THE preference here given to POPE, above other modern English poets, it must be remembered, is founded on the excellencies of his works in general, and taken all together; for there are parts and passages in other modern authors, in Young and in Thomson, for inftance, equal to any of POPE; and he has written nothing in a strain so truly sublime, as the Bard of Gray.

VOL. II.

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APPENDIX

APPENDIX N° I.

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HE ALMA of Prior, page 183. This is not the only compofition of Prior, in which he has difplayed a knowledge of the world, and of human nature. For I have lately been permitted to read a curious manufcript, now in the hands of her Grace the Duchefs Dowager of Portland, containg Effays and Dialogues of the Dead, on the following fubjects, by Prior.

1. HEADS for a Treatife on Learning. 2. Effay on Opinion. 3. A Dialogue betwixt Charles the Fifth and Clenard the Grammarian. 4. Betwixt Locke and Montaign. 5. The Vicar of Bray and Sir Thomas More. 6. Oliver Cromwell and his Porter. If these pieces were published, Prior would appear to be as good a profe-writer as poet. It feems to be growing a little fashionable to decry his great merits às a poet. They who do this, feem not fufficiently to have attended to his admirable Ode to Mr. Charles Montague, afterwards Earl of Halifax; his Ode to the Queen, 1706; his Epiftle and Ode to Boileau; most of his Tales, the Alma here mentioned, the Henry and Emma (in which surely

are

Lre many strokes of true tenderness and pathos) and his Solomon: A poem, which however faulty in its plan, has very many noble and finished paffages: and which has been so elegantly and claffically tranflated by Dobfon, as to reflect honour on the college of Winchester, where he was educated, and where he tranflated the first book as a school-exercife. I once heard him lament, that he had not, at that time, read Lucretius, which would have given a richness, and variety, and force to his verfes; the only fault of which, feems to be a monotony, and want of different paufes, occafioned by tranflating a poem in rhyme, which he avoided in his Milton.

The political conduct of Prior was blamed on account of the part he took in the famous Partition-treaty; but in fome valuable Memoirs of his life, written by the Hon. Mr. Montague, his friend, which are alfo in the poffeffion of the Duchefs Dowager of Portland, this conduct is clearly accounted for, and amply defended. In thofe Memoirs are many curious and interefting particuJars of the hiftory of that time.

APPENDIX

N° II.

THE following is a fummary of the arguments of each Scene and Aa, in L'ADAMO of G. B. ANDREINI, mentioned above, page 242.

ATTO PRIM O.

SCENA I. Iddio di creta forma Adamo, quale incontanente forzafi di lodarto ma divinamente addormentatosi, mentre in eftafi fcorge altiffimi mifteri della fantiffima Trinita, & Incarnatione del verbo eterno: dalla cofta di lui ne viene formata Eva: la quale egli, dopò fuegliato, caramente abbraccia, & accetta per compagna onde benedetti da Dio, e fecondati, acciò riempiffero il mondo d'huomini, riceuono il precetto di non mangiare del albero, che fuela il bene, & il male, e cominciano à contemplare la bellezza delle creature,

SCENA 2. Lucifero ufcito dall' Abiffo contempla il Paradifo terreftre, biasmando tutte l'opre di Dio.

SCENA 3. Lucifero efforta Sathan e Belzebu à forzarfi di far peccare Adamo, acciò macchiato di peccato, fia in odio à Dio, e non s'incarni il Verbo Eterno.

SCENA 4. Lucifero manda Melecano, e Lurcone à tentar Eva, quelli di Superbia, & questi d'Invidia, acciò fi dolga di Dio, perche non l'habbi creata prima di Adamo.

SCENA 5. Si mandano Rufpicano, & Arfarat, à tentarla d'Ira, & di Avaritia.

SCENA

SCENA 6. Maltèa và à tentarla d'Accidia; Dulciato, di Luffuria; & Guliar, di Gola.

SCENA 1. Quindeci angeli à gara lodono tutte l'opre divine.

SCENA 2. Adamo pone il nome à tutti gli animali, & infieme con Eva loda con molti encomii il fommo Dio,

SCENA 3. Serpe s'apparecchia per tentar Eva, disc per qual cagione habbi prefo quella forma, & non altra.

SCENA 4. Volàno narra a Sathan l'infernal configlio del modo di affaltar Eva,

SCENA 5. Vana Gloria e Serpe congiunti d'accordo entrano nel Paradifo terreftre, e fi nafcondono fù l'albero della fcienza del bene, e del male, per tentar Eva à guftare i frutti di quello,

SCENA 6. Eva gloriandofi dei tanti favori, ẹ gratie riceuute da Dio, rimira il Serpe fopra l'albero, e con molte ragioni da quello perfuafa, prende il pomo, la gufta, e và cercando Adamo, per farlo fare l'istesso.

ATTO