MEMOIRS OP 



utter want of regular defign. Perhaps 

 thofe cenfures, unbalanced by juft praife, 

 ihould not, however, be imputed folely to 

 unworthy jealoufy in either of thofe gentle- 

 men ; certainly not to Sir Brooke, at any 

 rate, who, with all his native brilliance of 

 fancy, was never tenacious of the Mufes* 

 favors. Both had always preferred rhyme 

 to blank verfe, aflerting that it better fuit- 

 ed the nature of our language. Dr. Dar- 

 win had ever maintained a preference of 

 Akenfide's blank verfe to Milton's ; declared 

 that it was of higher polifh, of more claffic 

 purity, and more dignified conftruclion. 

 This preference may fairly allow us to 

 place his blindnefs to the charms of the 

 Talk to the fcore of tafie fomcwhat ener- 

 vated by too much refinement, rather than 

 to forenefs under rival reputation. A {till 

 more fcrupulous attachment to claffic ele- 

 gance attaches to the opinions of Sir Brooke, 

 refpeding Poetry. It. was thence, .duubt- 



lefs, 



