Like winged dragons, red with gore, The following stanzas are quoted from this poem. Regner Lodbrock was killed in 794, by vipers applied to a wound in his breast, by Ella in Northumberland: • We smote with swords; I hold, that all Each his certain hour awaits; We smote with swords; my parting breath Where dwells fair Balder's father dread, To + Vider's hall I will not bear The dastard words of weak despair. We smote with swords; their falchions bright (If well they kenn'd their father's plight, How venom-fill'd a viperous brood Have gnaw'd his flesh and lapp'd his blood) Thy sons would grasp, Aslauga dear, And vengeful wake the battle here. A mother to my bairns I gave Of sterling worth, to make them brave. We smote with swords; cold death is near, My rights are passing to my heir. Grim stings the adder's forked dart; The vipers nestle in my heart. But soon, I wot, shall Vider's ‡ wand My youthful sons with rage will swell, Those gallant boys in peace unbroken Gunlaug and Rafen (Vol. II. p. 61) is a poem of a far more gentle kind than the rest, and seems rather to have been written under the Pleiades, than under the Great Bear. We have not room to remark on the others. *Balder's father, Fiolner and Vider; various names for Odin. + Vider was Odin's war name. Odin's wand, i̟, e. a war-spear The remaining part of this volume consists of original poems, and translations from the German, Danish, Italian, and Spanish. The merit of the original pieces is very moderate: Mr. Herbert's blank verse is harsh and prosaic, and only appears to advantage when compared with his rhyme, which is false and feeble, and lame and lazy throughout. He should confine himself to translations of other people's thoughts, unless he can express his own better, or had better thoughts to express. Among the translations from the German, the four odes from Gesner are very graceful,-making due allowance for a few dissonant rhymes and languid verses. One of these we shall transcribe: 6 THE SEA VOYAGE. It flies, the ship, which bears my love May nought, but Cupids, round thee move; Soft, soft, ye billows, heave around ! Still, as you mark the white waves bound, My true love, think on me! The birds here warble in the trees Their tenderest notes for you, Each green leaf trembles to the breeze, Each reed, and shadowy bough. O let thy swelling waves be laid! Ne'er trusted yet a sweeter maid Her angel form to thee! Pure, as the Sun's reflected blaze Upon thy glassy flood; Fair, as of old the lovely grace Of sea-born Venus stood; When gods, in sedgy caves that dwell, Beheld with ravish'd eyes All naked on her frothy shell. The perfect beauty rise; Sir Ebba, from the Danish, is as barbarous as the original can be. It is very easy to write what it is difficult to read, and impossible to understand. The Italian Sonnet from P. Salandri, is miserably inferior to the original. Mr. Herbert has attempted to translate part of one of Guidi's magnificent odes. 8 To have kept within view of that unrivalled bard in his amazing flight, is more than common glory; and not to have abso. lutely failed in transferring his thoughts into a strange language, is to have succeeded well. Mr. Herbert has not extinguished either the spirit or the fire of the original. Among the translations from the Spanish, the "Ode to a Ship," and the Prophecy of Tayo, pleased us the most. Did it not occur to Mr. Herbert, that the Ode which he has translated from Lupercio Leonardo de Argensola, (Vol. II. page 19, First Part) might have suggested to Metastasio the leading idea of his own inimitable canzonet "La Liberta?” On the whole, these volumes contain much curious matter, and unquestionably some elegant poetry ;-mingled, however, through indolence or inattention, with too much insipidity. Art. VI. Elementary Evidences of the Truth of Christianity; in a Series of Easter Catechisms on the Resurrection and other Miracles of Christ on Prophecy, and on Christ's Testimony of Himself. By the Right Reverend Thomas Burges, D. D. Bishop of St. David's. 12mo. 264 pages. Price 38. Rivingtons. Hatchard. 1806. THE rich, the noble, and the powerful, never appear to greater advantage, than when they "condescend to persous of low estate," in order to alleviate their distresses, and supply their necessities: but the learned and the wise, in adapting their compositions to the capacities of the ignorant and the weak, perform a task more difficult, and perhaps still more important. This praise is certainly due to the pious and venerable author of the work before us. Instead of degrading either his dignity or his talents, by addressing his Instructions to the understandings of children, he has certainly thereby "magnified his office." He has imitated the pattern, and obeyed the injunctions, of his Divine Master, by thus "feeding the lambs" of Christ's fold. Hence we are far from being disgusted at the extreme simplicity with which these catechetical instructions are introduced. It reminds us, indeed, of the manner in which Socrates conversed with his pupils; who, though persons of literature, genius, and rank, were, in spiritual knowledge, inferior to little children among us. Their Master himself left off, where these catechumens begin, Such are the advantages diffused by the Gospel! As the arguments which are comprised in this volume, center in the fact of Christ's resurrection, the author intitled the different parts, when published separately, a Series of Easter Catechisms. In their connected state, we think, that title might have been omitted; especially as it does not apply to the whole of the subject, which is much better denoted by the one now prefixed. The proofs that are adduced, are generally in a high degree simple, natural, and convincing; and we do not hesitate to say, that the oldest, and most established believer, may derive pleasure and satisfaction from an attentive perusal of this summary, The former appearance of the work in detached parts, renders it unnecessary for us to furnish copious extracts from it; and however acceptable they might be to some of our readers, we prefer advising them to procure the volume, the size and price of which are well suited to extensive circulation. We shall therefore restrict ourselves to the notice of à few passages, which we wish to see amended in a new edition, as they seem to us disparagements of the general excellence and utility of the publication. To the second part of the Catechism (on the Messiahship of Jesus, and the evidence of Christianity from prophecy, and the prophetic knowledge of Christ) a Sermon "on the grounds of our faith in Christ," is prefixed. It contains many fine illustratons of the subject; which, for the sake of uniformity and argument, we would recommend to be digested in a catechetical arrangement, or dispersed among other parts of the work. The author takes no notice of the comparison suggested by the phraseology of his text, (2 Peter i. 19.) between the word of prophecy and another kind of evidence, which, however important, seems to be regarded as less convincing. We know that it is disputed, whether any such comparison was designed; but we apprehend that the apostle's argument may be thus best explained. Though the Almighty by his own voice declared Jesus to be his beloved Son; yet, as this proof was confined to three persons only, it was of inferior utility to the public evidence of prophecy, which is subject to universal observation and rational examination. In several parts of this performance are introduced new illustrations of texts, many of which are just and useful. A few, however, appear to us exceptionable; and we wish to caution our readers against adopting them, as well as respectfully to suggest to the excellent author the expediency of retrenching them at a future opportunity. 6 At page 155, John iii. 13. is thus read: "No man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of Man, which was in heaven." The following note is subjoined: The common translation is, which is in heaven. The original is, which is used not only for the present and future, but for the past. And so it should be translated in John i. 18." To this positive, but bare assertion, his Lordship should certainly have added some reason for alterations in the common version, which would doubtless be highly acceptable to the advocates of Socinianism. We do not dispute the propriety of understanding the present participle, in some instances, of the past, or of the future; but we think that it should not be understood of either, except the sense of the connexion evidently requires it. So far is this from being the case in either of these passages, that, whoever believes the omnipresence of Christ, may reasonably regard them as designed to intimate that important truth; and if in the first text, John iii. 13, the participle is translated who was, it makes the expression redundant and tautologous; for he that came down from heaven, must of course have been in heaven, and therefore it was unnecessary to add that he had been there. So superfluous and useless a sentence, would ill accord with the solemn manner in which it is introduced by our Lord, in his previous address to Nicodemus. Sensible, however, of the weight which our author's opinion may justly carry with it to the reader's mind, we are glad to confront it with that of two ancient Greek Bishops, Chrysostom, and Theophylact, whose testimony acquires force from a consideration, that the language in which they wrote, was the same with that on which they commented. The former, in his Homily on the third chapter of John, has this paraphrase of the text: "Do not think me to be such a teacher as many of the prophets, who were from the earth. I am come to you from heaven. Thither none of the prophets ascended; but there I am conversant *." "And he adds, "For not only in heaven, but also elsewhere, he filleth all things +." Theophylact, in his comment on the New Testament, remarks likewise on this passage, "Lest any one, on hearing that Christ came down from heaven, should suppose that he is now no longer in heaven, he saith, Tapary-who is in heaven. Think not, because you have heard that the Son of Man came down from heaven, that I am not now there: but I am present, not only here, bodily, but there also, in a Divine nature, am I sitting conjointly with the Father." We could summon, were it necessary, the same evidences against our author's correction of the common version of John xvi. 14, "He shall receive of mine, that is, from me." p. 193. But in te ipe so evidently signifies, of what belongs to me," that we think farther argument or testimony needless. More instances of this kind have struck our observation : but, to avoid enlargemeut, we shall assign those only which have been adduced, as our ground of hesitating to acquiesce entirely * Εγω δε εκει διατριβω. † Ου γαρ εν κρανω μόνον, αλλα και πανταχε, και πάντα πληροι. Καλνταύθα πάρει με σωματικώς, και κει συγχέθηκαν τω πατρί θήρας, |
