almost five months old. It is not the most exe traordinary performance in the world: but, from the circumstance of Chatterton's parentage and education, it is unlikely, if not impoffible, that he fhould have met with any affiftance or correction. Whereas, when we read the ode which Pope wrote at twelve, and another of Cowley at thirteen, we are apt to fufpect a parent, friend, or tutor, of an amiable dishonesty, of which we feel, perhaps, that we should be guilty. Sufpicions of this nature touch not Chatterton. He knew no tutor, no friend, no parent---at least no parent who could correct or affift him. This poem appears to have been aimed at fomebody, zubile be was young. In the works this poem is dated April 1694 A friend affured me has seen it in a mifcellany, with this recommendation," written by Mr. Addison, when he was only twentyfeven." Some recommendation is required by a poem which concludes with these four lines (Addison's works, 4to. Tonfon, 1721, vol. 1. page 41.). I leave the arts of poefy and verse To them that practice them with more fuccefs. And fo, at once, dear friend and mufe, farewell. Chaulieu, a French poet, afks indulgence for a little rondeau becaufe, at the time he wrote it, he was Poëte NAISSANT, & FORT jeune (ævres de Chaulieu, à la Haye, 1777-) The apology will hold, if a man bee xceedingly young and a fucking post at forty, which was Chaulieu's age when he wrote the rondeau in1 queftion. 0 2 who who had formerly been a Methodist, and was lately promoted (to the dignity, perhaps, of opening a pew or a grave; for C. was the fexton's fon) in the established church. Satire was his fort, if any thing can be called his fort, who excelled in every thing he undertook. Catcott has another later poem of C.'s, called, I think, "The Exhibition." The church here also fupplied his indignation with a fubject. But, as the fatire is rather fevere, and the characters are living, Catcott does not permit it to be copied. He has fuffered it to be read, and the three following couplets are in different parts of it. At the fame time that the lines are furely not bad, they fhow that mufic was one of the many things Chatterton found means to acquire during the few months he lived. He is known to have been mufical; a fact we have upon poetical record only of him and Milton, I believe. They are not lowered in your eftimation on this account.---C.'s father had a remarkable turn for mufic. An old female relation fays he talked little, was very abfent in company; and ufed very often to walk by the river fide, talking to himself, and flourishing his arms about.---The firft and second couplets I mentioned, are in ridicule, the laft in praife, of fome organist. Sacred Sacred to fleep, in his inverted key, Whofe jarring humdrum fymphonies of flats He keeps the paffions with the founds in play, And the foul trembles with the trembling key. Thee in key is, I believe, in the Somersetshire pronunciation, a. Now, for the poem. APOSTATE WILL, BY T. C. In days of old, when Wefley's pow'r Nor Bingham, Young, nor Stillingfleet, Shall make me from this fect retreat. He then his circumftance deciar'd, He'd oft profefs an hallow'd flame, He was a preacher and what not, It happen'd once upon a time, The Proteftants ferve beft for be. The The curate ftraitway gave confent And keeps it with diffembled grace. Though it may not be the next in order of compofition, for I fhall fend you nothing which is already printed, I fhall now transcribe for you a poem dated 1769; of which Catcott tells, that talking one day with Chatterton about happiness, Chatterton faid he had never yet thought on the fubject, but that he would. The next day he brought Catcott thefe lines, and told him they contained his creed of happinefs. There can in this be no deceit; for the pewterer produces the poem, and in the fimplicity of his vanity, imagines it to contain a panegyric on himself. Since Happiness is not ordain'd for man, We want no more. Hail Revelation! fphere-envelop'd dame, But |