Page images
PDF
EPUB

Mark, by his kindling breath how taught to aspire, Shines bright reveal'd the intellectual fire!

2855

No more to shades the inglorious muses fly,
But all Parnassus fills the publick eye;
A wreath to him the grateful sisters give,
Virent so long, and blooming still to live.
Like a full river, whose exhaustless source
Through flowery meadows winds its sinuous course,
His bounty's stream still fertilizing flow'd,
Nor shrunk at all the abundance it bestow'd.

2860

Such once was Wri'thesly, dear distinguish'd name! Congenial studies, and their souls the same: 2865 Britain's great bard his kindred taste ador'd, And Essex honour'd his unvenal sword.

For an account of Henry Wriothesly, earl of Southampton, see Me moirs of that nobleman, prefixed to the tenth volume of Shakspeare's " Works, published by Mr. Malone; whose name cannot be mentioned without great respect by every friend to English literature. His indefatigable industry has left nothing discoverable unexplored, his sagacity nothing unnoticed, which can contribute to gratify the numerous admirers of our greatest poet.

The family name of lord Southampton, as he observes to me, was formerly pronounced Wresely, the first vowel being sounded like the French i. See Strype's ANNALS, vol. in App.Ļ. »

First.

First from his eyry near tame Avon's side,
His wing our intellectual eagle tried ;
2869
Unmark'd the tow'ring flight by vulgar eyes,—
But keen Southampton saw it cleave the skies;
Bade him soar on, with trackless pinions bold,

And imp'd the wide-spread vans with strength'ning

gold.

By emulation of his generous fire,

Let Albion's lords to fame like his aspire;

2875

The drooping muse a monarch's care engage,

And bid revive a new Augustan age :

John Duke of Marlbro Then may new Congreves, Garths, and Swifts, be he mostillustrious

haracter of the Augustan

known;

Age of England haris Another Pope perhaps, and Addison.

he reign of Queen Ann

3 eminently illiten kindly climes as glowing suns produce

nd in that deficiency

singularly opposed From mellow fruits their rich nectareous juice,

to the genius of his

Contemporaries. The So may the beams of royal grace dispense absurdity of Joshua

Baines dedicaring O'er genius their benignest influence ; Anacreon with a loTo every art, be every honour shewn, n the Greek Language

o Mapißoptio& who And wit adorn, as virtue guards, the throne ! idnorunderstand

2880

2884

to But one word of it was very justly ridiculed. To invite a cripple dance, or to present a blind man with a Picture woud appear Less like a compliment than an insult." I knewhim extremely well Says the late Lord Chesterfield in a letter) he was eminently illiterate, wrote bad English and spelled it still worse. The Duke's published Letters bear no marks of this character. In his time it road a sort of soldierly fashion to affeer a contempt for wharias called Book Learning Butish Generals depended commonly on a little experience of service in cke field, And the perusal of a few slight military memoirs translated from the French. Bladens version of CÆSAT 19: considered then as a kind of prodigy. A Soldien education and manners are in our time very different. The excellent Wolfe

assionately fond of literature, nor is our gallant Countryman lord Moira distinguished by military science, chan a taste for letters, fine talents

But what avails the humble poet's prayer,
A monarch's virtues, or the senate's care,
If fell Erinnys, from a neighbouring shore,
Drown reason's sober voice in frenzy's roar?

(A shore devouring Lestrygons would shun, 2890
Where furies' torches blaze beyond the sun;)
If ruin, ghastly death, and rapine's rage,
Britain's mild sons in their fierce strife engage?
Avert them, all that's wise and just in men! 2894
Confine them, Heaven, to their own Gallick den!
If such detested days indeed must rise,
Giver of light, O, close thy suppliant's eyes!'

O'er

Hesiod, as Mr. Malone suggests to me, has expressed the same wish in his introductory verses to the description of the IRON AGE. The whole passage, though written near three thousand years ago, is so perfectly applicable to the present barbarous state of France, that the classical reader will, I am confident, not be displeased at its being brought to his remembrance:

Μηκετ' επειτ' ωφειλον εγω πεμπτοισι μετείναι

Ανδρασιν, αλλ' η προσθε θανειν, η επειτα γενεσθαι.

Νυν γαρ δη γενος εστι σιδήρεον ουδέ ποτ' ημαρ
Παυσονται καματου και οίζυος, ουδε τι νυκτωρ

Φθειρομενοι χαλεπας, οι θεοί δώσουσι, μεριμνας

-highly cultivated, and the possession of every

. Ούδε

manly virtue. The incessanr ridicule of Doctor Swift, and other Satyrists contributed much to shame gentlemen of the Army out of certain badl habits they were too aprindulge in such ravibaldry in discourse, swearing, borning, And he ostentation of ignorance. Officer who reposes of 2 Mastborough, should fentedly inhi want of erudition by the example first be assured that he possessed the .ddress, compa and genius of char unlettered conqueror. Kouli Kan zoud not read. Koulikes There is no merit in resembling a great man in his defects and failings, might as well be proud of having the same diseases.

one

O'er him, and all he loves, kind darkness, come,

To hide them in the accelerated tomb!

See o'er pale Java's desolated plains

[blocks in formation]

2900

dread Upas reigns ;'

No

Ουδε πατης παιδεσσιν ομοιος, ουδε τι παίδες,
Ουδε ξεινος ξεινοδόκω, και εταιρος εταίρω,

Ουδε κασιγνητος Φιλος έσσεται, ως το πάρος περ.
ΣΧΕΤΛΙΟΙ, ουδε ΘΕΩΝ ΟΠΙΝ ΕΙΔΟΤΕΣ ---
ΧΕΙΡΟΔΙΚΑΙ· ετερος δ' ετερου πολιν εξαλαπάξει"
Ουδε τις ευόρκου χαρις εσσεται, ούτε δικαιου,
Ουτ' αγαθου μαλλον δε κακων ρεκτηρα και υβριν
Ανέρα τίμησουσι δίκη δ' εν χερσι και αιδως
Ουκ εσαι βλάψει δ' ὁ κακος του αρείονα φωτα,
Μύθοισι σκολιοίς ενέπων, επι δίορκον ομείται.
Και τοτε δη προς Ολυμπον απο χθονος ευρυοδείης,
Λευκοίσιν Φαρέεσσι καλυψαμένω χρόα καλόν,
Αθανατων μετα φυλ' στην, προλιποντ' ανθρώπους,
ΑΙΔΩΣ ΚΑΙ ΝΕΜΕΣΙΣ' τα δε λείψεται αλγεα λυγρα

င်

Θνητοις ανθρωποισι· κακου δ' ουκ εσσεται αλκη.

...

' In the last note to Dr. Darwin's LOVES OF THE PLANTS, or second
volume of THE BOTANICK GARDEN, see a description of the Upas
or Poison Tree, transcribed from the account of N. P. Foersch,
a Dutch surgeon; published in the London Magazine for 1784.
This tremendous and astonishing tree of Java stands in a stony
waste covered with the bones of animals; and to the distance of
three or four leagues round it desolates all life and vegetation. Birds
caught by its effluvia fall down dead in their passage over it. Criminals

(The lines following are afree Translation of Hesiod's verses.)
thar disposing Heaven had cast my birth
Far from the Tribes which now pollute our enth!.
now
Orather unmaturely let me frill

Than longer divell an this devoted Ball
They make an iron Age, with ceaseless crimes

sent

Scared by their deeds in robes of dinice white Justice and Shame have winged to Heven cheif flight,

[ocr errors]

Staining the wholesome temper of the times. While to this Race sccursdthey leave behind And sure great love in some tremendous boil Woes, which no measure, nor no end shall find, On their proud the wellearn'd wrath will poui, Sive Sol and Brotl, Friends, or Guest, or Hobr of of Host, Once sacred ties) are now profand er jest.. Impions they own no God, bur fierce Torlonde is be the cellspaws. prepare To unde 2.11 Right with rage and mihless War, ilers! rash and landless men they prize, e's Friends, and modest Worth clespise.

G

2905

No pulmonary valves can bear her breath,
Shooting in pois'nous mists convulsive death;
To her, as to the lion's murd'rous den',
The foot may go, but ne'er return again :
High o'er her top the full-wing'd eagle's sped,
And white with bleaching bones her flinty bed;
Carnage alone in hideous piles rests there,
While hissing hydras blast the lurid air:
Where the least gasp of Orcus' spouse pervades,
Wide spreads the abortive waste, creation fades ;

2910

sent to collect the poison, notwithstanding many preparations against it, perish in vast numbers. The points of warlike instruments are dipped in it, and it is said to produce some revenue to the emperor. The account is almost as wonderful, and little less incredible than any invention in the Arabian Nights; yet it is authenticated sufficiently. I know but one way to account for its being a fiction; by supposing that the Dutch devised it for better securing the monopoly of their spices. Some persons perhaps may think a Dutch flight of invention little less wonderful than the properties of this extraordinary tree.

Dr. Darwin in the third canto of his second volume has painted the Upas tree in bolder figures than I could venture to use, or perhaps could command for the same purpose.

[blocks in formation]
« PreviousContinue »