The blessed pair who roam in flow'ry Eden ! Blaze from his countenance. Whatever lovely There sparkles with intense effulgence bright. The rational soul his bosom makes her throne. Gaze dumbly, man alone Rears proudly his superior head towards His high Creator-breathing hymns of praise. BEELZEBUB-Good cause to praise him for such bounteous gifts! APOLLYON He governs like a God whom all must serve. The viewless soul consists of spirit, not Veiling, with trembling wings, these ravished eyes When I beheld her. Adam led her on Through a green forest. Often would he pause To gaze upon her. Then a holy flame How poor is unity! Alas, we are wrong'd For what is Heav'n without the grace of woman! BEELZEBUB-Thus will in flux of time's unebbing sea, APOLLYON U Millions of men arise. Even so ordains Th' eternal fiat! By a sense divine, A vivid impress of the beautiful, Implanted in the brain and vital tissues, Flooding all passions, feelings, hopes, and fears, Endeared. Their life is love, and still they love, BELIAL APOLLYON But living, quickening sunbeams. Man and wife, When breezes heavenly sweep their golden strings. Might gladly forfeit immortality! Methinks this woman has in thee enkindled I have singed my wings And steer towards our holy habitation; Turned back my earnest gaze. Nothing like Eve This extract will perhaps suffice to convey an idea of our Poet's genius The Foreign Quarterly Review of April 1829, in reviewing a book on Flemish Literature, alludes but cursorily to Vondel, and after stating that when compared with Milton he proves very inferior, he proceeds to the next topic. In the weekly periodical "Notes and Queries " of December 29th, 1849, a correspondent inquires whether the tragedy or dramatic poem "Lucifer" has ever been translated. He proceeds to say that the French writer, Alfred de Vigny, in his "Stella," calls Vondel "Ce vieux Shakespeare de la Hollande." In reply to this query we find in the following number of that paper, that if it has not been translated it is not worth translating; and to prove his assertion he does not give any extracts from the work, but mentions the dramatis personæ, which, he says, speak for themselves. But turning from these critics to one who seems to have really perused his works, I find in the Penny Cyclopædia the following remarks: "Never has poetic genius displayed itself more forcibly or with greater sublimity, than it has in all his best productions. He was one of those superior spirits who give celebrity to their country and to their age; and if Camoens singly has sufficed for the literary glory of Portugal, Vondel alone would have been sufficient to confer fame upon his country." (Art. Netherlands.) A comparison between Milton and Vondel would be a very interesting task. The former would no doubt prove superior, but the latter will be found a worthy competitor in the same field of literature. Allowance must be made for the disadvantage under which a dramatist labours; for unless we see the drama represented on the stage it is no more than a skeleton, whilst an epic poem describes all the minutia, and is therefore more striking to the reader. An epic poem has moreover a wider scope for the display of the imagination, which can picture to the mind more mysteries than the stage can represent. When "Lucifer" was first introduced on the stage it was suppressed as a subject unfit for representation. But being published, no less than a thousand copies were sold in a few days,-an immense success considering the extent of the country, and the age in which it was written.* The limits to which this Paper is confined compel me to hasten to a conclusion, without noticing any of the other works of Vondel. In the year 1625, he sank into the most desponding melancholy, which rendered him incapable of any exertion. When recovered, he composed, among other poems, his " Hanekot," in which his hero is a certain preacher who had been ejected by the synod. In all his poems of this kind he writes with great severity against the clergy for interfering in civil matters. He was once heard to say of the clergy, that" Whenever he got hold of them he felt quite inspired." In the year 1628 he went to Denmark to collect some debts, thence to Sweden, and at Guttenburg he composed a poem called the "Oracle," in which he foretold that Gus Among the "Chester Plays" there is one called "The Fall of Lucifer." The editor remarks "The legendary story of the fall of Lucifer appears to have been exceedingly popular in the west from the earliest ages of Christianity in these parts. Milton, perhaps, founded some of his most magnificent pictures on the rude ground-work of these mysteries." tavus Adolphus would carry on war against the Roman Catholic Faith, and subdue the Austrians. This prediction was actually fulfilled a few years afterwards. In the year 1630 he composed many satires, all directed against the clergy and the government. A few years after, he began to compose an epic poem on Constantine the Great, which was to be complete in twelve books, but the death of his wife made him indifferent to its completion, and he destroyed it. In the year 1640 his religious opinions underwent a great change, and he embraced the Roman Catholic faith, which henceforth he vigorously defended, notwithstanding the personal sacrifices he had to undergo. It is, perhaps, this religious apostacy that induced him to compose a drama on Mary Stuart, in which he represents her as innocent of all the crimes imputed to her, while Elizabeth is described as a second Herodias. For this he was fined 180 florins (£15). When 70 years of age he was in great distress, and, therefore, accepted a situation in the Lombard or Pawn Office, which, in that country, is a government institution, at a salary of 650 florins (£54) a year. But instead of writing tickets he made poems, and government was obliged to discharge him, but did not withdraw his stipend. The remainder of his life he passed in great seclusion, and died in the year 1679, at the advanced age of ninety-one years. His works are very They consist of dramas, epic poems, satires, odes-in fact of almost every possible kind of poetical composition. After his death his works gradually rose in public estimation; and although his fame has scarcely reached beyond the frontiers of his country, there is no doubt that a correct translation of his works would obtain for him a place among the master minds of ancient and modern days. numerous. EXTRAORDINARY MEETING. ROYAL INSTITUTION.-March 31, 1854. JOSEPH DICKINSON, M.D., F.L.S., &c., PRESIDENT, in the Chair. It was moved by Mr. HEATH, and seconded by Mr. PICTON— "That the Report of the Delegates, from the four Learned Societies which publish Transactions, on the subject of Union,' be adopted, with the exception of the clause, 'The committee think it premature to suggest a name for the enlarged society; but they strongly recommend the avoidance of all the names of the uniting societies, which is reserved for further consideration.' Amendment moved by Mr. J. B. Yates, and seconded by Mr. W. RATHBONE "That the Literary and Philosophical Society will have great pleasure in receiving the Historic Society of Lancashire and Cheshire upon the same terms on which it received the Natural History Society ten years ago, but that the Literary and Philosophical Society cannot consent to an alteration of the name under which it has heretofore worked well, and which appears perfectly adapted to the objects aimed at by the Society." chair, when there were-for, The original motion was then The amendment was put from the twenty-three votes; against, twenty-six. put and carried, there being votes-for, twenty-eight; against, eleven. It was moved by Dr. INMAN, seconded by Dr. HUME, and carried unanimously "That Edward Heath, Thomas Sansom, John Hartnup, and J. P. G. Smith, Esqrs.; Dr. W. Ihne, Dr. Dickinson, J. B. Yates, Esq., Dr. Inman, Robert M'Andrew, Esq., and Dr. Thomson, be elected as delegates, in order to carry out further arrangements for the proposed amalgamation with one or more of the other learned societies, and report thereon, with a sketch of amended laws." |