The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1849-01-20
He Is not less severe on

thought in bishop. OF the same sort is
Darwin's notion, that it would be very
feasible to direct the winds by means OF
philosophy; and to him the following prob
lem in physics is submitted, for which our
author is indebted to Pantagruel; Whether
The hybernal frigidity of the antipodes, pass
ing in an orthogonal line through the ho-
mogeneous solidity Of the centre, might
warm the superficial convexity OF cur heels
by soft antiperistasisF Gilbert Wake
field has so much vanity, virulence, asperity,
insolence, and impudence, that literature
begins to be weary Of him; and Gillies, the
the historian of Greece, is feeble, formal,
dull and tame The latter Judgment
serves to introduce story about Gibbon,
historian Of different kidney. Soon after
he had published the second and third vol
umes Of his Decline and Fall. the late
Duke of Cumberland accidentally met hirn,
and desiring to pay him compliment, said,
How do you do, Mr.. Gibbon? see you
are always al 1.-THE old way--scribble--
scTibble-scribble
Our author soon after commemorate as
a poet neglected gentleman of the name
OF Penrose, who, il seems, had the misior-
tune to die curste. and be buried in VII
lage tomb. Mr.. Matthias piously preserves
the titles Of his works. He passes judg-
nlent on Hayley and Darwin, which the
present day has confirmed, and then touches
upon the works of fiction which delighted
the old age Of the last century;
'OT must tempt some novels mlling theme,
Bad the bright eye DER Celestina stream;
With tabled knights and tales OF sighted love,
Such as our Spanish Cato might approve
The Spanish Cato was the then Earl
Camden. The Roman Cato learned Greek
al sixty years OF age, that he might read its
romances; and our venerable lord chan.
cellor, after having exhausted those written
in English, French. and Italian, applied
himself to Spanish, 10 obtain recreation
Tor his closing years. The English novel
lists of the day were Mrs Charlotte Smith,
Mrs. Inchbald, Mrs. Mary Robinson, Mrs.
&c, &c., who, though all of them ingeni.
Gus ladies, yet are TOO frequently whining
or frisking in novels, till our girls heads
turn wild with impossible adventures, and
now and then are tainted soiih democracy
He makes one exception, however: Not
so the mighty magician Of the Mysteries
of Udolpho," bred and nourished by the
Plorentine muses. in their sacred solitary
caverns, amid the paler shrines Of Gothic
superstition, and in all the dreariness of
enchantment-a poeless when Ariosto
would with rapture have acknowledged, as
LA nudnta
Damgells Tnyalzia al sacTo speco'
Ii IS curious TO think that Mrs. Radcliffe
was really the best novelist Of that time,
only fifty years ago! If Earl Camden
remained now alive, he would have no oc.
casion to resort to any other language than
his own; but il recalled 10 life, without
having undergone the mental training Of
the intermediate half century, it may be a
question whether he would not turn away
with WEAKNESS from our present romantic
literature, and seek his first loves in The
dingy recesses of the circulating Libraries.
Mathiss now attacks a novelist who
formed a school of his own:
'GOdwIn's dry page no statesman e'er believed.
Though fiction aids what sophistr conceived:
Genus may dToOp Ger Falkland 5 funeral cry-l
No patriot weeps when gifted Williams die
A scholar next:
Who now reads PAM whose title who shall give
DR. Sententious hight, OF Positive9
From IHreak mr. Erourb mr. ary- pr,,o, |
In may progress and eternal round,
Quotations dance, and wonder at their place,
Buzz through his wig, and give the bulk mure
grace;
Words upon words and most against their will.
And honeyed globules dribble through his quill,
Mawkish and thick; earth scarce the tropes
supplies,
Heaven lends his moon and crowded yalaxies;
Polemic frenzy, and ireverent rage,
And dotard impotence defonn the page
In these days we do not feel much inter
ested in PAR; but note to name of
another kind is worth quoting. The text is,
4 cannot, Will not stoop with boys to rise,
And sieze on Pitt, like Canning, by suIprise'
As PosteriGy,' says our author, may know
little OF this young gentleman, | shall add
hat MIR. Cunning was first an Eton boy,
hen wrote little book of essays, then went
10 college, was then made M. p, and after
some tuition and instruction from the &C.
'omPlished George Rose, Esq, became one
oG the under secretaries of state
Southey is spoken of as a young gentle
nan, author of many ingenious pieces of
poetry. HE gave the public, says Matthias.
"a long quarto volume of epic verses, "Joan
'f Arc, written, as he says in the preface,
n six weeks. Had he meant to write well,
ne should have kept it at least six years.
mention this, for | have been pleased with
many of the young gentleman's little copies
IF verses. | wish also that he wonld re-
Use some of his principles He laments
hat Beattie never finished his exquisite
ooem;' to Robert Burns, the Ayrshire
1loug hmaD-sn original poet, be gives a
inc; and Cowper he Glasses with the MUSES.
themselves on Panassus:
There did they sit, and do their holy deed.
That pleased both Heaven and earth
Bshop Hall
But whence that groan? No more Britannia
sleeps,
But Ger hen lost Masonus bends and weeps.
%, every GTecian, every British muse,
'caiters the recent flowers and gracious dews
Where Mason lies. He sure theiIinfluence felt
nd in his breast each soft affection dwelt
hat love and friendship know; each sister art.
With all that color and that sounds impau,
M that the sylvan theatre can grace,
III in the soul of Mason found their place,