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tivated Englifh poet, and the moft perfeét 
example of that {plendour and felicity of 
diction which is not attained without much 
fiudy of the poetic art, Mr. Wakefield 
pid particular attention. It was his de- 
fizn to have publifhed a complete edition 
of his works; but after he had printed 
the firft volume, the {cheme was rendered 
abortive by Dr. Warton’s ‘edition. He, 
however, printed a fecond volume, en- 
titled, «* Notes on Pope,’ and alfo gavea 
new edition of Pope’s ‘Iliad and Odyifey.”” 
dn thefe publications he difplayed all that 
variety of comparifon and illuftration, that 
power ef tracing a poetical thought thro’ 
different authors, with its fucceffive fhades 
and improvements, and that exquifite feel- 
ing of particular beauties, which diftin- 
guifh him as an annotator of the writers 
of Greece and Reme. 
_ As a ciaffical editor he appeared ina 
{election from the Greek tragedians, in 
editions of Horace, Virgil, Bion and 
Moichus, and, finally, in his ‘* Lucretius,”’ 
a valt performance, which alone might 
feem the labour of many induftrious years. 
Ot his character, as a man of letters, I 
have been favoured with the following 
eftimate by an able judge, the Rev. E. 
CoGan, of Chefhunt : 
‘¢ In extent of erudition, particularly if 
an acquaintance with the Oriental lan- 
guages bé taken into the account, he was 
perhaps inferior to no man of the prefeat 
age ; and they who have been confidered 
as having had the advantage over him in 
fome of the lefs important simutie of Greek 
literature, have probably limited their at- 
tention to fewer objects, and certainly com- 
menced their literary courf{e with amore ad- 
vantageous preparation. In conjectural 
criticifm he exhibits much of the chara&ter 
of Bentley and Markland: men whom he 
efteemed according to their high .deferts 
in that fpecies of learning to which his 
own mind was peculiarly dire&ted. Like 
thefe illuftrious f{cholars, he is always 
Icarned, fometimes bold, and frequentiy 
happy. Like them he had a mind which 
dildained to be held in a fervile fubjec- 
tion to authority ; and in defiance of efta- 
blifhed readings, which too often fubfti- 
tu'e the dreams of tranfcribers for the gems 
of antiquity, ke followed, without fear, 
wherever reaion and probability feemed to 
lead the way. Inhis earlier critical works 
he ex} ibited, amidft fome errors which his 
riper judgment difcarded, the promife of 
his future greatnefs; and even his faults 
were the infirmities of genius ; they flow- 
ed from that ardour and enthufiafm which 
caract always wait for the flow decifions 
A Petute 1 the Memory of Mr. Wakefield. [OGober ts 
of cool enquiry, They were faults which, 
though they afforded a {mail confolation 
to dull malignity, did not diminith his 
praife in the eftimation of ‘one folid and 
impartial] judge. His favourite ttudy was 
portry, and in an extenfive acquaintance 
with the ancient poets, both Greek and 
Roman, few men fince the revival of let- 
ters have equalled him, and no one ever 
furpafled him in. the perception of their 
beauties, . When he applies to them the 
hand of conjecture, he raiely fails to give 
new fpirit and animation by his touch; 
and where we are obliged to diflent from 
his corrections, we are {ometimes forry for 
the credit of the poet that he does not ap- 
_pear to have written what the critic has 
fuggefted. He was peculiariy fond o 
tracing an elegance of poetical expreffion 
through the various modifications which 
it aflumed in the hands of different wri- 
ters, and in the illuftration of ancient 
phrafeology he did not overlook ihe poets 
of his own country, with many of which 
he was very familiar, His great work 
is undoubtedly his edition of ‘+ Lucre~ 
tius,’” a work which ignorance may de- 
fpife, at which malice may carp, and hire- 
ling feribblers may rail, but which will - 
rank with the labours of Heinfius, Gro- 
novius, Burman, and Heyne, as long as 
literature itfelf fhall live. It will thare 
the prediction with which Ovid has graced 
. the memory of the great poet himfelf, 
Carmina fublimis tunc funt peritura Lucreti, 
Exitio terras cum dabit una dies. 
Befides its critical merit, it exhibits the 
richeft difplay of the flowers of poetry 
that ever was prefented to the world, and 
will amply reward the perufal of every 
man who has fenfibility to relifh the fineft 
tauches of human genius. 
‘“<Mr. Wakefield, even before this im- 
mortal fpecimen of his talents, was de- 
fervedly held in the bigheit eftimation by 
the literati of Germany ; and if his ho- 
nours at home have not equalled his re~ 
putation abraad, the candid mind will 
eafily find the explanation of this pheno- 
menon in the violence of political party, 
and the mean jealoufy which has too 
often difgraced the {cholars of Great Bri- 
tain. “The name of Bentley is conneéted 
with proof encugh of the juftice of this 
infinuation.”’ 
I fhall now proceed to an. incident 
of his life which will be viewed with re- 
gret by the ingenuoug of all parties : the 
additional fen{ations it in‘pires will, of 
courfe, be different according to the par- 
ticular fentiments cf individuals. It has 
alicacy been hinted that Mr, bil 
Toms, 
