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THE LION'S HEAD.

THE translations of E. of P-W-, near T——, are sensibly rendered, but they require a spirit which neither the translation nor the original gives them, to make them fit for our pages. They are extremely good. Exercises, but morals so laboriously and mathematically worked are more virtuous than amusing or intelligible. We sincerely thank E. for his good intentions towards the world and ourselves.

G. G. has sent us a Canzonet, which imposes more upon the birds than we think Nature ever intended :

Hark the birds in yonder grove,
Breathe softly sweet a tale of love:

In joyful harmony, oh raise

Your heavenly notes to Ellen's praise

Tune your voices once again,
Whisper softly-true I'll prove
To Ellen, whom I fondly love;
And while my beauteous maid reposes,

Strew her couch with blooming roses!

G. G. must slit a bird's tongue with something more than a sixpence to get all this done; and no bird on earth can sing songs and strew rose-leaves at the same time.

J. B.'s "Sketches from the Antique," are not favourably thought of from No. I.-though that specimen has talent.

"An odd Fish!"-aye-a very odd Fish!-This Peter Fin writes, that if we do not approve him, we are to remember, "he is one of the Fin tribe," and therefore not au fait.”—Therefore !—eh !

Such a wooden legged muse as this "odd Fish" seems to possess, never stumpt before into the presence of Lion's Head!

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P. P. asks us to "point out a few errors" in " the enclosed," which is a kind of dwarf Ode to Simplicity. We can only say, that Grammar, if not the Muse, has frowned upon his effusion, for no melody on earth, nor the utmost urgency of rhyme, can atone for such matter as this.

Or this:

It is not pride! But oh! 'Tis thee!
Sweet Nature's child, Simplicity!

Or when thou guileless doth appeal,

P. P. should be allowed a fire by his friends.

We print the Title of T. O. M.'s production, which is the pope's eye of his mutton, viz. "Rondeau for the Grenadier Guards, attempted in the style and metre of Clement Marot."" Tom 's a-cold!"

The lines from Edinburgh are better meant than written.

J. R. is so humble before "Lion's Head," that with infinite mercy it forbeareth to " wag its tail."

Z. can know nothing of "The fate of a Genius," and should therefore not "riddle my riddle my ree" about it in lines, which would give Edipus the head-ache.

"A Dream (fact).” We do not dispute the truth, but the poetry; though it looks very much like a dream to order!

A. D. is not answered, as he desires. We are sure he will see that there is not "matter in his words" to warrant troubling the printer on the subject.

THE

London Magazine.

FEBRUARY, 1824.

ANALECTS

FROM

JOHN PAUL RICHTER.

BY THE AUTHOR OF THE CONFESSIONS OF AN ENGLISH OPIUM-EATER.

COMPLAINT OF THE BIRD IN A DARKENED CAGE.

"Ah!" said the imprisoned bird, "how unhappy were I in my eternal night, but for those melodious tones which sometimes make their way to me like beams of light from afar, and cheer my gloomy day. But I will myself repeat these heavenly melodies like an echo, until I have stamped them in my heart; and then I shall be able to bring comfort to myself in my darkness!" Thus spoke the little warbler, and soon had learned the sweet airs that were sung to it with voice and instrument. That done, the curtain was raised;

for the darkness had been purposely contrived to assist in its instruction. -Oh! man, how often dost thou complain of overshadowing grief and of darkness resting upon thy days! And yet what cause for complaint, unless indeed thou hast failed to learn wisdom from suffering?-For is not the whole sum of human life a veiling and an obscuring of the immortal spirit of man? Then first, when the fleshly curtain falls away, may it soar upwards into a region of happier melodies!

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* Some class of ephemeral insects are born about five o'clock in the afternoon, and die before midnight-supposing them to live to old age.

+ If the dew is evaporated immediately upon the sun-rising, rain and storm follow in the afternoon; but, if it stays and glitters for a long-time after sun-rise, the day

continues fair.

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