-præftare tributa clientes Cogimur, et cultis augere peculia fervis. The Vanity of Human Wishes follows the original more closely, but ftill with many omiffions. The fubject is taken from the fecond" Alcibiades" of Plato, and has an intermixture of the fentiments of Socrates, concerning the object of prayers offered up to the Deity. The general propofition is, that good and evil are fo little understood by mankind, that their wishes, when granted, are always deftructive. This is exemplified in a variety of inftances; fuch as riches, state-preferment, eloquence, military glory, long life, and the advantages of beauty. Juvenal's conclufion is admirable. "Let us," he says, "leave it to the gods to judge what is fitteft for us. Man is dearer to his Creator than to himself. If we must pray for any special grace, let it be for a found mind, in a found body. Let us pray for fortitude, that we may think the labours of Hercu- From Marlb'rough's eyes the streams of dotage flow, And of beauty he fays, Yet Vane would tell what ills from beauty fpring, This laft example is ill chofen; for it is well known that the Countefs of Dorchefter, mistress to James II. was not handfome. Owing to the dearth of modern examples, his inftances are lefs numerous and less striking than thofe of Juvenal. His thoughts are not fo compressed in the expreffion, or fo energetically conveyed to the mind, as thofe of the Roman fatirist ; but his diction is lefs laboured and affected, and he flows in a ftream of verfification scarcely less rapid and eloquent, but infinitely more fmooth than the Latin poet. He has preserved all the beauties and virtue of the original moral, but ftripped it, with infinite art, from all appearance of Epicurean infidelity, and filled it with precepts worthy of a philofopher, and wishes fitting for à Chriftian. He has fucceeded wonderfully in giving to his imitation the air of an original. The Chrif tian had to struggle with the Heathen poet, and though we cannot fay that he has surpassed him, he has, at least, entered into a noble competition. The Of his fmaller poems, the Prologue for the Opening of Drury-Lane Theatre, has been univerfally admired, as a masterly and comprehenfive criticifm upon the feveral ages of English dramatic poetry, fubject and the moral were well conceived, and are agnobly expreffed. The character of Shakspeare is delineated with a felicity of expreffion, that challenges the whole compafs of English poetry. His other Prologues are copies of his mind, clear and comprehensive, pointed and energetic. Of his Odes upon the feafons, his addreffes to Autumn and Winter feem the best. Many of the ftanzas are exceedingly beautiful; as ufual, moral, and unufually pathetic. They manifeft, however, that his descriptive poetry is not the production of a warm fancy, impelled to give vent by poefy to its overflowing feelings. Those paffions and objects which would infpire the genuine poetic mind with enthusiasm, pafs by him unfelt and unnoticed. He is melancholy in Spring, jocund in Winter; he lavishes no encomiums upon the perfumed zephyrs, but flies to melancholy morals, or commemorates the comforts of a cheering flaggon and a fnug fire-fide. His Ode to Evening, addreffed to Stella, the Natural Beauty, and the Vanity of Wealth, are in general elegant. The firft is warm and fentimental, and fhows that he was neither ignorant of the feelings, nor infenfible to the joys of a lover. The Ode to Friendship is diftinguished by delicacy of fentiment and beauty of expreffion. Of his addrefs To Lyce, the idea perhaps is not original; but the images are happily felected, and well exprefled. Stella in Mourning, the verses to Lady Firebrace, To an elderly Lady, and On the Sprig |