WINDSOR-FOREST. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE GEORGE LORD LANSDOWN. THY VARIATIONS. GRAN VER. 3, &c. Originally thus (and indeed much better): Nymphs of the vales, and Naïads of the floods, Lead me through arching bow'rs, and glimm'ring glades, NOTES. POPE. This Poem was written at two different times: the first part of it, which relates to the country, in the year 1704, at the same time with the Paftorals; the latter part was not added till the year 1713, in which it was published. P. a Notwithstanding the many praises lavished on this celebrated nobleman as a poet, by Dryden, by Add:fon, by Bolingbroke, by our Author, and others, yet candid criticism muft oblige us to confefs, that he was but a feeble imitator of the feeblest parts of Waller. In his tragedy of Heroic Love, he seems not to have had a true relish for Homer whom he copied; and in the British Enchanters, very little fancy is to be found in a fubje&t fruitful of romantic imagery. It was fortunate for him, fays Mr. Walpole in his Anecdotes, that in an age when perfecution raged fo fiercely against lukewarm authors, that he had an intimacy with the Inquifitor General; how else would fuch lines as these escape the Bathos; they are in his Heroic Love: GRANVILLE commands; your aid, O Muses, bring! What Mufe for GRANVILLE can refuse to fing? NOTES. 6 The His Progrefs of Beauty, and his Essay on Unnatural Flights in Poetry, seem to be the best of his pieces; in the latter are many good critical remarks and precepts, and it is accompanied with notes that contain much agreeable inftruction. For it may be added, his profe is better than his verse. Witness a Letter to a Young Man on his taking Orders, his Obfervations on Burnet, and his Defence of his relation Sir Richard Grenville, and a Translation of fome parts of Demofthenes, and a Letter to his Father on the Revolution, written in October 1688. After having been Secretary at War 1710, Controller and Treasurer to the Household, and of her Majesty's Privy Council, and created a Peer 1711, he was feized as a suspected person, at the acceffion of King George the First, and confined in the Tower, in the very chamber that had before been occupied by Sir Robert Walpole. whatever may be thought of Lord Lanfdown as a poet, his character as a man was highly valuable. His converfation was most pleasing and polite; his affability, and univerfal benevolence and gentleness, captivating; he was a firm friend, and a fincere lover of his country. WARTON. But Johnson remarks, that this Poem was written after the model of Denham's Cooper's Hill, with perhaps an eye on Waller's Poem of The Park. Marvel has alfo written a Poem on Local Scenery, 66 upon the Hill and Grove at Billborow;" and another, "on "Appleton Houfe," (now Nunappleton in Yorkshire). Marvel abounds with conceits and falfe thoughts, but fome of the defcriptive touches are picturesque and beautiful. His description of a gently rifing eminence is more picturesque, although not fo elegantly and juftly expreffed, as the fame subject is in Denham. I tranfcribe the following, as the Poem is but little read : See what a foft accefs, and wide, Nor IMITATIONS. VER. 6. "neget quis carmina Gallo ?" VIRG. The Groves of Eden, vanish'd now fo long, Live in defcription, and look green in fong: Thefe, REMARKS. VER. 7. Allufion to Milton's Paradife Loft. WARTON. VER. 8. Live in defcription,] Evidently fuggefted by Waller: "Of the firft Paradife there's nothing found, Yet the defcription lafts; who knows the fate Sometimes Marvel obferves little circumftances of rural nature with the eye and feeling of a true Poet : Then as I careless on the bed Of gelid ftrawberries do tread, The batching thruflle's fining eye." The last circumstance is new, highly poetical, and could only have been defcribed by one who was a real lover of nature, and a witness of her beauties in her moft folitary retirements. It is the obfervation of fuch circumflances, which can alone form an accurate defcriptive rural Poet. In this province of his art, Pope there fore These, were my breast inspir'd with equal flame, Where REMARKS. VER. 9. infpir'd with equal flame,] That is (as I understand it), if the Poet were infpired with Milton's poetical flame, then thefe groves, which resemble the groves of Eden, and which, though vanish'd, revive in his fong-these groves (of Windsor) should be like in fame, as in beauty. Dr. Warton thinks there is an inconfiftency, but I muft confefs I do not perceive it; at least, I think there is no expreffion here used but fuch as is fairly allowable in Poetry. VER. 10. Like them in beauty, should be like in fame] "Like him in birth thou fhouldft be like in fame. As thine his fate, if mine had been his flame." DENHAM. NOTES. fore muft evidently fail, as he could not defcribe what his phy fical infirmities prevented his obferving. For the fame reafon, Johnson, as a critic, was not a proper judge of this fort of Poetry. Before this defcriptive poem on Windfor-Foreft, I do not recollect any other profeffed compofition on local fcenery, except the Poems of the Authors already mentioned. For Milton's Allegro, though in part perhaps taken from real scenery, cannot be claffed with poems written profeffedly on particular spots. Denham's is certainly the beft, prior to Pope's: his defcription of London at a diftance, is fublime: "Under his proud furvey the City lies, And like a mift beneath a hill doth rife, Whofe ftate and wealth, the bus'nefs and the crowd, |