possess ; for there is nothing in it either licentious or irreligious : the Free-thinker aspired only to an emancipation from unreasonable prejudices.

Some of the essays are well written; but as a whole, it is dull and uninteresting.

The poem of "Acon and Lavinia," unquestionably suggested to Thomson some ideas in his beautiful episodes of Palemon and Lavinia, and Musidora. The latter, indeed, is founded upon an incident precisely similar, only more chaste and delicate in its result. The lover of Musidora beholds and retires. the lover of Lavinia seizes the happy moment and triumphs.

Thomson describes the " polished limbs" of Lavinia,

"Veil'd in a simple robe, their best attire,
Beyond the pomp of dress; for loveliness
Needs not the foreign aid of ornament;

But is, when unadorned, adorned the most."

Welsted's Love Tale contains a parallel thought.

"She boasts more graces unadorn'd,"

Many imitations may be traced between the two poets which clearly evince that Thomson was indebted to Welsted.

lowing is a striking one.

"Every grace,

Flushing anew, a mellow lustre shed:

As shines the lilly thro' the crystal mild;
Or as the rose amid the morning dew,

Fresh from Aurora's hand, more sweetly glows,"

Welsted describing Lavinia when bathing, says,

"Her pliant limbs the liquid waves divide,
And shine, like polished marble thro' the tide;
As lilies closed in crystal, court the sight

With a new lustre, and a purer white."

The fol

If, therefore, notwithstanding the similitude of the incident, it might be thought probable that it occurred accidentally to the imagination of Thomson, it would still be impossible, or rather contrary to the deductions of sound criticism, to suppose that the coincidence of the imagery also was purely adventitious.

I shall now proceed to make a few extracts from this poem, which may justify the opinion I have expressed of it. The description of Lavinia is animated and poetical:

"The crowd of females shine in gay brocades,

And half their charms are lost in lights and shades:

Hid in the rich embarrassments of art,
A nymph is, of herself, the smallest part;
Lavinia, nor with diamond stars is drest,
Nor rubies bleed in crosslets on her breast;
The Persian loom, and glittering tissue scorn'd,
She boasts more envied graces unadorn'd;
No aid from cost she needs; for nature's care,
With a free hand, indulg'd her to be fair.
Her glossy tresses wear the golden hue,
The lustre which in sunny rays we view;
Her rosy cheek a genuine vermeil dyes,
And a bright blue, the fluid in her eyes!

The following extract will be read with pleasure by those to whom the works of Welsted are not familiar.

"The scene that bless'd Lavinia's leisure smil'd
With hills, and vales, and woods, a blooming wild!
She shunn'd the sultry ray in jasimine bowers;
She trod on carpets of sweet-smelling flowers;
Where'er she turns, luxuriant landskips rise,
And still she breathes in aromatic skies;
For with the day spontaneous sweets are born,
And shed the fragrant freshness of the morn.
Echoes and rude cascades are heard around,

While, with soft murmurs, through th' the enchanted ground
A winding rivulet shapes its silver flow,
And shows a shining bed of sands below:
Wide-branching trees are rang'd on either side,
The branching shadows tremble in the tide.
This chaste recess, this unfrequented shade,
By day for nymphs, by night for fairies made,
Lavinia's hours, devoid of cares, employs,
And sooths her soul with fond romantic joys.
Oft in the silver stream herself she views,
And often pleas'd, her likeness oft renews;
There grace in dress she learn'd, in motion ease,
And practised, though she knew not why, to please:
Now some poetic tale her mind relieves ;

And now she bathes, and now the garland weaves;

A thousand follies, to amuse she tries;

A thousand different ways from love she flies:
But all her thousand follies fruitless prove,
For all the arts she tries are snares of love.

Before I conclude this, I cannot refrain from noticing the wilful incorrectness with which Pope and his associates in Martinus Scriblerus, quoted those they wished to make ridiculous. In the eleventh chapter the following couplet is selected from Acon and Lavinia, as an example of the Paranomasia or pun :

"Behold the virgin lye

Naked, and only covered by the sky.

Now what are the actual lines?

"Now Acon, the coy nymph is wholly thine,
Nor will her fame permit her to decline
His suit who saw her, with familiar eyes,
Asleep, and only covered with the skies."

To such arts will genius descend when stimulated by resentment !

THE STUFFED BANKER.

(From the Russian.)

At the period when M. de Segur filled the important office of ambassador of France, at the court of Catherine the 2nd, a very rich foreigner, named Sutherland, was the court banker. He was naturalized in Russia, and enjoyed a considerable portion of favour with the empress. One morning he was informed that his house was surrounded with guards, and that the chief officer of the police wished to speak with him. This officer, whose name was Rolieu, entered, with a look of consternation.

"Mr. Sutherland," said he, "I am truly grieved at being charged by my gracious sovereign, to execute an order, the severity of which afflicts, nay terrifies me; and I am entirely ignorant by what fault or crime you have drawn upon yourself the resentment of her Majesty."

"Sir! I am as ignorant, and even more so, than you are, and my surprise exceeds yours. But what is this order?"

Sir," replied the officer, "the truth is, that I want courage to impart it to you."

"What! can I have lost the confidence of the empress ?" "If that were all, you would not see me so distressed. Confidence may be re-established; a place may be restored." "Well, then, is it to send me back to my own country?" "That would be disagreeable; but with your riches you might make yourself comfortable anywhere."

"Oh! heavens," cried Sutherland, trembling, "am I to be sent an exile to Siberia?"

66

Alas! even from Siberia one may return.' "Are you going to throw me into prison?"

"You might get out of prison."

"Merciful powers! am I to be punished with the knout?” "That is dreadful torture, it is true, but still it does not

kill."

"What then!" said the banker, sobbing,

ger!

my life is in danAh, for pity's sake, tell me all-death is less dreadful than this fearful uncertainty."

Well then, my dear friend," said the officer of police at last, in a most melancholy voice, "my gracious sovereign has ordered me to have you stuffed."

"Stuffed !" cried Sutherland, looking steadily at the speaker,

"either you must have lost your senses, or the empress, herself, is not in possession of her's. You could not have received such an order without pointing out the barbarity, the absurdity of it."

"Alas! my poor friend, I did show my surprise, my grief; I was on the point of offering my humble remonstrances; when my august sovereign, in a tone of irritation, reproached me for hesitating, commanded me to leave the room, and to go instantly, and execute the order she had given me. Go,' said she, and do not forget that it is your duty to execute, without murmuring, any commission with which I condescend to honour you.

6

It would be impossible to depict the astonishment, the anger, the agitation, the despair, of the poor banker. One quarter of an hour was granted him to arrange his affairs; and it was with great difficulty that he obtained permission of the officer to dispatch a note to the Earl of Bruce; who, on opening it, thought the head of the police must have gone mad. He ran, without a moment's delay, to the empress. On being introduced into the presence of that princess, he laid before her the facts.

Catherine, on hearing this strange account, cried out, "heavens and earth! how dreadful! Rolieu must, indeed, have lost his senses. Quick, my lord, run instantly, and order this madman to deliver my poor banker from his terror, and to set him at liberty."

The Earl departed, executed his orders, came back, and found Catherine laughing violently. "I see now," said she, “the cause of this inconceivably ridiculous blunder. I have, for many years, had a pretty little dog, of which I was very fond, and which I called Sutherland, after the Englishman who gave him to me. This dog is just dead; I ordered Rolieu to have him stuffed; and as he hesitated, I was angry with him, thinking, that from a foolish vanity, he thought such a commission beneath his dignity. This is the key to this burlesque enigma.”

Our best acknowledgments are due to" A. R. C." May we hope for further favors! If the writer of the "Changed One," "To Echo," &c. will allow us to use the pruning knife according to our own judgment, one or more of the pieces sent shall appear next month.

who

We could almost find it in our hearts to print the superlatively silly note of appears to have been in such a monstrous pucker about his index and title-page. "Thrice the brinded cat hath mered!"

Printed (by C. W. Banks for the Proprietors) at the Kentish Observer
General Printing Office, Canterbury.

THE

CANTERBURY

MAGAZINE:

By Geoffrey Oldcastle, Gent.

No. 10.]

AT THAT TRIBUNAL STANDS THE WRITING TRIBE
WHICH NOTHING CAN INTIMIDATE OR BRIBE:

TIME IS THE JUDGE TIME HAS NOR FRIEND NOR FOE;
FALSE FAME MUST WITHER--AND THE TRUE WILL GROW:
ARM'D WITH THIS TRUTH, ALL CRITICS I DEFY:

FOR IF I FALL, BY MY OWN PEN I DIE."

APRIL, 1835.

YOUNG.

HUGH LEMAIRE.

[VOL. II.

SHOWING HOW A POOR GENTLEMAN GAVE A RICH DOWER TO HIS
DESCENDANTS.

(Concluded from p. 100.)

"So!" cried she, as he entered, "although things were in such a good train you couldn't profit by them; simpleton that you are! Heavens ! why have not I strength to execute, as I have a head to invent ! Matters would then have turned out very differently." Here she was interrupted by a ponderous sound of metal; it was her husband, disencumbering himself of his load. "What's that?" she cried-" ah ! I knew that you were a man of sense! tell me, quickly, all you have said, all you have done; don't omit a single word! I want to know every thing; what a quantity of gold! Heavens! what a quantity of gold! never did I see so much! Now we shall be able

to provide for our children! Now we shall no longer want for anything! We shall be able to add to our castle, we—'

"Don't trouble yourself, wife, about that! the king gives you a find house in his city of Paris-”

"What do you say! who?-I-I inhabit a house at Paris, which the king gives me! and with all my children? What happiness! Then I shall be able to bring forward our son, who with his person, and the name of his father-"