our powers of vifion, decked with the variegated colours of the rainbow! In our motto the poet opens the fubject of his eulogy with an animation which fhews that his foul was apprifed of the task he had undertaken. Having avowed his determination to join, even with the angels, in the celebration of their theme, he thus ftrikingly proceeds: And what new wonders can you fhew your gueft! All-piercing fage! who fat not down and dream'd The pleafures which the philofopher must have experienced on the contemplation of his vaft difcoveries, are thus expreffively defcribed: What were his raptures then! how pure! how ftrong; By his diminish'd; but the pride of boys In fome fmall fray victorious! when instead THOMSON THOMSON then mentions the planetary system rolling fucceffively around the orb of day with filent, but not unimpreffive dignity: the Poet therefore naturally breaks out in the following fublime strain : O unprofufe magnificence divine, A wildom truly perfect! thus to call An univerfe complete! and O belov'd The difcoveries of Sir Ifaac Newton are then touched upon, particularly his doctrines respecting the wandering of comets-the vibrations of found, and the feven primary colours into which all the inferior dyes are refolved. This latter fubject the Poet fketches with his ufual delicacy Ev'n light itself, which ev'ry thing difplays, And, from the whit'ning undiftinguish'd blaze, To the charm'd eye educ'd the gorgeous train Thefe, when the clouds diftil the rofy show'r, Myriads Myriads of mingling dyes from these result, Sir Ifaac employed his great powers on the abftrufe and dry fubject of chronology; even this topic, most unpromising to poetry, is thus poetically delineated: The noiseless tide of time all bearing down The Poet, however, in the enumeration of New TON's labours, feems to bend beneath the weight of his fubject, and justly asks: But who can number up his labours! who The devotion and private virtues of our philofopher are next celebrated in appropriate ftrains; and then he puts this pertinent queftion to the infidel: And you, ye hopeless glomy-minded tribe ! Of fpirits dancing thro' their tubes awhile, This reflection naturally roufes the inspiration of the mufe, and gives birth to the following spirited paffage, worthy of THOMSON: But But hark! methinks I hear a warning voice, Sound thro' the world, ""Tis done-the measure's full, That now HE wanders thro' thofe endless worlds The Poet then concludes in an admonitory tone, fuitable to the gravity and dignity of the fubject, ftill keeping in view his beloved NEWTON. O BRITAIN's boaft! whether with angels thou Ff 3 While While in expectance of the SECOND life, Whenever the writer of this effay beholds Weftminster Abbey, thefe latter lines fpontaneously prefent themselves to his mind in their characteristic beauty. The allufion indeed is worthy of our Bard, who has treated every part of his fublime theme with an elevated propriety. Nor will the reader be now displeased with a few concluding reflections, warranted by the fober nature of our fubject, and fuggested by the ciofe of the EX PIRING YEAR. To furvey the poetical productions of past times, hath been the peculiar province of our Reflector. We muft, therefore, remember, that the individuals to whofe talents we are fo much indebted, have been long ago removed from this fphere of being. Their race is run, their period of action is finished. But it is our chief confolation that the virtuous and enlightened mind fhall flourish in a more perfect state of existence beyond the tomb. However myfterious may be the mode of our tranflation thither, or however difficult our conceptions of the fubject, yet of its truth we are affured by the voice of reafon and revelation. How exhilarating is the profpect! how calculated to urge us on in our mental and moral improvement! The clouds which hover over this frail and feverish state of being, are thus in a measure diffipated, and breaking through the gloom occafioned by the inceffant lapfe of time, we anticipate with delight and supreme fatisfaction the funfhine of ETERNAL DAY! GOSSIPIANA. |