The effect of criticism, even where it does not suppress, is to cause a substitution of art for nature; and to produce restraint and labour, instead of that freedom and ease, without which there can be no eloquence or affecting poetry. This is one of the many obstacles, with which the poet has to contend in reaching excellence; or even at attaining any distinction. I have said something already in various places of this Preface, and these Notes, of the more modern candidates for poetical fame; but I do not think it will be out of place to transcribe here from my Common-place Book some farther Characters drawn by me on 21 April 1823. The spirituality and beatitude of the personifications of COLLINS lift them a little above human interests, though they are the abstracts of moral truths. » not only of nature, << There is much good in CowPER : but he wants enthusiasm, energy, concentration, invention. He has a clear, picturesque, just fancy yet rarely, imagination! - He was an accurate observer, but, wherever his experience gave him an opportunity, —of man also : yet he was not very conversant with the deeper passions. His feelings were gentle and delicate : and hence perhaps he was deficient in mental courage, even to morbidness. He throws his own placidness and content upon his reader; but he never rouses him. » He « BURNS is more vigorous and more imaginative. siezes upon those ideal associations, and invents those ideal sentiments springing out of them, which mark an higher order of poetical power. » « BEATTIE, had, I think, more imagination than Cowper; and more approach to lyrical vigour; but he had not so much nature what he did, partook more of acquirement, and effort. >> : « The descriptions of Toм WARTON are rather the results of a nice attention, than of what is caught by the eye « In a fine phrensy rolling. » : << MASON was too ambitious and his poetry is for the most part more the poetry of language, than of thought, or sentiment. »> « The poetry of DARWIN is very ingenious and splendid mechanism. » << JERNINGHAM has no one poetical faculty in a degree sufficient to raise him above mediocrity he now and then reaches prettiness: but his very undertanding was feeble. » << HAYLEY wanted fancy, originality, and strength. He had considerable acquirements, and a fair, though not powerful, judgment. As a translator, especially of Italian, he now and then attained excellence. »> « JOSEPH WARTON had refined taste, and exquisite scholarship but he had no original genius. »> « GOLDSMITH never approaches to the higher features of poetry. He is in common little better than a clear and harmonious versifier of plain good sense. But his plaintiveness has something in it monotonous, and sickly and his descriptions have often both a minuteness and a tameness, which are tasteless, and at the same time dispiriting. D • JOHNSON had a genius for moral and satirical declamation; but he wanted distinct and picturesque imagery; and also imagination and poetic enthusiasm: nor had he fresh and native feeling. He was not without a reflective and compound feeling, arising from a strong moral sense operating on a profound understanding. »> « SOAME JENYNS was a neat and clear versifier, with a lively wit, and sagacious understanding; a skilful knowlege of life derived from long and accurate observation; and a faculty of original thinking, which gave spirit and point to his matter. « CHURCHILL was a satirist, whom nature formed to excell in his own branch of composition. He was vehement, indignant, vigorous, striking; and generally just in his observations and strong in his language but careless; uncontroled in the ebullition of momentary passion; coarse, and unprincipled; over-confident aud defying; sportful of his strength; unequal; sometimes dull; and sometimes crude, indigested, and harsh. » : LLOYD had more wit, but less force he was good-humoured, and playful. » « JEPHSON was an historic versifier; a difficult but inferior class of poetry.» « HURDIS had no original notes: he was an imitator of Cowper; but instead of catching Cowper's ease, he was almost always affected; often turgid; and sometimes harsh. » « KIRKE WHITE had a moral sweetness; a gentle and clear melancholy; a sort of sainted purity; a transparent elegance of expression, in which ease and purity just reached the point of grace, conveying a tenderness and nicety of unborrowed and unforced thought, which gives a peculiar and inexpressible charm to his best compositions. >> « JOHN BAMPFYLDE had both description and sentiment, manly moral and inst. >> « JOHN LEYDEN's Scenes of Infancy are easy, harmonious, natural, and classical: the sentiments and images always partake of the character of true poetry but he wants a little more vigour; and a little more originality. << MAJOR MERCER has produced one or two pleasing poems of a gentle cast; aud has shewn that he possessed powers which with more exertion might have brought forth valuable fruits. « M.rs CARTER had a deep reflective intellect; a slow but profound apprehension; a fancy patient, and perhaps sluggish, but vigorous and clear, when roused; a sensibility of the same character as her other faculties; a strict and conscientious conviction of moral duties, and an awful sense of religion. From the compound of these her poetry flowed, and her poetical character must be taken. All her compositions are moral; with that sparing use of imagery, and that sober sentiment, which shew them to be both subordinate to her understanding. Her style is pure, nervous, terse, elegant, and harmonious: her thoughts are not only just, but select, energetic and striking there is an awful dignity in her opinions, reflections, and sentiments, as of one earnestly speaking from superior intelligence. She writes as a sage, rather than as a poet; but she always conveys her doctrines poetically. << MISS SEWARD had vastly more pretension; and perhaps more native fancy but her understanding, though sharp was capricious; her judgment weak; her heart under the influence of selfish passions; her knowlege superficial and affected; and her taste corrupt. An extreme vanity, an overruling love of splendor, deformed her compositions, and made her sentiments often turgid, unnatural, extravagant and insin cere. Sometimes her efforts produced brilliant passages: but they oftener failed. The labour generally betrays itself: and apparent labour is always displeasing. » « M.rs CHARLOTTE SMITH is the precise contrast to Miss Seward. Easy, natural, elegant, perspicuous, melancholy, she writes without effort; and throws out the unaffected transcript of her feelings, which seem to clothe themselves in verses as readily as they rise. Her love of nature appears to be so pure; her fancy so serene and cærulean; she exhibits so many exquisite touches of nice perception; and the sentiments to which they give occasion, are so simple, so tender, and so beautiful; that their charm to readers of moral sensibility, and genuine taste, is irresistible. >> « M.rs JOHN HUNTER is characterised by sentiment a little more impregnated with moral melancholy; and is often more prosaic in expression: but there is yet a great sweetness, simplicity, and tenderness in many of her songs. » The following additional observations from my M.S. Common-place Book will not be inappropriately introduced here. « The effects of the French school of poetry, which was brought in with the Restoration of Ch. II. did not cease till the death of Pope. It was then found that the example of this school had narrowed the field of poetry too much. Too much had been given to reasoning, and observations on actual life; and too little to the bolder flights of imagination; and |