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some papers for his Guardian,' appears in the letters, and other works, of the wits of that time. Johnson supposes, that it was his friendly interference which attempted to bring Pope and Addison together, after a jealous separation. Pope's friendship with Congreve appears, also, in his letters. He also dedicated the Iliad' to him, over the heads of peers and patrons. Congreve, whose conversation, most likely, partook of the elegance and wit of his writings, and whose manners appear to have rendered him an universal favourite, had the honour, in his youth, of attracting singular respect and regard from Dryden. He was publicly hailed by him as his successor, and affectionately bequeathed the care of his laurels. Dryden did not know who had been looking at him in the coffee-house.

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Already I am worn with cares and age,
And just abandoning th' ungrateful stage;
Unprofitably kept at Heaven's expense,
I live a rent charge on his providence.
But you, whom every Muse and Grace adorn,
Whom I foresee to better fortune born,
Be kind to my remains; and O defend,
Against your judgment, your departed friend;

Let not th' insulting foe my fame pursue,

But shade those laurels which descend to you.'

Congreve did so, with great tenderness. "Dryden is reported to have asked Milton's permission to turn his "Paradise Lost" into a rhyming tragedy, which he called, "The State of Innocence, or the Fall of Man;" a work, such as might be expected from such a mode of alteration. The venerable Poet is said to have answered,

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Ay, young man, you may tag my verses, if you will.' Be the connection, however, of Dryden with Milton, or of Milton with Davenant, as it may, Dryden wrote the alteration of Shakspeare's Tempest,' as it is now perpetrated, in conjunction with Davenant. They were great hands, but they should not have touched the pure grandeur of Shakspeare. The intimacy of Davenant with Hobbes is to be seen by their correspondence prefixed to Gondibert.' Hobbes was, at one time, secretary to Lord Bacon; a singularly illustrious instance of servant and master. Bacon is, also, supposed to have had Ben Jonson for a retainer in some capacity; but it is certain that Jonson had his acquaintance, for he records

it in his

Discoveries.'* And had it been

otherwise, his link with the preceding writers could be easily supplied through the medium of Greville and Sydney, and, indeed, of many others of his contemporaries. Here, then, we arrive at Shakspeare, and feel the electric virtue of his hand. Their intimacy, dashed a little, perhaps, with jealousy on the part of Jonson, but maintained to the last by dint of the nobler part of him, and of Shakspeare's irresistible fineness of nature, is a thing as notorious as their fame. Fuller says, 'Many were the witcombates betwixt (Shakspeare) and Ben Jonson, which two I behold like a Spanish great galleon, and an English man-of-war: Master Jonson (like the former) was built far higher in learning solid, but slow in his performances. Shakspeare, with the English manof-war, lesser in bulk, but lighter in sailing, could turn with all tides, tack about, and take

* Published after Lord Bacon's degradation, and when he was almost universally deserted: an honourable memorial of the fallen greatness of the one, and of the independence of the other.-EDITOR.

advantage of all winds, by the quickness of his wit and invention.' This is a happy simile, with the exception of what is insinuated about Jonson's great solidity. But let Jonson shew for himself the affection with which he regarded one who did not irritate or trample down rivalry, but rose above it, like the quiet and all-gladdening sun, and turned emulation to worship.

'Soul of the age!

Th' applause! delight! the wonder of our Stage!
My Shakspeare, rise! I will not lodge thee by

Chaucer, or Spenser, or hid Beaumont lie

A little further, to make thee a room :
Thou art a monument without a tomb;

And art alive still, while thy book doth live,
And we have wits to read, and praise to give.

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He was not of an age, but for all time.''

LEIGH HUNT.

THOMSON, AND MALLET.

"THOMSON and Mallet were both educated at the University of Edinburgh. Thomson came up to town without any certain view: Mallet got him into a Nobleman's family as tutor. He did not like that affair; left it in about three quarters of a year and came down

to Mallet, at Twiford. There he wrote single Winter Pieces. They, at last, thought it might make a Poem. It was, at first, refused by the Printer; but received by another. Mallet wrote the Dedication to the Speaker. Dodington sent his services to Thomson by Dr. Young, and desired to see him that was thought hint enough for another dedication to him; and this was the first introduction to that acquaintance. They make him promises, but he has nothing substantial as yet.' Thomson's father was a Presbyterian parson."

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POETS change their opinions of their own productions wonderfully, at different periods of life.

Baron Haller was, in his youth, warmly attached to poetic composition. His house was on fire; and, to rescue his poems, he rushed through the flames. He was so fortunate as to escape with his beloved manuscripts in his hands. Ten years afterwards, he conducted to the flames those very poems which he had ventured his life to preserve.

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