1820.] Antiquarian and Philosophical Researches. to be distinguished from all other writers by the universality of his genius. Milton is more sublime. Otway is, perhaps, more tender; but Shakspeare is, in a manner, the Catholic Poet, belonging equally to every age and country. The alarmists of modern literature have predicted a speedy and inglorious termination of our poetical career. It is not indeed to be denied that the marvellous that secret source whence elder bards derive their sacred treasures-is laid open by reason and truth, philosophy has exorcised the spells that once held supremacy over the mind; the day-light of Geography has broken upon our legendary dreams; Chemistry and Mineralogy have not left one solitary fountain or cabalistic grotto, to the empire of superstition. All that the Author can now do, instead of calling "spirits from the vasty deep," is to exhibit some pale flitting figures, or phantasmagoria mechanically compiled, from the descriptions of a departed age. Having conceded this point, Mr. Campbell rejects the idea, that the ministry of Poetry must therefore cease, and that truth is to extinguish the imagination: the human 541 mind must remain the same: society may with moral degeneracy. Like the sun- ANTIQUARIAN AND PHILOSOPHICAL RESEARCHES. ANTIENT COINS. A quantity of curious old coin was lately found in Cornwall, and brought a few days ago to Exeter for sale, consisting chiefly of the current monies of King Edward I. and IV. Henry VII. and VIII. ; a great part of which are in the highest state of preservation; among them are the full and side face silver of Henry VII. and a remarkably brilliant groat of the latter coinage; also some fine specimens of groats, half-groats, and pennies of Henry VIII. struck in the mints of London, Canterbury, York, and Durham, with the initials of Cardinal Wolsey, Archbishop Cranmer, Archbishop Warham, Edward Lee, Archbishop of York, Cuthbertus Dunelmensis (Cuthbert Tunstall, Bishop of Durham). There is likewise, in a very fair and perfect state, the celebrated groat with T. W. and the Cardinal's hat, which occasioned one of the forty-four articles of impeachment for treason, exhibited against Cardinal Wolsey in 1529, the fortieth article of which ran thus: "Also the said Lord Cardinal, of his further pompous and presumptuous mind, hath enterprised to join and imprint the Cardinal's hat under your arms in your coin of groats, made at your city of York, which like deed hath not yet been done by any subject within your realm before this time." These coins were undoubtedly collected and hoarded during the period of Henry VIII. as more than fifty of the groats that were coined previous to his 16th or 18th year, with the fleur-de-lis, pheon, and rose mint marks, are nearly in as prime condition as when issued from the mint, and none are later than 1545, the 36th of that King's reign. The collection has been purchased by Mr. Shirley Woolmer, of this city. The groats are about the size of the present shillings, but not so thick. HERCULANEUM MANUSCRIPTS. In addition to former notices respecting the MSS. found in Herculaneum, we have to aunounce the enrolling of eightyeight; most of these consist of works by the Greek philosophers, or subjects; nine by Epicurus, thirty-two bear the name of Phylodemus, three by Demetrius, one by Calotes, one by Polystratus, one by Carmades, and one by Chrysippus. These works, with like others, the Authors of which are unknown, treat of natural or moral philosophy, of medicine, or arts, manners, and customs. Pompeii, there have been recently discovered fresh buildings, in the line of the beautiful street that leads to the Temple of Isis, to that of Hercules, and to the Theatre. In a house which doubtless was the residence of some experienced medical practitioner, chirurgical instruments, of a highly-finished workmanship, have been found, with a number of excellent paintings, representing fruits and animals. At ARTS ARTS AND SCIENCES. STEAM NAVIGATION. A new ship intended to ply as a regular packet between New York and New Orleans, has recently been built, called the Robert Fulton. She is said to be, in every respect, one of the finest steam-vessels ever constructed. She is upwards of 750 tons, of a very great length, rigged with lug sails; has three kelsons, (the centre one large enough for a ship of the line), together with bilgeways, and the whole secured and bolted in a very superior manner; her frame timber and plank are of live oak, locust cedar, and Southern pine, copper bolted and coppered. She will afford accommodation for more than 200 persons, and is fitted up with high and airy state rooms, thoroughly ventilated by means of sky-lights the whole length of the cabin, which is very extensive. Her after-cabin is neatly arranged for the accommodation of ladies, and separated by means of folding-doors, in the modern style. She has also a range of births fore and aft, together with a commodious fore-cabin. And, what adds to the greatest comfort and security of all, her engine and other machinery are completely insulated, and unconnected as it were with the other part of the ship. In the centre, lengthwise, is a kind of wellhole or square trunk, made both fire aud water-proof; no possible accident, therefore, by the bursting of the boiler, can reach either of the cabins. This trunk or well-hole being inclosed by very thick plank, caulked and leaded, may be inundated with water at pleasure, without any inconvenience to the passengers. The furnace is also completely surrounded by the continuation of the boiler, so that no part of the fire can ever come in contact with wood. There is a space of about nine or ten inches filled in with materials, nonconductors of heat, which answer the double purpose of excluding the heat from the cabin, and at the same time deadening the disagreeable noise of the engine. She is also provided with a leather hose, similar to those used by our fire-engine companies in this city, which will enable the hot or cold water to be con veyed to any part of the ship, and furnish ing at the same time the great conveniency to the passengers of a warm or cold bath at pleasure. Her engine was constructed by Mr. Allaire, and is supposed to be the most powerful and most exact piece of workmanship ever turned out in America; and her boiler is said to be the largest ever known to have been made in that or any other country. BRITISH INSTITUTION. By far the greater number of the paintings are more curious than excellent; there are a few of high merit; but those that prove insufficiency of knowledge, or mediocrity of mind, occupy the larger space; indeed, several are attributed to artists to whose acknowledged works they bear no resemblance whatever, except in the imitation of faults, which have blemished even the brightest originals of genius. The works of Holbein are the most curious and interesting for their subjects and their antiquity, as also for the great manual precision and quaint richness of detail they so remarkably display; those of Vandycke are the most valuable as specimens of art full of intrinsic excellence. Those of Lely, Riley, Kneller, and Hudson, are a great falling off from the elevation to which Vandycke had raised the art of portrait-painting; the pictures of Reynolds are, of course, far superior to what these last-mentioned artists have produced, as to their character, drawing, expression, and management of colours, but they are greatly inferior in that part which merely depends on mechanical preparation: the tricks that Sir Joshua played with his colours, from the unhappy smattering of chemistry which he possessed, have given up his productions to premature decay; they are ra pidly passing off into utter oblivion, several of them uniting the beauty of form and the truth of colour to nature's expression, historic dignity. A few from the pencil of Rubens are next in merit; they possess a great deal of his colouring and motion, but they are far from being his happiest productions; they have more of his faults with less of the peculiar traits of his genius than we usually see in his works. There is a painting of great me. rit by Thorston, which comes nearest to the power of Vandycke. There are several by Zucchero, which are for the most part a compound of feebleness and formality; some by Hoare, in a style a little superior. There are two paintings by Copley, which consists of groups of excellent portraits, connected together by the common bond of an historical subject, but possessing little of the feeling or action of history. One of the most characteristic portraits in the Exbibition is by Hogarth, and it is worth hundreds of the formal insipid things which overload this brauch of art with so many varieties of mindless physiognomy. The sine nomine corpora occupy a very large space in this gallery, which gives a great opportunity to ingenious connoisseurs for the exercise of their conjectural faculty. SELECT On our Revered MONARCH'S DEATH, and the Event of the lale TRIALS for TREASON. BRITANNIA mourns her Father and her King What votive offerings should his subjects bring? Not weak regret! the tribute he requires, Is patriot worth and duty's holy fires; Firm truth, religious hope, and patient zeal, [feel. "A Briton born," like him let Britons In vain! our tears embalm his sacred dust, [bust; In vain! we hang o'er his lamented Hollow and cold our echoing voices die, Our life a libel, and our grief a lie, Except we feel his virtues in our soul, And scorn to bend to passion's wild controul; Deep graven in our hearts, our lives pro It is said that a late incursion on the residence of the Bishop of Clonfert by the deluded insurgents of the county of Galway, appeared to threaten the fulfilment of a prophetic apprehension expressed some years since in a copy of Valedictory verses, written by his Lordship upon quitting a friend's house in Somersetshire on his return to Ireland. We subjoin a copy of them-with a translation, in compliance with a request by the Correspondent of the 5th instant. Cara Domus, valeas!-carique valete Penates, Editus unde mihi connubialis amor. Seu me vis rapiat, truculenta rebellibus armis, Seu sortem expectat senecta suam, His laribus (canit augurium præsaga male mens) Pes meus, his laribus non rediturus abit. O pia spes amanda! tuum est optare propinquos Rursus in æterna posse coire domo, Purior æthereos ubi pascet spiritus artus, 'Nostraque nobilior corda beabit amor. DEPARTURE OF ST. PAUL FROM MELITA. Illustrating the state of things at that period. sun new risen above the ocean bed THE Scattered profuse his light of rosy red, And the glad gale among the forest trees Sung sweetly to the murmur of the seas: Forthwith, uprising from his lowly rest, Each mariner himself for toil addressed, Flung o'er his shoulders the loose cloak, [ain brook, His scrip and from the neighbouring mounDrew the chill nectar of its virgin wave, And sought with merry heart his pinnace brave. and took Opens around-and Oh how joyously The oars are in; the seaman's vacant eye The voice melodious of that fabled bird: he sees, And his own hamlet in the shady trees, R. N. LOVE is no flame That would destroy the earthly tene- But is a lamp to cheer the inmate soul The man by that irradiate is at peace, It hath no burning, neither madness in it; But there's a flame which though hotheaded youths Do call it Love, is only Lust, and that bosom, Placed by a demon in the ill-fated heart, Who first displaced the sacred lamp of love, Which is the pure ethereal spark of God, A SONG For the Anniversary of the LITERARY FUND, May 4, 1820. By W. T. FITZGERALD; and sung by JOHN BRAHAM, Esq. at Free-mason's Hall. BLESS'D be the task to yield relief To want, disease, or pining care! But, doubly bless'd! to soothe the Grief Of minds that border on despair! No OTWAY, now, shall pine for Bread; NO BUTLER find a thankless court Our KING bids genius raise his head, And Learning's claims shall meet support. Of all the charities that bind Affection's cords about the breast, Like Heaven's the work to heal the mind, And renovate the heart opprest 1 Then honour'd be the happy day That gave your lib'ral system birth! The clouds from genius pass away, And HOPE shall dawn on modest worth! STANZAS 1820.] STANZAS FOR MUSIC. FROM a willow suspended A Minstrel's harp hung; All its music was ended, Its chords were unstrung! The youth wont to sound it, How sweetly!-had fled, And the flowers that still crowned it His fond hopes were thwarted And lone had he roved, Unknown, or unloved; The lyre he forswore ; And the bright beam of gladness Where woe cannot come, And beneath the sod sleepeth ODE. ARION. The Grave of the Bard. UPON the holy dames of God, Select Poetry. The fair, the wonderful, the wild, 445 The dread, the grand, thy soul confessed, Thou wert a true poetic child, And with an eagle-spirit blest! But yet that spirit was too strong For the weak frame that held her flight, And strained its powers too oft and long, Stretched forward to the zenith height! Thus poised between the two extremes Of matter and of spirit wrought; Too weak to drink the solar beams, For earth too much of subtle thought. Ethereal Essence! spark of heaven! The lightning shot into the soul ! Whose shocks electric, hourly given, Prey on the life, and wear the whole! Yet the Sun's glory he inhaled, And stretched his soul beyond his strength, Till the worn threads of being failed, Rare and refined, and burst at length ↑ Around thy grave shall fairies meet, And youths, and maids, who loved thy song, And Fancy scatter flowerets sweet, And undisturbed thy shrouded rest! A SUMMER EVENING SUN-SET. THE blood-red orb Sinks slowly down, and with his burning beams Appears to fire the sky; the billowy clouds, The moonlight sweet and lovely fell, To the far East the crimson splendour And on the flowery turf it glowed, Of a meek Poet's narrow cell. There 'gainst the arching cypress trees, And all the dead rushed on his mind; Then from his harp he sought relief, And poured these numbers undesigned. Dear son of Fancy! fare thee well! Be thy abode in heaven blest, Peace be within thy narrow cell, And undisturbed thy shrouded rest! The mist upcurling from the stream, To gaze the meteor's vagrant glare: With thrilling breast, and blissful tear! streams; [up And the blue vault itself seems reddening To general conflagration. Dense, dark clouds [rocks Uprear their giant forms, like distant Edged with red lightning, and the earth beneath |