Зображення сторінки
PDF
ePub

Is he desirous of pursuing the study of medicine? Alas! it would be a melancholy consideration, that he could never hope to have a single patient under his hands. In the law, too, who would plod through its rubbish of black-letter folios, unless he were cheered by the anticipation of one day being able to grasp the rich reward of some grateful and feeling client? As a divine, however powerful and persuasive the appeals he might pour forth, few at least of his fair auditors would be convinced of the purity of his motives or the soundness of his doctrines, unless his arguments were enforced in a more handsome and striking manner than they could be by this fingerless, ringless being.

But, notwithstanding these minor considerations, I trust enough has been said to convince all of the expediency of immediately relieving themselves of these appendages. And though some may be "up in arms" at the suggestion, they must be few who will not go hand-in-hand with me, in my benevolent plan for meliorating the condition of the human race.

POETRY.

AN APRIL DAY.

When the warm sun, that brings
Seed-time and harvest, has returned again,

"T is sweet to visit the still wood, where springs

The first flower of the plain.

I love the season well

When forest glades are teeming with bright forms,
Nor dark and many-folded clouds foretell

The coming-in of storms.

From the earth's loosened mould

The sapling draws its sustenance, and thrives:
Though stricken to the heart with winter's cold,
The drooping tree revives.

The softly-warbled song

Comes through the pleasant woods, and coloured wings
Glance quick in the bright sun, that moves along

The forest openings.

And when bright sunset fills

The silver woods with light, the green slope throws
Its shadows in the hollows of the hills,

And wide the upland glows.

And when the day is gone,

In the blue lake the sky o'erreaching far
Is hollowed out, and the moon dips her horn,
And twinkles many a star.

Inverted in the tide

Stand the gray rocks, and trembling shadows throw,
And the fair trees look over, side by side,
And see themselves below.

Sweet April!-many a thought

Is wedded unto thee, as hearts are wed;
Nor shall they fail, till to its autumn brought
Life's golden fruit is shed.

H. W. L.

GEN. FRASER-SLAIN AT SARATOGA.

In the pride of his daring, Fraser fell,

And while slowly away we bore him,
The warriors rude whom he loved so well
Shed burning and stern tears o'er him.

I die-he cried to his heart-struck chief,-
Life flows away like a fountain-
Let my funeral rites be few and brief,

And my tomb, the peak of the mountain.

There was not a heart but heaved with wo,
As the hero's hearse ascended,

And the vengeful shot of the watchful foe
With our farewell volley blended.

The pilgrim of honour seeks his grave,
Where the bright clouds rest in glory—
His memory lives in the hearts of the brave,
And his fame in his country's story.

S. H.

THE FOUR AGES.

FROM SCHILLER.

The dark purple wine in the goblet now foams,
Now sparkle the eyes of each guest;

The bard too appears,-to the banquet he comes,
And to good things he adds far the best.

For joy without song is but common and low,

Though in halls of the gods the rich nectar should flow.

His heaven-gifted spirit is pure and serene,

And the world as a mirror reveals;

All things, that on earth have been done, he hath seen,
And all that futurity seals.

When the gods met in council, he sat in their ring,

And watched the first causes whence worlds were to spring.

He unfolds in its cheerful and glittering hues
Life's varied and intricate folds;

The earth as a temple he decks; from the Muse
Such powers of enchantment he holds.

No roof is so low, and no hut is so small,
But heaven and its gods enter in at his call.

As the sculptor of old, to whose far-seeing eye
Invention called beauty at will,

Could carve earth and sea, and all stars in the sky,
On a shield's narrow orb with his skill;

The image of worlds, which are held by no bound,
He stamps on the moment's most fugitive sound.
The infantile age of the world he hath seen,

When the nations were happy and young;
As a light-hearted pilgrim hath socially been
All times and all races among.

His eye hath beheld the four ages pass o'er,
And now to the fifth he describes all the four.

First, Saturn was king, kind and just; all the while
As to-day, so to-morrow was fair;

The nations were shepherds, and lived without guile,
And needed for nothing to care.

They lived, and they loved, and they did nothing more,
For fruits in profusion the earth freely bore.

Then labour succeeded; then fought each brave man
With the monsters and dragons of old,

And the heroes appeared, and the kingdoms began,
And the weak flew for help to the bold;

On the fields of Scamander the lances were hurled,
But Beauty was still the one queen of the world.

But victory followed at last on the storms,

From energy gentleness sprung;

Then rose in perfection of gods the bright forms,
Then the Muses in harmony sung!

The age of sweet Fancy, the maiden divine,
Is past; ne'er again will so fair an one shine.

Then sank all the gods from the heavenly throne,
The columns, the temple's beam;

And born for mankind was the Virgin's son,
The trespass of earth to redeem.

The transient delights of the senses were past,
Man's thoughts on himself were contemplative cast.
And the vain and the brilliant attraction was gone,
Which made the young world seem so bright;
In cloistered recesses hard penance was done;
And tilted the iron-clad knight.

But if life was then sombre and fearfully wild,
Yet love did not cease to be lovely and mild.

And still for the Muses there tranquilly stood
The holiest altar apart;

And all that was noble, and moral, and good,
Was sheltered in woman's pure heart.
The flame of affection was kindled anew
By her tenderest feelings and love ever true.

And hence an eternal, a delicate band,

The bards and the fair shall unite;

They weave and adorn, with hand joined to hand,
The girdle of Beauty and Right.

When Love and the Muses in union are seen,
The world wears anew of its youth the fresh mion.

CRITICAL NOTICES.

A Greek Grammar of the New Testament. Translated from the German of George Benedict Winer, Professor of Theology at Erlangen. By Moses Stuart, Professor of Sacred Literature in the Theological Seminary, Andover, and Edward Robinson, Assistant Instructer in the same Department. Andover. 1825. 8vo. pp. 176.

WE regard with high satisfaction the recent indications of an increasing attention to philological and classical studies in our community. We have among us a few scholars, who would be ornaments to any institution in any country; and they, with a zeal the most praiseworthy, have been and are exerting themselves to excite an interest in these studies, to convince the public of their importance, and to furnish the best elementary works to facilitate the prosecution of them. We hope, and we believe, that they will, ere long, have their reward in the flourishing state of these studies in our community.

One consideration that gives importance to philological inquiries, and which ought to save them from the contempt in which they have been held by some, is their connexion with the just interpretation of that volume which contains the revelations of God. For this reason, we receive with welcome, not only as scholars but as Christians, the many excellent works-principally translations from the German,-which have within a few years been presented to the community, as helps to the study of the Bible.

The character of the language of the New Testament, as distinguished from that of classical Greek authors, has for some time been pretty well understood by scholars. It has been known that, though the New Testament is said to have been written in Greek, much more than a knowledge of the Greek language, as it exists in the classics, is necessary in order to understand it. A knowledge of the Hebrew has been allowed to be essential to the right understanding of very many words and forms of expression. Lexicons have been formed, explanatory of the peculiar language of the New Testament, so that very little remains to be done in that department. But to the pecu

liarities in the forms, the use, and the construction of the language of

the New Testament, very few have directed their attention. It is true the New Testament Greek departs from that of the classics, more in the department of the lexicon than in that of the grammar, more in the meaning of words than in their forms. Still there are important peculiarities in the forms of words and their uses, in the use of the modes and tenses of verbs, and of several other of the parts of speech, and in the syntax, which perplex the student of the New Testament, and on which the common Greek Grammars throw no light whatever. An elementary work was evidently wanted, in which all these peculiarities, all the facts relating to the forms of words and their uses should be classified under proper heads, so as to form some rules for the direction of one entering upon the study of the New Testament.

The author of this work does not, however, confine himself merely to the peculiarities of the New Testament diction, but introduces the nicer and more uncommon phenomena of the language generally, and particularly such as are regarded as exceptions to the common rules. The advantage of this course is great in giving a systematic form to the work.

The design of this work then is manifestly excellent. The next question is, how has it been executed? We have already intimated, that the author has correct notions of what constitutes a good grammar, viz. a convenient classification of the actual phenomena of a language, and not a priori rules for its explanation. The qualities of a good grammar are convenient arrangement, correctness or freedom from error, and completeness. In regard to the first, the arrangement of the work is not liable to exception. It is natural, distinct, and convenient. In regard to correctness, or freedom from error, we think the work entitled to great praise. It is evidently the production of a thorough scholar. His rules he justifies and illustrates by numerous examples. He differs from some of his predecessors in important particulars; for instance, in the chapter on the use of the article. Many remarks which are scattered over the best and latest commentaries, are here to be found in methodical arrangement. The author, in general, seems more solicitous to be correct, so far as he goes, than to be comprehensive and complete. But it is so far complete as to be a most valuable work for those entering upon the study of the New Testament. There can be no doubt, however, that much remains to be done in reference to this subject. It is new; and perfection is not to be expected in a first attempt. In course of time, considerable additions will undoubtedly be made to it, particularly in the chapter on the Preposition, which seems to us more defective than any other.

We were a little surprised at seeing a work from this source, having the Greek without the accents. We supposed that of late there had been no doubts among our scholars, as to their convenience and advantages; since there are so many who would like to have them, and as they can do no harm to those who do not want them.

Address delivered before the Massachusetts Peace Society, at their Ninth Anniversary, December 25, 1824. By John Ware, M. D. Boston. 1825. 8vo. pp. 24. We look upon the efforts of Peace Societies, as part of that succession of droppings, which is able to wear away stones, and upon the spread of

« НазадПродовжити »