152

of the thoughts by the peculiarity of the manner,
nor that stately poetical phraseology by which
sentiments mean in themselves, like the black-
smith's apron converted into a banner, are so
easily gilt and embroidered into consequence.
Then, as to the versification, it was, to say no
worse of it, execrable: it had neither the copious
flow of Ferdosi, the sweetness of Hafez, nor the
sententious march of Sadi; but appeared to him,
in the uneasy heaviness of its movements, to have
been modelled upon the gait of a very tired
dromedary. The licenses, too, in which it in-
dulged, were unpardonable;-for instance this line,
and the
poem abounded with such;-

Poet. LALLA ROOKн alone-and Love knew why

persisted in being delighted with all she had heard, and in resolving to hear more as speedily as possible. Her manner, however, of first returning to the subject was unlucky. It was while they rested during the heat of noon near a fountain, on which some hand had rudely traced those well-known words from the Garden of Sadi,-" Many, like me, have viewed this fountain, but they are gone, and their eyes are closed for ever!"-that she took occasion, from the melancholy beauty of this passage, to dwell upon the charms of poetry in general. "It is true," she said, "few poets can imitate that sublime bird, which flies always in the air, and never touches the earth:15-it is only once in many ages a Genius appears, whose words, like those on the Written Mountain, last for ever:154_ but still there are some, as delightful, perhaps, though not so wonderful, who, if not stars over our

Like the faint, exquisite music of a dream! "What critic that can count," said FADLADEEN, "and has his full complement of fingers to count withal, would tolerate for an instant such syllabic superfluities ?"—He here looked round, and dis-head, are at least flowers along our path, and whose covered that most of his audience were asleep; while the glimmering lamps seemed inclined to follow their example. It became necessary, therefore, however painful to himself, to put an end to his valuable animadversions for the present, and he accordingly concluded, with an air of dignified candor, thus:—“ Notwithstanding the observations which I have thought it my duty to make, it is by no means my wish to discourage the young man : -so far from it, indeed, that if he will but totally alter his style of writing and thinking, I have very little doubt that I shall be vastly pleased with him."

Some days elapsed, after this harangue of the Great Chamberlain, before LALLA ROOKH could venture to ask for another story. The youth was still a welcome guest in the pavilion-to one heart, perhaps, too dangerously welcome;-but all mention of poetry was, as if by common consent, avoided. Though none of the party had much respect for FADLADEEN, yet his censures, thus magisterially delivered, evidently made an impression on them all. The Poet, himself, to whom criticism was quite a new operation, (being wholly unknown in that Paradise of the Indies, Cashmere,) felt the shock as it is generally felt at first, till use has made it more tolerable to the patient;-the Ladies began to suspect that they ought not to be pleased, and seemed to conclude that there must have been much good sense in what FADLADEEN said, from its having set them all so soundly to sleep; while the self-complacent Chamberlain was left to triumph in the idea of having, for the hundred and fiftieth time in his life, extinguished a

sweetness of the moment we ought gratefully to inhale, without calling upon them for a brightness and a durability beyond their nature. In short," continued she, blushing, as if conscious of being caught in an oration, "it is quite cruel that a poet cannot wander through his regions of enchantment, without having a critic for ever, like the old Man of the Sea, upon his back!15-FADLADEEN, it was plain, took this last luckless allusion to himself, and would treasure it up in his mind as a whetstone for his next criticism. A sudden silence ensued; and the Princess, glancing a look at FERAMORZ, saw plainly she must wait for a more courageous moment.

But the glories of Nature, and her wild, fragrant airs, playing freshly over the current of youthful spirits, will soon heal even deeper wounds than the dull Fadladeens of this world can inflict. In an evening or two after, they came to the small Valley of Gardens, which had been planted by order of the Emperor, for his favorite sister Rochinara, during their progress to Cashmere, some years before; and never was there a more sparkling assemblage of sweets, since the Gulzar-e-Irem, or Rose-bower of Irem. Every precious flower was there to be found, that poetry, or love, or religion, has ever consecrated; from the dark hyacinth, to which Hafez compares his mistress's hair,156 to the Cámalatá, by whose rosy blossoms the heaven of Indra is scented.157 As they sat in the cool fragrance of this delicious spot, and LALLA ROOKн remarked that she could fancy it the abode of that Flowerloving Nymph whom they worship in the temples of Kathay,158 or of one of those Peris, those beautiful creatures of the air, who live upon perfumes,