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Review.-Massinger's Family Library.

Origin of the See of Canterbury.-Augustine, the Roman missionary, made his arrival known to Ethelbert, and requested an audience. The king of Kent, though not altogether ignorant of the nature of his queen's religion, nor unfavourably disposed towards it, was yet afraid of that miraculous power which the Romish clergy were then believed to possess, and which they were not backward at claiming for themselves. For this reason he would not receive them within the walls of his royal city of Canterbury, nor under a roof; but went into the island with his nobles, and took his seat to await them in the open air; imagining that thus he should be secure from the infiuence of their spells or incantations. They approached in procession, bearing a silver crucifix, and a portrait of our Saviour upon a banner adorned with gold, and chanting the Litany. The king welcomed them courteously, and ordered them to be seated; after which Augustine stood up, and, through an interpreter whom he had brought from France, delivered the purport of his mission in a brief but well-ordered and impressive discourse. "He was come to the king, and to that kingdom, (he said,) for their eternal good, a messenger of good tidings; offering to their acceptance perpetual happiness here and hereafter, if they would accept his words. The Creator and Redeemer had opened the kingdom of heaven to the human race; for God so loved the world, that he had sent into it his only Son, as that Son himself testified, to become a man among the children of men, and suffer death upon the cross in atonement for their sins." To this address, which was protracted to some length, the king returned a doubtful but gracious answer: his conversion shortly after followed. He gave up his palace to the missionaries, and Augustine obtained a bull from the pope, to found the see of Canterbury. From this period it was regarded with the highest veneration; but in the invasions of the Danes, both the church and city suffered the most grievous ruin, and no less than eight thousand persons are said to have perished at one time in the desolated town.-p. 67. Vol. I.

"Stirling Castle -It is now only in the pages of the historian that the glory of Stirling castle endures. Its royal apartments and superb chapels are converted into barrack-rooms: and the battery, with the few guns by which it is surmounted, is a mockery of the original defences of this once famous stronghold of the Scots. Many memorable transactions have taken place within, or in sight of this castle. Twelve great battles, it is said, have been fought in its neigh

bourhood. The heroic Robert Bruce made it his prize, after it had been held ten years by Edward of England. It was the favourite residence of James I.; and within its walls the second of that name murdered the earl of Douglas. This unfortunate nobleman, who was at the head of a league to humble the power of the monarch, was persuaded, after receiving a safe-conduct signed by the royal seal, to attend the king's invitation to Stirling. He was no sooner there than James commanded him to break up the party he had formed against his authority. The appeal, however, was without effect; and the king, drawing his dagger and exclaiming, "If you will not dissolve the confederacy, this shall," buried it in his heart. The vassals of Douglas immediately assembled to revenge the death of their lord; and proceeding to Stirling, dragging the safe promise of James at a horse's tail, they burned the town, and were preparing to besiege the castle, when the alarmed monarch found it necessary to enter into an accommodation.-p. 124. Vol. I.

"Frog Market at Brussels.-There is in Brussels a market for frogs, which are brought alive in pails and cans, and prepared for dressing on the spot. The hind limbs, which are the only parts used, are cut from the body with scissors, by the women who bring the animals for sale.-p. 157. Vol. I.

"Evil consequences of Amsterdam being built on Piles.-In consequence of the badness of the 139.-VOL. XII.

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foundation, the whole city is built on piles driven endways into the mud; a circumstance which occasioned the witty remark of Erasmus, on visiting it, "that he was in a town where the inhabitants lived, like rooks, on the tops of trees." This circumstance also occasioned the restriction of coaches to men of consequence and physicians, who paid a tax for the privilege of using them; the magistrates conceiving that the rolling of the wheels produced a dangerous concussion of the piles. Goods are conveyed through the town on sledges; and the common conveyance for those who do not wish to walk is a kind of sley or traineau, consisting of the body of a carriage fixed on a hurdle, drawn by a single horse, and guided by the driver, who walks by its side.-p. 170. Vol. I.

"Prison Discipline at Amsterdam,-The principal prison is the house of correction, called also the rasp-house, because the chief employment of its inmates is the cutting and rasping of Brazil wood. In this place of confinement no one is suffered to be idle; and thus the government is indemnified for much of the expenditure incurred, and the prisoners, on their part, are frequently reclaimed, by its wholesome and rigid discipline, from the dissolute and vicious habits which led them to become its inmates. In the yard of the prison is one cell, and one only, for the treatment of the incorrigibly idle. A stream of water constantly flows into it, which can only be discharged through a pump set up within. The only means, therefore, by which the inmate can avoid being overwhelmed by the ingress of the water, is by working incessantly at the pump: if he persists in his idleness, he is inevitably drowned. It is said that it is now never used.-p. 172. Vol. I.

REVIEW.-The Family Library.

Dra

matic Series. No. I. Massinger. Vol. I. 16mo. pp. 393. Murray. London.

1830.

MR. MURRAY has conferred an invaluable service on the many by the publication of his "Family Library;" and we hail with much pleasure the commencement of the Dramatic Series, the first volume of which now lies before us.

Prejudices, but too well founded, exist against the drama, among the most respectable and reflective part of the community; and so long as the stage continues to exhibit a gross mixture of buffoonery, open licentiousness, and double entendre, there will be little prospect of its occupying a very high place in public estimation. The idiot, it is true, will find subjects for laughter, and the man of pleasure will enjoy with peculiar zest the scenic performances of the day; but he who admires the legitimate drama, and who can comprehend "the purpose of playing, whose end, both at the first and now, was and is to hold, as 'twere, the mirror up to nature," will most frequently retire from the theatre with disappointment and disgust.

As a lofty and comprehensive department of poetry, the drama may, however, be viewed without any reference to actual representation; yet those things which offend the judicious on the stage, cannot be less exceptionable, or less injurious to the

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Review.-Massinger's Family Library.

mind, when brought into the closet, or introduced to the boudoir. If the truth of this remark be admitted,—and it will not be denied-insuperable objections must arise to the reading of many plays, which possess much intrinsic worth, and, in some parts, offer very strong motives to perseverance in moral virtue. In confirmation of this opinion, we quote from the ably written advertisement prefixed to the present volume of the Family Library, the following passage.

"The neglect of these authors, (the Old English Dramatists) in an age so favourable to works of imagination as the present, can only be ascribed to that occasional coarseness of language which in termixes with and pollutes the beauty of their most exquisite scenes. For what may be termed the licentiousness of the stage, for immorality of principle, for that offence which was transplanted from France to England with the Court of Charles the Second, our old dramatists do not require the aid of any apologist. They are innocent of attempting to confound the notions of right and wrong, or of seeking to influence the bad passions of our nature against the first great principles of morals. These were the corruptions of a later and more vicious age. With the earlier playwriters, the bent of the story and the interest of the spectator are always directed to the side of virtue; but the objection against them is, that though they armed themselves in her cause, they were too little scrupulous what kind of weapon they employed. The worst things are always called by the worst names! Nothing is sacrificed to delicacy. The grossest subjects are treated, whenever they happen to occur-and no care is taken to avoid them in the grossest terms. Vice loses none of her enormity by any diminution of her coarseness. If the wicked are introduced, they are painted with a perfect truth of nature; they are represented as loathsome in language as they are detestable in conduct; and are rendered as offensive to the reader of cultivated taste and virtuous habits as they would be in the actual intercourse of life. However well it may have suited the less polished age of Elizabeth and James, thus to inculcate purity by exhibiting all the corruptions of the depraved, and to fortify the moral principle by portraying wickedness, with all its hateful accompaniments, as an object of disgust as well as of abhorrence and contempt, such strong pictures are no longer tolerable at the present day, and the recurrence of the militates against that general circulation and approval which is otherwise due to the great merit of the works in which they occur."

We do not entirely concur with the writer of this advertisement. The Old Dramatists are not so guiltless of confounding the principles of right and wrong as he supposes. Much obscenity frequently tarnishes the brightest portraitures they have drawn; and licentiousness is too often admitted under the specious veil of venial levity. If called upon to adduce instances, we name, Hamlet's observations to Ophelia, and the conversation between the French princess and her confidante, both of which are from Shakspeare.

The conductors of the Family Library have, however, pointed out the radical evil in dramatic literature, and prepared an efficient remedy to counteract its effects. The

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productions, included in this class of writing have undergone a scrupulous examination at their hands; and what they contain of real worth and utility is presented under features that will recommend these neglected works to popular favour, without involving any compromise of moral principle.

The Elizabethan era was distinguished by a splendid galaxy of dramatic authors, including Shakspeare, Jonson, Beaumont, Fletcher, Shirley, and Massinger. These talented writers brought both tragedy and comedy to a state of high perfection,—and the compositions of Shakspeare, especially, threw round the stage a splendour that has only brightened in the lapse of time.

Few materials for a life of Massinger can be found, yet from the scattered and imperfect data that could be obtained, the Editor of the Family Library has woven a biography of no common interest.

Philip Massinger was, it would appear, born at Salisbury in the year 1584. He was the son of Arthur Massinger a gentleman in the service of Henry, the second Earl of Pembroke." All, however, which we need notice in this place is, that, at the age of two-and-twenty, he was driven, partly by his necessities, and partly by the bent of his inclination, to commence dramatic author, for which purpose he came up to London.

His productions were very numerous; but some of them have been destroyed, and others are in toto too gross to be brought to light in the nineteenth century.

The "Dramatic Series" commences with "The Virgin Martyr," of Massinger; this tragedy, includes two distinct plots, one (this submitted to the reader) eminently beautiful, and the other disgustingly offensive. If space would permit, we should make copious extracts from the piece as it stands in the present work, to show the style of our author both with respect to the mechanism of his dramas and the structure of his language: we must, however, quote sparingly, and rest content with recommending to the reader the classic remains of an author comparatively little known.

The scene of the tragedy is laid in Cæsarea, in the time of the emperors Dioclesian and Maximinus, by whose orders à fiery persecution was directed against the Christians. Dorothea, the heroine of the piece, beloved by Antoninus son of Sapritius, governor of Cæsarea, is brought under sentence of death for her attachment to

Christianity. Her lover accompanies her to the scaffold, and, after witnessing her execution, expires suddenly at the side of his beloved mistress.

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Review.-Massinger's Family Library.

Angelo and Harpax are spirits, clothed in human shape; the former a ministring angel attendant on Dorothea, and the latter a servant of Satan, employed to stir up hatred against the Christians in the mind of Theophilus.

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Anton.

"Is this the place, where virtue is to
suffer,

And heavenly beauty, leaving this base earth,
To make a glad return from whence it came?
Is it, Macrinus?

Mac. By this preparation

You well may rest assured that Dorothea
This hour is to die here.

Anton. Then with her dies

The abstract of all sweetness that's in woman!
Set me down, friend, that, ere the iron hand
Of death close up mine eyes, they may at once
Take my last leave both of this light and her:
For, she being gone, the glorious sun himself-
To me's Cimmerian darkness.

Mac. Strange Affection!

Cupid once more hath changed his shafts with Death

And kills, instead of giving life.

Anton. Nay, weep not;

Though tears of friendship be a sovereign balm, On me they're cast away. It is decreed

That I must die with her; our clue of life

Was spun together.

Mac. Yet, sir, 'tis my wonder,

That you, who, hearing only what she suffers,
Partake of all her tortures, yet will be

To add to your calamity, an eye-witness

Of her last tragic scene, which must pierce deeper, And make the wound more desperate.

Anton. Oh, Macrinus!

"Twould linger out my torments else, not kill me,
Which is the end I aim at: being to die too,
What instrument more glorious can I wish for,
Than what is made sharp by my constant love
And true affection? It may be, the duty
And loyal service, with which I pursued her,
And seal'd it with my death, will be remembered
Among her blessed actions; and what honour
Can I desire beyond it?

Enter a Guard bringing in DOROTHEA a
Headsman, before her; followed by
THEOPHILUS, SAPRITIUS, and HARPAX.

See, she comes; How sweet her innocence appears! more like To heaven itself, than any sacrifice That can be offered to it: By my hopes Of joys hereafter, the sight makes me doubtful In my belief; nor can I think our gods Are good, or to be served, that take delight In offerings of this kind: that to maintain Their power, deface the masterpiece of nature, Which they themselves come short of. She ascends, And every step raises her nearer heaven. Sap. You are to blame

To let him come abroad. Mac. It was his will;

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And, therefore, having first with horror weighed
What 'tis to die, and to die young; to part with
All pleasures and delights; lastly, to go
Where all antipathies to comfort dwell,
Furies behind, about thee, and before thee;
And, to add to affliction, the remembrance
Of the Elysian joys thou might'st have tasted,
Hadst thou not turn'd apostata to those gods
That so reward their servants; let despair
Prevent the hangman's sword, and on this scaffold
Make thy first entrance into hell.

Anton. She smiles,

Unmov'd by Mars! as if she were assured
Death, looking on her constancy, would forget
The use of his inevitable hand.

Theoph. Derided too! despatch, I say.
Dor. Thou fool!

That gloriest in having power to ravish
A trifle from me I am weary of,

What is this life to me? not worth a thought;
Or, if it be esteemed, 'tis that I lose it
To win a better: even thy malice serves
To me but as a ladder to mount up

To such a height of happiness, where I shall
Look down with scorn on thee, and on the world;
Where, circled with true pleasures, placed above
The reach of death or time, 'twill be my glory
To think at what an easy price I bought it.
There's a perpetual spring, perpetual youth:
No joint-benumbing cold, or scorching heat,
Famine, nor age, have any being there.
Forget, for shame, your Tempe; bury in
Oblivion your feign'd Hesperian orchards :-
The golden fruit kept by the watchful dragon,
Which did require a Hercules to get it,
Compared with what grows in all plenty there,
Deserves not to be named. The power I serve
Laughs at your happy Araby, or the

Elysian shades; for he hath made his bowers
Better in deed, than you can fancy yours.
Anton. O, take me thither with you!

Dor. Trace my steps,

And be assured you shall.

Sap. With my own hands

I'll rather stop that little breath is left thee,
And rob thy killing fever.

Theoph. By no means;

Let him go with her: do, seduc'd young man,
And wait upon thy saint in death; do, do :
And, when you come to that imagin'd place,
That place of all delights-pray you, observe me,
And meet those cursed things I once called daugh
ters,

Whom I have sent as harbingers before you;
If there be any truth in your religion,

In thankfulness to one, that with care hasten
Your journey thither, pray you send me some
Small pittance of that curious fruit you boast of.
Anton. Grant that I may go with her, and I will.
Sap. Wilt thou in thy last minute damn thyself?
Theoph. The gates to hell are open.
Dor. Know, thou tyrant,

Thou agent for the devil, thy great master,
Though thou art most unworthy to taste of it,
I can,
and will.

p. 81.

At this moment Angelo enters, when Harpax retreats confused, and can no more be brought into his presence. The headsman soon after performs his murderous office, and the soul of the "Virgin Martyr" enters into its rest, accompanied by the spirit of her lover, who falls lifeless at the completion of her sentence.

Angelo is deputed to bear a taste of the true heavenly food to Theophilus, according to Dorothea's promise. The heart of

this destroyer is in consequence converted; and he subsequently glories in, and suffers, the extreme pains of martyrdom. The tragedy concludes with his death.

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Review. Poisoning with Arsenic.

Such of our readers as are little acquainted with the works of Massinger, will be able to form some idea, from the long extract we have given, of his merits as a dramatic writer, They will notice no small portion of Shakspearian fire, and negligence, in his compositions, mingled with occasional quaintness of expression, and extravagance of figure. His writings certainly deserve a niche in the archives of fame; and, as presented in the "Family Library," they supply an important desideratum in the literature of the present day.

REVIEW.-Poisoning with Arsenic. Simultaneous poisoning of Six Persons.— Taste of Arsenic.—The Test of Redecation may supply Evidence, when the quantity of Metal sublimed is less than a 250th part of a grain, and is too minute to form a characteristic crust. By Robert Christison, M.D. Edin. Med. &Surg. Journal, c. 11. Jan. 1830. THE paper which we select for review, upon this occasion, is one of very great moment, whether we regard the circumstances under which the poison was taken, or that minuteness and precision of chemical inquiry, which so successfully investigated and verified the nature of the poisonous ingredient, and ultimately led to a thorough knowledge of the whole of he process.

It appears, that on the 1st of November last, a baronet in Roxburghshire, together with his family, and several visitors, amounting to six persons, sat down to dinner; and were all, during the repast, or immediately after, seized with severe symptoms-sickness, vomiting, and pains in the bowels, and, in one instance, diarrhoea. The continuance and severity of the symptoms, together with the circumstance of the whole six persons being similarly attacked, left no doubt that they were caused by the presence of some poisonous substance in one or other of the articles used at dinner, and of which all had partaken. In order to discover what the poison was, and to clear up the mystery of its introduction, a proportion of the various articles used were sent to Dr. Christison, for chemical examination. At first it was supposed, that the only thing at table, of which all had partaken, was some soup, but, on examination, there was no indication of the presence of any metallic poison, the only class of which, from the symptoms, there could be any suspicion.

The next article examined was the

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vomited matter, of which two quarts were sent, taken from a pail containing about four gallons-the matter vomited by four of the party. We shall give the result in Dr. Christison's own words.

"A small portion of this, when filtered, gave no indication of any of the above metallic poisons,* on being treated with sulphuretted hydrogen. But when the whole filtered fluid was evaporated to the volume of two ounces, sulphuretted hydrogen produced a dirty yellowish cloudiness, which, after ebullition, and subsequent rest for twelve hours, gave place to a scanty, Naples yellow, flaky precipitate. This precipitate was separated and washed, by the process of subsidence and affusion, repeatedly performed, and was then dried in a watch-glass. The product, which was very small in quantity, and, of course, contained a large proportion of animal matter, was then subjected to the process of reduction, in one of the sinall tubes recommended by Berzelius. By close and cautious management of the heat, a scanty sublimate was procured, forming a dark filmy cloud, on a small part of the narrowest portion of the tube. This sublimate was entirely destitute of brilliancy on the outside, or of crystalline appearance on the interior; and, consequently, without the subsequent test of oxidation, suggested lately by Dr. Turner, no conclusion whatever could be deduced from it. But, on removing the portion of the tube containing the plug, and then subjecting the film to repeated sublimation, a ring of fine sparkling white crystals was formed, on some of which I could observe, with a common magnifier, triangular facettes. I could hardly doubt, therefore, that I had procured a minute quantity of oxide of arsenic. But as the quantity was so small, that, being in the custom of weighing somewhat larger quantities, I was sure it did not amount to nearly a 250th part of a grain, I resolved to subject it to a farther

Arsenic, mercury, copper, antimony, lead, or zine, or any of their preparations.

In

We know of no work, professedly treating on this subject, which recommends the evaporation and concentration of suspected fluids, for the purpose of detecting poisons in very minute quantity; and, therefore, it is possible that the idea and application may be original with Dr. Christison; but certainly he is not the first to have suggested this improvement in toxicological analysis. Vol. I. No. 6. New Series of the Medical and Physical Journal, for December, 1826, and which we have now before us, we observe, among the "Original Papers," one by Dr. Venables, entitled, "On the Detection of Poisons," from which we make the following extract, "It may now be inquired, after having applied our reagents, and finding no traces, are we to conclude that arsenic does not exist in the suspected fluid? This question may be fairly replied to, in the negative. I diluted a solution of arsenic, till the addition of the most delicate reagents afforded no sensible indication of its presence. But, upon distilling the mixture, when the fluid became concentrated, the action of the test became sensible. Hence, in all suspicious cases, it would be well to concentrate the suspected fluid, by distillation or evaporation.

"It will frequently happen, that, when a fluid has been evaporated nearly to dryness, by continuing the heat, if the process have been performed by distillation, or applying a sufficient tempera ture, if otherwise-that arsenic will sublime, and may thus be collected and treated by the usual reagents."-p. 513.

These we consider as very important directions, and, indeed, highly deserving attention. Concentration should always be practised in suspicious cases, where the usual tests afford not the characteristic reagencies. The paper in Med. and Phys. Journal contains some useful hints, and we recommend its perusal; for, though there may be some chaff, we are satisfied that the grain will amply repay the trouble of winnowing.

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Review. The Drama of Nature.

test. With this view, two drops of water were introduced into the tube, and boiled on the crystals. These were soon dissolved, and in the solution, the ammoniacal nitrate of silver caused as characteris.

tic a lemon-yellow precipitate, as it could produce in any arsenical solution."- -p. 68-69.

The obvious conclusion, from the above facts, was, that arsenic existed in the matter ejected by vomiting. However, Dr. C., with that precaution which should ever characterise the medical jurist, hesitated to come to such a conclusion, lest the small trace of arsenic discovered might have been owing to an accidental contamination arising from an arsenical foulness adhering to the vessels-precipitating jars, glass funnels, and evaporating basins, &c.-in which the analysis was conducted. However, this difficulty was removed by the subsequent proceedings, as detailed by Dr. C. He observes

"It was afterwards remembered by the party, that they had all partaken of certain bottles of wine, the remains of three of which were therefore sent to me.

"In a bottle of Teneriffe, and in another of a light French white wine, sulphuretted hydrogen gas caused no change whatever, and both of them were free of foreign taste. But, in the remains of a bottle of Champagne, which also was free of any taste, except that of vinous sweetness, the same test caused a copious sulphur yellow precipitate. The arsenical nature of this precipitate was proved by the process of reduction. Two ounces of the wine gave one grain and a quarter of sulphuret of arsenic, corresponding to one grain of oxide of arsenic.*

"On subsequent inquiry, it appeared that the bottle of Champagne was brought from the cellar before dinner, by the baronet himself, who undid the wine during dinner, immediately before the wine was used. This circumstance shewed that the wine had been poisoned before the bottle was corked by the wine-merchant."—p. 69.

We acknowledge that the above paper is one of great merit, and one of no small degree of interest; and, indeed, if any thing were wanting to stamp the zeal and industry of the learned professor, it is one that would go far to do this. Yet, though we willingly acknowledge the value and importance of this paper, we cannot but regret, that the inquiry has not been carried a step farther, from which the most important results, in a public sense, are to be anticipated. The history terminates, after having shewn that the Champagne was the wine in which the arsenic existed, and that the poisoning took place before the wine was corked.

Now, the questions of greatest moment to the public are--was the poisoning of the wine the result of accident, of design, or of fraud? Much might be done towards solving these questions. The presence of arsenic in this bottle might have been a

Allowing twelve ounces to be the average capacity of a bottle, there must have been six grains of arsenic in solution in the bottle.

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mere accidental occurrence, arising from inattention, and not seeing that the bottle was thoroughly clean when the wine was introduced. Thus the wine might have been incautiously put into a bottle containing a solution of, or arsenic in substance. If this were found to be the only bottle containing it, such would be a legitimate

conclusion. If the effect of a criminal design, this would be a fair presumption, if, out of a certain number taken promiscuously, some were found to contain arsenic,

while others were found to be free from

any such contamination. If a fraudulent adulteration were the object, the contamination would be found to pervade every bottle of the sample.

We are not aware of any object to be obtained by introducing arsenic into wine of any kind, much less Champagne; but, still, fraudulent adulterations are often practised without the object being obvious at first. Arsenic may, for aught we know, correct some flavour, taste, or other obnoxious quality, and we are all well satisfied, that many unprincipled dealers are not always over-scrupulous as to the means to which they resort, to render their goods more palatable, or more marketable. No man now will feel secure, as to the consequences, if he indulge in Champagne ; every glass may be the passport for a grain, or so, of arsenic to his stomach; and, on every occasion of indulgence, he incurs the fear, at least, if not the risk, of its proving his last.

The suggestions of a further, and more extended examination of the impurity of this wine, involve, in our opinion, objects of the highest public moment, and, if they have not already occurred to Dr. Christison, we trust he will turn his future attention to the subject, and that he will not leave a work of such importance, which he has begun so well, and so creditably, in its present unfinished state.

REVIEW.-The Drama of Nature. A Poem in three Books. By Joseph Mitchell Burton. 12mo. p. 187. Fisher and Co. London. 1830.

THE age in which we live is so overstocked with poetry, that unless the commodity is of an excellent quality, it is in great danger of being found unmarketable. Many volumes which we could mention have dropped stillborn from the press; and several others, after uttering a feeble cry, have retired silently into the shades of oblivion, where they enjoy undisturbed repose. In this beaten path many others are quietly travel

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