The father, now, within his fpacious hands, Encompass'd all the mingled mafs of feas and lands; And, having heav'd aloft the ponderous fphere, He launch'd the world to float in ambient air. Of his irregular poems, that to Mrs. Arabella Hunt feems to be the best: his ode for Cecilia's Day, however, has fome lines which Pope had in his mind when he wrote his own. His Imitations of Horace are feebly paraphrastical, and the additions which he makes are of little value. He fometimes retains what were more properly omitted, as when he talks of vervain and gums to propitiate Venus. Of his Translations, the fatire of Juvenal was written very early, and may therefore be forgiven, though it have not the maffynefs and vigour of the original. In all his verfions ftrength and fprightlinefs are wanting: his Hymn to Venus, from Homer, is perhaps the best. His lines are weakened with expletives, and his rhymes are frequently imperfect. His petty poems are feldom worth the coft of criticism: fometimes the thoughts are falfe, and fometimes.common. In his verfes on lady Gethin, the latter part is an imitation of Dryden's ode on Mrs. Killigrew; and Doris, that has been fo lavishly flattered by Steele, has indeed fome lively stanzas, but the expreffion might be mended; and the moft ftriking part of the character had been already fhewn in Love for Love. His Art of Pleafing is founded on a vulgar but perhaps impracticable principle, and the ftalenefs of the sense is not concealed by any novelty of illustration or elegance of diction. This tiffue of poetry, from which he seems to have hoped a lafting name, is totally neglected, and known only as it is appended to his plays. While comedy or while tragedy is regarded, his plays are likely to be read; but, except what relates to the ftage, I know not that he has ever written a ftanza that is fung, or a couplet that is quoted. The general character of his Mifcellanies is, that they fhew little wit, and little virtue. Yet to him it must be confeffed that we are indebted for the correction of a national error, and the cure of our Pindarick madness. He first taught the English writers that Pindar's odes were regular; and though certainly he had not the fire requifite for the higher fpecies of lyrick poetry, he has fhewn us that enthusiasm has its rules, and that in mere confufion there is neither grace nor greatness, |