Thy wonders, in that god-like age, Thy humbleft Reed could more prevail, AN EPISTLE ADDRESSED TO SIR THOMAS HANMER, ON HIS EDITION OF SHAKESPEAR'S WORKS. Hile born to bring the Mufe's happier days, WHi A patriot's hand protects a poet's lays, While nurs'd by you the fees her myrtles bloom, Green and unwither'd o'er his honour'd tomb: Excufe her doubts, if yet fhe fears to tell With confcious awe fhe hears the critic's fame, Each Each rifing art by just gradation moves, And grac'd with nobleft pomp her earliest stage. Theban's [reign, With kind concern our pitying eyes o'erflow, To Rome remov'd, with wit fecure to please, [foil. Droop'd their fair leaves, nor knew th' unfriendly The Oedipus of Sophocles. As As arts expir'd, refiftless Dulness rofe; Goths, priests, or Vandals,- all were Learning's Till Julius firft recall'd each exil'd maid, And Cofmo own'd them in th' Etrurian shade: Then deeply skill'd in love's engaging theme, [foes. The foft Provencial pass'd to Arno's stream : But heaven, ftill various in its works, decreed Yet ah! fo bright her morning's opening ray, In vain our Britain hop'd an equal day ! Julius II. the immediate predeceffor of Leo X, No No fecond growth the western ifle could bear, Too nicely Johnfon knew the critic's part; Of fofter mold the gentle Fletcher came, The next in order, as the next in name. With pleas'd attention 'midst his scenes we find The lover's wishes, and the virgin's fear. every His * ftrain the Smiles and Graces own; With gradual fteps, and flow, exacter France Saw Art's fair empire o'er her fhores advance : * Their characters are thus diftinguished by Mr. Dryden. About the time of Shakespear, the poet Hardy was in great repute in France. He wrote, according to Fontenelle, fix hundred plays. The French poets after him applied themfelves in general to the correct improvement of the ftage, which was almoft totally difregarded by thofe of our own country, Johnfon excepted. By |