213. His Litany.

216. The Thanksgiving.

271." The Jews their beds and offices of

ease

Placed north and south, for these clear purposes,

That man's uncomely froth might not molest God's ways and walks, which lie still east and west."

Herrick has noticed more old customs and vulgar superstitions than any other of our poets, and this is almost the only value of his verses. I question whether any other poet ever thought it worth while to preserve so many mere scraps, and of such very trash.

He seems to have been a man of coarse and jovial temper, who was probably kept by his profession from any scandalous sins, and may have shown some restraint in his life, though there is so very little in his language.

There is not any other of our old poets who so little deserves the reputation which he has obtained.

Herrick is the coarsest writer of his age. Perhaps Habington may deserve to be called the purest.1

Possibly, Southey has been somewhat severe on the verses of Herrick,-and it is one of the very few instances in which (on such a point) might be inclined to differ with my lamented father-in-law. At all events, like Augustine, Herrick was ready to confess his errors, as ready, perhaps, as Beza or Buchanon, or Donne, whose early verse every well informed reader may call to mind. Certainly from my early years, the coarseness of Herrick grated upon the tympanum, but I cannot forget

HIS PRAYER FOR ABSOLution.
"For those my unbaptized rhymes,
Writ in my wild unhallow'd times;
For every sentence, clause, or word,
That's not inlaid with thee, my Lord,
Forgive me, God, and blot each line
Out of my book that is not thine.
But if, 'mongst all, thou find'st here one
Worthy thy benediction,

That one of all the rest shall be The glory of my work and me."

Vol. ii. p. 202.

SIR WILLIAM Denny. "PELECANICIDIUM, or the Christian Adviser against self-murder, together with a Guide, and the Pilgrim's Pass to the Land of the Living." 1653.

In the Procme he "Mine ears do says, tingle to hear so many sad relations, as ever since March last, concerning several persons of divers rank and quality inhabiting within and about so eminent a city, as late-famed London, that have made away and murdered themselves."

"The Author chose rather the quickness of verse, than more prolix prose (with God's blessing first implored) to disenchant the possessed; following divinely-inspired David's example to quiet Saul with the melody of his harp."

In their infancy I taught my children the following

"GRACE FOR A CHILD.
"Here a little child I stand,
Heaving up my either hand:
Cold as paddocks though they be,
Here I lift them up to thee,
For a benizon to fall

On our meat, and on us all. Amen."
Ibid. p. 237.

In some sense, certainly, his Noble Numbers are a Palinodia, and there we find him at his own Confessional. As for example, with the Cross and the Book of Books before him :"Thy Crosse, my Christ, fixt 'fore mine eyes sho'd be,

Not to adore that, but to worship thee.
So, here the remnant of my days I'd spend,
Reading THY Bible, and My Book; so end."
Ibid. p. 249.

He had learnt, it would seem, with a penitent and contrite heart to look only to

GOD'S BLESSING.

"In vain our labours are, whatsoe're they be, Unless God gives the Benedicite!"-J. W. W.

Vol. 9. Prologue to the Coronation. "A WOMAN, once, in a Coronation, may With pardon speak the Prologue, give as

free

A welcome to the theatre, as he

That with a little beard, a long black cloak, With a starch'd face and supple leg, hath spoke

Before the play the twelve month."

P. 99. "You must not look for down beds

here.

Yet there be many lightsome cool Star chambers,

Open to every sweet air."-Sea Voyage.

Vol. 10.

P. 81. Two lines which are used as an epitaph in country churchyards:

"The world's a city full of straying streets, And death's the market-place where each one meets."

129. "The most remarkable point in

which kings differ

From private men, is, that they not alone
Stand bound to be in themselves innocent,
But that all such as are allied to them
In nearness or dependence, by their care
Should be free from suspicion of all crime."
Thierry and Theodoret.

The stage read wholesome lectures to kings, even in days of arbitrary principles.

365. Beaumont's letters to Ben Jonson, from the country.

Gifford, for the sake of extolling the Sad Shepherd, abuses the Faithful Shepherdess." -B. J. vol. 6, p. 306.

thee before I had returned to my outward habitation; understanding that thou hast made choice of that blessed truth that we bear witness to, I cannot but say, it is well that thou hast chosen the better part, which, if thou abide in and obey, it will never be taken from thee. I perceive by some letters from thee, which I have heard read, that there is a work of God begun in thy inward man, where He works in his people the new creation in Christ Jesus, which is unto righteousness, holiness, and purity."— A brief Collection of remarkable Passages and Occurrences relating to the Birth, Education, Life, Conversion, Travels, Services, and Sufferings of that ancient, eminent, and faithful Servant of the Lord, Margaret Fell, but by her second Marriage Margaret Fox. 1710, 8vo. p. 532.

SAMUEL BISHOP, Poetical Works. 1796.

P. xvii. TOWNLEY, under master at M. Taylor's, when Bishop was on the upper form, was the author of "High Life below Stairs." Garrick had so high an opinion of him, that he submitted all his own works to his correction.

xxiii. Woodward, a schoolfellow of Bishop's, and assisted by him in composing "the Seasons," which was designed for the stage, and to have been exhibited in a style of splendour at that time unexampled. Woodward had two favourite projects; one was, to bring out this superb pantomime; and the other to introduce his black servant, whom he had instructed, with infinite pains, to play Othello. He was disappointed in both.

xxvi. A perfect slave to the school. For the election day he generally supplied above 100 compositions.

xxvii. Warren, Bishop of Bangor, his patron

8. "Oft Fancy, prompted by concern,

To urge an half-form'd tear began; And Hope, that made her bosom burn,

Finish'd the pearl, and down it ran."

P. 122. "A CHAMBER, trim as trim can be, A bed, snugg, with a double G." ??

129. "One semblance more of me, God knows,

The Broomstick, too exactly, shows;
By bands, long! long! perhaps to last,
'Tis, like myself, to Birch bound fast.
And shall things ever thus remain ?
'Tis fair to hope, though not complain.
I bear meanwhile what must be borne;
And when to a mere stump I'm worn,

James Jennings is the author here alluded to.-J. W. W.

Let this eulogium on my tomb stick, 'Here lies the model of a Broomstick.'

Corrige sodes.

246. “Hail! great reformer of men's shoes!

Thou Fashion, who with silken noose

So daintily dost provide 'em! Were Wisdom's self ten times as wise, She could add nothing to shoe-ties,

Save petticoats to hide 'em."

271. "Youth has unruliness, and age unrest."

The only modern author in whom I have observed this word.

387. The last in the book, and one of the last which he composed, "he considered as descriptive of his own situation in the school." "Genius, too oft, beneath Adversity's frown, Drudges, laborious; vigorous, yet kept

down:

Never advanced, though never at a stay; Keeps on, perhaps shines on, but makes no way!

So fares the mettled steed, in harness bound, To drag some ponderous engine round and

round.

His toil is generous effort; but 'tis still Strength, perseverance, progress-in a mill." I know no other poet who crowds so many syllables into a verse. How his ear could His domestic allow of this, I know not. poems breathe a Dutch spirit,-by which I mean a very amiable and happy feeling of domestic duties and enjoyments.

Prior.

QUEEN ANNE "doubts whether Mr. Prior's birth will entitle him to the office of envoy, but will give him any other situation that Lord Oxford shall recommend."-Lansdowne MSS. No. 1236, 146.

Sharpe's Edition.

P. 29. "With fancied rules and arbitrary laws,