By the young smile on lips, whose accents fall Like downward floating blossoms from the trees Save when thy heart with livelier kindness glows; Is like the morning's tincture of the rose, The snowy veils of the gossamer mist seen through; And by the flowing outline's grace, Around thy features like a halo thrown, Reminding of that noble race Beneath a lovelier heaven, in kindlier climates known, Whose beauty, both the moral and the mortal, Stood at perfection's portal And still doth hold a rank surpassing all compare; By the divinely meek and placid air Which witnesseth so well that all the charms, Though but the finer fashion of the clay Deserve to be adored, since they Are emanations from a soul allowed Thus radiantly to glorify its dwelling That goodness like a visible thing avowed, May awe and win, and temper and prevail : And by all these combined! I call upon thy form ideal, So deeply in my memory shrined, To rise before my vision, like the real, Or vanity misleads, or discontent In sweet and solemn beauty, like the moon, Through the still hours of night to lonely eyes. A SKETCH, That fair Euterpe !-each brown tress Above a brow were sate enshrined But o'er those smoothest temples shone Of such compassionate, ferved feelings, I marked Euterpe 'mid the bright Her frank eye coveted to rest; Careless he smiled-I marked the bloom Desert her cheek, a deep sigh rend her breast; Might the all-conscious slave resist the chain. Not once the large and fringed lid Her sparkling eye declining hid; But on the mocker full they bent Stole a mild shade, like an eclipse Then sealed in meekness were her lips; Of her submissive mien, I reau, How love's enthusiast sophistry To fevered fortitude misled, And justified the wrong with lavish clemency, "Let me not blame unkindly,-wise too late; Man too is haughty ever :-this is fate." Such the poor heart! love's ills his sweets transcend, ANNE CLIFFORD, sole daughter and heir to George, earl of Cumberland, was born at Skipton Castle, at Craven, January 30th, 1589, and married first, to Richard, Lord Buckhurst, by whom she had three sons, and two daughters. She married, secondly, Phillip Herbert, earl of Pembroke and Montgomery, by whom she had no issue. One of her first structures was a pillar in the highway, where she and her mother took their last farewell. She also erected a monument to her tutor Daniel, the poet, and another to Spencer, besides which, she founded two hospitals, and repaired or built seven churches. But the most singular article in her life is the letter which she wrote to Sir Joseph Williamson, secretary of state after the restoration, who had presumed to recommend a candidate for the borough of Appleby. The reply of the countess was worthy of her ances tors: "I have been bullied by an usurper, I have been neglected by a court, but I will not be dictated to by a subject; your man shan't stand. Anne, Dorset, Pembroke, and Montgomery." This letter has excited a general admiration; the reason of which is thus explained by Dr. Campbell, in his "Philosophy of Rhetoric." "We shall find," says he, "that the very same sentiment expressed diffusely, will be admitted barely to be just; expressed concisely, will be admired as spirited." Mr. Pennant characterises lady Anne Clifford as the most eininent person of her age for intellectual accomplishments, for spirit, magnificence, and deeds of benevolence; and he has given a particular description of two portraits of her, in the side leaves of a family picture. Both the paintings are full lengths; one representing her at the age of thirteen, and the other in her middle age, in the state of widowhood. The books in the first of these pictures inform us of the fashionable course of reading among people of rank in her days. There are among them Eusebius, St. Augustine, Sir Phillip Sidney's Arcadia, Godfrey of Boulogne, the French Academy, Comden, Ortellius, and Agrippa on the Vanity of Occult Sciences. The books in the second picture consist wholly of the Bible, Charron on Wisdom, and pious treatises. A narrative, or rather, a journal of her own life, was left by the countess, consisting principally of minute details of the petty occurrences of a retired life, the greater number of which are tedious, uniform, and but little interesting. This lady expired at Brougham, March 23d, 1675, after a few days illness, in the eighty-sixth year of her age. She was interred, April 14th, at Appleby, in Westmoreland, under the monument she had erected. Her funeral sermon was preached at Appleby, by Dr. Edward Reinbow, bishop of Carlisle, from this verse: 66 Every wise woman buildeth her house." MARIA MADDELENA FERNANDEZ CORILLA, a celebrated improvisatrice, was born at Pistoca, in 1740, and gave, in her infancy, the most unequivocal marks of uncommon genius; and her acquirements in natural and moral philosophy, and ancient and modern history, were at the age of seventeen, very remarkable. At the age of twenty she began to display that talent for extempore composition, which is so common in Italy, and so uncommon elsewhere as to be questioned. Of this lady's abilities, however, we are not permitted to doubt, if we give any credit to the popularity she gained among all classes, and especially among persons of the highest rank. The empress Maria Theresa offered her the place of female poet laureate at court, which she accepted, and went to Vienna in 1765. Previous to this she had married Signor Morelli, a gentleman of Leghorn. At Vienna she wrote an epic poem and a volume of lyric poetry, both of which she dedicated to the empress. She attracted the enthusiastic admiration of Metastasio himself, and rendered the taste for Italian poetry more predominant than it had ever been in Vienna. Soon after 1774, she settled at Rome, and was admitted a member of the Academy of the Arcadi, under the name of Corilla Olympica, and for some time continued to charm the inhabitants of Rome, by her talents in improvisation. At length, when Pius VI. became pope, he determined that she should be solemnly crowned, an honor which had been granted to Petrarch only. An account of this singular transaction, beautifully printed at Parma, by Bodini, in 1779, contains her diploma and all the discourses, poems, sonnets, &c., written on the occasion, with the examination she underwent, concerning her knowledge upon the most important subjects upon which she was required to Improvisare, or treat extemporaneously in verse, publicly at the campidoglio, in Rome. The Italian title of this narrative is, "Atti della solenne coronazione fatta in campidoglio, della insigne poetesia D- na, Maria Maddalena Morilli Fernandez Pistoiese, Tragli Arcadi Corilla Olympica." Twelve members of the Arcadian Academy were selected out of thirty, publicly to examine the new edition of the Tenth Muse, which has so often been dedicated to ladies of poetical and literary talents. Three several days were allotted for this public exhibition of poetical powers, on the following subjects; sacred history, revealed religion, moral philosophy, natural history, metaphysics, epic poetry, legislation, eloquence, mythology, fine arts, and pastoral poetry. In the list of examiners appeared a prince, an archbishop, three monsigneurs, the pope's physician, abati, avocati, all of high rank in literature and criticism. These, severally, gave her subjects, which, besides a readiness at versification, in all the measures of Italian poetry, required science, reading, and knowledge of every kind. In all these severe trials she acquitted herself to the satisfaction and astonishment of all the principal personages, clergy, literati, and foreigners then resident at Rome; among the latter was the brother of George III., the duke of Gloucester. Near fifty sonnets, by different poets, with odes, canzoni, terze rime, attave, canzonette, &c., produced on the subject of the event, are inserted at the end of this narrative and description of the order and ceremonials of this splendid, honorable, and enthusiastic homage, paid to poetry, classical taste, talents, literature, and the fine arts. This renowned lady merits some notice as a musician, as well as poetess, as she sang her own verses to simple tunes, with a sweet voice, and in good taste. She likewise played on the violin; but at Florence, in 1770, she was accompanied on the violin by the celebrated and worthy pupil of Tartini, Nordini. Towards the close of 1780 she left Rome, with the intention of passing the remainder of her life in Florence, nor did she |