WHAT shall we say of this imitation? That we have
searched for its appendage, a resemblance, and cannot find it. What can we say of
an
arrangement of words in the form of blank verse, destitute of cadence and harmony?
What but that it is prose in the shape of poetry? Monsieur Lafaye will, perhaps,
reply to us with the surprise of Moliere's
Bourgeois Gentilhomme, "par
ma foy, ily a plus de quarante ans que je dis de la prose, sas que j'en susse
rien." But we do not expect him to subjoin the following part of the speech
as an address to the Reviewers, "& je vous suis le plus
obligé du monde de m'avoir
M m 4[Page 536]apris cela:" be that as it may, we must proceed on our
journey; we have many regions to pass through; from the river Jordan we must fly to
Mount Olympus; and from Olympus we must make all possible haste to get back into the
wilderness of Judea: but, alas! we Reviewers have not the privileges which our
poetical travellers enjoy—we are confined both by time and space. For this reason,
Monsieur Lafaye must excuse us if we do not follow him through the whole of his
flights and peregrinations.

This poem consists of six cantos; and the subject is as follows:—Satan, elated with
the success which he met with when he attempted the seduction of Eve, meditates a
victory over Jesus Christ, while he is in the wilderness: but as it is proper that
he
should consult his peers before he proceeds to business, he summoneth the assembly
to
Mount Olympus; and, in the first canto, page 8, we are introduced to this no very
formidable body, considering they are devils—

Satan, in a long speech (for he is a most verbose orator), communicates his grand
design; which, meeting with general approbation, he sets out on his journey; and with
the characteristic vivacity of a French demon, says

Arrived at the desart, he approaches our Saviour under the appearance of an old man,
in search of strayed cattle; he is likewise looking for some sticks to make a faggot.
He enters into conversation with Jesus; and the temptation by which he hopes to
seduce the Saviour of the world, is an offer to shew him the way out of the
wilderness. His proposal being rejected with contempt, Satan makes a bow, and
vanishes.

In the second canto, the Arch Fiend again assembles his peers. The council appear
to
be rather tumultuous. Belial is a very turbulent member, and expresses himself with
great acrimony toward the race of David:

And this Roi Solomon he talks of taking by the
nose.

In the third canto, Satan renews his temptations in the wilderness; and supposing
our
Saviour to be very hungry, invites him to eat:—by the power of his magic wand, a
table rises in the desart, royalement fervie, on which
are displayed all the dainties that the most excellent French cookery can supply,
game and poultry,

[Page 537]

This repast is exhibited sous un pavillon de verdure,
ornamented with fruits and flowers; a splendid buffet presents itself, covered with
vases of gold and crystal, and attended by Genii with purple wings. In another part
of the desart, Nymphs are dancing sous des bouquets
d'arbres; while in another, Zephyrus, Pomona, and the train of Flora, are
forming garlands and preparing fruits.—This is pretty scenery for an opera. But as
we
cannot promise to steer this little French bark safe into port, through the channel
of English criticism, we will (without loading it with any more of our strictures)
leave it to seek an harbour on its native coast;—it may chance to meet there with
a
more propitious gale. As to ourselves, we must be candid enough to confess that our
English Satan has obtained so much popularity, through the skilful management of our
immortal Milton, that we can by no means
tolerate French devils.