supplies nothing to the mind. The ideas of Christian theology are too simple for eloquence, too sacred for fiction, and too majestic for ornament: to recoinmend them by tropes and figures, is to magnify by a concave mirror the sidereal hemisphere. As much of Waller's reputation was owing to the softness and smoothness of his numbers; it is proper to consider those minute particulars to which a versifier must attend. He certainly very much excelled in smoothness most of the writers who were living when his poetry commenced. The poets of Elizabeth had attained an art of modulation, which was afterward neglected or forgotten. Fairfax was acknowledged by him as his model; and he might have studied with advantage the poem of Davies,* which, though merely philosophical, yet seldom leaves the ear ungratified. But he was rather smooth than strong: of the full resounding line, which Pope attributes to Dryden, he has given very few examples. The critical decision has given the praise of strength to Denham, and of sweetness to Waller. His excellence of versification has some abatements. He uses the expletive do very frequently; and, though he lived to see it almost universally ejected, was not more careful to avoid it in his last compositions than in his first. Praise had given him confidence; and, finding the world satisfied, he satisfied himself. His rhymes are sometimes weak words: so is found to make the rhyme twice in ten lines, and occurs often as a rhyme through his book. His double rhymes, in heroic verse, have been censured by Mrs. Phillips, who was his rival in the translation of Corneille's Pompey;' and more faults might be found, were not the inquiry below attention. He sometimes uses the obsolete termination of verbs, as waxeth, affecteth; and sometimes retains the final syllable of the preterite, as amazed, supposed, of which I know not whether it is not to the detriment of our language that we have totally rejected them. Sir John Davies, entitled, Nosce teipsum. This Oracle expounded in two Elegies: I. Of Humane Knowledge; II. Of the Soule of Man and the Immortalitie thereof, 1599.-R. Of triplets he is sparing; but he did not wholly forbear them; of an Alexandrine he has given no example. The general character of his poetry is elegance and gaiety. He is never pathetic, and very rarely sublime. He seems neither to have had a mind much elevated by nature, nor amplified by learning. His thoughts are such as a liberal conversation and large acquaintance with life would easily supply. They had however then, perhaps, that grace of novelty, which they are now often supposed to want by those who, having already found them in later books, do not know or inquire who produced them first. This treatment is unjust. Let not the original author lose by his imitators. Praise, however, should be due before it is given. The anthor of Waller's Life ascribes to him the first practice of what Erythræus and some late critics call alliteration, of using in the same verse many words beginning with the same letter. But this knack, whatever be its value, was so frequent among early writers, that Gascoigne, a writer of the sixteenth century, warns the young poet against affecting it: Shakspeare, in the Midsummer Night's Dream,' is supposed to ridicule it; and in another play the sonnet of * Holofernes fully displays it. He borrows too many of his sentiments and illustrations from the old mythology, for which it is vain to plead the example of ancient poets; the deities which they introduced so frequently, were considered as realities, so far as to be received by the imagination, whatever sober reason might even then determine. But of these images time has tarnished the splendour. A fiction, not only detected but despised, can never afford a solid basis to any position, though sometimes it may furnish a transient allusion, or slight illustration. No modern monarch can be much exalted by hearing that, as Hercules had his club, he has his navy. But of the praise of Waller, though much may be taken away, much will remain; for it cannot be denied, that he added something to our elegance of diction, and something to our propriety of thought; and to him may be applied what Tasso said, with equal spirit and justice, of himself and Guarini, when, having perused the Pastor Fido,' he cried out, If he had not read "Aminta," he had not excelled it As Waller professed himself to have learned the art of versification from Fairfax, it has been thought proper to subjoin a specimen of his work, which, after Mr. Hoole's translation, will perhaps not be soon reprinted. By knowing the state in which Waller found our poetry, the reader may judge how much he improved it. Erminia's steed (this while) his mistresse bore To beare her through the desart woods unseene Like as the wearie hounds at last retire, Yet still the fearfull Dame fled, swift as winde, Through thicke and thinne, all night, all day, she driued, Her plaints and teares with euery thought reuiued, On Iordans sandie bank her course she staid, Her teares, her drink; her foode, her sorrowings; Strong watch and warde, while this faire Ladie slept. Of swaines and shepherd groomes that dwellings weare; Her plaints were interrupted with a sound, Beholding one in shining armes appeare, To your sweet toile, nor those sweet tunes you sing. This wilderness doth vs in saftie keepe, No thundering drum, no trumpet breakes our sleepe. Haply just beau'ns defence and shield of right, Doth loue the innocence of simple swains. The thunderbolts on highest mountains light, And seld or never strike the lower plaines : So kings have cause to feare Bellonaes might, Not they whose sweat and toile their dinner gaines, Nor ever greedie soldier was entised By pouertie, neglected and despised. O Pouertie, chefe of the heau'nly brood, We little wish, we need but little wealth, These are my sonnes, their care presernes from stealth And from the forrests sweet contentment ran, Entised on with hope of future gaine, I suffred long what did my soule displease; 1 gan my losse of lustle yeeres complaine, And wisht I had enjoy'd the countries peace; 1 While thus he spake, Erminia husht and still She said therefore, O shepherd fortunate! Let my mishap thy thoughts to pity moue, In shepherds life, which I admire and loue: If gold or wealth of most esteemed deare, And wept, and with her wept that shepherd old. But yet her gestures and her lookes (I gesse) And milke her goates, and in their folds them place, POMFRET. OF Mr. JOHN POMFRET nothing is known but from a slight and confused account prefixed to his poems by a nameless friend; who relates, that he was the son of the Rev. Mr. Pomfret, rector of Luton, in Bedfordshire; that he was bred at Cambridge; entered into orders, and was rector of Malden, in Bedfordshire, and might have risen in the church; but that, when he applied to Dr. Compton, He was of Queen's College there, and, by the Universityregister, appears to have taken his bachelor's degree in 1684, and his master's 1698.-H. His father was of Trinity.-C. |