His author's fenfe is fometimes a little diluted by additional infufions, and fometimes weakened by too much expansion. But such faults are to be expected in all tranflations, from the constraint of measures and diffimilitude of languages. The Pharfalia of Rowe deserves more notice than it obtains, and as it is more read will be more esteemed. TICKEL L. TICKEL L. THOM HOMAS TICKELL, the fon of the reverend Richard Tickell, was born in 1686 at Bridekirk in Cumberland; and in April 1701 became a member of Queen's College in Oxford; in 1708 he was made Master of Arts, and two years afterwards was chofen Fellow; for which, as he did not comply with the ftatutes by taking orders, he obtained a difpenfation from the Crown. He held his Fellowship till 1726, and then vacated it, by marrying, in that year, at Dublin. ; Tickell was not one of those scholars who wear away their lives in closets he entered early into the world, and was long bufy in publick affairs; in which he was initiated under the patronage of Addison, whofe notice he is faid to have gained by his verfes in praise of Rofamond. To thofe verfes it would not have been just to deny regard; for they contain fome of the moft elegant encomiaftick ftrains; and, among the innumerable poems of the fame kind, it will be hard to find one with which they need to fear a comparison. It may deserve observation, that when Pope wrote long afterwards in praise of Addison, he has copied, at least has resembled, Tickell. Let joy falute fair Rofamonda's fhade, And wreaths of myrtle crown the lovely maid. Since love, which made them wretched, made them great; Which gain'd a Virgil and an Addifon. Then future ages with delight shall see How Plato's, Bacon's, Newton's, looks agree; A Virgil there, and here an Addison. TICKELL. POPE. He produced another piece of the fame kind at the appearance of Cato, with equal fkill, but not equal happiness. When the minifters of queen Anne were negotiating with France, Tickell publifhed The Profpect of Peace, a poem, of which the tendency was to reclaim the nation from the pride of conqueft to the pleasures of tranquillity. How far Tickell, whom Swift afterwards mentioned as Whiggiffimus, had then connected himself with any party, I know not; this poem certainly did not flatter the practices, or promote the opinions, of the men by whom he was afterwards, befriended. Mr. Mr. Addison, however he hated the men then in power, fuffered his friendship to prevail over his publick spirit, and gave in the Spectator fuch praises of Tickell's poem, that when, after having long wifhed to perufe it, I laid hold on it at last, I thought it unequal to the honours which it had received, and found it a piece to be approved rather than admired. But the hope excited by a work of genius, being general and indefinite, is rarely gratified. It was read at that time with fo much favour, that fix editions were fold. At the arrival of king George he fung The Royal Progrefs; which being inferted in the Spectator is well known, and of which it is just to say that it is neither high nor low. The poetical incident of most importance in Tickell's life was his publication of the first book of the Iliad, as tranflated by himself, in apparent oppofition to Pope's Homer, of which the first part made its entrance into the world at the fame time. Addison declared that the rival verfions were both good; but that Tickell's was the best that ever was made, and with Addison the wits, his adherents and followers, were certain to concur. Pope does not appear to have been much dismayed; for, fays he, I have VOL. II. N the |