"Forfooth (quoth he) from placing Homer there, "For ancients to compyle is myne entente: "Of ancients only hath Lord Harley care;

141

"But hither me hath my meeke lady fent :"In manuscript of Greeke rede we thilke fame, "But book yprint best plesyth my gude dame." 145

XIX.

Yonder I fee, among th' expecting croud,

Evans with laugh jocofe, and tragic Young;
High-bufkin'd Booth, grave Mawbert, wand'ring
Frowd,

And Titcomb's belly waddles flow along.
See Digby faints at Southern talking loud,
Yea Steele and Tickell mingle in the throng;
Tickell whose skiff (in partnership they fay)
Set forth for Greece, but founder'd in the way.

· XX.

Lo the two Doncastles in Berkshire known!
Lo Bickford, Fortefcue, of Devon land!

150

155

Lo

NOTES.

VER. 149. flow along ] The names of the majority of perfons here enumerated, are in want of no illuftration; and concerning a few of them, it would be difficult to supply any. Titcomb, however, is mentioned in a letter from Pope to Congreve. "There is a grand revolution at Will's, Morrice has quitted for a coffee-house in the city, and Titcomb is reftored to the great joy of Cromwell, who was at a lofs for a perfon to converse with on the fathers, and church history." Ibid.

VER. 152. partnership they fay] Alluding to the rival transla

tion of Homer.

Lo Tooker, Eckerfhall, Sykes, Rawlinfon!
See hearty Morley takes thee by the hand!
Ayrs, Graham, Buckridge, joy thy voyage done;

But who can count the leaves, the stars, the fand? Lo Stonor, Fenton, Caldwell, Ward, and Broome! Lo thousands more, but I want rhyme and room!

XXI.

How lov'd! how honour'd thou! yet be not vain!
And fure thou art not, for I hear thee fay,
All this, my friends, I owe to Homer's ftrain,

On whofe ftrong pinions I exalt my lay.
What from contending cities did he gain;

And what rewards his grateful country pay ? None, none were paid-why then all this for me? Thefe honours, Homer, had been just to thee.

165

THERE is fomething truly interefting in this sketch of Gay's; it fets before us, in a moft familiar manner, the friends and companions of the day; and it is, moreover, beautifully touched and finished.

Almost all the perfons introduced have fome striking or humourous characteristic; we feem to fee them before us. The old beau, "Cromwell with red breeches;" Ned Blount, "with bufy pace, in hafle, but fauntering;" Evans, with "laugh jocofe," and tragic Young and laftly, my "Maitre Wanley," the honeft but fo lemn librarian of Lord Oxford. The following characteristic letter from Pope to him, is one of those in the British Museum, on the back of which he wrote his tranflation:

:

σε Το

Evans was the Epigrammatift of St. John's College, Oxford.

"To my worthy and special Friend, Maistre Wanley, dwelling "at my fingular goode Lord's, my Lord of Oxford, kindly "prefent.

"Worthy Sir,

"I fhall take it as a fingular mark of your friendly disposition "and kindneffe to me, if you will recommend to my palate, "from the experienced taste of yours, a doufaine quartes of goode and wholesome wine, fuch as yee drink at the Genoa "Arms, for the which I will in honorable fort be indebted, "and well and truly pay the owner thereof, your faid merchant "of wines at the faid Genoa Arms. As witnefs this myne hand, "which alfo witneffeth its mafter to be, in footh and fincerity of ♦ heart,

64

"Goode Sir,

"Your's ever bounden,

"From Twickenham, this fyrfte "of Julie, 1725."

"A. POPE.

VERSES TO DR. BOLTON*,

In the Name of Mrs. BUTLER'S Spirit, lately deceased.

;

STRIPT
TRIPT to the naked foul, escap'd from clay,
From doubts unfetter'd, and diffolv'd in day;
Unwarm'd by vanity, unreach'd by strife,
And all my hopes and fears thrown off with life
Why am I charm'd by friendship's fond essays,
And though unbody'd, conscious of thy praise?
Has pride a portion in the parted foul?
Does paffion ftill the firmless mind controul!
Can gratitude out-pant the filent breath!

Or a friend's forrow pierce the gloom of death!
No-'tis a fpirit's nobler task of bliss;
That feels the worth it left, in proofs like this;
That not its own applaufe, but thine approves,
Whofe practice praises, and whofe virtue loves;
Who liv'ft to crown departed friends with fame; 15
Then dying, late, fhalt all thou gav'st reclaim.

5

10

NOTES.

* Addressed to Dr. Bolton, late Dean of Carlisle, who lived fome tin e at Twickenham with old Lady Blount. On the death of her mother, Mrs Butler of Suffex, Dr. Bolton drew up the mother's character; and from thence Mr. Pope took occafion to write this Epifle to Dr. Boltou, in the name of Mrs Butler's Spirit, now in the regions of blifs. RUFFHEAD. VER. 8. frmles] A new-coined, and not a very happy epithet. WARTON.

EPITAPH S.

His faltem accumulem donis, et fungar inani
Munere !

VIRG.