AT the suggestion of the ingenious Dr. John Hoadly, Mr. Hawkins Brown wrote fix little poems, entitled, a Pipe of Tobacco, in imitation of fix late English Poets, Cibber, Philips, Thomson, Young, Pope, Swift. The fecond was written by Dr. Hoadly himself. The two beft of these imitations are that of Young and Pope, whofe manner is exactly characterized. Mr. Hawkins Brown, by his admirable Latin Poem on the Immortality of the Soul, fhewed he had a genius far above thefe pleasantries. Dr. Hoadly once fhewed me a new Rehearsal, being a comedy written by himself and his brother, the Author of the Sufpicious Husband, to ridicule feveral modern tragedies. I remember they were particularly fevere on the Saguntum of Frowde and the Sophonisba of Thomfon. WARTON.

IMITATIONS OF ENGLISH POETS.

I.

CHAUCER.

WOMEN ben full of Ragerie,

Yet fwinken nat fans fecrefie.
Thilke moral fhall ye understond,

From Schoole-boy's Tale of fayre Irelond:
Which to the Fennes hath him betake,
To filche the gray Ducke fro the Lake.
Right then, there paffen by the way
His Aunt, and eke her Daughters tway.
Ducke in his Trowfes hath he hent,
Not to be spied of Ladies gent.
"But ho! our Nephew, (crieth one)
"Ho! quoth another, Cozen John;"
And stoppen, and lough, and callen out,—
This fely Clerk full low doth lout:
They afken that, and talken this,
"Lo here is Coz, and here is Mifs."
But, as he glozeth with Speeches foote,
The Ducke fore tickleth his Erfe roote:
Fore-piece and buttons all-to-brest,
Forth thrust a white neck, and red crest.

Te-he, cry'd Ladies; Clerke not spake:
Mifs ftar'd; and gray Ducke cried Quaake.
"O Moder, Moder, (quoth the daughter)
"Be thilke fame thing Maids longer a'ter?
"Bette is to pyne on coals and chalke,
"Then truft on Mon, whofe yerde can talke."

25

DR. WARTON juftly observes, "That this is a grofs and dull caricature of the Father of English Poetry." He might have added, it is as difgufting as it is dull, and no more like Chaucer, Billingsgate" is like “ an OBEREA."

than a 66

II.

SPENSER.

HE that was unacquainted with Spenfer, and was to form his ideas of the turn and manner of his genius from this piece, would undoubtedly fuppofe that he abounded in filthy images, and ex. celled in defcribing the lower scenes of life. But the characteristics of this sweet and allegorical poet are not only strong and circumftantial imagery, but tender and pathetic feeling, a moft melodious flow of versification, and a certain pleafing melancholy in his fentiments, the conftant companion of an elegant tafte, that cafts a delicacy and grace over all his compofitions. To imitate Spenser on a subject that does not partake of the pathos, is not giving a true representation of him; for he seems to be more awake and alive to all the foftneffes of nature than almost any writer I can recollect. There is an affemblage of difgufting and difagreeable founds in the following ftanza of Pope, which one is almoft tempted to think, if it were poffible, had been contrived as a contrast, or rather as a burlesque, of a most exquisite stanza in the Fairy Queen :

"The snappish cur (the paffengers annoy)

Close at my heel with yelping treble flies;

The whimp'ring girl, and hoarser-screaming boy,
Join to the yelping treble, fhrilling cries;
The scolding Quean to louder notes doth rise,
And her full pipes those shrilling cries confound;
To her full pipes the grunting hog replies;
The grunting hogs alarm the neighbours round,
And curs, girls, boys, in the deep base are drown'd.”

The very turn of thefe numbers bears the clofeft refemblance with the following, which are of themselves a complete concert of the most delicious mufic:

"The joyous birds shrouded in cheerful shade, Their notes unto the voice attempred sweet ;

VOL. II.

Th