by the author as his masterpiece. It has some vigorous lines and several descriptive passages that are not conventional. Savage died in prison at Bristol, a city which recalls the equally painful story of Chatterton. LEWIS THEOBALD (1688-1744), the original hero of the Dunciad, was a dramatist and translator, but is chiefly known as the author of Shakespeare Restored; or specimens of blunders committed or unamended in Pope's edition of the poet (1726). This was followed two years later by Proposals for Publishing Emendations and Remarks on Shakespeare, and in 1733 by his edition of the dramatist in seven volumes, Theobald as an editor,' say the editors of the Cambridge Shakespeare, is incomparably superior to his predecessors and to his immediate successor Warburton, although the latter had the advantage of working on his materials. He was the first to recall a multitude of readings of the first Folio unquestionably right, but unnoticed by previous editors. Many most brilliant emendations are due to him.' WILLIAM WALSH (1663-1708) has chronologically little claim to be noticed here, for his poems were published before the beginning of the century, but he is to be remembered as the early friend and wise counsellor of Pope, and also as the author, I believe, of the only English sonnet between Milton's in 1658, and Gray's, on Richard West, in 1742. ANNE FINCH, Countess of Winchelsea (1660-1720), published a volume of verse in 1713 under the title of Miscellany Poems on Several Occasions, Written by a Lady. The book contains a Nocturnal Reverie, which has some lines showing a close and faithful observation of rural sounds and sights, as for example: 'When the loosed horse, now as his pasture leads, Whose stealing pace and lengthened shade we fear, When nibbling sheep at large pursue their food, When curlews cry beneath the village walls, And to her straggling brood the partridge calls.' The Nocturnal Reverie, however, is an exception to the general character of Lady Winchelsea's poems, which consist chiefly of odes (including the inevitable Pindaric), fables, songs, affectionate addresses to her husband, poetical epistles, and a tragedy, Aristomenes; or the Royal Shepherd. The Petition for an Absolute Retreat is one of the best pieces in the volume. It displays great facility in versification, and a love of country delights. THOMAS YALDEN (1670-1736), born in Exeter, and educated at Magdalen College, Oxford, entered into holy orders (1711), and was appointed lecturer of moral philosophy. Of his poems,' writes Dr. Johnson, many are of that irregular kind which, when he formed his poetical character, was supposed to be Pindaric.' Pindarics were indeed the bane of the age. Every minor poet, no matter however feeble his poetical wings might be, endeavoured to fly with Pindar. Like Gay, Yalden tried his skill as a writer of fables. NOTE. Mrs. Veal's Ghost (see pp. 186-187). A curious discovery, made by Mr. G. A. Aitken (see Nineteenth Century, January, 1895), makes it certain, he thinks, that the whole narrative is literally true.' He even hopes that the receipt for scouring Mrs. Veal's gown may some day be found. Mr. Aitken seems to infer that Defoe's other tales will also turn out to be true histories, but Defoe avers, with all the seriousness he expends on Mrs. Veal, that he witnessed the great Plague of London, which it is needless to say he did not. 1704. 1707. 1709. 1709. 1709-1711. 1710. 1711. Locke died. Addison's Campaign. Swift's Tale of a Tub and Battle of the Books. Johnson born. Pope's Pastorals. The Tatler. Berkeley's Principles of Human Knowledge. 1711-1712, The Spectator. 1713. 1713. 1714. 1715. 1715-1720. 1715. 1718. 1719-1720. 1719. 1721. Prior died. Addison's Cato. Sterne born. Mandeville's Fable of the Bees. Gay's Trivia. Pope's Translation of Homer's Iliad. Prior's Poems on Several Occasions (folio). Addison died. Smollett born. Pope's Translation of Homer's Odysscy. Klopstock born. Thomson's Seasons. Ramsay's Gentle Shepherd. |