stood high among the authors with whom he is now associated. For his judgment was exact, and he noted beauties and faults with very nice discernment; 17 his imagination, as the Dacian Battle' proves, was vigorous and active, and the stores of knowledge were large by which his fancy was to be supplied. His ear was well-tuned, and his diction was elegant and copious. But his devotional poetry is, like that of others, unsatisfactory. The paucity of its topics enforces perpetual repetition, and the sanctity of the matter rejects the ornaments of figurative diction. It is sufficient for Watts to have done better than others what no man has done well.18 His poems on other subjects seldom rise higher than might be expected from the amusements of a Man of Letters, and have different degrees of value as they are more or less laboured, or as the occasion was more or less favourable to invention. He writes too often without regular measures, and too often in blank-verse: the rhymes are not always sufficiently correspondent. He is particularly unhappy in coining names expressive of characters. His lines are commonly smooth and easy, and his thoughts always religiously pure; but who is there that, to so much piety and innocence, does not wish for a greater measure of sprightliness and vigour? He is at least one of the few poets with whom youth and ignorance may be safely pleased; State and Worship. By I. Watts. London, 1719,' 12mo. A first edition of his Hymns' is rarer than a first edition of the Pilgrim's Progress,' of which only one copy is known. 17 Where was this judgment and this nice discernment when he professed his admiration of Sir Richard Blackmore, and went for an example of English heroic verse in his Grammar to that Knight's "excellent poem called King Arthur"?-SOUTHEY: Life of Watts, 12mo., 1834. 18 When Johnson asserts that devotional poetry is unsatisfactory, because the paucity of its topics enforces perpetual repetition, and the sanctity of the matter rejects the ornaments of figurative diction, it seems as if he had taken a most contracted and short-sighted view of the subject, and as if he had forgotten that, of all poetry, inspired poetry is the most figurative.-SOUTHEY : Life of Watts, p. lxxv. This, I think, is a just censure on the greatest part of those who have written religious books in English verse; but I except from this number the ingenious Mr. Watts, whose Divine poetry is very laudable, and much superior to all that have gone before him in the lyric kind.-SIR RICHARD BLACKMORE: Preface to a Collection of Poems, 8vo., 1718. and happy will be that reader whose mind is disposed by his verses, or his prose, to imitate him in all but his non-conformity, to copy his benevolence to man, and his reverence to God.19 19 I am glad to be undeceived respecting the opinion I had been erroneously led into on the subject of Johnson's criticism on Watts. Nothing can be more judicious or more characteristic of a distinguishing taste than his observations upon that writer; though I think him a little mistaken in his notion that Divine subjects have never been poetically treated with success. A little more Christian knowledge and experience would perhaps enable him to discover excellent poetry upon spiritual themes in the aforesaid little Doctor.COWPER: Letter to Newton, Oct. 4, 1781. AMBROSE PHILIPS. 1675-1749. A Native of Shropshire - Educated at Cambridge Encouraged by the Earl of Dorset - Sides with the Whigs - His friendship with Addison and Steele Produces The Distressed Mother,' a Tragedy The famous Epilogue to his Tragedy - Publishes his Pastorals - His Quarrel with Pope- Joins in The Freethinker' Is patronised by Archbishop Boulter - Death and Burial in Audley Chapel, South Audley Street, London. Or the birth or early part of the life of AMBROSE PHILIPS I have not been able to find any account.' His academical education he received at St. John's College in Cambridge, where he first solicited the notice of the world by some English verses, in the collection published by the University on the death of Queen Mary. From this time how he was employed, or in what station he passed his life, is not yet discovered. He must have published his Pastorals before the year 1708, because they are evidently prior to those of Pope.* Ambrosius Philips, filius Ambrosii P. pannicularii natus infra Salopiam ibidemq; literis institutus sub MTM Lloyd, annum agens 18 admissus est subsizator pro M Conway, Tutore & fidejussore M Nourse. Junii 25. 1693. Nov. 6. 1693. Ego Ambrosius Phillips Salopiensis juratus et admissus sum in discipulum hujus collegii pro Domina Fundatrice decessore Gandy. Electio sociorum Martii 27. 1699. Ego Ambrosius Phillips Salopiensis juratus & admissus in perpetuum socium hujus Collegii pro Dominâ Fundatrice decessore M° Apperly.-Register of St. John's College, Cambridge. In the Graduati Cantabrigienses' his degrees are given:-B.A. 1696 (i.e. 1696-7), M.A. 1700. 2 This is inaccurate. (See Life of Pope,' iii. 11.) Philips's Pastorals' appeared simultaneously with those of Pope in the sixth and concluding volume of Tonson's Miscellany.' The volume (Svo., 1709) begins with the 'Pastorals' of Philips, and ends with those of Pope. |