PROGRESS OP AH EPITAPH. 



65 



the way, I ventured to show the 

 other epitaph [on Mason's wife] to 

 Dr. Wharton, and sent him brim- 

 ful into the next room to cry. I 

 believe he did not hear it quite 

 through, nor has he ever asked to 

 see it again ; and now will you not 

 come and see him?" 



Mason's rejoinder will repay at- 

 tentive perusal : 



"Had you given me any hint, 

 any lueur, how the three first lines 

 might have been altered, it would 

 Jhave been charitable indeed; but 

 you say nothing, only that I must 

 alter them. Now, in iny conscience, 

 to which you appeal, I cannot find 

 fault with the sentiment which 

 they contain ; and yet, in despite 

 of my conscience, if I thought that 

 they implied the least shadow of 

 flattery to the Archbishop, I would 

 wipe them out with a sponge dip- 

 ped in the mud of the kennel. 

 But I cannot think they do. I 

 think, on the contrary, they give the 

 composition that unity of thought 

 which ought always to run through 

 compositions of this kind ; for in 

 my mind a perfect epitaph is a per- 

 fect epigram without a sting. N.B. 

 This sentence in our Epistolse fami- 

 liares cum notis variorum, will be 

 explained in a note of Dr. Balguy's, 

 to the contentation of every reader ; 

 in the meantime, if you do not un- 

 derstand it yourself, console your- 

 self with the pleasing idea that 

 posterity will, and that is enough 

 in reason. However, to show you 

 my complacency, and in dread that 

 you should ever do as you threaten, 

 and call whatever I send you the 

 most perfect things in nature, I will 

 sacrifice the first stanza on your 

 critical altar, and let it consume 

 either in flame or smudge as it 

 choose. Then we begin, 'here 

 sleeps,' a very poetical sort of ci 

 att, or 'here lies,' and which I 

 hope will not lead the reader to 

 imagine a sentence lost. 



1. Here sleeps \vliat once was beauty, 



onco was grace, 



2. Grace that with native sentiment 



combined 



3. To form that harmony of soul and 



face, 



4. Where beauty shines the mirror 



of the mind. 



5. Such was the maid, that, in the 



noon of youth, 



G. In virgin innocence, in nature's 

 pride, 



7. Blest with each art that taste sup- 



plies or truth, 



8. Sunk in her father's fond embrace 



and died. 



9. He weeps. O ! venerate the holy 



tear ; 



10 Faith lends her aid to ease afflic- 

 tion's load : 



11. The parent mourns the child upon 



her bier, 



12. The Christian yields an angel to 



his God. 



Various sections, pick and choose. 

 2. 'Inborn sentiment.' 3. 'Dis- 

 played (or diffused) that harmony,' 

 &c. 7. 'That springs from taste 

 or truth ;' * derived from taste or 

 truth ;' ' that charms with taste 

 and truth.' But, after all, I do not 

 know that she was a metaphysi- 

 cian, 'blest with each art that owes 

 its charms to truth,' which painting 

 does, as well as logic and metaphy- 

 sics. 10. ' Faith lends her lenient 

 aid to sorrow's load ;' ' Faith lends 

 her aid, and eases (or lightens) 

 sorrow's load.' 11. 'Pensive he 

 mourns,' or 'he views' or 'gives.' 

 12. 'Yet humbly yields,' or 'but 

 humbly.' Now, if from all this 

 you can pick out twelve ostensible 

 lines, do, and I will father them ; 

 or if you will out of that lukewarm 

 corner of your heart where you 

 hoard up your poetical charity 

 throw out a poor mite to my dis- 

 tresses, I shall take it kind indeed ; 

 but, if not, stat prior sentcntia, for I 

 will give myself no farther trouble 

 about it ; I cannot in this uncom- 

 fortable place, where my opus mag- 

 mvm sive didacticum has not advan- 

 ced ten lines since I saw you." 



Gray again appears with his 

 "hook*' and "hoe :*' 



E 



