Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1834-12-11
~IyNCHBURG, DEC. II, 1884.
SPECIES POEMS.

puPTS (I our ~ -H'p' ci'SNNs LII " "
n,ons, TO add, that the reviewer is wrong IN Say
H., that they have I" attracted no notice. in this
n'srer, " either Of applause Or ceasu'e." At he
I'M. o. tlsf publication, lhry were Z" no iced" boti
nv ourselves aud by a correspondent;
Froa ne SJnt4e,n LitetatD ILsscnyer.
NV NATtyELaND, y OTHER POEMS. by Ere.
'ienck Sprece. r'l'eu Tor Augustine i-cilw'eti, Lyach'
burg, VI gaia, 1882.
Fla vfSo been obligingIy furnished with a copy
of these pu ms, we Toxic pleasure in Introducing
them 10 the notice of the public. We ure some.
what surprised ~ leutn that although publ,shed two
years since IN Lynci,burg. they have attracted no
notice in that qatrer either of applause or censur-.
Il is perhaps, more agreeable 10 On author, that his
work, should so nc under the lash of satire, than
that they sloail . SIS altogether without observe
ton. The chilling neglect of the public however,
furnishes no stronger ploai Ola writer's dement,,
than do the TOO freq zen, earnings Of lii'bcral crlt'-
eism. Some of the greatest poets have been doc
med whilst llylns, 10 Indulgence aad obscuriiy, AMI
owe nll heir hanors 10 I,osthuniousf fame and II is
asserted of Homer especially, tlitt seven cities
claimed he honor Of his birth, not one of which
perhaps weuld have furnished a morsel 10 save him
from s aryiag.
We dest- n not 10 raise extravagant cxPec ations
respecting Mr.. Sperco's poams-nor can we la
~ ~ S''J ''i'h NV tl'iof "a ''Wo - N'f''
will compensate him for contemporary Unjust G..
We do not hesitate, however, to his
work as ln'omparally snacrlor 10 much OF that
galerlng trash which passes under lie name OF po-
e,ry. There Is n vrla # cool senae,-ot i,st and
ioaest iecllns-of tcndsr IN :lanci ,oly-and some
tunes OF rich lana .~in1tioa-wnc ,nns through his
yoIun,. aud who canaot fail to delight sucl, rca.
dcrs as have any soul for poetlcal com ,osi ION. His
versiicalon ior the most part, IS sW eel ana m+Io-
dDis-tIIo,gh occasionally there Is n lItlc inatten
ton 10 sYlliblck quantity which pro iuces rather al
UNPLEASANT effect upon the ear. There are Other
iMhs loo-but they are incons,dcrable when con-
pared with tho many redecming beauties whirh
shine through the volume. Tue poem of :" Nj
Nave Llnj," ~ its general tone aal harmony ct
verse, brings 10 recollection GoIdsntth's Deser ed
V,lage-and the " sketches" wiici, are also de-
s%cript,ve OF the pleasures of irvehtic hf; aud the
fn,ctnresq ,e scensr5 of his native hills contain ma
ny fnc passages. In the " Juvcnalls Red .viyus,"
The author has polntal the arrows of SATIRE a.
gaInst m.n aud mInncrs with no lGile severity
50 N ich 50, that he has found it Necessary IN his
preface TO ackno Wedge that tins hid softenei
mich Of lhs harsh co'o.ins whica he h I'd thrown
INTO his pictures NJ my OF his mlror pieces uaonnu
IN beautiful thoughts. expressed IN sno,ih aud taW-
ihs hu'n0ers-ani u,,un the whole, sse think II M.
oieece ID b'.n suifi icnty Encouraged IN early
'ieto persevere IN The delightful bn, unpofitablr
tasko poeucal du:hofship-h m,.ht have reas he'd
ahi.hiy respectable rank. The t,llo@ii z passage
Iron " Ny Nitlva L,ol,' will PROB by remint
III reader OF Cowpcr's touching address to MS mo.
Tiers PIC u,e:
u My mother! Melancholy was the morn
That iouad rne orp famed. an almost foriorn.
MY TREAD My guide! On, coulI not mercy
hsf 'or her chilli, or lay me in her gravel
Why cheer my ~c'ooplog and un sheltered head,
When to the skies her gentle spirit led
WY hu the live, since rlpar years m1s' pay
int'i long arrears 10 that lamen,td day 7
mad a no'her, tender, kind and true,
hef virtues many and h r fai'ngs few;
WITH warm solicituIe an watch(ul eye,
sne taught me what IL 70 low, what to fly
All warn d me dis pi,o,,tnent and distress
~ "e mast ne my poilion, more OF less;
ih'h ice disease would ufen banIsi, htalh
rllle p"'n' the lnsnlence OF Io ~rr and wcdah;
f"ly and wee allure pretend d friends
hoise my conh lcncc tot PRIV tic end,;
Aud fears afd sorrows, ho 'c,in. round my head,
rursue me 10 my last aaj narrow bed.
Yet would ,he say, in Virtues palh was found
n balm to heal the b SONS d epfst wonri:
Winged my young thoughts to b,t'r woslls above,
ihsre 10 repase my cvrillencc aud love.
Ter loud affection never would deceive,
But these were things | could no, then believe.
ie' though her warn,ngs vanished from my mind.
nef pIecelns left 1t faithful trace behind -
\ @emory's careful records stll remain,
N"u'oos experience ptoycs they were not va'n.'
Inc same paem conci AIDES in the following lines
.'"s at"tewel' tribute 10 the place OF his natiVi-
~:
hal'u! Perhaps foreveri Should it be-
-" oil my Fathers. | viii ,h,,k %ofthee,'
w NJ a us nnno;s last, and vital heat,
~. my heart, thy lovely name shall beat
wa 'ooet my piny hills, a ,l,ankhess soil,
1h", ,'e' scah'y product, NEE, the liller's Toll,
Fy,a wy wild scenery, aud Thy tickle cline,
Al " "'le beau,eou, or sub lme =
AID - ~" oopersiitlon's wlich,n. tales,
~ oo'"c ignorance linger in thy wales
Hse''ms' mat could my infant love engage,
81 49," I Tue feelings Of maturer egc.
n" o'S'y linked 10 joys aud sorrows past
w. '"ee hrs -l"ved lon s-w,ll love thee last.
Ana d. ~nerc Beauty taught me first to feel,
o., ,."N' passion fixed the sacred seal
A fds"' Heaven reserved for me alone,
On g.. .' u posom d :arer than my own,
Or in o"'ks mysw an lering feet shall rest,
la Al I'"e Eden of the rosy West,
O, m-os"as tvar verdan, cline, -
Or w. ,e Wid Missonr, rolls sublime;
Paw m ~ Bedford hills, whose lump'J streams,
Lard s "ioa'e 10 the mighty Jamcs.-
OF ,,a, y otth and where nv fathers sleep,
And n n" 'ehemor ace III n to thee and weep,
Aaec,.on' my Steps be- doomed to wander far,
Til ibs s' "em'le 10 her Polar Star,
Where w. 'nroo shall lay this bosom low,
w emory and Affection cease to giow.'
'0ecta passage at random from the satiric