(The glory of the priesthood, and the shame!) Stemmed the wild torrent of a barbarous

age,

1

695

And drove those holy Vandals off the stage. But see! each Muse, in Leo's golden days, Starts from her trance, and trims her withered

bays;

Rome's ancient Genius, o'er its ruins spread, Shakes off the dust, and rears his reverend

head.

700

Then Sculpture and her sister-arts revive;
Stones leaped to form, and rocks began to live;
With sweeter notes each rising temple rung;
A Raphael painted, and a Vida sung.2
Immortal Vida: on whose honoured brow 705
The poet's bays and critic's ivy grow:
Cremona now shall ever boast thy name,
As next in place to Mantua, next in fame!

But soon by impious arms from Latium chased,

Their ancient bounds the banished Muses

passed;

710

Thence arts o'er all the northern world advance,
But critic-learning flourished most in France;
The rules a nation, born to serve, obeys;
And Boileau still in right of Horace sways.
But we, brave Britons, foreign laws despised,
And kept unconquered, and uncivilized;
Fierce for the liberties of wit, and bold,
We still defied the Romans, as of old.

Yet some there were, among the sounder few

716

1 The "glory" from his own greatness, the "shame" from the rancour with which some of his brother priests assailed him.-Croker.

2 M. Hieronymus Vida, an excellent Latin poet, who writ an "" Art of Poetry " in verse. He flourished in the time of Leo the Tenth.-P.

Q

Of those who less presumed, and better knew,
Who durst assert the juster ancient cause, 721
And here restored Wit's fundamental laws.
Such was the Muse, whose rules and practice
tell,1

"Nature's chief Master-piece is writing well."
Such was Roscommon, not more learn'd than
good,

725

Essay on Poetry "by the Duke of Buckingham. Our poet is not the only one of his time who complimented this Essay, and its noble author. Mr. Dryden had done it very largely in the Dedication to his Translation of the Æneid; and Dr. Garth, in the first edition of his "Dispensary," says:

"The Tiber now no courtly Gallus sees,

But smiling Thames enjoys his Normanbys: " though afterwards omitted, when parties were carried so high in the reign of Queen Anne, as to allow no commendation to an opposite in politics. The Duke was all his life a steady adherent of the Church of England party, yet an enemy to the extravagant measures of the court in the reign of Charles II. On which account, after having strongly patronized Mr. Dryden, a coolness succeeded between them on that poet's absolute attachment to the court, which carried him some lengths beyond what the Duke could approve of. This nobleman's true character had been very well marked by Mr. Dryden before:

Himself a Muse.

"The Muse's friend,
In Sanadrin's debate,
True to his prince, but not a slave of state.
Abs. and Achit.

Our author was more happy: he was honoured very young with his friendship, and it continued till his death in all the circumstances of a familiar esteem.P.

John Sheffield, Marquis of Normanby and Duke of Buckinghamshire, died 1720. Wentworth Dillon, Earl of Roscommon, author of "An Essay on Translated Verse," died 1684. William Walsh, "a flimsy and frigid writer" (Warton), died 1709.

་

With manners generous as his noble blood;
To him the wit of Greece and Rome was known,
And every author's merit, but his own.

Such late was Walsh, the Muse's judge and friend,

Who justly knew to blame or to commend: 730
To failings mild, but zealous for desert;
The clearest head, and the sincerest heart.
This humble praise, lamented shade! receive,
This praise at least a grateful Muse may give :
The Muse, whose early voice you taught to

735

sing, Prescribed her heights, and pruned her tender

wing,

(Her guide now lost) no more attempts to rise, But in low numbers short excursions tries: Content, if hence the unlearn'd their wants

may view,

The learn'd reflect on what before they knew; Careless of censure, nor too fond of fame; 741 Still pleased to praise, yet not afraid to blame; Averse alike to flatter, or offend;

Not free from faults, nor yet too vain to mend.

THE RAPE OF THE LOCK.

AN

HEROI-COMICAL POEM.

WRITTEN IN THE YEAR 1712.