English Anthology

(From the Provençal.)

VII.

All mortal things will one day fade away
But Love Divine can never know decay.
Our bodies, nerved with strength, will then become
As tinder soft--all things will lose their bloom.
The song of birds no more will fill the

grove, Nor nightingale sing her melodious love; The pastured oxen,

and the snowy sheep, Will feel the sting impelling dreamless sleep; Arles' noble steeds, and foxes, wolves, and barts, Tame goots , wild chamois, fierce boars from

all parts

, The wild bear's strength, as dust and sand, shall fail ; The sea-born dolphins, tunny, and the whale, All frightful monsters, kingdoms, provinces, Princes and kings, Death will subdue with ease. Above all, mark-the inighty earth will fall, (Thus Holy Writ) the firmament, yea all The stars to nothing.--All things fade away, Save Love Divine, which never knows decay.

)

(From the same.)

When in a mirror, whose reflection's true,
The various lots of this world meet our view ;
Weighed in the balance every man's pretence,
"Twixt high and low how small the difference.
Equals the prince and subjects there we find;
The Lord leaves not bis vassal

poor

reclined. The noble, burgess, artist, shepherd, here, Distant as stars of heaven from earth appear: Surprised they see the false illusions fade; Their lot on earth appears but as a shade. Death's arm strikes down both birth and rank with time; Men differ but in virtue and in crime: The good and evil of their lives are tried; The greatest crime is when that difference is denied.

B.

IX.

Child of the Summer, thy brow is as fair

As the loveliest morning hour,
When the perfume hangs on the gentle air,

From the newly open'd flower ;
When the Forest King has gone to his lair,
And the busy voice of toiling care

Is yet unheard, and every bower
Is gemm'd with nature's choicest dower.

Child of the Summer, thy smile is sweet

And calm as the close of day,
When the setting sun and ocean meet,
And the glade is press'd by blithesome feet,

And the dew is on the spray
And moments of joy on pinions fleet

Are winging their silent way.

Child of the Summer, thine eyes are bright

As stars in the cloudless sky,
Emitting a clear and liquid light,
And gladding the face of the silent night;

While the Zephyr that rustles by
Seems scarce, as it speeds on its heavenward fight,

More deep than a Lover's sigh.

Child of the Summer, on lightsome wing

May thine infancy's moments fly, And joy round thy heartstrings like tendrils cling And morning and eve to thy spirit bring

That peace which the world may not buy ; The learning that wells from the sacred spring,

The knowledge that cannot die.

Child of the Summer, may he whose arm

With flowers bedecks the lea,
Who holds in his power the mighty charm,
of the sweeping storm and the peaceful calin,

Who stilleth the raging sea,
Insuse in thy bosom his holiest balm,

And shower his gifts on thee.

X.

X.

Oh! ye who boast the name of Freedom's sons,
And speak of Liberty with burning lips;
Beware, lest ye should take her name in vain,
And pay your homage at unholy shrines,
Mark well her bearing and majestic mein,
And be not soon deceived, for there are those
Who ape her form, who steal ber holy smile,
And cloak the demon with the serpent's wile.
Freedom is not a sheet of paper where
The cunning pen may trace so full and fair,
Well rounded passages, high-sounding names,
With graceful stops: that is not Liberty !*
Nor does it breathe in easy flowing speech
Of classic orator, whose ready wit
And well-weighed arguments delight the cars
of greedy lisi'ners at the busting's front,
And bear him to the senate. Oh ! not there;
Full well, I ween, that is not Liberty !
Nor in the warrior's proud triumphant shout,
Who comes the hero of a hundred fights,
With trumpet sounding, clad in gorgeous guise.
For every cheer proclaims a comrade's death ;
And widows' sighs join with the bugles' breath.
Look at those blood-stain'd banners-can they be,
Or those poor orphans, aught of Liberty ?
Nay, think not thus, but know that Freedom dwells
In human hearts: there is it's only shrine.
But ere those bearts can know it, ihey must be
Palient, and meek, and loving-pure ere free.
When such as these are many in the land :
When christian charity direcis each hand,
To belp the needy and protect the poor ;
When ihe strong man smiles kindly on the weak;
The noble on the peasant; and when kings
Love justice more than empire,- peace than war;

Then and then only are the nations free;
For truly nought but such is Liberty !

Ed. C. M.

? La Libertė n'est pas un placard qu'on lit au coin de la rue.

Paroles d'un croyant

BRIEF NOTICES OF THE POETS, PRILOSOPHERS,&c of THE TAMILS,

BY S. C. CAITTY, Esq. (Continued.)

000

13. Mánika Vasagar, called also Tiruvatliavoorer, & poet, as much cele brated for his sanctity as for his great learning, was the son of a brahman, nained Amartiyer, and born at Trivaloor, in the time of Arimarta Pandiyen, King of Madura. In early life, he was employed as prime minister at the Court of the King; but he, however, soon quitted this preferment, and es. tablished himself at Tiruparanturei, where he founded a temple in honor of Siva, who appeared there, and communed with him. There is a collection of hymns of a very superior description called Tirur ásagam, which be sang in praise of his favorite god, and he is moreover noted for his polemical contests with the Samanas, whom he finally overcame.

14. Allivira Pandiyán, one of the ancient Kings of Madura, who has transmitted his name to posterity by his numerous poetical compositions; but as neither he, nor his cotemporaries have left any record of his personal history, it is now difficult even to ascertain the time of bis existence. The following

is a list of his works.

1. Nahishaddam, an epic poem celebrating the adventures of Nalah and Damayanti, is divided into 23 chapters; and contains 1171 stanzas. 2. Ka. si Kándam, another poem, which treats principally of the legends connected with the shrine of Sira at Kasi, or Benares, is divided into 100 chapters; and contains 2529 stanzas. 3. Kokkoham, a treatise on the different characters, qualities and behaviour of women. 4. Vettivélkai, a collection of moral mar. ims. 5. Kuruvei Antádi. There are four poems under this title, each of which contains 100 stanzas of different metres in praise of Tirukaruvei, a Saiva place of worship in the Carnatic. They were called Antadi or the lust the first, because “the stanzas are 80 connected with each other, that the following word, or words, commences with the syllable, with which the preceding onded."

35. Villiputturer. This poet was a native of Saniyoor, in the Coimbatoox country, und born of brahman parents, of the Vaishnava sect. He was greatly esteemed by the King Karikal Cholen, by whose desire he undertook and finished a poetic version of the Maha Bharat, in 50 chapters, containing 4,280 stanzas, which for the sublimity of its language remains almost un. rivalled even to the present day. The installation of Karikal Cholen, is dated X. Y. 3567 or A. D. 465.

16. Tolkappiyer, a celebrated ascetic and grammarian, who was one of the twelve pupils of Agastya. He wrote a treatise on the Tamil grammar called Tolkappiya Nool, which, howerer, from its studied brevity is scarcely intelligible

17. Pavananti, another ascetic and grammarian in the time of Siya Kangan, king of Madura, who is chiefiy kaown as the writer of a Tamil Grammar entitled Nannool, i. e. Litera humaniores. He had proposed to treat of his subject ander five different heads, viz. Letters, Words, Matter, Versification aud Embellishment; but diod before be could complete his design, and the Nannool therefore comprises only the two first heads.

18. Amurtasåjaran, (the sea of nectar) a poet, of whose life no particulars hare reached modern times, but who is celebrated as the author of a treatiso designated Karigài, containing a series of forty-fonr sutras or succinct aphorisms in verse, on versification. This work, however, is considered by some as very abstruse; hence the prorerb, " Better live by beating Périgai (a sort of drum) than by composing verses after studying Kàrigai.” He flourished some time after Pavananti, and was, like him, a Jaina, as he commences his swork with an invocation to “the god who remains under the shade of the Pindi t:eent which abounds with fragrant blossoms."

19. Katchiyapper. This poet was a native of Kanchi, or Conjeceram, in the Carnatic and born of brahman parents. None of his compositions has been preserved, except a poetical version of the Skanda Purana, which some suppose was written about the fourth century. This work contains 10,336 stauzas, and as it, particularly treats of the history of Skanda,* is regularly recited in bis temples at the annual festivals, with the observance of a number of superstitious ceremonies.

20. Sainden. This poet is represented by himself as haring been born at Ambel, a small town situate on the banks of the Kareri, in the Carnatic. His Tamil dictionary under the title of Tivagaram, or the Sun, is divided into ten chapters and contains 2,286 stanzas, in short metre. He lived in the age of the Cholens, whom he has celebrated in the epigraph of his work.

21. Kamban, one of the most celebrated poets at the court of the king Kulatunga Cholen who reigned at Ureiyoor, towards the close of the ninth century. Of his works the principal are a poem, called Er Elupadu, in praise of the agriculture of the Velalors, and a poetical version of the Ramaynam, in seven books, containing 12,016 stanzas, which he composed under the patronage of the wealthy farmer Venneinellur Sadeiyar. It is said that the king shot bim to death with a bow, in a paroxysm of anger, because he Fas iuconsolable for the loss of his son Ambiupati, whom bis majesty caused to be empaled for having contrived to seduce the princess. 22. Oltakooten. This individual

a cotemporary of Kamban, and though a cobbler by descent, his great learning appears to have exalted him Lo the same rank with that poet. He is reported to have composed several Ulas, or elegies besides many par cal odes on the ng; but none of them, are in existence at present.

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