185

190

195

Who blind obedience pay to ancient fchools,
Bigots to Greece, and flaves to mufty rules,
With folemn confequence declar'd, that none
Could judge that cause, but Sophocles alone :
Dupes to their fancy'd excellence, the crowd,
Obfequious to the facred dictate, bow'd.

When from amidit the throng a youth stood forth,

Unknown his perfon, not unknown his worth :
His look bespoke applaufe; alone he stood,
Alone he stemm'd the mighty critick flood:
He talk'd of ancients as the man became,

Who priz'd our own, but envied not their fame;
With noble rev'rence fpoke of Greece and Rome,
And fcorn'd to tear the laurel from the tomb.

• But more than just to other countries grown, • Must we turn base apoftates to our own?

• Where do these words of Greece and Rome excel,
That England may not pleafe the ear as well?
What mighty magick's in the place or air,
That all perfections needs muft centre there?
In ftates, let strangers blindly be preferr'd;
• In ftate of letters, Merit fhould be heard.
• Genius is of no country; her pure tay

Foe to restraint, from place to place fhe flies,

• And may hereafter e'en in Holland rife.
May not, (to give a pleafing fancy scope,
And chear a patriot heart with patriot hope)
• May not fome great, extenfive genius, raise
• The name of Britain 'bove Athenian praise ;
And, whilst brave thirft of fame his bofom warms,

• Make England great in letters as in arms?
There may-there hath-and Shakespeare's muse aspires
Beyond the reach of Greece; with native fires,

Mounting aloft, he wings his daring flight,

• Whilft Sophocles below ftands trembling at his height,

D

200

205

210

215

220

Why should we then abroad for judges roam,

• When abler judges we may find at home?

Happy in tragick and in comick pow'rs,

• Have we not Shakespeare? is not Johnson ours?

For them, your nat'ral judges, Britons! vote;

They'll judge like Britons, who like Britons wrote.'

225

He faid, and conquer'd-Senfe refum'd her sway, And disappointed pedants stalk'd away :

Shakespeare and Johnson, with deferv'd applause,
Joint judges were ordain'd to try the cause.
Mean time the stranger ev'ry voice employ'd,

230

To ask or tell his name-Who is it?-Lloyd.

Thus, when the aged friends of Job flood mute,
And, tamely prudent, gave up the dispute,
Elihu, with the decent warmth of youth,
Boldly ftood forth the advocate of Truth,
Confuted Falfhood, and disabled Pride,
While baffled Age ftood fnarling at his fide.

235

The day of trial's fix'd; nor any fear Left day of trial should be put off here.

240

Causes but feldom for delay can call,

In courts where forms are few, fees none at all.

The morning came; nor find I that the fun,

As he on other great events hath done,

Put on a brighter robe than what he wore

245

To go his journey in the day before.

Full in the centre of a spacious plain, On plan entirely new, where nothing vain,

Nothing magnificent, appear'd, but Art,

250

With decent modefty perform'd her part,
Rofe a tribunal; from no other court
It borrow'd ornament, or fought fupport:
No-juries here were pack'd to kill or clear;
No bribes were taken, nor oaths broken here;

No gownfmen, partial to a client's cause,
To their own purpose turn'd the pliant laws;

255

Each

Each judge was true and steady to his trust,
As Mansfield wife, and as old Foster juft.

In the first feat, in robe of various dyes,
A noble wildness flashing from his eyes,
Sat Shakespeare-in one hand a wand he bore,
For mighty wonders fam'd in days of yore;
The other held a globe, which to his will
Obedient turn'd, and own'd the mafter's skill:

260

Things of the noblest kind his genius drew,
And look'd through Nature at a single view;
A loose he gave to his unbounded foul,

265

And taught new lands to rise, new feas to roll;
Call'd into being scenes unknown before,

And paffing Nature's bounds, was something more.
Next Johnson fat, in ancient learning train'd,

270

His rigid judgment fancy's flights restrain'd,

Correctly prun'd each wild luxuriant thought,

Mark'd out her courfe, nor fpar'd a glorious fault :

275

The book of Man he read with nicest art,
And ranfack'd all the fecrets of the heart;
Exerted penetration's utmoft force,

And trac'd each paffion to it's proper fource;
Then, ftrongly mark'd, in livelieft colours drew,
And brought each foible forth to publick view:
The coxcomb felt a lash in ev'ry word,
And fools hung out, their brother fools deterr'd:
His comick humour kept the world in awe,
And Laughter frighten'd Folly more than Law.

280

But, hark!-the trumpet founds, the crowd gives way, 285

And the proceffion comes in just array.

Now should I, in fome fweet poetick line,

Offer up incenfe at Apollo's fhrine,

Invoke the Muse to quit her calm abode,

And waken mem'ry with a fleeping ode:

For how fhould mortal man, in mortal verse,
Their titles, merits, or their names, rehearse ?

D 2

290

But

But give, kind Dulnefs! memory and rhyme,
We'll put off Genius till another time.

First, Order came with folemn ftep and flow,

In meafur'd time his feet were taught to go:
Behind, from time to time, he caft his eye,
Left this fhould quit his place, that step awry :
Appearances to fave, his only care;

:! 295

So things feem right, no matter what they are:

300

In him his parents faw themselves renew'd,

Begotten by Sir Critick on Saint Prude.

Then come Drum, Trumpet, Hautboy, Fiddle, Flute; Next Snuffer, Sweeper, Shifter, Soldier, Mute:

Legions of angels all in white advance ;

Furies all fire, come forward in a dance;

Pantomime figures then are brought to view,
Fools hand in hand with fools, go two by two.
Next came the Treasurer of either House,
One with full purse, t'other with not a fous:
Behind a group of figures awe create,
Set off with all th' impertinence of state;
By lace and feather confecrate to fame,
Expletive kings and queens without a name.

305

310

Here Havard, all ferene, in the same strains,

315

Loves, hates, and rages, triumphs, and complains;

His eafy vacant face proclaim'd a heart

Which could not feel emotions, nor impart.

With him came mighty Davies-on my life,
That Davies hath a very pretty wife!
Statefman all over !-in plots famous grown
He mouths a fentence, as curs mouth a bone.
Next Holland came-with truly tragick ftalk,
He
creeps, he flies-a hero fhould not walk.
As if with Heav'n he warr'd, his eager eyes
Planted their batteries against the skies;
Attitude, action, air, pause, start, figh, groan,
He borrow'd, and made ufe of as his own.

By Fortune thrown on any other stage,
He might perhaps have pleas'd an easy age;
But now appears a copy, and no more,
Of fomething better we have feen before.
The actor who would build a solid fame,
Muft imitation's fervile arts disclaim;

330

A&t from himself, on his own bottom stand:

335

I hate e'en Garrick, thus, at fecond-hand.
Behind came King-bred up in modeft lore,

Bashful and young, he fought Hibernia's shore;
Hibernia! fam'd, 'bove ev'ry other grace,

For matchlefs intrepidity of face.

340

From her his features caught the gen'rous flame,

And bid defiance to all fense of shame :

Tutor'd by her all rivals to furpass,

'Mongft Drury's fons he comes, and fhines in Brafs.

Lo, Yates!-without the least finesse of art,

345

He gets applaufe-I wish he'd get his part,
When hot impatience is in full career,

How vilely Hark'e! Hark'e!' grates the ear;
When active fancy from the brain is fent,
And ftands on tip-toe for fome wish'd event,
I hate those careless blunders, which recal
Sufpended fenfe, and prove it fiction all.

350

In characters of low and vulgar mould,
Where Nature's coarseft features we behold,
Where, deftitute of ev'ry decent grace,
Unmanner'd jefts are blurted in your face;
There Yates, with justice strict, attention draws,
Acts truly from himself, and gains applause;
But when to please himself, or charm his wife,
He aims at fomething in politer life,
When, blindly thwarting Nature's stubborn plan,
He treads the stage by way of gentleman,
The clown, who no one touch of breeding knows,
Looks like Tom Errand drefs'd in Clincher's cloaths.

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360

Fond