This unfortunate lady, as Mr. Pope very properly calls her, was diftinguished by her rank, fortune, and beauty, and was committed to the guardianship of an uncle, who gave her an education fuitable to her expectations; but while fhe was yet very young, fhe was fuppofed to have entertained a partiality for a young gentleman of inferior degree, which occafioned her to refuse å match which her guardian proposed to her..

It was not long before her correfpondence with this gentleman was discovered by means of fpies, whom her guardian had employed to watch over her conduct, and when he upbraided her with this fecret intercourfe, fhe had too much truth and honour to deny the charge. The uncle, finding her affections fo rooted, that he had not power to withdraw them, forced her abroad, where the was received with the refpect due to her quality, but confined from the fight of every one but the dependants of this rigid guardian.

Her defpondent lover transmitted feveral letters on the faith of repeated affurances, that they would be privately delivered to her; but his hopes were betrayed, and his letters, instead of being prefented to the object of his affections, were sent to England, and only ferved to render her confinement more ftrait and severe.

In this miferable and hopeless condition, fhe languifhed a confiderable time in fickness and forrow, till at length fhe put an end to her VOL. XII.

life with a sword which the bribed a woman fervant to procure her, and was found yet warm upon the ground.

Being, by the laws of the place, denied chriftian fepulture, fhe was interred without the leaft folemnity, being caft into the common earth, without any mournful attendants to perform the laft duties of affection, and only followed by fome young people in the neighbourhood, who beftrewed her grave with flowers.

Such a moving catastrophe might have inspired a favage with fenfibility; but in Mr. Pope it awakened all the power of the pathos.

Plan of an Epic Poem, defigned by Mr. Pope; from the fame.

Ih

T has been before intimated, I that our author had formed a defign of writing an epic poem on a ftory related in the old annalist, Geoffery of Monmouth, concerning the arrival of Brutus, the fuppofed grandfon of Eneas, into our ifland, and the fettlement of the firft foundations of the British monarchy.

A fketch of this intended piece, now lies before the writer of thefe sheets; and as the plan feems to be noble, extenfive, and edifying, he trufts that an account of it will not only be entertaining, but inftructive; as the defign may ferve as a model to employ fome genius, if any there be, or fhall hereafter arife, equal to the execution of fuch an arduous task.

The poem, as has been obferved, was to have been entitled Brutus. As Eneas was famed for his piety, fo his grandfon's characteristic was

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benevolence, the first predominant principle of his character, which prompted his endeavours to redeem the remains of his countrymen, the defcendants from Troy, then captives in Greece, and to establish their freedom and felicity in a juft form of government.

He goes to Epirus, from thence he travels all over Greece; collects all the fcattered Trojans; and redeems them with the treasures he brought from Italy.

Having collected his fcattered countrymen, he confults the oracle of Dodona, and is promifed a fettlement in an ifland, which, from the defcription, appears to have been Britain. He then pets to fea, and enters the Atlantic ocean.

The first book was intended to open with the appearance of Brutus at the ftraits of Calpe, in fight of the pillars of Hercules, (the ne plus ultra.) He was to have been introduced debating in council with his captains, whether it was advifeable to launch into the great ocean, on an enterprize bold and hazardous as that of the great Co

lumbus.

One reafon, among others, affigned by Brutus, for attempting the great ocean in fearch of a new country, was, that he entertained no profpect of introducing puré manners in any part of the then known world; but that he might do it among a people uncorrupt in their manners, worthy to be made happy; and wanting only arts and laws to that purpose.

A debate enfues. Pifander, an old Trojan, is rather for fettling in Betica, a rich country, near the ftraits, within the Mediterranean, of whofe wealth they had heard great fame at Carthage. Brutus

apprehends that the foftness of the climate, and the gold found there, would corrupt their manners; befides, that the Tyrians, who had eftablished great commerce there, had introduced their fuperftitions among the natives, and made them unapt to receive the inftructions he was defirous to give.

Cloanthes, one of his captains, out of avarice and effeminacy, nevertheless defires to fettle in a rich and fertile country, rather than to tempt the dangers of the ocean, out of a romantic notion of heroism.

This has fuch an effect, that the whole council being difmayed, are unwilling to pass the ftraits, and venture into the great ocean; pleading the example of Hercules for not advancing farther, and urging the prefumption of going beyond a god. To which Brutus, rifing with emotion, anfwers, that Hercules was but a mortal like them; and that if their virtue was fuperior to his, they would have the fame claim to divinity: for that the path of virtue, was the only way which lay open to heaven.

At length he refolves to go in a fingle fhip, and to reject all fuch daftards, as dared not accompany

him.

Upon this, Orontes takes fire, declares he will attend him through any dangers; that he wants no oracle but his own courage, and the love of glory. That it was for merchants like the Tyrians, not for heroes like them, to make trading fettlements in a country, for the fake of its wealth.

All the younger part of the council agree to the fentiments of Orontes; and, from the love they bear. to Brutus, determine to be the companions of his enterprize, and it

is

is refolved to fet fail the next day. That night Hercules appears to him in a vifion, applauding and confirming the fentiments he had that day delivered in council, and encouraging him to perfevere in the purfuit of the intended enterprize. The fecond book opens with a picture of the fupreme God in all his majefty, fitting on his throne in the higheit heaven. The fuperintending angel of the Trojans empire (the Regnum Priami vetus) falls down before the throne, and confeffes his juftice in having overturned that kingdom, for the fins of the princes, and of the people themselves. But adds, that after having chaftifed and humbled them, it would now be agreeable to his mercy and goodness, to raise up a new ftate from their ruins, and form a people who might ferve him better. That, in Brutus, his providence had a fit inftrument for fuch a gracious defign.

This proftrate angel is raised by the Almighty, and permitted to attend upon Brutus in his voyage to Britain, in order to affift him in the reduction of that island.

The guardian angel, in purfuance of this commiffion, flies from heaven to the high mountain of Calpe; and from thence causes an eaft wind to blow, which carries the fleet out of the ftreights weftward to the Canary islands, where he lands.

Here was to have been a defcription of Teneriffe, and of the volcanoes, as likewife of a moft delicious ifland, which is described to be without inhabitants. A great part of his followers are difpofed to fettle here. What more, fay they, can we wish for ourselves, than fuch a pleafing end of all our

labours? In an inhabited country we muft, perhaps, be forced to fight, and destroy the natives; here, without encroaching upon others, without the guilt of a conqueft, we may have a land that will supply us with all the neceffaries of life. Why then fhould we go farther? Let us thank the gods, and reft here in peace. This affords room for a beautiful description of the land of laziness.

Brutus, however, rejects this nar row and felfifh propofition, as incompatible with his generous plan of extending benevolence, by inftructing and polishing unculti vated minds. He defpifes the mean thought of providing for the happiness of themselves alone, and fets the great promises of heaven before them.

His perfuafions, being feconded by good omens, prevail; nevertheless they leave behind them the old men and the women, together with fuch as are timid and unfit for fervice, to enjoy their ease there, and erect a city. Over this colony, confifting however of about three thoufand perfons, he propofes to make Pifander king, under fuch limitations as appear to him wisest and beft.

To this propofal they all affent with great fatisfaction; only Pifander abfolutely refuses to be king, and begs, notwithstanding his age, that he may attend Brutus in his enterprize. He urges that his experience and councils may be of ufe, though his strength is gone; and that he fhall die unhappy, if he does not die in the arms of his friend.

Brutus accepts his company, with great expreffions of gratitude; and having left his colony a form of

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Providence is now fuppofed to fend his fpirit to raise the wind, and direct it to the northward. The veffel at length touches at Lisbon, or Ulyffipont, where he meets with the fon of a Trojan, captive of Ulyffes. This gives occafion for an epifode; and, among other things, furnishes an account of Ulyffes fettling there, and building of Lisbon; with a detail of the wicked principles of policy and fuperftition he had eftablished, and of his being at length driven away by the discontented people he had enflaved.

Brutus is afterwards driven by a storm, raised by an evil spirit, as far as Norway. He prays to the Supreme God. His guardian angel calms the feas, and conducts the fleet fafe into a port; but the evil spirit excites the barbarian people, to attack them at their landing.

Brutus however repulfes them, lands and encamps on the fea fhore. In the night an aurora borealis aftouifhes his men, fuch a phenomenon having never been seen by them before.

He endeavours to keep up their fpirits, by telling them that what they look upon as a prodigy, may be a phenomenon of nature ufual in thofe countries, though unknown

to them and him; but that if it be any thing fupernatural, they ought to interpret it in their own favour, because heaven never works miracles, but for the good. About midnight they are attacked again by the barbarians, and the light of the aurora, is of great use to them for their defence,

Brutus kills their chief leader, and Orontes the three next in command. This difcourages them, and they fly up into the country. He makes prifoners of fome of the natives, who had been used to those feas, and enquires of them concerning a great island to the fouthweft of their country: they tell him they had been in fuch an island upon piratical voyages, and had carried fome of the natives into captivity. He obtains fome of these captives, whom he finds to be Britons; they describe their country to him, and undertake to pilot him.

In the next book, Brutus touches at the Orcades, and a picture is given of the manners of the favages. The North Britons he brought with him from Norway, relate ftrange ftories concerning one of the greateft of their iflands, fuppofed to be inhabited by dæmons, who forbid all accefs to it by thunders, earthquakes, &c. Eudemon relates a tradition in Greece, that in one of the northern islands of the ocean, fome of the Titans were confined after their overthrow by Jupiter. Brutus, to confound their fuperftition, refolves to land in that ifland.

Brutus fails thither in a fmall veffel of fix oars, attended only by Orontes, who infifts on fharing with him in this adventure. When the boat approaches the fhore, a violent hurricane rises, which dashes. it against the rocks, and beats it

to

to pieces. All the men are drowned but Brutus and Orontes, who fwim to land. They find a thick foreft dark and impenetrable, out of which proceeds a dreadful noife.

All at once the fun was darkened, a thick night comes over them; thundering noifes, and bellowings are heard in the air, and under ground. A terrible eruption of fire breaks out from the top of a mountain, the earth shakes beneath their feet, Orontes flies back into the wood, but Brutus remains undaunted, though in great danger of being fwallowed up, or burnt by the fire. In this extremity he calls upon God; the eruption ceafes, and his guardian angel appears to Brutus, telling him God had permitted the evil spirit to work feeming miracles by natural means, in order to try his virtue, and to humble the pride of Orontes, who was too confident in his courage, and too little regardful of providence. That the hill before them was a volcano; that the effects of it dreadful, though natural, had made the ignorant favages believe the ifland to be an habitation of fiends. That the hurricane, which had wrecked his boat, was a usual symptom preceding an eruption. That he might have perifhed in the eruption, if God had not fent him his good angel to be his preferver.

He then directs him to feek the fouth-weft parts of Great Britain, because the northern parts were infefted by men not yet difpofed to receive religion, arts and good government; the fubduing and civilizing of whom was referved by providence for a fon, that should be. born of him after his conqueft of England.

Brutus promifes to obey; the

angel vanishes. Brutus finds Orontes in a cave of the wood; he is fo afhamed of his fear, that he attempts to kill himself. Brutus comforts him, afcribes it to a fupernatural terror, and tells him what he had heard from the angel. They go down to the coaft, where they find Hanno, with a ship to carry them off.

The enfuing book defcribes the joy of Brutus, at fight of the white rocks of Albion. He lands at Torbay, and, in the western part of the island, meets with a kind reception.

The climate is defcribed to be equally free from the effeminacy and foftnefs of the fouthern climes, and the ferocity and favageness of the northern. The natural genius. of the natives being thus in the medium between these extremes, was well adapted to receive the improvements in virtue, he meditated to introduce. They are reprefented worshippers of the fun and fire, but of good and gentle difpofitions, having no bloody facrifices among them.

Here he meets the Druids, at an altar of turf, in an open place, offering fruits and flowers to heaven.

Then follows a picture of the haven, which is fucceeded by an account of the northern parts, fuppofed to be infefted by tyrants, of whom the Britains tell ftrange ftories, reprefenting them as giants, whom he undertakes to affift them in conquering.

Among thefe iflands, our poet takes notice of the ifland Mona, groaning under the lash of fuperftition, being governed by priests.

Likewife of another distracted by dismal anarchy, the neighbours eating their captives, and carrying away virgins; which affords rooni N 3

for