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Bertram. That man shall be my mate-Contend not with meHorrors to me are kindred and society.

Or man, or fiend, he hath won the soul of Bertram.

Bertram is afterwards discovered alone, wandering near the fatal tower,
and describes the effect of the awful interview which he had courted.
Bertram. Was it a man or fiend?--Whate'er it was
It hath dealt wonderfully with me-

All is around his dwelling suitable

e;

The invisible blast to which the dark pines groan,

The unconscious tread to which the dark earth echoes,
The hidden waters rushing to their fall,

These sounds of which the causes are not seen

I love, for they are like my fate mysterious

How tower'd his proud form through the shrouding gloom,
How spoke the eloquent silence of its motion,
How through the barred vizor did his accents
Roll their rich thunder on their pausing soul!
And though his mailed hand did shun my grasp,
And though his closed morion hid his feature,
Yea all resemblance to the face of man,
I felt the hollow whisper of his welcome,
I felt those unseen eyes were fix'd on mine,
If eyes indeed were there-

Forgotten thoughts of evil, still-born mischiefs,
Foul fertile seeds of passion and of crime,
That wither'd in my heart's abortive core,
Rous'd their dark battle at his trumpet-peal:
So sweeps the tempest o'er the slumbering desert,
Waking its myriad hosts of burning death:

So calls the last dread peal the wandering atoms
Of blood and bone and flesh and dust-worn fragments,
In dire array of ghastly unity,

To bide the eternal summons

I am not what I was since I beheld him-
I was the slave of passion's ebbing sway—
All is condensed, collected, callous now-
The groan, the burst, the fiery flash is o'er,
Down pours the dense and darkening lava-tide,
Arresting life and stilling all beneath it.

Enter two of his band observing him.

First Robber. Sees't thou with what a step of pride he stalksThou hast the dark knight of the forest seen;

For never man, from living converse come,

Trod with such step or flash'd with eye like thine.

Second Robber. And hast thou of a truth seen the dark knight? Bertram (turning on him suddenly) Thy hand is chill'd with fear-Well! shivering craven,

Say I have seen him-wherefore dost thou gaze?

Long'st thou for tale of goblin-guarded portal ?
Of giant champion whose spell-forged mail
Crumbled to dust at sound of magic horn-
Banner of sheeted flame whose foldings shrunk
To withering weeds that o'er the battlements
Wave to the broken spell—or demon-blast
Of winded clarion whose fell summons sinks
To lonely whisper of the shuddering breeze
O'er the charm'd towers--

First Robber. Mock me not thus-Hast met him of a truth?-
Bertram. Well, fool-

First Robber. Why then heaven's benison be with you.
Upon this hour we part-farewel for ever.

For mortal cause I bear a mortal weapon

But man that leagues with demons lacks not man.

The description of the fiend's port and language,-thre effect which the conference with him produces upon Bertram's mind,the terrific dignity with which the intercourse with such an associate invests him, and its rendering him a terror even to his own desperate banditti,-is all well conceived, and executed in a grand and magnificent strain of poetry; and, in the perusal, suppos ing the reader were carrying his mind back to the period when such intercourse between mortals and demons was considered as matter of indisputable truth, the story acquires probability and consistency, even from that which is in itself not only improbable but impossible. The interview with the incarnate fiend of the forest, would, in these days, be supposed to have the same effect upon the mind of Bertram, as the metaphysical aid' of the witches produces upon that of Macbeth, awakening and stimulating that appetite for crime, which slumbered in the bosom of both, till called forth by supernatural suggestion. At the same time, while we are happy to preserve a passage of such singular beauty and power, we approve of the taste which retrenched it in action. The suadente diabolo is now no longer a phrase even in our indictments; and we fear his Satanic Majesty, were he to appear on the stage in modern times, would certainly incur the appropriate fate of damnation.

To return to the present work.--We observe, with pleasure, that Mr Maturin has put his genius under better regulation than in his former publications, and retrenched that luxuriance of language, and too copious use of ornament, which distinguishes the authors and orators of Ireland, whose exuberance of imagination sometimes places them in the predicament of their honest countryman, who complained of being run away with by his legs. This excessive indulgence of the imagination is proper to a country where there is more genius than taste,

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and more copiousness than refinement of ideas. But it is an error to suffer the weeds to rush up with the grain, though their appearance may prove the richness of the soil. There is a time when an author should refrain, like Job, even from good words-though it should be pain to him. And although we think Mr Mathurine has reformed that error indifferently well, in his present work, we do pray him, in his future compositions, to reform it altogether. For the rest, we dismiss him with our best wishes, and not without hopes that we may again meet him in the maze of fiction, since, although he has threatened, like Prospero, to break his wand, we have done our poor endeavour to save his book from being burned.

QUARTERLY LIST OF NEW PUBLICATIONS, From February to June 1818.

AGRICULTURE.

The Farmer's Magazine. No. 74.

An Essay on Agriculture, containing an Introduction, in which the science of Agriculture is pointed out, by a careful attention to the works of Nature; also the means of rendering barren soils luxuriantly productive; to which is added a Memoir, drawn up at the express desire of his Imperial Highness the Archduke John of Austria, on the Nature and Nutritive Qualities of Fiorin Grass, &c. By W. Richardson, D. D.

Considerations respecting Cambridge, more particularly relating to its Botanical Professorship. By Sir James Smith, M.D. F. R. S. 8vo. 2s. 6d.

ARCHITECTure.

Mr Kendall, architect, of Exeter, has just published an Elucidation of the first principles of English Architecture, usually denominated Gothic. The work comprises upwards of 20 finely engraved plates by Mr Storer, respresenting Elevations, &c. taken from the Cathedral Church of Exeter.

ARTS, FINE.

New Churches Considered, with respect to the Opportunities they offer for the encouragement of Painting. By B. R. Haydon. 8vo. 1s. 6d.

No. I. of a Series of Twelve Portraits of Distinguished Living Characters of Scotland; containing heads of Walter Scott, Esq. Francis Jeffrey, Esq. and Henry Raeburn, Esq.; drawn and etched by William Nicholson; accompanied with short Biographical Notices. Size of the plates 11 inches by 9. Price of each number 1. 11s. 6d. for proofs on India paper; and 17. 1s. for plain impressions.

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Notes and Anecdotes. Being a continuation of Victor's and Oulton's Histories, from the year 1795 to 1817 inclusive. By W. C. Oulton. 3 vol. 12mo. 18s.

EDUCATION.

A Metrical Guide to the right Intelligence of Virgil's Versification, By John Carey, LL.D. 38.

Tales for my Sons. By M. Kotzebue. 6s.

The first Elements of Arithmetic, or the Teacher's and Scholar's Assistant: comprising the first four rules, combined into one series, and taught in one operation. By G. Reynolds. 2s. 6d.

A Guide in the Selection and Use of Elementary School Books in every branch of education; compiled with a view to save much uselsss expense to parents, to relieve tutors from perplexity, and to economize the time and labour of students. By the Rev. Joshua Collins, late master of the Grammar School at Newport; corrected to the present time by the Rev. W. Catlow, conductor of an Academy at Wimbledon, in Surrey. 18.

History of the Fairchild Family; or, the Child's Manual: being a collection of Stories, calculated to show the Importance and Effects of a Religious Education. By Mrs Sherwood. 12mo. 5s.

French Idioms, adapted to the Use of those who have made some Progress in the French Language. By Victor L. du Noyer. 5s. Geographical Questions and Exercises, blended with Historical and Biographical Information. By Richard Chambers, Author of an Introduction to Arithmetic. 2s.

A Visit to the Bazaar; illustrated with 32 Engravings, exhibiting the different Trades carried on there, with Explanations. 12mo. 3s. Scenes in Europe, illustrated by 84 Engravings. By the Rev. I. Taylor. 12mo. 4s.

The Pleasures of Life; written in the manner of Mrs Barbauld's hymns, in prose. By the author of many approved little works.12mo. 2s. 6d.

Outlines of Philosophical Education, illustrated by the method of teaching the Logic, or first Class of Philosophy, in the University of Glasgow. By George Jardine, A. M. F. R. S. E. Professor of Logic and Rhetoric in that University. 8vo. 12s.

The Eton Latin Prosody, illustrated with English Explanations of the Rules, and Authorities from the Latin Poets. By John Carey, LL.D. 12mo.

A Grammar of the Elements of Astronomy, by means of which that sublime science may be taught in public schools as part of a course of liberal education. By Thomas Squire, roy. 18mo. 78. 6d.

The Philosophy of Elocution elucidated and exemplified by readings of the Liturgy of the Church; for the use of young Clergymen and Students who are preparing for Holy Orders. By James Wright, of Magdalene Hall, Oxford, &c. 8vo.

A Treatise on the Living Languages; containing, in a small compass, the necessary Rules for acquiring a knowledge of them, particularly of the Italian and Spanish, with a Treatise on the difficulties of Italian Poetry. By A. Anaya. 12mo. 4s. 6d.

An Essay on Spanish Literature, containing its History from the commencement in the 12th century to the present time. By A, Anaya. 12mo. 5s.

The Amusing Companion, containing Philosophical amusements and entertaining recreations for young persons. By William Pybus. 12mo. 1s. 6d.

Un Dictionnaire des Verbes Français; or, a Dictionary of French Verbs, showing their different governments. To which is prefixed, a Table of the irregular Verbs, and some Remarks on the Tenses of the Conjugation and the Article. By J. C. Tarver. 8vo. 10s. Adversaria; or, Selections and Reflections on Civil, Political, Moral, and Religious Subjects. By George Harrison. 8vo. 8s.

GEOGRAPHY,

The Edinburgh Gazetteer, or Geographical Dictionary, compris, ing a Complete Body of Geography, Physical, Political, Statistical, and Commercial. Vol. II. Part I. 8vo. 9s.

A brief Description of Nova Scotia, including a particular Account of the Island of Grand Monan. By Anthony Lockwood, Assistant Surveyor General of Nova Scotia and Cape Breton.

Greenland: Being Extracts from a Journal kept in that country in the years 1770 to 1773. By Hans Egede Saabye; with an Introduction, containing an account of the manners of the Greenlanders, &c. &c. translated from the German. 8vo. 10s. 6d,

HISTORY.

An Account of the War in Spain, Portugal, and France, from 1808 to 1814. By Lieut.-Col. J. T. Jones, R. A. 8vo. 15s.

Rogerson's edition of the History of the Wars, from the Fren h Revolution to the Battle of Waterloo, with plates. 2 vol. 8vo. 20s.

The Civil and Constitutional History of Rome, from the foundation to the age of Augustus. By Henry Bankes, Esq. M. P. 2 vol. 8vo. 24s.

Memoirs of the Court of Queen Elizabeth, with a portrait from the rare print by Crispin de Passe. By Lucy Aikin, 2 vol. 8vo, 11. 5s.

LAW.

Form of Process before the Court of Session, the New Jury Court, and Commission of Teinds. Vol. II. 8vo. 13s. 6d.

A Treatise on the Game Laws: in which it is fully proved that game is now, and always has been, the property of the occupier of the land on which it is taken, by the law of England. By Edward Christian, Esq. 8vo. 16s.

The Law of Elections: comprising the law up to the present period, and the statutes relating to elections for England, Scotland, and Ireland, to the 58 Geo. III. inclusive. By Wm. T. Roe, Esq. 7 vol. 24s.

Thoughts on the Expediency of Repealing the Usury Laws. By Edw. Cooke, Esq. 2s.

On Punishment of Death in the Case of Forgery: its injustice and impolicy maintained. 8vo. 1s.

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