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of inftruments. All the geographical
publications fince the great and cele-
brated work of De Lima are but meagre
extracts from that book; and it is a
difgrace that there is no map of Portu-
gal except that of Lopez,, in which are
great errors as to places moft common-
ly known. This evil however will be
corrected for the Prince Regent has
fent out fome geographers to make a
journey through Portugal, for the im-
provement of the maps. Thefe gentle-
men have begun to take observations
on both fides of the Tagus, of Serra
de Eftrella, and Serra de Foia. The
Prince has alfo folemnly opened a geo-
graphical academy, the benefits of
whofe labours are ftill expected."-
P. 493.

COMPARATIVE VIEW OF THE SPANISH
AND PORTUGUEZE LANGUAGES.

"THE Portugueze is one of thofe languages that fpring from the Latin, to which moft of its words belong, though it affumed a totally different and northern character, like the Spanish, Italian, French, and even the modern Greek. Moft of the words are but little different from the Latin, but the fyntax, the auxiliary verbs, to have and to be, the ufe of the article, &c. are northern. The whole language very nearly approximates to the Spanith, but has a very different pronunciation, and many words peculiar to itself.

"It is very difficult to compare two languages in regard to harmony, as this depends much on being accuftomed to them; for we naturally confider that as beautiful, to which we have been habituated from early youth; while ftrange founds are frequently unpleasant. Yet all nations agree in

confidering too many or too crowded confonants as a defect, and to gutturals moft nations are particularly averfe. Simple vowels have alfo on the whole a clearer and more pleafing found than diphthongs; but on the other hand too many vowels and the want of diphthongs give too much uniformity, which is equally unpleafing. Thus the language of Otaheite would appear ridiculous to moft nations, and even the Italian has the fame monotonous defect; the continual terminations in a, e, i, and o, being tire fome even in recitative. A language may also appear attcted by too great an abundanec of vowels or too foft a pronunciation of the confu nants, as for inftance, the Sweeth, in which k is pronounced like ti

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"The Spania poffusic 27 of harmony, having more to 22 minations, and a great than the Italian. diphthongs, and French; but its fe coe latter, give it a great pref amate, and the terminatic ́s or w frequently cacophonious. It may be lamented that j and x a guzurals†, unless the pronunciation of Eftrema dura‡, where they are founded nearly like h, were general.

"I will here add a few remarks on

the Spanish pronunciation, which I have vainly fought in grammars. The d between two vowels, as at the eri of a word, is not founded at all; fo: though this rule has been limited to participles in ado and ido, it is aimoft general. Mr. Fisher, in his Trave's through Spain, has remarked it of the words Prado and Guadalquivir; but it alfo applies to Badajoz Merida, and others . The pronunciation of ch is

"The author probably means the ufing them as figns of tenfes, those verbs and their inflexions being almost entirely Latin. T.”

"The author has forgotten that g before e and i is also an afpirated guttural: but provincial pronunciations and disfigurations are no real objections to the beauty and harmony of a language. The ftrong and numerous gutturals of the German, Irish, Welfh, &c. are a real deformity, efpecially when they terminate a word, as they frequently do in thofe languages, thereby rendering them wholly unadapted to mufic; but the softer and rather gutturals of the Spanish, where they fcarcely ever terminate a word, are rather an ornamental variety."

Almoft throughout Spain the gutturals are aspirated in good fociety but little ftronger than h; and at most with one soft vibration of the throat. T." S "The author furely means that the d is pronounced in these words, fuch being the general practice, though in Prado it is oftener mute in familiar con

veriation. T."

hard

be ac

hard like tsch in German; the moft
refined Spaniards pronounce it nearly
like zi in German, in a manner difficult
to initate. The z is almost always
lifped, but in a much more refined
manner than the English th +.
"The Spanish language may
cufed of a fpecies of affectation. The
t is often coupled with i when it pre-
cedes an e, and an e in the middle of a
word is often preceded by an i, as tier-
ra, tiniebras, tiene. To the u an e is
frequently subjoined ‡, as in Duero,
neuftro, puente: alfo the converfion
of the Latin pl into Il and the pronun-
ciation of the z may be included under
this head. But when the ear is accuf-
tomed to it, all affectation diminishes.
"With this affectation the Portu-
gueze cannot be reproached, for the i
is omitted every where, even where it
appears neceffary; ue is reftored to o,
and the z is not lifped. It is alfo free
from gutturals, both j and x being
pronounced like the French j, and the
ch like the fame letters in French. It
alfo poffeffes a greater variety by means
of various diphthongs. Thus ai is pro-
nounced as in German, ei as it is pro-
nounced by the Livonians, and ao final
as aung; on the other hand, it has
nafal founds like the French, viz. ao,
em, om, where the m is founded like
ng, which cannot be confidered as
pleafing. But it is a great defect to
want thofe grand and full-toned termi-
nations, in which the Spanish abounds;
for the laft fyllables in Portugueze
found mute, and as it were fwallowed;
and even when they end in a and o
thefe vowels are pronounced fo ihort,
that a mere mute e is heard. To this
may be added the ugly cuftom of pro-
nouncing the s at the end both of
words and of fyllables as a weak sch

(fh): thus mais is pronounced maisch, and Lisboa almoft Lifchboe. This pronunciation however is not so common in the provinces and among the lower claffes as in the metropolis and among the higher orders; and feems to be originally a species of affectation. I was told this affectation is very recent, having been unknown twenty years ago, and that it originated from the English. As I received this account from a man of much information, I am convinced I may rely on its accuracy.

"On the whole, the Portugueze, especially as it is now fpoken, is not fo fonorous as the Spanish. It is indeed without gutturals, but, on the other hand, abounds in nafal founds, mute terminations, and too much fibillation." P. 497.

"For eafe in converfation the Portugueze is preferable to the Spanish. It is fhorter; the pronunciation requires lefs exertion, is far removed from all affectation, and resembles a fibillating whisper. To thefe advantages may be added a greater facility in addreffing one another in converfation. The Spaniards exprefs the word you by ufted (pronounced ooftay) which is a contradiction of vueftra merced, and to omit this word is an extreme affront, fimilar to using du (thou) in German as a mark of contempt. Perfons of rank are addreffed with uffia (a contraction for vueftra fenoria ). The Portugueze has no fuch contractions; the words voffa mercé, volľa fenhoria, voffa excellencia, being always fpoken at length, though pronounced with great rapidity; but then it is not polite often to repeat them, the third perfon being used without further addition, and thefe phrafes only at the beginning of a converfation, or in fome particular

*Or as in the English word church. The pronunciation, like the German zi, the tranflator does not remember to have heard in Spain. T."

"In the capital, and where the language is the pureft, the z is pronounced like the English th, beginning with the tongue between the teeth, as is the c before e and i, or when thus written (q) before other vowels. The d is alfo pronounced beginning with the tongue fomewhat between the teeth. This is difficult to imitate, and induces a habit of lifping other languages. T."

"Or rather the Latin o is changed into ue, particularly in the commencement of words. T."

"And uffencia, which is a contraction for vueftra excellencia. T." "In addreffing a Portugueze who is not noble, the phrafe voffa mercé is ufed; to a noble without a title voffa fenhoria; to counts, marquiffes, &c. volla excellencia. More courtefy is however fhown to the ladies; every one who is noble, though untitled, being addreffed by voffa excellencia."

"Like the German vons."

cafes.

cafes. This renders conversation very pleafant, whereas the conftant repetition of ufted in Spanish encumbers it with needlefs redundancy; the Portugueze is alfo especially formed for chitchat, for much may be fpoken without faying any thing. Thus the connectives or expletives pois and pois entao (well, well then), are continually used, though merely to gain time; and when any one tells a ftory, the words efta bom, efta feito (it is well, it is done), denote that it is concluded. Perfons

both of high and low birth conftantly ufe thefe and other expletives, frequently very mal-apropos. Thus on inquiring of a woman after we had travelled fome way into Algarve, whether we had yet entered that province, fhe anfwered, Pois entao, Algarve, efta feito, efta aqui' (well then, Algarve, it is done, it is here). It must be allowed, however, that this kind of converfation, which is always intermixed with many forms and ceremonies, may in ferious affairs become very fatiguing." P. 502.

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CONTENTS.

VOL. I.

PREFACE-Seven Odes-Elegy -Three Sonnets-Twenty-one Epigrams-Mifcellanies Battle of Eddington, a Tragedy.

VOL. II.

modernized, Parts I. and ÎI.—ImitaImitations, &c. The Squire's Tale tion of the 6th Satire of PerfiusArt of English Poetry, being an Imitation, with Notes, of Horace's Epiftle to the Pifos-Tranflations from Petrarch. Part I. Poems during the Life of Laura. Part II. Poems after the Death of Laura-The twelfth Pythian Ode of Pindar-Tranflation of a Latin Ode, by Gray.

EXTRACT FROM THE PREFACE.

"OF the poems which have been before published, I have chiefly to repeat what I have already said. They are the produce of that leifure which, though coming unfought for to the lover of literature, tends equally to multiply proofs of the natural bias of his mind. Part of them are only to be attributed to the occafions which

apparently called them forth; but the generality are owing alfo, more or less, to a defire I had of exemplifying fome points of criticism, and of poffeffing a fort of memorial of thofe judgments, which the purfuits I was engaged in had from time to time led me to form. As thefe opinions, therefore, bear rather a clofe relation to the poems colto refer to fome of the former in treatlectively confidered, I conceive, that ing of the latter, will not only be thought not foreign to the purpose, but that, in affording new matter for reflection, it will fenfibly apologize to the reader, for calling his attention twice to the fame compofitions.

"Before I specify any one in particular, I have only to obferve concerning them all, that a finished and correct ftyle has been attempted, and perhaps in fome refpects fuccefsfully; as well as that the example of certain innovations in the ftructure of the verse, and in the form of the expreffion (though I cannot fay that they have yet prevailed generally), has been diligently guarded againft. Inftances of

thefa

thefe are, firft, where an affected or improper ftrefs is laid upon the third fyllable in the verse; as in the following instance:

The glad beam brightens

I do not mean to fay, that our Iambic does not allow a degree of ftrefs to be laid upon the third fyllable, which often improves the effect. We find in every page verses like,

• Of man's first disobedienceAnd,

In these deep folitudes

And Pope likewife cautiously, and where the sense supports him, introduces verfes compofed in the manner even of the first of these three examples: as,

The green reed trembles, and the

bulrush nods.'

"Another mode of poetical expreffion, and which may be accounted innovation when frequently and commonly used, is where the verb precedes the nominative cafe. The beft poets, who have indeed employed this conftruction, especially where the freedom of blank verfe gave it greater propriety, have done fo but fparingly. We may bear poffibly,

Refounds the living furface of the ground-'

but it seems used in fuch inftances as

the ne plus ultrà of poetical license. There are fome, I know, who approve with me of Cicero's opinion, that the only ftyle to be cultivated, is that which is the moft proper to communicate and enforce our fentiments; confequently who will fee no originality in a departure, upon general principles, from the verfification and phrafeology of Pope and Dryden.

"Among the Odes there is one which formed a chorus in the first edition of the Battle of Eddington. I thought it did not fufficiently adhere to the rule of Horace, forbidding

Quod non propofito conducat, et hæreat aptè.'

Odes between the acts that feem • Unapt, or foreign to the general

theme.'

COLMAN.

I likewife thought the correfpondence of the rhymes might not be fufficiently perceptible. Yet I recollect a wifh I

at the fame time made, that the rage for novelty would fpend itself upon rhymes, inftead of altering the fimplicity of language. Except the ode now republished, every thing that I could at all with recommended to attention

in the firft, will be found in the second edition of the Battle of Eddington.

"The Sonnet, though of modern ' invention, has engaged the attention of Boileau, and other critics. It has been, and is ftill in different countries, often employed to celebrate trifling occurrences, which form proper fubjects for occafional verfes, but do not admit of much of the fpirit of poetry; but I muft confefs I am moft ftruck with the opinions of thofe who confider it as a fpecies of elegy. It seems to me, full as much as elegy, equal to a display of the pomp of numbers: and I have often admired the graceful dignity of its march, with its attendant rhymes. It feems to have been well employed, as it has lately been, in defcribing particular places; especially when fome interefting event of pat times has occurred in a beautiful spot: for this is a proper fubject for elegy. The fonnet too, by its brevity, is fitted for the traveller, who is always on the point of vifiting fome new place, and receiving new impreffions that might efface the former ones. It is calculated to exprefs a fingle and general elegiac fentiment, before other thoughts connected with it have been fuggefted by the fubject; and as there is, of courfe, the greater unity where a compofition does not confift of tranfitions, but forms of itfelf one fentiment, the clofe relation of its parts by means of rhyme correfponds with this unity, and diftinguishes this fort of poem. Boileau thinks repeated rhyme fo neceffary to the fonnet, that he makes that its definition, though he gives no reason for its neceflity.

"I have faid elsewhere, that it may be a queftion, whether the fonnet might not exceed the bounds of elegy, and extend to every thing poetical that may be conceived in a fingle thought; forming thus a contraft in character with epigram, which might then confine itfelf to point and wit. Suitably to this idea, we have fome fonnets which resemble the Greek epigram. The reader and writer will better underftand each other, when the proper feparation and diftribution of styles

fhall,

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fhall, by any means, have been completed. But though it is allowable to fpeculate moderately, alteration, perhaps, ought here to be avoided.

"It has been obferved, that thofe moral writers are highly ferviceable, who, by means of thort and ftriking precepts, keep up that lively fenfe of duty to which the mind is too little prone. The Epigram, though of little dignity as a compofition or a work of fancy, is particularly calculated to be a vehicle of these; and, however liable to abufe, may be much relied on by the moralift. It refembles farce, of which it has been faid, that its pro'feffed end, if we allow it to have any ⚫ reasonable one, is to inftru&t.' Thofe, therefore, who declaim enthusiastically againft point and inferior wit, made ufe of as they are by the ancients in compofitions which are their proper vehicles, as if they were out of place, have not, probably, fuch poetical powers as their high tone and convenient argument would infinuate. Ariftotle speaks of a perception of the relations of things as a proof of genius; but the notion which thofe perfons entertain, would induce us to think it was rather a proof of dulnefs.

"The work to be noticed after the Epigrains, is that which, if it has fuggefted new critical rules, may be faid to have extended Alfred's influence, as a legiflator, even to the drama. I have, in another part of thefe volumes, unfolded its nature and object; and fhall here, therefore, content myself with obferving, that I had formed a dramatic fcheme, with much thought, and with very peculiar views. Such unavoidable impediments to its execution as many authors experience, induced me at length to lay it wholly afide; and perceiving (now that enthusiasm has abated, and circumftances altered) the degree of trouble that must attend its execution, I am very far from being likely to refume it. But though I never fhall be willing, that what I may write fhould be exhibited on any Englifh theatre, my opinions of the drama will be lefs clear than I fhould with, unless I compofe one or two pieces, to be judged of in the clofet, which may remove the objections that arose from my meaning being misapprehended, by giving examples of a character of writing that I contented myself with defcribing. This therefore, reforting, not ~

to fubjects which I once fixed upon, but to fome that furnish still more useful morals, I intend to do at my leifure; although I finally relinquish the drama as a principal pursuit, when I first proposed to myself an advantage from changing the line of my writing." P. viii.

EXTRACTS.

ODE TO TIME;, WRITTEN ON THE
NEW YEAR'S DAY OF 1781.

"TIME, awful power, that rul'ft o'er
all;

By rich, by poor, unbrib'd, unpitying found;

Beneath whofe arm triumphant heroes fall,

And golden palaces beftrew the defert ground:

"Too long, whene'er thou haft renew'd

The flowery foliage, or matur'd the

plain,

Have War, and Ruin fell, his hated brood,

And Death untimely, lower'd amid thy mournful train;

"While daunted at thy brow fevere

Spring check'd her joy, the bloom of Summer fled;

Autumn fate weeping on his fheaves,

and near

Ev'n fullen Winter wore a thrilling gloom more dread.

"O, as thou hold'ft thy ceafelefs courfe,

Grown milder now, great Power;

with Peace combin'd, Driving far off grim War and lawless Force,

Thy formidable locks with lafting olive bind.

"So may the fields revive, and late Where Defolation triumph'd, Plenty reign:

By

Fear withheld, though mourning

at his fate,

So may the labourer ply his cheerful toil again!

"Calm Nature's voice, and woodnotes sweet,

The din of loud artillery fucceed; Commerce a world's returning treasure greet;

Nor fad Britannia more, begirt with trophies, bleed." Fol. i. p. 8.

EPIGRAM.

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