Select Pieces in Verse and Prose

Front matter

'/ HHttt* /><» ll®M£t B4TJWB) ..(•; i' . ./'/'.•/'.'■ SOS ,'/ / '///■*• ///.I ■ ///// . t'roma t',,/,,/ /,„/ M,//,,,,/,,,,- ,,,,,/;..,//,,,,„,,,, , /;,/,,,, /,„ / \\ //,-,/., >ELECT PIECE> IX VERSE AND PROSE. The uti JOHN BOWDLER. Jcx. E?<i OT EI»CQLB*S IBB, BARRISTER AT LAW. VOL. I. " A Christiab b the highest stile of Man." — Young LONDON FBIBTED BT G. DAVIDSOB, OLD BOsWELL COEBT CARET STREET l*j6 TO THE SURVIVING FRIENDS OF THE AUTHOR, THESE VOLUMES, (the only acknowledgment of their great kindness and most affectionate attachment to my dear son, avorthy their acceptance and in my power to offer,) ARE DEDICATED BY THEIR GRATEFUL, HUMBLE SERVANT, JOHN BOWDLER. CONTENTS. Page. THE MEMOIR . ... . . .vii THE JOURNAL . . ... ( l ) SELECT PIECES IN VERSE. On the NeAV Year . . . . . . 1 To his Mother 2 On the Genius of Shakspeare, a School Exercise . . 5 Abradates and Panthea, a School Exercise . .13 On leaving School . . ..... 20 To Mrs. H. M. Bowdler 21 Letter to his Sister Jane . . .... 26 To the Same . . . . . . . .31 A Charade 35 Lo !

Cases three ... . . . .36 Lines written before he went abroad . . . .37 On leaving England for the South of Europe . . 39 Eliza's Urn ..... . . .42 To his Mother . 43 Canzonette . . . .... 45 Traveller, whence comest thou ? 47 The Sabbath 49 A Fragment ....... .52 Thankfulness . 54 Hymn for a Charity Sermon . . . • • 51) Psalm XXIV. Paraphrase CONTENTS. IV Fagp. Psalm XLII. Paraphrase. Part 1 60 Part II, ... . . 61 Psalm CXXIII. Paraphrase 62 A Fragment ...... . .64 Lines on the Fountain of Arethusa . . . .69 Translation of an Italian Sonnet by John Sargent Esq. 72 The Italian Sonnet 73 Child of Man .... . . .74 SELECT PIECES IX PROSE. On the comparative Merits of Private and Public Education 77 Thoughts on the proposed Improvement of Female Education . . ... . . . .88 Strictures on a Review of the Family Shakspeare . 1 13 A Review of Mr. Dugald Stewart's Philosophical Essays 126 Extracts from a Review of the Tableau de la Litterature pendant le dix-huitieme Siecle . . . .217 IN my seventy-"first year, with a memory decayed and a mind Aveakened, I have been persuaded to un dertake a trying task, to which, in my best days, I Avas unequal ; and which, to perform it Avorthily, Avould require talents like his of whom I am to speak.

But they to whom these Volumes are ad dressed, Avill surely excuse all my failures, Avhen they reflect, that the only motive for the attempt, is to gratify them, by stating a feAV interesting par ticulars of the life and character of the Friend whom they have lost. HeAvasborn in London, February the 4th, 1783, and even in infancy, shewed signs of his future character and talents. Before he could stand alone, his Grandmother (of whose singular sagacity none could doubt who knew her), having set him on her knees with his face toAvards her, and played, and talked to him, and watched his countenance for a considerable time, said to his Mother, — " Here, Harrietta, take your boy, and if he is a fool, I will never trust physiognomy again." While so young as to be pleased Avith a wooden spade and rake, he was one day lost ; and conti nued missing so long, that the Avhole family were alarmed, and ran repeatedly over every part of the garden, seeking and calling him in vain.

Part I

As panting in the sultry beam The hart desires the cooling stream, So to thy presence, Lord, I flee, So longs my Soul, O God! for thee, Athirst to taste thy living grace, And see thy glory face to face. But rising griefs distress my soul, And tears on tears successive roll: For many an evil voice is near To chide my woe, and mock my fear, And silent memory weeps alone, O'er hours of peace and gladness flown. For I have walk'd the happy round, That circles Sion's holy ground, And gladly swell'd the choral lays That hymn'd my great Redeemer's praise, What time the hallow'd arch along Responsive swell'd the solemn song. Ah! why, by passing clouds oppress'd, Should vexing thoughts distract thy breast? Turn, turn to Him, in every pain, Whom never suppliant sought in vain; Thy strength, in joy's extatic day, Thy hope, when joy has pass'd away.