was supposed to have brought to light such precious remains of ancient genius. On the contrary, many judges equally learned and acute have denied the authenticity of the poems ascribed to OSSIAN, and have insisted that they are forgeries by Mr. MACPHERSON himself." Though this controversy is far from being terminated, yet the best supported and most probable opinion seems to be, that the poems in dispute are neither wholly the work of any ancient bard, nor entirely forged by MACPHERSON; but that the latter really made large collections of ancient Gaelic poetry, which he modified and connected in his own way, making additions with freedom where he thought proper, and forming an apparently regular work of fragments which were never before united.

But whatever may be the origin of the poems. which have passed under the name of OSSIAN, they doubtless possess merit of a wonderful kind. Amidst the obscurity which remarkably pervades them, and the frequent, and even disgusting recurrence of the same images, such as the extended heath by the sea-shore; the mountain covered with mist; the torrent rushing through a

Among the distinguished characters who have contended for the authenticity of OSSIAN's poems may be mentioned Dr. BLAIR, Lord KAIMS, Dr. HENRY, Mr. WHITAKER, and on the continent of Europe a large number.

r Dr. JOHNSON not only utterly denied the authenticity of these poems, but also maintained that they had no merit. His opinion on the former point may, with some qualification, be admitted; but, on the character of the work, it is difficult to suppose that so acute and profound a critic could deliver such an unfavourable judgment, without improper bias. Though the poetry of OSSIAN has been extravagantly estimated, it is surely worthy of much praise.

On the one hand, it is by no means credible that a man of MACPHERSON'S mediocrity of talents could be himself the author of the poems which bear the name of OSSIAN; nor can it be supposed that any one, however great his powers, could completely forge compositions bearing so many marks of antiquity, both in the style, the sentiments, and the historical facts. On the other hand, it is no less difficult to believe that manuscript copies of these poems, in the form in which we now see them, should have existed from very remote antiquity.

solitary valley; the scattered oaks; the tombs of the warriors overgrown with moss; and the melancholy notes resounding from the hall of shells; still these celebrated productions abound with rich beauties; with energy of style, force of description, pathos, tenderness, and in some instances with sublimity of the highest order.

In 1777 were published "Poems supposed to have been written at Bristol, by THOMAS ROWLEY, and others, in the fifteenth century." These poems were first brought to light by THOMAS CHATTERTON, a youth of humble origin, and small advantages of education,' who professed to be only the transcriber, and declared that they were written by ROWLEY, a clergyman of Bristol, more than three centuries before their discovery by him. These poems, consisting chiefly of dramatic, lyric, and pastoral pieces, were pronounced by some persons

THOMAS CHATTERTON was born in the city of Bristol, November 20th, 1752. His father was the master of a free school in that city, and was too poor to give his son any of the advantages of a liberal education. His acquirements, therefore, were chiefly made up of such an acquaintance with English literature as a mind of wonderful force, ardour, and ambition might be expected to gain under the constant pressure of poverty and other difficulties, and in the short space of less than eighteen years. He began to write poetry about the eleventh year of his age; and was but a little more than sixteen when he produced the celebrated poems ascribed to RowLEY. These he constantly affirmed he had copied from manuscripts found in an old church, in his native city; but he never could be persuaded to produce any of the originals, except a few fragments, which he asserted were among the number; the largest of which was not more than eight inches long, and four or five wide. Though the more general and probable opinion at present is, that this remarkable youth was the real author of the poems which have passed under RowLEY's name; yet some other works, certainly known to have been produced by him, place him high in the ranks of genius. Some of his elegies and satires, in particular, unquestionably display great talents. He died miserably in London, August 25, 1770. His death is ascribed to poison, which he had swallowed in a fit of criminal impatience and overwhelming despair, with the design to terminate his sufferings. He is said to have imbibed (in the two or three last years of his life) principles of the most licentious kind, and to have been very immoral in his practice. His mind was aspiring and ambitious to a degree almost boundless; and not meeting with that success, or those rewards of his talents which he had fondly hoped, he took refuge in a voluntary death, and left a monument of unfortunate degraded genius, of which a parallel will scarcely be again contemplated.

of distinction in the literary world, to be the real works of RowLEY, to whom they were attributed; while a greater number of equal discernment and acquaintance with the subject, decided that they were forgeries, and that CHATTERTON himself was the author. After much learned, ingenious, and interesting discussion, the latter opinion seems to be considered as, on the whole, the better supported, and more probable.

The poems in dispute possess a very extraor dinary character. The subjects are generally well chosen and interesting; the plot, fable, and machinery, show the author to have had a vigorous and active imagination; the delineation of character, and the luxuriancy of description with which they abound, evince an happy union of taste and genius; and, different from all the poetical productions which were written at the time when these are asserted to have been composed, they are, in general, conspicuous for harmony and elegance of versifi cation." Indeed, good judges have pronounced, that some passages are inferior in none of the essentials of poetry to the most finished works of modern times.

If the poems in question be attributed to RowLEY, then we are presented with the singular spectacle of one of the first English poets, both in time and merit, sleeping in obscurity for more than three hundred years, and being at last robbed of his just reputation by the most wonderful literary

Among those who have contended that these poems were written by ROWLEY, Dr. MILLES, Dean of Exeter, and Mr. BRYANT, are the most conspicuous. The principal writers who have contended that CHATTERTON is the real author, are WALPOLE, TYRWHITT, GRAY, WARTON, MASON, CROFT, and MALONE.

This harmony and elegance of versification appear under all the disadvantages of the antiquated diction adopted by the author. If CHATTERTON was the author of the poems, it was necessary to his purpose to employ this diction; and he is supposed to have become familiar with the Janguage of the fifteenth century, by perusing the works of CHAUCER.

juggler that ever imposed on mankind. If, on the other hand, it be concluded that CHATTERTON was the real author of the poems ascribed to RowLey, then the eighteenth century gave birth to the most astonishing genius that ever existed; a genius sublime and universal; and which, considering that all his efforts were made before he reached his eighteenth year, may probably be pronounced with safety to have been an unique in the history of man."

No poet of reputation had appeared in America prior to the eighteenth century. But since the commencement of this period, the western hemisphere, and especially that part of the continent denominated the United States, has given birth to several poets of respectable character. Among these the Rev. Dr. DWIGHT, before mentioned, holds a distinguished place. His Conquest of Canaan, though a juvenile performance, and labouring under several disadvantages, contains much excellent versification,* and, in general correctness, has not been often exceeded. Greenfield-Hill, a moral, didactic, and descriptive poem, by the same author, is also entitled to considerable praise, for exhibiting pure and elevated sentiment, just principles, and beautiful descriptions, in harmonious and excellent verse. The M'Fingal of Mr. TRUMBULL was mentioned in a former page, as doing high honour to the talents of its author. The Vision of Columbus, and other poems, by Mr. BAR

w Mr. WHARTON speaks of CHATTERTON as "a prodigy of genius." Mr. MALONE believes him to have been "the greatest genius that England has produced since the days of SHAKSPEARE.” Mr. CROFT says, no such human being, at any period of life, has ever been known, or possibly can be known."

This is the opinion of Dr. DARWIN, expressed in a note to his celebrated poem, The Botanic Garden.

Low, are possessed of much poetic merit. To these may be added the various productions of Mr. HUMPHREYS, Mrs. MORTON, Dr. LADD, Mr. FRENEAU, and several others, who, though far from being worthy of a place among the first class of poets, have yet manifested talents honourable to themselves and their country, and have been noticed with respect by foreign as well as domestic critics.

From the statement contained in the last para. graph, it appears that New-England, and particularly the state of Connecticut, has been more distinguished by the production of poetical genius, than any other part of our country. Of the few poets to which North-America has given birth, several of the most eminent are natives of that State.

But, though the conspicuous poets of America are not numerous, we are by no means to ascribe this circumstance either to the paucity or the barrenness of American genius. Great poetical merit has been rare in all ages, and in all countries; and, that it should be peculiarly rare, in a country where literature has comparatively few votaries, and where those who have any taste for letters have little respite from the toils of professional and active life, is so far from being unaccountable, that the contrary would be wonderful.

After the foregoing details, it may not be improper, before closing this chapter, to offer some general reflections on the peculiar poetic character of the eighteenth century. Having already employed so many pages on this subject, the most brief and general views only will be attempted.

The last age exceeds all preceding periods with respect to the quantity of its poetry. It is, per