I remember to have once heard, I know not where, or from whom, that Swift had projected a work of this kind. But Swift was full of projects; and fcarcely poffeffed steadiness or industry fufficient to carry fuch a defign through. I should have had better hopes of its fuccefs in the hands of Addifon than of Swift. But I return to Gray.

To the expreffion in fome parts of this Stanza, certain objections have been propofed. The word "bear," is thought to be improperly ufed, and to have been produced by the exigencies of the rhyme: "the caves of ocean fupporting the precious ftones that are formed there," is faid to be an idea inept and infignificant. To this it has been urged in reply, that" bear," in this paffage means " produce," in analogy to vegetable birth. But I am not fure that the analogy is not rather to animal production. Thus Waller, in a fimilar cafe, speaking of the fea :

'tis fo rocklefs and fo clear,

That the rich bottom does appear
Pav'd all with precious things, not torn
From fhipwreck'd veffels, but there born*.

And of the application of " born" to the flower itfelf, the fame may be the account. It is not metaphyfically used to denote neceffity or fate; but phyfically to denote production. The ufe Loving at firft-fight.

of

of" born" for "deftined," is too proverbial

for poetry.

"Pureft ray ferene," has been cenfured by fome as obscure, and by others as redundant. But that an expreffion, which feems to have been ftudioufly fought, fhould have had no meaning in the mind of its author, it is fcarcely reasonable to fuppofe. Gray, in the maturer part of his life, addicted himself to the study of natural hiftory. It is not impoffible that, in fome of the writers he had read on these fubjects, he had found" ray ferene;" [raggio Sereno ;] ufed, as a technical term, for what, in precious ftones, is commonly called the

water.

"Pureft ray," taken by itself, is the expreffion of Thomfon; who afterwards calls it collected light compact," according to a mode, not uncommon with him, of thrusting in his noun betwixt two fhouldering epithets; in the use of which mode, he and his fellow imitators were, as I have heard Savage humorously obferve, kept in countenance by Milton's "human face divine t."

Of this Stanza before I conclude the examination, I am willing to gratify the Reader with a communication on the fubject, made me by the late Dr. Calvert Blake, a gentleman of eminent taste, and most extenfive acquaintParadife Loft, Book iii.

ance

ance with the body of English poetry; and who, by the cabals of trufted Malignity, was driven from high hopes of merited preferment; and forced, through a series of accumulating. misfortunes (of the greatest part of which, as he informed me, he had a regular prefentiment), to feek refuge in the mountains of Wales, where he taught the private fchool founded by the benefaction of the late Colonel Perkins, till death put an end to his diftrefs.

It was the opinion of Dr. Blake, that Gray was drawn into this expreffion incidentally, by the instinctive operation of his ear, prefenting him with indiftinct and faint renewals of founds which he had treasured up mechanically, and without purpose of recal. Thomfon had faid, "pureft ray," and Milton, with an arrangement very like the present, "fo thick a drop ferene ;" and from the two together was formed by Gray his "pureft ray ferene." Thus far Dr. Blake. Whether his conjecture be well founded, I do not here mean to inquire. and form is remarkable. Drop ferene," is a translation of "gutta ferena," a technical expreffion for a difeafe of the eyes, proceeding from an infpiffation of humours, and terminating in the lofs of fight. Of the application of the term ferene, to a cafe where there is a total shutting out of light, Phyfic may be left at her own leisure to give her account.

The coincidence of rhythm

Paradife Loft, Book iii.

XV.

Of the fifteenth Stanza I find little to praise either in the Poetry or Politicks: for politicks it does contain; although it is part of a meditation on Death. Gray had paffed his youth like most young men, who are taught, or teach themselves, to confider fomething peculiarly respectable as affociated with the character of Whig. Of the ebullitions of his uninformed youth, he was unfortunate enough to reserve confiderable part for the plague of his riper age. Of his whiggish prejudices his poetry is full.

That whiggism is the best poetical side of the question, Candour is content to allow. If it feldom puts much money into the Poet's purse, or brings with it much quiet to his mind, it is useful to him in the way of his profeffion; and when he works himself up to faction, he may be faid to "labour in his vocation." Of Liberty, the idea is fo vague, and the dimenfion fo little fettled, that the Poet may make of it what he will. The fairy land is all his own; and, however fantastic his combinations may be, he will not want for fantastic hearers to liften to his tale.

He may transform his Mortal into a "Goddefs" at will. He may chufe out for her what proportions, and inveft her with what attributes he chufes. He may array her in robes that are "heavenly bright." He may defcribe her as offering "Blifs" with profufion, and ready to be delivered of "Delight :" "Pleafure" walking, crowned, with her arm in arm; and "Plenty," dreft in fimiles, bearing up her train behind; whilst she scatters her gifts on every fide; giving to Nature gaiety, to the Sun beauty, and to the Day pleasure t. When he has thus finished off his goddefs, he may think of introducing her into company; and, whatever be the fate of her gentleman ufher, the Goddefs is fure of being well received by thofe that know the value of fuch a vifitant.

Whatever may in general be urged or admitted on the one fide or the other, concerning li berty, Criticism must be allowed, with pertinacity, to maintain, that the political creed of Thomas Gray had nothing to do in the Elegy written in a Country Church-yard. Not only is this infertion out of place; it is alfo ill-timed. The zealots of rebellion are no longer heroes in Britain; and the appeal to the admiration of the Reader, is toffed back in the Author's face. Other times have brought with them other principles. Tempora mutantur & nos—. The fubtle diftinction, and inflammatory reafonings, † Addifon. Letter from Italy, G

that