Judgment; and, without
further comment, we shall plocecd TO show by
extracts. that we have stated nothing winch is
not borne cut tin fact.
Hynde, the young and virgin Queen of Gale
don, regns from Clyde To Orcady. Her histo-
~, from an ancient legend, is, that her father on
his death bed, directs her to marry the bravest
OF her SUBJECT sutOrs, aud promises to assist her
oy his spirit In dreams. MANY aspire TO her hand
and throne. She dreams that black bu is
ABOUT To toss her, and endeaVourlng to escape
from THIS peril, leaps into the sea-or IN reality,
falls from her couch upon the floor. The full-
menl OF tins warning is Norwegian Invasion,
and IA ,nde HES for counsel TO ST. Columbia
The SAINT has his dreams loo, and is reminded IA
one, that The rightiul heir To the throne is Eden
the Queens cousin, being the son of her fathers
elder brother and predecessors Eugene, or Eu-
genus, tiie third OF that name. lie is fti tiIet
assured That no other being can save tue cOun-
try; and he sets out for t.iIn, where Eden lives
at the court of his maternal grandfather, King
Coi mar, 10 BID that r>:c,tincd hero 10 the. Ies-
cue. While on this mission Eric AMI his Scan.
dluavians beat the Scots ia battle and force the
queen TO a cOndiouaf surrender. Warike
sports, tournaments, cnInoats, &c &c, are
described minuiciy; ami uthe cni Eden comes
kills Enc, restores the fortunes of the Calcio-
mans, and nIarrlcs MS cousin liynde A minor
action IS grated on the principal; lIaco the
Morse hngs nephew, mistakes We've one of
HyndeS attendants, Tor tlIc queen herself and
alter several hair-breadliI adventures, makes her
his bride.
rs fair specimen of the authors best wri-
ing, we shall commence with has own spirited
though neither polished nor correct, commence
'nent:
here was tne--bui it is gone!
w hen he that sat on. 4 !bvn's throne
over his kindred Scots alone
Upncld fathers sway;
CnmISd and unalloyd they stood
" 'th podding Pct Of Cambrian BROOD,
vi SulIen SaXon'' pampcrcd blood,
Their banc on future day.
N atl0n5 arose, aud nations fell,
But still his sacred citadel
vi Gfamptn cliff aud trackless dell
The Caledonian held
NI'W as the wolf that guards his youu1,
Above the dark dchle ne hung
WIN fAfse and tanour forward flung;
A"e S'"ut5St heart, the proudrst tongue,
Ot foemdu there was euclid.
The ouned chief the pladci clan,
MOCK d at the might of mortal man
Even those the world who ovcr,an
Were from the bnurn cxpclld.
IheD stood the Scot unn,Oved aud free,
Valid by his hills aud sounding sea;
Ciuld of the ocean and the wood,
The firth, the forest. gave him food:
His couch the heath on Summer even
His cOveret the cloud of heaven
W bile from Nincr wind and slyct
The bothy a shelter meet
His homr in the desert rude,
His range the mountain solitude;
The sward beneath the forest t,ce
His revcl-lII, MS sanctuary:
Hi, court of equity aud right,
His tabernacle theheiLlt;
The field Of !i'nc b., death bed storm
HIS cemetery the lonely calfn
SucD t,g dgc. aud such the dav
When young Queen Hyndc with grntie sway .
RuId ocr people bold and free,
Frou vale Of Ciydc to Orcaly
To tbs, llan which we can select no hjcher
example Of 'lr. Iog-'s pOwets in Oneen
lily Ide, we shall add lev other aud ,horfcr
passages. which have afforded u5 much content .
meut. The t"O following finely depict speed in ,
'aIIng' aud speed ~ q messenger riding
Queen Hynic cub ,rh- in IAN ba..
Brisk wa, thu bta-z, iai b.igAi The .i..:
Before the tile, before ,br gtir.
The silded barge, wish -iIkcus,T.
Adewn the narrow channel ran.
Like meteor IN the morning sun
So swiftly swept the Gyu. keel
The woods and island, scrncH m wheel:
And distant peaks Of frcckIy gray
Were winding to tha north away
The sca-gull rose she drew nicb
Aud tried oe.orc hen spccj to fy;
But aite' ioj,omc travelling,
WIN beating breast and Tapping wing,
Wa. forced 10 turn asidc outwoln
tof shelter IN the creeks OF LOru