50 And country beauties by their lovers go, Bleffing themselves, and wondering at the fhow. So when the new-born Phoenix first is seen, Her feather'd fubjects all adore their queen, And while fhe makes her progrefs through the Eaft, From every grove her numerous train's increaft: Each poet of the air her glory fings, 56 And round him the pleas'd audience clap their wings. Ver. 56. her glory fings,] The Duchefs of York, fays Burnet, was an extraordinary woman. She had great knowledge, and a lively fenfe of things, but took state on her rather too much. She wrote well, and had begun the Duke's life, of which the fhowed me a volume. She was bred to great strictness in religion, practifed fecret confeffion, and Morley was her confeffor. Dr. JOSEPH WARTON. Ver. 57. And round him the pleas'd audience clap their wings.] Hence Pope, Paftoral I. ver. 16. And all th' aerial audience clap their wings. This efcaped the obfervation of the acute Mr. Wakefield, to whom, as my reader will perceive, I owe many obligations, and who feldom fuffers a parallel paffage to efcape him. JOHN WARTON. TO THE METROPOLIS OF GREAT BRITAIN, THE MOST RENOWNED AND LATE FLOURISHING CITY OF LONDON, IN ITS REPRESENTATIVES THE LORD-MAYOR AND COURT OF ALDERMEN, THE SHERIFFS, AND COMMON COUNCIL OF IT*. As perhaps I am the first who ever presented a work of this nature to the metropolis of any nation; fo it is likewise confonant to juftice, that he who was to give the first example of such a dedication should begin it with that city, which has fet a pattern to all others of true loyalty, invincible courage, and unfhaken conftancy. Other cities have been praised * This dedication has been left out in all editions of the poem but the first. To me there appears in it an honeft unfeigned warmth and a love for the king, which compenfates for any thing that may have dropped from our author's pen in his verfes on Cromwell's death; however, we fubmit this opinion under correction to the judicious reader. DERRICK. for the fame virtues, but I am inuch deceived if any have fo dearly purchased their reputation; their fame has been won them by cheaper trials than an expenfive, though neceffary war, a confuming peftilence, and a more confuming fire. To fubmit yourfelves with that humility to the judgments of Heaven, and at the fame time to raise yourselves with that vigour above all human enemies; to be combated at once from above and from below, to be ftruck down and to triumph: I know not whether such trials have been ever paralleled in any nation: the refolution and fucceffes of them never can be. Never had prince or people more mutual reason to love each other, if fuffering for each other can endear affection. You have come together a pair of matchlefs lovers, through many difficulties; he, through a long exile, various traverses of fortune, and the interpofition of many rivals, who violently ravished and with-held you from him: and certainly you have had your share in fufferings. But Providence has cast upon you want of trade, that you might appear bountiful to your country's neceffities; and the reft of your afflictions are not more the effects of God's displeasure (frequent examples of them having been in the reign of the most excellent princes) than occafions for the manifefting of your Chriftian and civil virtues. To you therefore this Year of Wonders is juftly dedicated, because you have made it fo. You, who are to stand a wonder to all years and ages, and who have built yourselves an immortal monument on your own ruins. You are now a Phoenix in her |