Mittit aromaticas vallis faronica nubes Ille cutim fpiffam vifus habetare vetabit— juncique tremit variabilis umbra- feffa colubri Membra viatoris recreabunt frigore linguæ. Boileau defpifed the writers of modern Latin poetry. Jortin faid he was no extraordinary claffical scholar, and that he translated Longinus from the Latin. Of all the celebrated French writers Racine appears to be the best, if not the only Greek scholar, except Fenelon. The reft, Corneille, Moliere, La Motte, Fontenelle, Crebillon, Voltaire, knew little of that language. I find and feel it impoffible to conclude these remarks on Pope's Mefliah, without mentioning another poem taken also from Isaiah, the noble and magnificent ode on the Destruction of Babylon, which Dr. Lowth hath given us in the thirteenth of his Prelections on the Poetry of the Hebrews; and which, 'the scene, the actors, the fentiments, and diction, all contribute to place in the firft rank of the fublime; thefe Prelections, abounding in remarks entirely new, delivered in the purest and moft expreffive language, have been received and read with almoft univerfal approbation, both at home and abroad, as being the richeft augmentation literature has in our times received, and as tending to illuftrate and recommend the Holy Scriptures in an uncommon degree. It has been confequently a matter of surprize to hear an eminent prelate pronouncing lately, with a dogmatical air, that these Prelections, "are in a vein of criticism not above the common." Notwithstanding which decifion, it may fafely be affirmed, that they will long furvive, after the commentaries on Horace's Art of Poetry, and on the Effay on Man, are lost and forgotten. WINDSOR-FOREST. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE GEORGE LORD LANSDOWN. Non injuffa cano: Te noftrae, Vare, myricae, VIRG. WINDSOR-FOREST. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE a GEORGE LORD LANSDOWN. " HY foreft, Windfor! and thy green retreats, TH At once the Monarch's and the Mufe's feats, Invite my lays. Be prefent, fylvan maids! Unlock your springs, and open all your fhades. GRANVILLE VARIATIONS. VER. 3, &c. Originally thus, (and indeed much better;) Nymphs of the vales, and Naïads of the floods, Lead me through arching bow'rs, and glimm'ing glades, NOTES. P. This Poem was written at two different times: the first part of it, which relates to the country, in the year 1704, at the fame time with the Paftorals; the latter part was not added till the year 1713, in which it was published. P. Notwithstanding the many praises lavished on this celebrated nobleman as a poet, by Dryden, by Addison, by Bolingbroke, by our Author, and others, yet candid criticism muft oblige us to confefs, that he was but a feeble imitator of the feebleft parts of Waller. In his tragedy of Heroic Love, he feems not to have had a true relish for Homer whom he copied; and in the British Enchanters, very little fancy is to be found in a subject fruitful of romantic imagery. It was fortunate for him, says Mr. Walpole in his Anecdotes, that in an age when perfecution raged fo fiercely against lukewarm authors, that he had an intimacy with the Inquifitor General; how elfe would fuch lines as thefe escape the Bathos; they are in his Heroic Love ; Why thy Gods Enlighten thee to speak their dark decrees. His Progress of Beauty, and his Effay on Unnatural Flights in Poetry, feem to be the best of his pieces; in the latter are many good critical remarks and precepts, and it is accompanied with notes GRANVILLE commands; your aid, O Muses, bring! What Mufe for GRANVILLE can refuse to fing? The Groves of Eden, vanish'd now fo long, Live in description, and look green in fong: NOTES. 6 notes that contain much agreeable inftruction. For it may be added, his profe is better than his verse. Witness a Letter to a Young Man on his taking Orders, his Obfervations on Burnet, and his Defence of his relation Sir Richard Grenville, and a Translation of fome parts of Demofthenes, and a Letter to his Father on the Revolution, written in October 1688. After having been Secretary at War 1710, Controller and Treasurer to the Household, and of her Majefty's Privy Council, and created a Peer 1711, he was seized as a suspected perfon, at the acceffion of King George the First, and confined in the Tower, in the very chamber that had before been occupied by Sir Robert Walpole. But whatever may be thought of Lord Lanfdown as a poet, his character as a man, was highly valuable. His converfation was moft pleafing and polite; his affability, and univerfal benevolence and gentleness, captivating; he was a firm friend, and a fincere lover of his country. This is the character I received of him from his near relation, and defcendant, the late excellent Mrs. Delany; who was herself a true judge of merit and worth; of which the poffeffed fo great a degree. Lord Lansdown was frequently the fubject of those entertaining converfations at which I had the honour and advantage of being fometimes prefent, both in London and Windfor; in both which places, fhe was enabled to pafs the remainder of a moft well-fpent life, with great eafe and comfort, by the kindnefs of royal munificence, bestowed on her with equal delicacy and generofity. VER. 7. A feeble and niggardly encomium on the Paradise Loft, which in truth was not much read when our young poet wrote this paffage. There is an inaccuracy in the ninth line, in making the flame equal to a grove. It might have been Milton's flame. In a great writer we can pardon nothing, leaft his blemishes should be copied. IMITATIONS. VER. 6. "neget quis carmina Gallo?" Virg. Thefe, |