And trembling Feare still to and fro did flie,
And found no place where fafe he shroud him might.
Lamenting Sorrow did in darkneffe lie,

And Shame his ugly face did hide from living eye.

To fhew the richness of his fancy, he has given us another picture of Jealousy, conceived with equal ftrength in a fucceeding book *.

Into that cave he creepes, and thenceforth there
Refolv'd to build his baleful manfion

In dreary darkness, and continual feare
Of that rock's fall; which ever and anon
Threats with huge ruin him to fall upon,
That he dare never fleep, but that one eye
Still ope he keeps for that occafion;

Ne ever refts he in tranquillity,

The roaring billows beat his bowre fo boisterously t Here all is in life and motion; here we behold the true Poet or MAKER; this is crea

Lord Somers was paffionately fond of the Fairy Queen ; it was his favourite work; in the laft picture which he sate for to Sir Godfrey Kneller, he defired to be painted with a Spenfer in his hand. I was informed of this circumftance by the Somers of the present age; I mean by a person who unites a profound knowledge of the laws and conftitution of his country, with the trueft tafte of polite literature.- -Need I, after this, mention the Speaker of the Houfe of Commons ?

t Book iii, c. 11.

tion; it is here, "

fer," it is here that

might we cry out to Spenyou display to us, that you make us feel the fure effects of genuine poetry, ὅταν ὁ λεγῆς, ὑπ ενθεσιασμο και παθες βλεπειν δοκής, και ὑπ ̓ οψιν τιθης τοις ακέεσιν. Longinus *.

IT has been fashionable of late to imitate Spenfer, but the likeness of most of these copies, hath confifted rather in ufing a few of his ancient expreffions, than in catching his real manner. Some however have been executed with happiness, and with attention to that fimplicity, that tenderness of sentiment, and thofe little touches of nature, that conftitute Spenfer's character. I have a peculiar pleasure in mentioning two of them, † The SCHOOL-MISTRESS, by Mr. Shenstone, and the EDUCATION of ACHILLES, by Mr. Bedingfield. To these must be added that exquifite piece of wild and romantic imagery, Thompson's Caftle of Indolence; the first

Пept vv. Sec. 15.

+ Dodfley's Miscellanies, Vol. I. pag. 247, and Vol. III.

pag. 119.

0 2

canto

canto of which in particular, is marvellously pleafing, and the stanzas have a greater flow and freedom than his blank-verse.

POPE has imitated WALLER in the third place, and has done it with elegance, especially in the verses on a fan of his own design, for he defigned with dexterity and taste. The application of the story of Cephalus and Procris is as ingenious as Waller's Phœbus and Daphne. Waller abounds, perhaps to excefs, in allufions to mythology and the ancient claffics. The French, as may be imagined, complain that he is too learned for the ladies. The following twelve lines contain three allufions, delicate indeed, but fome may deem them to be too far-fetched, too much crouded, and not obvious to the Lady to whom they were addreffed, on her finging a fong of his compofing.

Speaking of his imitations, POPE faid to à friend," I had once a defign of giving a taste of all the Greek poets; I would have tranflated a hymn of Homer, an ode of Pindar, an idyllium of Theocritus, &c. fo that I would have exhibited a general view of their poefie, throughout its different ages."

That

Chloris, yourself you fo excell,

When you vouchfafe to breathe my thought,
That like a spirit with this fpell

Of my own teaching I am caught.
That eagle's fate and mine are one,
Which on the fhaft that made him die,
Efpy'd a feather of his own
Wherewith he wont to foar fo high.
Had Echo with so sweet a grace,
Narciffus' loud complaints return'd,
Not for reflexion of his face,

But of his voice, the boy had burn'd.

Here is matter enough compreffed together for Voiture to have fpun out into fifty lines. If I was to name my favorite among Waller's smaller pieces, it should be his apology for having loved before. He begins by saying that "they who never had been used to the furprising juice of the grape, render up their reason to the first delicious cup :" this is fufficiently gallant, but what he adds has much of the fublime, and is like a thought of Milton's.

Spenfer and Waller were POPE's great favourites, in the order they are named, in his early reading.

Το

To man that was i' th' evening made,

Stars gave the firft delight;
Admiring in the gloomy fhade,

Those little drops of light.
Then at Aurora, whofe fair hand
Remov'd them from the fkies,

He gazing tow'rds the Eaft did ftand,
She entertain'd his eyes.

But when the bright fun did appear,
All thofe he 'gan despise;

His wonder was determin'd there,
And could no higher rife.

Which of the French writers has produced any thing at once fo gallant and fo lofty? The English verfification was much smoothed by Waller; who used to own that he derived the harmony of his numbers from Fairfax's Taffo, who well-vowelled his lines, though Sandys was a melodious verfifier, and Spenser has perhaps more variety of music than either of them. A poet who addresses his pieces to

"Even little poems, faid POPE, should be written by a plan. This method is evident in Tibullus, and Ovid's elegies, and almost all the pieces of the ancients. A poem on a flight fubject requires the greater care to make it confiderable enough to be read."