If after all they stand suspected still, 446 450 Thus have I made my own opinions clear: Yet neither praise expect, nor cenfure fear: And this unpolish'd rugged verse I chose, As fitteft for difcourfe, and nearest profe: For while from facred truth I do not fwerve, 455 Tom Sternhold's, or Tom Shadwell's rhymes will ferve. Ver. 451. my own opinions clear :] All the arguments which Dryden has here put together in defence of revelation, muft appear ftale and trite to us, who fince his time have had the happiness of reading fuch treatifes as Clarke on the Attributes, Butler's Analogy, Berkley's Alciphron, Bishop Sherlock's Sermons, Watfon's Apology, Hurd on Prophecy, Soame Jennyns' Treatifes, Jortin's Difcourfes, Paley's Evidences, and Lardner's Credibility. Dr. J. WARTON. Ver. 453. rugged verfe] An old expreffion. Thus in P. Fletcher's Pifc. Eclogues, edit. 1633, p. 19 :— "Time is my foe, and hates my rugged rimes.” And Fletcher adopted it from Spenfer. TODD. THRENODIA AUGUSTALIS: A FUNERAL PINDARIC POEM, SACRED TO THE HAPPY MEMORY OF KING CHARLES II. I. THUS long my grief has kept me dumb: Sure there's a lethargy in mighty woe, Tears ftand congeal'd, and cannot flow; And the fad foul retires into her inmoft room: Ver. 1. Thus long my grief] The following juft, though fevere fentence, has been paffed on this Threnodia, by one who was always willing, if poffible, to extenuate the blemishes of our poet. "Its firft and obvious defect is the irregularity of its metre, to which the ears of that age, however, were accustomed. What is worse, it has neither tenderness nor dignity; it is neither magnificent nor pathetic. He feems to look round him for images which he cannot find, and what he has, he distorts by endeavouring to enlarge them. He is, he fays, petrified with grief, but the marble relents, and trickles in a joke. There is throughout the compofition a defire of fplendour without wealth. In the conclufion, he feems too much pleafed with the profpect of the new reign, to have lamented his old mafter with much fincerity." Dr. Johnson. Dr. J. WARTON. Tears, for a stroke foreseen, afford relief; 5 And petrify with grief. Our British heaven was all ferene, 10 15 We slept fecurely, and we dreamt of more: When suddenly the thunder-clap was heard, It took us unprepar'd and out of guard, Already loft before we fear'd. The amazing news of Charles at once were fpread, At once the general voice declar'd, "Our gracious prince was dead." No fickness known before, no flow disease, But like an hurricane on Indian feas, An unexpected burft of woes: With scarce a breathing space betwixt, Ver. 22. No fickness known before,] Original edition. 20 25 As if great Atlas from his height 30 Should gape immenfe, and rushing down, o'erwhelm this nether ball; So fwift and fo furprising was our fear: II. His pious brother, sure the best Who ever bore that name, Was newly rifen from his reft, And, with a fervent flame, His ufual morning vows had just addreft For his dear fovereign's health; In long increase of years, In honour, fame, and wealth: 36 40 44 Guiltlefs of greatnefs thus he always pray'd, Mute and magnificent without a tear: 51 Half unarray'd he ran to his relief, 55 So hafty and fo artless was his grief: Approaching greatness met him with her charms Of power and future state; But look'd fo ghaftly in a brother's fate, Arriv'd within the mournful room, he faw Amidft his fad attendants' groans and cries, An iron flumber fat on his majestic eyes. 60 65 70 Ver. 70. An iron flumber fat on his majestic eyes.] From Virgil, Æn. x. 745. Olli dura quies oculos et ferreus urget See Sir P. Sidney's Arcadia, Lib. iii. "But with that Argalus came out of his found, and lifting vp his languishing eyes (which a painefull reft and IRON fleep did feeke to lock_vp) feeing her, &c." TODD. |