redundancy, or perhaps inconfiftency, in the firft fentence, we find in it no fault, but much excellence. We are, indeed, forry that its excellence is impaired in both the transla tions. "Nor do thou refufe to cohabit with me;" In thy "prefence blooms the fpring of pleasure;" are not happy tranflations of Συ δε μοι πρόφρων συνοικος είης ; or of και λαμπες χαριτων γαρ. The firft thought in the poetical verfion is not in the original; and is too hyperbolical. The critic finds fault with unneceffary repetition in the original, but has not pointed them out; the charge, on the contrary, may be retorted; for, in the following lines, the fame thought is repeated five times.

• Come thou, thou beft of bleffings, come,
And make my humble roof thy home;
Propitious come, and shed a ray

Of gladnefs on my fetting day.'

In the line" Thy hand muft make them fit with ease," the diction is profaic, and the figure mean; and in the lines

• Whate'er we hope, whate'er endure,

Thou giv'ft th' enjoyment, or the cure,'

we are suspicious of inaccuracy in the thought. Health can give the enjoyment of hope; that is, as we understand it, can gratify our defire, if our hope or defire has health for its object; but if we defire or hope for any thing else, health enhances the pleafure, but cannot give the poffeffion. If, for example, we hope for riches, health may enable us to relish, but cannot confer them. In like manner, the good health of a father, who grieves for the death of his child, will neither restore his child, nor remove his forrow. Health contributes to, but does not conftitute, happiness; fo that we cannot affirm, as in the laft line of the poem, that

The poet, in the original, expreffes himself with modefty and simplicity, and fays, with great truth,

Σεθεν δε χωρίς, δεις ευδαιμων πελει·

But the laft, like the firft, lines of the poetical verfion contain a needlefs and unfupported hyperbole; needless, because the fpirit of the poem is not fo impetuous as to require fo ftrong an image; and unfupported, because it hath not truth for its bafis.

The verfes to Mira have fuperior merit. The thought in the following lines is delicate, and the picture beautiful:

• Canft thou not paint the willing heart,

That coyly gives the trembling hand?"

The image of Venus, in the fecond ftanza, is now become common place; but, in the verfes that follow, the attitudes are graceful, and the colours exquifite;

Now, Mira, art thou pale with fear

Look not, thou fweetnefs! thus forlorn.

She fmiles-and now fuch tints

As fteal upon the filver morn,'

appear

But is not the perfonification of the abstract quality in the fecond line too infantine? In the next ftanza, the thought, though common on fuch occafions, receives an air of agreeable novelty from the natural and tender fentiments attri puted to the lover;

J

Well may the lover fondly gaze

On thy bright cheek and bloom of youth,
Impatient of the calmer praise

Of sweetness, innocence, and truth.

Yet these shall, to thy latest hour,
Thefe only fhall, fecure thy blifs;
When the pale lip hath loft its power,

Thefe shall give nectar to the kiss.'

We agree with our author in most of his ftrictures on Flow rus. But has he not, in his own writing, given us too many examples of Florus's manner? Strange that he fhould imitate what he blames! We are afraid it is fo.

Our author's celebrity, and the duty we owe to our readers, have extorted our candid but reluctant cenfure.

G.

ART. V. Olivia: or, the Deferted Bride. By the Author of Hortenfia. 12mo. 3 vols. 7s. 6d. fewed. Lane. London, 1786.

THE

HE novel now before us is the production of a lady who has given repeated proofs of her ability in this fpecies of literary compofition. On the prefent, as on former occafions, the deviates from the common track of novelists in continuing the hiftory beyond the period of marriage; a practice which is not only extremely proper as extending

the

the bounds of invention, but as conducting the reader into scenes of life the most important to domeftic happiness, and where falutary precepts can never be too much enforced by the power of virtuous example. Olivia, the heroine of the piece, is the daughter of a gentleman who had been bred to à liberal profeffion; but, being deprived of both her parents at an early age, fhe was brought up under the care of Mr. Goldwyn, rector of the parish, a worthy man, who, with his wife, adopted the young orphan as their own child. Mr. Goldwyn enjoyed a living worth about four hundred pounds a year; but, to oblige fome of his particular friends, he had been perfuaded to become tutor to fix young gentlemen, for whose board and inftruction he was paid more liberally than he wifhed or defired. Among his pupils was Mr. Davenport, the younger fon of Lord Davenport, and Mr. Vane, the only fon of a gentleman of affluent fortune. Olivia, being remarkable for beauty and amiable accomplishments, was beloved by each of these youths, between whom there fubfifted a jealoufy refpecting the object of their attachment; but, though the endeavoured to conceal her affection as much as poffible, it became evident that she gave the preference to the addreffes of Davenport, who was a year older than herself. About the age of nineteen this young gentleman was called home by his father, who had purchated for him a cornetcy in a regiment of horse, and intended marrying him immediately to the daughter of a rich merchant in London. Nothing could do greater violence to the inclination of young Davenport than the latter of thefe propofals, as the beautiful Olivia was the entire mistress of his heart, and they had exchanged mutual declarations of eternal love and conftancy. So peremptory, however, were the injunctions of the rigid Lord Davenport, and fo inflexible his temper, that, after enduring the utmost distress of mind, the fon was at length induced to comply with his requifition, though at the expence of every happinefs in life, and of all that he held dearest in the world.

Soon after the marriage of Davenport, Mr. Vane the father died, leaving to his fon an estate of five thoufand pounds a year. The young heir had fcarcely taken poffeffion of the fortune, when, inflamed with the love of Olivia, he fet off in a poft-chaife from the family house, where he had a fhort time refided, to renew the declaration of his paffion, and folicit that he would grant him the longed-for happiness of accepting him as her husband. The fincerity of his attachment being unquestionable, Olivia

Y 4

being

being now difengaged from every obligation to her former lover, and both Mr. and Mrs. Goldwyn ftrongly urging her to embrace an offer fo advantageous to her interefts, the was not long in confenting to the propofal, and their nuptials were accordingly celebrated; after which the new-married couple fet off for Vane-Grove, the feat of the family.

In the mean time, Davenport, whom all the gaieties of fashionable life could not confole for the lofs of Olivia, was perfectly unhappy, and panted after an opportunity of a perfonal interview, to entreat her forgiveness for his conduct, No fooner was this imprudent refolution formed than it was put in practice. He told Mrs. Davenport that bufinefs of the utmost importance obliged him to be abfent from her for a few days. Having procured a drefs that would conceal him from the obfervation of those that might know his perfon, he hired a chaife, and immediately fet off on the journey. When he had got within a few miles of the place, he put on the dress of a failor, and proceeded to the village, where he took lodgings at an inn; determined to remain till fome fortunate moment fhould offer that would procure him the opportunity of feeing the fair Olivia.

After being a few days in this concealment, he learnt that Mr. Vane was engaged to go out a hunting with a party of gentlemen. The weather was fine." Olivia had formerly loved walking; and it feemed probable that, in the abfence of her husband, fhe would indulge her humour for a ramble among the various fweets which the country at this season profufely difplayed. Unknown and unfuípected, Davenport wandered round the house, faw every one that entered or came out, and very foon his impatient eyes were grati fied with a fight of the blooming Mrs. Vane, leaning upon the arm of a young lady of her acquaintance. He no fooner faw Olivia and her companion feated under the fhade of a fpreading and venerable oak, in a retired part of the park, than he ventured to appear before them. The ladies, alarmed at the fight, fcreamed with terror, and endeavoured to efcape, but were prevented from effecting their purpose by the miferable Davenport, who, throwing himTelf at the feet of Olivia, informed her who he was, and that he had come to hear his pardon pronounced from her lips, or die to expiate his fault. Olivia, unable to speak, or even to look, at the wretched object who was kneeling before. her, funk back on the feat from which fhe had just rifen.

Is there no pardon, no peace," he cried, "for the wretch who thus fupplicates to be forgiven? Unkind Olivia! did you but know the conflicting torments I endured!

how

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how I was compelled to be another's, or become an outcast, a beggar! I was fo encompaffed, that no way was left for me to escape. I must be a wretch for life: but may you ever be happy, ever a ftranger to fuch mifery as I endure !" Olivia, foftened by this awful and pathetic addrefs, held out her trembling hand to the humble fupplicant, who fnatched it to his bofom. She affured him that he had wept for his inconftancy, but cherished no refentment, and, at that moment, lamented the mifery which he felt. Davenport, unable to fuftain fuch a torrent of delight as the being convinced that Olivia did not execrate and hate him, leaned against a tree, but still kept the hand he had before feized, and which he had ftruggled in vain to get from him. While he was in this attitude, Vane, whofe jealous temper harboured fome fufpicion that Olivia entertained a partiality for his former rival, inftantly burst from a thicket of flowering fhrubs, where he had for fome minutes lain concealed, Rage and indignation overfpread his countenance, and he infiited that Davenport fhould give him the fatisfaction of a gentleman by an appeal to the fword. Mrs. Vane and Mifs Pelham, the young lady, frightened to distraction at this incident, flew back to the houfe; where the former, folicitous for the fafety of her husband, ordered the fervants instantly to fly to his affiftance; then hurried to her chamber, to give a loofe to the anguifh which this unfortunate morning had brought upon her.

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The refult of this meeting was a duel, in which Davenport received a wound; but, by the affiftance of a furgeon, he recovered in a fhort time. A more deplorable catastrophe took place in the family at Vane-Grove. Mr. Vane, burning with groundlefs jealoufy, determined on an immediate feparation from his amiable wife. He left her to occupy the manfion-houfe, with two maids and one man fervant, allowing her an annuity of two hundred pounds a year, but debarring her from all company, except that of Mr. and Mrs. Goldwyn, for a few days once a year. In this melancholy reverfe of fortune a tedious interval elapfed, during which her unhappiness was increased by the villainous machinations of Randal, her husband's fteward; until Mr. Vane, fatiated with the life of diffipation into which he had plunged with the view of extinguifhing his forrow, and becoming defirous of an explanation with his lovely confort, whom he began to think he had unjustly fufpected of infidelity, returned from the continent, where he had spent the greater part of the time. On examining the ftate of affairs at Vane-Grove, and the whole conduct of Olivia from the day