these, we could buy them cheaper ry other respect, and who are so fond of than we could make them. praise, that they are wont to laud themLabour, both mental and manual, has selves on the slightest pretences, should been in too great demand, heretofore, in be willing to waive an undoubted right, this country, to permit us to weave and acquiesce in a charge of inferiority either poetry or cambric to advantage. in a particular, where degradation is Any man whose education and talents most galling to pride. We trust that our qualified him for authorship, could ob- countrymen will not, always, so undertain a more lucrative employment; and value their privileges and debase their there were few among us who could af- understandings. ford to make sacrifices to inclination.

If under all these disheartening cir

Even now, when the professions are cumstances, native genius still rears its crowded, and there are surplus talents crest, we may imagine what it would that may be purchased at a reasonable achieve under more encouraging auspiprice, nobody is willing to bid for them, ces. The poem before us gives indu-and why? We observed that books, bitable indications of poetic talent, like most other manufactures, might be which it requires only the ray of paimported cheaper than they could be tronage to mature to excellence. In wrought-this is emphatically true, vigour of fancy, richness of imagery, though the analogy does not strictly hold, and fertility of allusion, it is surpassed by for we pay nothing for foreign literature, the productions of no cotemporary bard; --that is to say, and it would seem rather whilst in chasteness of style, and purity paradoxical without this explanation, of sentiment, it forms a striking and our booksellers pay nothing for the copy- honourable contrast with the polluted right of foreign publications, and, of taste and prostituted morals of the popular poetry of the age.

course,

our own writers can never fairly enter into competition with foreigners, The "Airs of Palestine," we are inin fancy articles, till they can afford to formed by the author, in an introduction offer their commodities on equally ac- of some length and much interest, "is commodating terms. Yet even in that intended purely and exclusively as a event, we doubt whether disinterested religious poem." The connexion belove of fame be as powerful a stimulus tween poetry and religion, was as earas the sordid love of gold; though no ly as we have any evidences of the doubt a much more honourable source existence of either; and the best inteof inspiration.

rests of both have suffered from their But even this meed is grudgingly be- severance. We rejoice that the muse stowed. We have so accustomed our is returning to her first love, and hope selves to read English books, that we that no rude hand may hereafter violate have adopted English prejudices; and their union. Let us not be misunderare ready to join in a sneer at any stood; we do not wish to check her attempt towards literary independence. cheerfulness, nor to inhibit her gambols; It is a little extraordinary that a people -we would make her the sister, and who are so jealous of their fame in eve- not the slaye of virtue, The subject of

And when Religion's mild and genial ray,
Around the frozen heart, begins to play,
Music's soft breath falls on the quivering light;
The fire is kindled, and the flame is bright;
And that cold mass, by either power assail'd,
Is warm'd-made liquid—and to heav'n exhal'd.'
He cannot refrain from glancing, as
be passes, at the poetic traditions of
classic mythology.

Where lies our path?--though many a vista

We may admire, but cannot tread them all.
Where lies our path ?-a poet, and inquire
What hills, what vales, what streams become the
lyre!
VOL. I. NO. I.

which it does not aspire. It possesses great merit; but we value it more for what it promises to hope, than for what it yields to fruition. We trust that this essay will meet with such a reception as to induce the author to give scope to his imagination in some undertaking equally worthy of his genius, and more commensurate with his powers.

There are, too, some instances of verbal alliteration that we cannot approve. This is an ornament that should be used sparingly ;

We have but one specific objection to the Airs of Palestine'-it annoys us with the frequent recurrence of dou- The cross is crumbled, and the crosier crush'd, ble rhymes. In our opinion, they is, we think, carrying it a little too far,never consist with the dignity of heroic though it is, generally, applied with judgment and effect.

verse, but, at any rate, should not be brought into such proximity, as pains the ear in the following lines.

There, in dark bowers imbosomed, Jesus flings His hand celestial o'er prophetic strings;

It is worthy, however, of particular remark and commendation, in these slovenly times, that there is not a false quantity or rhyme in the whole poem.

ART. 5. A Sketch of the Life and Character of President Dwight, delivered as an Eulogium, before the Academic Body of Yale College, by Benjamin Silliman, Chem. Min. and Phar. Prof. New-Haven. Maltby, Goldsmith & Co. IN the death of Dr. Dwight, the world His reputation as a writer may not, inhas sustained a loss to which it is rarely deed, be enhanced by the present perexposed, that of a great and good man. formance; but he has shown his good The Eulogy before us, is one of the many sense in not aiming, in a production of expressions of grief and affection ex- this nature, at a display of his rhetorical cited by this calamitous event through powers. He has adhered, with laudable out our country. Professor Silliman, fidelity, to the discharge of the duty from his collegiate connexion and perso- assigned him, without diving into nal intimacy with the deceased, enjoyed pathos, or straggling into sublimity. an opportunity, which he knew both It is so rarely that we see either an how to appreciate and to improve, oration, or an address, written with any of becoming acquainted with the events degree of modesty or appropriateness, of his life, and of analyzing his character. that we cannot withhold the acknowHe has acquitted himself creditably in ledgment of our obligation to Professor this attempt to exhibit a sketch of both. Silliman, for his signal forbearance on He has presented us with an interesting an occasion where his feelings were so outline of the history, and a just esti- likely to have triumphed over his mate of the moral and literary merits of judgment. We hope that this commenthe distinguished subject of his Memoir. dable observance of decorum will be

generally imitated, and that, hereafter, and, while he strenuously supported the remains of departed worth will be the dignity of the government, he, in either quietly inurn'd,' or deplored in jutors, overthrew the dominion of connexion with his distinguished coada manner not to aggravate affliction. false taste, both in composition and We shall avail ourselves of Professor elocution, and, a standard both of poetry Silliman's execution of a task we should, and prose, pure, classical, and dignified, otherwise, have undertaken ourselves, was established.

and shall offer no apology to the reader thor's most considerable poetical work, THE CONQUEST OF CANAAN, the aufor the length of our extracts from so was commenced at the age of nineinteresting a biography. We have co- teen, and finished during his residence pied no more of it, however, than was here as a tutor, the greater part of

absolutely necessary to make the narrative continuous.

'Dr. Dwight was born at Northampton on the 14th of May, 1752.

which period it, in some degree, occupied. His mind must, therefore, have been much employed, in poetical studies, at the very time when he was using every effort to promote a just taste in fine writing.

⚫ The earliest indications of his childhood were those of talent and supe- It appears that Mr. Dwight was adriority. From the age of four years, mitted a member of the College Church, when instructed chiefly by maternal in 1774, at the age of twenty-three. care, he was able to read fluently in It is worthy of commemoration that the Bible, the proofs of his intellectual President Dwight was, from early life, a superiority became more and more lover of sacred music: he even culti. evident; and, it may with truth be vated it as a science, and several ansaid, that, during sixty years, he con- thems, and other musical compositions, stantly excited and gratified the most executed while he was a tutor, and at ardent hopes, and deserved and com- various subsequent periods of his life, manded the most active esteem and ad- have received a general adoption in miration. our sacred assemblies. His vocal pow

This College enjoys the honour of ers were also superior, and he took having given him his academic educa- much delight in joining in this part of tion, which, at the early age of seven- public worship. teen, he completed; and such was the He composed an anthem, adapted maturity and promise of his character, to Dr. Watts' version of the xcii. that at nineteen he entered on the re- Psalm; and, it may not be improper to sponsible duties of a tutor. mention, even in this serious connexion, From the year 1765, to 1770, that he composed music for several of vigorous exertions had been made, by his smaller poetical productions. The several superior men in the government, patriotism of his countrymen, during to raise the standard of moral senti- the American Revolution, was not a ment and manners, to invigorate relax- little excited by his muse and by his ed discipline, and to create a good rhetorical taste among the students.

lyre; adapted, in some cases, to the tone of cultivated minds, and, in others, "Their efforts, made under circum- to the less refined taste of the soldiery. stances peculiarly inauspicious, were 'At the close of his tutorial career, in still, in some good degree, successful. 1777, Mr. Dwight, who was an ardent No efforts could have been more con- lover of his country, and a devoted sonant to the views of our departed friend to its liberties, went into the head. On his accession, to the office army, as chaplain, in the brigade of of tutor, in 1771, he entered into, and General Parsons, and division of Geseconded them, with his whole heart; Trumbull, Humphreys, and others.

neral Putnam. The year which he at Northampton, his talents were called spent in the army, as it brought him into action in the sphere of political into a scene entirely new;-into per- life. In the year 1782, he served the sonal contact with many of the great citizens of that town, as their represenactors in that eventful period; and tative, in the General Court of the with all the varieties of the human Commonwealth, convened in Boston. character, impelled to action by the • The situation of the country being grand machinery of war, contributed very critical, two long sessions were more, perhaps, than any similar period held, in which Mr. Dwight gained great of his life, to extend his knowledge of influence, as a member, and much rethe world, and to mature his capacity putation as a public speaker. He was for usefulness. In after life, he often solicited, by men of eminence, to allow adverted to his connexion with the himself to be named as a candidate for army, and drew, from his experience a seat in Congress, then in the gift of and observations during that period, the Massachusetts Legislature, and it many topics of remark and instruction, seems evident, that had Providence fruitful in the illustration of the human allotted him a station in the political character. While in the army he took world, he would have risen to the highevery proper opportunity of insinuating est usefulness and distinction. instruction, in the happiest manner, into He had, originally, studied the law, the minds of the younger officers and with the intention of making it his prosoldiers: he was compassionately atten- fession, and, had he been actuated by tive to those who were under sentence the love of money, or by political amof death, endeavouring to prepare them bition, his way would probably have for this solemn event, and was some- been clear, to the gratification of the times gratified by receiving their thanks one, and the attainment of the other. when a pardon had saved them from being sent, prematurely, to their account.

'During his short connexion with political life, he repeatedly exerted his The death of his father, A. D. 1777, influence in the county meetings of in a remote part of the continent, to Hampshire, in favour of law and order, which business had led him, now cast then threatened with subversion; and upon Mr. Dwight the care of a nume he was eminently instrumental, and rous family, of brothers and sisters, that against no small weight of cha(of whom he was the eldest) for whose racter and effort, in procuring the adop immediate support and education, and tion of the new constitution of Massaultimate establishment in life, it was in chusetts. cumbent on him chiefly to provide. His connexion with the army was, duty led him to the pulpit; about this therefore, dissolved, and, during the time be declined offers of settlement, four or five succeeding years, he was both at Beverly and at Charlestown. most laboriously employed, at North- 'Towards the close of the year 1783, ampton, in the discharge of the highest filial and fraternal duties, while a commencing family of his own, also, demanded his care.

Some superior minds seem capable of excelling, in almost any pursuit, depending upon intellectual vigour, and, the particular direction which they ac tually receive, appears often to arise from intrinsic circumstances.

⚫ During the residence of Mr. Dwight

'Both his inclination and his views of

he, accepted an invitation from the people of Greenfield, in this State, to become their minister, and was established there accordingly. During nearly thirteen years, that he remained there, he enjoyed great celebrity, as a preacher, as an instructor of youth, and as an individual.

'It was, during his residence at Greenfield, in the year 1785, that he. gave his Conquest of Canaan to the