OD TANA HANS CARVEL. This Bagatelle, for which, by the bye, Mr. Prior has got his greateft reputation, was a tale told in all the old Italian collections of jefts; and borrowed from thence by Fontaine. It had been tranflated once or twice before into English, yet was never regarded till it fell into the hands of Mr. Prior. A ftrong inftance how much every thing is improved in the hands of a man of genius. BAUCIS AND PHILEMON. This poem is very fine; and, though in the same ftrain with the preceding, is yet fuperior. TO THE EARL OF WARWICK; ON THE DEATH OF MR. ADDISON. This elegy (by Mr. Tickell) is one of the finest in our language there is fo little new that can be faid upon the death of a friend, after the complaints of Ovid, and the Latin Italians, in this way, that one is furprised to fee fo much novelty in this to ftrike us, and fo much intereft to affect. COLIN AND LUCY. A BALLAD. Through all Tickell's Works there is a ftrain of ballad-thinking, if I may fo express it; and in this profeffed ballad, he feems to have furpaffed himself. It is, perhaps, the best in our language in this way. THE TEARS OF SCOTLAND. This ode by Dr. Smollett does rather more honour to the author's feelings than his tafte. The mechanical part, with regard to numbers and language, is not fo perfect as fo thort a work as this requires; but the pathetic it contains, particularly in the laft ftanza but one, is exquifitely fine. .K VOL. IV. ON 1 ON THE DEATH OF THE LORD PROTECTOR. Our poetry was not quite harmonized in Waller's time; fo that this, which would be now looked upon as a flovenly fort of verfification, was, with respect to the times in which it was written, almost a prodigy of harmony. A modern reader will chiefly be ftruck with the ftrength of thinking, and the turn of the compliments bestowed upon the Ufurper. Every body has heard the anfwer our poet made Charles II; who afked him how his poem upon Cromwell came to be finer than his panegyric upon himfelf. Your majefty, replies Waller, knows, that poets always fucceed beft in fiction. THE STORY OF PHOEBUS AND DAPHNE, APPLIED. The French claim this as belonging to them. To whomfoever it belongs the Thought is finely turned. NIGHT THOUGHTS, BY DR. YOUNG. These feem to be the beft of the collection; from whence only the two first are taken. They are spoken of differently, either with exaggerated applaufe or contempt, as the reader's difpofition is either turned to mirth or melancholy. SATIRE I. Young's Satires were in higher reputation when publifhed, than they stand in at prefent. He feems fonder of dazzling than pleafing; of raifing our admiration for his wit, than our dislike of the follies he ridicules. A PAS A PASTORAL BALLAD. The ballads of Mr. Shenftone are chiefly commended for the natural fimplicity of the thoughts, and the harmony of the verfification. However they are not excellent in either. PHOEBE, A PASTORAL. This by Dr. Byron, is a better effort than the preceding. A SONG. "Defpairing beside a clear stream." This by Mr. Rowe, is better than any thing of the kind in our language. AN ESSAY ON POETRY. This work by the Duke of Buckingham, is enrolled among our great English productions. The precepts are fenfible, the poetry not indifferent, but it has been praised more than it deferves. CADENUS AND VANESSA. This is thought one of Dr. Swift's correcteft pieces; its chief merit, indeed, is the elegant ease with which a story, but ill conceived in itself, is told. ALMA; OR THE PROGRESS OF THE MIND. Πάντα γέλως, καὶ πάλα κόνις, καὶ πάλα τὸ μηδέν What Prior meant by this poem I can't underftand by the Greek motto to it one would think it was either to laugh, at the fubject or his reader. There are some parts of it very fine; and let them fave the badness of the rest. |