into an ignorance of his author;-at least, it does not exhibit to advantage his familiarity with the poets either of that age or the succeeding one. As an additional argument to prove, that Dryden had no hand in Buckingham's vulgar Essay on Satire, he asks in a note on that passage

To tell men freely of their foulest faults,

To laugh at their vain deeds and vainer thoughts,

"Would Dryden have pardoned such a rhyme?"! It would appear so, for he used it repeatedly himself. Not to multiply instances, see the 2d part of the Conquest of Grenada, Act 2. Sc. 1.-Act 3. Sc. 1. and Act 5. Sc. 2, three times in one play. It was also used after him by Pope, Swift, and others, who affected to be conscientious rhymers; and in fact, there was nothing in it to startle them; for it appears by Johnson's Dictionary, that as late as fifty years back, the l in fault was not only dropt or retained at pleasure, but that "in conversation it was generally suppressed.". It is curious, that one of the authorities, in which this pronunciation is exemplified, should be another passage from Dryden.

2 And Thomson, though best in his indolent fits, Either slept himself weary, or bloated his wits.

In thinking it necessary to explain this passage, I only wish to deprecate all idea of disrespect to the memory of Thomson,-a man of a most cordial nature as well as of genius. The "bloated his wits" alludes to the redundant and tumid character of much of his principal poem, and the "slept himself weary" to his Castle of Indolence, which certainly falls off towards the conclusion, though it is exquisite for the most part, particularly in the outset. I would rather take my idea of Thomson as a poet from this little production than from all the rest of his works put together. There is more of invention in it, more of unassisted fancy and abstract enjoyment; and in copying the simplicity together with the quaintnesses of a great poet, he became more natural, and really touched his subject with a more original freshness, than when he had his style to himself.

3 But ever since Pope spoil'd the ears of the town With his cuckoo-song verses, half up and half down, &c.

The charge against Pope of a monotonous and cloy. ing versification is not new; but his successors have found the style of too easy and accommodating a description to part with it; and readers in general, it must be confessed, have more than acquiesced in their want of ambition. The late Dr. Darwin, whose notion of poetical music, in common with that of Goldsmith and others, was of the school of Pope, though his taste was otherwise different, was perhaps the first, who by carrying it to its extreme pitch of sameness, and ringing it affectedly in one's ears, gave the public at large a suspicion that there was something wrong in it's nature. But of those who saw it's deficiencies, part had the ambition without the taste or attention requisite for striking into a better path, and became eccentric in another extreme; while others, who saw the folly of both, were content to keep the beaten track and set a proper example to neither. By these appeals, how

ever, the public ear has been excited to expect something better; and perhaps there never was a more favourable time than the present, for an attempt to bring back the real harmonies of the English heroic, and to restore to it half the true principle of its music,-variety.

I am not here joining the cry of those, who affect to consider Pope as no poet at all. He is, I confess, in my judgment, at a good distance from Dryden, and at an immeasurable one from such men as Spenser and Milton; but if the author of the Rape of the Lock, of Eloisa to Abelard, and of the Elegy on an Unfortunate Lady, is no poet, then are fancy and feeling no properties belonging to poetry. I am only considering his versification; and upon that point I do not hesitate to say, that I regard him, not only as no master of his art, but as a very indifferent practiser, and one whose reputation will grow less and less, in proportion as the lovers of poetry become intimate with his great predecessors, and with the principles of musical beauty in general. Johnson, it is true, objects to those who judge of

Pope's versification" by principles rather than perception," treating the accusation against him as a cant, and suspecting that the accusers themselves ❝would have less pleasure in his works, if he had tried to relieve attention by studied discords, and affected to break his lines and vary his pauses." It is dangerous to hazard conclusions with regard to the opinions of others, upon matters of which our own senses have but imperfectly informed us. Johnson, by his own confession, had no ear; and on this subject, as well as graver ones, might be inclined to resent opinions, which interfered with his selflove, or disturbed the preconceived notions upon which he had rested himself. Without dwelling therefore upon the praises which he has elsewhere bestowed upon these very varieties, and which we may reasonably suspect him of having pronounced upon the strength of the rule which he treats so contemptuously, it ought to be recollected, that the

* See particularly the life of Dryden, where he praises that excellent versifier for knowing how "to vary his pauses and adjust his accents;" and observes, that as " the essence of verse is regularity,” so “its ornament is variety.”