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Again :

TROBA CCLXXXI.

"Lesol. Un Milort Ingles ab gent de acaball
Vingué à Buriana, è en lo escut un sol
Posaba, lluent; era el camp de aball
De purpura e gules; prenguè per estall
Prop de les muralles ab lo fenevol
Dar la baterìa, ab que el sarrahrì
Entregá la plaza; è al entrar en ella,
Lo Rey demanà: ¿ hon está el qui
Porta el sol por Armes? è ell al Rey ohri:
Sobre el sol posau una luna bella

Perque no tingau nenguna querella."

"An English lord came among the cavalry to the siege of Burriana. His shield was a splendid sun in a field of purple or gules. He undertook to beat down the walls with a battering ram, and when he had made the attack the place was delivered up by the Sarracen; and when the king entered he demanded, "Where is he who bears the sun for his arms?" and he was introduced to the king, who ordered him to place a fair moon above the sun, that he might not have cause to complain."

TROBA CCXCI.

"Loro. Feu lo rey mercet de part de Albalat

A Perot de Loro, un Milort Ingles,
Perque à la conquista fonch vengut de grat,
Per guanyar lo nom de valent Soldat.
Estiguè en lo Puig, é en Valencia après,
A su Costa propia: asisti ab valor
Fent moltes fazanyes dignes de alabar.
Portaba en lo escut en o Camp de or
Un Lléo de blau; sobre ell una flor
De Llis colorada. Varenlo matar

Los Moros de Pego dino de un olivar."

but

"The king conferred a part of Albalat on Peter of Loro, an English noble. He came to the conquest for no hope of reward, to obtain the fame of a valiant soldier. He was at the attack of the mountain and of Valencia, and at his own cost. He was valiant, and his achievements deserved praise. On a field of gold he bore an azure lion, and about it a red fleur-de-lis. For his destruction of the Moors of Pego he merited an olive branch.

TROBA CCCXXV.

"Merchant. Jordi Mercader de la gran Bretanya

Dels Milorts antichs noble descendent,

Ab Christia Valor pera la Campanya
Del

rey vostrou paré dos beixells apanya
De sa hacienda propria ab tot bastiment :
Son fill los goberna, en lo escut posant
Marks de or, ab que pesa lo bon Mercader,
Sobre camp de roig, è un mot elegant :
RES LI FALL; é es cert, puix tan important
Fonch aquell socorro, com podeu saber
Lo Rey agrait lo Armì Caballer."

"George Merchant, the noble descendant of the ancient lords of Great Britain, out of Christian valor prepared, at his own expense, two vessels to assist your king in his campaigns. His son commanded them. Marks of gold, such as merchants employ, were on his shield, on a red ground, and this elegant motto, nothing wanting, and certain it is, that succour was most acceptable, as well you know. The grateful king armed him a knight."

TROBA CCCCLXXV.

"Sisternes. Quant a lo Rey Artus de la gran Bretanya

Ab los seus Milorts en taula redona,

Donantlos tramuzos, els obligà ab manya

Contra els enemichs, que estan en Campanya,

Tants Caps li han de dar, quants tramuzos dona;

Dihuit ne cabaren á un Milort valent,

E els pinta en lo escut, dins de sis daliuets,

de or en colorat sobre camp de argent,

que es conten sis ternes; de est es descendent
Pere de Sisternes, que ab sos dos fillets

Té hui en Consentayna premi per sos fets."

"When King Arthur assembled his knights at his round table, he distributed lupins to each of them, and in his humour compelled them to promise, that for every lupin he gave they would bring him the head of an enemy. Eighteen fell to the portion of a valiant lord, who painted them in gold on his arms in six red dice, upon a silver field, which make six-très (Sisternes.) From him descended Peter de Sisternes, to whom and to his two children, Consentayna was given for his deeds of valor."

Ausias March is the prime glory of the Spanish Trobadors. He died in 1460. He is more known and quoted than any of the rest, and we shall therefore dwell less upon his compositions. His verses are harmonious, natural, and pleasing, pregnant with interesting truths and moral reflections. They are generally pervaded by that soft spirit of melancholy which is so often the favorite companion of the lyre. "Qui no es trist de mos dictats

no cur." His poetry is the poetry of truth and wisdom. It has the condensation of proverbs, and the force of philosophy. His subjects are few-love, death, and duty; and they are treated with a sort of didactic solemnity. One listens to him as to an inspired prophet; his sanctions are brought, alike from old mythology, from the Jewish and Christian codes, and from the books of legends, and all introduced in the tone of one having authority, though for himself he constantly claims the title of a Chrestio molt devot."

66

Mossen Jaume Roig is a poet of another order. His "Libre de les Dones" is a bitter and humourous satire upon women. He was physician to Maria, the Queen of Alonso the Fifth, and wrote his book, as appears by his own statement, in 1460. Notwithstanding the credit which is given him by the Catholic Ximeno, for the solid doctrine, sacred learning, and piety of this volume, it appears to be written rather in ridicule than admiration of high orthodox faith. It is dedicated to "the miraculous conception," of which he professes himself a most decided votary. The versification is singularly artificial and laconic, and is known by the title of Cudolada. His motto is "As the lily among thorns, so is my love among daughters." Two translations have been made into Spanish. As a specimen of the original we will give part of the concluding chapter, in which he turns the schools into ridicule.

Works prepar'd
On subjects hard,
Beyond the reach

"Peyta recens mit quatrecens vint set complits anys son finits

sens trenta tres

anys les primes
desque naixque

mentres vixque." p. 187, Edit. 1735.

Of thought or speech,

The subtilties,
The misteries,
Of Trinity;
If it could be
Sinless conceived
And so believed.
Predestination

Is faith's temptation.

Then hear Pertuse,
And Lully's muse;
Ocham, Scotus,
What they brought us,
Opinions prime,
And subtle rime,
To please not few,
And profit too,
Is its reward.
And I regard
Preaching like this,
As great a bliss

Of wealth to count

To hear and see

As e'er could be.

Another claims, &c. &c.*

The bright amount

We perceive it is necessary to bring the present article to a conclusion, and with it we close this part of our subject. In the succeeding number, we shall commence our review of the Castillian era of Spanish poetry.

"Grans questions

en los sermons imperceptibles

no aprensibles

subtilitats

alietats

de Trinitat

si en pecat
fonch concebuda
si fonch semuda
predestinar
la fe probar

Dits Den Pertusa (a)
Den Lull (b) la Musa
De Ocham, (c) Scott (d)
Llur vari vot

Coses molt primes
ab subtils rimes

plau à les gens

Profit no gens

ne sol restar.

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es tal plaer lo scotar

com lo contar
daltri florins
è dels oins
les armonies
è melodies
hanne dellit
quant han oit
lo so es passat
quin serà stat
ni recitar

ni recontar
nou sperèn
sols oiren

bè han sonat

bè han precat

à mon plaer, &c.

(a) Pertusa--A Valencian nobleman. He wrote a book on the Trinity, Incarnation, and other misteries of faith.

(b) Raymond Lully.

(c) William Occham or Occam.

(d) Duns Scotus.

ART. III. Of Dramatic Poesie, an Essay, by John Dryden, Esq. London, 1688.

Fungar vice cotis, acutum

Reddere quæ ferrum valet, exors ipsa secandi.

Horat. De Arte Poet.

Select Essays on the Belles Lettres, by Mr. Dryden. Glasgow,

1750.

The Critical and Miscellaneous Prose Works of John Dryden, now first collected; with Notes and Illustrations; an Account of the Life and Writings of the Author, grounded on Original and Authentic Documents; and a Collection of his Letters, the greater part of which has never before been published, by Edmond Malone, Esq. 4 vols. 8vo. 1800.

It has sometimes struck us with a feeling of regret, when fresh from the perusal of Dryden's prose, and under the recent impression of its unrivalled strength and freedom, that prescription should have confined the student of our language so exclusively to the period when it had assumed a more correct and regular character. We are far from meaning to deny the generally admitted supremacy of the writers of the succeeding age, and are orthodox enough in our opinions to agree, that the prose of Addison is the purest well of English at which we can possibly drink-still, however, vixere fortes ante Agamemnona multi-we must be allowed to exclaim against the monopoly which he exercises to the exclusion of some, who deserve an almost equal share of our attention. Besides, we cannot help thinking, on a comparison of the style of Dryden with that of the wits of Queen Anne, that the refinement to which our language attained in the writings of the latter, tended not a little to impair its vigour; and that, in being trained to a more "measured mood," and confined within stricter rules of courtly elegance, it has lost some of the free graces and lively expression of its earlier and less cultivated state.

Correctness and propriety are doubtless necessary to the perfection of style, but they are too often the concomitants of languor and imbecility; and are seldom obtained without the sacrifice of those occasional felicities, which, like flowers in the clefts of a barren rock, are often found in the inequalities of a more rugged and careless composition.

The style of Addison we would liken to a clear and transparent stream, whose motion is too gentle to ruffle the surface. or sully the purity of its waters; whilst that of Dryden has the impetuosity of a torrent, which often tears the weeds from its

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