poetical than the abstract love of fame. Her works were highly successful, soon brought her into notice, and obtained her the acquaintance of many distinguished personages. Her amiable character and exemplary life have secured her consideration in all the circles of Stockholm.
Four of her works have been presented, by translation, to the Anglo-Saxon reading public. They all display originality and inventive genius, together with a poetic and impassioned spirit; they have all the fault which proceeds from a rich and exuberant imagination—too many characters and too many incidents; this always weakens the interest, flattens the pathos of a story, and abates the attention of the reader. To "discreetly blot," is one of the nicest and most delicate parts of an author's craft; it requires judgment, experience, and taste, and is unattainable by many; but the abilities of Mrs. Carlen appear such as to assure her of success, if she would do what the French wit complained he had no leisure for—"take time to make her works shorter."
"The Magic Goblet" is spoiled by a narrative of crime and misery, introduced towards the end; it may be remarked that, as the story hinges on this, it could not be omitted; but Mrs. Carlen shows plainly that, with her fertility of invention, she might have constructed a different plot. "The Rose of Thistle Island" is too replete with horrors—the curtain falls on too many of the dead and dying. The marriage of Amman, which is vaguely spoken of, is no consolation—it is evidently none to him—and inspires the reader with no pleasure. But these dark picturings belong to Swedish life; the people of that country have a hard lot; ignorance, oppression, and want, never soften human nature.
The "Brothers" and the "Temptations of Wealth," are not equal to the first two productions. Their beauties and defects are, however, of the same character. Upon the whole, Mrs. Carlen appears to yield to few women of our day in original genius. Some of the passages have an approach to sublimity in the descriptions of nature, and of moral suffering; many of the most forcible touches cannot be comprehended or appreciated, but in connection with the entire works.
It must not be forgotten that our medium of judging this authoress, has been through particularly bad translations; this prevents any remark on the various poems which are interspersed.
CARLISLE, ANNE,
An ingenious lady, who lived in the reign of Charles the Second, and is said, by Walpole, to have obtained great credit by her copies of the works of eminent Italian masters, as well as by her portraits, taken from life. She died about the year 1680.
CARMENTA, or NICOSTRATA,
An ancient poetess of Latium, who flourished before the foundation of Rome, in which city divine honours were afterwards paid to her. According to Dionysius of Halicamassus, Carmenta was born in Arcadia, where she was known by her name of Nicostrata. Her son Evander being implicated in an unintentional homicide, she found means for an emigration, which she conducted herself, about sixty years prior to the Trojan war. She led her followers into
