I do denounce, in all the songs you sing,
The words, sweet, lovely, dear angelic charmer,
Flames, darts, sighs, wishes, hopes,—they only bring
Thoughts to a lady which perchance may harm her.
You therefore must consider as ironic
Every expression which is not Platonic.
The whole poem is written in a droll, satirical strain, and shows a great familiarity with the topics of ancient and modern literature. The rest of the volume consists of translations from Anacreon, Horace, and other Greek and Latin poets, and many original pieces; one of which latter, entitled "The Prodigal Son," thus gravely and impressively opens,—
Far from his kindred, from his country's soil,
By want enfeebled, and oppress'd by toil,
Compelled with slow reluctance to demand
The niggard pity of a stranger's hand,
And forced, in silent anguish, to abide
The sneer of malice, the rebuke of pride:
A wretch opprest by sorrow's galling weight,
Deplored his ruined peace, his hapless fate.
His was such anguish as the guilty know,
For self-reproach was mingled with his wo.
He dared not fortune's cruelty bemoan—
The error, the offence, was all his own.
There are also scattered over the volume several epigrams, one of which is headed thus: "On a Lady who married her Brother-in-law."
After so many tedious winters past,
The lovely S—— has caught a swain at last—
A swain who twice has tried the marriage life,
And now resolves again to take a wife.
Behold! behold the new-made mother runs,
With ardour to embrace—her nephew-sons!
The second volume commences with a poem of considerable length, entitled, "Salamis," with a notice that "The foregoing poem was presented to his father, by John William Smith, January 23d, 1821, the day on which he completed his twelfth year." The following is "The Argument of Canto I:—
"Themistocles lying awake in the night, is surprised by the entrance of Aristides, who informs him that the Persian fleet had completely surrounded them. Themistocles tells him that this was effected by a device of his own, to prevent the Greeks from deserting the Straits, and sends him to Eurybiades, calls a council in the morning, in which it is resolved to attack the enemy, and the whole fleet move forward in order of battle.—Scene, the Grecian camp on the sea-shore of Salamis."
The first Canto thus opens—
Now darkness over all her veil had spread,
Save where the moon her feeble lustre shed,
When from the clouds emerging, her dim ray
Mock'd the effulgence of the lucid day.
Stretch'd on their beds, the Greeks in soft repose
Awhile forgot their harass'd country's woes.
Themistocles alone awake remain'd,
By his anxiety from sleep restrain'd;
Although the chief with labour was opprest,
His care for Greece withheld his wonted rest.
For three long hours, all had been still around,
At length he hears (or thinks he hears) a sound;
He starts, and sees a stately form advance,
Clad in bright arms, and with a shining lance,
And by the moon's faint beams, the chief descried
A Persian sabre glittering at his side.
Here follows the "Argument of Canto II—