The Prince of Peace; and other Poems. 4to. 2s. 6d. Murray. WE are indebted to the author of Armine and Elvira for the Prince of Peace, and the other poems in the prefent publication. The fame fenfibility of heart, and plaintive moral turn fe confpicuous in that poem, run throughout the whole of the pieces now before us.

The Prince of Peace is a spirited remonftrance against the American war; but Mr. Cartwright's muse stoops not to be the virago of a party; the appears to speak from the fullness of her heart, and from great and benevolent views. With regard to the author's political orthodoxy it is not our province. to determine ; tho' it is proper for us to observe that he seems to have reached the end he had in view, which was to excite our horror against a war where Britons, Britons meet with hoftile force.' This war he has painted with all its dreadful accompaniments and confequences, among which the cruelty and ravages of the Indians are not the leaft dreadful. As a fpecimen of the work we fhall prefent the public with the author's description of an Indian incurfion.

Lo! now, arous'd to favage war,

Their horrid rites begin; the chiefs advance
Hark! their wild orgies eccho from afar !

Their fongs of death, that time the warriour dance?
Their origies ended, forth with filent tread
They fteal along beneath the veil of night:

In coward murder bent, alike they dread
The glare of day or foe prepar'd to fight.

Now with light leaves they ftrew the trackless way;
Now couching creep along to fpring upon their
-Perchance, in that unguarded hour

When wearied Nature finks in fweet repose,
Some parent, bound by fleep's fubduing power,
Awhile forgets his own and country woes :
Kind Fancy paints to his deluded fight

prey.

His infants fporting where no foes moleft;
Their looks contemplating with fond delight,
He clafps the fmiling mother to his breast.
His lighten'd heart the flattering dream beguiles,
And golden harvest wave, and Peace returning smiles.
Ah dream delufive! foon to end!

The human fiends now spread deftruction wide :
Hither their defolating courfe they bend,

With death that walks in darkness at their fide!

The yell, that rends th' affrighted air,

Proclaims with favage found their purpose done.
With rage of hell the mangled Limbs they tear!
With rage of hell, from blood to blood they run !
Carnage and conflagration mark their way;
Youth, age, and beauty fall, an unrefißing prey,’

The

The author then goes on to defcribe the fate of infancy and old age in the hands of these barbarians, and thus clofes the defcription with a lover and his mistress falling victims to their favage rage.

• Yet Beauty meets a milder doom

Yet female weakness bends the stubborn foul-
In vain, or fex fhall plead, or beauty bloom:
Their furious paflions feel no foft controul.
Perchance e'en now, in yon fequefter'd bower
Some maid fhall liften to her lover's voice,
In thought anticipate the golden hour,

When holy rites fhall fanctify her choice.
Vows of long love the breathes, with fondeft breath!
Ah! foon to cancel all those vows in death!

E'en now the hears the ambush'd foe:

What found, fhe ftarting cries, pervades my ear?
In yonder moonlight glade it lingers flow-
No foe infidious furely lurking near!
Sufpect, the youth replies, no bafe defign;
Our fafe retreat what prying foe shall find?
'Twas but the whifper of the murmuring pine,
Or diftant waters founding in the wind."
Her fears remov'd, he thinks no danger nigh,
And reads fresh transports in her fmiling eye.
Alas! that eye fhall fmile no more!

No more that lovely cheek with beauty glow !
In graceful negligence no more fhall flow

Thofe waving ringlets ftiff with clotted gore!
The wolves of war now rend that flowing hair!
Impending o'er their agonizing prize,
With gnashing unrelenting fangs they tear
The horrid trophy of their victories!
This fees the youth, expiring as he lies,
With aggravated horror fees and dies !'

With regard to the other poems, the public has already feen with pleasure the Elegy in Memory of a Lady' and if we are not mistaken, it feems to have received several improvements fince its first publication.

In the Hymn to Patience,' the beauties of poetry, and the confolations of found philofophy are happily blended, and make an united addrefs to the understanding and the heart. The following address to Patience is fpirited and poetical. O meek-ey'd Patience! at thy name

E'en now I feel thy influence dart
Fresh vigour to the fainting heart,

And chear my languid frame!
E'en now I fee Thee move along!
No stubborn pride attends Thee now,
Nor Sullennefs with gloomy how ;

But

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But chearful Peace, in maiden pride,
And Refolution at her fide,

Compofe thy decent throng.

Ah! let not ever in thy train be seen

Dull Apathy, from virtuous feelings free;
From thine tho' widely different be her mein,
By erring man miftaken oft for Thee..
Oh! to my fight thy genuine features fhew!

Hope in thy modeft eye, and meeknefs in thy brow.'

The following

Ode to Sleep,' is rather in a different style

from the reft; and fhews that Mr. Cartwright's mufe can affume eafe as well as dignity.,

Sleep, thy balmy aid apply!

Calm to reft my wakeful woes!
Sorrow's cheek, O gently dry!
Sorrow's eye in flumber clofe!
Fancy, then, fhall hold her reign
Hope fhall footh the penfive mind;
Stella then shall smile again;
Stella fhall again be kind

Loft to all we most adore,

What has life that's worth our care?
Sleep, to my fond arms reftore
Stella, faithful, kind, and fair!

But, tho' once so fair and kind,
Should thofe dreams of love be paft!

Ah then what folace may I find?
Still let me fleep-and fleep my last !

We cannot deny ourfelves the pleasure of concluding this article with a Sonnet, written under a Statue of Hymen,' while we congratulate the author on a happiness which is not the most common bleffing of the age.

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No fuppliant vot'ry at thy modeft fhrine

For promis'd blifs delay'd affails thine ear;
Grateful I own thy choiceft gifts, are mine,

Thy gifts, increasing ftill thro' many a year!
Peace, Health, and Eafe, and unreprov'd Delight,
And calm Contentment, form thy gentle train
Love waves his light wings, joyous at the fight,
Proud to partake with thee thy easy reign.
Fanning thy golden torch, he fmiles to fee
His faireft promifes fulfill'd by thee!

Still may that golden torch diffufe its light!

By love's foft pinions fanned, ftill glow more bright!

Thro' lateft years extend its chearing ray,

And gild the gathering gloom of life's expiring day!"

There is a vignette prefixed to the poems, expreffive of the ftory we have quoted from the prince of Peace, which is not without merit, both as to defign and execution.

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The Planter's Guide; or, Pleafure Gardener's Companion. Embel lifed with Copper-plates proper to the Subject. By James Meader, late Gardener to his Grace the Duke of Northumberland. 45. half bound. Robinson.

WHEN we confider the variety of books and pamphlets on

planting and gardening, which of late years have been obtruded on the public, it might be expected that every part relative to the fubject was fo far explained and elucidated as to render (at least for fome years to come) any future publication unneceffary or ufelefs; however, the work before us appears not to ftand in that predicament: for although it contains little information but what may be found in the works of Miller, Mawe, and feveral other authors, yet the method here laid down for difpofing of the trees and fhrubs in ornamental plantations well deferve the attention of every planter who undertakes to lay out or design such embellishments of gardening: for, as the author obferves,

The reason why fo many plantations, after eight or ten years planting, appear unfightly, is owing to an improper mixture of the plants whereas had they been rightly difpofed, we fhould not fee fo many hollows or openings, or bottoms of decayed branches, but the whole would be covered with verdure down to the very front' (we fuppofe he means the margin next the walk or lawn) in an eafy theatrical manner, and in summer scarce a ftem vifible: but how often may be seen a tallgrowing tree near the front of a plantation, and further back various humble fhrubs, rendered ftill more diminutive by the over-fpreading branches of fuch tree, whose proper place should have been behind thofe lefs-growing plants, where they might more freely enjoy the benefit of the fun and air so neceffary for vegetables.'

Having explained the reafons from whence this error of planting arifes, the author thus concludes his obfervation on thofe pleasure ground plantations which in general have already been executed, for as the future beauty of the plantation depends on the first arrangement of the plants, too much attention cannot be given to their difpofition and proper intermixtures.'

He then proceeds to point out the proper method for difpofing the trees and fhrubs in a new plantation, so that when grown to perfection they may appear the most agreeable to the eye; he obferves,

Where the plantations are not very large, it has been cuftomary to intermix deciduous trees with evergreens. This mode of difpofition is not difpleafing in fummer, when the deciduous trees difplay their foliage, which make a good contraft with the dark evergreens; but at the approach of winter, and during

that

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that feafon when the deciduous trees are ftript of their verdure, to many perfons fuch appearance is difgufting; and for this reafon it is, many gentlemen of tafte, in their plantations, have feparated the evergreens and deciduous trees into diftin&t clumps, which certainly has a better effect than to fee a pine, or fir, furrounded with a number of leaflefs trees: therefore, where fuch intermixtures are required, it would be more pleafing to the eye to difpofe each kind, in large groups, alternately; for in the fummer months they will form a more ftriking contraft with each other, than by the more common method of intermixed planting; and in winter the evergreens will appear more confpicuous, than when fingly planted among deciduous trees; there fore if it is agreeable to the eye in continued plantations, how much more fo will the appearance be where the plantation is laid out in distinct clumps, or even in open groves.?

The author continues then to make obfervations on the dif ferent kinds of foil fuitable for fuch plantations; a rich loam he recommends as being the best for all forts of trees and fhrubs; for, provided there is a fufficient depth of such foil, moft kinds will grow in the greatest vigour and luxuriancy; but he obferves that,

.

Many places are not furnished with fuch foil where it is required to form new plantations, many fites being compofed of ftrong clay, others of a dry gravel or fand, fome of chalk, &c. and many with various intermixtures; it fhould therefore be well confidered in either of thefe kinds of earths, what trees and fhrubs will agree and beft thrive therein.' For he obferves, that

this is a matter of no small confequence to the future beauty of the plantation; but as there are many hardy kinds of trees, which will grow in almost any foil, fo there are others which will make but little progrefs, unless they have fuch earth to grow in as is more fuitable to their nature; fome plants delighting in a strong clay, others thriving best on a moderate dry foil, and many others where the land is frequently overflowed with water. For this reason, it were better, where the foil is of the undefirable kind, to relinquifh planting a great variety of plants thereon, chufing only thofe of more certain growth, which may thrive tolerably well; not but fome few of other kinds may be tried, as fometimes curious trees or fhrubs will grow where it might be expected they would not fucceed.'

The author next proceeds to explain the management of the land before the season for planting the trees and shrubs, fuch as trenching the ground, clearing it of noxious weeds which might impede the growth of the young plantation; fo that when the time is arrived, the land may be ready for the reception of the plants intended to grow therein. He points out the method of treatment to be used with ftrong clayey and gravelly foils. He then points out the proper feafons whenVOL. XLVII. April, 1779.

X

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