commenced. The Poets of Elizabeth had attained an art of modulation, which was afterwards neglected or forgotten. Fairfax was acknowledged by him as his model; and he might have ftudied with advantage the poem of Davies *, which, though merely philofophical, yet feldom leaves the ear ungratified. But he was rather smooth than ftrong; of the full refounding line, which Pope attributes to Dryden, he has given very few examples. The critical decifion has given the praife of ftrength to Denham, and of fweetness to Waller. His excellence of verfificaton has fome abatements. He uses the expletive do very frequently; and though he lived to fee it almoft univerfally ejected, was not more careful to avoid it in his laft compofitions than in his firft. Praife had given him confidence; and finding the world fatisfied, he fatisfied himself. His rhymes are fometimes weak words: fo is found to make the rhyme twice in ten lines, and occurs often as a rhyme through his book. His double rhymes, in heroick verse, have been cenfured by Mrs. Phillips, who was his rival in the tranflation of Corneille's Pompey; and more faults might be found, were not the enquiry below at tention. He fometimes ufes the obfolete termination of verbs, as waxeth, affecteth; and fometimes retains *Sir John Davies, entituled, "Nofce teipfum. This Oracle << expounded in two Elegies; I. Of Humane Knowledge; II. Of the Soule of Man and the Immortalitie thereof, " 1599." R. T 3 the the final fyllable of the preterite, as amazed, fuppofed, of which I know not whether it is not to the detriment of our language that we have totally rejected them. Of triplets he is fparing; 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 pathetick, and very rarely fublime. He feems neither to have had a mind much elevated by nature, nor amplified by learning. His thoughts are fuch as a liberal converfation and large acquaintance with life would easily fupply. They had however then, perhaps, that grace of novelty which they are now often fuppofed to want by those who, having already found them in later books, do not know or enquire who produced them firft. This treatment is unjuft. Let not the original author lofe by his imitators. Praife, however, fhould be due before it is given. The author of Waller's Life afcribes to him the first practice of what Erythræus and fome late criticks call Alliteration, of ufing in the fame verfe many words beginning with the fame letter. But this knack, whatever be its value, was fo frequent among early writers, that Gafcoigne, a writer of the fixteenth century, warns the young poet against affecting it; Shakspeare, in the Midfummer Night's Dream, is fuppofed to ridicule it; and in another play the fonnet of Holofernes fully difplays it. He borrows too many of his fentiments and illuftrations from the old Mythology, for which it is vain to plead the example of ancient poets: the deities, which they introduced fo frequently, were confidered as as realities, fo far as to be received by the imagination, whatever sober reafon might even then determine. But of thefe images time has tarnifhed the fplendor. A fiction, not only detected but defpifed, can never afford a folid bafis to any pofition, though fometimes it may furnish a tranfient allufion, or flight illuftration. No modern monarch can be much exalted by hearing that, as Hercules had 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 fomething to our elegance of diction, and fomething to our propriety of thought; and to him may be applied what Taffo faid, with equal fpirit and juftice of himself and Guarini, when, having perufed the Paftor Fido, he cried out, "If he had not read Aminta, he had not excelled it," AS Waller profeffed himself to have learned the art of verfification from Fairfax, it has been thought proper to fubjoin a fpecimen of his work, which, after Mr. Hoole's tranflation, will perhaps not be foon reprinted. By knowing the state in which Waller found our poetry, the reader may judge how much he improved it. I. Erminia's fteed (this while) his mistreffe bore But her flit courfer fpared nere the more, To beare her through the defart woods unfeene Of her ftrong foes, that chas'd her through the plaine, And still partu'd, but still purfu'd in vaine. 2. Like as the wearie hounds at laft retire, Yet fill the fearfull Dame fled, fwift as winde, 3. Through thicke and thinne, all night, all day, the driued, Her plaints and teares with euery thought reuiued, On Jordans fandie banks her courfe fhe ftaid, 4. Her teares, her drinke; her food, her forrowings, 5. The birds awakte her with their morning fong, Of swaines and fhepherd groomes, that dwellings weare; And that sweet noife, birds winds, and waters fent, Prouokte again the virgin to lament. .6. Her plaints were interrupted with a found, 7. Beholding one in fhining armes appeare The feelie man and his were fore dismaid; |