He turns

With loftier soul, and undecaying might,
Paints what he feels in characters of light.
and instantaneous all around
Cliffs whiten, waters murmur, voices sound,
Portentous forms in heaven's aërial hall
Appear, as at some great supernal call.
Thence oft in thought his steps ideal haste
To rocks and groves, the wilderness or waste
To plains, where Tadmor's regal ruins lie
In desolation's sullen majesty ;

Or where Carthusian towers the pilgrim draw,
And bow the soul with unresisted awe,

Whence Bruno, from the mountain's pine-clad

brow,

Survey'd the world's inglorious toil below;
Then, as down ragged cliffs the torrent roar'd
Prostrate great Nature's present GOD ador'd
And bade, in solitude's extremest bourn,
Religion hallow the severe sojourn.

TO HIM the Painter gives his pencil's might; No gloom too dreadful and no blaze too bright, What time to mortal ken he dares unveil

THE inexpressive FORM in semblance frail,
To the strain'd view presents the yawning tomb,
Substantial horrours, and eternal doom.

TO HIM the Pow'rs of harmony resort,
And as the Bard, with high commanding port,
Scans all th' ethereal wilderness around,

Pour on his ear the thrilling stream of sound;

Strains, from that full-strung chord at distance

swell,

Notes, breathing soft from musick's inmost cell, While to their numerous pause, or accent deep, His choral passions dread accordance keep.

Thence musing, lo he bends his weary eyes On life and all its sad realities;

Marks how the prospect darkens in the rear, Shade blends with shade, and fear succeeds to

fear,

Mid forms that rise,and flutter through the gloom, "Till Death unbar the cold sepulchral room.

Such is the Poet: bold, without confine,

Imagination's "charter'd libertine !"

He scorns, in apathy, to float or dream On listless Satisfaction's torpid stream, - But dares ALONE in vent'rous bark to ride Down turbulent Delight's tempestuous tide; While tho'ts encount'ring tho'ts in conflict fierce Tumultuous rush, and labour into verse,

Then, as the swelling numbers round him roll, Stamps on th' immortal page the visions of the

soul.

BIOGRAPHY.

SKETCH OF JOHN JAY.

JOHN JAY is well known to be one of the most illustrious characters in the American revolution. He is descended from one of those French protestants, whom the revolution of Henry the fourth's edict compelled to seek a refuge in foreign countries. These exiles spread themselves throughout all the protestant parts of Europe, and a little colony, somewhat more adventurous than their brethren, sought an asylum among the forests and morasses of the new world in the west They settled on the shore of Long Island sound, where their language and manners are far from being quite extinct, even at this day.

Mr. Jay was trained to the law, that profes sion which constitutes, in America, the surest road to political eminence, and whose members generally took the lead in the opposition made to the claims of Great Britain by her colonies. Mr. Jay was equally conspicuous for his zeal and his abilities. His talents however were exerted in the diplomatick, rather than in the legislative field. As the revolution was chiefly indebted for its successful establishment to the countenance and aid of foreign powers, the statesman and patriots of America were as use fully and arduously employed at foreign courts,

in the service of their country, as in the domestick legislature. Mr. Jay resided at the court of Spain several years, till the end of the war, as the representative and advocate of the new states, and his conduct in that capacity has secured him the highest praise.

An unfortunate difference which arose between Mr. Jay while in Spain, and a young man by the name of Littlepage, whom at the entreaty of the youth's friends, he took. under his guardianship, occasioned an appeal to the pubTick, on some points of his private conduct, after his return home. The issue of this controversy was highly favourable to Mr. Jay, and. showed that he was capable of a right decision in points of social conduct extremely delicate.. Littlepage was a young man of brilliant parts, and contrived to involve his patron in difficulties, from which nothing but a great deal of moral rectitude, as well as a most perspicacious judgment, could have extricated him.

After serving his country at home, for a few years, John Jay was selected by Washington as ambassador to England. He was charged with the important task of obtaining redress and. compensation for the wrongs which our commerce had incurred from the British cruizers, and of securing our rights from future violation by a permanent commercial treaty. Every one knows the violent debates, not only in our legislative bodies, but among the people at large, which retarded the ratification of this treaty,

As on all great national questions, these controversies were long and violent, and the merits of the treaty-maker were as loudly extolled by one party, as they were vehemently denied by the other. These altercations have long since given way to other disputes; time has allayed the fever of party rage, and experience has settled the merits of Mr. Jay's conduct on that oc casion. Nobody ever questioned the upright ness of the ambassador's intentions, and, whether ultimate effects have jutified his friends or his enemies in their prognosticks, most certain it is. that the true interests of his country constitut ed the only object of his labours.

After his return from this embassy, he was chosen governour of his native state, New York, in which post, or in one still higher, he would probably have now been found, if the balance of political parties had not since changed its position. He has for some years lived in peaceful and modest retirement, and is said to be, at present, engaged in a literary undertaking of great weight and importance. If a feeble and obscure voice could have any influence over the employment of his time, it would be exerted to persuade him to throw the light of his. own recorded experience on the momentous history of the revolution, in which he was so important and illustrious an actor.

Lit. Mag.