For, on th' expanded blossom sitting, With sunbeams knitting That mystic veil for ever unremoved, Thou badest the softly-kindling flame Pervade this peopled frame, HYMN TO INDRA. THE ARGUMENT. So many allusions to Hindoo mythology occur in the following Ode, that it would be scarce intelligible with And smiles, with blushes tinged, the work ap- out an explanatory introduction, which, on every ac proved. Goddess, around thy radiant throne The scaly shoals in spangled vesture shone, Some slowly, through green waves advancing, Some swiftly glancing, As each thy mild mysterious power impell'd: E'en orcs and river dragons felt Their iron bosoms melt count, and on all occasions, appears preferable to notes in the margin. A distinct idea of the god, whom the poem celebrates, may be collected from a passage in the ninth section of the Gità, where the sudden change of measure has an effect similar to that of the finest modulation: te punyamasadya surendra locam asnanti divyan dividevabhogan, te tam bhuctwa swergalocam visalam cshine punye mertyalocain visanti. With scorching heat; for love the mightiest quell'd. "These having through virtue reached the mansion of On yon fresh Cétaca, whose amorous flower He blends perfume, and multiplies the bower. Thus, in one vast eternal gyre, Of melting tints illudes the visual ray : To sentient forms, that sink again to clay. Ye maids and youths on fruitful plains, Tripping at eve these hallow'd banks along; With many a smiling race shall bless your song. the king of Sura's, feast on the exquisite heavenly food of the gods: they, who have enjoyed this lofty region of Swerga, but whose virtue is exhausted, revisit the habitation of mortals." Indra, therefore, or the king of Immortals, corresponds with one of the ancient Jupiters (for several of that name were worshipped in Europe,) and particularly with Jupiter the conductor, whose attributes are so nobly described by the Platonic philosophers; one of his numerous titles is Dyupeti, or, in the nominative case be. fore certain letters, Dyupetir; which means the Lord of Heaven, and seeins a more probable origin of the Hetruscan word than Juvans Pater; as Diespiter was probably, not the father, but the Lord of day. He may be considered as the Jove of Ennius in this memorable line: "Aspice hoc sublime candens, quem invocant omnes Jovenwhere the poet clearly means the firmament, of which Indra is the personification. He is the god of thunder and the five elements, with inferior genit under his command; and is conceived to govern the eastern quarter of the world, but to preside, like the genius or Agathodææman of the ancients over the celestial bands, which are stationed on the summit of Meru or the north-pole, where he solaces the gods with nectar and heavenly music; hence, perhaps, the Hindoos, who give evidence, and the magistrates, who hear it, are directed to stand fronting the east or the north. This imaginary mount is here feigned to have been seen in a vision at Varanasi, very improperly called Banaris, which takes its name from two rivulets that embrace the city; and the bard, who was favoured with the sight, is supposed to have been Vyasa, surnamed Dwaipayana, or Dwelling in an Island; who, if he really composed the Gità, makes very flattering mention of himself in the tenth chapter. The plant lata, which he describes weaving a net round the mountain Mandara, is transported by a poetical liberty to Sumeru, which the great author of the Mahabharat has richly painted in four beautiful couplets: it is the generic name for a creeper, though represented here as a species, of which many elegant varieties are found in Asia. The Genii named Cinnarus are the male dancers in Swerga, or the heaven of Indra: and the Apsaras are his dancing-girls, answering to the fairies of the Persians, and to the damsels called in the Koran hhuru'lùyùn, or with antelopes' eyes. For the story of Chitrarat'ha, the chief musician of the Indian paradise, whose painted car was burned by Arjun; and for that of the Chaturdesaretna, or fourteen gems, as they are called, which were produced by churning the ocean: the reader must be referred to Mr. Wilkins's learned annotations on his accurate version of the Bhagavadgità. The fable of the pomegranate-flower is borrowed from the popular my. thology of Nepal and Tibet. In this poem the same form of stanza is repeated with variations, on a principle entirely new in modern lyric poetry, which on some future occasion may be explained. ng meteors from the zenith stream? rapturous dream the isle-born bard in fiction's maze? : he hears; he views no fancied rays; mounted on the sun's bright beam; him revels his empyreal train: their tints! how sweet their strain! ing stars around his regal seat many-colour'd light they weave, unholy would of sense bereave: rkling hands and lightly-tripping feet es and panting clouds behind them leave. of song and sacred beauty smit, ic dance they knit: circling, whirling, twining, leading, ay pageant from the sky descends ntain of delight, glory, bless'd by glory's king! pering shade imbower me, whilst I sing ers yet unreach'd by mortal flight. ng mountain! in thy bowers of love are seen, save where medicinal stalks ps balsamic o'er the silver'd walks ; s are heard, save where the restless е pulse and mild reluctance talks; woven gold, with gems enchased, rald hillocks graced, se fresh laps in young fantastic mazes al bounds and blazes he lithe convolvulus, that winds s, and each flaunting arbour binds. -ient Brahma this new world approved, wings eight primal mountains moved; mark'd Sumeru for his own, onless was every stone he moon he rears his golden head: inspired, nor heaven's all-perfect speech, unhallow'd rhyme his beauties teach, he pavement which th' immortals tread; -ht of man his awful height can reach : it, maddens; who approaches, dies; flame-darting eyes, roll a thousand sleepless dragons; m their diamond flagons Eng gods exhaustless nectar sip, Ows and sparkles on each fragrant lip. in memory of the churned wave ra gave, when Amrit first was won ious demons, who to Máyà's eyes he prize, and rued the fight begun. Ele each ardent Cinnara persuades eyed Apsara to break the dance, her loth, yet with love-beaming glance, Yet unconsumed, gleams like an orient star. Narayan's gem, the moonlight's tender languish; The solemn leech, slow-moving o'er the strand, A vase of long-sought Amrit in his hand. "To soften human ills dread Siva drank The poisonous flood, that stain'd his azure neck; The rest thy mansions deck, High Swerga! stored in many a blazing rank. "Thou, god of thunder! satt'st on Meru throned, Or speaks Purander best thy martial fame, With various praise in odes and hallow'd story Thou, Vasava, from this unmeasured height Shedd'st pearl, shedd'st odours o'er the sons of light!" The genius rested; for his powerful art Had swell'd the monarch's heart with ardour vain, He smiled; and, warbling in a softer mode, On pastures dry the maids and herdsmen trod : What furies potent modulation sooths! His lance, half-raised, with listless languor sinks. A sweeter strain the sage musician chose : Seized, and with cordage strong Shackled the god who gave him showers. Straight from seven winds immortal Genii flew, They with the ruddy flash, that points his thunder, Th' exulting god resumes his thousand eyes, Soft memory retraced the youthful scene; It vanish'd with light si treasures, Mild showers, and vern The labouring youth cheer, And cherish'd herdsme Thee, darter of the swi sprang, Each rock rebellow'd a : CRABBE was born at Aldborough, in a the 24th of December, 1754, where his | grandfather were officers of the cusreceived his education at a neighbour, where he gained a prize for one of his d left it with sufficient knowledge to m for an apprentice to a surgeon and y in his native town. His poetical taste have been assisted in developing itself sal of all the scraps of verses which his i to tear off from different newspapers, and ung Crabbe collected together, and got em by heart. The attractions of the muse bly overcome those of Esculapius, for, on etion of his apprenticeship, giving up all succeeding in his profession, he deteronce to quit it, and to depend for support iterary abilities. Accordingly, in 1778, he ondon with little more in his pocket than of his best poems, and took a lodging in where he read and composed, but could pon no bookseller to publish. At length, e ventured to print, at his own expense, ntitled The Candidate, which was favour-provement, caused an elegant monument to be ced in the Monthly Review, to the editor it was addressed. Finding, however, that no chance of success or popularity whilst ined personally unknown, he is said to oduced himself to Edmund Burke, who him with great kindness, and read his prowith approbation. Our author fortunately this gentleman both a friend and a patron; Crabbe into his house, and introduced him and, under their united auspices, appeared of the Library, in 1781. In the same year, rdained deacon, and in the following one, nd, for a short time, acted as curate at gh. About the same period, he entered at Trinity Hall, Cambridge, but withdrew ut graduating, although he was subsepresented with the degree of B. C. L. siding for some time at Belvoir Castle, as to the Duke of Rutland, by the recomon of Mr. Burke, our author was introduced chancellor Thurlow, who bestowed upon him successively, the living of Frome St. Quintin, in Dorsetshire, and the rectories of Muston and West Allington, in the diocese of Lincoln. In the meantime, in 1785, he published The Newspaper, a poem; followed by a complete edition of his works, in 1807, which were received with marked and universal approbation. In 1810, appeared his admirable poem of The Borough ; in 1812, he published his Tales in Verse; and in 1819, his celebrated Tales of the Hall. He had, in the interim, been presented to the rectory of Trowbridge, with the smaller benefice of Croxton Kerryel, in Leicestershire. His only prose publications are a funeral sermon on one of his early noble patrons, Charles, Duke of Rutland, preached in the chapel of Belvoir Castle, in 1789; and An Essay on the Natural History of the Vale of Belvoir, written for Mr. Nichols' History of Leicestershire. Mr. Crabbe died February 3d, 1832, at Trowbridge, the scene of his latest ministrations as s Christian pastor. His parishioners, in grateful re membrance of his virtues and labours for their im erected over his grave in the chancel. His cha racter as a man is not less worthy of admiration, than his genius as a poet. His biography, accompanied by a volume of posthumous poetry, have since been published by his son. The works of Crabbe have gone through several editions, and deservedly become popular; Mr. Wilson Croker has justly observed of Crabbe, that his having taken a view of life too minute, too humiliating, and too painfully just, may have rendered his popularity less brilliant than that of some of his contemporaries; though for accurate description, and deep knowledge of human nature, no poet of the present age is equal to him. The great charm of his poetry lies in his masterly treatment of the most ordinary subjects, and in his heart-rending but true descriptions of the scenes which his muse delights to visit,-those of poverty and distress. He depicts nature living and circumstantially; and in this respect, his poetry may justly be compared to the painting of Teniers and Ostade |