in and the golden vintage, that, stored
up in his great Magazine of Nature, are lavishly thence dispensed to all
that hunger, and quench the thirst of the nations? So do we. After that,
no one can be so pur-and-bat-blind as not see that North is, in very
truth, Autumn's gracious self, rather than his Likeness or Eidolon.
But--

"Lo, Winter comes to rule th' inverted year!"

So do we,

"Sullen and sad, with all his rising train--
Vapours, and clouds, and storms!"

So are we. The great author of the "Seasons" says, that Winter and his
train

"Exalt the soul to solemn thought,
And heavenly musing!"

So do we. And, "lest aught less great should stamp us mortal," here we
conclude the comparison, dashed off in few lines by the hand of a great
master, and ask, Is not North, Winter? Thus, listener after our own
heart! thou feelest that we are imaged aright in all our attributes
neither by Spring, nor Summer, nor Autumn, nor Winter; but that the
character of Christopher is shadowed forth and reflected by the Entire
Year.

A FEW WORDS ON THOMSON.

Poetry, one might imagine, must be full of Snow-scenes. If so, they have
almost all dissolved--melted away from our memory--as the transiencies
in nature do which they coldly pictured. Thomson's "Winter," of course,
we do not include in our obliviousness--and from Cowper's "Task" we
might quote many a most picturesque Snow-piece. But have frost and snow
been done full justice to by them or any other of our poets? They have
been well spoken of by two--Southey and Coleridge--of whose most
poetical compositions respectively, "Thalaba" and the "Ancient Mariner,"
in some future volume we may dissert. Thomson's genius does not so often
delight us by exquisite minute touches in the description of nature as
that of Cowper. It loves to paint on a great scale, and to dash objects
off sweepingly by bold strokes--such, indeed, as have almost always
distinguished the mighty masters of the lyre and the rainbow. Cowper
sets nature before your eyes--Thomson before your imagination. Which do
you prefer? Both. Be assured that both poets had pored night and day
upon her--in all her aspects--and that she had revealed herself fully to
both. But they, in their religion, elected different modes of
worship--and both were worthy of the mighty mother. In one mood of mind
we love Cowper best, in another Thomson. Sometimes the Seasons are
almost a Task--and sometimes the