The telescope. (Columbia, S.C.) 1815-1818, June 18, 1816, Image 4
POETRY.
"" TI1B BUTTEKPLTO WJNBKAL.
Oh! ye, who *o lately were blithsomo and guy
As the butterfly's banquet, carousing awny t
Your feasts ami your revels o& itttsure are fled,
For tike soul of the banquet-- the Butterfly's dead t
No longer the Flies and the RmmeU advance
To join with their friends in the Grasshopper** dance,'
For seo his thin form o'er the (kvorite bend,
And the Grasshopper mourns for the loss of his friend I
Ami hark to the Amend dirge or the Dee,
Ami tho Beetle that follow* as mournfal ?% he i
And see where to sadly the green nuhes wave,
The Mole is preparing the Butterfly's grave t
The Dormouse attended, but cold ami forlorn.
And tho Gnat slowly winded his shrill little bom ;
And the Moth who was grieved for the loss of a sister,
Dent over the body and silently kiss'd her.
The corse was embalmed at the set of the sun.
Ami er.closcd in a case which the silk-womvluid spun i
ily the help orthe llomet the coffin was laid
On a bier out or myrtle and jessamine made.
l'i weeper* and scarf* came the Duttecfliea all.
And six of their number supported the pallt
And tfic Spider came there in his mourning so black,
llut the fire of the glow-worm soon frightened him back.
Tito Grtlh left hi* nutshell to join the sad throng,
Ami slowly led with him thebook.worm along i
Who wept his jioor neighbor's unfortunate doom,
And wrote thc*c few lines to be placcd on her tomb >
EPITAPH.
At this solemn spot where the green rushes wave,
Here sadly we bernl o'er the Butterfly's grave ?
'Twm here we to beauty our obsequies paid.
And hallowed the ground which Iter ashes had made.
And here shall thedaisvand violet blow j
And the lillydiscover her bosom of snow.
While under the leaf in the evenings of spring.
Still mourning her friend shall tl?e ()ras<thop|>cr sing.
LITERARY.
The Siege of Corinth, a Pbenu Varhina, a Poem.
Though Lord liyron has not chosen to
give his namo to these poems, the public
cannot entertain any doubt of their legitima
cy ; since, in addition to the voice of report
and tho testimony of the publisher in the ad
vertisements of the work, sufficient internal
evidence of tho fact is furnishod not only by
the general style and character of the com
^positions, but by various particular expres
sions and references contained in them.
Nor do we see any sufficient ground for sup
posing (unci tliis is the most material point
to the reader) that the circumstance, to
which we havo ulludcd, has arisen from any
consciousness of inferiority in these compar
ed with his lordship's former productions $
because, even if they should bo judged to
contain nothing quite equal to the be*t parts
which might be selected from their prede
cessors, they possess the same vigorous con
ception, and brilliant and successful elicita
tion, which have been by general consent as
cribed to Lord Byron's muse.
On the general merits and defects of this
noble author's poetry, we have had so many
opportunities or expressing our opinion, that
we shall not on the present occasion detain
our readers with any such discussion. It
will only be necessary to repeat that the
greatest merit of the writer consists in his
jaklll in dissecting the human character, and
in drawing and contrasting the effects of
tho more violent passions ; while his most
general faults are a want of variety, * p^r
petuatgloomincss, and an unpardonable li
censo1?oth of phraseology and of versificati
on. Ills pictures exhibit the bold and deci
sive line* and striking contrasts which, in
the sister art, tir* to be found in the wtarlu*
of Rembrandt, accompanied by the same
depth of shadow, and the same br Ullancy of
the few bright tints whicn tliey contain >, Ajar
they seldom display any of the breadth'#
light, and tho gay variety of coloring,
wnich characterize the Italian school. We
cannot better express our general ideas than
by the above illustration, since these poems
arc too original to bo compared with any o
therproductions in the same art.
Of the two tales which are at present be
fore us,*the first is, in our opinion, endued
.with the'Jeast Interest and merit; and the
story is extremely meagre. It is well known
that, in the year 1715, the city of Corinth
underwent a siege and storm by tho Turkish
army which was led by the famous vizier
All Couroougi) and this is the action which
the poem describes. A|p,a Venetian rene
gade, ha? a high command in the vi*ier*s
army, and is incited to a vigorous prosecu
tion of the siege not less by,his thirst of re
venge agatait his injured country than by
tho hope of possessing himself, in tho assault,
of the person of Francesca, the daughter of
of Minotti, the governor of the town ) to
whom, In earlier days, before his crime, .he
had been a favoured suitor. Having wan
dered, in the night beforo the storm, thro*
tho infidel camp to tho very gates of the
town, the .renegade encounters tho form of
Ms mistress, who earnestly warns him of
?the danger In which he stands of immediate
and everlasting perdition: but he refuses U>'
listen, and returns to the camp to prepare
for the assault. The town is carried'! and
in tho conflict Alp encounters Minotti, a
gainat whom he hesitates to raise his hand,
eagerly mentioning Pranccsca, but he re
ceives for answer that she died 'Yester
night.' Horror-struck with the recollection
of tho vision which at the same moment he
had himself witnessed, the wretched warrior
recoils, and immediately receives his death
J>y a shot through his head. Bach of our
readers, as are acquainted with this portion
of history, will recollect that a dreadful ex
plosion of gun-powder took place at this
Storm, whicn lord Byron has worked ujp In
to a flnc incident for the Conclusion or his
P?rm'
We Sfcalf now quote ft pari of the deacrip^
tlon ofihe rcposo of the nlght-scenc, when
Alp commences his solitary wjiIk0 ' J
'The wart* oneither shor? lay there
Calm, clear, and aafcre a* the air t
And scarce their Ibem the pebbles shook, *.
Bat murmured meekly M the brook.,
The wind* were pillowed on the ware* j ?
The banners drooped along their staves.
And, aa they fell around tkMl fttf ling,
Above them shone the crescent curling t
And that deep alienee waa tmhrtkt, ,*
. .> Save wheie the watch his signal spoke,
' Bare where the steed neiglied oil and ahrill,
And echo anawercd from the hill.
And the wide hum of that wild hoat
Hustledlike leave! from coast to coast,
Aa roae the Mueaaln's voice in air
In midnight call to wonted prayer?
It rot*, thai (Haunted trnvrttful itrain,
JJbt Hm hm thrift e'er iht pkdn t
'Twat mttical, but todljf ntett.
Such m when WneU and harh-etringi mtti,
At%& take a hng unmenturta fne,
7V mortal mintinefnj unknown.
It aeemed to those within the wall
A cry prophetic of their fall t
It atruek even the besieger's ear
With something ominous and drear,
An undefined and sudden thrill.
Which makes the heart a moment still,
Then beat with quicker pulse, ashamed
Of that strange sense its silencc framed s
'Much ns a sudden passingdiell
Wake*, though but for .1 stranger's knell.'
The simile printed in italics ir extreme*
ly beautiful* and indeed the whole is excel -
lent. The contrast to this stillness in the a
gitatiori of tlte hero is equally well-drawn :
?His Itead grows fevered, and his puis?
The quick successive throbs convulse ;
In vain from side to side he throws
llis form, in courtship of repose 1
Or if he dosed, a sound, a start
Awoke hint with a sunken heart.
The turban on his hot brow pressed,
The mail weighed lead-like on his breast,
Though ofl and long beneath its weight
Uponhis eyes hart slumltcr tale.
Without or couch or canopv,
Except a rougher field and sky
Than now might yield a warrior'* bed,
Than now along the heaven was spread
lie could not rest, he could not stay
Within his tent to wait for day,
But walked him forth along the sand,
Where thousand sleepers strewed the strand.
What pillowed them ! and why should he
More wakeful than the humblest be t
8inee more their peril, worse their toil.
Ami yet they fearless dream of spoil i
While he ulone, where thousands passed
A night of sleep, per chance their last.
In sickly vigil wandered on,
And envied all he gated upon.'
This is followed by another fine passage*
in which the author* describing the sur
rounding objects, (< Lepanto's gulf
the brow of Delphi's hill/ Ac.) is led to a
|x>strophize their ancient .glories : but we
liave not space to extract it.
Hitherto, the metre has been regular:
l?ut the reader must prepare Ho find In the
tubsequent extracts a change in tl
cular, which not oven their utmost
can withhold us from censuring* It seeraa
u strange perversion of taste* that when the
Mubjcct is rising in interest* and the inci
dents are becoming more powerful and af
fecting* the verse should on ft sudden be
changed to a style which is removed the fiur
thrst of all from dignity, and scarcely sus
ceptible of it in any hands.
The faults of this poem are of the name
character which we nave described as be
longing to lord Byron's writings in general j
and it is perhaps the heat praise that we can
bestow on-him to sajgtliat, in order to exhi
bithis beauties, we pa led to extract whole
passages, While to - snow his faults we are
fawedtopiek out individual lines Ac expres
liOHh On that ungrateful labor, we do not
feel ourselves now obliged to spend many
moments: but we cannot forbesr to censure
such expressions as that which occurs nt
lino 910, which describes the Madonna?and
the Boy-God on her kneo ;* and we hope
that the author will, in the next edition, ex
punge or alter the four lines from line 957
to 960, the subject of which will scarcely be
deemed proper for such ft poem as the pre
sent.
Parittina, the second of the talcs beforo
us, Is on tho whole one of lord Byron's hup.
piest efforts : but, from the nature of tho
story, wo doubt whether )t will, in general,
meet with the admiration which It appears
to tis to deserve.
This tale is written throughout in the
octosyllabic metre, to which lord Byron lias
in most of his works given a force and dig
nity that were before unknown to it. In
j phraseology, too, this is, with very few ex
ceptions, not open to censure. It is in fact
the most equable of the writer's works.?
Though It is occupied with some of the most
violent and fatal of the human passions*, and
describes some of the most distressing situ
ations In which human beings can be placed,
the nohle author has dealt with them more
calmly than his usual custom would have led
us to expect. The picture is Indeed all
gloom, but tU* keeping is good, antl the ge
neral effect is as pleasing as any dinplay of
pf such .tracks! circumstances can be
made^JVbttlft(|f Review.
The Eclectic Heylew thus concludes its
examen of these two poemsj
?It Is surely a singular circumstance,
that ILord Byron has hitherto confined him
self to the narration of crime, and to the de
lineation of vicious character, llis spirited
?ketches, for they are after all sketches* ex
quisitely spirited and powerful, but nothing
more, ftre all devoted to tho illustration of
the energies of evil, litis certainly evinces
either ft great deficiency of taste, or very li
mited powers of conception. The gloomy
phantasmagoria of his pencil, thourt differ
ing in fo#m ftnd costume, arc all of one cna
ractcr, or rather of ono cast j for ttoo senti
ments and feeling* which lord Byron attri
butes to the personages In his poems* do not
constitute them charadtrt. Thero Is no In
dividuality of feature In his portraits, lie
describes admirably a certain class of
tlons Jbut thc?o should havo been imbodlcd
in-character* rather than described j| and
his characters should have been developed
by their actions.' As there is to Individua
lity in his conceptions, so there Is little va
riety. It should seem that one strongly
imagined personification had taken possessi
on of t& poet's mind, so that whatever be
the scene or the story, this ideal actor is still
the hero of tho drama.
We arc fur from depreciating lord Byron's
genitiM. In energy of expression, and In the
power of giving to words the life and breath
of poetry, we think ho is almost unequalled
by sny contemporary. We conctudo that
his powers are circumscribed, from tho way
in which he has employed them, rather than
(Tom nay other circumstance. To go down
to posterity, however us a great poet, some
thing more than genius is requisite. There
must be a high and holy ambition of legiti
mate fume ; there must be a moral disci
pline of the intellect and feelings : the good*
the true, and the beautiful, must, as Idepi
arehety|>es, occupy the visions of the |?oet f
and he must be the partaker of an elevating
and purifying faith, by which his mind may
be brought Into contact with " things un
seen" and infinite. All these requisites
must meet in a grent poet ; and there must
be an nppearance at lenxt of npproxiinution
to them, in the character of sny one that as
pires to maintain, by means of his writings,
a permanent influence over the minds and
sympathicM of hi* fellow men. Thero must
be at least tho semblance of virtue, or of the
love of virtue."
VARIETY.
INTENSE STUDY.
Demosthenes' application to study was
surprising. To be tho more removed from
noise, and less subject to' distraction, he
caused a small chamber to be made for him
under ground* in which he shut himself up
sometimes for whole months, shaving on
purpoae half his head ami face that he might
not be In ft condition to go abroad. It was
there, by the light of a small lainn, he com
posed the fUfoirable orations, which were
nlW thoM who envied b|m? to smell of
the oil?to Imply that they ^rei* too elabo
rate. ? It is plain/' replied lie, " yours
did not cost you so much trouble.? Ho rose
very early in the momingt And used to say.
Chat he was sorrow when any workman was
at his business bvforu lilut. llu copied
Thucydides* histyry eight times with his
own hand, in orderao render tlie style of
that great man fanunar to hiin.
Fredrick Morel had so strong an attach
ment to stodv, that, when lie was inform
ofhls wife's being at the point of death, he
would not lay down his pen till ho had fi
nished what he was upon; and when she
was dead, as she was beforo they could pre
vail upon hint to stir, he was only heard to
reply, ? 1 am very sorry, she was a good
woman.'*
Sir Isaac Newton, it is said, when he had
any mathematical problems or solutions iu
Ids mind, would never quit tho subject on
any account. Dinner has often been three
hour* ready for lilin before he could be
brought to table. His man often said, when
he has been getting up of a morning he has
sometimes begun to dress, and with one leg
in his breeches (.It down again on the bed,
where he has remained for hours before ho
has got his clothes on.
HIGHLAND ANKCDOTK.
In ages past, the M'Leans of Lock-Buy
wore absolute momurlis or the south Hide of
Mult { and in those duys limiting deer was
their amusement mid support. Loek-lluy
commanded a great chase, nnd gave strict
chargo to an attendant named Gore (God
frey) not.to suffer a stag to escape through
u certain pass ; and at the same time de
clared, it such a thing did happen, Gore
should forfeit his life. Gore took his stationj
but notwithstanding nil his caution some
deer forccd the pass, atid made their escape.
Gore did not loose his life : hut he was lg
nomlniously chastised in the presence of the
chieftain and his assembled clan* on tin-sum*
mit of the peak. The proud Highland blood
of Gore boiled at the indignity lie had sus
tained in the face of his chief and clan.?
Death in his opinion, would have been hono
rable, but the sting of disgrace was more
than he could bear* Young and old were
assembled to nee the chase and poor Gore's
shameful chastisement* Among the rest iih
a nurse with the infant son of the chjef in
her arms. Gore watched his opportunity
snatched Lock-lluy's child from the arms of
his nurse, and with him ill his hands, Iea|w1l
amongst the rocks of the peak, to n shelf far
below the astonished spectators. Gore Came
safely upqn his feet, with the babe in his
hands, and there held Ids victim in triumph.
Rcwardfc and honors were offered t tejirft
and entreaties were poured forth by the dis
tracted parents to Gore, to save and restore
their only son* At length he seemed to re
lent, and declared, If Lock-ftuy was brought
within his sight, and chastised In the same
ignominious manner that ho had been, he
should be satisfied.
The parent for the eako 6tthe child* rcr
tlily submitted to b6 treated precisely as
Gore hart been, and th.en required (lie rcsto
ration ofhlssoii/ ivoro with a sintlo of tri
im^h'and contempt rateed tho child in hit
hand at arm's length# and with a about
throw niwa'eif over the |uak. Both (torn
and tlio child were dashed to pieccslong be
fore they reached if he selu ;'
PKMALB INGENUITY.
The following curious anocdoto him given
rine (o muchiplcusantry and amusement in
(ho fashionable circle of Paris 'Throe
young ladies, nearly of same age, and
brought up fVoin'tlkeir infancy in the board
ing school at 1'aris, had contracted so strong
an affection for each otke^, (hut (hoy form
ed (ho involution of remaining together for
(heir lives. A very painful idea, was mar
riage?which, should (heir parents insist
upon, (heir contract would inovitab)&prc
vent tho eternal union they so ardently sigh*
ed for. The youngest suggested a remedy*
and proposed, that as Polygamy was prohi
bited in Franco they should write to the
Grand Signior, requesting hint to take them
all three for his wives. A letter accordbfc
to that cflVct was accordingly written* aim
signed by trio j but bring put into tlio post
with tlio address, ?? lb the Grand Turk fit
(Constantinople," it excited niiHpicion, and
was carried to tlio Minister who opened and
read it, to Ills great diversion and tint of his
friends. The anecdote has been productive
of many witty epigrams and humorous ro*
marks in Paris, and has been made (he sub
ject of a petit piecet which is actually pre
paring for tho Theatre Louvois.
dashincTnotice.
? St. Helena, Feb. 81.?To the Public.?
?Stolen or mislaid* a devilish good silver
hunting watch* made by M'Cabe, tantlon*
(number forgot) with a dashing gold chain*
and two magnificent seals, without inscrip
tions. Whoever lias found the said watch
and seals, 6t will deposit them at the bar of
the tavern, or give any information relative
to them, will, besides tho thanks of the ad
vertiser, receive any reward he thinks proper.
Gnrrick used to tell the following story :
lie was walking in liondon', in Company i
with Weston, the celebrated low comedian.
Thoy passed two young chimney-sweepers*
with soot bags and other professional accom
paniments on their shoulders. Ono of them
recognized the two actors, and with an arc}i
sneer, said?* Isay Bill?playermen*?* Don't
insult 'em Jack, (said the other) thee doit not
know what thou mayst come to J'
flattie of Waterloo*?-On the night of tho
15th of J one, 1815, (say 8 (he Quurteity Re
view) (ho Dutchess of Richmond gave a ball
at Ilrussels, at which the Dukes of Welling
ton and llrunswick, and Lord Uxbridgc*
with many other officers, were present;
there they received intelligence tiiat the
work of death was begun $ and manv of our
ofllccrs, who were .dancing till midnight,
were, withiu a few hours, in action, ana re
ceived their death wounds in their ball room
dress.
I 11 I, .11 III, II I
HKVBN HUNDRED DGLLAR8 REWARD.
WIIP.HKA8 a most atroc.oUS murder WM committed
it Mr*. Carter's, in Edgefield district, South-Ca
rotin*, on die 28th April last, ?>y DANIEL LAND, who
without provocation or known cause, deliberately ?na
wickedly with a rifle, shot a nun named Durgcs Hay*
white quieting sitting in tliepiaiza of the aforesaid Mrs.
Garter, and thereby almost mstuntly put on end to bl?
existence?and whereas the sa.d Daniel Land has sinco
absconded, and a number of the citirens of Edgefield, de
sirous that so foul it deed should meet tho reward this
laws of the html direct, having made up a subscription by
winch die aho\c sum in securcd, and will l?e paid to any
person or persons who will apprehend the said Daniel
I .nid, and lodge him in Edgefield Jail, to take hi* trial in
due course of law s I therefore dec in it proper to give
public notice, that the subscription paper for this pur
j>ose is lodged with me, ami that it will l>e delivered to
any person who will bring me a rcccipt from the Jailor In
Kngt field, for the said Daniel Lund t und it is 6ell?wd
I so, that an additional reward wilt bo offered by ?tho
governor of South-Carolina, for apprtliending die tamo
person, lie is about 22 or 23 year* of age, .5 feet 8 or 9
inches high j has dark hair and dark eyes, thin dark
heard, ami down lo 't; when standing his kneej appear
to bend buck more than common f he has a small mole on
one side of his face e:i" his mouth i Is of a middle sta
ture, und supposed ? -'.>e of about 160 pounds weight ? ho
was liuni and ra.seil in South-Carolina, about ten W
twelve miles from August* j is of a tolerably fair stdn.
The amount subscrdwd for his spprthension is some*
what shore the reward offered, and may have some fur
ther sums added?but the entire subscription will be $i
veil to the person securing him.
nKNj. iiir.irrowF.fL
Edgefield C. II. May 17th.
? ' Oilier papers will gise die above a ptace fbr th?
ptibl.r good.
PROPOSALS FOR PI'HLISIIING
nt n tKrmrno*
URPOHTfl OF CAUFM dceidcd in lite Court of Chan
cery of the Htnte of South-Carolina, from the Revo
l?itiott nearly ?!o\vn totlio turnout Mnr?Abo in the Ruili'
tv Cotirt Of Appols?by IIKVIIV \VM. DKHAUSHUfti:,
Henior Judgr of the Court ?l Chancery, and presiding
Juibr* in the Court of Appeal*.
1 Ilia work will !?? published in two volume*, <* tavo.
each containing fd*>ut ftOO pagi'?, on good papvr, and
,witli n new type The printing will Ik? commenced
in a few week?, and will !>c finished W '.pcoddy m po##i
bib i probably in tl?e court# of the jre.tr.
The price to atibsmberii wdl fie six dollar* for each
volume, in lK>ar<|* s and a moderate advance for each vo
luiix- hoititd, if proper binding ran Ive procured. Tl^o
m??u'jr to he paid on the delivery of tlie l'<*>k*..
Jfv(jucription< will be received at the Printing-office* tc
IMk-atore in Columbia?and at the different Court-hou
*c> if) thefctat*. ' r
Columbia, March I, 1810. 13- Ml
LAW WLANK8,
^T-F?aMy printed, bn)cr% for *n1? at the Tele*
cope printing otflrf?Where PHIN FINO general
ly,vi*. IIOOKH, l?amphl*t*,CAIIlM, Handbill*, &e.fcc.
is cxerMtvd, in tlie ne^toat style, on numerate term*.
V A feu cop cv, |K, t>,vV? ACCOUNT Of't IK
FriDr.MfC, fcr rah jw ?bove.'