Mr. James Moore Smith, in himself, who had informe. that play was acted, Jan. verses, which he had beto sert in it, would be know being got abroad. He dem since the lines had been re veral, Mr. P. would not de Surely, if we add the testin lingbroke, of the lady to wi originally addressed, of H others, who knew them as ou the said gentleman compose the ingenuous, that affect their opinion by the suffrage sonages. And yet followeth anothe Jess than his enmity both to could come from no other in Mr. James Moor "The Memoirs of a Parish and unjust abuse of a person of our religion and constitutio dead many years. This seen. it being known to divers, that written at the seat of the lord shire, before that excellent pe death, and many years bet that history, of which they abuse. Mast true it is, tha design, and was himself the r buthnot and Mr. Pope to that he borrowed those memor that history came forth, wi to such abuse. But being author but one single hint, Daily Journal, 'd by Pope and virtue, leave the age, w pursuit of self-undoing wrong, the author through his moral page, Mameless life still answers to his song. Mr. Thomson, ant and philosophical poem of the Sea not sweeter his own Honer sings, tune also singeth that learned clerk, Mr. William Broome, y rising in fair virtue's cause, own life transcribe th' unerring laws*. 2 all, hear the reverend dean of St. Pa oul with ev'ry virtue fraught, tover Grecian story tells. as for each business fit, meanest talent is his wit,' &c. recreate thee by turning to the other owing his character drawn by those he never conversed, and whose counte would not know, though turned against again commencing with the high-voiced, nough-quoted Mr. John Dennis, Reflections on the Essay on Criticism, Seth him: A little affected hypocrite, hing in his mouth but candour, truth, good-nature, humanity, and magnanionso great a lover of falsehood, that when 5 poems at the end of the Odyssey. Though each great ancient court thee to his shrine, Thy soul's delight* Recorded in like manner for his virtuous disposition, and gentle bearing, by the ingenious Mr. Walter Hart, in this apostrophe: Oh! ever worthy, ever crown'd with praise! Blest in thy life, and blest in all thy lays, Add, that the sisters ev'ry thought refine, And ev❜n thy life be faultless as thy line, Yet envy still with fiercer rage pursues, Obscures the virtue, and defames the muse. A soul like thine, in pain, in grief resign'd, Views with just scorn the malice of mankind t. The witty and moral satirist, Dr. Edward Young, wishing some check to the corruption and evil manners of the times, calleth out upon our poet to undertake a task so worthy of his virtue: Why slumbers Pope, who leads the muses' train, Nor hears that virtue, which he loves, complaint? Mr. Mallet, in his Epistle on Verbal Criticism: Whose life, severely scann'd, transcends his lays; For wit supreme, is but his second praise. Mr. Hammond, that delicate and correct imitator of Tibullus, in his Love Elegies, Elegy xiv. * Poem prefixed to his works. In his poems, printed for B. Lintot. Now, fir'd by Pope and virtue, leave the age, Mr. Thomson, in his elegant and philosophical poem of the Sea sons-- Although not sweeter his own Homer sings, Yet is his life the more endearing song. To the same tune also singeth that learned clerk, of Suffolk, Mr. William Broome, Thus, nobly rising in fair virtue's cause, From thy own life transcribe th' unerring laws*. And, to close all, hear the reverend dean of St. Pa trick's: A soul with ev'ry virtue fraught, By patriots, priests, and poets taught: Whatever Grecian story tells. A genius for each business fit, Let us now recreate thee by turning to the other side, and showing his character drawn by those with whom he never conversed, and whose counte nances he could not know, though turned against him first again commencing with the high-voiced, and never-enough-quoted Mr. John Dennis, who, in his Reflections on the Essay on Criticism, thus describeth him: A little affected hypocrite, who has nothing in his mouth but candour, truth, friendship, good-nature, humanity, and magnanimty. He is so great a lover of falsehood, that when * In his poems at the end of the Odyssey. ever he has a mind to calumniate his contemporaries, he brands them with some defect which was just contrary to some good quality, for which all their friends and acquaintances commend them, He seems to have a particular pique to people of quality, and authors of that rank. He must derive his religion from St. Omer's.'--But in the character of Mr. P. and his writings (printed by S. Popping, 1716) he saith, Though he is a professor of the worst religion, yet he laughs at it; but that, ' nevertheless, he is a virulent papist; and yet a pillar of the church of England.' Of both which opinions Mr. Lewis Theobald seems also to be; declaring in Mist's Journal of June 22, 1718, That, if he is not shrewdly abused, he made it his practice to cackle to both parties in their own sentiments.' But as to his pique against people of quality, the same journalist doth not agree, but saith (May 8, 1728), ' He had by some means or other, the acquaintance and friendship of the whole body of our nobility.' However contradictory this may appear, Mr. Dennis and Gildon, in the character last cited, make it all plain, by assuring us, 'That he is a creature that reconciles all contradictions: he is a beast, and a man; a Whig, and a Tory; a writer (at one and the same time) of Guardians and Examiners*; an asserter of liberty, and of the dispensing power of kings; a Jesuitical professor of truth; a base and a foul pretender to candour.' So that, upon the whole account, we must conclude him either to have been a great hypocrite, or a very honest man; a terrible imposer upon both parties, or very moderate to either. Be it as to the judicious reader shall seem good. The names of two weekly papers. |