the most engaging and sociable part of any character." 44. WHISTLER to Shenstone. "Alas! for our poor friend Cobb! 'Who now shall sit with countenance serene, The inoffensive judge of sacred song, "Mr. Shenstone considered merely as an author, had the uncommon felicity of attracting the love of his readers, and those who from readers had the happiness of becoming acquainted with him as a man, never felt any diminution of that preconceived esteem for him, inspired by his works."-Monthly Review, vol. 41, p. 156. On the edition of his works, 1769. "his writings, for the most part, have undoubtedly very considerable merit." Cunningham was his direct imitator.— Cowper in one or two pieces. But he long reigned as the model for magazine poetry. The Monthly Review (vol. 61, p. 316,) thinks that Shenstone perhaps might sit for the more amiable part of Columella's picture in Greaves's book so called. "I have been eagerly reading Mr. Shenstone's letters, which, though containing nothing but trifles, amused me extremely, as they mention so many persons I know, particularly myself."—H. WALPOLE, vol. 3, p. 285. "I FELT great pity, on reading these letters, for the narrow circumstances of the author, and the passion for fame that he was tormented with; and yet he had much more fame than his talents entitled him to. Poor man! he wanted to have all the world talk of him, for the pretty place he had made, and which he seems to have made only that it might be talked of. The first time a company came to see my house, I felt his joy. I am now so tired of it, that I shudder when the bell rings at the gate. It is as bad as keeping an inn, and I am often tempted to deny its being shown, if it would not be ill-natured to those that come, and to my housekeeper. I own I was one day too cross. I had been plagued all the week with staring crowds. At last it rained a deluge. Well, said I, at least nobody will come to-day. The words were scarce uttered, when the bell rang. A company desired to see the house. I replied, tell them they cannot possibly see the house; but they are very welcome to walk in the garden.”—Ibid. p. 286. m Connoisseur. P. 2. COFFEE-HOUSES of that time, 1754. The Bedford, which was what Button's had been The wits. White's, what it still is. 25. Our army and navy officers sneered A very noticeat, as deficient in courage. able passage. Vol. 2, 198-9. Ignorance of sea officers. 41. The World.-Ill-chosen vignette for that paper. Printers ornaments often misapplied. 43. When the present manager (?) of Drury Lane first came upon the stage, a new set of types, two inches long, were cast on purpose to do honour to his extraordinary merit. 44. Improved in the Spectator in appearance. 45. Decorations for books becoming necessary. 48. "Perhaps our fine gentlemen may imagine, that by convincing a lady that she has no soul, she will be less scrupulous about the disposal of her body." 51. "I have often observed with wonder the neglect of learning that prevails among the gentlemen of the army; who, notwith 144. "The Chinese taste, which has already taken possession of our gardens, our buildings, and our furniture, will also soon find its way into our churches and how elegant must a monument appear which is erected in the Chinese taste, and embellished with dragons, bells, pagods, and mandarins!" 147. Tall staves. The walking sticks in fashion, 1755. Hunting poles. Vol. 3, p. 140, 1756. 161. "The orthodox vicar once a week wraps himself up in piety and virtue with his canonicals, which qualities are as easily cast off again as his surplice; and for the rest of the week he wears the dress as well as the manners of his fox-hunting patron." Vol. 3, 59-60. 170. The Wandsworth double post chaise, and the Hampton long coach. 176. One woman 66 swallows in an ocean of Bristol milk? with as little remorse as she would so much small beer." 191. False censure of alliteration. 197. Fashion of abuse on the Thames. 200. Naval chaplains needed reformation. 219. His privy study. Vol. 3. 43. Hoaxes à la Theodore Hook. 100. A beau-parson.-" Out of his ca- P. 20. THE Country it seems still bred a nonicals, his constant dress is what they call race of lowly retainers. "Almost every parson's blue, lined with white, a black satin family supports a poor kinsman, who hapwaistcoat, velvet breeches, and silk stock-pening to be no way related to the estate, ings; and his pumps are of dog-skin, made by Tull." 104. "Persons of fashion cannot but lament that the Sunday evening tea drinkings at Ranelagh were laid aside, from a superstitious regard to religion." was too proud of his blood to apply himself in his youth to any profession, and rather chose to be supported in laziness at the family seat. They are, indeed, known perhaps to be cousins to the squire, but do not appear in a more creditable light than his 131-2. Certainly this censure is designed servants out of livery; and sometimes actufor the Rambler. 134. Their mottos. 136. I remember to have seen a curious table, by the assistance of which the most illiterate might amuse themselves in composing hexameters and pentameters in Latin. A sneer at the poor Water-Poet, of whom they had read nothing. ally submit to as mean offices of drudgery as the groom or whipper-in." 91. If this paper is Cowper's, I wonder at it, it is in so disagreeable a spirit. 92. Walnuts in sack. 96. A. D. 1756. Ridiculous fashion of wearing cabrioles and windmills on the head! 140. 108. Authors who live by the pen well justified. 112. “Brushing the dust from my black rollers." 141. Gothic or Chinese taste. 201. Cricket not regarded as an amusement for gentlemen. 210. Neglect of Churches. Velvet altar pieces, and shabby clergymen in pulpits with rich velvet cushions. 211. Struggle between the Old and New Version of the Psalms,' as between the old and new style. Old and new tunes also, and itinerant psalm-singers in every county, as propagandists. 212. Service waiting for the squire. 213. Display of new fashions at church. The St. James's Magazine. By ROBERT LLOYD, A. M. 1762. P. vii. HAD the plan of this Magazine been more enlarged it could never have wanted an occasional support from the correspondence of young gentlemen of sixteen, great geniuses of no education, and great scholars of no genius. What it is not to contain. 18. Lloyd's character of Churchill. 13. His own feelings, perhaps, in this picture of a rake. 'Harvey's drunken prose," properly enough so called, though perhaps maudlin might be the better epithet, the soft mood of semi-drunkenness. 265. Thornton's announcement of his Plautus. Colman intended, Terma sug 25. Conversation at Will's in Swift's time.gested the thought. 30. Swift's opinion that society was at the best in the peaceable part of Charles the First's reign. 81. His own feelings here. 91. Charles Emily's poem first (I suppose) published here. 118. A letter (original) of Swift's, curiously showing his feelings concerning marriage. 1 BP. BEVERIDGE's Defence of the Book of Psalms, published in 1710, is probably the most valuable relic of this well-known struggle. It is reprinted in Horne's edition of his Works, vol. i. p. 613, &c.—J. W. W. 292. The quatrain said not to be a new elegiac measure, but heroic verse, "and to be met with in Dryden's Ann. Mirabilis, and all through the long and tedious poem of Davenant's Gondibert." 343. A sneer at Gray, Mason, and Whitehead. Churchill. 345, 6. 363. An essay to show that ancient poetry cannot be relished in translations. 374. Lloyd on his own undertaking. 378. A sneer at uneducated poets. 386. Denis. 388. His own style. 383. Gilb. West sneered at. 72. A complete translation of Racine proposed by the editor to be given in the course of his work-a certain portion every month, separately paged. Was it to be his own? and was it done? 114. Honest satire on Churchill, Colman, Thornton, and Lloyd here. 115-6-8. 118-25. Is this W. C., Cowper? 189. The price of the Mag. (18.) was complained of. The London, Royal, and others being only sixpence. 63. Blackmore well criticised. 109. Johnson and his imitators characterized by Lloyd. 112. Unjust to Whitehead. 118. Praise of acting at school. The Jesuits seem to have been of this opinion. Rector of Chellington, Bedfordshire, he published a volume of poems by subscription. 121. This Rogers says that Cowley's odes "Shall please while wit can pleasure bring, And Lee and Young, great masters of sublime, Arrest applause to the last pulse of time.” 149. Mason or Warton lampooned here? in an imitation of Boileau. 166. William Ellis the great ballad-singer of that day. 182. A pleasing poem of Lloyd's-in his better mind. 187. This ode, secundum artem, is signed L., but it is exactly what W. C. promised in the last volume, p. 125. And I take it to be his. 201. Poor Lloyd seems now to have ad197. Shepherd's lamentation over Lloyd's mitted any thing, however worthless, in any drudgery. 241. Coleman's Ep. to Lord Pulteney. Vol. 3. P. 1. TRANSLATION by Denis from a MS. poem of Cazotte's. 57. Churchill severely condemned by Lloyd. "Plenty of these in this county," says FULLER, "especially about Barton in the Beans," &c.; and under the proverb, Bean-Belly Leicestershire, he adds, "Those in the neighbouring counties use to say merrily, Shake a Leices tershire yeoman by the collar, and you shall hear the beans rattle in his belly.' But those yeomen smile at what is said to rattle in their bellies, whilst they know good silver ringeth in their pockets."-Worthies, p. 125-6, folio. 2 In reading this odd custom, one naturally calls to mind the old titles of "Rex Fabarum," "Roi de la Feve," 66 "-" Rey de Havas," &c. See BRANDE'S Pop. Ant. vol. i. pp. 16, 17, 275, ed. Ellis. Reprint. J. W. W. way. 209. Potter's speech against the repeal of the Jews' Bill,-from his own MSS. Sterne. IN Almon's "Life and Correspondence of Wilkes," vol. 5, pp. 7-20, are some letters from Sterne's widow and daughter to Wilkes. Sterne left them in distress. He duce above £400. All the widow had was died £1100 in debt; his effects did not proan estate of £40 a year, out of which she engaged to pay the rest. A collection was made for them in the race-week at York; it produced £800. He sold the copyright of his sermons, but was to have what copies they could get subscribers for. WILKES and Hall (Stevenson), promised HERVEY'S Contemplations on the Night done into blank verse, after the manner of Dr. Young, by T. Newcomb, M.A. Monthly Review, vol. xvi. p. 289. (175.) Praised-as also Mr. Newcomb, at considerable length. "To conclude, where the Meditant surpasses the Poet, the former is perhaps so inimitable, that the latter loses his honour; but when he excels his original, he certainly merits our applause." And they wish him to give the other meditations in the same manner. BUT the Monthly Review, vol. lxii. p. 425, says of Hervey, "a profusion of metaphors was the chief characteristic of his lan guage; and the Shibboleth of Puritanism was the capital distinction of his theology. His object was to soften the harsh features of a Calvinistic creed, by mixing it with the gay and splendid colours of eloquence." TOPLADY published two of his Sermons, and said in the Preface,-" With Hervey This is contradicted in Sterne's own Letters. See Letter li. vol. ix. p. 150. The following strong passage occurs in Letter xci. to Miss Sterne: I am unhappy; thy mother and thy self at a distance from me, and what can compensate for such a destitution? For God's sake persuade her to come and fix herself in England, for life is too short to waste in separation, and while she lives in one country, and I in another, many people will suppose it proceeds from choice. Besides, I want thee near me, thou child and darling of my heart!" Vol. x. p. 40.-J. W. W. Brown. CHURCHILL, vol. ii. p. 174, N. His Estimate ran through seven editions in one year. "His insatiable vanity, dogmatism and arrogance rendered him disgusting to others, and a torment to himself." Yet this ill-natured writer confesses that he understood the theory of composition, and that his Dissertation on the Rise, Union, and Power, the Progression, Separation, and Corruptions of Poetry and Music, evinces a thorough acquaintance with the subjects on which he treats. One pamphleteer abused him, "that, with an eye to preferment, he had officiously strained all his powers and faculties, to make the people appear sole authors of their own calamities." The same opponent says, “whoever casts an eye on the existimator's scanty page and overgrown margin, will pronounce at once that nobody understands the value of three and sixpence better than he." All which the M. Review (April 1758) appears to commend. The next article is upon the second vol. of the Estimate (vol. xviii. p. 354). It is thoroughly malignant; and, if the writer had any reason for suspecting the real state of Brown's mind, might almost deserve to be called murderous. P. 374. Glover. "MRS. YATES usually selected his Medea for her benefit."-N. CHURCHILL, vol. ii. p. 367. |