all Lord Byron's melodies; that he pierces them too profoundly, and
passes below the region of grace, charging his lyre with far more
vehemence of passion than its slight strings are meant to bear. The
beauty which belongs to this production, should be in the form of
the thought rather than the fashion of the setting: that genuineness
and simplicity of character which constitute almost its essence, are
destroyed by any appearance of the cold artifices of construction,
palpable springs set for our admiration, whereby the beginning
is obviously arranged in reference to a particular ending. This
is the short-reaching power of Moore--guilty, by design, of that
departure from simplicity, by which he fascinated one generation
at the expense of being forgotten by another. The song, while it
is general in its impression, should be particular in its occasion;
not an abstraction of the mind, but a definite feeling, special to
some certain set of circumstances. Rising from out the surface of
daily experience, like the watery issuings of a fountain, it throws
itself upward for a moment, then descends in a soft, glittering
shower to the level whence it rose. Herein resides the chief defect
of Bayly's songs; that they are too general and vague--a species
of pattern songs--being embodiments of some general feeling, or
reflection, but lacking that sufficient reference to some season
or occurrence which would justify their appearing, and take away
from them the aspect of pretension and display.

The only satisfactory method of criticism is by means of clinical
lectures; and we feel regret that our limits do not suffer us--to
any great degree--to illustrate what we deem the vigorous simplicity,
and genuine grace of Mr. Morris, by that mode of exposition. We
must refer to a few cases, however, to show what we have been meaning
in the remarks which we made above, upon the proper character of