tioned, decorated with the ftatues of great and good men, is no im. proper emblem. This work, which contains the lives of the most eminent perfons, who have flourished in Great Britain and Ireland, from the earliest ages, down to the prefent time, appears to me, as far as it has hitherto gone, to be executed with great Spirit, accuracy, and judgment; and deferves, in my opinion, to be encouraged by all, who have at heart the honour of their country, and that of their particular families and friends; and who can any ways affift the ingenious and laborious authors, to render as perfect as poffible, a defign fo apparently calculated to serve the public, by fetting in the trueft and fulleft light the characters of perfons already generally, though perhaps too indiftinctly known; and retrieving from obfcurity and oblivion, examples of private and retired merit, which, though lefs glaring and oftentatious than the former, are not, however, of a lefs extenfive or less beneficial influence. To thofe, who may happen not to have seen this repofitory of British glory, I cannot give a better idea of it, than in the following lines of Virgil: Hic manus ob patriam pugnando vulnera paffi ; Virg. Æn. L. 6. The End of the FIRST CANTO. PEN. PENS HUR ST. INSCRIBED TO WILLIAM PERRY, Efq; AND The Honourable Mrs. ELIZABETH PERRY. By the late Mr. F. COVENTRY. ENIUS of Penfhurft old! GE Who faw'ft the birth of each immortal oak, Here facred from the stroke; And all thy tenants of yon turrets bold, Infpir'ft to arts or arms; a Where Sidney his Arcadian landscape drew, Genuine from thy Doric view; And patriot Algernon unfhaken rose Above infulting foes; And Sacchariffa nurs'd her angel charms. • Sir Philip Sidney. Algernon Sidney. O fuffer O fuffer me with fober tread To enter on thy holy fhade; And pour his urn beneath my feet. And fee where Perry opes his door To land me on the focial floor; Nor does the heirefs of these fhades deny Where Beauty fhines, and Friendship warm, And Honour in a female form. With them in aged groves to walk, I fhun loofe Pleafure's idle crowd, Old Truth retains his filver hairs, And And Chastity her matron ftep, Doric bards enamour'd told, While the pleas'd Arcadian vale Echo'd the enchanting tale. But chief of Virtue's lovely train, A penfive exile on the plain, No longer active now to wield Th' avenging fword, protecting fhield, And learn her dictates to rehearse, Ere yet they grew refin'd to hate The hofpitable rural feat, The fpacious hall with tenants ftor'd, Where Mirth and Plenty crown'd the board; Ere Ere yet their Lares they forfook, The rough, unbending, martial spirit, To clink the chain of Thraldom gay, And court-idolatry to pay; To live in city fmoaks obfcure, Where morn ne'er wakes her breezes pure, But come, the minutes flit away, And tell me, as we tread the vale, "With Saccharifs in dalliance lay; "And Philip, fide-long yonder fpring,.. "His lavish carols wont to fing." Hark! I hear the echoes call, Hark! the rushing waters fall; Lead |