We wish that this writer, and all writers who make use of rhime, would be more attentive than they often are, to the legitimacy of their rhimes. A bad rhime is a mere bastard in poetry :-Such, for inftance, (in the above extract,) as frays-embrace. Where a competent EAR prefides as Judge, in a Court of Criticifm, fuch defects can never hope to escape condemnation. Art. 39. The Purfuits of Literature, or What you Will: a Satirical Poem in Dialogue. 4to. PP. 40. 25. Owen. 1794. This poem is written with eafe and fimplicity; and the notes manifeft much fhrewdness and diverfified erudition. We read in Miffon's travels of a Madona fo richly decorated with jewels and brocade, that it might be doubted if the ftatue were made for the drefs or the drefs for the ftatue. In like manner, it is difficult to ascertain whether thefe notes be intended as illuftrative of the poem, or the poem as a vehicle for the notes. They abound, like all the tranfitory writings of a reading age, with allufions, which are often obfcure; and they imitate the example of Mr. Bofwell, and the leaders of the highchurch party, in introducing at every turn fome fneer at Priestley, Paine, and the heretical writers. A short extract will fuffice: On Avon's banks I heard ACTEON mourn, * Videre CANES; primufque Melampus, Pamphagus et Dorceus, velox cum fratre Lycifca Nebrophonofque valens et trux cum Lælape Theron, Hark, Quofque referre mora eft ;-ea curba CUPIDINE PRÆDE, Heu famulos fugit IPSE fuos: clamare libebat, ACTEON Ego fum; DOMINUM cognofcite VESTRUM: Ovid. Metam. lib. iii. N. B. It is conceived that this canine metamorphofis of commentators will be received in a pleasant point of view without offence; for I must speak it to the credit of our English black-letter dogs, that upon the whole there is more harmony among them, (a few cafes excepted) than among the dogs that worried Greek and Roman authors in former times. I furely may be excufed for this caninity, if Mr. Bryant himself has been allowed to declare, without cenfure, that Kue fignify Of Ispec: though certainly the Hierarchy are infinitely indebted to him for the difcovery. Bryant's Mythol. vol. i. p. 329. &c.' The fingularity of this term (which is the only reafon of my introducing it) called for my attention, as no treatifes or farces, or whatever they may be, are more appealed to by the commentators "than Greene's Art of Coney-catching; Greene's Ground-work of Coneycatching; Greene's Defence of Coney-catching; Greene's Difputation between a He Coney-catcher and a $he Coney-catcher." As my poor library Hark, JOHNSON fmacks his lash; loud founds the din: 265 270 library will not afford these valuable books, I profess myself still ignorant of this ancient art of coney-catching, and therefore am by no means fit for a commentator; yet the reader may perhaps think me fit for writing a note or two upon thefe " SNAPPERS UP OF UNCONSIDERED TRIFLES." Wint. Tale, a. 4. fc. 1.)-I do not agree with Mr. Steevens that Coney-catching means the art of picking pockets; (fee his note on the words " Silly Cheat," vol. iv. p. 368. ed. 1778)-except there is any pleafant allufion by anticipation to fome late editions of Shakspeare. My poor pockets cannot keep up with these rifing demands upon them. Six POUNDS FIFTEEN SHILLINGS!! for the last edition of Shakspeare, and without any binding! I cry you mercy, my good Mafter Steevens; think of us poor poets." The reader must know enough of this Huntsman, his green velvet cap, and brown brass-buttoned coat, his churlish chiding of every hound that came near him, &c. &c. at least it is not Jemmy Bofwell's fault if he does not.-This great man's comments on Shakspeare are never fullied and contaminated with minute explications of indecent passages: He bears no tokens of those fable ftreams, But mounts far off among the fwans of Thames. In whatever Dr. Johnfon undertook, it was his determined purpose to rectify the heart, to purify the paffions, to give ardour to virtue and confidence to truth." + Melampus fignifies a dog with black feet. He is fuppofed to have run over the town and county of Leicester, but never could be perfuaded to give any account of it.This dog fcented out the Learning of Shakspeare with true and original fagacity, and abfolutely unkennelled it. This is his proper praife.--Mr. Steevens fays," Could a perfect and decifive edition of Shakspeare be produced, it were to be expected ONLY (though we fear in vain) from the hand of Dr. "FARMER, whofe MORE SERIOUS AVOCATIONS forbid HIM to undertake what, &c. &c." See Advert. by Mr. Steevens to Shakspeare, Edit. 1793, p. 11. Such gravity of compliments between two editors reminds me of what Shakspeare calls, "THE ENCOUNTER OF TWO DOG APES." Walter de Mapes was the jovial archdeacon of Oxford, the Anacreon of the eleventh century, "A decent Prieft, where monkies "were the gods," and author of the divine ode, beginning: "Mihi fit propofitum in tabernâ mori; Ut dicant, cum venerint angelorum chori, Stout Stout GLOUCESTER mark in Pamphagus. † advance, Stout Gloucefter.-Warburton, Bishop of Gloucester.' 275 ↑ Pamphagus-fignifies a dog of a moit voracious appetite, whe fnaps at, and devours every thing digeftible or indigeftible. They who are acquainted with the Divine Legation, &c. &c. well know the nature of Warburton's literary appetite and the danger of hunting in the fame field with him. With all his eccentricities this was a noble dog, and there is not one of the true breed left worthy of the progenitor, though there are a few mongrels.' Ichnobates means a dog who tracks out the game before him. No one was more diligent than this dog, yet he frequently went upon a wrong fcent; but would never fuffer the huntsman to call him off, especially in the neighbourhood of Canterbury and Bristol.-If I were again to metamorphofe these hounds into men, I fhould lament the application of Mr. Tyrwhitt's learning and fagacity. "Illum pro lite rato plerique laudandum duxerunt, quum ille neniis quibufdam anilibus occupatus inter Milefias Punicas APULEII SUI et ludicra << literaria confenefceret." (Vid. Julium Capitolinum in Vita Clodii Albini ad Conftantium Auguftum ;). I will however fay, as to my own part, Illum pro literato laudandum femper duxi, but with a referve as to the application of his learning. I wish this Ichnobates had been utilium sagax rerum.' Hylator means a dog with a clear and ftrong voice. One would think that this dog was one of Canidia's breed, which called from the fepulchre the actual remains of the dead to enchant and ftupify the living. This dog has been fcratching up the earth about Doors Commons, and has torn up all the Wills of the actors who lived in Shakspeare's time, and carried them in his mouth to the printer of a late edition of that author.-But when I fpeak of rational men, it paffes the bounds of all fagacity to divine, by what fpecies of refined abfurdity the Wills and Teftaments of Actors could be raked up and published to illuftrate Shakspeare. (See Malone's Shakspeare, vol. ii. p. 186, &c. &c. and in the 2d vol. of the edit. of Shakspeare, in 1793.) A critic for fuch an ingenious invention fhould be prefented with the altum Sagana caliendrum, which would not eafily fall from his head. But Mr. M. has redeemed this piece of folly by many valuable excellencies.' See her Effay on Shakspeare, chiefly against the French critics. A very pretty effay, and a great many very pretty things have been faid about it, which I shall not contradict. "Dives agris, dives pofitis in fœnore nummis," is a verfe that has always filled a house with fincere admirers, without any flattery." Abolus fignifies a dog of a fwarthy complexion.' • ** Beats the bushes round.-Defcriptive of Sir John Hawkins's Hiftory of Mufic.' The Then PORSON view Nebrophonos the fhrewd t, *280 *Nebrophones fignifies a dog that destroys the fawns and deer; and fo in truth it is; Archdeacons, rats, and fuch small deer, Have been DICK's food for many a year. And, as Lear fays, "I'll take a word with this fame LEARNED THEBAN." My learned Mafter Richard Porfon :—but he loves ní titles! It would be better if he did.' ↑ Shrewd. —Mr. Malone fays, the word fhrewd means acute, or intelligent; Mr. Steevens fays, it is, bitter or fevere. Shakefp. Ed. 1793, vol. iv. p. 430. Reader, you may chufe, or rather combine the terms.' The reader may be furprized to find any theological writings in this part; but Mr. Steevens's ingenuity has contrived to prefs Mr. Porfon's letters to Mr. Archdeacon Travis into the fervice of Shakspeare; and by fuch ingenuity who or what may not be prefed into it? This is quite a fufficient excufe for me, or rather a full juftification of my allufion to them. See Tempeft, vol. iii. p. 68. Steev, Edit. 1793. Mr. Steevens ftiles Mr. P. " an excellent scholar and a perfpi"cacious critic;" in which I moft cordially agree. But, if I am. rightly informed, he thanks neither Mr. Steevens, nor me, nor Dr. Parr, nor Dr. Burney the fchoolmaster, nor any other Doctor or Mifter in this country, for any opinion they may entertain or exprefs of him or his works. He neither gives nor takes. "Walker, our "hat."-But there is a fomething, as I have learned from Horace of great men, quod lene tormentum ingenio admovet plerumque " duro." I find the Archdeacon has republished his work, and in my opinion has very wifely declined being led any more by DICK and the foul-fiend" through fire, and through flame and whirlpool, "o'er bog and quagmire, and having knives laid under his pillow, "&c." But the Archdeacon has had the weakness to print his work on a wire wove paper and hot-pressed. Had I been the Archdeacon, I fhould have been contented with the hot-preffing by Mr. Porfon-hot indeed, biffing hot!-This controverfy has no good end: learning is good, and theology is good; but there is fomething better, H Aya. There is allo a writer who fays Κατακαυχάται ΕΛΕΟΣ κρισεως. Is it not fo, Mr Profeffor?' § Theron fignifies a dog of innate ferocity.' Poor Tom Warton could have told a piteous tale, how his hiftoric Lody was punched full of deadly holes by this literary Richard IIId.Dr. Percy could make a lamentation or two in fome ancient ditty in a fit or canto. Mr. Malone probably has felt a gripe rather ftrong. The Antiquarians-but they have fpeken for themselves. The Antiquarian Society is amiable and harmless, and from what I have feen, their publications refemble the fubjects of them. Nixuwv AMENHNA xaga. Who could wish to disturb fuch repofe ?' *>Yz+ Tom . Tom WARTON laft Agriodos acute, With Labros PERCY ↑ barks in close pursuit: I wish'd not to be in at SHAKSPEARE's death.' 285 Art. 40. The English Anthology, Vol. I. 8vo. 6s. Boards. Eger tons. 1793. We do not think that this felection, though it contains good poems, is made with much judgment. It includes pieces by Spenfer, Shakfpeare, Milton, Dryden, Otway, Pope, &c. authors whom every tudent of taste chooses to perufe and to poffefs wholly. A British Anthology, containing all the good poems of the minor poets, interfperfed with fhort biographies, would render a multitude of volumes entirely fuperfluous: the prefent only ferves to increase the number of volumes. The 2d and 3d volumes were lately published, but we have not yet perufed them. Art. 41. The Maid of the Cafle, a Legendary Tale. By Jemima Maria Stratton. 4to. 35. Lane. 1794. This tale, the incidents of which are common in many old ballads, is written with polished prolixity, in elegiac quatrains, and is nearly free from faults, without being very attractive. Art. 42. Hymen, a Poem. 4to. pp. 40. 25. Knott. 1794 The Mufes cannot be more honourably employed than in the fervice of Hymen. On his altar, to their credit be it acknowleged, * Agricdos fignifies a dog with a fharp tooth.I always regret the lofs of Thomas Warton: in his various writings, he is amufing, inftructive, pleasant, learned, and poetical.-Tom Warton had rather a kindly affection for the jovial memory of Archdeacon Walter de Mapes of the 11th century, mentioned for his drinking ode in á former note. Mr. W. tells us, (with a warm panegyric) in his 2d Differt. to the Hift. of E. P. that this divine Anacreon wrote alfo a Latin ode in favour of married priests, concluding with thefe fpirited lines : Ecce pro Clericis multum allegavi; Nec non pro Prefbyteris multum comprobavi; Dicat quifque Prefbyter cum fua SUAVI!' I quote this for my own fake, quoniam peccavi, and am inclined to hope that every Prefbyter cum fua SUAVI, will be as kind to the author of this poem on THE PURSUITS OF LITERATURE. Requiefcat!' + Labros fignifies a dog that opens continually. But I forget-Si quis dixerit EPISCOPUM aliquâ infirmitate laborare, anathema efto. AND thus I take my leave of the WHOLE black-letter KENNEL, with all their wit, and all their follies, and all their merry humours; and they may both now and hereafter, unawed by their great Huntman who is no more, and moft probably unmolefted by me, con tinue to bark and growl, and fnap, and quarrel, and teaze one another, till there remains not a critical offal for which they may contend. Et velut abfentem certatim ACTEONA clament.' they |