no man of a true poctical fpirit is mafter of himfelf while he reads them. Hence, he is a writer fit for univerfal perufal; adapted to all ages and ftations; for the old and for the young; the man of bufinefs and the scholar. He who would think the Fairy Queen, Palemon and Arcite, the Tempeft, or Comus, childish and romantic, might relish Pope. Surely it is no narrow and niggardly encomium to fay he is the great poet of reafon, the first of ethical authors in verse. And this fpecies of writing is, after all, the fureft road to an extenfive reputation. It lies more level to the general capacities of men, than the higher flights of more genuine poetry. "Where then, according to the question propofed at the beginning of this effay, fhall we with juftice be authorized to place our admired Pope? Not affuredly in the fame rank with Spencer, Shakespeare, and Milton, how ever justly we may applaud the Eloifa and Rape of the Lock; but confidering the correctnefs, elegance, and utility of his works, the weight of fentimert, and the knowledge of man they contain, we may venture to affign him a place next to Milton, and juft above Dryden. Yet, to bring our minds fteadily to make this decifion, we muft forget for a moment the divine mufic-ode of Dryden; and may perhaps then be compelled to confefs, that though Dryden be the greater genius, yet Pope is the better artist. "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 paffages in other modern authors, in Young and in Thomfon for inftance, equal to any of Pope; and he has written nothing in a ftrain fo truly fublime as the Bard of Gray.” THE CONTENT S. THE HISTORY OF EUROPE. CHAP. I. Retrofive view of affairs in the Eaft, which led to the lare alarming and dan СНАР. CHAP. IL. Situation and conduct of Moodajee Boufla, the Rajah of Berar. General God- Goddard fets out on his march for Poonah; receives contradictory in Aructions on the way, from the committee appointed to fuperintend the Bombay army; is met by a minifter from the court of Poonah, who defires his return with the army to Bengal, in pursuance of the treaty of Iorgaum: Goddard refuses to comply, and directs his courfe to Surat. Prefidency of Bombay difaces the treaty of Wa gaum, and thereby expofe the hoflages to great apparent danger. Now schemes adopted for a revolution in the Maratta Government. Supreme council conform the conduct of Bombay in difavowing the convention of Worgaum; but empower Goddard to negociate a treaty upon other terms with the Maraṭṭas. parations at the fame time made for war, and a renewal of the negociation with Moodajee Boola determined. Strong complaints made by the court of Poonah, of the faithless conduct of the Company. Ragobah efcapes from the cuftody of the Marattas, and fles for refuge to Goddard's camp, which increafes the difficulties of the negociation with the former. Various causes which led to the confederacy of the great princes of India for the extermination of the English. Marattas break off the negociation with Goddard, and conclude a peace and alliance with Hyder Ally. Treaty of alliance concluded by the fupreme council with the Ranna of Ghod. Gen. Goddard concludes a treaty with Futty Sing; takes Ahmedabad, the capital of the Guzerat, by form, and reduces the swhole province. Sindia and Holkar arrive with a Maratta army. Sindia reflores the gentlemen who were given as hoftages at orgaum. Propofals by Sindia for an accommodation rejected. General Goddard attacks and defeats the Maratta army. Capt. Campbell repulfes Sindia, and preferves Licut. Walsh furprizes and defeats a large body of Marattas. Another large body defeated by Major Forbes. Major Popham's fucceffes on the fide of Bengal; drives the Marattas out of the country of Ġbod; and furprifes the fortress of Gualier, which had always been deemed impregnable. State of affairs in the Carnatic. Treaty with Bazalet Jung for the Gun- toar Circar, with other tranfactions, which led to great jealousy, dislike, and ill-will, on the fide of the Nizam of the Deccan, and of Hyder Ally СНАР. III. Dif State of affairs on the coaft of Coromandel. Mahie taken. Nabob of Arcot. Meer and Tippoo Saib; but Hyder's whole army being in his way, is unable to proceed on his march. Colonel Fletcher fent with a chofen detachment to reinforce Baillie. Defperate action between Hyder's army and the united detachment. Singular gallantry difplayed by that small body of men. Accidental blowing up of their powder, changes the fortune of the day, and occafions the loss of the whole corps. Great flaughter; Colonel Fletcher killed, and Baillie, with a small number of Europeans, taken prisoners. General Sir Hector Monro retreats to Chingleput, and from thence to Ma- dras. Deplorable fate of the country, and of the Company's affairs. Gun- toor circar restored to Bazalet Jung; and a conciliatory letter fent to the Nizam. Hyder renews the fiege of Arcot. Takes the city, and afterwards the fort or citadel. Vigorous meafures taken by the Supreme Council for the relief of the Carnatic. Sir Eyre Coote arrives at Madras with a large fum of money and a reinforcement of Europeans from Bengal: rakes the com- mand of the army. Mr. Whitehill suspended from his office of Prefident and CHAP. IV. Sir Eyre Coote's defign of relieving the befieged fortrefes, confirmed by the Supplied. Dangers arifing from the perfidy of the French at Pondicherry obviated, by the general's difarming the inhabitants, deftroying their boats, and removing their magazines from Carangolly. Hyder's fhipping deftroyed in bis own ports by Sir Edward Hughes. Sir Eyre Coote marches to Porto Novo, to fruftrate the enemy's defign on Tritchinapoli. Hyder's immenfe force. Numberless difficulties which the English general bad to furmount. Grand battle on the ft of July. Hyder's waft hoft, after a very long and obftinate engagement, defeated. Hyder retreats towards Arcot, and Tippoo Saib raises the fiege of Wandewash. English general marches to the north- ward, and forms a junction with the forces from Bengal. Takes Trepaffore. defeats Hyder, in a hard and difficult conflict, on the 27th of Auguft. De- feats him a third time on the 27th of September. Succeeding actions, in which the English army is conftantly victorious. Sir Edward Hughes and Gen. Sir Hector Monro befiege Negapatam by fea and land. Place furren- dered upon conditions. The admiral proceeds to the island of Ceylon, and CHA P. V. |