except in these occasional approximations to natural excentricity, Mr. Rose is rather dull with his dogs and his foxes, his elephants and bears. The he-lion, and the she-lion, and all the rest of the Animali Parlanti, (and some of them are of rarer species, both for the sake of rarer entertainment and of shewing off the natural philosophy of the author,) plot a great many plots, and tell a great many tales, but all to no purpose: the reader yawns; and the chorus of the beasts comes to a dead conclusion. Art. 23. The two first Cantos of Richardetto, freely translated from the original burlesque Poem of Niccolo Fortiguerra, otherwise Carteromaco. 8vo. pp. 70. Murray. 1820. We consider this as a very happy jeu d'esprit. Playful and poetical in its allusions, and general yet pointed in its satire, it combines the peculiarly wild and Italian rambling of the original, with a copious fund of native English humour.. We are quite refreshed with so much poetry and so much pleasantry united, in this æra of solemn or violent productions. Among other fortunate sketches, we have a scene which forcibly reminds us of the ludicrous interview between the Black Knight and Friar Tuck in "Ivanhoe;" and, perhaps, we cannot better consult the amusement of the reader than by extracting a portion of it. The characters are Rinaldo and Ferrau; of whom the latter, having turned friar for the occasion, entertains the former with a grave narrative of inconceivable falsehoods, concerning his successful courtship of the far-famed Princess of Cathay: "In short, I'd scarce a week been in Baldacca, Before all things were settled for our marriage: When at its gates did that thrice-famous war rage. "And, being pronounc'd by Galafron's physician, Own'd that she justly died for her presumption And added (which I speak without assumption) "My dear, my sweet, my only lov'd Ferrau!' (She sigh'd, and sighing in my arms reclin'd,) - I saw, Rinaldo, and I bore to see Now canst thou wonder at this change in me." • The The storm that in Rinaldo painfully Had struggled long, now burst upon the Friar. liar! But dooms thee justly to eternal fire; I did not know"- (and then he gave his author, Whom late he had preserv'd from bestial slaughter, And whom King Galafron, as I'm afraid I Forgot to mention, call'd his youngest daughter →) "Medoro having died in his carousals, And his fair Princess blest in new espousals, And pay old Galafron a subject's duty — "Son, (quoth the Friar,) this calling names don't suit ye. If she yet lives, I'm wrong and there's an end on't, But I'm the man she married, son, depend on't." At this he wax'd more angry than before, And cried, "Thou scurvy Friar! thou ugly shaver! Is thine a face for princess to adore? Or dost thou plume thee on thy good behaviour? Do bristled beard, lank jaws, and parchment cover, Or boorish ways, denote thee for a lover?" 'While thus he storm'd, Ferrau from shelf took down Well worthy of a Christian's imitation - And, while his merciless opponent (master Unrivall❜d in the vulgar idiom,) ran Thro' all its changes, he laid on the faster; Till, in his burning zeal, he soon began To lose the use for which that holy plaster Was first design'd, neglecting, (most unwary!) His ghostly foe, for fleshly adversary; ner: And, holding with the fiend no further trial, Which, were I of the Fancy, and could dress The fourth page columns of the Sunday Press. • Ferrau, who was a most determin'd glutton, And therewith swang him round, as with a cable, So that an instrument of small utility His scourge became, and I can't say how shocking When at the door was heard a mighty knocking, We could extract many other passages, equally distinguished by felicity of Hudibrastic rhyme, and by easy absurdity of man- but the above will be sufficient, we imagine, to excite in every lover of "Broad Grins" a strong desire to peruse a little pamphlet in verse, which is dictated by the very airiest of the laughter-loving muses. The author seems well acquainted with his Italian prototypes; and he has given an intelligent account of the publication whence he principally derived his materials, in the preface, to which we must refer the reader. We cannot conclude without observing a similar spirit of compliment, in this anonymous writer and in Mr. William Stewart Rose, directed towards their mutual publisher. Since the days of good old Jacob, and honest Bernard, this has not been usual with poets : but we hail the revival of a respectable antient custom, and trust that it will be followed whenever the bibliopolist deserves equally well of the bard. In these complimentary strains, we give the preference to Mr. Rose. The anonymous author sings thus: "Plain truth, dear Murray, needs no flowers of speech;" As Pope to Mansfield, so to you sing I' but Mr. Rose adopts a loftier style of address, and thus dismisses his Dear Beasts:' Fear not the critic world, its whelps and worry,} Art. 4s. 6d. Boards. Art. 24. Chevy Chace, a Poem. Founded on the Ancient Ballad. With other Poems. Crown 8vo. Cadell and Davies. 1820. This is an elegant and pleasing little volume. In a well-written preface, the author informs us that it is from the antient ballad of Chevy Chase that the materials of the present poem are principally borrowed; and by the antient ballad is intended that which moved the heart of Sir Philip Sydney,' not that which occasioned the critique of Addison, who was mistaken in attributing Sir Philip's praise to the latter composition. The older song was republished in Percy's Reliques. In some respects, however, the author of the work before us is original; and, indeed, throughout, he has so amplified and refined his materials as to deserve the praise of an inventor in the secondary sense. Still, the object of his imitation may be chiefly found in the style and spirit of Sir Walter Scott; and it must be no ordinary degree of merit which can reconcile us to such an imitation, after the eternal repetition of similar attempts; with which the press actually labours and groans, and so often, (like the mountain,) after all its throes, produces nothing but a mouse! From the Departure, from the Chase, from the Feast, from the Recounter*, or from the Repulse, we could select many passages of animated description, or clear narrative: but we reserve our space for the Battle; where, of course, the author has put forth his whole power, and where indeed we think he is generally successful. Then fiercer rag'd the equal strife, Rencounter, we presume, it should have been. Of flight or fear in either band; ; But who, thro' mingled sword and spear, Where Douglas wrought the work of death. Straight through the thickest press he bore; Some |