Page images
PDF
EPUB

of imaginary monsters.) In the present instance the justness of the resemblance must atone for the hideousness of the objects compared. It must be permitted us to make use of images, which are faithful, though somewhat disgusting. Of these men we cannot speak without polluting language, as they have polluted human nature, and I wish that our language were as flexible in its tones as that of Virgil, when he described the harpies; that it might present you a picture of those hideous, filthy, and voracious animals, coming with their shrill cry, their infectious plumage, their hooked claws, and fetid breath, pouncing upon the banquet of Eneas, and besmearing with their excrements the meats, the table, and the guests, before they carried away their prey into the air.' Burke has quoted the original in a note.

Tristius haud illis monstrum, nec sævior ulla

Pestis, et ira Deûm Stygiis sese extulit undis

Virginei volucrum vultus; fœdissima ventris Proluvies; uncæque manus; et pallida

semper

Ora fame.'

SIR PHILIP SIDNEY

is better known as a friend of Elizabeth's and patron of Spenser, than as a favourite of the muses. His pastoral romance called the Countesse of Pembroke's Arcadia, contains, together with much quaint, punning prose, many specimens of verse in different measures, some of which are not destitute of harmony, sprightliness, and wit. There are few probably, who ever read the whole of the Arcadia. It would require as much patient perseverance, as to labour through the pages of Ossian but the reward would be

greater. Sir Philip attempted hexameter, pentameter, sapphicks, &c. He had his share of taste; but the English language had not then acquired that flexibility, nor that harmony of combination, which have been exemplified by poets since his time. Many of his pastoral pieces are highly poetical in thought and figure, even when destitute of the melody of later bards.

The following lines, framed for the Echo, and intended for hexameter, will shew the impotence of our language when arrayed in dactyls and spondees :

Eccho, what doe I get yielding my

sprite to my grieves? Grieves. What medicine may I find for a griefe

that drawes me to death? Death. O poisonous medicine! what worse to me can be than it ? It. In what state was I then, when I tooke this deadly disease? Ease. And what maner a mind that had to that humour a vaine ? Vaine. Hath not reason enough vehemence the desire to reprove? Prove. Oft prove I ; but what salve, when reason seekes to be gone? One. Oh! what is it? what is it that may be a salve to my love? Love. What doe lovers seeke for, long seeking for to enjoy Joy. What be the joyes which for to enjoy

they went to the paines? Paines. Then to an earnest love what doth best victorie lend? End.'

In his songs and sonnets, his sapphicks and anacreonticks, Sir Philip was not wholly unsuccessful. They exhibit more of the poetry of fiction, than of the harmony of numbers; and more happiness of thought, than gracefulness of expression. The lover may here quaff to his full, and present delicious draughts to his mistress. The cultivator of romance may find in Arcadia something fit for every soil; and the heroes and heroines, swains and lasses, though accustomed to wan

der in its groves, may be transplanted to any climate by the skilful hand of fiction.

6

SIMPLE SONGS.

THE decay of simplicity in our songs and ballads has given me great uneasiness. Those beautiful compositions, whose authors never proudly aimed at description and sentiments above the comprehension of the lovelorn cookmaid and romantick hostler, are now seldom heard. That most delectable offspring of untutored nature the Caledonian maid' now rarely visits our fashionable circles; but her place is filled by other Scotch lassies of Burns, or by Exiles of Erin or wounded Hussars. But the writer of that song will forever receive the benedictions of the most numerous class of readers, and of hearers, who are unable to read, for bringing terms of art and abstract science into his humble work, adapted, like our popular geographies, to the level of the lowest capacities. With unequalled pathos he explains the reason, why she could not express the innate cause' of her sorrow.

'Ere reason form'd her tender mind,
The virgin learn'd to love :
Compassion taught her to be kind,
Deceit she was above.'

How many amorous maids, pierced by the shafts of the unrelenting god, before their tender minds were fortified by reason, will view in this mirrour a perfect reflection of their own unhappy features; where once inanity of mind stared through unfixed eyes, and shed a cheering simper on the face, now clouded by doubts and deformed by jealousy.

But the most charming effusion of simplicity, uncontaminated by thought, in language impres

sive and perspicuous by frequent iterations, is the divine ode, called the blue bells of Scotland.' Here is no refinement of sentiment, or involution of expression: all is instantly intelligible, and to this κτημα ες αιει the sublimest hom age will constantly be paid by the The lover of pure naturals. phrase has perhaps never been It used in this sense before. means, verse unburthened by that weight of sense, which destroys simplicity, restrains imagination,

and vitiates sentiment.

In imitation of this ballad, the favourite bantling of the muses, I have attempted a new song in the same strain of simplicity, and it may be warbled with equal passion by the cowherds of the country.

[blocks in formation]

forcible description, of simplicity and irresistible pathos, is found in this effusion, it is all drawn from his fountain.

Perhaps some carping rival may object, that the illustrious subject of my ode is not cloathed in all his proper habiliments.

His nose adorn'd with iron,'
His neck a yoke it had.

But the first article is intended to excite in the mind an exalted opinion of the hero's courage, as the second must of his patience. Besides, I may urge, that my noble predecessor, in arraying his 'Highland laddie,' has mentioned only his bonnet and waistcoat; and surely nobody can suppose, that so great a personage wore no other dress, however unprotected his countrymen are usually described.

In the adaptation of musick for the funeral dirge I may have been unsuccessful; but this must be attributed to our ignorance of what might be most agreeable to the illustrious shade. The bassoon was selected as nearly resembling the melody of the departed pig. Cedite, Romani scriptores, cedite, Grail, Nescio quid majus nascitur Piggiade.

[blocks in formation]

On

cation. Education is conducted in families and schools. Domestick care is a most powerful agent in the formation of character. Men of great authority have given to instruction in the family, where this instruction can be obtained, the preference over the common places of publick education. They have maintained, that, under the eye of a parent and private tutor, morals would be more secure, and diligence insured, and improvement effected by avoiding the neglect arising from the confusion and hurry of a large school. the other hand it has been replied, the partiality and indulgence of the family, prove, in general, greater impediments to morals and improvement, than any contagion or neglect incident to the assemblage of numbers in one place; whilst many important advantages belong exclusively to publick schools. In these the pupil is aided by system. From sympathy and imitation he acquires the spirit of order. Here compulsion and correction are employed. The learner is stimulated by rivals and assisted by friends. Honour and shame exert their whole force, and society gives animation both to his studies and pastime. Comparing his acquisitions with those of others, he estimates them less by his vanity, than by the standard of truth. Living on terms of equality with his fellows, he gains a manly and generous disposition : and he is preserved from that insolence and pride, which the solitary pupil, who is the chief object of attention, is prone to indulge,

ORIGINAL LETTER OF MRS. MONTAGU.

Mrs. Montagu to Mrs. IV. B.
Chaillot, Sept. 19, 1776.

DEAR MADAM,

I had the pleasure of receiving your obliging letter from the hands of a very lively polite French lady. Who she is I cannot learn, for at Paris every body does not know every body as at London. Miss G and I were going to step into the coach with an intention to pass one night at Paris; but I changed my scheme, and insisted on Madame C staying the evening she has travelled a great deal, and is very amusing. I have called twice at her door, but did not find her at home; she wrote me a very obliging note to express her regret. I do not know whether I mentioned to you, that I was disgusted with the noise and dirtiness of an hotel garni. I had the best apartments in the best hotel at Paris. In my drawing-room I had a fine lustre, noble lookingglasses, velvet chairs; and in my bed-chamber a rich bed with a superb canopy. Poets and philosophers have told us, that cares and solicitudes lurk under rich canopies, but they never told us, that at Paris les punaises lie concealed there; small evils it may be said, but I assure you as incompatible with sound sleep, as the most formidable terrours or the wildest dreams of ambition. I did not rest well at night, and in the day for the few hours I was chez moi I did not enjoy that kind of comfort one feels at home, so I was determined to have an habitation quite to myself. I got a pretty small house at Chaillot with the most delightful prospect; it was unfurnished, so I hired furniture.

I had not brought house linen, but I found a Flemish linen-draper; then I composed my establishment of servants; I have of English, French, Italians, Germans, and Savoyards; they cannot combine against me, for they hardly understand one another, but they all understand me, and we are as quiet and orderly as possible. I was not ten days from the time I hired my house before I inhabited it. I made use of it at first as an house to sleep in at night, and to visit from in the day, but I soon found out that it was an house in which one might dine and ask others to dinner. I got an excellent cook, who had lived with the Prince of Wirtemberg, and have since had duchesses, and fine ladies, and learned academicians, to dine with me; and I live a la mode de Paris, as much as if I was a native. I have usually only a pair of horses; but when I go to visit, or any where at a distance, the man of whom I hire them furnishes me with six and a postillion, so that I have all manner of accommoda. tions.

I placed the boys and Mr. B at a French school, half a quarter of a mile from hence, where they have an opportunity of talking French all day, as well as learning it by rule. If they had been here, the boys must have been continually with servants, for my nephew being too old for a plaything, and not yet a man, it would have been impossible to have introduced him into company. A little child is the prettiest of animals, but of all companions, to be sure a human being before it is at years of rational discourse is the worst, except for those who have a parental

affection for them; and though I think it no shame to own I have a wonderful delight in my nephew, whom I have, in a manner, brought up, I should be very absurd to expect other people should take more pleasure in my nephew, than I do in their nephews: nor do I think the conversation of mixed society very good for children. Things are often thrown out in a careless imperfect manner, so as to be very dangerous to young minds as indigested food fills the body, indigested opinions do the mind, with crudities and flatulen,cies; and perhaps there is not any place where a young person could be in more danger of being hurt by society than at Paris. Till I had conversed so intimately with the French,I did not imagine they were so different from us in their opinions, sentiments, manners, and modes of life as I find them. In every thing they seem to think perfection and excellence to be that, which is at the greatest distance from simplicity. I verily believe, that if they had the ambrosia of the gods served at their table, they would perfume it, and they would make a ragout sauce to nectar : we know very well they would put rouge on the cheek of Hebe. If an orator here delivers a very highly adorned period he is clapt at the academy where some verses were read, which were a translation of Homer, the more the translator deviated from the simplicity of Homer, the more loud the applause at their tragedies an extravagant verse of the poets and an outrageous action of the actor is clapped.

The Corinthian architecture is too plain, and they add ornaments of fancy. The fine Grecian forms of vases and tripods they say are triste, and therefore they adorn them. It would be ve

ry dangerous to inspire young persons with this contempt of simplicity, before experience taught choice or discretion. The business of the toilette is here brought to an art and a science. Whatever is supposed to add to the charm of society and conversation is cultivated with the utmost attention. That mode of life is thought most eligible, that does not leave one moment vacant from amusement : That style of writing or conversation the best, that is always the most brilliant. This kind of high colouring gives a splendour to every thing which is pleasing to a stranger, who considers every object that presents itself as a sight and as a spectacle; but I think would grow painful if perpetual. I do not mean to say, that there are not some persons and some authors, who, in their conversation and writings, have a noble simplicity; but in general there is too little of it.

This taste of de

coration makes every thing pretty, but leaves nothing great. I like my present way of life so well, I should be glad to stay here two months longer; but to avoid the danger of a winter sea and land journey I shall return, as I intend"ed, the first week in October.

I had a very agreeable French lady to dine with me to-day, and am to dine with her at Versailles on Sunday. As she is a woman of the bed-chamber to the Queen, she was obliged (being now in waiting) to ask leave to come to me; the queen, with her leave, said something very gracious concerning the character of your humble servant. The French say so many civil things from the highest of them to the lowest, I am glad I did not come to Paris when I was young enough to have my head turned.

« PreviousContinue »