1797-] 
Others there are, who daringly would brand 
That claffic fenfe they cannot underftand : 
And ign’rant as loquacious, ftill exclaim, 
“‘Ceafey Greeks and Romans, ceafe to chal- 
lenge fame.’’ foe 
But we, more cautious, feek the middle way, 
Intent to follow Truth’s informing ray : 
Left, too precipitate, and vain of praife, 
We treat the wit and tafte of ancient days 
Like thofe who fir’d with popular applaufe, 
Would repretent the. worfe, the better caufe ; 
Who doat on fuftian, and in pompous flyle, 
Augment the little, and extol the vile. 
But if thofe ancients, charming all below, 
Bade from their hearts celeftia! mufic flow ; 
If, praifing heroes, they awak’d around 
The nobler virtues, by the pow’r of found; 
Ifa rich vein of fancy fir'd the foul, 
And happy labour beautify’d the whole ; 
If their bold thoughts a god-like fpirit breathe, 
Who from their brows fhall tear the living 
» wreath ?. 
Then be it thine, O WaxerrEeLp ! thefe to 
praife ; ‘ 
To fpread their wifdom, and their glory raife ; 
Recal the luftre of their injurd themes, 
And ope new beds for their perennial fireams : 
And while they murm’ring flow with tuneful 
voice, 
Britannia’Snurtur’d vallies fhall rejoice, 
Be this thy praife—mine, vagrant love * to 
feek, 
And in thy Mofchus hear Adonis fpeak ; 
Adonis {till by Sylvan virgins mourn’d, 
Adonis {till by Venus” tears adorn’d. 
Alas! too far they urge the melting art! - 
Now Priam’s piteous fuff’rings rend my heart ; 
War's direful horrors, and Eliza’s fate, 
Preis on my foul, and fink me with their 
weight. ‘ 
Appall'd, 1 throw my wond’ring eyes around, 
And tremble while I tread Virgilian ground. f+ 
Now warmer paflions in my bofom rife, 
And tears unfeign'd gufh quicker from my eyes; 
While thou; foft Pity’s bard}! art heard to 
moan, 
And all thy tragic forrows are my own. 
‘Thee, thee our Collins and our Milton lov’d, 
Reviv’d thy moral and thy force improv’d. 

os 
* Mr. W. has edited the poems of. Bion and 
Mofchus, the moft confpicuous of which are, 
the Enitabiog Adwydos by Bion, and the Ewe 
Aca merione of Mofchus.@ 
+ Mr. W. has edited’ the works of Virgil, 
with emendation and concife notes; he has 
likewife publithed an edition of Horace. 
+ Mr. W. has edited fome Greek tragedies, 
under the title of TRaca#p1ARUM Dexrc- 
Tus 3 among the moft eminent of thefe, are, 
the Hercurrs Furens, the Atcesris, 
and the Jon of Euripides, who has been called 
the Bard of Pity, and was particularly admired 
and imitated by Milton and Collins. 
MontTury Mac. No, XVI, 
m4 
\ 
Original Poetry. 299 
Lo ! sev’rend Homer |] quits his awful fhades’ 
And feems to liften to th’ Aonian maids |! 
From Phoebus’ hands he wrefts the golden 
lyre; 
The god tranfported owns his equal fire. 
Now foothing ftrains his yaptur’d mind 
compole, 
And fettled glory gilds his placid brows ! 
Blind, yet in mind he fees! and tho’ deprefs’d, 
The pride of genius rifes in his breaft, 
Asin that ancient buft his features fhine, / 
Thus in his Iliad beams the bard divine§ ! 
Nor with thofe idle wits who fition weave, 
And di€tate nought that reafon can believe, 
Shall rank eh’ illumin’d fage whom now you raifey 
The fkilld Lucretius! crown’d with learned 
bays ! 
As chafte in judgment, as in genius bright, 
Born to difiiibute philofophic light. 
To him, enamour’d of the myftic nine, 
Shone forth the origin of things divine: 
Nor earth, nor heay’n, were from his view 
conceal’d, 
And the whole farry concave ftood reveal’d 5 
Such pow’r of thought eternal palms reward, 
And all Olympus hails th’ immortal bard. 
WAKEFIELD, proceed—each ancient author 
clear 
From Time’s rude duft, and make his fenfe 
appear + 
Whilft I, admiring, cull the fragrant flow’rs, 
And blushing fruits of fair Pierian bow’rs 5 
While I with tender themes my naufe engage, 
Be thou the iubtle Bentley of our age. 
Vauxhall, Dec. 25 1796. 

By eP di Gok Ans MM, 
Occcaftaned by hearing it obferued, that the Chat- 
cellor of the Frchequer had faroved himfelf a 
bad Artihnetician- 
FOR. addition, Pit7’s talents let all men re= 
vere, 
Since he adds to our debt thirty millions a years 
Ta fubtroian his-fkill co tufpeét will be rath, 
Which contrives from the Bank to /uctraé all 
the cath; 
And tho’ feeble his efforts to muiciply men, - 
He can muiti/s/y taxes again and again 5 
In dimifion what mortal will fay he wants yyus ? 
Who fo artfully works in dividing the haufe. 
Then ye patriots be ftill! to your murmurs 
a truce ! ah 
What we were, what we are, think ! and 
{pare your abufe, — 
For you all muft agree that Will Pitt can 
reduce. ; 

|| G. W. has publifhed a new edition of the 
Iliad of Homer, tranflated by Pope. 
§ Refers to a beautiful little poem in the 
Greek ANTHOLOGIA, book the fifth, on 
Homer. 
Q4 NEW 





