tradictory kind. He is a phænomenon, the folution of which affords to the philofopher and politician equal perplexity.

With refpect to his recent fucceffes in Italy against the French-it may be obferved, that he has acquitted himfelf with fingular courage and ability. His intrepidity and alertnefs have, at no juncture, forfaken him. The occafion demanded, and has received from him the moft ftrenuous exertion. He has turned the tide of fuccefs against an enemy who were intent on the conqueft of the world. It was high time that their career should be checked, and that they should feel that they were not invincible. They will, henceforth, demean themselves with lefs infolence, or rather with greater modefty. They will learn the neceffity of keeping more within certain boundaries, and of revering the rights and happiness of the other nations of the earth.

We prefume not to estimate the precife degree of merit due to this renowned general, during his campaign in Italy. Some are of opinion that his fuccefs is to be afcribed more to the fuperiority of his numbers than to the skill of his evolutions. Others alfo contend that the Archduke Charles bad, previous to his coming amongst them, done much towards a favourable change of affairs. He is, therefore, confidered as one who has entered into another man's labours. Be this as it may, certain it is, that the victories of General SuWARROW have been highly ferviceable to the caufe of the allied powers. And thould his repeated defeats of the French facilitate the arrival of peace, every benevolent individual will have abundant reafon to rejoice in the advantages which he has obtained. Europe has been, for fome years past, drenched with blood. The angry paffions of men have been permitted, by the Supreme Being, to rife and fwell, and inundate all around them. Fire and devastation have been carried into the most polite and civilized parts of the globe. It is time, therefore, that tranquillity fhould be restored-that the arts of

peace

peace fhould be cultivated, and that men fhould be once more united in the bands of friendship and of amity. May this period speedily arrive-then the prince and the peafant will join together in promoting those meafures which beft enfure the fubftantial and permanent felicity of mankind.

THE REFLEctor.

[No. XXX.]

THOMSON's CASTLE OF INDOLENCE.

The caftle hight of indolence,

And its falfe luxury,

Where for a little time, alas!

We liv'd right jullily.

THOMSON,

AVING already investigated the merits of the

by the immortal Thomson, we proceed to the confideration of his Castle of Indolence, a piece of exquifite merit. Many of its ftanzas cannot be fufficiently ad mired, and it abounds with leffons of utility to the rifing generation. We bring it forward, therefore, with pleafure; nor can it be unprofitable to attentive readers of any defcription.

It is remarkable that this was the laft poem Thomfon ever published. Dr. Johnfon obferves, that it was many years under his hand, but was at last finished with great accuracy." This circumftance will lead us to pay a particular attention to its conftruction and tendency. Indeed every production of this inimitable poet demands our regard; and in proportion to our fenfibility will be the pleasure which we thall receive from his writings. This is a pofition which cannot be questioned, and the more we read his pieces the more fhall we be convinced of its truth and propriety.

The

The poem confifts of two cantos, and is written after the manner of Spenfer. Confequently many obfolete expreffions are introduced, for the explanation of which a thort gloffary is prefixed. For this peculiarity the following apology was thought neceffary to be given in the advertisement. "This poem being writ in the manner of Spenser, the obsolete words, and a fimplicity of diction in fome of the lines which borders on the ludicrous, were neceffary to make the imitation more perfect, and the style of that admirable poet, as well as the measure in which he wrote, are, as it were, appropriated by cuftom to all allegorical poems written in our language, juft as in the French the ftyle of Marot, who lived under Francis I. has been used in tales and familiar epiftles by the politeft writers of the age of Louis XIV."

The firft Canto delineates the Caftle of Indolence with peculiar accuracy and beauty. The lazy languors of indolence are happily depicted, with which we understand Thomson was not wholly unacquainted. Every circumftance is specified which can debilitate the human powers, and which is indicative of a want of exertion. The various incidents are ingenioufly contrived, and the whole plan is the result of a delicate taste combined with a more than ordinary fagacity. Let the reader, however, form his own judgment.

The introductory stanza depicts, forcibly, the advan. tages of industry:

O mortal man! who liveft here by toil,
Do not complain of this, thy hard estate,
That like an emmet thou must ever moil,
Is a fad fentence of an ancient date,
And certes there is for it reason great ;

For tho' fometimes it makes thee weep and wail,
And curfe thy ftar, and early drudge, and late,
Withouten that, would come an heavier bale,
Loofe life, unruly paffions, and diseases pale!

The

The Caftle of Indolence is thus happily delineated:

The landscape fuch, inspiring perfect ease,
Where INDOLENCE (for fo the wizard wight)
Clofe hid his castle 'mid embowering trees,
That half shut out the beams of Phoebus bright,
And made a kind of checquered day and night;
Meanwhile unceafing at the maffy gate,

Beneath a spacious palm, the wicked wight
Was plac'd, and to his lute of cruel fate

And labour harsh complain'd, lamenting man's estate. The Porter of this Caftle is very humorously imagined, and cannot be read without a fmile:

Wak'd by the crowd, flow from his bench arose,
A comely full-fpread porter, fwoln with fleep,
His calm broad thoughtless affect breath'd repofe,
And in fweet torpor he was plunged deep,
Nor could himself from ceafelefs yawning keep,
While o'er his eyes the drowsy liquor ran

Thro' which his half-wak'd foul would faintly peep;
Then taking the black staff he call'd his man,
And rous'd himself, as much as roufe himself he can.

The lad leap'd lightly at his matter's call,
He was, to weet, a little roguifh page,

Save fleep and play, who minded nought at all,
Like moft the untaught ftriplings of his age.
This boy he kept, each band to disengage,
Garters and buckles, task for him unfit,
But ill becoming his grave perfonage,

And which his portly paunch would not permit;
So this fame limber page to all performed it.

Meantime the mafter porter wide displayed
Great store of caps, of flippers, and of gowns,
Wherewith he thofe, that enter'd in, array'd,
Loofe as the breeze that plays along the downs,
And waves the fummer woods when evening frowns.
O fair undrefs! bleft drefs! it checks no vein,
But every flowing limb in pleasure drowns,

And heightens eafe with grace.This done, right fain **Sir Porter fat him down, and turn'd to fleep again.

By

By no poet has the yawning liftleffness of Indolence been more ably pourtrayed. Defcribed with so much felicity, it prefents a vivid image to the fancy, and generates a forcible impreffion on the heart.

Among the curious modes of entertaining the inhabitants of the Castle, the mufic of the Eolian Harp is specified we thus find it defcribed with great delicacy:

A certain mufic, never known before,
Here lull'd the penfive melancholy mind,
Full eafily obtain'd. Behoves no more
But fidelong to the gently-waving wind
To lay the well-tun'd inftrument reclin❜d,
From which, with airy-flying fingers light,
Beyond each mortal touch the most refin'd,
The god of winds drew founds of deep delight;
Whence with just cause the harp of Æolus it hight.

Ah! me! what hand can touch the string so fine?
Who up the lofty diapafan roll

Such fweet, fuch fad, such folemn airs divine,
Then let them down again into the foul?
Now rifing love they fann'd, now pleafing dole
They breath'd in tender mufings thro' the heart;
And now a graver facred ftrain they stole,
As when feraphic hands an hymn impart;
Wild-warbling nature all above the reach of art!

We cannot wonder at the exquifite delicacy of this delineation of the Eolian Harp, when we recollect that Thomfon ufed often to retire to Norwood and regale himself, even all night long, with the foothing ftrains of this far-fam'd inftrument! Such mufic accorded with the refin'd fenfibility of his nature which breathes throughout the whole of his writings.

We must not quit this firft canto without noticing an ingenious device mentioned by the poet, and with the contemplation of which the fons of Indolence were highly delighted; it stands thus recorded:

One

1