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Ranæ ubi montes cornuta pascuntur amaros.

Hic nulla infidos agitat discordia cives,

Pace et perpetuâ, vitâque fruuntur inani.
Grandævos annis habuit tres insula patres,
Lento qui populos jam tum ditione premebant.
Temporis e fastis horum jam nomina desunt,
Sed restat virtutis fama, atque inclyta facta;
Nam dicunt magices infandis artibus uti
Nôsse, et carminibus rerum mutare figuras.
Quinetiam Neptunum aggressi imparibus armis,
Ausi sunt avidi vitas pro laude pacisci,
Quæ narrare, Deæ, vobis est sola potestas.

Jam, sole exorto, fugiebant ætheris umbræ,
Per cælum atque dies almâ cum luce refulsit.
Excussi somno haud segnes, torisque resurgunt,

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Spes Gotamæ, magi, et altum turbidum arare parati,
Asperaque infaustis tentaturi æquora remis.

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Adstabat patera alta, decus quam surgere mensis,
Fecerat ingenti terrenam figulus arte,

Ansamque haud tales agitans adjunxerat usus,
Istam carminibus tum versatam atque venenis,
Mirandum! navis condemnant munere fungi.
Non quidem, ut perhibent, ignotas quærere terras
Amor erat, veteremve natandi explodere morem ;
Sed pontum sævis, infandum! incendere flammis
Vi magicâ, et sicco Neptunum excludere mundo.
Jam pelagus tenuit cymba, et, mirabile dictu,
Alta superlabens divisis cernitur undis.

Undique littora jam cives complent Gotamenses,
Optant et Depânautis, frustra heu! longe salutem.
Tum vero expansis pendentes desuper undis

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9. montes pascuntur amaros.] Id est salsos, non sale communi, sed sale amaro sive cathartico, ut homines et reptilia medicinam pro victu carpere possunt.

12. Grandavos annis.] Alii legunt "Grandævos peccatis;" constructio fædissima, quæ pariter a versu et sensu omnino abhorret.

20. Dra.] Sive Furiæ, sive Parcæ, sive fortasse Camænæ.

26. Adstabat patera] Patera vocata est, quia patet. De natura et forma hujus vasis crebra fuit disputatio. Scaliger vas mulctrale fuisse censet, quod ansam habet; interpretatio nequissima, et damnatione æterna dignissima; quis enim ignorat mulctrale ligneum esse, et igitur neque terrenum, neque figuli opus.Melius existimat vir doct. et spectat. Titus Mc'Fungus naviculam indicatam esse, Anglice a gun boat, nautas autem non magos, sed philosophos fuisse. Mihi vero, re cura ingenti examinatâ, denique statutum est, nihil aliud vasis ab auctore indicari, quam vas necessarium, apud Græcos xáoravov, apud Gallos autem pot de chambre nominatum. Hoc enim et terrenum est, et ansam habet, cui gubernaculum affigi facillimè possit.

33. Sed pontum sævis, '.] Grande fuit inceptum Magorum, et cui nullius alii comparari potest. Quomodo enim sunt Hector trucidatus, Latium perdomitum, aut vellus ovis surreptum, cum mari exusto, comparanda,

38. Depanautis. A diras patera vel poculum, et vauras nauta; quia in paterâ navigabant. Sunt qui legunt "Casanautis," et sonam propter, et derivationem.

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Quem circum glomerantur aves pictæ æthere pennis,
At trepidi ponto vertunt diffugere pisces.
Inscius interea solio Neptunus eburno

Lætificos sedit satagens potare liquores,
Cui Amphitrite lateri pulcherrima virgo
Assedit decus, juxta cœtus naidum et omnis.
Nuncius ecce supernis cum ruit hydrus ab aquis,
Advenisse magos, jam spargere ubique ruinam,
Et pontum sævis, horrendum ! ardescere flammis.
Obstupuit primum, potusque in faucibus hæsit,
Sed tandem incensus surgit Neptunus ab imo,
Procellasque vocat, mandat vi surgere ventis,
Hostibus et parat alto sævum ingerere Martem.
Tum vero diris elementa infremere pugnis
Prospiceres, et totum agitari in æquore mundum.
Horrendi ignitum tonitrus sonuere per æther,
Et graviter turbo spumosis sævit in undis.
Ast nat carminibus servata per æquora cymba,
Impavidos fert nautas, illuditque procellæ.
Et forsan salva evasisset læta subacto
Oceano, et Gotamam fundo rediisset aperto,
Ni saxum ingens, vix avulsum ab littore, Triton,
Ac sublatum humeris, Neptuni calcibus actum,
Jactatæ cæcis cymba objecisset in undis.

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47. aves pictæ.] Non striges neque vespertiliones, sicut D. Razer pravè censet, sed aves pelagici apud nautas "Mother Cary's chickens.”

50. Latificos liquores.] De genere liquoris, quem bibit Neptunus, graves apud interpretes fuerunt lites. Non possumus cum Mundungo aquam salsam, neque cum aliis nectar existimare. Sine dubio mixtura quædam spirituosa fuit, ling. Tank. "gin sling," vel forsan “black strap.”

51. pulcherrima virge] Objectat vir acutus David Razor Amphitriten, quæ conjux erat Neptuni, virginem esse non potuisse. Huic respondetur non solum puellam innuptam, sed nuptam atque etiam impudicam, virginem vocatam esse. Virgil 6. Ec. 47, et 52. Ovid Ep. 6, 133.

54. Et pontum sævis, &c.] Spectaculum grande et stupefaciens. Sed interrogat vir acerrimus D. Razor, Quomodo potest aqua maris comburi ? An nescit ille ineptus Vulcanum olim Xanthum fluvium flammis suis incendisse ? Nil miri est oceanum a magis, quibus nihil impossibile, inflammatum esse.

58. Martem.] Bellum, a mare. quia Mars maris non deus est. Alii faciunt a Man manus, quia Mars manus habet.

68. Neptuni calcibus_actum.] Incertum est, an calces Neptuni saxum contactu sum accelerabant, an per intermedium Tritonis posteriorum.

Scinditur in medio, concussu fracta cum acri, ac
Fragmenta et patera, et nautas disperait in alto.
Heu sortem miseram ! finem quæ dabat acerbam
Carminibusque magorum, carininibusque poetæ.

B.

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70. Scinditur e.] Mirabilis est hujus versus congruentia sonum inter et sensinn; legendum notet lector, Scinditur in medio concussu fracta cum a crack. vetustiorum syllaba cum brevis manet, non per ecthlipsin exscinditur. 73. Carminibusque poeta.] "If the bowl had been stronger,

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My song had been longer."

SELECTED.

EXTRACTS FROM MARMION, A TALE OF FLODDEN FIELD. The Battle is described," says an English reviewer, “ as it appeared to the trvo squires of Lord Marmion, who were left on an eminence in the rear, as the guard of Lady Clare: And certainly, of all the poetical battles which have been fought from the days of Homer to those of Mr. Southey, there is none, in our opinion, at all comparable, for interest and animation, — jor breadth of drawing, and magnificence of effect,—with this of Mr. Scott's. The Scottil`army set fire to its camp on the brow of the bill, and rushed dozen to the attack, under cover of the smoke of the conflagration." VOLUMED and vast, and rolling far, The cloud enveloped Scotland's war,

As down the hill they broke;
Nor martial shout, nor minstrel tone,
Announc'd their march;their tread alone,
At times one warning trumpet blown,

At times a stifled hum,

Told England from his mountain-throne
King James did rushing come.-
Scarce could they hear or see their foes,
Until at weapon-point they close.-
They close in clouds of smoke and dust,
With sword-sway,and with lance's thrust;
And such a yell was there,
Of sudden and portentous birth,
As if men fought upon the earth,
And fiends in upper air.

Long looked the anxious squires; their eye
Could in the darkness nought descry.

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At length the freshening western blast
Aside the shroud of battle cast;
And, first,the ridge of mingled spears
Above the brightening cloud appears;
And in the smoke the pennons flew,
As in the storm the white sea-mew.
Then marked they, dashing broad and far,
The broken billows of the war.
And plumed crests of chieftains brave,
Floating like foam upon the wave;

But nought distinct they see:
Wide raged the battle on the plain;
Spears shook, and falchions flashed amain;
Fell England's arrow-flight like rain;
Crests rose, and stooped, and rose again,
Wild and disorderly.
Vol. V. No. VIII:

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Amidst the scene of tumult, high
They saw Lord Marmion's falcon fly:
And stainless Tunstall's banner white,
And Edmund Howard's lion bright,
Still bear them bravely in the fight;
Although against them come,
Of gallant Gordons many a one,
And many a stubborn Highlandman,
And many a rugged Eorder clan,

With Huntley, and with Home.

Far on the left, unseen the while,
Stanley broke Lennox and Argyle;
Though there the western mountaineer
Rushed with bare bosom on the spear,
And flung the feeble targe aside,
And with both hands the broad-sword
plied;

'Twas vain.-But Fortune, on the right,
With fickle smile, cheered Scotland's
fight.

Then fell that spotless banner white,

The Howard's lion fell;

Yet still Lord Marmion's falcon flew
With wavering flight, while fiercer grew
Around the battle yell,

The Border slogan rent the sky:
A Home! a Gordon! was the cry;

Loud were the clanging blows; Advanced-forced back-now low, now high,

The pennon sunk and rose;
As bends the bark's mast in the gale,
When rent are rigging, shrouds and

sail,

It wavered mid the foes.

THE BOSTON REVIEW.

FOR

AUGUST, 1808.

Librum tuum legi & quam diligentissime potui annotavi, quæ commutanda, que eximendas arbitrarer. Nam ego dicere verum assuevi. Neque ulli paticntius reprehenduntur, quam qui maxime laudari merentur. PLIN.

ART. 13.

merican

The Life of George Washington, commander in chief of the forces, during the war which established the independence of his country, and first president of the United States. Compiled under the inspectin of the honourable Bushrod Washington, from original papers bequeathed to him by his deceased relative, and now in possession of the author. To which is prefixed an introduction, containing a compendi ous view of the colonies planted by the English on the continent of North America, from their settlement to the commencement of that war, which terminated in their independence. By John Marshall Philadelphia, printed and published by C. P. Wayne. Vol. I, 1804, Vol. II, 1804, Vol. III, 1804, Vol. IV, 1805, Vol. V, 1807.

[Concluded.]

WE cannot easily conceive of a more difficult task, than that of Judge Marshall in writing the history of the political administration of Washington. To be the first to narrate the circumstances, which at

tended the entire organization and early administration of the government of a great empire, events, at once so numerous, complicated and important, would under the happiest auspices be sufficiently arddous the principal agents in these events But when we recollect, that most of are still alive; that the spint of party, which now convulses our country, had its origin within the period which he describes; that

kindled, are still glowing, without the fires, which our dissensions then even the covering of deceitful ashes; when we consider also the share, which Judge Marshall himself took in the events which he relates, and

the peculiar delicacy, which his offi cial station imposes, we must ac knowledge, that to no writer could it ever be more truly said:

Periculosæ plenum opus alex
Tractas.

We commence our examination of the last division of his work with congratulating him on his success. It certainly implies a high and uncommon degree of accuracy, fairness and courtesy, that no publick con

futation has been attempted of any of his principal facts. Although his work has now been so long before the world, and although it certainly contains many statements, which, if left uncontradicted, will materially affect the opinion, which posterity will form of some of our most distinguished characters, we have not heard of a single denial of his fidelity, or even an impeachment of his candour and politeness. In this respect, we almost venture to pronounce his work an unique in the anuals of political history.

Yet we are far from thinking,that by the exercise of this philosophical coolness and impartiality Judge Marshall has consulted his present reputation, however great may be the honours, with which posterity may crown him. We are all so full of agitation and effervescence on political topicks,that a man, who keeps his temper,can hardly gain a hearing. We have been so long accustomed to strong potations of ardent spirits, that our mouths have become too indurated to relish the soft and mellow flavour of our author's Burgun. dy. Besides, it is not to be denied, that the restraints, which he has imposed on himself,have somewhat impeded the freedom and vigour of his disquisitions, and prevented him from marking his views of the characters and motives of his political opponents with that bold and well defined outline, and that strength and glow of colouring, of which we believe him capable. He seems to write more in the spirit of a spectator of our political gladiators, who has watched attentively and coolly the different motions of the combatants, than of one, who has himself descended into the arena, appeared gou, and is yet red with the wounds which he gave, and smarting with those which his en

But,

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emies inflicted in return. though the effect of this moderation has been to prevent his work from becoming what, in the language of the trade,is called a very taking book," we confess, the mode he has adopted has our entire approbation. We should probably have read a book, in which he had unfolded his feelings and views of political characters and events without reserve, with greater interest; but, when we should have remembered, that its author was at the head of the jurisprudence of his country, we should have felt, that he had degraded his dignity by becoming the advocate of a party. There is a sanctity in the character of the chief dispenser of justice, which we should have been sorry to have seen violated by the indulgence of bitterness of feeling,however well applied, or vehemence of invective, however justly directed. We do not mean by all this,that there is any want of decision in Judge Marshall's mode of narration. His opinions are every where perfectly visible: but then they are usually left to be collected by the deduction of the reader, and are seldom formally stated and defended. The mode, which he has adopted, is generally that of strict narration; and always, when possible, he has preserved the language of the actors themselves. He has given an abstract of some of the most interesting debates in Congress, and though, like Dr. Johnson, he has taken care << never to let the Whig dogs have the best of it," it may perhaps seem to have arisen from the intrinsick weakness of their arguments, more than from any want of fairness in stating them. In point of fact, indeed, we think it is the most invulnerable book we ever read. We cannot name one of equal importance, which an enemy

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