FAREWELL TO THE HARP OF THE NORTH. 269 We cannot resist adding the graceful winding up of the whole story: "Malcolm, come forth!'-- And, at the word, And laid the clasp on Ellen's hand!" -p. 288. There are no separate introductions to the cantos of this poem; but each of them begins with one or two stanzas in the measure of Spenser, usually containing some reflections connected with the subject about to be entered on; and written, for the most part, with great tenderness and beauty. The following, we think is among the most striking: "Time rolls his ceaseless course! The race of yore Like stranded wrecks - the tide returning hoarse, To sweep them from our sight! Time rolls his ceaseless course! "Yet live there still who can remember well, p. 97, 98. How, when a mountain chief his bugle blew," &c. There is an invocation to the Harp of the North, prefixed to the poem; and a farewell subjoined to it in the same measure, written and versified, it appears to us, with more than Mr. Scott's usual care. We give two of the three stanzas that compose the last: "Harp of the North, farewell! The hills grow dark, 270 LADY OF THE LAKE BLEMISHES OF EXECUTION. Resume thy wizard elm! the fountain lending, And herd-boy's evening pipe, and hum of housing bee. Hark! as my ling'ring footsteps slow retire, Fainter and fainter down the rugged dell! p. 289, 290. These passages, though taken with very little selection, are favourable specimens, we think on the whole, of the execution of the work before us. We had marked several of an opposite character; but, fortunately for Mr. Scott, we have already extracted so much, that we shall scarcely have room to take any notice of them; and must condense all our vituperation into a very insignificant compass. One or two things, however, we think it our duty to point out. Though great pains have evidently been taken with Brian the Hermit, we think his whole character a failure, and mere deformity -hurting the interest of the story by its improbability, and rather heavy and disagreeable, than sublime and terrible in its details. The quarrel between Malcolm and Roderick, in the second canto, is also ungraceful and offensive. There is something foppish, and out of character, in Malcolm's rising to lead out Ellen from her own parlour; and the sort of wrestling match that takes place between the rival chieftains on the occasion is humiliating and indecorous. The greatest blemish in the poem, however, is the ribaldry and dull vulgarity which is put into the mouths of the soldiery in the guard-room. Mr. Scott has condescended to write a song for them, which will be read with pain, we are persuaded, even by his warmest admirers: and his whole genius, and even his power of versification, seems to desert him when he attempts to repeat their conversation. Here is FLATNESS OF THE COARSE SCENES. 271 some of the stuff which has dropped, in this inauspicious attempt, from the pen of one of the first poets of his age or country: "No, comrade! no such fortune mine. For none shall do them shame or harm." Shall he strike doe beside our lodge, To pay the forester his fee? I'll have my share, howe'er it be."" -p. 250, 251. His Highland freebooters, indeed, do not use a much nobler style. For example: “It is, because last evening tide Of that dread kind which must not be Unless in dread extremity, The Taghairm called; by which, afar, Duncraggan's milk-white bull they slew.'- -p. 146, 147. Scarcely more tolerable are such expressions as "For life is Hugh of Larbert lame;" Or that unhappy couplet, where the King himself is in such distress for a rhyme, as to be obliged to apply to one of the most obscure saints on the calendar. ""Tis James of Douglas, by Saint Serle; The uncle of the banish'd Earl." 272 LADY OF THE LAKE ITS FAULTS VERY VENIAL, We would object, too, to such an accumulation of strange words as occurs in these three lines: "Fleet foot on the correi; Nor can we relish such babyish verses as 66 6 With joy, return. Nay, lovely Ellen! Dearest! nay.'" These, however, and several others that might be mentioned, are blemishes which may well be excused in a poem of more than five thousand lines, produced so soon after another still longer: and though they are blemishes which it is proper to notice, because they are evidently of a kind that may be corrected, it would be absurd, as well as unfair, to give them any considerable weight in our general estimate of the work, or of the powers of the author. Of these, we have already spoken at sufficient length; and must now take an abrupt leave of Mr. Scott, by expressing our hope, and tolerably confident expectation, of soon meeting with him again. That he may injure his popularity by the mere profusion of his publications, is no doubt possible; though many of the most celebrated poets have been among the most voluminous: but, that the public may gain by this liberality, does not seem to admit of any question. our poetical treasures were increased by the publication of Marmion and the Lady of the Lake, notwithstanding the existence of great faults in both those works, it is evident that we should be still richer if we possessed fifty poems of the same merit; and, therefore, it is for our interest, whatever it may be as to his, that their author's muse should continue as prolific as she has hitherto been. If Mr. Scott will only vary his subjects a little more, indeed, we think we might engage to insure his own reputation against any material injury from their rapid parturition; and, as we entertain very great doubts whether much greater pains would enable him If AND PROBABLY NOT WORTH CORRECTING. 273 to write much better poetry, we would rather have two beautiful poems, with the present quantum of faults— than one, with only one tenth part less alloy. He will always be a poet, we fear, to whom the fastidious will make great objections; but he may easily find, in his popularity, a compensation for their scruples. He has the jury hollow in his favour; and though the court may think that its directions have not been sufficiently attended to, it will not quarrel with the verdict. |