*

critic has obferved, uniformity in the members of a thought, requires equal uniformity in the members of the period which expreffes that thought.

In the fucceeding lines, the poet has skilfully contrived to blend the most moving fentiments, with a juft indignant fatire on the modes of affected lamentation:

"What tho' no friends in fable weeds appear, "Grieve for an hour, perhaps, then mourn a 66 year,

"And bear about the mockery of woe

"To midnight dances, and the public show? "What though no weeping Loves thy ashes grace,

"Nor polish'd marble emulate thy face!"

It is difficult to fay, whether the pathos of the fentiments, the keenness of the fatire, or the beauty of the poetry, is moft admirable in thefe lines.

The poet, with great judgment and address, referves the affecting circumftance of her being denied the rites of fepulture, with which he clofes these moving exclamations.

"What tho' no facred earth allow thee room, "Nor hallow'd dirge be mutter'd o'er thy "tomb!

Lord Kaims.

"Yet

"Yet fhall thy grave with rifing flow'rs be

"dreft,

"And the green turf lie lightly on thy breast: "There fhall the Morn her earlieft tears "bestow,

"There the firft rofes of the year shall blow."-

What a delicate poetical fancy is displayed in thefe concluding lines! In fhort, a reader of any taste and fenfibility, must thrill at every line of this excellent elegy, which produces that fympathetic effect arifing from all heart-felt compofitions,

The Prologue to Addison's tragedy of Cato, ftands next in order among Mr. POPE's poetical compofitions. This, which was written at Mr. Addison's requeft, the author of the essay very candidly admits to be fuperior even to any of Dryden's. It is, as he obferves, folemn and fublime; and appropriated to the tragedy alone which it was defigned to introduce. The most ftriking images and allufions it contains, are taken with judgment from fome paffages in the life of Cato himfelf. Such is that fine ftroke, more lofty than any thing in the tragedy itself, where the poet fays, that when Cæfar, amid the pomp and magnificence of a triumph,

"Show'd Rome her Cato's figure drawn in

"ftate;

"As her dead Father's rev'rend figure paft,
"The pomp was darken'd, and the day o'ercaft;

"The

"The Triumph ceas'd----tears gufh'd from " ev'ry eye;

"The world's great victor pafs'd unheeded by; "Her laft good man dejected Rome ador'd, "And honour'd Caefar's lefs than Cato's "fword."

Such again is the happy allufion to an old ftory mentioned in Martial, of Cato's coming into the theatre, and prefently going out again.

"Such Plays alone fhould win a British ear, "As Cato's felf had not difdain'd to hear."

From whence he draws an artful panegyric on the purity and excellence of the play he was recommending *.

As

* When Mr. Addison had finished this Tragedy of Cato, he brought it to Mr. POPE, and left it with him three or four days for his opinion. Mr. POPE, with his wonted ingenuous candor, told him he thought he had better not exhibit it on the ftage; and added, that by printing it only as a claffical performance, he might make it turn to a profitable account, as the piece was very well penned, though not theatrical enough to fucceed on the ftage. Mr. Addison affured him that he coincided with him in opinion, and feemed difpofed to follow his advice: but fome time after he told him that fome friends, whom he was cautious of difobliging, infifted on his bringing it on the stage. He affured Mr. POPE, however, that it was with no party views, and preffed him to fhew it to the Lords Oxford and Bolingbroke, and to repeat his affurances to them, that he did not by any means intend it as a party play.

Our

As this prologue is a model for this fpecies of writing, in the ferious way, fo the epilogue to Mr.

Our author executed his commiffion in the moft friendly manner; and the play, together with the scheme for bringing it upon the ftage, meeting with their approbation, it was reprefented accordingly.

Throughout the whole conduct of this bufinefs, Mr. Addifon appeared to be fo extremely apprehenfive of party imputations, that Mr. POPE having worded the prologue thus,

"Britons, ARISE, be worth like this approv'd, "And fhew you have the virtue to be mov'd;" he very strongly objected to the boldness of the expreffion, faying, it would be called ftirring the people to rebellion, and therefore earneftly begged of our author to foften it, by fubftituting fomething lefs obnoxious. On this account it was altered, as it now ftands, to Britons, ATTEND,-though at the expence of the fenfe and fpirit. Notwithstanding this, the very next year, when the prefent illuftrious family came to the fucceffion, Mr. Addison thought fit to make a merit of Cato, as purpofely and directly written, to oppose the fchemes of a faction: his poem to her royal highness the Princess of Wales, beginning in this manner:

"The mufe that oft with facred raptures fir'd,
"Has gen'rous thoughts of liberty infpir'd;
"And boldly rifing for Britannia's laws,
ingag'd great CATO in his country's caufe;
"On you fubmiffive waits."

Indeed

This play being confidered as a warning that liberty was in danger during the Tory administration, Bolingbroke, to obviate the popular impreffions it might make, fent one night, when the applaufe of the audience was very violent, for Booth, who played Cato, into his box, between the acts, and prefented him with fifty guineas, in acknowledgement, as he expreffed it with great address, for defending the cause of liberty fo well against a perpetual dictator.

Mr. Rowe's Jane Shore, which follows, is as perfect a pattern of compofition in the ludicrous way. It was written for Mrs. Oldfield, though never spoken. It is penned in a lively spirit of gallantry, and facetious raillery: which, as is well remarked by the effayift, the audience expect in all epilogues to the most serious and pathetic pieces. It is ftrange, that though this perversion of tafte has been condemned by all. judicious writers, that the fcandalous practice of clofing fuch pieces with epilogues full of ribaldry and loofe double entendre, fhould ftill continue.

We are now to confider Mr. POPE in the character of a tranflator, and to examine his merit in that capacity in his verfion of the Epistle from Sappho to Phaon, tranflated from Ovid. This the author of the effay allows to be rendered with faithfulness and with elegance; and that it is fo in general, cannot be difputed.

Nevertheless, as I profefs not to be the panegyrift, but the hiftorian of Mr. POPE; I can no

Indeed Mr. Addifon's moderation in party, appears to have been all affected; though he used to talk much of it, and often recommend it to Mr. PoPE, adding, that he ought not to be contented with the applause of half the nation, He used to blame Steele greatly for being too much a partyman; and yet, when he found himself that he was likely to promote his intereft by party attachments, he entered into them with a zeal which does his memory no credit : for this man of moderate principles, became the champion of a faction, and did not fcruple to pen the Frecholder.

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