THEIR AUTHORS AND ORIGIN. 357
Mrs. Hemans excelled as much in her linguistic acquirements as in her poetical productions, and she made poetical transla tions from the works of several of the most eminent of the conti nental writers. Of her earlier works may be mentioned " The Restoration of the Works of Art to Italy," 1815 ; " Tales and Historic Scenes," 1819 ; and ahout the same time, two poems, called "The Sceptic," and "Modern Greece." Her poem of "Dartmoor obtained the prize from the Royal Society of Literature, in 1821. In 1823, she published " The Siege ot Valencia, &c ; " and in the same year appeared her first dramatic work, " The Vespers of Palermo." This piece was written at the suggestion of her friend, Bishop Heber, another of our well-known hymn-writers, but it met with little success. In 1827, she pub lished a volume consisting of her "Lays of many Lands," and her "Forest Sanctuary." This last is said to be her best long poem. The following year appeared her " Records of Women." During the latter months of 1833 she was occupied in arranging and preparing for publication the three collections of her poems, which were published in the spring and summer of 1834 "Hymns for Childhood," "National Lyrics and Songs for Music," and " Scenes and Hymns of Life."
It was remarked that her religious impressions became stronger, and her poems more tinctured with religious thought and senti ment as she increased in years ; and a tinge of melancholy was given to her life by the difficulty she experienced in obtaining a suitable training for her sons, and by the other difficulties she met with during the prolonged absence of the natural protector of her family. She died in Dublin, May 12th, 1835. Her too anxious life, weighed down by accumulated cares, being at length attacked by severe illness, prematurely succumbed in the unequal strife. A volume of " Poetical Remains" was published after her death.
Unsuccessful in tragedy, her short pieces, such as " The Better Land," and " The Pilgrim Fathers," are well-known, and in their own order are of great excellence. Without much pro fundity or force, she is yet not wanting in poetical feeling and
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