Page images
PDF
EPUB

Page 298, line 75.

Page 299, line 78.
When Lucifer, in falling, bore

Summon'd his chief angelic powers
The third of the bright stars away.

To witness, etc. “And his tail drew the third part of the stars of St. Augustin, upon Genesis, seems rather inclined heaven, and did cast them to the earth.” Revelat. to admit that the angels had some share (“ aliquod xii. 4.--Docent sancti (says Suarez) supremum ange- ministerium") in the creation of Adam and Eve. lum traxisse secum tertiam partem stellarum.” Lib. 7. cap. 7.

Page 300, line 124.

I had beheld their first, their Eve,
Page 298, line 77.

Born in that splendid Paradise.
Rise, in earth's beauty, to repair

Whether Eve was created in Paradise or not is a
That loss of light and glory there!

question that has been productive of much doubt and The idea of the Fathers was, that the vacancies controversy among the theologians. With respect to occasioned in the different orders of angels by the Adam, it is agreed on all sides that he was created fall were to be filled up from the human race. There outside ; and it is accordingly asked, with some is, however, another opinion, backed by papal autho- warmth, by one of the commentators, "why should rity, that it was only the tenth order of the Celestial woman, the ignobler creature of the two, be created Hierarchy that fell, and that, therefore, the promo- within ?" Others, on the contrary, consider this distions which occasionally take place from earth are tinction as but a fair tribute to the superior beauty intended for the completion of that grade alone : or, and purity of women; and some, in their zeal, even as it is explained by Salonius (Dial. in Eccl.)-"De- seem to think that, if the scene of her creation was cem sunt ordines angelorum, sed unus cecidit per su- not already Paradise, it became so, immediately upon perbiam, et idcirco boni angeli semper laborant, ut de that event, in compliment to her. Josephus is one hominibus numerus adimpleatur, et proveniat ad per- of those who think that Eve was formed outside ; fectum numerum, id est, denarium.” According to Tertullian, too, among the Fathers-and, among the some theologians, virgins alone are admitted “ad col- Theologians, Rupertus, who, to do him justice, never legium angelorum;" but the author of the “Speculum misses an opportunity of putting on record his illPeregrinarum Quæstionum" rather questions this ex- will to the sex. Pererius, however (and his opinion clusive privilege :—“Hoc non videtur verum, quia mul- seems to be considered as the most orthodox,) thinks ti, non virgines, ut Petrus et Magdalena, multis etiam it much more consistent with the order of the Mosaic virginibus eminentiores sunt.” Decad. 2. cap. 10. narration, as well as with the sentiments of Basil and

other Fathers, to conclude that Eve was created in Page 299, line 38.

Paradise. 'Twas RUBI.

Page 301, line 8. I might have chosen, perhaps, some better name,

Her error, too. put it is meant (like that of Zaraph in the following The comparative extent of Eve's delinquency, and story) to define the particular class of spirits to which the proportion which it bears to that of Adam, is an. the angel belonged. The author of the Book of other point which has exercised the tiresome ingeEnoch, who estimates at 200 the number of angels nuity of the Commentators; and they seem generally that descended upon Mount Hermon, for the purpose to agree (with the exception always of Rupertus) of making love to the women of earth, has favoured that, as she was not yet created when the prohibition us with the names of their leader and chiefs—Samy- was issued, and therefore could not have heard it, (a aza, Urakabarameel, Akibeel, Tamiel, etc. etc. conclusion remarkably confirmed by the inaccurate

In that heretical worship of angels which prevailed, way in which she reports it to the serpent,?) her share to a great degree, during the first ages of Christianity, in the crime of disobedience is considerably lighter to name them seems to have been one of the most than that of Adam. In corroboration of this view important ceremonies; for we find it expressly for- of the matter, Pererius remarks that it is to Adam bidden in one of the Canons (35th) of the council of alone the Deity addresses his reproaches for having Laodicea, ovouafalv tous ayyɛlovs. Josephus, too, eaten of the forbidden tree, because to Adam alone mentions, among the religious rites of the Essenes, the order had been originally promulgated. So far, their swearing to preserve the names of the angels." indeed, does the gallantry of another commentator, -OUVTIPNOELV ta rwv ayyedwv ovopara. Bell. Jud. lib. Hugh de St. Victor, carry him, that he looks upon the 2. cap. 8.—See upon this subject Van Dale, de Ong. words “I will put enmity between thee and the woet Progress. Idololat. cap. 9.

man” as a proof that the sex was from that moment

enlisted into the service of Heaven, as the chief foe Page 299, line 39.

and obstacle which the Spirit of Evil would have to those bright creatures named

contend with in his inroads on this world :-“si deinSpirits of Knowledge. The word cherub signifies knowledge—TO YVOsikov mavit intra Paradisum ?"

1 "Cur denique Evam, quæ Adamo ignobilior erat, forαυτων και θεοπτικον, says Dionysius. Hence it is that 2 Rupertus considers these variantes as intentional and Ezekiel, to express the abundance of their knowledge, prevaricatory, and as the first instance upon record of a represents them as “full of eyes."

wilful vitiation of the words of God, for the purpose of suiting the corrupt views and propensities of human nature. -De Trinitat. lib. iii. сар.

3 Caietanus, indeed, pronounces it to be "minimum pec1 F. Bartholomæus Sibylla.

[ocr errors]

5.

catum "

66

ceps Eva inimica Diabolo, ergo fuit grata et amica The following is one among many passages, which Deo."

may be adduced from the Comte de Gabalis, in conPage 301, line 36.

firmation of this remark :-“Ces enfans du ciel engenCall her-think what-his Life! his Life!

drèrent les géans fameux, s'étant fait aimer aux filles Chavah (or, as it is in the Latin version, Eva) has des hommes; et les mauvais cabalistes Joseph et Philo the same signification as the Greek, Zoe.

(comme tous les Juifs sont ignorans,) et après eux Epiphanius, among others, is not a little surprised

tous les auteurs que j'ai nommés tout à l'heure, ont
dit
que

c'étoit des at the application of such a name to Eve, so immedi

anges, et n'ont pas su que c'était ately, too, after that awful denunciation of death, les sylphes et les autres peuples des élémens, qui, “ dust thou art," etc. etc.' Some of the commenta

sous le nom d'enfans d'Eloim, sont distingués des tors think that it was meant as a sarcasm, and spoken

enfans des hommes."-See Entret. Second. by Adam, in the first bitterness of his heart,--in the

Page 303, line 110. same spirit of irony (says Pererius) as that of the

So high she deem'd her Cherub's love! Greeks in calling their Furies, Eumenides, or Gentle.? “ Nihil plus desiderare potuerint quæ angelos posBut the Bishop of Chalon rejects this supposition :

sidebant-magno scilicet nupserant.” Tertull. de “ Explodendi sane qui id nominis ab Adamo per iro- Habitu Mulieb. cap. 2. niam inditum uxori suæ putant; atque quod mortis causa esset, amaro joco vitam appellasse.3

Page 304, line 14. With a similar feeling of spleen against women,

Then first were diamonds caught, etc. some of these “distillateurs des Saintes Lettres” (as “Quelques gnomes, désireux de devenir immortels, Bayle them,) in rendering the text “ I will make avoient voulu gagner les bonnes graces de nos filles, him a help meet for him,translate these words et leur avaient apporté des pierreries dont ils sont

against or contrary to him” (a meaning which, it gardiens naturels : et ses auteurs ont cru, s'appuyant appears, the original will bear,) and represent them sur le livre d'Enoch mal entendu, que c'étaient des as prophetic of those contradictions and perplexities pièges que les anges amoureux," etc. etc.-Compte which men experience from women in this life. de Gabalis. It is rather strange that these two instances of per

Tertullian traces all the chief luxuries of female verse commentatorship should have escaped the re- attire, the necklaces, armlets, rouge, and the black searches of Bayle, in his curious article upon Eve. powder for the eye-lashes, to the researches of these He would have found another subject of discussion, fallen angels into the inmost recesses of nature, and equally to his taste, in Gataker's whimsical disserta- the discoveries they were, in consequence, enabled tion upon Eve's knowledge of the texvn ópavrian, to make, of all that could embellish the beauty of

upon the notion of Epiphanius that it was taught their earthly favourites. The passage is so remarkher in a special revelation from Heaven.— Miscellan. able that I shall give it entire :-“Nam et illi qui ea lib. ii. cap. 3. p. 200.

constituerant, damnati in pænam mortis deputantur :

illi scilicet angeli, qui ad filias hominum de cælo ruePage 302, line 113.

runt, ut hæc quoque ignominia fæminæ accedat. Nam Oh, idol of my dreams! whate'er

cum et materias quasdam bene occultas et artes pleThy nature be-human, divine,

rasque non bene revelatas, sæculo multo magis impeOr but half heavenly.

rito prodidissent (siquidem et metallorum opera nudaIn an article upon the Fathers, which appeared, verant, et herbarum ingenia traduxerant et incantasome years since, in the Edinburgh Review (No. tionum vires provulgaverant, et omnem curiositatem XLVII,) and of which I have made some little use in usque ad stellarum interpretationem designaverant) these notes (having that claim over it—as “quiddam proprie et quasi peculiariter fæminis instrumentum notum propriumque—which Lucretius gives to the istud muliebris gloriæ contulerunt : lumina lapillorum cow over the calf, there is the following remark :- quibus monilia variantur, et circulos ex auro quibus “The belief of an intercourse between angels and brachia arctantur; et medicamenta ex fuco, quibus women, founded upon a false version of a text in lanæ colorantur, et illum ipsum nigrum pulverem, Genesis, is one of those extravagant notions of St. quo oculorum exordia producuntur.” De Habitu Justin and other Fathers, which show how little they Mulieb.cap.2.–See him also“De Cultu Fæm.cap. 10. had yet purified themselves from the grossness of heathen mythology, and in how many respects their

Page 304, line 28. heaven was but Olympus, with other names. Yet we

the mighty magnet, set

In Woman's form. can hardly be angry with them for this one error, when we recollect that possibly to their enamoured

The same figure, as applied to female attractions, angels we owe the fanciful world of sylphs and occurs in a singular passage of St. Basil, of which the gnomes, and that at this moment we might have following is the conclusion :-Ara tnv evovoav kata wanted Pope's most exquisite poem,

του αρρενος αυτης φυσικην δυνας ειαν, ως σιδηρος, φημι,

if the version of the LXX. had translated the Book of Genesis cor- Vera Virginitat. tom. i. p. 727. It is but fair, however,

πορρωθεν μαγνετις, τουτο προς εαυτον μαγγανευι. De rectly.”

to add, that Hermant, the biographer of Basil, has pro1 Και μετα το ακουσαι, γη ει, και εις γην απελευση, nounced this most unsanctifed treatise to be spurious. μετα την παραβασιν. και ην θαυμαστον οτι μετα την παραβασιν ταυτην την μεγαλην εσχεν επωνυμιαν. Heres 78. sec.

Page 304, line 37. 18. tom. i. edit. Paris, 1622. 2 Lib. 6. p. 234.

I've said, “ Nay, look not there, my love," etc. 3 Pontus Tyard. de recta nominum impositione, p. 14. I am aware that this happy saying of Lord Albe

and

marle’s loses much of its grace and playfulness, by 1 of the manner in which God's ray is communicated, being put into the mouth of any but a human lover. first to the Intelligences near him, and then to those

more remote, gradually losing its own brightness as Page 304.-Note.

it passes into a denser medium.-προσβαλλουσα δε ταις Clemens Alexandrinus is one of those who suppose παχυτεραις υλαις, αμυδροτεραν εχει την διαδοτικην επιthat the knowledge of such sublime doctrines was pavelav. derived from the disclosure of the angels. Stromat. lib. v. p. 48. To the same source Cassianus and

Page 310, line 20. others trace all impious and daring sciences, such

Then first did woman's virg brow as magic, alchemy, etc. “ From the fallen angels

l'hat hymeneal chaplet wear, (says Zosimus) came all that miserable knowledge

Which, when it dies, no second vow which is of no use to the soul.”—Ilavra ta rovnpa

Can bid a new one bloom out there. και μηδεν ωφελουντα την ψυχην.-Ap Photium. In the Catholic church, when a widow is married,

she is not, I believe, allowed to wear flowers on her Page 304, line 91.

head. The ancient Romans honoured with a “corona light Escaping from the Zodiac's signs.

pudicitiæ,” or crown of modesty, those who entered “La lumière Zodiacale n'est autre chose que l'at- but once into the marriage state. mosphère du soleil.”—Lalande.

Page 310, line 57.
Page 308, line, 108.

her, who near
as 't is graved

The Tabernacle stole to hear
Upon the tablets that, of old,

The secrets of the Angels.
By Cham were from the Deluge saved.

Sara. The pillars of Seth are usually referred to as the depositories of ante-diluvian knowledge; but they

Page 310, line 86. were inscribed with none but astronomical secrets.

Two fallen Splendors. I have, therefore, preferred here the tablets of Cham as being, at least, more miscellaneous in their infor

The Sephiroths are the higher orders of emanative mation. The following account of them is given in being, in the strange and incomprehensible system of Jablonski from Cassianus :—“Quantum enim antiquæ the Jewish Cabbala. They are called by various traditiones ferunt Cham filius Noæ, qui superstitioni- names, Pity, Beauty, etc. etc.; and their influences bus ac profanis fuerit artibus institutus, sciens nullum are supposed to act through certain canals, which se posse superbis memorialem librum in arcam inferre, communicate with each other

. The reader may in quam erat ingressurus, sacrilegas artes ac profana judge of the rationality of the system by the followcommenta durissimis insculpsit lapidibus."

ing explanation of part of the machinery :-“ Les

canaux qui sortent de la Miséricorde et de la Force, et Page 308, line 114.

qui vont aboutir à la Beauté, sont chargés d'un grand And this young Angel's 'mong the rest. nombre d'Anges. Il y en a trente-cinq sur le canal

y Pachymer, in his Paraphrase on the Book de Divi- de la Miséricorde, qui récompensent et qui couronnent nis Nominibus of Dyonysius, speaking of the incarna- la vertu des Saints,” etc. etc. For a concise account tion of Christ, says, that it was a mystery ineffable of the Cabalistic Philosophy, see Enfield's very useful from all time, and “unknown even to the first and compendium of Brucker. oldest angel,"—justifying this last phrase by the au

Page 310, line 86. thority of St. John in the Revelation.

from that tree
Page 308, line 4.

Which buds with such eternally.
Circles of light that from the same

“On les représente quelquefois sous la figure d'un Eternal centre sweeping wide,

arbre .... l'Ensoph qu'on met au-dessus de l'arbre Carry its beams on every side.

Sephirotique ou des Splendeurs divines, est l'Infini.” See the 13th chapter of Dionysius for his notions - L'Histoire des Juifs, liv. ix. 11.

IRISH MELODIES.

ADVERTISEMENT.

“Another difficulty (which is, however, purely mechanical) arises from the irregular structure of

many of those airs, and the lawless kind of metre Though the beauties of the National Music of Ire- which it will in consequence be necessary to adapt land have been very generally felt and acknowledged, to them. In these instances the poet must write not yet it has happened, through the want of appropriate to the eye but to the ear; and must be content to have

; English words, and of the arrangement necessary to his verses of that description which Cicero mentions, adapt them to the voice, that many of the most excel- Quos si cantu spoliaveris, nuda remanebit oratio.' lent compositions have hitherto remained in obscurity. That beautiful air, 'The Twisting of the Rope,' which It is intended, therefore, to form a Collection of the has all the romantic character of the Swiss Ranz des best Original Irish MELODIES, with characteristic Vaches, is one of those wild and sentimental rakes Symphonies and Accompaniments, and with Words which it will not be very easy to tie down in sober containing as frequent as possible allusions to the wedlock with poetry. However, notwithstanding all manners and history of the country.

these difficulties, and the very little talent which J. In the poetical part, the Publisher has had promises can bring to surmount them, the design appears to of assistance from several distinguished Literary Cha- me so truly national, that I shall feel much pleasure racters, particularly from Mr. Moore, whose lyrical in giving it all the assistance in my power. talent is so peculiarly suited to such a task, and whose “ Leicestershire, Feb. 1807.” zeal in the undertaking will be best understood from the following extract of a letter which he has address

IRISH MELODIES. ed to Sir John STEVENSON (who has undertaken the arrangement of the airs) on the subject :

No. I. " I feel very anxious that a Work of this kind should be undertaken. We have too long neglected the only talent for which our English neighbours ever deigned GO WHERE GLORY WAITS THEE. to allow us any credit. Our National Music has never

Air-Maid of the Valley. been properly collected;' and, while the composers of the Continent have enriched their operas and

Go where glory waits thee, sonatas with melodies borrowed from Ireland—very But, while fame elates thee, often without even the honesty of acknowledgment

Oh! still remember me. we have left these treasures in a great degree un

When the praise thou meetest claimed and fugitive. Thus our airs, like too many

To thine ear is sweetest,

Oh! then remember me. of our countrymen, for want of protection at home, have passed into the service of foreigners. But we

Other arms may press thee, are come, I hope, to a better period both of politics

Dearer friends caress thee, and music; and how much they are connected, in All the joys that bless thee Ireland at least, appears too plainly in the tone of

Sweeter far may be ;

But when friends are nearest, sorrow and depression which characterises most of our early songs.—The task which you propose to me,

And when joys are dearest, of adapting words to these airs, is by no means easy.

Oh! then remember me. The poet, who would follow the various sentiments

When at eve thou rovest which they express, must feel and understand that

By the star thou lovest, rapid fluctuation of spirits, that unaccountable mixture

Oh! then remember me. of gloom and levity, which composes the character

Think, when home returning, of my countrymen, and has deeply tinged their music.

Bright we've seen it burningEven in their liveliest strains we find some melan

Oh! thus remember me. choly note intrude—some minor third or flat seventh

Oft as summer closes, -which throws its shade as it passes, and makes

When thine eye reposes, even mirth interesting. If BURNS had been an Irish

On its lingering roses, man (and I would willingly give up all our claims

Once so loved by theeupon Ossian for him,) his heart would have been

Think of her who wove them, proud of such music, and his genius would have made

Her who made thee love them it immortal.

Oh! then remember me. 1 The writer forgot, when he made this assertion, that the When, around thee dying, Public are indebted to Mr. Bunting for a very valuablc collection of Irish Music; and that the patriotic genius of Miss

Autumn leaves are lying, Owenson has been employed upon some of our finest Airs.

Oh! then remember me

Shining through sorrow's stream,
Saddening through pleasure's beam,
Thy suns, with doubtful gleam,

Weep while they rise !

And, at night, when gazing
On the gay hearth blazing,

Oh! still remember me.
Then should music, stealing
All the soul of feeling,
To thy heart appealing,

Draw one tear from thee;
Then let memory bring thee
Strains I used to sing thee-

Oh! then remember me.

Erin! thy silent tear never shall cease,
Erin! thy languid smile ne'er shall increase,

Till, like the rainbow's light,
Thy various tints unite,
And form, in Heaven's sight,

One arch of peace!

WAR SONG.
REMEMBER THE GLORIES OF BRIEN THE
BRAVE.

OH! BREATHE NOT HIS NAME.
AIR–Molly Macalpin.

AIR—The Brown Maid.
REMEMBER the glories of Brien the brave, Oh ! breathe not his name, let it sleep in the shade,
Though the days of the hero are o'er ;

Where cold and unhonour'd his relics are laid : Though lost to Mononia’ and cold in the grave, Sad, silent, and dark be the tears that we shed, He returns to Kinkora' no more!

As the night-dew that falls on the grass o'er his head! That star of the field, which so often has pour’d Its beam on the battle, is set;

But the night-dew that falls, though in silence it But enough of its glory remains on each sword

weeps, To light us to victory yet !

Shall brighten with verdure the grave where he sleeps;

And the tear that we shed, though in secret it rolls, Mononia! when nature embellish'd the tint

Shall long keep his memory green in our souls.
Of thy fields and thy mountains so fair,
Did she ever intend that a tyrant should print

The footstep of Slavery there?
No, Freedom ! whose smile we shall never resign,
Go, tell our invaders, the Danes,

WHEN HE WHO ADORES THEE. That 't is sweeter to bleed for an age at thy shrine,

Air-The For's Sleep. Than to sleep but a moment in chains !

WHEN he who adores thee has left but the name Forget not our wounded companions who stood

Of his fault and his sorrows behind, In the day of distress by our side;

Oh! say, wilt thou weep, when they darken the fame While the moss of the valley grew red with their blood

Of a life that for thee was resign'd? They stirr'd not, but conquer'd and died ! Yes, weep, and however my foes may condemn, The sun that now blesses our arms with his light,

Thy tears shall efface their decree; Saw them fall upon Ossory's plain !

For Heaven can witness, though guilty to them, Oh! let him not blush, when he leaves us to-night,

I have been too faithful to thee! To find that they fell there in vain !

With thee were the dreams of my earliest love

Every thought of my reason was thine ;

In my last humble prayer to the Spirit above
ERIN! THE TEAR AND THE SMILE IN

Thy name shall be mingled with mine!
THINE EYES.

Oh! blest are the lovers and friends who shall live
AIR-Aileen Aroon.

The days of thy glory to see;

But the next dearest blessing that Heaven can give ERIN ! the tear and the smile in thine eyes

Is the pride of thus dying for thee! Blend like the rainbow that hangs in thy skies !

1 Brien Borombe, the great Monarch of Ireland, who was killed at the battle of Clontarf, in the beginning of the 11th century, after having defeated the Danes in twenty-five engagements. 2 Munster.

3 The palace of Brien. 4 This alludes to an interesting circumstance related of the Dalgais, the favourite troops of Brian, when they were interrupted in their return from the battle of Clontarf, by Fitzpatrick, Prince of Ossory. The wounded men entreated that they might be allowed to fight with the rest.-“ Let stakes (they said) be stuck in the ground, and suffer each of us, tied and supported by one of these stakes, to be placed in his rank by the side of a sound man." "Between seven and eight hundred wounded nien (adds O'Halloran,) pale, emaciated, and supported in this manner, appeared mixed with the foremost of the troops :-never was such another sight exhibited.”—History of Ireland, Book, 12, Chap 1

THE HARP THAT ONCE THROUGH

TARA'S HALLS.

AIR-Gramachree.
THE harp that once through Tara's halls

The soul of music shed,
Now hangs as mute on Tara's walls

As if that soul were fled.
So sleeps the pride of former days,

So glory's thrill is o'er,
And hearts that once beat high for praise

Now feel that pulse no more!

« PreviousContinue »