The native genius with their feeling given Let others spin their meagre lines for hire; Let SOUTHEY sing, altho' his teeming muse, Let simple WORDSWORTH chime his childish verse, Let MOORE be lewd; let STRANGFORD steal from And swear that CAMOENS sang such notes of yore; By the bye, I hope that in Mr. Scott's next poem, his hero or heroine will be less addicted to "Gramarye," and more to Grammar, than the Lady of the Lay, and her Bravo William of Deloraine. It may be asked why I have censured the Earl of Carlisle, my guardian and relative, to whom I dedicated a volume of puerile poems a few years ago. The guardianship was nominal, at least as far as I have been able to discover; the relationship I cannot help, and am very sorry for it; but as his Lordship seemed to forget it on a very essential occasion to me, I shall not burthen my memory with the recollection. I do not think that personal differences sanction the unjust condemnation of a brother scribbler; but I see no reason why they should act as a preventive, when the author, noble or ignoble, has for a series of years beguiled a "discerning public" (as the advertisements have it) with divers reams of most orthodox, imperial nonsense. Besides I do not step aside to vituperate the Earl: no-his works come fairly in review with those of other Patrician Literati. If, before I escaped from my teens, I said any thing in favour of his Lordship's paper books, it was in the way of dutiful dedi Scrawl on, till death release us from the strain, For outlawed SHERWOOD's tales of ROBIN HOOD? Yet what avails the sanguine Poet's hope '? cation, and more from the advice of others than my own judgment, and I seize the first opportunity of pronouncing my sincere recantation. I have heard that some persons conceive me to be under obligations to Lord Carlisle: if so, I shall be most particularly happy to learn what they are, and when conferred, that they may be duly appreciated, and publicly acknowledged. What I have humbly advanced as an opinion on his printed things, I am prepared to support, if necessary, by quotations from Elegies, Eulogies, Odes, Episodes, and certain facetious and dainty tragedies bearing his name and mark: "What can ennoble knaves, or fools, or cowards? So says Pope. Amen! * Tollere humo, victorque virum volitare per ora. Virgil. A few brief generations fleet along, Whose sons forget the Poet and his song: E'en now, what once-loved Minstrels scarce may claim Shall hoary Granta call her sable sons, There CLARKE, still striving piteously "to please," Forgetting doggrel leads not to degrees, A would-be satirist, a hired buffoon, A monthly scribbler of some low lampoon, The "Games of Hoyle," well known to the votaries of Whist, Chess, &c. are not to be superseded by the vagaries of his poetical namesake, whose poeni comprised, as expressly stated in the advertisement, all the "Plagues of Egypt." †This person, who has lately betrayed the most rapid symptoms of confirmed authorship, is writer of a poem, denominated the "Art of Pleasing" as "Lucus a non lucendo," containing little pleasantry, and less poetry. He also acts as monthly stipendiary and collector of calumnies for Oh! dark asylum of a Vandal race !* That SMYTHE and HODGSONT scarce redeem thy fame! For me, who thus unasked have dared to tell No just applause her honoured name shall lose, the Satirist. If this unfortunate young man would exchange the magazines for the mathematics, and endeavour to take a decent degree in his university, it might eventually prove more serviceable than his present salary. "Into Cambridgeshire the Emperor Probus transported a considerable body of Vandals."-Gibbon's Decline and Fall, page 83, vol. 2. There is no reason to doubt the truth of this assertion; the breed is still in high perfection. ↑ This gentleman's name requires no praise; the man who in translation displays unquestionable genius, may well be expected to excel in original composition, of which it is to be hoped we shall soon see a splendid specimen. The Aboriginal Britons," an excellent poem, by Richards. But let me cease, and dread CASSANDRA's fate, Then, hapless Britain! be thy rulers blest, Yet once again adieu! ere this the sail But should I back return, no lettered rage Shall drag my commonplace-book on the stage: A friend of mine being asked why his Grace of P. was likened to an old woman? replied "he supposed it was because he was past bearing." † Calpe is the ancient name of Gibraltar. Stamboul is the Turkish word for Constantinople. Georgia, remarkable for the beauty of its inhabitants. Lord Valentia (whose tremendous travels are forthcoming with due decorations, graphical, topographical, and typographical,) deposed, on Sir John Carr's unlucky suit, that Dubois' satire prevented his purchase of the "Stranger in Ireland." Oh fie, iny Lord! Has your Lordship no more feeling for a fellow-tourist! but "two of a trade," they say, &c. Lord Elgin would fain persuade us that all the figures, with and without noses, in his stone-shop, are the work of Phidias; Credat Judæus!" |