news coming to the ears of Maria, she grew pale and terrified, her countenance confessed the crime, and would have betrayed her, but the friar, who watched vigilantly all her motions, hearing, too, from the inhabitants, that there were strong suspicions against her, began to fear the result, and determined to hide his crimes by committing new ones. Without any further deliberation, he went to her house, and, feigning serenity, endeavoured to comfort her by deceitful illusions, hiding the horrible design he had purposed to execute in the night, to murder her and the boy, thinking that as there then would exist no testimony of his guilt, it would for ever remain concealed. He stayed with her the remainder of the day, under pretext of not abandoning her a prey to the fear that too openly manifested itself. Supper was prepared, and both, apparently more tranquil, enjoyed once more their criminal commerce. Maria then fell asleep, but scarcely had she closed her eyes, when the cursed friar, who waited but the moment to gorge on blood, with the same dagger that was still stained with her husband's, pierced her heart; then, with a demon-like fury, springing from the bed, rushed on the innocent boy, and barbarously butchered him. Hastening to remove the remaining proofs of his guilt, he enveloped the body of Maria in a sheet, and hurried with it to the well-known river, and, having thrown it in, without loss of time repaired for the boy, and, still running, directed his steps to the same spot. At this moment, some officers of justice, who happened to be passing, on perceiving a man running with a load on his shoulder at such an hour of the night, and suspecting him to be a robber, pursued and arrested him. Imprisoned, after various examinations, he was at length fully convicted, and publicly confessed all his atrocities. He was then sent to Valladolid, to be there stripped of every sacerdotal order by the most reverend Senor Valcarcel, bishop of that city, and, sentence of death having been passed against him, he was left to suffer the just punishment of his many crimes. But at that period, the Spanish people, blinded by religious fanaticism, did not believe that crime could exist with those vestments they were used to kiss with veneration, and thought it a sacrilege to lay hands on religious persons. The nefarious Campana knew well how to profit by the popular superstition, and contrived to remain in prison, till the arrival of the 64 French army in 1822, when, by order of that government, the just sentence was executed. ESSAY ON POETRY. POETRY is one of the most ancient and sublime arts that adorn the intellectual hemisphere of the world. Some of the first lispings of human genius have fallen from the exalted and ethereal strain of poetic song. Sentiment has been invested with an immortality when poured in the harmonies of verse, and swelled in the pathos of poetic composition. In the most barbarous aboriginal conditions of human society, the unenlightened wanderer of the wilds, and the inhabitant of the thick-clad forest, have poured forth the feeling of their spirits in the language of song: and though their compilation was not refined, and graced by the principles of modern art, yet there was the reign of nature's music, not less pathetic and melting, than that which rolled from the Grecian muse, or the chorus of the classic lyre. Many are the definitions that have been given of the art of poetry, and, perhaps, none of them are satisfactory to the human mind. Some have confined this region to fiction. Others call it the imitative art. Poetry may consist of a realm of fiction, and ideal creations of imaginary grandeur; but her angel-pen is also used to embellish and magnify that which does really exist, by comparison, allusion, figure, and metaphor. The panorama of a starry sky may swell into a greater magnificence, and the landscape of nature's paradise may be enriched with the colouring of poetic art, and shine in the fires of a brilliant imagination. The province of poetry is to beautify, imitate, describe, illustrate, and to please. In all ages, it has been a species of literature welcome to the human mind. The remotest annals of learning, receding far in the lapse of time, exhibit specimens of this art, extricated from the world of oblivion, and vibrating on successive ages from the cultivation of song and poesy. This art is the offspring of imagination and passion. It received its birth with the infancy of the human mind; her song pealed with the anthems that echoed round our rising orb in the immensity of the sky. The Long ere prose had originated with the historic pen of Herodotus, poetry was the vehicle of religion, history, and tradition, in the primeval stages of time. Hebrews, the most transcendent in this sublime region, rolled their praises to heaven in sacred poetic effusions. Their compositions are not less magnificent and beautiful than the most elevated flights of the Homeric wing, or less brilliant than the most splendid versions of the Miltonian mind. The Greeks ascribed this art to their gods, and gave it a birth-place in the abodes of their fabulous heaven; whence it was transmitted to earth by some visitant from the spheres of immortal music, and the elysian residence of their deities. The fascinating history of Apollo transports the imagination to those scenes of brightness, where the god of melody, attended with the majestic train of the Graces and the Nine, swept the vales with their chorus, and shed music on the delirious waters of Hypocrene. The Greeks did not confine this divine art to this terrestrial sphere, but supposed the minstrelsy of Apollo floating on the winds of the even, and ringing through the wide extended regions of the universe, as he rode with the swiftness of Pegasean wing. If this branch of literature had not been admired and cultivated by mankind, some of the most astonishing emanations of human genius would have died away with the silence of revolving time, nor would those thoughts that flashed on the darkness of an unrefined age, have enkindled the poetry of many days. How many literary gems, enshrined in the splendour of poetic beauty, have been transmitted to posterity, when, without this permanent envelopment, they would have sunk in the depths of nonexistence. The immortal wings of poetry and imagination have conveyed the genius of the ancient muse down the successive ages of time. This intellectual pyramid still points towards the zenith of mind, and reflects, from its magnificent form, the scintillations of those fires that shine in the starry spheres of poesy. How great the acquisition to literature, bestowed by the productions of the "three poets in three distant ages born." They winged their concave journey in the sunny orbit of imagination; more permanent and splendid than the aphelion of a moment, their systems are fixed in the vertex of their hemisphere, shedding a light over the lesser orbs of poetic genius. Poetry is not only an ornament to the region of learning, but is of great utility to many branches of art and science.Physics, morals, philosophy, and eloquence, summon the aid of this celestial power, to embellish their various fields with the glories of her exalted nature. The orator may visit this shrine, to add a pathos and a beauteous rhetoric to his diction. The human mind is giddy with ecstacy, 133.-VOL. XII. 66 while the musical cadence of his composition falls on the ear, and when the thoughts that breathe, vibrate on the listening spirit of man. This is a realm adapted to various dispositions of mind and taste. It is a world where the thunder of the spheres echoes with storm, and where the lightning is sporting on the darkness of the sky. Her vision can unfold the contending elements clashing in one tremendous combustion. Or, the more temperate mind may enter an elysium of sweets, where fairy spirits gambol in their silvery bowers, and harp on the foliage with their softest song; where fancy may ride on crystal waves, rolled by the zephyr of heaven, or rest where the fountain pours whiteness through the emerald plains. It is a scene alike of majesty and simplicity, of grandeur and mildness, of splendour and softness, of day and of night, of light and of darkness. Here the strain of sacredness may be heard, and the festivity of a spirit's jubilee. Here the chorus of a star-song breaks on the silence, and the whisper of solitude lulls the soul to dreams of contemplation. Her theme extends wide as the magnificence of the material creation, and her wing soars to the altitude of intellectual grandeur. Her spirit wanders over the universe of space in the chariot of imagination; starting from starry orbs and complicated systems, to join the music of the spheres, in the empire of eternal melodies. Poetry can utter the language of the soul, and bind kindred spirits into harmonious chime. She possesses a magic influence that overwhelms the human mind, and conducts the intellect into the existence of the sublime, and the worlds of imaginary paradise. The visions of the poet unfold the most pleasing scenes of nature. He views with rapture the extended landscape swelling at intervals in lofty mountains, and the vales bending with a vista of endless sweets and delights. An ecstacy is poured from the harmony of birds, while beneath the starry canopy of heaven they tune their chorals to the listening night. His soul is not confined in the narrow sphere of a stoical selfishness, but his imagination expands wide as the universe; he resides in the higher domains of intellectual and moral being. It is generally a poetic mind that enters the theatre of romance and fiction, exhibit. ing the versimilitude of being, and delighting the fancy with the picturesque and the beautiful; charming the contemplation with chimeras of bliss, and conducting it into the mazes of a frantic rapture, and a E 67 Roman Roads across the Yorkshire Wolds. giddy dream. His pen is often used to J. BURTON. ROMAN ROADS ACROSS THE YORKSHIRE MR. EDITOR, WOLDS. 68 in Roman camps. They are all trenched, and in many places double. It is difficult to assign a reason why they are often found in the latter form: unless it has been for the purpose of keeping the flocks and herds of the ancient Britons, when passing in opposite directions, from intermingling. In many places, they must have been more than twelve feet deep; and the same in width, the chalk-stone serving instead of an artificial pavement. That they have also served for warlike purposes, is evident from their winding neither along the bottoms nor the summits of the dales. Wherever it can be accómplished, they are a few feet lower than the summit of the dale. This would secure them from being observed by the enemy at a distance; and give them the opporSIR.-The following communication hav-tunity of espying him first. They seem to ing been read at the first meeting of the Yorkshire Philosophical Society for this season, you are welcome to give it publicity, as it may throw a mite into the treasury of some of your antiquarian readers. One of these roads leads in a north-easterly direction, from the site of a Roman camp in a field near Pocklington, which I traced through the parishes of Kilnwick Percy, Warter, Millington, Huggate, Wetwang, &c. towards Driffield. What are commonly called, Huggate Dykes, an old entrenchment, which excited the attention of the late lord Burlington, are situated on this road. The other has been traced nearly to the same encampment, but it leads in a northwesterly direction till it crosses the road on the east side of Garrowby hill. From this point it runs in a northerly direction through the parishes of Kirby Underdale, Wharrarn Percy, &c. to Aldrow; where there is the site of another Roman camp near Birdsall, the seat of lord Middleton. This encampment comes under the denomination of what Brewer, in his Introduction to the Beauties of England and Wales, calls Exploratory. Its situation is remarkably calculated for that purpose, being situated on the margin of the wolds, and commanding an extensive views to the north-west. With regard to the origin of these roads, there is much room for conjecture. Leman, who explored the neighbourhood some years ago, supposes that these, and several others of the same description, were first formed by the ancient Britons for the conveniency of driving their slaves and cattle, and that the Romans improved them for their own use afterward. This conjecture is rendered very plausible from the circumstance of most of them terminating have been formed more for communicating from south to north, than the contrary; as they frequently, when crossing a deep dale, make a direct descent on the south side, but ascend the opposite in a slanting direction. They would therefore be unfit either for the ancient war-chariot, or for the Roman cavalry. It is probable that the lighter troops of the Romans, such as the Velites, passed along these track-ways to supply their armies on the northern side of the wolds. The camp near Pocklington would always be supplied with soldiers from the south, who would march along the Ermyn Street Road, which is but a short distance from it. And these, when wanted in any exploratory camp north of the wolds, would march sooner in the track-ways, than by Derventio, and the road from thence to Dunus Sinus. The Romans would also use them for conveying provisions to their stationary camps. And as they could not be furnished with what was necessary from the vicinity, they would be induced to make improvements and additions to these trackways for their own conveniency. So that these and other roads of the same description are the produce of the labours of the painted Briton and the civilized Roman. But it must also be mentioned, that the Anglo-Romans used these roads in their retreat from the predatory attacks of the Scotch and Picts, after the Roman forces had been withdrawn from the island. Huggate dykes form an encampment similar to another of their constructing near the chain of forts, which Agricola made on the northern boundary of the Roman territories in this country. I remain yours, &c: T. R. Huggate Rectory, Oct. 21, 1829. CELESTIAL PHENOMENA. THE first lunation in the year 1830 commenced at 36 minutes past 3 in the morning of the 26th day of December, 1829, in the 4th degree of Capricorn, the moon having nearly 5 degrees north latitude descending, and approaching the earth, her nearest distance from which she arrives at on the 1st of this month: she is seen in the evening a little to the east of the line joining a Andromeda and Algenib, the two eastern of the four stars forming a square, and is observed directing her course under the three first stars of the Ram, at some distance to the east of her. At 34 minutes past 2, on the following morning, she completes her first quarter, and on the evening of the 3d she is noticed passing under a, B, and y Arietis: her course is now directed to the Bull's eye, which she is observed gradually to approach; and during the night of the 5th it will be very interesting to notice these bodies; as she again hides this star from our view, the distance between them is observed gradually to diminish until 37 minutes 26 seconds past 3 in the morning of the 6th, when the star immerges behind the dark limb of the moon: the occultation will continue until 27 minutes 59 seconds past 4, when the emersion takes place. On the evening of this day, she is observed between Aldebaran and the Bull's southern horn, and after passing the latter star, her progress through the constellation Gemini, and approach to Saturn, becomes an interesting feature in her course. On the evening of the 8th she is seen to the east of a line joining Castor and y Geminorum, and forms a triangle with Betelguex and Procyon the constellations Taurus, Auriga, Gemini, Canis Minor, and Orion, presenting an interesting and brilliant group. On the 9th, at 32 minutes past 3 in the morning, she completes the half of her synodic revolution, being full in the 17th degree of Cancer, with nearly 5 degrees south latitude ascending: she is noticed in the evening to approach a line joining Castor and Pollux. On the next evening she is observed eastward of this line, and approaching Saturn, which she will evidently pass below, before her next appearance; the conjunction taking place at 15 minutes past 8 in the morning of the 11th, she is noticed in the evening, between this planet and Regulus, and passes the star before her next appearance. On the 14th she crosses the ecliptic in her ascending node, and arrives at the apogean point of her orbit on the 15th. After progressing 70 through the constellations Leo and Virgo, she enters her last quarter at 3 minutes past 4 in the morning of the 17th, when she is observed a little to the east of Spica, receding from it, and approaching Mars, which is noticed a considerable distance to the east of her. On the morning of the 19th she is observed to have passed the two first of the Balance; and on the 20th to have approached considerably nearer Mars, which she passes above, at 30 minitues past 8. She now recedes from this planet, and completes her revolution on the 24th, at 54 minutes past 4 in the afternoon, when she is again in conjunction with the sun. This lunation has been completed in 29 days, 13 hours, and 18 minutes; which is 1 hour and 46 minutes shorter than the preceding. The first quarter revolution has been the shortest; 6 days, 22 hours, and 58 minutes, the perigee being situated within it. The second has been longer, 7 days and 58 minutes, in consequence of the moon's approaching the apogee. The period, from the full to the last quarter, has been the longest, 8 days and 31 minutes; the moon having this quarter traversed the apogee, and the last was completed in 7 days, 12 hours, and 51 minutes, as the moon was then receding from the apogee. ρ The passage of Mars through the constellation Scorpio, during this and the following month, is highly interesting. He is noticed, at the commencement of the present month, among a group of stars in the constellation Libra and Scorpio, and forming the summit of an isosceles triangle with the two first of the former; above him are observed three stars, forming a triangle; the brightest, of which is in a line with 6 Libræ and Antares, and between them is marked y Libræ; the northernmost of the others is known as Libræ ; and the southern one as the 4th p Libræ. To the east of him are seen two small stars, marked 41 and p Libræ ; these stars he rapidly passes, being observed very near 41 on the morning of the 3d, and above p on the following morning. The stars now observed to the east of him, are λ, 9, 4, and 51 Libræ, which are nearly in a line with each other, the latter star being the northernmost: these are the most eastern of this constellation. He passes above and very near on the morning of the 8th; and on the succeeding morning is noticed between ß Libræ and Antares. His situation now becomes particularly interesting, B and Scorpionis being observed to the east of him the distance between the planet and B rapidly decreases, and on the morning of the 12th he is noticed below this star, and between it and d. On the morning of the 13th he is seen very near a small star to the south of 6, marked w, Scorpionis: to the east of ẞ Scorpionis, and above the planet, on the morning of the 15th, may be seen a star of the fourth magnitude, marked Scorpionis. To the south of Scorpionis, and nearly in a line with it and ẞ, is observed Scorponis, a star of the third magnitude: it will be very interesting to notice the triangle the planet forms with this star and Antares; and the continual variation observed therein from the morning of the 16th, when it is an isosceles, Antares being the apex. Mars is then noticed between Antares and γ Scorpionis. There are three stars of the fifth magnitude forming a triangle, now noticed to the east of the planet; the northern is marked, the eastern w, and the southern g Scorpionis; he directs his course to w, and passes between and g on the 20th. The distance between the planet and Antares is observed considerably to have diminished, which it continues to do until the 22d, when Mars is noticed very near w he is afterwards observed to recede from this star, and his distance from Antares to increase. On the morning of the 27th he is noticed between Antares and a star of the third magnitude in the constellation Ophiuchus, marked ; and above a star of the sixth magnitude marked 15 Scorpionis. His apparent path is now directed above some inconsiderable stars in the constellation Scorpio. His ap During the month of February, the approach of this planet to Jupiter, (which then becomes visible in the eastern hemisphere a little before sun-rise,) is an interesting feature in his course. On the 3d of February, Mars is seen to the south of Ophiuchii, directing his course between 9 and P of the same constellation, the latter star being noticed to the north; he passes them on the 8th, and on the 14th forms an isosceles triangle with them. parent path is now to the south of four stars of the sixth magnitude, three in the constellation Ophiuchus, and one in Sagittarius; the stars in the former constellation are marked 53, D, and 59; the two latter are the two eastern, and the former the extreme western of them; the other is marked 2 Sagittarii. After passing these stars, he directs his course to three small ones in the constellation Sagittarius, the western of which is of the sixth magnitude, and marked 4, the eastern and southern are of the 7th, and marked 11 and 9. His passage by these stars affords the observer 72 an interesting opportunity of noticing a pretty considerable nebula, situated between 9 and 11 previous to his arrival at these stars, he passes above 63 Ophiuchii on the 20th; and on the 21st he is seen above 4 Sagittarii. On the following morning he is observed very near 9 and the nebula, which is 30 minutes in diameter, and described by Dr Herschel as an elongated mass of stars; 9 is encircled with a faint light. On the 26th Mars is observed between μ and 12 Sagittarii, nearest the latter star. In our last number, the reader will find the phenomena of Saturn for this and the following months. POETRY. THE NEW YEAR; Or, Wishes for the Church-the King-the Parliament-the Nation-the World-and the Kingdom of MESSIAH. ANOTHER year, another birth of time; Health to the Church! my heart's first virgin wish, On the new day-break of the early year; I mean the church of Christ, then Britain's church, I wish the pastors who surround the fold, though unlearn'd, wish for the prophets' schools With this new year, all reformation meet; |