editions of fome late publications (an irregu larity into which the high prices of town-made books, and the low ftate of his own finances, have fometimes betrayed him, to the detriment of COPY-HOLD rights, and "against the "form of the Statute in that cafe provided;") he found the parcel, on its arrival in his chambers, to be double-fortified with fwathes of printed fheets; refembling, in their general appearance, what is known among the Trade, by the name of Imperfections. This, being quite "felon les Regles," excited neither curiofity nor attention; but approaching, foon after, the parcel to his teeth, for the purpose of undoing the twine, the wrappers were again forced upon bis eye; when he perceived, by certain cabalif tical marks upon the margins and field, and which his printer would laugh at him fhould he attempt to depict, that what he had taken at firft for imperfections, were no other than proof-fheets, of a work apparently critical, and which he felicitated himself on his chance of feafting on, perhaps before the Public. He fet her ample gashes, and bellowing for her HABEAS CORPUS. ... There lay the redoubted JUNIUS, his body dif membered by the axe, and his quarters at the King's dif pofal,--and there the ftately G-E-NS, laniatum corpore toto, with the vehicle of his keen elocution bored through with red-hot iron, &c. &c. Non, mihi fi linguæ centum fint, oraque centum, 5 himself himself accordingly to examine the sheets with attention; and found them, not without fome furprise, to contain a methodical criticism upon Gray's "Elegy written in a Country Churchyard;" executed in a manner fomewhat outré, and containing Obfervations on certain other Poems of Gray, together with allufions to certain Analyses of them, which were referred to as preceding this particular Criticifm, but which were not to be found in these fheets. A fudden thought now entered his head, and one which fome will perhaps think he too hastily adopted. Having been lately reading Dr. J-hn-n's Criticifm on Gray (a work which afforded him infinite amufement), and the Doctor's manner being then strongly impreffed on his mind, he fancied he perceived a resemblance betwixt the style and mode of Criticism difplayed in the Doctor's Strictures on Gray's other Poems, and that adopted in the Criti-cifm now before him. The leges judicandi were the fame; and the Editor was led to fancy it poffible, that the Obfervations on the Elegy written in a Country Church-yard, were compofed by Dr. J-hn-n, printed off for publica-, tion, along with the other parts of the Criticifm on Gray, but afterwards withdrawn; from the suspicion that a cenfure fo free, of one of the most popular productions in the English language, might be ill-received by the Public. a 2 Full EL EGY WRITTEN IN A COUNTRY CHURCH-YAR D. I. TH HE Curfew tolls the knell of parting day*, The lowing herd winds flowly o'er the lea; The plowman homeward plods his weary way, And leaves the world to darkness and to me. II. Now fades the glimmering landscape on the fight, Save where the beetle wheels his drony flight, The knell of parting day,] Squilla di lontano, Che paia 'l giorno pianger, che fi muóre. DANTE, Purgat. 1. 8. III. Save that, from yonder ivy-mantled tower, IV. Beneath those rugged elms, that yew-tree's fhade, Where heaves the turf in many a mould'ring heap, Each in his narrow cell for ever laid, The rude forefathers of the hamlet fleep. V. The breezy call of incenfe-breathing Morn, VI. For them no more the blazing hearth fhall burn, Or climb his knees the envied kifs to fhare. VII. Oft did the harvest to their fickle yield; VIII. 5 |