the manner of my expreffion, and the turn of my number: having only added one verfe to his ftanza, which I thought made the number more harmonious; and avoided fuch of his words as I found too obfolete. I have, however, retained fome few of them, to make the colouring look more like Spenfer's. Beheft, command; band, army; prowess, ftrength; I weet, I know; Iween, I think; whilom, heretofore; and two or three more of that kind, which I hope the ladies will pardon me, and not judge my Mufe lefs handfome, though for once the appears in a farthingale. I have alfo, in Spenfer's manner, ufed Cafar for the emperor, Boya for Bavaria, Bavar for that prince, Ifter for Danube, Iberia for Spain, &c.

That noble part of the Ode which I just now mentioned,

"Gens, quæ cremato fortis ab Ilio

Jacta Tufcis æquoribus, &c."

where Horace praises the Romans as being defcended from Æneas, I have turned to the honour of the British nation, defcended from Brute, likewise a Trojan. That this Brute, fourth or fifth from Æneas, fettled in England, and built London, which is called Troja Nova, or Troynovante, is a ftory which (I think) owes its original, if not to Geoffry of Monmouth, at leaft to the Monkish

writers;

writers; yet it is not rejected by our great Camden; and is told by Milton, as if (at least) he was pleased with it, though poffibly he does not believe it: however it carries a poetical authority, which is fufficient for our purpose. It is as certain that Brute came into England, as that Æneas went into Italy; and upon the fuppofition of thefe facts, Virgil wrote the best poem that the world ever read, and Spenfer paid queen Elizabeth the greatest compliment.

I need not obviate one piece of criticism, that I bring my hero

"From burning Troy, and Xanthus red with blood:"

whereas he was not born, when that city was deftroyed. Virgil, in the case of his own Æneas relating to Dido, will ftand as a fufficient proof, that a man in his poetical capacity is not accountable for a little fault in chronology.

My two great examples, Horace and Spenfer, in many things refemble each other: both have a height of imagination, and a majesty of expreffion in defcribing the fublime; and both know to temper thofe talents, and fweeten the defcription, fo as to make it lovely as well as pompous: both have equally that agreeable manner of mixing morality with their ftory, and that Curiofa Felicitas in the choice of their diction, which every writer aims at, and fo very few have reached: both are particularly

particularly fine in their images, and knowing in. their numbers. Leaving therefore our two mafters to the confideration and ftudy of those who defign to excel in poetry, I only beg leave to add, that it is long fince I have (or at least ought to have) quitted Parnaffus, and all the flowery roads on that fide the country; though I thought myself indifpenfably obliged, upon the prefent occafion, to take a little journey in thofe parts.

AN

WHEN great Auguftus govern'd ancient Rome,

And fent his conquering bands to foreign wars;
Abroad when dreaded, and belov'd at home,
He faw his fame increafing with his years;
Horace, great bard! (fo Fate ordain'd) arofe,
And, bold as were his countrymen in fight,
Snatch'd their fair actions from degrading profe,
And fet their battles in eternal light:

High as their trumpets tune his lyre he ftrung,
And with his prince's arms he moraliz'd his fong.

II.

When bright Eliza rul'd Britannia's state, Widely distributing her high commands, And boldly wife, and fortunately great, Freed the glad nations from tyrannic bands;

An

An equal genius was in Spenfer found;
To the high theme he match'd his noble lays:
He travell'd England o'er on fairy ground,
In myftic notes to fing his monarch's praise:
Reciting wondrous truths in pleafing dreams,
He deck'd Eliza's head with Gloriana's beams.

III.

But, greatest Anna! while thy arms pursue Paths of renown, and climb ascents of fame, Which nor Auguftus, nor Eliza knew ; What poet fhall be found to fing thy name? What numbers fhall record, what tongue shall fay, Thy wars on land, thy triumphs on the main? O faireft model of imperial fway!

What equal pen shall write thy wondrous reign? Who fhall attempts and feats of arms rehearse, Not yet by story told, nor parallel'd by verse ?

IV.

Me all too mean for fuch a task I weet:
Yet, if the Sovereign Lady deigns to smile,
I'll follow Horace with impetuous heat,
And cloath the verfe in Spenfer's native style.
By thefe examples rightly taught to fing,
And fmit with pleasure of my country's praise,
Stretching the plumes of an uncommon wing,
High as Olympus I my flight will raise;

And