"The wise man murmurs not, when murmuring, "Take heed to trifles, words are dangerous things, As a curious elucidation of the habits of the fourteenth century, we give a pastoral adventure. It has the air of truth, and a little too much of the ruggedness of simplicity. "I never, never, shall forget The mountain-maid, that once I met I met her on the mountain side, Yes! in this thicket; sometimes woe I smiled; the mountain-maiden brave, * "El sabio gravemente non se debe quejar + "De fabla chica dañosa guardose muger falaguera Ala fuera desta aldea la que aqui he nomblado Et andas como radio. Radio ando, Serrana en esta grand espesura Riome como respuso la Serrana tan sanuda, Enviome la cayada aqui tras el pestorejo Fisome ir la cuesta ayuso, derribome en el vallejo Ospedom et diome vianda, mas escotar me la fiso There are several striking hymns to the Virgin. We have selected one: Lady! to thee I turn my eyes, Most holy virgin! tired and faint Thou ocean-star! thou port of joy, Thy mercy is a boundless mine, Freedom from care, and life are thine. He recks not, faints not, fears not, who I am the slave of woe and wrong, The effects of love are strongly and well pourtrayed. "Love to the slowest, subtilty can teach, It makes youth ever youthful, takes from age Enamour'd once, however vile and rude, Estrella del mar, puerto de folgura Señora del altura. Nunca fallece la tu merced complida Siempre quaresces de coytas et das vida Nunca peresce nin entristece Quien à ti non olvida. Sufro grand mal sin merescer, à tuerto *"El amor fas sotil al ome que es rudo Al mancebo mantiene mucho en macebés El que es enamorada, por muy feo que sea Love spreads its misty veil o'er all, and when As th' hardest fruit is ripened in the end." Probably the verses on death, which are, however, too long for quotation, are one of the finest specimens of the archpriest's powers. "Thou art abandon'd now, proud man! by all, ART. III. The true Intellectual System of the Universe, wherein all the Reason and Philosophy of Atheism is confuted, and its Impossibility demonstrated, &c. By Ralph Cudworth, D.D. 2 vols. 4to. 1743. How seldom does it happen, that the actual productions of the pen are answerable to the conceptions and intentions of an author's mind! Either the style displeases, or the argument is felt unsound; or some inadvertencies in statement, some frustrations of beauty, some sinkings from the heights of his aspirations, make him wish some parts unsaid, and all said better, and some things introduced which have been passed by forgotten. But if there be nothing to displease in quality, there is oft times a sad deficiency in quantity. Ars longa, vita brevis, weigheth down the mind that museth on many things. The sighings of the author are, not for more worlds to conquer, but for a longer period of being to gather the abundance which nature hath spread for him, to enlarge the basis of his fame, and to fill up the measure of his thoughts. So that besides the legacy of his works, which the writer leaves to posterity, there is also left an inventory of intentions, and a catalogue of projected labours. Thus it has been with Ralph Cudworth. The ponderous work, of which we propose to give an analysis for the benefit of those who, before they undertake the task of journeying through it, may wish to have some directions con Mas noble que los otros por ende todo cubre El atoda pera dura grand tiempo la madura.” VOL. VI. PART I. E |