POETICAL CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN PETER

PINDAR AND DR. HARRINGTON.

From Peter Pindar, on seeing a recent Musical Production, by Dr. Harrington, of Bath.

"When people borrow, it should be their care
To send things back again—it is but fair;
To gratitude and manners this is due :
Therefore, good Doctor, to the God of Song
Return his Lyre-you've really had it long,
Others must be obliged as well as you."

THE RETORT COURTEOUS; OR, INNOCENCE DEFENded.
Dr. Harrington to Peter Pindar.

"A Lyre, indeed! he borrow'd no such thing, But sports a stick with bladders and a string, A lousy Hedge-nymph's Hurdy-gurd :

Suckling about from door to door,

Squalls beggars' ballads by the score,

But not a penny gets-as ever yet was heard.
'Twas thieving Pindar, 'tis well known,
Swindled his Godship's old Cremone,

But so vamp'd up, he scruples not to shew it;
For what with varnish, sound-post, silver string,
"Tis so improv'd, he plays before the King

In tone so sweet, his Godship does not know it.". By Peter Pindar, on reading a Literary Production of Dr. Harrington's.

66 Doctor, I much your principles admire,

Apollo very kindly lent his Lyre;

And you, the most refined of grateful men,
To quit the obligation-stole his Pen."

SIR PHILIP SIDNEY.

It seems pretty evident, that Sir Philip Sidney's Poems, and, perhaps, his "Arcadia," were handed about in MS. long before they were published. This assumption derives considerable confirmation from the notes to the eleventh book of Sir John Harrington's translation of "Orlando Furioso," first printed in 1591, where he inserts a very pretty sonnet by Sir P. Sidney, with this introduction: "And, therefore, that excellent verse of Sir Philip Sidney, in his first 'Arcadia,' (which I know not by what mishap is left out in the printed booke,) is, in mine opinion, worthy to be praised, and followed to make a good and vertuous wife.”

This "verse" is the more worth notice, 1st, because most of our readers are interested in the advice it seems to contain; and, 2dly, because we do not find that it was ever introduced into any of the many subsequent reprints of that most popular Romance.-It is this:

"Who doth desire that chast his wife should bee,

First he be true, for truth doch truth deserue;
Then be he such as she his worth may see,

And alwayes one credit with her preserue:

Not toying kind, nor causlesly vnkinde,

Not stirring thoughts, nor yet denying right;
Not spying faults, nor in plaine errors blinde,
Neuer hard hand, nor euer rayns too light.
As far from wante, as far from vaine expence,
The one doth enforce, the other doth entice.
Allow good company, but driue fro thence

All filthy mouths that glory in their vice.—
This done, thou hast no more, but leaue the rest
To nature, fortune, time, and woman's brest."

FRENCH ACCOUNTS OF SIR WALTER SCOTT.

THE following description of our great Northern Bard, which is extracted from a work entitled "The Journal of a French Traveller in 1811," is very creditable to the writer, and, we doubt not, will not fail to amuse the reader.

"We could not" (observes our Tourist) "be at Edinburgh, without wishing to see the Caledonian Bard, whose fertile and brilliant genius produces poems with the rapidity of thought; and we have been gratified. Mr. Scott is a tall and stout man, 35 or 40 years of age, very lame from some accident in his youth. His countenance is not particularly poetical; his complexion is fair, with a coarse skin, little beard, sandy hair, with light eyes and eyebrows; the tout

ensemble rather dull and heavy: yet when he speaks, which he is not always disposed to do, and is animated, his countenance lightens up with all a poet's ecstasy.'

"This Poet likes conviviality, and tells well, and con amore, such stories as are told here only after dinner. He is a great Tory. Mr. Scott has a valuable place which had been promised him by the Ministry which preceded Mr. Fox's; but he was not in possession of it when they went out, and some of Mr. Fox's colleagues objected to his having it, saying, it was a job. 'It is at least a job in favour of genius,' answered Mr. Fox, with that liberality and generosity which distinguished him so particularly, it does not happen often, and is not dangerous." Mr. Scott had the place, and, we hope, does justice to the memory of his Whig Patron."

On the appearance on the French Stage of an Opera by M. M. Scribe et Melesville, at the Theatre Feydeau, " Tirés du Roman de Sir W. Scott," the Critic of "L'Etoile" very kindly ventured to enlighten his compatriots with the following particulars of Sir Walter Scott's " eventful history;" which, though not quite

true, are certainly interesting, and cannot fail of being a novelty to the English reader.

"This writer (Sir Walter) has become so popular at Paris, that nothing remains to be said of his works. His person, it is true, is something less known. It may, therefore, be presumed, that some details, which cannot be at the command of all readers, will be more acceptable than extracts from books, which are found on every mantle-piece, and on every table.

"Sir W. Scott was born at Edimbourg, (Proh Jupiter!) in 1771, of an ancient family, but without the gifts of fortune. His father exercised the profession of an Advocate, and his mother cultivated poetry with success: after her death, a collection of her works was published. Sir W. S. was born with a constitution extremely feeble; he is even lame, which establishes another point of likeness between him and Lord Byron.* He was brought up in his father's

*

Sir W. S., so far from being this sickly creature, has the strength and spirit of an ancient Highlander. A story is told of him in Edinburgh—or Edimbourg, as the French