general observation. Original minds, who strike out a new path, appear rarely, and with long intervals between each; while the rest, a numerous race, are content to follow in their train. This extensive growth of imitation has not arisen from any favour or respect which it has met with, either from critics or the public. On the contrary, a degree of contempt has been manifested towards this class, greater, perhaps, than strict justice would warrant. No genius of the very highest order indeed was ever found among their number. To such it is ever the first ambition to create every thing for themselves, and to shun, above all other reproaches, that of being tracked in the snow of their predecessors. Yet does it not follow, that those are entirely destitute of genius, whom profound admiration leads insensibly to adopt, almost implicitly, the manner and style of a favourate author. To be susceptible of a sentiment so profound, (supposing at least that it is not a mere echo of the public voice) implies a considerable share of poetical susceptibility. The primary planets may move alone, but all the lesser luminaries, though bright, will be gradually attracted within their orbit. In many cases, perhaps, these imitative bards may produce to the public a greater degree of pleasure, than if they had formed a style entirely independent. By keeping a good model constantly in view, they may escape many errors into which their unassisted exertions might have precipitated them. The mere recurrence of the same sounds and forms of expression producess to the reader, by the power of association, somewhat of the same pleasure which he had derived from the perusal of the original author.

The present volume makes no profession of originality; the very manner in which it began, marks it to be a complete imitation of a poet,

the most popular in the present day. The author having formerly published a small specimen with the view of proving how well he could imitate the style of. Mr Scott, found his attempt so well received, that he was encouraged to complete the poem in the same style. It has often surprized us, that there should not by this time have appeared many more imitations of this poet. The motives were obvious, and the difficulties perhaps not greater than in the case of others, who have had crowds of imita tors. At the same time, we do not consider the extension of this style as a particularly desirable object. Its beauties are founded less upon the principles of general taste, than upon a peculiar and almost singular vein of. thought, into which the writer's genius. had led him. As he has shewn, too, no unwillingness to supply the public with specimens of his own style, there seems the less occasion for having recourse to any secondary or inferior source. However we must say, that the Bridal of Triermain, though not equal to its model, is by no means a bad poem. In point of versification, it does not perhaps exhibit any sensible inferiority; and though yielding in the higher requisites, it contains still a respectable portion of these also. It appears to us to succeed better, when it copies the softness and tenderness of its model, than when it sounds a rougher note, and takes him for a guide through the fields of flight and fray.

There is something in the commencement that is striking and original. Sir Roland de Vaux, Baron of Triermain, is represented as a nobleman of valour and accomplishments, and to whom the world can scarcely afford a maiden worthy to receive his hand. After a severe foray upon the Scottish border, he had consigned himself to deep slumber, when suddenly he starts up, and exclaims,

"Hearken,

"Hearken, my minstrels! Which of you all Touch'd his harp with that dying fall, So sweet, so soft, so faint,

It seem'd an angel's whisper'd call

To an expiring saint?

And hearken, my merrymen! What time or where

Did she pass, that maid with her heav'n

ly brow,

With her look so sweet and her eyes so fair, And her graceful step and her angel air, And the eagle-plume on her dark-brown hair,

That pass'd from my bower e'en now ?" Answer'd him Richard de Brettville; he Was chief of the baron's minstrelsy,— "Silent, noble chieftain, we

Have sate since midnight close, When such lulling sounds as the brooklet sings,

Murmur'd from our melting strings,
And hush'd you to repose.
Had a harp-note sounded here,
It had caught my watchful ear,

Although it fell as faint and shy
As bashful maiden's half-form'd sigh,
When she thinks her lover near."--
Answer'd Philip of Fasthwaite tall,
He kept guard in the outer-hall,-
"Since at eve our watch took post,
Not a foot has thy portal cross'd;

Else had I heard the steps, though low And light they fell as when earth receives, In morn of frost, the wither'd leaves,

That drop when no winds blow."

"Then come thou hither, Henry, my page, Whom I saved from the sack of Hermitage, When that dark castle, tower, and spire, Rose to the skies a pile of fire,

And redden'd all the Nine-stane Hill, And the shrieks of death, that wildly broke Through devouring flame and smothering smoke,

Made the warrior's heart-blood chill! The trustiest thou of all my train, My fleetest courser thou must rein, And ride to Lyulph's tower,

And from the baron of Triermain

Greet well that sage of power.
He is sprung from druid sires,

And British bards that tuned their lyres
To Arthur's and Pendragon's praise,
And his who sleeps at Dunmailraise.
Gifted like his gifted race,
He the characters can trace,
Graven deep in elder time
Upon Helvellyn's cliff's sublime;
Sign and sigil well doth he know,
And can bode of weal and woe,
Of kingdoms' fall, and fate of wars,
From mystic dreams and course of stars.
He shall tell me if middle earth
To that enchanting shape gave birth,

Or if 'twas but an airy thing,
Such as fantastic slumbers bring.
Framed from the rain-bow's varying dyes,
Or fading tints of western skies.
For, by the blessed rood I swear,
If that fair form breathe vital air,
No other maiden by my side

Shall ever rest De Vaux's bride !".

Lyulph accordingly obeys the summons, and discloses indeed a most surprizing tale. The wonderful maiden now beheld is, it seems, five hundred and one years of age. Yet has not this long lapse of time produced any influence upon her charms. To explain this mystery, he goes back to the renowned period of Arthur and the Knights of the round table. That celebrated monarch is introduced to us first in no very advantageous light. Seduced into the palace of Gaendolen, like Roger into that of Alcina, he remains for three years, dissolved in voluptuous ease and luxury. All the enemies of Britain desolate her plains without molestation. At the end of this long period, however, Arthur begins to shake off the enchantment; his ancient martial spirit revives; and Guendolen foresees, that her charms Her efforts to rekindle the expiring will not long be able to retain him. flame are thus described:

Too late must Guendolen deplore,
He, that has all, ean hope no more!
Now must she see her lover strain,
At every turn, her feeble chain;

Watch, to new-bind each knot, and shrink
To view each fast-decaying link.
Art she invokes to Nature's aid,

Her vest to zone, her locks to braid;
Each varied pleasure heard her call,
The feast, the tourney, and the ball:
Her storied lore she next applies,
Taxing her mind to aid her eyes;
Now more than mortal wise, and then
In female softness sunk again;

Now, raptured, with each wish complying,
With feigned reluctance now denying;
Each charm she varied, to retain
A varying heart—and all in vain !

Arthur breakes her chain, and escapes. The fruit of their mutual loves, however, is a daughter, whom he promises never to desert. The performance

performance of this pledge is not claimed till fifteen years after, when amid a solemn tourney,

A Maiden, on a palfrey white,
Heading a band of damsels bright,
Paced through the circle to alight

And kneel before the king.
Arthur, with strong emotion, saw
Her graceful boldness check'd by awe,
Her dress like huntress of the wold,
Her bow and baldrick trapped with gold,
Her sandall'd feet, her ancles bare.
And the eagle plume that decked her hair.
Graceful her veil she backward flung-
The King, as from his seat he sprung,
Almost cried, "Guendolen !"
But 'twas a face more frank and wild,
Betwixt the woman and the child,
Where less of magle beauty smiled

Than of the race of men; And in the forehead's haughty grace, The lines of Britain's royal race,

Pendragon's, you might ken. Arthur soon recognizes his offspring, receives her with paternal kindness, and promises before the day closes, to redeemhis pledge. A proclamation is instantly made, by which the Knight who shall best acquit him in that day's encounter is to receive the hand of Gyneth, and an ample dowry. All the champions, except three, started up, and eagerly entered the lists for so splendid a prize. The king appoints Gyneth umpire of the combat; but warns her, like a gentle maid, to put a stop to its course before bloodshed ensues. The Princess however had received other lessons; the pride instilled into her by an unfeeling mother taught her to view this catastrophe, dreaded by the King, as a truimph due to her charms. The fight then commences,

the description of which we shall copy, as a specimen of the author's powers in this style, though it be not, as already hinted, the one in which we conceive him peculiarly to excel.

But Gyneth heard the clangor high,
As hears the hawk the partridge-cry.
Oh, blame her not! the blood was hers,
That at the trumpet's summons stirs ;-
And e'en the gentlest female eye
Might the brave strife of chivalry
Awhile untroubled view;

So well accomplished was each knight,
To strike and to defend in fight,
Their meeting was a goodly sight,

While plate and mail held true. The lists with painted plumes were strown, Upon the wind at random thrown, But helm and breast-plate bloodless shone; It seemed their feathered crests alone Should this encounter rue. And ever, as the combat grows, The trumpet's cheery voice arose ; Like lark's shrill seng the flourish flows, Heard while the gale of April blows

The merry greenwood through.

But soon to earnest grew their game;
The spears drew blood, the swords struck
Rame,

And, horse and man, to ground there came
Knights, who shall rise no more!
Gone was the pride the war that graced,
Gay shields were cleft, and crests defaced,
And steel coats riven, and helms unbraced,
And pennons streamed with gore.
Gone, too, were fence and fair array,
And desperate strength made deadly way
At random through the bloody fray,
And blows were dealt with head-long sway,
Unheeding where they fell;

And now the trumpet's clamours seem
Like the shrill sea-bird's wailing scream,
Heard o'er the whirlpool's gulphing stream,

The sinking seaman's knell !

blood; but the unfeeling pride of Gyneth remains immoveable, and she still forbears the sign which would inhumanity calls down terrible venhave stopt its farther effusion. This geance; the form of Merlin appears, and dooms her to a lethargy which was to continue for ages. Tempering this sentence however with mercy, he announces, that a knight of renown equal to Arthur, should at length awake her. The first part of the prophecy is at once fulfilled :

The field is soon covered with

As Merlin speaks, on Gyneth's eye
Slumber's load begins to lie;
Fear and Anger vainly strive
Still to keep its light alive.
Twice, with effort and with pause,
O'er her brow her hand she draws;
Twice her strength in vain she tries,
From the fatal chair to rise;
Merlin's magic doom is spoken,
Vanoc's death must now be wroken.
Slow the dark fringed eye-lids fall,
Curtaining each azure ball,

the Faculty of Advocates by Sir James Montgomery, Bart. and will be found to be an acquisition to the profession of very unusual interest. It consists of more than 1600 cases, great part of which, altho' ascertaining important points in Law and Practice, had not been noticed by any other Collector; and in several instances, Lord Elchies has thrown new light on cases reported by Lord Kilkerran and Lord Kames. Both of those distinguished Judges bear testimony in their reports, to the weight which Lord Elchies's opinions deservedly had in the deliberations on the Bench.

This volume is printed in such a manner as to form a branch of the Second Appendix of the Dictionary of Decisions, 4to. some time ago published by the same Editor. It may either be distributed through that Dictionary, to which it is an useful useful Supplement, or it may remain an integral book uniform with it.)

Rokeby, a Poem, by Walter Scott, Esq. Second edition, 8vo. 14s. Sermons by Thomas Sommerville,

D.D. F.R.S.E. Minister of Edinburgh, and one of His Majesty's Chaplains in Ordinary. 8vo. 10s. 6d. bound.

Encyclopedia Britannica, vol. II. Part I. 4to. 19 Engravings. 18s. The Edinburgh Review, No. XLI.

6s.

Literary Intelligence.

THE Memoirs of Sir Joshua Reynolds are preparing for publication by James Northcote, R. A. and will contain a number of original anecdotes of Dr Johnstone, Dr Goldsmith, and other distinguished characters with whom he had intercourse and connexion.

Mr Bakewell intends shortly to publish, in one volume octavo, a work entitled Outlines of Geology, with

observations on the Geology of England.

The same gentleman also intends to commence a course of Lectures at Willis's Rooms, designed to illustrate the Geology and Mineralogy of England; and particularly intended to direct the attention of landed proprietors to the neglected mineral treasures on their own estates.

Europe is about to be presented with all the seience of the Arabians, in grammar, rhetoric, and logic, in some translations from the elementary books of the East, by Lieutenant Lockett, assistant secretary in the College at Fort William. The three sciences will fill a quarto of five hundred pages.

London and Edinburgh send forth no less than fifteen religious Magazines monthly-ten from the former and five from the latter. The whole of these form an impression of nearly 100,000 copies, of which about 26,000 gazine, and about 20,000 of the are published of the Methodist MaEvangelical Magazine. Our informant adds, that theological and poleall others throughout the year! mical publications treble in number

A third volume of Dr Clark's TraSecond Section of the Travels in vels is in preparation, forming the and completing the Second Part of Greece, Egypt, and the Holy Land; the whole work, according to the plan originally proposed by the Author. It will contain his Voyage up the Nile to Grand Cairo; his Observations upon the Pyramids of Djiza and Saccára; a Description of the Remains of the City of Saïs, in the Delta; an account of the Antiquities of Alexandria, particularly of Pompey's Pillar and the Cryptæ of Necropolis; and his subsequent voyage and travels in Greece, Macedonia, Thrace, &c.

The lovers of biblical criticism in this country will doubtless rejoice to hear that a translation of Professor Eichhorn's Introduction to the Old Testament