OF ENGLISH VERSE. BY MR. WALLER. OETS may boaft, as safely vain, Their works fhall with the world remain : Both bound together, live or die; The verfes, and the prophesy. This was the gen'rous poet's fcope, WAHE To make the FAIR approve his flame, That can fo far extend their fame. Ipfa varietate tentamus efficere ut alia aliis; quædam fortaffe omnibus placeant. PLIN. EPIST. S when some skilful cook, to please each guest, Would in one mixture comprehend a feast, With due proportion and judicious care, He fills his difh with diff'rent forts of fare; To feast at once the tafte, the smell, and fight The Lyrick Bard muft ftrike th' harmonious lyre; And nervous fenfe be fung in lofty found. Let Elegy in moving numbers flow, And fill fome pages with melodious woe: Let not your am'rous fongs too num'rous prove, Translations fhould throughout the work be fown, And at her door in melting notes complain : Where Buckingham will condefcend to give, < Anacreon fives !' they cry; th' harmonious swain • Retunes the lyre, and tries his wonted ftrain : 'Tis he-our loft Anacreon lives again !» } But But when th' illuftrious poet foars above Let Congreve teach the lift'ning groves to mourn, Let Prior's Mufe with foft'ning accents move, With Chaucer's humour and with Spencer's ftrains. On Addison's sweet lays attention waits, Alike in phyfick as in poetry. When Pope's harmonious Mufe with pleasure roves Thro' the glad fhade each warbling note prolongs; And early in the youth the god appears. 30 } From From thefe fuccefsful bards collect thy ftrains, And praise with profit fhall reward thy pains : Then, while calves-leather binding bears the fway, And sheep-skin to it's fleeker glofs gives way; While neat old Elzivir is reckon'd better Than Pirate Hill's brown fheets and scurvy letter; While print-admirers careful Aldus chufe, Before John Morphew, or the weekly news; So long shall live thy praise in books of fame, And Tonfon yield to Lintott's lofty name. END OF THE FIRST VOLUME. |