from strife, Could he but feel how sweet, how free doline, a ballad, sufficiently singular in its conception and irregular in its metre. Some of the stanzas are wild and characteristical. The harmless pleasures of a harmless life, pure, The deadly chalice would no more allure; After this follows "Lines written on a survey of the Heavens in the morning before Day-break." These were probably produced, or at least The conclusion of this poem, which suggested, after one of those nights. shall be my second extract, is equal of study to which Henry ultimately to Henry's finest flights; fell a victim. It is in blank verse, Dear native Grove! where'er my devious and contains some fine thoughts upon the intrinsic meanness of man, and back. track, To thee will Memory lead the wanderer the littleness of his hopes and labours for a being destined to eternal life. Impressed with the conviction of these truths, he breaks out into the following, Whether in Arno's polish'd vales I stray, Or wander lone, where wildering and wide Or, by old Tejo's classic margent muse, Lie, stretch'd beneath the Simoöm's blasting hand; Still, tho' unwept, I find a stranger's tomb, My sprite shall wander thro' this favorite gloom, Ride on the wind that sweeps the leafless grove, Sigh on the woodblast of the dark alcove, Oh! when reflecting on these truths sub- How insignificant do all the joys, How vain ambition! Why has my wakefu! Outwatch'd the slow pac'd night? Why on the page, The schoolman's labour'd page, have I The hours devoted by the world to rest, Say, can the voice of narrow fame repay Lead a new throb unto my languid heart, Say foolish one-can that unbodied faine, Say, can it soothe the slumbers of the And, oh! assist me so to live on carth The next piece in succession is "Lines supposed to be spoken by a Lover at the grave of his Mistress." Sit a lorn spectre on yon well known grave, I have always admired this as being And mix its moanings with the desert distinguished by great pathos, and language both poetical and musical. It contains, too, one of those delicate touches of true poesy, which are not wave. Of the miscellaneous poems which this volume contains, the first is Gon writers. often found in the pages of modern port, of commendable private qualities, but who has the public failing of fancying himself a poet. "His cheek is pale, The worm that preyed upon thy youthful bloom It canker'd green on his." I pass over his "Study," in Hudibrastic verse, written with levity but without wit, that I may transcribe the beautiful lines "To an early Primrose :" Mild offspring of a dark and sullen sire! Was nurs'd in whirling storms, Thee, when young Spring first question'd Thee on his back he threw In this low vale, the promise of the year W. MUDFORD. London, April 8, 1808. EARLY TRADE WITH RUSSIA. The Letter of M. George Killingworth, the Company's first Agent in Muscory, touching their Entertainment in their second Voyage. Anno 1555, the 27th of November, in Mosco. RIGHT Worshipful, my duty conWorship to understand, that at the making hereof we all be in good health, thanks be to God, save only William, our cook, as we came from Colmogro fell into the river out of the boat, and was drowned. And the eleventh day of September we came to Vologda, and there we laid all our wares up, and sold very little: but one merchant would have given us twelve robles for a broad cloth, and So Virtue blooms, brought forth amid the he said he would have had them all, storms Of chill adversity, in some lone walk Of life, she rears her head While every bleaching breeze that on her blows Chastens her spotless purity of breast, and four altines for a pound of sugar, but we did refuse it because he was the first, and the merchants were not come thither, nor would not come before winter, trusting to have more; but I fear it will not be much better. Yet, notwithstanding, we did for the best. And the house that our wares lie in costs, from that day until Easter, The first two stanzas of this poem ten robles. And the twenty-eight contain a richness of diction, and of day of September, we did determine imagery the true offspring of genius. with ourselves, that it was good for M. The metre is probably in imitation of Gray, Arthur Edwards, Thomas HauCollins' Ode to Evening, and Pope's tory, Christopher Hudson, John SegeOde on Solitude: but certainly supe- wick, Richard Johnson, and Richard rior to the latter, and not inferior to Judd, to tarry at Vologda, and M. the former. Chancelor, Henry Lane, Edward The Sonnets of Henry are written Prise, Robert Best, and I should go with as much excellence, perhaps as to Mosco. And we did lade the Emthat species of composition is suscep- peror's sugar, with part of all sorts of tible of. I am one of those who cannot wares to have had to the Mosco with admire the constrained form of a son- us; but the way was so deep, that net oft recurring rimes force an au- we were fain to turn back, and leave thor, necessarily, upon bad or foolish it still at Vologda till the frost. And ones; and I never read an English we went forth with post horse, and sonnet in which, at least, six of the the charge of every horse being still lines were not superfluous. The ten in number, comes to 10s. 7d. halffifth of Henry's sonnets, "The Win- penny, besides the guides. And we ter Traveller," has all the faults of Mr. came to the Mosco the 4th day of Southey's manner: a childish inanity October, and were lodged that night of diction, and morbid affectation in a simple house: but the next day of feeling. The sixth is by Capel we were sent for to the Emperor his Lofft, a gentleman, according to re- secretary, and he bade us welcome with a cheerful countenance and chargers, pots, cups, and all not slencheerful words, and we shewed him der but very massy, and yet a great that we had a letter from our Queen's number of platters of gold, standing Grace to the Emperor his Grace, and still on the cupboard not moved: and then he desired to see them all, and divers times in the dinner time his that they might remain with him, to Grace sent us meat and drink from have them perfect, that the true his own table, and when we had meaning might be declared to the dined we went up to his Grace, and Emperor, and so we did; and then received a cup with drink at his own we were appointed to a better house: hand, and the same night his Grace and the seventh day the secretary sent sent certain gentlemen to us with for us again, and then he shewed us divers sorts of wine and meat, to that we should have a better house, whom we gave a reward, and afterfor it was the Emperor his will, that ward we were by divers Italians counwe should have ali things that we did selled to take heed whom we did lack, and did send us meat of two trust to make the copy of the privisorts, and two hens, our house free, leges that we would desire to have, and every two days to receive eight for fear it should not be written in hens, seven altines, and two pence in the Russian tongue, as we did mean. money, and meat a certain portion, So first a Russian did write for us a and a poor fellow to make clean our breviat to the Emperor, the tenor house, and to do that whereunto we whereof was, that we did desire a would set him. And we had given stronger privilege: and when the semany rewards before, which you shall cretary saw it, he did deliver it to his perceive by other, and so we gave Grace, and when we caine again, his the messengers a reward with thanks: Grace willed us to write our minds, and the ninth day we were sent to and he would see it, and so we did. make us ready to speak with the Em- And his Grace is so troubled with peror on the morrow. And the let preparations to wars, that as yet we ters were sent us, that we might de- have had no answer; but we have liver them ourselves, and we came been required of his secretary, and of before him the tenth day: and before the under chancellor, to know what we came to his presence we went wares we had brought into the realm, through a great chamber, where and what wares we do intend to have, stood many small tuns, pails, bowls, that are, or may be had in this realm: and pots of silver, I mean like washing and we shewed them, and they shewbowls, all parsel gilt; and within that ed the Emperor thereof. And then another chamber, wherein sat (I they said his Grace's pleasure was, think) near a hundred in cloth of that his best merchants of the Mosco gold, and then into the chamber should be spoken to, to meet and talk where his Grace sat, and there I think with us. And so a day was appointed, were more than in the other chamber and we met in the secretary his office, also in cloth of gold; and we did our and there was the under chancellor, duty, and shewed his Grace our who was not past two years since the Queen's Grace's letters, with a note Emperor's merchant, and not his of your present which was left in Vo- chancellor: and then the conclusion logda: and then his Grace did ask of our talk was, that the chancellor how our Queen's Grace did, calling willed us to bethink us, where we her cousin, saying that he was glad would desire to have a house or that we were come in health into his houses, that we might come to them realm, and we went one by one unto as to our own house, and for merhim, and took him by the hand, and chandise to be made preparation for then his Grace did bid us go in health, us, and they would know our prices and come to dinner, again; and we of our wares and frise: and we andined in his presence, and were set swered that for our prices they must with our faces towards his Grace, and see the wares before we could make none in the chamber sat with their any price thereof, for the like in good. backs towards him, being, I think, ness hath not been brought into the near a hundred at dinner then, and realm, and we did look for an examall served with gold, as platters, ple of all sorts of our wares to come that from Vologda, with the first sled way, Novogrode, or where we will in Rusand then they should see them, and land: but the three-and-twentieth of then we would shew tl:em the prices this present we were with the secreof them: and likewise we could not tary; and then among other talk, we tell them what we would give them moved, that if we should tarry at Coljustly, till we did know as well their mogro with our wares, and should just weights as their measures; for in not come to Vologda, or further to all places where we did come, all seek our market, but tarry still at weights and measures did vary. Then Colmogro, and then the merchants of the secretary (who had made promise the Mosco and others should not come unto us before) said, that we should and bring their wares, and so the have all the just measures under seal; ships should come, and not have their and be that was found faulty in the lading ready, that then it were a great contrary, to buy or sell with any other loss and hindrance for us: then said measure than that, the law was, that he again to us, that the merchants he should be punished: he said more had been again together with him. over, that if it so happen that any of and had put the like doubt, that if our merchants do promise by cove- they should come and bring their nant at any time to deliver you any wares to Colmogro, and that they certain sum of wares in such a place, should not find wares there sufficient and of such like goodness, at such a to serve them, that then they should day, for such a certain price, that then be at great loss and hindrance, they because of variance, we should cause leaving their other trades to fall to it to be written, according as the bar- that: and to that we did answer, gain is, before a justice or the next after the time that we do appoint Juier to the place: if he did not keep with them to bring their wares to covenant and promise in all points, Colmogro, God willing, they should according to his covenant, that then never come thither, but at the begin look what loss or hindrance we could ning of the year, they should find justly prove that we have thereby, that our merchants would have at the The should make it good if he be worth least for a thousand robles, although so much; and in like case we must the ships were not come; so that do to them; and to that we did agree, he said, that then we must talk fursave only if it were to come over the ther with the merchants: so as sea, then if any such fortune should yet I know not, but that we shall be (as God forbid) that the ship should have need of one house at Colmogro, mischance or be robbed, and the and another at Vologda, and if that proof to be made that such kind of they bring not their wares to Colmowares were laden, the English mer- gro, then we shall be sure to buy chants to bear no loss to the other some at Vologda, and to be out of merchant. Then the chancellor said, bondage. methinks you shall do best to have And thus may we continue three your house at Colmogro, which is but or four years, and in this space we one hundred miles from the right dis- shall know the country and the mercharge of the ships, and yet I trust the chants, and which way to save our ships shall come nearer hereafter, be- selves best, and where to plant our cause the ships may not tarry long houses, and where to seek for wares: for their lading, which is one thou- for the Mosco is not best for any kind -sand miles from Vologda by water, of wares for us to buy, save only wax, and all our merchants shall bring all which we cannot have under sevenour merchandise to Colmogro to you, pence the Russe pound, and it lacks and so shall our merchants neither go two ounces of our pound, neither empty nor come empty; for if they will it be much better cheap, for I Jack lading homeward, there is salt, have bidden six-pence for a pound. which is good ware here, that they And I have bought more, five hunmay come loaden again. So we were dred weight of yarn, which stands me very glad to hear that, and did agree in eight-pence farthing the Russe to his saying: for we shall neverthe-pound one with another. And if we less, if we list, have a house at Vo- had received any store of money, and logde, and at the Mosco, yea, and at were dispatched here, of that we tarry for, as I doubt not but we shall be not of these: and to say the truth, shortly (you know wh I mean), the way is not for him to travel in. then as soon as we have made sail, I But I will make another shift beside, do intend to go to Novogrode, and which I trust shall serve the turn till to Piesco, whence all the great num- he come, if sales be made before he ber of the best tow flax cometh, and be ready, which is and shall be as such wares as are there I trust to buy pleaseth God: who ever preserve part. And fear you not but we will your worship, and send us good sales. do that may be done, if God sends us Written in haste. health, desiring you to prepare fully for one ship to be ready in the beginning of April to depart off the coast of England. By your's to command, Concerning all those things which ON SOME SINGULAR WORKS OF THE Sir, ANCIENTS. we have done in the wares, you shall receive a perfect note by the next bearer (God willing) for he that carrieth these from us is a merchant of NE of the greatest poets of antiTerwill, and he was caused to carry laborious verses the form of a syrinx. quity, Theocritus, gave to his these by the commandment of the In his time, taste was already much Emperor his secretary, whose name vitiated, and such follies may well be is Juan Mecallawick Weskawate, pardoned to a writer of the age of the whom we take to be our very friend. Ptolemies. But what shall we say to And if it please you to send any let- Pindar, that noble and divine lyric ters to Dantiske to Robert Elson; or poet, who, born in the most brilliant to William Watson's servant Duns- period of Grecian literature, did not tan Walton to be conveyed to us, disdain similar trifling. He composed it may please you to enclose ours in a an ode without an s in it, if we may letter sent from you to him, written believe Eustathius, the commentator in Polish, Dutch, Latin, or Italian: so enclosed coming to the Mosco to been mistaken, and have misunderon Homer: but Eustathius may have his hands, he will convey our letters stood the words of Athæneus. It is to us wheresoever we be. And I certain, however, that Lasus, a poet have written to Dantiske already to yet more ancient, (for some writers them for the conveyance of letters place him among the seven wise men) And to certify you of the weather composed an ode entitled the Cenhere, men say that these hundred ther of which an s was to be found. taurs, and a hymn to Ceres, in nei years was never so warm weather in Athanaeus has preserved the first verse this country at this time of the year. of this hymn. But as yesternight we received a letter from Christopher Hudson, from Dimitra melpô Korante Klymenio alochon, city called Yeraslave, who is coming "I sing Ceres and the virgin of Clymenus." hither with certain of our wares, but Barthelemy, in his Anarcharsis, the winter did deceive him, so that seems to think, after the ancient he was fain to tarry by the way: and grammarians, that these poets bahe wrote that the Emperor's present nished the SIGMA from their works, was delivered to a gentleman at Vo- on account of the disagreeable sibillalogda, and the sled did overthrow, tion produced by its frequent recurand the butt of hollock was lost, rence; and which was unpleasant to which made us all very sorry, their refined and delicate ears. from thence. I a This pray you be not offended with supposition, however, is not very these my rude letters for lack of time; probable, for the remedy was worse but as soon as sales be made, I will than the disease. It seems to me find the means to convey you a letter more natural to think that Lasus and with speed: for the way is made so Pindar merely meant a jeu d'esprit in doubtful, that the right messenger is these compositions, and the minute so much in doubt, that he would not pleasure of success over a minute difhave any letters of any effect sent by ficulty. Afterwards, Euripides sought any man, if he might, for he knows for the sigma with as much diligence UNIVERSAL MAG. VOL. IX. 2 P |
