VIII. ON SIR GODFREY KNELLER, In Westminster-Abbey, 17231. NELLER, by Heav'n, and not. a Master, taught, K Whose Art was Nature, and whose Pictures Thought; Now for two ages having snatch'd from fate IX. ON GENERAL HENRY WITHERS, Thy Country's friend, but more of human kind. O soft Humanity, in Age belov'd! For thee the hardy Vet'ran drops a tear, And the gay Courtier feels the sigh sincere. 1 Pope had made Sir Godfrey Kneller, on his death-bed, a promise to write his epitaph, which he seems to have performed with reluctance. He thought it the worst thing he ever wrote in his life." (Spence.) Roscoe. [Sir Godfrey Kneller was born at Lübeck in 1648, and after being introduced by the Duke of Monmouth to King Charles II., filled the office of Statepainter under that monarch and his successors up to George I, in whose reign (in 1726) he died.] 2 Imitated from the famous Epitaph on Raphael. Raphael, timuit, quo sospite, vinci 3 [The following is the prose inscription on General Withers' monument in Westminster Abbey, which is also believed to be by Pope: 'Henry Withers, Lieutenant-General, de 5 5 ΙΟ scended from a military stock, and bred in arms in Britain, Dunkirk, and Tangier. Through the whole course of the two last wars of England with France, he served in Ireland, in the Low Countries, and in Germany: was present in every battle and at every siege, and distinguished in all by an activity, a valour and a zeal which nature gave and honour improved. A love of glory and of his country animated and raised him above that spirit which the trade of war inspires-a desire of acquiring riches and honours by the miseries of mankind. His temper was humane, his benevolence universal, and among all those ancient virtues which he preserved in practice and in credit none was more remarkable than his hospitality. He died at the age of 78, on the 11th of November, 1729, to whom this monument is erected by his companion in the wars and his friend through life, HENRY DISNEY.' Both Withers and Disney (who rests beside his comrade) are mentioned among Pope's friends by Gay, who alludes to the hospitality panegyrized in the above epitaph.] X. ON MR ELIJAH FENTON, At Easthamstead in Berks, 17301. HIS modest Stone, what few vain Marbles can2, THIS A Poet, blest beyond the Poet's fate, Whom Heav'n kept sacred from the Proud and Great: Foe to loud Praise, and Friend to learned Ease, Content with Science in the Vale of Peace. Calmly he look'd on either Life, and here Saw nothing to regret, or there to fear; Thank'd Heav'n that he had liv'd, and that he died. ΙΟ From Nature's temp'rate feast rose satisfy'd3, 5 OF XI. ON MR GAY, In Westminster-Abbey, 1732. F Manners gentle, of Affections mild; [Elijah Fenton was born in 1683. Fenton, together with Broome, wrote part of the translation of the Odyssey in a style so similar to Pope's that most readers would fail to distinguish between the work of the latter and that of his coadjutors. A survey of Fenton's works shows a striking reproduction on his part of most of the species of poetry cultivated by Pope. Fenton has a pastoral (Florelio) to correspond to Pope's fourth and favourite Pastoral; a paraphrase of the 14th chapter of Isaiah to correspond to Pope's Messiah; an epistle from Sappho to Phaon, Epistles, Prologues, and Translations and Imitations of Horace. Fenton was a thorough master of versification, and excelled Pope in his command of a variety of metres. His Ode to Lord Gower IO 5 (which Pope placed next in merit to Dryden's 2 The modest front of this small floor Crashaw, Epitaph upon Mr Ashton. Johnson. 4 [There is a very striking coincidence between XII. INTENDED FOR SIR ISAAC NEWTON, ISAACUS NEWTONUS: Testantur Tempus, Natura, Cœlum: Hoc marmor fatetur. Nature and Nature's Laws lay hid in Night: XIII. ON DR FRANCIS ATTERBURY, Bishop of Rochester, Who died in Exile at Paris, 1732, (his only Daughter having expired in his arms, immediately after she arrived in France to see him3.) DIALOGUE 4. VES, we have liv'd-one pang, and then we part! Yet ah! how once we lov'd, remember still, Till you are dust like me. HE. Dear Shade! I will: He said, and died3. Atterbury, in relating that after his death his body was brought to England and privately buried under the nave of Westminster Abbey, observes: That the epitaph with which Pope honoured the memory of his friend does not appear on the walls of the great national cemetery, is no subject of regret; for nothing worse was ever written by Colley Cibber.'] 4 [Bowles has pointed out that many of our old epitaphs are written in dialogue.] 5 [Cf. Moral Essays, Ep. 1. v. 265. Atterbury's letter to the Pretender, almost the last expressions of this most eloquent man' (Lord Stanhope), may be compared with Pope's poetic version, which was sarcastically annotated by Warburton, a safer kind of prelate.] XIV. ON EDMUND D. OF BUCKINGHAM, IF F modest Youth, with cool Reflection crown'd, XV. FOR ONE WHO WOULD NOT BE BURIED IN HEROES, and KINGS! your distance keep: In peace let one poor Poet sleep, Who never flatter'd Folks like you: U ANOTHER, ON THE SAME3. NDER this Marble, or under this Sill, Or under this Turf, or e'en what they will; 1 Only son of John Sheffield, Duke of Buckinghamshire, by Katharine Darnley, natural daughter of James II. Roscoe. [These lines were placed by Warburton on the monument erected by him to Pope in Twickenham Church, seventeen years after his death. Mr Carruthers points out that this execrable piece of bad taste was in contravention of Pope's own desire as expressed in his will, where he directs that only the date of his death, and his age, should be inscribed on his tomb.] self.] [Imitated from Ariosto's epitaph on him MISCELLANEOUS. A PARAPHRASE (ON THOMAS À KEMPIS, 1. III. c. 2). [Done by the Author at twelve years old; and first published from the Caryll Papers in the Athenæum, July 15th, 1854.] SPEA PEAK, Gracious Lord, oh, speak; thy Servant hears: Speak words of Comfort in my willing Ears; Speak thou in words, but let me speak in deeds! Nor speak alone, but give me grace to hear 5 Let it not stop when entered at the Ear, But sink, and take deep rooting in my heart. IO As the parch'd Earth drinks Rain (but grace afford) With such a Gust1 will I receive thy word. Nor with the Israelites shall I desire Thy heav'nly word by Moses to receive, Lest I should die: but Thou who didst inspire 15 Speak, gracious Lord, oh, speak, thy servant hears. Moses, indeed, may say the words, but Thou 20 They preach the Doctrine, but thou mak'st us do't; 25 But none but you can give us Strength to walk; 30 Let them be Silent then; and thou alone, My God! speak comfort to my ravish'd ears; Light of my eyes, my Consolation, Speak when thou wilt, for still thy Servant hears. 35 1 [i. e. taste.] |