Gentleman's Magazine :

AND

Historical Chronicle.

From JANUARY to JUNE, 1819.

VOLUME LXXXIX.

(BEING THE TWELFTH OF A NEW SERIES.)

LONDON: Printed by JOHN NICHOLS and SON,

at Cicero's Head, Red Lion Passage, Fleet Street ;
where LETTERS are particularly requested to be sent, Post-Paid.
And sold by J. HARRIS (Successor to Mrs. NEWBERY),
at the Corner of St. Paul's Church Yard, Ludgate Street ;

and by PERTHES and Besser, Hamburgh. 1819.

[is]

THE IPHIGENIA OF TIMANTHES.

The subject of the NewDIGATE Prize at Oxford for 1819. FANCY! fair, radiant, goddess of the Speechless her lips, yet resolute her eye, skies,

In mute appeal for mercy to the sky : Rob'd in the rified rainbow's thousand E'en such a look sаd Pily's self might dyes;

wear; Thou, that of Eld so rapt Timanthes' view, " It taught Diana's savage soul to spare. Reard'st the sad group his daring pencil

But mark that form! amid the group drew; Say in what mould of unessential light

of grief,

lu dumb distraction tow'rs the warrior The vision'd pageant pass'd before his sight; *

chief; What forms of veriest wretchedness up-' Deep' in his heart the father yearns 10 rose,

spare, lo spectral train, and what, and which he But all the King repels the impulse chose ;

there; Bid pilfering Time again restore bis prey, Not his a struggle for the vulgar eye, And check the sacrilege of dark Decay.

The dim eclipse of fearful majesty. First, where the foremost shed the pitying

Consummate art! 'twas thine to veil bis 'tear, In sober sorrow stands the priestly seer;

To draw from Pity twice her wonted throe;

Twas thine to shroud a nonarch mortal's Ulysses by, in unavailing woe, Could almost dare to deprecate the blow;

face, And sorely Ajax proves bis bosom wrung,

That grief might blend with grandeur and As passion'd pity thunders from his tongue, While sorrow.chasten'd Menelaus sighs,

This ! Aulis ! this! we owe thy piteous His heart's full anguish gushing at his

tale, eyes;

Of kings and princes turu'd in horror pale. This is the throe thąt bleeding bosoms bear,

'The deep tradition smote Timanthes' heart, The scorpion-sting of desolate despair.

Till genius kindling call'd the aid of art, In sadder, stiller, prominence of pain, The silent princess proves resistance vain; And o'er the dread, stupendous, perfect Her conscious spirit owns the good

the guilhead whole, there,

Outpour'd its full magnificence of soul. And chill conviction chains the tongue of Britain ! thy genius owns no rival claim, prayer.

If once it ask eternity of Fame; Fixt and forlorn, in terror's breathless Thine be the task to bid a father slay, calm,

And " Jeptha's Vow" shall bear the palm Her big soul palpitates with mad alarm;

away.

woe,

with grace.

HYMN FOR SUMMER*.
YE zephyrs bland, at opening day Ye bending crops of full.ear'd corn,

That on the rippling waters play! Which mapy a gentle slope adorn,
Ye cheerful gleams of dawning light, Still waving like the restless deep,
That chase the hovering shades of night, As the light airs your surface sweep!
O'er Ocean's level surface spread, Ye fleecy Rocks! ye lowing herds !
Gild the tall promontory's head,

And ye melodious singing birds, Then, kindling with the Sun's first beam That joyous hail the season gay, Shed lustre on the silver stream,

Sporting on many a leaf-clad spray! That glides in silence thro' the vale ! Glad influence join with one accord, Ye flowers, which balmy sweets exhale, And tench me to confess the Lord ! And as ye blossom fresh and fair,

Ob! wbile 1 Perfume the circum-ambient air !

of blessings,

adore, Ye meads, bright glistening with the dew, Him ybo bestows my daily food, Which decks each herb with verdure And satisfies my soul with good! new!

1. So may my renovated joy,
Ye mists, that from the valleys crowd, To his just praise my song employ ;
The mountain boary top enshroud, Nor be forgot the nobler prize,
Or on the tufted woods repose,

His mercy sets before my eyes,
Till with fresh warmth all æther glows, A crown of endless bliss above,
While thro' a food of radiance wide, In the pure realms of Peace and Love.
The landscape smiles on every side! June 1819.

M. CHAMBERLIN,

$; may

have me the hip’ning store

* Sequel to the Hymn for Spring... See Geol. Mag for May last, p. 465.

We are called upon, as usual, at the close of a Half-yearly Volunie, to open a new Season of our Literary Theatre, by a Prefatory Address. Of course, we must adopt a language suited to the occasion, and a costume adapted to the times. We must do what is indispensable in such situations—make fair promises, and be sure to keep them. We must summon confidence to appeal to the past, as a probable pledge of the future.

“ The object of Philosophy," says Stewart, " is to ascertain the laws which regulate the succession of events, in order that, when called upon to act in any particular combination of circumstances, we may be able to anticipate the probable course of Nature from our past experience, and regulate our conduct accordingly." We know what has been repeatedly said about Plebophobia ; but we are not convinced that the alarm is unsound. We think that there is one leading cause of our public vexations too extensive population. Our , very virtues and also our vices augment the evil. This paradox is explained by Franklin. Industry and frugality, with an easy means of acquiring subsistence, are the leading causes of increasing population. But our manners are luxurious; and how much manners influence States, is evident from Switzerland and other countries, where there is not a greater sum expended in subsistence than ought to be consumed. Scotland, where the necessaries of life are as dear, or dearer than in London, yet where the people of all ranks marry, is a proof how manners operate on the numbers of a country. Thus we see how both rich and poor countries co-operate in the process of overstocking Nations : and how much luxurious habits tend to render provision for the poor more difficult.

Dismissing