O for an Aretine”, to scourge from hence 155

Aristrocats, who fetter common sense;

NOTES,

Ye rugged rocks! which holy knees have worn.
Epistle of Eloisa to Abelard.

Quit'st the mild blessing to explore its cause.
P. 24.

And dulling delight, by exploring its cause. Moon E. But “ loftier” honors and “more” noisy fame Attend the “son” of gentle Buckingham”. - Pope. If I have said too much of his lordship's poetry, I believe I have said too little of his titles, and hasten to give an erratum on a subject of such importance. For “ Lord George Grenville,” then, read “Lord George Grenville-Temple Nugent,” or “Lord George Grenville-Nugent Temple,” which the reader pleases.—

Sat habeo.
—* Ecco il flagello

De' Principi, il divin Aretino. Orlando Furioso, can. 46. stan. 14. So says Ariosto. See also Giambatista Chiaramonti. Le Accademie non erano celebri, se non era l'Aretino loro

* Lord G. is son to the Marquess of Buckingham.
C

Chain reason down, and urge their course along,
In all the license of unmeaning song.
Where, where, shall humble Genius find retreat,
Elbowed by rhyming Peers in ev'ry street; 160
Who view with scorn his unobtrusive lay;
Or worse, steal from him half its praise away
Shame on thee, Grenville! leave this wretched aim,
Nor build thy hopes upon another's fame;
Let native thoughts atone for want of skill, 165
Be dull, be tasteless, but be honest still.
Yet, not like Thurlow *, (name rever'd till now

Tor soundest judgment and unbending brow,)

NOTES.

membro. I Sovrani ed i Grandi volevano quasi per pompanelle loro Gallerie l' effigie dell’Aretino o in midaglia o in statua o in tela. * This nobleman has thrown before the public an imperfect poem; to which are affixed a few of the most wretched sonnets,

(elegidia crudi dictarunt proceres) that ever disgraced either a

Turn general Puffer to a noble throng,

Praise Peers in sonnets, Princes in a song. 17O

NOTES.

noble or ignoble scribbler. The following specimens may serve

to illustrate:—

To the Most Noble Prince, the Duke of Dorset.

So clear antiquity revives in thee,

The living record of mobility.

To the Right Honorable the Earl Spencer.

Transcendant Lord, accept this verse from me,

Made for all time, but yet unworthy thee.

To the Right Honorable the Earl Moira.
To thee, that art the glory of our days,

And patron of all princely gentleness,
This image of delight my Muse conveys,
To be accepted of thy nobleness.

Therefore, Great Lord, vouchsafe this book to take,

Both for its own, and for its author's sake.

He, -withess Lord! for Dorset labors hard,

For Spencer, Moira, Holland, and Granard:

NOTES.
To the Right Honorable Lord Holland.

Most furored Lord, in whose pure intellect,
(The Temple of divine Humanity,)
Th' eternal Muse's triumph with affect

Of all that lives above the lamping sky.

To the Right Honorable the Earl of Granard.

Yet may I not my thankful labours cease,
Till this sweet work in part I dedicate

To you, Heroick Lord, in War or Peace
The equal grace and glory of our State.

May it not reasonably be anticipated, that in some future age,

if a copy of this should then be extant, it would prove a more

difficult undertaking to explain, than ever Commentator encoun

tered, for the greater part is absolutely unintelligible at the

present time !

And then, the Princely Regent of these realms

With one vast stream of fustian overwhelms.

NOTES.

Lord Thurlow has undoubtedly mistaken his talents, and should rather have been

Ouvrier estimé dans un art necessaire
Qu'ecrivain du commun et poéte vulgaire.
Ilest dans tout autre art des degrès differens,
On peut avec honneur remplirles seconds rangs,
Mais, dans l'art dangereux de rimer et d'ecrire,
Il n'est point de degrès du mediocre au pire.
BoIL. Art. Poet. chant 4.

Is it to be endured that a publication like this should pass through a first edition in the course of a few months, while so many of far superior merit “rot on the mouldering shelves?” but it may easily be explained—they are not the works of “a Rhyming Peer''' Haud facile emergunt, quorum virtutibus obstat

Res angusta domi. Juv. Sat. 3.

By the bye, if I mistake not, Lord Thurlow holds a patent place under the Chancellor, called “Clerk of the Custodies of