Blackwoods Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCLXXVI | Page 5

Argument of Canto I:--
"Themistocles lying awake in the night, is surprised by the entrance of
Aristides, who informs him that the Persian fleet had completely
surrounded them. Themistocles tells him that this was effected by a
device of his own, to prevent the Greeks from deserting the Straits, and
sends him to Eurybiades, calls a council in the morning, in which it is
resolved to attack the enemy, and the whole fleet move forward in
order of battle.--Scene, the Grecian camp on the sea-shore of Salamis."
The first Canto thus opens--
Now darkness over all her veil had spread, Save where the moon her
feeble lustre shed, When from the clouds emerging, her dim ray
Mock'd the effulgence of the lucid day. Stretch'd on their beds, the
Greeks in soft repose Awhile forgot their harass'd country's woes.
Themistocles alone awake remain'd, By his anxiety from sleep
restrain'd; Although the chief with labour was opprest, His care for
Greece withheld his wonted rest. For three long hours, all had been still
around, At length he hears (or thinks he hears) a sound; He starts, and
sees a stately form advance, Clad in bright arms, and with a shining
lance, And by the moon's faint beams, the chief descried A Persian

sabre glittering at his side.
Here follows the "Argument of Canto II--
"Mardonius is surprised by the noise of the Greeks advancing, and the
hostile fleet appearing, the ships move forward to meet
them.--Lycomedes takes the first galley, and consecrates the spoils to
Apollo.--The acts of Eurybiades, Mardonius, and
Themistocles.--Aristides and Lycomedes landing in the Isle of Psyttalia,
destroy a number of Persians stationed there, at sight of which, part of
the Persian fleet gives way.--Ariamenes endeavouring to rally them, is
slain.--At his death the rest of the Persians fly. The Greeks pursue them
to the Attic shore, and obtain a complete victory, which concludes the
Poem."
The whole poem shows a mind thoroughly imbued with Grecian
history, and the action is conceived and described with considerable
spirit. There are a few lame verses, here and there, but scarcely a single
puerile conceit; while a perusal of the entire contents of these records
of a gifted child, is calculated to surprise, by the great extent of reading
displayed by its writer, and the ease and precision with which he brings
it to bear upon his subject.
In the spring of 1821 he entered Westminster School, taking his place
on the fourth form, which secured him all exemption from fagging.
Here, again, his progress was that of a boy of first-rate abilities, great
diligence, and unvarying good conduct. Two years afterwards, viz. in
the spring of 1823, he gained a king's scholarship, without the
assistance of a "help," a thing which it is believed was unprecedented.
In the College, however, he could not escape fagging; but such was his
independent spirit, that he refused to submit to it, and immediately
resigned his hard-won scholarship, with all its prospects. His father was
somewhat nonplussed by this occurrence; and presently sent him to a
school at Blackheath, kept by the present rector of Woolwich, the Rev.
Willain Greenlaw, a son of his former master, Dr. Greenlaw. The
Blackheath school contained no fewer than seventy-two boys, many of
them on the eve of quitting for the universities; but as soon as John
William Smith made his appearance, he was not only recognised as

being far superior to them all, but equally well read with the ushers;
and he consequently read with Mr. Greenlaw himself, alone! being then,
it will be recollected, little move than fourteen years of age! He wrote
every species of Latin verse with the utmost facility--of which he gave,
on one occasion, a proof not yet forgotten by his schoolfellows: for,
one evening, shortly after going there, he wrote all the Latin verses for
the entire school, from the highest to the lowest--in all metres, and on
every variety of subject. This feat was lately communicated to me by
one of his then schoolfellows; and I also recollect him once mentioning
the subject to me himself; adding, if I recollect correctly, that there was
not a blunder found in any of the verses which he had written. During
his vacations he visited France, and mastered the French and Italian
languages, with both of which, up to the period of his death, he
continued perfectly familiar, and very partial to the writers of both.
About this time he began to cast about for a profession; and entertained
the notion of either going out to India, in a military capacity, or
entering Woolwich academy as a cadet. His father persuaded him to
relinquish the former step, but assented to his adopting the latter; and
he paid close attention to engineering. He has often expressed to