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 Phenomena of the Great Earthquake in 1783.

894

elastic vapours and fluids. These convulsions are preceded and accom- panied, like the eruptions of Vesu- vius, with the subterraneous noise resembling loud thunder. I discover- ed also in Calabria traces of sulphur and ambra (grey amber) in those places where water had rushed through the yawning surface; but, on the other hand, after vigilant exa- mination, I could nowhere discover any appearance of lava; and I am convinced that Sir William Hamil- ton's assertion of the existence of lava at Pizzo is erroneous, and found- ed upon superficial investigation. My, opinion in this respect is sup- ported by the high authority of the Chevalier Dolomieu, from whose able and interesting " Memoires sur les Tremblements de Terre,&c.,"I quote the following paragraph. " La ville de Pizzo est batie sur

[Dec.

un rocher, qui est enveloppe 1 dans sa partie exterieure par une aglutina- tion de sable calcaire et quartzeux, mele de corps marins. Cette espece de concretion est adherente a d'autres rochers schisteux de la meme mon~ tagne. Elle se recouvre par le ron- cours de 1'humidite' d'une espece de croute ou mousse noiratre, qui a trompe 1'oeil de Mr le Chev. Hamil- ton ; il a cru y voir un tuf Volca- nique."

The above mentioned Memoirs oft Dolomieu have, in many respects, gratified me more than any other at- tempt to explain the moving power of earthquakes.

His conjectures are always inge- nious ; and are better supported by the evidence of facts and coinciden- ces, than any hypothesis hitherto sug-

AN ESSAY ON THE THEORY AND THE WRITINGS OF WORDSWORTH.

PART IV.

LET me now proceed to the second part of my subject, and endeavour to shew, that in proportion as Words- worth has been over-estimated by his too ardent admirers, he has been underrated by those, who have had neither opportunity nor desire to in- vestigate his claims to public notice. This will be a pleasant task, for I shall have to recall passages from which I have derived no ordinary degree of gratification, and which, I hope, will impart somewhat of the same feeling to my reader. At the same time, I fear lest my method of defence should seem, when con- trasted with my manner of conduct- ing the impeachment, languid and inartificial. My previous plan for- bids me to shew forth the beauties of Wordsworth in an argumentative and methodical way ; for all the former part of my essay tends to prove that Wordsworth is systema- tically wrong how then, without legal ambidexterity, can I undertake to prove that he is systematically right? As I have maintained that Wordsworth has never produced a great and consistent whole, and that Ins fine thoughts lie scattered through- out his writings, I must necessarily

display his merits rather by quotation than by argument : thus, 1 lay my- self open to the charge of expending my powers in censure, and of ren- dering the work of praise a mere af- fair or the scissors. However, I am encouraged by the reflection that, with a large mass of readers, tlio course which I am about to pursue, will be the most certain of attaining its end. Wordsworth is not gene- rally admired, only because he is not generally known. To adduce a case in point I had frequently endea- voured to persuade some friends that Wordsworth was an author of great merit. Like many other per-( sons, they entrenched themselves be- hind a settled conviction of his in- anity and childishness. Read him they would not : admire him they were very certain they could not. Reader, do not smile ! De tefal,Ia narratur. Did you never condemn a ; cause (perhaps Words worth's cause) unheard ? At length, after the con- troversy had died away, I betook myself to quoting from his works, without bringing forward the au- thor's name. " What an exquisite piece of poetry !" exclaimed one of my candid friends, after I had finished