The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1838-02-27
NO.73.

aDatoTy illusions, which he described the feelings
of lover with marvellous decacy There appeared
little while after Italian writer Boccsco he com
posed IN prose series Of amusing histories under the
general title Of Decsmeron II is necessary 10 observe
these things with care, for they had great influence
on English poetry in its early struggles towards per-
| fiction
Contemporary with Petrarch, and little time after
Dante, appeared GeoAry chaucer, whom We regard as
the father OF English poetry He lived at the court Of
Edward III, and OF Richard IT, from 1860 10 400 He
had not only original genius Of the first ORDER bat be
had cultivated his taonts by travel, and by all the
means an his power Despising equally the old and
dull rhyme Of the chronicles Of the tlng MINSTREL
be aimed to write after the regular manner Of tho three
lllustriols Italians, Of whom have written employ
lug the aego of Dante, the tone Of tenderness OF Pc
tarch and the pleasing anecdotes Of Baccaco He was
profound observer OF manners and appeals to have
known well the world such twas in his time His
principal work has for its title Tales OF Canterbury II
Is collection Of amusing and pathetic nsrraons made
by divers persons during religious pilgrimage to Can
terbury. The book commences by description Of the
travellers establishing themselves the Inn Of Tobard
IN Southwark and brief view Of the person and char
acter OF each OF the pilgrims who in number thr
y. The tales attest talent not common, and each
one OF them brings 10 view distinctive character
which strikes the spirit Of the reader by its life and COM
position The SQUIRE the yeoman. the abbess, the monk
the merchant, the lawyer, the miller, &C. all recog
nlzabe and exact portraits. The stories of the Can
terbury pilgrims OF them amusing histSsioA or
ordinary lieohers the romantic tales Of chiyalry and
some OF them appear TO be the sole invention Of the
poet The general idea Of the work has without doubt
been initiated from the Decameron OF Boccaco which,
like the tales Of Chaucer, consists number Of nara-
tives by company assembled together by accident.
lie wrote much OF other poetry employing by turns
narration, the descriptive species, and alegory De-
spite the obscurity with which time has covered his
works, we place him in the same rank with Spencer,
Shakespeare, Milton and other English poets Of the first
order.
At the same time as Chaucer, John Cover wrote his
moral poems which exhibit great merit. The same
century saw also exhibited in England the two first
prose writers, viz. the celebrated traveller Sir John
Vaudeville, and John Wicklife, who distinguished
himself in his efforts for the reformation OF religion
Vaudeville 1885, having travelled thirty -four years in
the countries OF the east and his return he wrote
in English in French and in Latin, recital Of all he
had seem ntersperslng his narration with innumerable
fables from the ancient writers or hearsay Wckfe,
who was ettered eccesastic professor Of theology
at the college of Baol at Oxford, commenced towards
1877, to write in Latin and English against the power
OF the Pope and the divers observanccs of the Catholic
church and as he occupied himself with that long
time before he fixed general attention on the subject
he was called the Morning Star ofihc Reformation
Amongst other literary abors he found time to make
translation of the Bible into English, which was not,
however, the FIRST wiich had been made
We also consider Chancer Of the prose writers
Of that epoch 1t Is said that he wrote phosophc work
called tho Testament Of Lone Two of the Canterbury
Tales are in prose The English language began theI,
to be considered enough formed to take rank in era-
ture. Before the conquest, the French had been the
language of the schools and when they translated the
Latin, 1t was not into English, but into French. But
after, the professors began to recognize the
tence of English language, and put into this language
Of their Latin authors King Edward ILL., abolish
ed the Of the French in the public acts and courts
and substituted the English language However this
language, as we have already said, contained great
number of French words, transmitted by the Norman
population. The language which was most in at
this time in the lower parts Of Scotland principal
y the original Teutonic it in part from the Sax
ons who scattered the north and part from the
Danish, who had taken possession Of the por
ton. The Scotch resembled much the English, with
the exception of some words and phrases which came
from the Normans 1t remained the until the last
century. As the ideas and the forms of literature took
birth in the middle Of Europe and proceeded gradually
towards the north, the Scotch language was much be-
hind that Of England in point of correctness and re-
hnement Thus the epoch of Chaucer and the national
poetry OF England, was the same which produced
in Scotland the rhyming chronicles. Minstrels lived
there little later The first of the Scotch chroniclers
John Barber arcbdeacon OF the cathedral of Aber-
deem; he was man of great knowledge.
Toward the close of the year 1871, he composed
long poem in of eight sylables, celebrate the
adventures Of Robert Bruce. This work can only be
classed among the chronicles; however, recog-
nlze Iii 1t all the characteristics OF actual poetry The
there described with an energy Of style very
superior to that of the chroncles it abounds in beauti
full episodes and in remarkable passages with oil the po
etry of sentiment. We would in conclusion, say that
although Barber had adopted form Of composition
which had already fallen into disuse in England his
style did not vary much from that which Chaucer had
adopted. His apostrophe Liberty which terminated
narrative of the miserable savcty to which king Ed
ward Of England had reduced Scotland has always been
admired for force Of thought and energy of style Seve-
raj other passages are not less worthy Of admiration
Toward the year l40l, Andrew Wyntown prior Of
the monastery of ST. Cert Lochlcven, wrote chron.
ice Of universal history but particularly descrp-
tive of Scotland which exhibited very little Of poetic
inspiration. This work is considered the latest of the
rhyrning chronicles. A little time before Wyntown,
Scotch poets occupied themselves with compost
tons in the manner of the minstres but long before
that time they of fashion in the south Of Eng
land. Among these productions, we may mention the
Gcst Of Arthur,' 10y Hutcheon; this poem is lost We
quote yet Sir Gawain by the Clerk of Tranant this
poem has been printed but the composition appears TO
have been very defective The last poem Of this kind
has for its title "The Adventures OF Sir William Wal
lace !" 1t had been composed in the year 1850 by
wandering minstrel named Blind Harry The history
of the heroes there recountcd part, after the
ner Of fabulous adventures The poem contains some
rotism aud hcroism are throughout predominant. 1t
differs principally from other poems Of the mins,res in
its having the appearance Of true recital The metre OF
the epic kind was composed in succession OF rhymng
couples in lines of six syllables 1t has been ranslat
ed into modern verse by Mr. Hamilton Of Gilbort6eld,
and under this FORM has become the avone book Of
all Scotland.
From the Ne,o York American.