IMITATIONS OF ENGLISH POETS. BY DR. SWIFT. 1. CHAUCER. A TALE, LATELY FOUND IN AN OLD MANUSCRIPT. WOMEN, though nat sans leacherie, 66 Ne swinken but with secrecie : "O moder, moder," quoth the daughter, II. SPENSER. THE ALLEY. IN ev'ry town where Thamis rolls his tide, And many a boat soft sliding to and fro : Some play, some eat, some cack against the wall, II. And on the broken pavement here and there A brandy and tobacco shop is near, And hens, and dogs, and hogs, are feeding by: * Dr. Warton very properly observes, that this is "a gross and dull caricature of the father of English poetry, and very unworthy of its author at any age;" yet, bad as it is, Mr. Pope has taken the trouble to alter it materially in his own publication, though not at all to improve its delicacy. N. He that was unacquainted with Spenser, and was to form his ideas of the turn and manner of his genius from this piece, would undoubtedly suppose that he abounded in filthy images, and excelled in describing the lower scenes of life. Dr. WARTON. And here a sailor's jacket hangs to dry; At every door are sun-burnt matrons seen, Mending old nets to catch the scaly fry; Now singing shrill, and scolding oft between ; Scolds answer foul mouth'd scolds; bad neighbourhood, I ween. III. The snappish cur, (the passenger's annoy) The scolding quean to louder notes doth rise, The grunting hogs alarm the neighbours round, And curs, girls, boys, and scolds, in the deep base are drown'd. IV. Hard by a sty, beneath a roof of thatch, cease. Slander beside her, like a magpie, chatters, With Envy (spitting cat) dread foe to peace; Like a curs'd cur, Malice before her clatters, And, vexing ev'ry wight, tears clothes and all to tatters. * How different from those enchanting imitations of Spenser, "The Castle of Indolence," and "The Minstrel !" Dr. WARTON. V. Her dugs were mark'd by ev'ry collier's band, Would greet the man who turn'd him to the wall, VI. Such place hath Deptford, navy-building town: All up the silver Thames, or all adown; Ne Richmond's self, from whose tall front are ey'd Vales, spires, meand'ring streams, and Windsor's tow'ry pride. III. EARL OF DORSET. ARTEMISIA. THOUGH Artemisia talks, by fits, Reads Malbranche, Boyle, and Locke: Haughty and huge as High-Dutch bride; On her large squab you find her spread, That lies and stinks in state. She wears no colours (sign of grace) All white and black beside: So have I seen, in black and white, A stately, worthless animal, That plies the tongue, and wags the tail, PHRYNE. PHRYNE had talents for mankind; Like some free port of trade : Her learning and good breeding such, *Let the curious reader compare Fenton's imitation of Dor manner with this of Pope. Dr. WARTON. |