On Carthage' plains when Marius meets the eye, Without the entheus Nature's self bestows, Home, like the bee, its useful stores must bring; From hills, and vales, and rocks, and streams, and trees, And towns, and all that people those and these; No rude incongruence should thy piece disgrace, No motley modes of diff'rent time and place; By Grecian chiefs no Gallic airs be worns, Nor in their hands be modern weapons borne; Nor mix the crested helm and coat of mail With the vast curl'd peruke, or pointed tail. collection of prints: also the abbé Du Bos's Reflections on Poetry, Painting, and Music; and Dr. Warton's ingenious Essay on Didactic Poetry, in his translation of Virgil. 49 There is a fine picture of Mortimer's on this subject. The reply of Marius to the messenger who came with orders for him to depart, was nobly concise and affecting: "Go, tell the prætor thou hast seen Marius sitting on the ruins of Carthage." so Vide Le Brun's Alexander in the tent of Darius, engraved by Edelinck. 51 See the Life of Andrew Marvell, in Cibber's Lives of the Poets. 52 The interview between Shore and her husband, in the last scene of Rowe's tragedy, would afford a fine picture. 53 Vide Reynold's Discourses, p. 61. And sacred ever be the solemn scene One caution further must the Muse impart ; And now, my friend, for thee may Fortune find SONNETS. THE following Sonnets, and the Stanzas addressed to Mrs. Macaulay, appeared in Pearch's Collection of Poems published in 1770. The remaining pieces are now first printed. SONNET I. APOLOGY FOR RETIREMENT. 1766. WHY asks my friend what cheers my passing day, Now through the upland shade I musing stray, Now pleas'd I read the poet's lofty lay, Where music fraught with useful knowledge flows; Now Delia's converse makes the moments gay, The maid for love and innocence I chose : O friend! the man who joys like these can taste, On vice and folly needs no hour to waste. SONNET II. TO DELIA. 1766. THRICE has the year its vary'd circuit run, And swiftly, Delia, have the moments flown, Since with my love for thee my care begun, To improve thy tender mind to science prone. The flatteries of my sex I bade thee shun, 56 Vide Dryden's preface to his translation of 54 Vide Graham's Account of Painters, in Dry- Fresnoy's Art of Painting, p. 22, &c. where the den's Fresnoy, p. 278. 55 Vide Reynolds's Discourses, p. 87. licence of painters, in the above respect, is severely censured. Say, gen'rous maiden, in whose gentle breast SONNET III. AFTER READING SHENSTONE'S ELEGIES. 1766. THE gentle Shenstone much of Fortune 'plain'd, By her alike my humble prayer disdain'd, On the high hill to raise the higher tower, Yet while Health cheers, and Competence sustains, Though leagued in war tremendous round thy shore-- STANZAS ON READING MRS. MACAULEY'S HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 1766: To Albion's bards the Muse of history spoke: "Record the glories of your native land, How Power's rude chain her sons' brave efforts broke, And the keen scourge tore from Oppression's hand. "Give to renown the patriot's noble deeds; Brand with disgrace the tyrant's hated name; Though Falsehood oft awhile the mind misleads, Impartial Time bestows impartial fame." She said; and soon the lofty lyre they strung, THE AUTHOR TO HIS WIFE. 1776. FRIEND of my heart, by fav'ring Heav'n bestow'd, STANZAS WRITTEN AT MEDHURST, IN SUSSEX, ON THE AUTHOR'S RETURN FROM CHICHESTER, WHERE HE HAD ATTEMPTED IN VAIN TO FIND THE BURIAL-PLACE OF COLLINS. To view the beauties of my native land, O'er many a pleasing distant scene I rove; Now climb the rock, or wander on the strand, Or trace the rill, or penetrate the grove. From Baia's hills, from Portsea's spreading wave, Anxious my tribute of respect to pay 1. O'er the dim pavement of the solemn fane, What boots the eye whose quick observant glance Marks ev'ry nobler, ev'ry fairer form? What the skill'd ear that sound's sweet charms entrance, And the fond breast with gen'rous passion warm? What boots the power each image to portray, The power with force each feeling to express? How vain the hope that through life's little day, The soul with thought of future fame can bless? While Folly frequent boasts th' insculptur'd tomb, Of Genius oft, and Learning, worse the lot; For them no care, to them no honour shown2: Alive neglected, and when dead forgot, Even Collins slumbers in a grave unknown. Flow, Lavant, flow! along thy sedgy shore VERSES TO A FRIEND, PLANTING. PROCEED, my friend, pursue thy healthful toil, TO AN ABSENT FRIEND. WHILE thou far hence on Albion's southern shore View'st her white rocks, and hear'st her ocean roar; Through scenes, where we together stray'd, I stray, And think o'er talk of many a long-past day. That fav'rite park now tempts my steps again, On whose green turf so oft at ease we 've lain; While Hertford's turrets rose in prospect fair, And my fond thought beheld my Sylvia there; And much the Muse rehears'd in careless lays The lover's sufferings and the beauty's praise. Those elm-crown'd fields, now oft my walk invite, Whence Lee's wide vale lies pleasant to the sight; Where, as our view o'er towns and villas roll'd, Our fancy imag'd how they look'd of old; When Gothic mansions there uprear'd their towers, Their halls for banquet, and for rest their bowers. But, O my friend! whene'er I seek these scenes Of lovely prospects and delightful greens; Regardless idly of the joys possess'd, 1 dream of days to come, of days more bless'd, And we shall talk again our fav'rite topics o'er. When thou with me shalt wander here once more, On Time's smooth current as we glide along, Thus Expectation ever tunes her song: "Fair these green banks with gaudy flow'rets bloom, Sweet breathe these gales, diffusing rich perfume; Heed, heed them not, but carelessly pass by, To morrow fairer, sweeter will supply." This censure may seem too general-perhaps it is so. But must it not be allowed that the public is capricious in bestowing its honours? Does not Westminster Abbey show monuments erected to men, as poets, who had little or no title ' Collins was born at Chichester, died, and pro- to the name, while it contains no memorials of bably was interred there. writers of far superior merit? THE SHEPHERD'S ELEGY...ON THE INGENIOUS MR. JONES, &c. 499 To morrow comes-the same the Syren's lay- THE SHEPHERD'S ELEGY. OCCASIONED BY THE DEATH OF AN INGENIOUS friend. UPON a bank with spreading boughs o'erhung, "Nature's best gifts, alas, in vain we prize! "There low he lies!-that head in dust repos'd Mute is that tongue, whence flow'd the copious "Witness for me, ye rain-polluted rills; As cease the murmurs of the mantling pool, As cease the whispers of the poplar spray, ON THE INGENIOUS MR. JONES'S ELEGANT TRANSLATIONS AND IMITATIONS OF AND HIS RESOLUTION TO DECLINE TRANSLATING THE PER- THE Asian Muse, a stranger fair! They sing not all of streams and bowers, HYMN PROM PSALM VIII. ALMIGHTY Power! amazing are thy ways, CONCLUSION. TO A FRIEND. WHEN erst the enthusiast Fancy's reign, Bless'd climes, with wondrous pleasures fraught, When Observation's calmer view Accept then this, nor more require! POSTSCRIPT. THE author, in the course of his literary inquiries, has had reason to believe that the productions of some writers have not unfrequently received very considerable alterations and improvements from the hands of their friends. What he has been told of others, may possibly be suspected of himself; he therefore takes the liberty to observe, that, although he has often derived advantage from the judicious remarks of a few kind acquaintance, to whom his MSS. have been shown, he is not indebted to them, nor indeed to any person, for the insertion of a single line. From the works of preceding poets, memory has sometimes supplied him with turns of expression, which, at the instant of composing, he imagined were his own; and at other times he has happened on lines used by writers, whose performances he had not then seen. Some instances of such unconscious plagiarism, and accidental coincidence, are here pointed out, as matter of curiosity; others may possibly exist, though he is not apprised of them. Flies o'er the meadow, not a cloud imbibes Pleasures of Imagination, b. iii. 1. 593. But claims their wonder and excites their praise. Elegies, Descriptive and Moral, p. 459. Provoke our wonder and transcend our praise. Addison to Dryden, Works, vol. i. p. 3. Or rear the new-bound sheaves along the lands. Elegies, Descriptive and Moral, p. 460. Or range my sheaves along the sunny land. Hammond, Elegy xiii. 1. 12. No more those nostrils breathe the vital air. Elegies, Descriptive and Moral, p. 461. That while my nostrils draw the vital air. Pope, Rape of the Lock, canto iv. In one sad spot where kindred ashes lie. Elegy written at Amwell, 1768, p. 462. Of classic lore accompanied my walk. And pure as vernal blossoms newly blown. Elegy written at Amwell, 1768, p. 462. All pure as blossoms which are newly blown. W. Browne's Britannia's Pastorals, v. i. p. 101. Davies's edition of Browne's Works was published in 1772. The author had never seen any of the old editions, nor any extract from them. Haste, brings my steed supreme in strength and grace, First in the fight, and fleetest in the chase. Arabian Eclogue, p. 473. This eclogue was written in 1777. In a volume of poems by the ingenious Mr. Maurice, printed in 1779, the author met with the following near resemblance: Full fifty steeds I boast of swiftest pace, In the Amoebaeau Eclogue, entitled, The Describers, p. 467, a part of the imagery bears a considerable resemblance to some descriptions in a little collection of pleasing sonnets, by Mr. Bamfylde, 1778; which collection the author never saw till after his own volume was printed. This is a proof that two writers, both painting from Nature, will often unknowingly coincide very nearly in selection, arrangement, and expression |