Poetry. 195 



cularly attempted by several persons with tolerable 

 success. Among these the version of Brady and 

 Tate held the first place in the English language. 

 Indeed some parts of their work were so well per- 

 formed that comparatively few of their successors 

 have attained equal excellence. 



But among all the sacred poetry of the eigh- 

 teenth century, that of Dr. Watts stands preemi- 

 nent. His plan of evangelizing the Psalms of 

 David, and accommodating them to the worship 

 of God under the present dispensation, as it was 

 equally new and ingenious, so it has received an 

 unusual degree of approbation, and has, perhaps, 

 been more useful than any other work in this de- 

 partment of composition that was ever presented 

 to the world. Simplicity, smoothness, harmony, 

 and pious elevation remarkably characterize his 

 verse. Next to the sacred poetry of Dr. Watts, 

 the specimens produced by Mr. Addison, Dr. 

 Doddridge, Mr. Pitt, Mr. Merrick, Dr. Black- 

 cock, Mr. Logan, and several others, possess a 

 high degree of merit. In this department of poetry 

 it is believed that Great-Britain has excelled all 

 other countries. 



Poetical versions of the Psalms made, during 

 this period, on the continent of Europe, were nu- 

 merous; but of these a very small portion are 

 worthy of notice. The Hymns of Gellert, a ce- 

 lebrated poet of Germany, are said to be entitled to 

 a place in the first class of this kind of writings. 



satirical poetry. 



In this department of poetry the eighteenth 

 century is, on the whole, superior to any preceding 

 age. Two satirical poets of great eminence had 

 flourished in Europe towards the close of the pre- 

 ceding age. Boileau and Dryden, equal in most 



