wn hopes, he only discharges the duty of a good
knight, who was bound to sacrifice himself, and all his hopes and
wishes, at the slightest command of her, to whom he had vowed his
service, and who, in the language of chivalry, was to him as the soul
is to the body. The reader may recollect the memorable invasion of
England by James IV. of Scotland, in which he hazarded and actually
lost his own life, and the flower of his nobility, because the queen
of France, who called him her knight, had commanded him to march three
miles on English ground for her sake.

Less can be said to justify the extravagant language in which Almanzor
threatens his enemies, and vaunts his own importance. This is not
common in the heroes of romance, who are usually as remarkable for
their modesty of language as for their prowess; and still more seldom
does, in real life, a vain-glorious boaster vindicate by his actions
the threats of his tongue. It is true, that men of a fervent and
glowing character are apt to strain their speech beyond the modesty of
ordinary conversation, and display, in their language, the fire which
glows in their bosoms; but the subject of their effusions is usually
connected not with their own personal qualities, or feats, but with
some extraneous object of their pursuit, or admiration. Thus, the
burst of Hotspur concerning the pursuit of honour paints his
enthusiastic character; but it would be hard to point out a passage
indicating that exuberant confidence in his own prowess, and contempt
of every one else, so liberally exhibited by Almanzor. Instances of
this defect are but too thickly sown through the piece; for example
the following rant.

If from thy hands alone my death can be,
I am immortal, and a God to thee.
If I would kill thee now, thy fate's so low,
That I must stoop ere I can give the blow.
But mine is fixed so far above thy crown,
That all thy men,
Piled on thy back, can never pull it down.
But, at my ease, thy destiny I send,
By ceasing from this hour to be thy friend.
Like heaven, I need but only to stand still;
And, not concurring to thy life, I kill.
Thou canst no title to my duty bring;
I am not thy subject, and my soul's thy king.
Farewell! When I am gone,
There's not a star of thine dare stay with thee:
I'll whistle thy tame fortune after me;
And whirl fate with me wheresoe'er I fly,
As winds drive storms before them in the sky.

This curious passage did