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many will affirm, that there are feveral perfons in Wales who can repeat the tranfactions (however fabulous) of Arthur and his mil-ywr, i. e. his thoutand heroes, which are as long as the Poems of Offian." This writer remarks, that the poems of Taheffen, who flourished in the year 500, the chief of the Welch bards, were handed down by tradition like the Poems of Offian. To give ftill further credit to this traditionary delivery of poems from one age to another, Mr. M'Nicol obferves, that the practice of committing much to memory feems to be very old, and probably was borrowed from the Druids, who, as we are affured by authors of credit, were obliged to get 20,000 lines by heart, before they were judged fit to exercise their office; for it was an established maxim among them, never to commit any of their religious tenets to writing.

On the whole, we have in this performance of Mr. M'Nicol's but little real information refpecting the ftate of Scotland. The most curious part is that which relates to the bards, and of which we have already taken due notice. The Remarker, anxious to confute Dr. Johnson, has, to our knowledge, in many places, coloured the picture fo highly as to obfcure the refemblance; and though he fometimes convicts Dr. Johnson of partiality, yet he more frequently difcovers his own.

ART. IV. Memoirs of the Rev. Ifaac Watts, D. D. By Thomas Gibbons, D. D. 8vo. Buckland. 1780.

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Late publication, entitled, The Pofthumous Works of Dr.

A Watts, hath already afforded us an opportunity of paying

our refpects to the memory of that amiable and ingenious divine. In doing this, we endeavoured to keep to the exact line of truth, unbiaffed by prejudice or partiality:-our efteem for the virtues of this excellent man did not precipitate us into a blind admiration of his genius; nor, on the other hand, were we tempted to degrade his abilities, becaufe the enthufiafm of his heart, operating on a fanatical creed, hurried him too often into extravagance and abfurdity. While we owe candour to individuals, we are not to forget what we owe to the public. The present attempt, however laudable in its defign, is not unexceptionable in refpect of its execution; for in the violent ftretch. of applause, we almoft forget the virtues and excellencies of Dr. Watts, which are loft in the disgust excited by the vanity and affected importance of Dr. Gibbons; who seems to entertain an idea of going down to posterity, arm in arm with the respectable

* Vid. December 1779, Review.-N. B. The Editor of thefe Memoirs difputes the authenticity of a confiderable part of the above publication,

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object of his encomiums. We fee him, with Fancy's flattering glafs in his hand, throwing himelf into futurity! We fee him contemplating his own admired image with folemn transport, and (like the bards of ancient time, when filled with the fury of the Mufe) yielding to the premonition from above; till, fwelling beyond the boundaries of the prefent, he burfts into the future, and antedates the applaufe of diftant ages!

Dr. Gibbons informs us, that he received the materials for the compofition of thefe Memoirs from Dr. Watts himself, and his brother, Mr. Enoch Watts,--from various intelligence obtained of others, and from his own intimate acquaintance with the Doctor for several years before his death.

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The first chapter gives an account of the birth, childhood, and claffical education of Dr. Watts. It records fome littleanecdotes (already noticed in our Review for December laft) of the Doctor's premature genius, and of the rapid progress he made in his ftudies under a Mr. Pinhorne, mafter of a freeSchool at Southampton. The prefent Biographer informs us (by way of addition to fome ftrange ftories related in the former account), that before he could fpeak plain, when he had any money given him, he would fay to his mother, "A book! a book!. buy a book!"--that furthermore, at the age of feven, he wrote an epigram on a farthing; and at eight, had fo far improved his talent, as to produce an acroftic upon his own name! One of the Doctor's juvenile efiays is here republished from the Lyric Poems. It is a Pindaric ode, in Latin, addreffed to his claffical preceptor. Dr. Gibbons, fmit with a defire of gratifying the church, and contributing to the general good,' hath tranflated this ode into English verfe, and leaves us to wonder

With what a wing!-to what a height

He tow'rs, and mocks the gazing fight,

Loft in the tracts of day!

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Dr. Gibbons, having foared with Dr. Watts on peerless pinions,' defcends (though not without cutting a figure in the way) to humble profe: and, as an improvement of the first chapter, he entreats all perfons who intend a learned profeffion, and especially that of divinity, to make themselves well acquainted with the Latin and Greek languages.'-Perhaps, continues he, this will contribute not a little to infufe dignity and elegance into our compofitions. Had not Dr. Watts been the good claffical fcholar he was, he might never have fhone with fuch a pre-eminent luftre as a poet and fine writer. By his early proficiency in the Latin and Geek, he was not only prepared for academical exercites and ftudies, but whenever he wished to banquet on a Latin and Greek writer, the rinds in which their rich ideas were inclosed immediately opened their internal treafures to him.' Now this is verily a peerless metaphor ! Never

thelefs,

theless, we heartily join with Dr. G. in recommending a claffical education for gentlemen of all profeflions, and particularly for divines; reflecting, at the fame time, that amidst the advantages which will accrue from it, the least would not be a correct and refined taste in compofition, equally diftant from dulnefs or want of ornament, and a profufion of glaring and far-fetched metaphors.

The fecond chapter gives an account of the Doctor's academical ftudies under Mr. Rowe of London. The mention of this gentleman's name affords Dr. Gibbons a precious opportunity of faying fomething on the darling fubject of himself. He exults in the honour he enjoys of having been, for the fpace of 36 years, the paftor of a Diffenting congregation, meeting at Haber dafhers-Hall-the very fame meeting-houfe in which this very Mr. Rowe formerly preached, and where Dr. Watts himfelf was first admitted to communion! This chapter confists of fome theological thefes in English and Latin, extracted from a manufcript in the hand-writing of Dr. Watts, given to the Editor by Mr. Enoch Watts.

The third chapter contains fome occafional poems of Dr. Watts during his ftudies, or very foon after clofing them.' These poems are in Latin, accompanied with English verfions by the Editor; moft of which, if we miftake not, appeared a few years fince in a publication of Dr. G.'s under the title of The Chriftian Minifter, addreffed to a certain reverend J. Watfon of Gosport. This chapter is clofed by a brief account of three ingenious gentlemen of the Doctor's earliest acquaintance, and who had been fellow-ftudents with him at Mr. Rowe's academy; viz. Mr. Jofiah Hort, afterwards Archbishop of Tuam, in Ireland; Mr. John Hughes, author of the Siege of Damafcus, and other poetical pieces which have been well received; and Mr. Samuel Say, a Diffenting minifler of Westminster, whose Poems, &c. &c. were published after his deccafe by the late Mr. W. Duncombe.

The fourth chapter contains a review of Dr. Watts's life," in which there is an account of his ordination among the Independents-his pastoral connection-his domestic and private engagements-his frequent and fevere indifpofitions-how comfortably (as Dr. G. fays) he felt himself under the preffure of ficknefs on his body'-the verfes which he compofed on the occafion, and the pious improvement which he made of the various events of Providence. It also contains fome flight accounts of the families of Sir John Hartop and Sir Thomas Abney, in which the Doctor ipent the greateft part of his life; and moreover, to thefe accounts is added, An Ode to the memory of that amiable mirror of Chriftian grace and virtue, Dame Mary Abney, by-Dr. Thomas Gibbons !

who

who dares rehearse

Abney's high character in verse.

And sheds his undiminish'd ray's

O'er all the tenor of her days.'

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The fifth chapter is an attempt to delineate Dr. Watts's character as a Chriftian and a minifter.' In this delineation his panegyrist represents him as the most universal scholar of his age, as well as poffeffed of extraordinary abilities as a poet :" and alfo of fo large a portion of wit,' that perhaps, fays Dr. G. few perfons poffeffed fo much, though he never feemed fond of difplaying it. Confidering him in the capacity of a poet, his biographer thinks he pays him the higheft compliment by obferving, that his Mufe was generally employed upon divine themes, and was very rarely permitted to depart from the fanctuary of the Lord.' He produces one exception, indeed, to the fanctuary-fhip of the Doctor's Mufe, viz. The Ode to Lady Sunderland. This, fays the Editor, cannot be called a religious ode, or be faid to contain any precept of virtue.' Let this however be as the Editor fays, yet we think he might have spared himself the trouble of publishing the Doctor's apology. The verfes needed none *. But Dr. Gibbons was fufficiently aware for whofe edification thefe Memoirs were written; and while, from a fympathetic concern for poor tender fouls, he was engaged in the above-mentioned humble apology, we are somewhat furprised at his omitting to apologize for The few happy Matches. This little fong is not lefs elegant and fprightly than the Ode to Lady S. and equally deftitute of the favour of the fanctuary.

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In drawing the picture of Dr. Watts's mind, Dr. Gibbons lays on colour upon colour, with fuch a matchlefs prodigality, that the eye, of a fober spectator at least, instead of being pleafed and enlivened by fimple nature, is dazzled and fatigued by a glare of confufed and pompous images, that prefent no diftinct object, and, confequently, leave no fteady impreffion. His foul, fays Dr. G. appeared to have no plaits or foldings in it, but expanded itself into an open, broad view at once: or, to adopt another metaphor, his mind was a clear, transparent ftream, whofe inmoft depth was obvious to all, and in which lay, not weeds and dirt, but treasures richer than those of Pactolus, whose waters glided over beds of gold.' And all this glorious waste of words is meant to convey a more than ordinarily perfpicuous idea of fimplicity! Surely that plain and modeft virtue is difguifed in this mockery of drefs! It is encumbered with this load of ufelefs ornament! It is How contagious are bad ex

* This ode is printed in our Article referred to in the preceding Note.

amples!

amples! We had ftarted a Metaphor, and like Dr. G. we should have run it down, if we had not luckily recollected that we must keep our breath for choicer game.

This Memoir-writer, in the farther delineation of Dr. Watts's character, obferves, in his ufual phraseology, that he appeared to be nobly avaricious of his time, and ever watchful to improve it, fuffering none of its fands to run down in vain.'... When he went abroad among the fcenes of rural verdure, beauty, and fruitfulness, like the bee in its induftrious ranges for celestial fweets, he was folicitous to gain fresh food for heavenly contemplation, or fresh materials and ornaments for future compofitions. The paftures covered with flocks and herds, the fields waving with the ripening harvefts, the groves refounding with the melody of birds, enlivened his praises; and he faw, heard, and confeffed his God in all. The fkies by day ftruck his foul with admiration of the immenfe power, wifdom, and goodness of their Divine Author: the moon and ftarry train by night increafed his conceptions of Deity; and in the open manufcript of God, the wide-extended heavens, he read the letters of his great and wonderful name with profound homage and veneration. All that met his eye and ear, was laid, as it were, under a perpetual tribute to yield him improvement, and confecrate and enrich his moments of leifure, and neceffary ceffation from his ftudies and, in fhort, nature was only a fcale to his devout foul, by which to afcend to the knowlege and adoration of God.'

This piece of half-poetry and half-profe, feems rather to be introduced for the purpofe of difplaying the defcriptive talents of Dr. Gibbons, than the devotional temper of Dr. Watts. If the latter had been the chief object, as it ought to have been, its end would have been more effectually answered by five words than by all this formal and oftentatious parade of mock elo quence, about rural verdure, waving fields, and ripening harvests refounding groves, and the melody of birds: the ftarry train, the manufcript of heaven, and the fcale to afcend to it. But fome writers think they can never fay enough: and they are fo vain of every thought, efpecially if it fhould chance to come in the fhape of a metaphor, that they have not the heart to fupprefs. any. Now if fuch writers could fairly and honeftly put themfelves in the place of their readers, and exchange feelings with them, they would learn to be more frugal, and not bestow fo bountifully what is generally received fo unthankfully.

Dr. Gibbons, after paffing a moft extravagant encomium on Dr. Watts's talent for converfation, informs us, that he hath been at fome pains to collect proofs of his excellence in this refpect; the much greater part of which, fays he, are taken from the register of my own memory.' The much greater part might

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