101 In quibbles angel and archangel join, In the dry desert of a thousand lines, 110 Or lengthen'd thought that gleams through many a page, Has sanctified whole poems for an age. I lose my patience, and I own it too, 115 When works are censured, not as bad, but new; 120 109 Sprat. In his last will, he gave thanks to God, that he, who had been bred at neither Eton nor Westminster, but at a little country school by the churchyard side, should come to be a bishop at last.' Warburton, who was in the same condition, sarcastically observes, 'that the honor of being a Westminster schoolboy, some have at one age, and some at another, and some all their life long.' 122 Betterton's grave action. This celebrated actor was one of the earliest friends of Pope. Cibber, in his 'Life,' has given an interesting analysis of Betterton's powers: he was a man of honor and intelligence. Booth, who was second only to him, was a Westminster boy, whom Busby's praises of his perform 125 Or well-mouth'd Booth with emphasis proclaims, 135 141 In days of ease, when now the weary sword Was sheathed, and luxury with Charles restored; In every taste of foreign courts improved, 'All, by the king's example, lived and loved.' Then peers grew proud in horsemanship to excel; Newmarket's glory rose, as Britain's fell; The soldier breathed the gallantries of France, 145 And every flowery courtier writ romance: Then marble, soften'd into life, grew warm; And yielding metal flow'd to human form: ance of the Pamphilus of Terence stimulated to try the stage. His chef d'œuvre was Othello: yet the description of his figure seems singularly at variance with success. His form was clumsy, his head was large, his arms were remarkably short, and his back was bowed.' 142 A verse of lord Lansdowne. 143 In horsemanship to excel,—And every flowery courtier writ romance. The duke of Newcastle's book of horsemanship, the romance of Parthenissa' by the earl of Orrery, and most of the French romances translated by persons of quality.-Pope. ་ Lely on animated canvas stole 150 155 The sleepy eye that spoke the melting soul. Time was, a sober Englishman would knock And send his wife to church, his son to school : To teach their frugal virtues to his heir; 160 165 149 Lely on animated canvas stole. Walpole says, that if Wycherley had nature in his comedies, it was nature stark naked the painters of his time veiled it but little more.' With his usual finesse, he observes that Lely's nymphs are too irregular in their appearance to be taken for any thing but maids of honor.' When Cromwell sat to Lely, he characteristically said,- Mr. Lely, I desire you would use all your skill to paint my picture truly like me, and not flatter me at all but remark all those roughnesses, pimples, warts, and every thing as you see me; otherwise I shall not pay a farthing for it.' 152 The willing Muses. Warton quotes a letter from the duke of Ormond to Clarendon, in 1658, in which he strikingly says of Charles II.,-'I fear his immoderate delight in empty, effeminate, and vulgar conversations, is become an irresistible part of his nature; and will never suffer him to animate his own designs and others' actions with that spirit which is requisite for his quality, and much more for his fortune.' Now times are changed, and one poetic itch 175 I, who so oft renounce the Muses, lie; 180 He served a 'prenticeship who sets up shop; Ward tried on puppies and the poor his drop; Ev'n Radcliffe's doctors travel first to France, Nor dare to practise till they 've learn'd to dance. Who builds a bridge that never drove a pile? 185 Should Ripley venture, all the world would smile: But those who cannot write, and those who can, All rhyme, and scrawl, and scribble, to a man. Yet, sir, reflect, the mischief is not great; These madmen never hurt the church or state: Sometimes the folly benefits mankind; And rarely avarice taints the tuneful mind. Allow him but his plaything of a pen, He ne'er rebels, or plots, like other men : 191 186 Should Ripley venture. Ripley was the government architect; and, with the usual ill fate of favorites, contrived to please none but his employers. He built the Admiralty, which is still demonstrative of his taste; having all the disadvantages of massiveness without dignity, and elaborateness without elegance. The screen was erected by the Adamses. But Warton slightly vindicates his skill in the minor departments of his art, the disposition of rooms, &c., and cites Houghton, and lord Walpole's at Woollerton. Flight of cashiers or mobs he'll never mind; 195 To cheat a friend or ward he leaves to Peter; 200 Of little use the man, you may suppose, Who says in verse what others say in prose; Yet let me show, a poet's of some weight; And, though no soldier, useful to the state. What will a child learn sooner than a song ? 205 What better teach a foreigner the tongue; What's long or short; each accent where to place; And speak in public with some sort of grace? I scarce can think him such a worthless thing, Unless he praise some monster of a king ; Or virtue or religion turn to sport, To please a lewd or unbelieving court. 210 195 Flight of cashiers. Coxe, in his Memoirs of Walpole,' narrates the national panic on the bankruptcy of the South-sea company. A committee of the house of commons having been chosen to examine all papers, &c., Knight, the cashier, fled the country, carrying with him his 'green book,' as was supposed, with the connivance of government: the committee reported this flight, and the commons ordered the doors to be locked, and the keys laid on the table. General Ross then stated, in the extravagant language, whether of art or terror, that the committee had discovered a train of the deepest villany and fraud hell had ever contrived to ruin a nation.' In consequence of this speech, four of the members, who were directors, were expelled the house, and taken into custody: the other directors shared the same fate; all their books, papers, and effects were seized; and the royal assent was given to a bill for restraining them from leaving the kingdom, discovering their estates, and disqualifying them from holding office in any of the companies. |