Gray, Horace (who is quoted no fewer than eighteen times), Hume, Lucretius, Milton, Moore, Ovid, Racine, Mrs. Radcliffe, Rousseau, Sallust, Scott, Tacitus, Terence, Virgil, and Young—displaying an extent of reading by no means inconsiderable for schoolboys.
The young poets seem to have been much under the then prevalent influence of Byron, since he is not only quoted six times, but the volume also contains a poem on his recent death, an allusion to the same event in another, and several rather obvious imitations of the "Hebrew Melodies."
The book, naturally enough, attracted no notice whatever on its first appearance,[1] as it was little likely that an anonymous volume of poems, published in an obscure country town, should do.
The following is a list of the contents:
- ↑ The only contemporary criticism that we have succeeded in tracing, appeared in the "Literary Chronicle and Weekly Review" of May 19, 1827, and is sufficiently mild and reserved in its praise. "This little volume," says the sagacious reviewer, "exhibits a pleasing union of kindred tastes, and contains several little pieces of considerable merit." He subjoins two as deserving of extract, viz. the stanzas commencing "Yon star of eve, so soft and clear," and "God's Denunciations against Pharaoh-Hophra."
