The idea was already fully in our possession. Grandeur" is but "Ambition" in his Sunday's clothes. Ambition's "mockery," and Grandeur's "difdainful fmile," are the fame: and the "fhort, but fimple annals of the poor," are their "ufeful toil; homely joys; and obfcure destiny." But this is a fault chargeable on Gray throughout the whole Elegy. In every description we recognize the rhetorician, ftudiously prefenting his object in a multitude of different afpects, and creating an artificial encrease of dimension by a minute and tedious enumeration.

IX.

In the three firft lines of the ninth stanza is inculcated a serious truth, by way of check to the fneers of grandeur and ambition. But Beauty is forced awkwardly into the company of thefe fcoffers. As fhe was no accomplice in their mockery, fhe is unjustly, as well as unpolitely, involved in their mortification. Of the third line the expreflion is faulty, becaufe it is obfcure. The fignification of the word "await," is not yet pointedly ascertained. E 2 Whe

Whether does the hour of death await pomp and beauty; or do they await it? Both modes of phrafeology have examples in our language.

Even as the wretch, condemn'd to lofe his life,
Awaits the falling of the murderous knife;

is faid by Fairfax. But the other is the more generally received usage. We rather accustom ourselves to say, that "the evil awaits the fufferer;" than that "the fufferer awaits the evil.” According to this view, it fhould be awaits. But as by this means the nominative and the verb would change places, and the arrangement be awkward to an English ear; in feveral editions, and particularly in Mr. Mafon's, it has been printed await." There is a difficulty both ways. When in the use of any expreffion, an author finds himself fo pinched and befet, he ought to abandon it altogether, and substitute one of more extenfive capability.

દરે

The ftanza concludes with a conceit. It is not true, that "the path of glory leads but to to the grave." Nor is it because it is the path of glory that it leads thither at all. Parnell's thought, with lefs conceit, has in it more of intereft, and much more of piety.

Death's but a path that must be trod,

If man would ever pass to God *.

1

In a series of stanzas that follow, the Author fets himself to expoftulate with the proud, and undertakes to prove the abfurdity of the contempt which he fuppofes them ready to pour on the "unhonoured dead," for their want of more fuperb monuments, from a regular fucceffion of common places.

1. It was no fault of theirs that they had them not. 2. They would have stood them in little stead. 3. Worth and genius may be without them. 4. It was the injuftice of fortune that made them want them.

5. The account was balanced for them another

way.

All which topics are handled with decent plaufibility, and at decent length.

X.

It is in the tenth ftanza that this train of thought commences. But the introduction is not clear of incumbrance. "Impute not to these the fault," is an affected and inadequate expreffion for "don't treat them with fcorn." The two laft lines are the most majestic in the whole Elegy. But they contain an appeal to feelings, which none but thofe who are so hap

4

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py as to have been bred up in a veneration for the folemn forms and fervice of the National Church, can expect to poffefs. The palate of a Sectary, accuftomed to the reception of flender foods, will naufeate the full meal fet before him in these lines:

Where thro' the long-drawn ifle, and fretted vault,
The pealing anthem fwells the note of praise.

Of this last line, however, Criticisin must remark, "that either the compofition of the thought is faulty, or the arrangement of the expreffion is inverted. It is not the anthem that fwells the note, but the agglomeration of notes that fwells the anthem. I am content to suppose this to have been his meaning; communicated in a mode of arrangement, unpleafing to an Englifh reader in his own language, but of which he admits the propriety in Latin compofitions. I have feen this line moft correctly transferred into that language in many different modes, all of them meritorious, in a collection of exercifes written by the Boys of the first form in Merchant Taylor's School, and fent to me with a view, of which I will not gratify my vanity with the publication; though justice requires that of the worthy mafter I fhould folace the labours, by recording the unwearied diligence, and by bearing teftimony to thofe abilities that

åre

are exerted in forming the rifing hopes of an

other age.

XI.

Fault has already been found with Gray for conforming to the affected use of participles in place of adjectives. "Honied fpring;" "madding crowd, &c." "Storied urn;" is of the fame family, and even more exceptionable, because liable to mifapprehenfion. The meaning of the epithet is, "having ftories figured upon it." In the Penferofo of Milton it is to be found as an epithet applied to windows, of which the panes are of painted glafs. It is alfo ufed by Pope. "Flattery foothing the ear of death," is characteristical. What is faid of " honour's voice" is not faid happily. There is a want of appropriation."Silent duft," is one of these expresfions, which Voltaire used to denominate des Suiffes; always ready at a call, and willing to engage in service.

any

XII. XIII,

In the two following quatrains is well de

fcribed the depreffion of genius under ignorance

and