That the seeds of classical learning are successfully sown at Eton, the volumes before us are evident proofs; for they contain a selection of poetry that would not disgrace any college in Europe. We have perused them with so much the more pleasure, as they call to mind the happiest period of our own lives; when an approved little composition gave us more genuine delight, than we have since received from the success of more mature compositions.

The number of pieces contained in this selection is 278, of which 27 are Greek, and the rest Latin. We think that they might have been better arranged; and we wish that a chronological order, at least, had been observed.-We also wish that the names had been more accurately determined; as it is scarcely possible for those who are not intimately acquainted with Eton to know to what individuals they belong.-We are, moreover, sorry to see such a long list of Errata in a work of this nature, which should have been revised with great attention.

Almost every sort of measure has been employed by the juvenile poets but Hexameters and Sapphics prevail. The subjects are mostly serious; and indeed the sportive muses appear not to be those of Eton; for there are not four pieces of humour in the whole collection.

Among such a number and variety of praiseworthy exercises, we are at a loss to select for our readers a few of the most excellent but the following piece is so superior to most juvenile compositions, that we cannot refrain from transcribing it entirely. It is Mr. George's Hymn on the Purification of the Virgin Mary:

Quo Virgo atheriis ignibus aureum
Ulnis filiolum portat eburneis?
Quò cum pondere sacro
Tendunt virginci pedes?

Ad templum niveo filiolum sinu

Ad templum Puerum candida candidum
Mater lactea portat,

Mater lactea lacteum.

Quin virgo tenerum casta gradum preme ;
Non est cur cupias templa revisere,
Totum cum tibi cælum

Collo molliter incubet.

Non est cur cupias Virgo puerpera
Purgari; latices, quos superas, sacras;

Sacris purior undis,

Cali purior ignibus.

Nam nec Sol roseum purior exerit

Rorantis Thetidos de gremio caput,

Latos aquore crines

Vibrans vertice florido.

For the sake of comparison, we had a great inclination to annex Santeul's Hymn on the same subject, which we doubt not Mr. George had seen: but we recollected the old saying, iter longum, vita brevis; we have much to do, in a short space; and new works so multiply on us, that it is beyond our speed to overtake them.

The next piece which we have selected is a beautiful ode to the great king of Prussia, by the late Sir James Macdonald: whose premature death deprived his country of an extraordi nary genius, and an excellent man.

Ergo insolenti sanguine nobilem

Vindex subactis abdidit hostibus,

Lasaque libertatis ultor

Deposuit Fredericus ensem.

At non inerti Principis otio

Languescit ardor; mox vehementior
Erumpet, adversasque turmas
Austriedum graviore casu
Contundet Heres. Sic ubi murmura
Lessant parumper, quà gemit horridum
Einea rupes, aut Vesevi
Culriina flammivomi colones

Vicina terrent; jam violentior

Lotus referis viribus ingruit,

Et pestis improvisa late
Depositum ingeminat furorem.
Tu doctus audits, nec tibi simplicem
Nectit coronam Pallas; at impie

Per Vella quam sensere turma,
Et calami decuere dextram

Pubes

Pubes quid acris, te duce, gesserit,
Quid ipse victor, tu spolia inclyta
Digne, triumphatumque Gallum, et
Saxonidis data jura dices.

Nec te moretur Pieridum cohors,
Ad arma Mavors si vocet integrum ;
I, Victor ingens, i, triumphis
Perge novis decorare fastos.

We new extract a specimen of another kind,-part of a boxing-match, by Ridding:

• En, pugilum torvo incedit spectabilis ore
Turba minax; dextrá pugnam committere inermi
Seu juvat, aut validis impingere mutua lignis
Vulnera, et illiso palmam sperare cerebro.
Conveniunt paribus ruituri in bella lacertis,
Quos aut Hocleia, heroum fortissima nutrix,
Quosve tua, Marabona, domus, edura propago,
Quosque pater circum Thamesis tulit omnibus undis.
Armati ex numero Lani, par nobile, fratres
Prosiliunt; quos priscus amor, quos gloria palme
Nunc iterum extrema cogit consitere arena.
Alter in extento librans se poplite, turbæ
Ostentat latos humeros alternaque jactat
Brachia, acerba tuens ; frantem cui crebra cicatrix
Signat arans, et turpat honesto vulnere malas.
Hostis, cognati spes magna et gloria pagi,
Contra stare audet; quo non præclarior alter
Ligna vibrare manu, et celeri sinuamine dextræ
Transversum tuto detrudere vertice fustem.

• Nec mora, committunt pugnas, et verbera uterque
Accipiunt redduntque; sonant illisa vicissim
Tela cavo lateri, solidoque excussa cerebro;
Nec sequitur cruor: hic confisus viribus instat
Acrior, et vastis meditatur vulnera plagis;
Ille dolis; ficto nunc impete brachia tendens
Irrita, nunc, retrahens, multo sua tempora gyro
Protegit, et pronos celer arte reverberat ictus.
Nec mora, nec requies; nunc pagi multa recursat
Gloria, nunc sua fama viris, multusque galerus,
Quem procul adversa suspensum ex arbore caupo
Ornavit vittis, atque oras ambiit auro.
Bella novant, dubiis pendet victoria pennis :
Urgentem vastis hunc viribus ille vicissim
Actus agit, certoque movens libramine fustem
Ingerit, adversaque aperitur fronte cicatrix.
Protenus effuso conclamant sanguine turbæ.
Plaudite, festivus reboat latum undique circus ;
Plaudite, responsant Thamesino flumine ripe.'

The Ovidian strains of Fox shall now address themselves to the reader:

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• I, fugias,

I, fugias, celeri volitans per nubila cursu,
I, fugias, Cypria grata Columba Dea!
Mollia si medius prohibet commercia pontus,

Si

Et male que votis, heu! favet unda meis; neque dilecta voces audire puella

Jam liceat, vultu nec propiore frui;

Tu mihi quod fas est præstabis; et alloquar absens
Absentem officio, blanda columba, tuo.
Te licitas carpente vias, interpres amoris

Hac eat, et sensûs charta ministra mei.
Sic oculos nympha paullum mea vota morentur,
Perlegat et scriptum fida Susanna meuin.
Arte laborata merguntur in æquore puppes,

Obsessum infestant raptor et arma solum ;
Tu, liquidas secura ferens mandata per auras,
Effugies nullis impedienda moris.

Quis cali tibi claudet iter? dum lumina fallens

Vana virúm, scindis tuta sub astra fugam,
Saviat unda maris, moveant insana tumultus

Equora, et eversas concitet Eurus aquas,
Tu fugis incolumis, volucri pernicior Euro,
Carpis et aerias inviolata vias.

Garrulitas nostræ quondam temeraria lingue
Indicio prodit multa tacenda levi :

At tibi vox nulla est; nec, si loquereris, amoris
Furta Cytheriaca lingua loquatur avis.
Hoc Venus ipsa vetat, te sape experta fidelem,
Usa ministeriis in sua furta tuis;
Nempe alis invecta tuis, tibi semper amores
Fidit in amplexus Martis itura Venus.
Nunc quoque (dilectam docet hoc Cytherea volucrem)
Nunc quoque amatori, fida columba, fave.

I, pete per cælos nostram festina Susannam,

Sic mihi, sic Veneri grata futura tuæ.

These are all from the first volume, but there are many more of uncommon merit: among which we number the Kite by Pepys the Auctioneer by Sir James Macdonald; the Spring, by Ward; a Chorus from Sophocles Edip. colon. by Chamberlayne; a still more beautiful chorus from Euripides by Jones: a translation of Gray's Ode on Eton, by Bastard, &c. &c.

From the second volume we select the following Ode, by Lord Wellesley, for the sake of such of our Hearts of Oak as may not have forgotten their Latin.

Fecunda mater glandium, et indiga
Mortalis altrix gentis, honoribus
Te Roma praclaris colebat,
Fronde tua meritisque signis
Dilecta velans tempora civium:
Quin grandioris provida gloria
Te vertit ingentes in usus
Imperii soboles Britanni.

Hic non latebras, aut patrium nemus,
Superba tantùm despicis ; at gravi
Recisa ferro, cognitaque
Vulsa sinu erepitante silva,

Majore pompa nobilis, aquora
Regis marine carula Tethyos,
Natasque per fluctus minaces
Artifici fabricata dextrá.

Opes plagarum divitum, et addita
Externa sceptris regna Britannicis
Tibi, insula tutela nostra,
Debuimus stabilemque famam.

Quin et frementi marmore dissitis
Britanna mittis fulmina gentibus,
Hostemque debellas remotum
Fadifragis metuenda Gallis;

Quos jam minantes vana iterum; precor,
Vindex refringas; seriùs ingemant,
Quod prisca virtus, et Britanna
Quercus adhuc dominetur alto.

Tuque o secundis culta laboribus
Seros per annos stipite nobili
Robusta surgas, et futura
Ligna feras resecanda classi.

Sic fluctuum regina sonantium
Semper renatis Anglia laudibus
Crescet, triumphatique ponti

Per tumidas equitabit undas.'

As we have now nearly reached the extremity of our requisite bounds, we shall only point out a few pieces that struck us more forcibly in the perusal :-a translation of Pope's Dying Soul, by Tighe, an Ode on the landing of K. William, by Lord Wellesley; the Barber's Shop, by Chartres: a good imitation of Milton's Satan, by Canning; Belinda at her toilette from Pope, by Rose; Cruelty to animals, by Lord Morpeth; Hymn for Good Friday, by Lord Dalkeith; the Old Man to Mnemosyne, by Gandy, &c.

Of the Greek poetry we cannot say much good; and we are not inclined to say ill. It is far inferior to the Latin; and, indeed, we have scarcely ever seen a piece of modern Greek poetry that deserves preservation.-We shall give as a specimen a few

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