[ 8r ] 



The enquiry Into contrafted charafler might be carried on 

 in a comparifon of plays founded on the fame ftory, criticifms 

 on the fame work, letters written on fimllar fubjedts, and poems 

 on the fame occafions. But to purfue it at full length in this 

 way would exceed the limits ufually afllgned to effays of 

 this fort. It may be ufeful to fhew that where no comparifon 

 of one author with another takes place, ftlll fome infight into 

 his charadler, either in an abfolute ftate, or compared with Itfelf, 

 may to a certain degree be had. The letters of Swift to Stella 

 form one of the moft complete pidlures of mind which can be 

 exhibited : probably not fo ftudled as confefTions which he 

 might have publiflied, but more true and equally difcoverable. 

 He left Ireland full of his own importance, with high expec- 

 tations of cabinet intercourfe and political afcendency. On his 

 arrival at London every objedl is interefting, every circumflance 

 is made to confpire with the predlfpofitions of his mind ; his 

 thoughts arc acflive, his letters exhibit a perpetual flow of vi- 

 vacity and animation. After fome time the afpedl of the poli- 

 tical horizon begins to change : he finds that he Is treated with 

 ceremony where he looked for confidence, and that however 



Vol. V. ( L ) ufeful 



efftdl by feparating them in his fourth and fifth lines. Cowper's fixth Hne, except tkit the word 

 playing is iil aiTociated with tremendous, is the bed in this whole paffage. Pope's And HeSor 

 hajied to relieve h'ts child, has no foundation whatever in the origin.i!. Homer relates the fimple 

 fa-ils — the motive is obvious. na(iifa»a<cj-a» fituated where it is in the original excites in my 

 mind the idea of a radiant light thrown by the helmet every way about it as it flood on the 

 ground. The tranflators have in the general words beaming and dazaling loft this image. 

 f)l^p> in the liift line but one has been entirely puffed over. So many minute iniperfeflions would 

 not have occurred, or greater beauties would have prevented our taking notice of tliem, h.id 

 this been felt as a favourite paffage by the tranflators. 



