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Of fentiments purely religious, it will be found that the most fin:ple expreffion is the moft fublime. Poetry lofes its luftre and its power, because it is applied to the decoration of fomething more excellent than itfelf. All that verfe can do is to help the memory, and delight the ear, and for thefe purposes it may be very useful; but it fupplies nothing to the mind. The ideas of Chriftian Theology are too fimple for eloquence, too facred for fiction, and too majeftic for ornament; to recommend them by tropes and figures, is to magnify by a concave mirror the fidereal hemisphere.'

It is thus that he very properly accounts for the failure of Waller in his facred poems, and not their being written, as his former Editor fuppofes, after his genius had paffed the zenith.

That natural jealoufy which makes every man unwilling to allow much excellence in another, always produces a difpofition to beIeve that the mind grows old with the body; and that he, whom we are now forced to confefs fupérior, is haflening daily to a level with ourfelves. By delighting to think this of the living, we learn to think it of the dead; and Fenton, with all his kindness for Waller, has the luck to mark the exact time when his genius paffed the - zenith, which he places at his fifty-fifth year. This is to allot the mine but a fmall portion. Intellectual decay is doubtlefs not uncommon; but it feems not to be univerfal. Newton was in his eighty-fifth year improving his Chronology, a few days before his deah; and Waller appears not, in my opinion, to have lolt at eightytwo any part of his poetical powers.'

Some writers carry this fanciful idea of Fenton's ftill farther, affeting that, though judgment may retain its vigour to a more difant period, imagination gradually decays at thirty-fix. Were arguments wanting to confute fuch groundlefs affertions, we ned only adduce the inftance of the learned and ingenious Citic whofe obfervations are now before us. He, certainly, ha paffed the zenith allotted to imagination, and probably the father term which Fenton affign's to the genius of Waller, and ye his writings betray no abatement of intellectual abilities: hi imagination ftill retains the full vigour of youth.-But enugh of this trifling; let us return to Waller.

The general character of his poetry, fays his biographer, is elegace and gaiety. He is never pathetic, and very rarely fublime. H feems neither to have had a mind much elevated by nature, nor amplified by learning. His thoughts are fuch as a liberal converfa-` tio and large acquaintance with life would eafily fupply. They ha however, then perhaps, that grace of novelty, which they are ne often fuppofed to want by those who, having already found then in later books, do not know or enquire who produced them firft. Tis treatment is unjust. Let not the original author lose by his imators.

But of the praise of Waller, though much may be taken away, mch will remain; for it cannot be denied that he added fomething toour elegance of diction, and fomething to our propriety of thught; and to him may be applied what Taffo faid, with equal fpt and juftice, of himself and Guarini, when, having perufed the

Paftor

Paftor Fido, he cried out, " If he had not read Aminta, he had not excelled it."

OUR

[The other Lives in our next.]

ART. II. The Antiquarian Repertory. 2 Vols. 4to. Continued. UR Readers have learned from the former Article relative to this work, that the Editor did not propose to exhibit fubjects wholly new, but chiefly intended his volumes as a depofitory for fuch antiquities, &c. as, though known, yet through neglect, or length of time, may fink into obfcurity, or of which little knowledge can be obtained without difficulty. Some of the first kind, we apprehend, may be here interspersed, but the latter form the principal part of this publication.

A remarkable anecdote of Judge Jefferys is faid never before to have appeared in print:

• At a contefted election for a member to ferve in parliament for the town of Arundel, in Suffex, government ftrenuously interfered, and that fo openly as to fend Jefferys, then Lord Chancellor, with instructions to ufe every method to procure the return of the Court candidate. On the day of election, in order to intimidate the electors, he placed himfelf on the huftings close by the returning officer, the mayor, who had been an attorney, but was retired tom bufinefs, with an ample fortune and fair character. This oficer well knew the Chancellor, but for prudential reasons acted as if he was a ftranger both to his perfon and rank.

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In the courfe of the poll, that magiftrate, who fcrutinized every man before he admitted him to vote, rejected one of the court pary; at which Jefferys rifing in a heat, after several indecent reflections, declared the man fhould poll, adding, I am the Lord Chancelor of this realm." The mayor, regarding him with a look of he highest contempt, replied, "Your ungentlemanlike behaviour envinces me, it is impoffible you should be the perfon you pretend; was you the Chancellor, you would know that you have nothingto do here, where I alone prefide;" then turning to the crier," Oficer," faid he, "turn that fellow out of court." His commands wre obeyed without hesitation; the Chancellor retired to his inn, in great confufion, and the election terminated in favour of the poular candidate.

In the evening, the mayor, to his great furprise, received a meffage from Jefferys, defiring the favour of his company at the im; which he declining, the Chancellor came to his house, and being ntroduced to him, made the following compliment: "Sir, notwithstanding we are in different interefts, I cannot help revering one who fo well knows, and dares fo nobly execute, the law; and thougi myself was fomewhat degraded thereby, you did but your duty. Yu, as I have learned, are independent, but you may have fome relation who is not fo well provided for; if you have, let me have the pla

Review for April.

are

fure of presenting him with a confiderable place in my gift, juft now vacant." Such an offer, and fo handfomely made, could not fail of drawing the acknowledgments of the party to whom it was made; he having a nephew in no very affluent circumstances, named him to the Chancellor, who immediately figned the neceffary inftrument for his appointment to a very lucrative and honourable employment.'

The Writer's remark on the above narration is, that no character is completely confiftent; as appears in the conduct of this judge, who feems to have approved the virtue which he did not practise: however, we may learn from it that a bullying, tyrannical tool of a party may fometimes at least be pretty eafily humbled and confounded by a man of fenfe, integrity, and honour it is perhaps to be wished that this worthy magiftrate had yet carried his firmnefs a degree farther, by declining any connection with an arbitrary and corrupt administration.

Pont Y Prid bridge cannot fail to attract the notice of the traveller in Wales. It is built over the river Taafe in Glamorganfhire, fix miles from Cardiff, in a moft romantic country. For lightness, and the width of its (pan, it is faid to stand unrivalled, not only by any bridge in England, but even in Europe, and perhaps the whole world; exceeding the arch of the Rialto at Venice by 50 feet, and that of the centre of Blackfriars by 40 feet.

This bridge, fays the writer, is a proof that extraordinary genius will rife fuperior to every impediment or difadvantage. Both the mafon who defigned and executed it, and the workman who formed the centre, were common country artificers, unpatronized by the great, and neither graduated in any univerfity, nor fellows of any academy; and fo far were they from having visited Italy, in order to avail themselves of the knowledge of the ancients, or to view the works of the moderns, that they probably were hardly ever out of their native country, were perhaps ftrangers to the names of Vitruvius and Palladio, and never heard of the Rialto. However, in compenfation for thefe deficiencies, they poffeffed good fenfe, which, as Mr. Pope obferves," although no fcience, is fairly worth the feven."

The name of the mason is William Edward; he contracted with the county for a certain fum of money to build them a bridge which fhould ftand at least fix years, and accordingly built one of three arches; but a flood happening, which is no uncommon event in this mountainous country, it was carried away by the impetuofity of the river.

He next conceived the defign of conftructing his bridge of one fingle arch, and accordingly completed it; but here he was again foiled; for the preffure of the abutment not being in equilibrio with that of the crown of the arch, fqueezed it out at the top. Not difheartened at this, he fet about contriving how that fault might be avoided, and hit on the prefent method, by making three cylindrical apertures through each fide, thereby not only confiderably leffening the weight of lateral preffure, but adding greatly to the picturesque

form

form and elegance of the bridge, which bids fair to tranfmit his fame to future generations. The name of the artist, who formed the centre, is Thomas Williams, by trade a millwright.'

We think it a neglect in the Editor not to have informed his readers, at leaft, of the year when this bridge was finished. The plate, which is a very pretty one, is engraved, he tells us, from a drawing, made anno 1774.

We have been diverted by reading, "A Defcription of England and Scotland," written in French by one Stephen Perlin, an ecclefiaftic, and published at Paris, anno 1558.' The imperfect, or erroneous, account which he often gives, and the imall accidental circumftances from whence, in fome inftances, he forms his judgment, made us recollect a much fuperior author, M. Grofley, who, a few years ago, published, " A Tour to London *, &c." A very indifferent and fometimes greatly offenfive picture is drawn of the English by Stephen Perlin, the ecclefiaftic. To the Scotch he is more favourable: fpeaking of the latter he fays, This country, although it is in a bad neighbourhood, being near a haughty, treacherous, and proud enemy, has nevertheless fuftained itself in a manly fort by the means and affiftance of the most noble king of France, who has many times let the English know what were the confequences of the anger of fo great a monarch and emperor. But thanks to God, the affairs of this country have been regulated, and every thing goes on well, and for their benefit and that of their kingdom. How happy oughteft thou to esteem thyfelf, O kingdom of Scotland, to be favoured, fed, and maintained, like an infant, on the breaft of the most puiffant and magnanimous king of France, the greatest lord in the whole world, and future monarch of that round machine, for without him thou wouldeft have been laid in afhes, thy country wafted and ruined by the English, utterly accurfed of God." So much for Mafter Perlin!

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The English are treated with greater refpect by the Sieur de la Serre, Hiftoriographer of France. His Hiftory of the Entry of Mary de Medicis, the Queen-mother of France, into England, Anno 1638,' is here tranflated from the French. The original was published in 1639. La Serre's fubject leads him to fpeak the more honourably of the English, that he may magnify the Queen-mother and royal family of France: and this, Frenchman-like, he does with the moft difguftful fervility and flattery.

Among other prints, a view of Old London, from Blackheath, is very pleafing:

Vid. Review, vol. xlvii. p. 165.

The

The many picturefque beauties with which Blackheath abounds, it is obferved, will render this print as refpectable an acquifition to the connoiffeur as to the antiquary. The richness of the foreground, the fleep afcent of the hills, which gradually rife above each other, and the view of the river, give a triking idea of that noble fimplicity of nature, which art has in vain attempted to reach. London is feen in the diftance, where the eye may difinetly trace St. Paul's, the Tower, Westminster-abbey, and many parish churches, forming a moft picturefque group of buildings, and exhibiting to the fpectator the extent and dignity of the Old City, in its then contracted ftate, compared with its prefent fplendor. This drawing was made by Thomas Wyck, who died anno 1682. His works are well known, and this view may be numbered among the most capital of his performances. It was communicated by Paul Sandby, Efq; in whofe poffeffion it now is.'

A view of St. James's palace and Westminster-abbey from the village of Charing, is faid to have been engraved from an ancient view fuppofed to be drawn by Hollar; and appears to have been taken fomewhere about what is now the Eaft fide of St. James's ftreet.' The Writer gives a fhort account of St. James's palace, and we are rather furprifed that he should add nothing concerning the village of Charing. Entertaining as these volumes are, we find a defect of attention to fome things by which they might have been improved. The maffacre at Stonehenge, by Hengift, the Hiftory of King Leyr, and his Three Daughters, are faid to be extracted from the ancient Hiftory of Great Britain;' but this is hardly fufficient to fatisfy the generality of readers, who will naturally wish to know from whence the accounts are taken, or what dependence is to be placed on them.-In fome articles, too, we have thought there has not been all the exactness as to dates, which a work of this kind requires.

To the account of plates in the first volume which we have already given, we are now to add, The Scowls in the Woods of Thomas Bathurst, Efq; in Gloucefterfhire; A View, Plan, and Section of the Roman Bath, at Lidney Park, Gloucestershire; Edward the Black Prince, from the original Picture in the Poffeffion of the Hon. George Onflow; Another View of Tintern Abbey, from an original; The Font in Orford Chapel, Suffolk; Thomas De Woodstock, Duke of Gloucefter, from the original Picture in the Poffeffion of Mr. George Onflow; The. Bridge of Bridgenorth, Shropshire; Wefton in Warwickshire, the Seat of William Sheldon, Efq; Long Meg and her Daughters; John Evans, the ill-favoured Aftrologer of Wales (illfavoured indeed!) from the original Drawing in the Collection of Lord Cardiff; Netley Abbey, Hampshire; The Tomb of Henry the Fifth, Earl of Weftmoreland, and his Wives; Dr. Simon Forman, Aftrologer, from the original Drawing in the .Collection

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