told me it was one o'clock, and the gentlemen were waiting dinner of me; asked her to take my compliments, and say I was busy writing; ordered a basin of gruel, found myself not only in a red hot fever, but also in my breeches and boots; must have been very sleepy the night previous, to have neglected taking them off; looked at my watch, and found it had stopped; very strange, never stopped before; must have been in deep thought, and so forgot to wind it up; breeches and boots corroborated this idea; took my gruel, and fell asleep; awoke in two hours, dressed, paid my bill, and drove out of town the back way. Arrived at C- no one in but myself; looked at my order book, but found nothing in it; balanced my cash, and discovered a great deficiency; cannot be helped, people must have money to pay their way, and travelling, every body knows, is very expensive; read an old newspaper, fell asleep, singed my hair against the candle; called the chambermaid, ordered a pan of coals, and went to bed. THURSDAY. Found myself much relieved by my night's rest, but more particularly so, after partaking of a breakfast, where cold fowl, cold tongue, cold ham, &c. were the principle ingredients. Opened my ledger and looked over my accounts; John Windem much behind, memorandum in the margin 'not to leave without the money;' desperate cases require desperate measures, so thought of looking out for private lodgings. Found John Windem absent, and shop closed; made inquiries, and heard he was gone north. Returning, a couple of pretty girls stared at me from a second story window, fell in love with one of them; better eyes than Amelia's, and much better forehead,-determined to rusticate here a day or two. Redressed, and walked past again,-girls still there, evidently much enamoured; wrote with my pencil, a few lines of adoration in my order book, tore it out, and got Boots to deliver it; received for reply, They thought it must be their father I wanted, as he gave all the orders;' inquired, and found they were the daughters of a customer,-durst not face him, ordered horse into buggy and drove off in the midst of a heavy shower. After proceeding three miles discovered that my patterns were absent; still raining, returned for them, drove on again; came to a narrow ill paved lane, cart before me in the centre of the road, could not pass and driver fast asleep ; bawled out, but he could not hear me for the jolting of his cart; still raining, charming life, bawled again, no answer; night coming on, and driving at the rate of three miles an hour. Alighted from my vehicle, determined to prove the effects of a whip, found it much better than my voice, woke him and alarmed my horse, who found his way into the ditch, pulled him out and succeeded in discovering that my springs were broken; bore it all patiently and finished the stage on foot, arriving in time to find the inn closed, and the hostler in bed. Sadly perplexed, not liking to awake the ' commercial gentlemen.' Knocked gently at the door but no one came; louder, yet no answer, louder still, a nightcap peeped forth from a window and both horse and myself were soon housed. FRIDAY. At breakfast, listened attentively to several remarks upon gentlemen travelling late, and disturbing their neighbours. One old man in black, very full of wrath, having lost a sound sleep, and not having been able to find another all night. Despatched my breakfast in quick time, and silently left the room. Returned with a clothes' brush, and on quietly brushing myself, was asked by the old gentleman in black How long it was since I had left off livery?' brushed away, and made no reply-asked me again if I did not think his toast was sufficiently well buttered, without the contents of my 'greasy habiliments?' felt myself insulted, and left the room in silent contempt; went into the stable and fed my horse. Boots came with the old gentleman's compliments, desiring to see me immediately; concluded it was his wish to make an apology, and returned. Old gentleman reading the paper; on entering, quietly raised his head and peering from under a pair of large green spectacles, desired me the next time I left the room to close the door after me. Finished my business; got four promises of large orders next journey; wrote home enclosing fifteen provincial notes, and a sovereign, found I had written home three times in less than a week, astonished at my industry and perseverance. A new arrival, prime fellow, white coat, pearl buttons, spire crown hat, buckskins, boots and bugle ; beautiful bit of blood,' and large poodle dog; told me his horse cost him seventy; finest bred on the road, did not know where there was such another; only one blemish, a little hair off the knee, done by running against a wall. Said he was surprised to see so gentlemanly a man as myself, drive so imperfect an animal; pointed out the faults of my bit of blood,' which I perceived immediately; felt a strong desire to exchange; offered to give him ten pounds to boot, but he laughed at me; did not like to be laughed at, thought he might discover I was no judge, so boldly pressed him hard with twenty, and after much persuasion succeeded; found myself in possession of the finest bred horse on the road, with only one blemish; bid high for his Poodle and nabbed him; eager to try both, so off. Went on quietly, very quietly; although so well bred, must have been in good hands, not an inch of vice; placed Poodle in the gig, and tied him with a rope to my leg; very noisy, but so much the better company; passed a coach without any accident, drove gently to P, and arrived there in time for supper. Took two bottoms of brandy and betted ten pounds I was heavier than the cook, but being 'weighed in the balance was found wanting.' Debited cash account with ten pounds; went to bed and dreamed cooky was rolling me in paste for an apple dumpling,—dreadful effect of the night-mare. SATURDAY. On proceeding to the stable found my new purchase fast asleep; hostler roused him and asked if I wished to part with him, for master wanted a poster; blew him up for his insolence. Boots entered informing me Poodle had broken three large panes to get into the larder, and had taken pains afterwards to secure a leg of mutton, in which attempt he had succeeded. Told him to put all down to me. Called upon three customers, all very savage looking men, one a tailor, kept his eye upon me (the only one he had) as though he expected I should put something into my pocket; asked him if he thought so, and then bolted. Looked over my order book and found how very successful I had been in promises; considered I must have a peculiar talent about me, people took such notice of me. Bad thing to lose one's friends; customers should know what they want better than travellers. Looking through the window saw Poodle engaged in warfare surrounded by blackguards; succeeded in rescuing him, and bringing with me a black eye and the remains of a coat. Drank 'Sweethearts and wives' and went to bed without the assistance of Boots. SUNDAY. Awoke and after a few moments' busy reflection, remembered it was Sunday. Delightful day when all things rest from labour, no occasion therefore to rise earlier than agreeable; pulled on my nightcap, which I had been quickly removing from my head, and placed myself in a good position for thought. Bells gently tolling for church and maid bustling about in the passage and next room, a hint to rise, but would not take it; determined to indulge myself; remembered a favourite proverb of my grandfather's, nothing like the time present.' Found the contrast between the frost on the windows, and the warmth of the soft pillow uncommonly delightful. Some foolish poet says, 'There's nothing half so sweet in life as love's young dream,' strong evidence that poets are poor,-ignorant of the charms of a feather bed. Shut my eyes on purpose to ruminate,always ruminate best with my eyes shut; everything very comfortable, calm, calm, very calm; surprised, however, to see a draper standing by my bed side with a large bundle of muslins under his arm, and Poodle under the other tried to speak but could not; horse and gig came trotting past the foot of the bed, did not like to be played upon in this way, so endeavoured to turn them out per force-suddenly found myself on the floor; must have been dreaming; dressed and made my appearance at breakfast just as the clock struck half-past eleven. Ordered my bill, and drove gently to Din time to get a four o'clock dinner, with a single bottom of brandy. Gentlemen dilating over the sixth bottle, at the one o'clock dinner table. Politely invited me to take a glass; could not do less, so sat down and amused them with many anecdotes. Poodle entered, and was kicked out, with a very impertinent remark from one gentleman that his master ought to be served in the same way; felt very much pleased I had not owned him. Sent Boots to the post, for a letter in reply to various remittances in the course of the week. Received one, begged to be excused, opened it and read as follows: 'Sir, Your talents are wanted at home. If you will apply at the coach office, you will find yourself booked and insured along with other valuable property. The guard has your address, and will label you if required. We have engaged a porter and wheelbarrow to meet you on your arrival, so that you may be safely delivered at your lodgings free of expense, and without further damage. Your's, &c. SKIN, FLINT, AND CO. N. B. Forget what follows. Manchester, 25th March. H. B. P. LINES CARRINGTON'S DARTMOOR.* THERE are several reasons why we should deviate from our usual practice, and devote a few pages to a review of this very interesting volume. In the first place, the poem which constitutes its leading feature, is one of the most successful productions of the class to which it belongs, that we have met with for a many years; and in the next, its author, although a man of first rate genius, is labouring under the res angusta domi, and consequently possesses unusually strong claims on the attention of every genuine lover of literature. Beautiful as are the sketches before us, and a large portion of them are entitled to rank with the best descriptive poetry of Thomson and Akenside, they are, as the amiable and enlightened gentleman who has supplied the preface and notes justly observes, rendered still more interesting by the knowledge of the adverse circumstances under which all Mr. Carrington's writings have been composed. Employed from morning till night in a painful and laborious vocation, (that of a schoolmaster) with a numerous family to support upon a very scanty income, and that income materially diminished by the present mania for subscription schools, Mr. C. has yet found leisure to exercise his poetic genius, and to manifest the unconquerable energies of his mind. Most earnestly do we pray, with his excellent editor, that the present laudable effort may raise up for him and his family some more influential patron than it has ever been his lot, as yet, to conciliate. In his former poem, the Banks of the Tamar, Mr. Carrington introduces himself to his readers as the endurer of a fate still more severe than that of his brother Teacher, of Gandercleugh; for he, after plying the task of public instruction throughout the weary day, could relieve his shattered nerves and aching head by a solitary walk in the cool of the evening on the banks of a winding stream; whereas the poet of Dartmoor tells us that his labours have seldom been relinquished till the close of our longest summer evenings, when he has been almost uniformly driven by business connected with his arduous profession, and by literary cares, to his solitary study, where, depressed by the previous fatigues of the day, he has occasionally indulged in poetical composition. These are simple and affecting facts, and no one with the slightest pretensions to poetical taste, who peruses the results of these snatches of solitary joy,' can choose but feel as much sympathy for the man, as admiration for the poet. The earliest efforts of Mr. Carrington's muse which we remember to have seen, were some beautiful little pieces in the Literary Gazette. Since then, however, he has published the Banks of Tamar; and he now appears before us as the author of as spirited a poem as modern times can boast of. A few years since, the Royal Society of Literature offered fifty guineas for a poetical effusion on Dartmoor; which sum was justly awarded to Mrs. Hemans for her vigorous and beautiful lines on the subject. Mr. Carrington's poem is not, however, one of those rejected on that occasion, but was written at the suggestion of the gentleman who contributed the preface and notes. If the Royal Society of Literature have any patronage to bestow, we trust it will remember this truly deserving author. It is but of little service * Dartmoor, a Descriptive Poem. By N. T. Carrington, author of the Banks of the Tamar. Hatchard and Co. Royal 8vo. to literature in general, to settle liberal stipends upon persons who really stand in no need of such assistance, whilst men of sterling genius, whom adverse circumstances have weighed down, almost to the grave, are denied the most trivial gratuity. If the society wishes to shew that it is likely to be of real use to the Republic of Letters it has now an admirable opportunity for the display of its liberality and discernment. The poem of Dartmoor is written in blank verse, and possesses much of the vividness of imagery, with somewhat less of the stiffness and formality, that belongs to the poetry of Akenside and Thomson. The structure of the verse is almost entirely free from those ruggednesses (arising from want of skill, bad taste, or affectation) which characterises so much of the blank verse of the present day. Our space will not admit of our entering into detailed verbal criticisms, but if our readers do not gain a pretty tolerable impression of the poet's powers from the extracts we are about to lay before them, no recommendation of ours can possibly avail him. We know of few passages in modern poetry more pathetic and beautiful than these lines : INVOCATION TO SPRING. 'O welcome Spring! whose still small voice is heard At all its thousand fountains? Who can bathe The bird which sings The hymn Of earth and sky-the breeze, the flower, the brook- From morn to eve, the blushing vernal hour Are for the joyous many, who can stray At will, unshackled by the galling chain That Fate has forged for Labour's countless sons ; A chain unbroken and unloosen'd oft From youth to toiling age, save just to taste How sweet a thing is liberty;-to mark How green the earth-how beautiful the sky- To rest where nothing breaks the hallow'd pause Through life's dull, dreary, heartless round, at night- |