Toast Church and Queen, explain the News, And shake his head at Doctor S-t. "SWIFT," fays Hume," has more humour than knowledge, more taste than judgment, and more spleen, prejudice, and paffion, than any of thofe qualities." Discourse v. At the hazard of an imputation of partiality to the Author, I venture to say, that I prefer a poem called, The Progress of Difcontent, to any Imitation of Swift that ever has yet appeared. I shall just add, that the Baucis and Philemon of La Fontaine far excells that of Swift. WARTON. T. Warton's poem, delicately alluded to by his brother, contains indeed many inimitable ftrokes of humour, but the humour in great measure furely confifts in the "heightening circumstances." The picture of the Parfon who has left Oxford, and is just set down on his benefice, is superior to this Imitation of Swift: "Continuing this fantaftic farce on, Keeps Bantam cocks, and feeds his turkies; And ftores the pond with carp and tench." Warton's Poems, vol. ii. p. 196. |