The laft copy of verses, afcribed to Endymion Porter, are uncommonly elegant, and perhaps' one of the best invented fictions that can be pointed out. "Thefe letter-tyrant elves" is much in the manner of the time, as is "their pedant felves," in à fubfequent line. But how difficult is it to affume the manner or language of a former age, without occafionally lapfing into thofe of the pleafe, as mean buffoonery, vile ribaldry and unmannerly jefts of fools and clowns." Prefixed to Randolph's Works is a panegyrick written by Mr. Richard Weft, from whofe poem two lines are quoted by Langbaine, which were alfo inferted in The General Advertifer of the 5th of March 1748, in the encomium on Randolph's plays. In Mr. Weft's Verses, speaking of ordinary dramatick poets, he fays, "For humours to lie leiger, they are feen "Oft in a tavern or a bowling-green. "And fit with patience an hour by the heels, "To learn the nonfenfe of the conftables; "Such jig-like flim-flams being got, to make "The rabble laugh, and nut-cracking forfake." Randolph is then defcribed, and among other high praifes, we are told, "There's none need fear to furfeit with his phrase; "And torture weak capacities with wonder." We have already feen that Mr. Macklin had been juft perufing Ben Jonfon's Epigrams. In his fecond Epigram, which is addreffed to his book, are thefe lines: 66 by thy wifer temper let men know, Much lefs, with lewd, prophane, and beaftly phrafe, ' Indeed, fays Tom, upon the whole, &c. "But Ben and Tom from college — have a very modern found, and are not, I believe, ufed by any of our old English writers.-I must alfo obferve that Mr. M. found his after-times in the old panegyrick on Ford, which he inferted in his first letter, and Avon's fwan in Ben Jonson's Verfes on Shakspeare, prefixed to all the editions of his plays; and that the extravagant and unfounded praise here given to Ford, who, like our great poet, is faid to have been fent from heaven, and the infinuation that the Lover's Melancholy was Shakspeare's every word," were evidently calculated for the temporary purpose of aiding a benefit, and putting money into the purfe of the writer. While, however, we transfer thefe elegant lines from Endymion Porter to Mr. Macklin, let us not forget that they exhibit no common specimen of an easy verfification and a good taste, and that they add a new wreath to the poetical crown of this veteran comedian. I have only to add, that John Ford and Thomas May were fo far from being at variance with Old Ben, that in Jonfonius Virbius, a collection of poems on the death of Ben Jonson, published in 1638, about fix months after his death, there is an encomiaftick poem by John Ford; and in this volume is alfo found a panegrick by Ford's friend, George Donne, and another by Thomas May, who ftyles Ben "the beft of our English poets." On this, however, I lay no great ftrefs, because the fame collec tion exhibits a poem by Jonfon's old antagonist, Owen Feltham: but if, after all that has been ftated, the fmalleft doubt could remain concerning the fubject of our prefent difquifition, I might obferve, that Ford appears not only to have lived on amicable terms with Ben Jonson himself, (at least we have no proof to the contrary,) but with his fervant, Richard Brome; to whofe play entitled The Northern Lafs, which was acted by the King's Company on the 29th of July 1629, the very year of the publication of The Lover's Melancholy, and of the firft exhibition of The New Inn, is prefixed an high panegyrick by "the author's very friend, John Ford." Let the prefent detection be a leffon to mankind in matters of greater moment, and teach those whom higher confiderations do not deter from invading the rights or property of others by any kind of fiction, to abftain from fuch an attempt, from the inefficacy and folly of it; for the most plaufible and beft fabricated tale, if properly examined, will crumble to pieces, like "the labour'd mole," loofened from its foundation by the continued force of the ocean; while fimple and honeft truth, firm and felf-dependent, will ever maintain its ground against all affailants, As rocks refift the billows and the sky." MALONE. "AND flies the javelin swifter to its mark, "Launch'd from the vigour of a Roman arm?"6 If fo, in compliance with example, and fuppofing Mr. Malone's motto to point at Mr. Macklin, I fhall venture a reply in his name, and from Virgil too: Stat gravis Entellus, nifuque immotus eodem. Though the letter [in Vol. III. ] which gave rife to the preceding flrictures (as Dr.Farmer long ago remarked) may not be entitled to implicit confidence, I am unwilling to regard this publication as a confirmed forgery by Mr. Macklin. In my opinion, he could as readily have fupplied a deficient chorus in a Greck tragedy, as the poem afcribed to Endymion Porter. A vein of broad humour, and a rugged force of flyle, diftinguish the performances of our truly refpeclable dramatick, veteran; but where, among all his numerous works, fhall we find fuch cafe and elegance as decorate the ftanzas in commendation of Ford? It would be difficult to account for Mr. Macklin's conception of the fpecies of fraud fo ftrenuously imputed to him. Unacquainted with ancient and licensed polemick weapons, he would scarce have invented new and unfair ones. Before the year 1748 no fuccefsful impofitions, whether grave or ludicrous, had led the way to fuch an attempt. No Lauder, by a kindred process, had queftioned the originality of Milton; no-Rowleian epicks, or Addifon's Cate. Hardicnutian tablets had been applied as touchftones to antiquarian fagacity. If Mr. Macklin was really the fabricator of thefe difputed authorities, he must be confidered as the parent of literary impoftures in England. He muft have planned his work without the advantage of a model; and, refpecting the poetry of Endymion Porter, must be allowed to have executed a task, of elegance, without oftenfible requifites for his undertaking. When I communicated these ftanzas to Dr. Johnfon, he read them with indications of pleasure, and inftantly exclaimed-" The lines, fir, are evidently the product of a man of fashion. Were our friend Beauclerk engaged to furnish a poetick trifle, he would write juft fuch verfes as thefe." * 8 That no pamphlet, however, with the title already mentioned by Mr. Malone, has ever appeared, is too much to be granted without fome degree of hesitation. Muft no ancient fatirical and poetical pieces be allowed to exift, except fuch as he and I have unkennelled by induftry or advertisement? Till the earliest Taming of a Shrew was met with, Mr. Pope's quotations from it were fufpected; for fome of the lines, as printed by him, displayed more than a single deviation from the established phraseology of their age; and yet, on the whole, we are bound to acknowledge the 7 See the Gentleman's and European Magazine for March and April, 1790. Such undoubtedly was the character of Endymion Porter, who was a Gentleman of his Majefty's Bedchamber, *The late Honourable Topham Beauclerk. |