Of sunshine breaks but seldom with its rays
Of heavenly hope, towards which the spirit sighs
Its aspirations, and is lost again
'Mid doubts: to grasp the wisdom of the skies
Too feeble, tho' convinced earth's bonds are vain,
Cowering faint-hearted in the festering chain.'"--p. 60.

A similar instance of conventionality constantly repeated is the sin
of inversion, which is no less prevalent, throughout the poem, in the
conversational than in the narrative portions. In some cases the
exigencies of rhyme may be pleaded in palliation, as for "Cam's marge
along" and "breezy willows cool," which occur in two consecutive
lines of a speech; but there are many for which no such excuse can be
urged. Does any one talk of "sloth obscure," or of "hearts
afflicted?" Or what reason is there for preferring "verses easy" to
_easy verses?_ Ought not the principle laid down in the following
passage of the introduction to be followed out, not only into the
intention, but into the manner and quality also, of the whole work?

"'I mean to be _sincere_ in this my lay:
That which I think I shall write down without
A drop of pain or varnish. Therefore, pray,
Whatever I may chance to rhyme about,
Read it without the shadow of a doubt.'"--p. 12.

Again, the Author appears to us to have acted unwisely in
occasionally departing from the usual construction of his stanzas, as
in this instance:

"'But, as I said, you know my history;
And your's--not that you made a mystery
Of it, nor used reserve, yet, being not
By nature an Autophonophilete,
(A word De Lacy fashioned and called me it)--
Your's you have never told me yet. And what
Can be a more appropriate occasion
Than this true epic opening for relation?'"--p. 48.

Here the lines do not cohere so happily as in the more varied
distribution of the rhymes; and, moreover, as a question of
principle, we think it not advisable to allow of minor deviations
from the uniformity of a prescribed metre.

It may be well to take leave of Mr. Cayley with a last quotation of
his own words,--words which no critic ought to disregard:

"I shall be deeply grateful to reviews,
Whether they deign approval, or rebuke,
For any hints they think may disabuse
Delusions of my inexperienced muse."--p.8.

If our remarks have been such as to justify the Author's wish for
sincere criticism, our object is attained; and we look forward for
the second canto wi