Indignant spurns the cottage from the green; RETALIATION. F old, when Scarron his companions invited,. OF Each guest brought his dish, and the feast was united; If our 'landlord supplies us with beef and with fish, Let each guest bring himself, and he brings the best dish: Our dean shall be venison, just fresh from the plains; Our Burke shall be tongue, with the garnish of brains; Our Will shall be wildfowl, of excellent flavour, 4 And Dick with his pepper shall heighten their savour: 1 The master of the St. James's Coffee-house, where the Doctor, and the friends he has characterized in this poem, occasionally dined. 2 Doctor Bernard, Dean of Derry, in Ireland. 3 Mr. Edmund Burke. Mr. William Burke, late secretary to General Conway, and Imember for Bedwin. ' Mr. Richard Burke, collector of Grenada. * Mr. Richard Cumberland, author of "The West Indian,” 'Fashionable Lover," "The Brothers," and other dramatic pieces. * Doctor Douglas, canon of Windsor, an ingenious Scotch gentleman, who has no less distinguished himself as a citizen of the world, than a sound critic, in detecting several literary mistakes (or rather forgeries) of his countrymen; particularly Lauder on Milton, and Power's "History of the Popes." Our Garrick's a salad; for in him we see To make out the dinner, full certain I am Who'd not be a glutton, and stick to the last? 13 "Here lies the good dean,13 reunited to earth, Who mixt reason with pleasure, and wisdom with mirth: If he had any faults, he has left us in doubt, At least in six weeks I could not find 'em out; Yet some have declared, and it can't be denied 'em, Here lies our good "Edmund, whose genius was such, We scarcely can praise it or blame it too much; Who, born for the universe, narrow'd his mind, And to party gave up what was meant for mankind. 9 David Garrick, Esq. Counsellor John Ridge, a gentleman belonging to the Irish Bar. 10 Sir Joshua Reynolds. "An eminent attorney, whose hospitality and good humour acquired him in his club the title of "Honest Tom Hickey." 12 Here lies the good dean.] See a poem by Dean Bernard to Sir J. Reynolds, in Northcote's Life of Reynolds, p. 130. 13 Vide page 128. 14 Vide page 128. 130 Though fraught with all learning, yet straining his throat 15 To persuade Tommy Townshend to lend him a vote; Here lies honest 16 William, whose heart was a mint, While the owner ne'er knew half the good that was in't; The pupil of impulse, it forced him along, His conduct still right, with his argument wrong; The coachman was tipsy, the chariot drove home: Here lies honest Richard, whose fate I must sigh at; What spirits were his! what wit and what whim! 15 M. T. Townshend, member for Whitchurch. -See H. Walpole's Letter to Lord Hertford, p. 6. 16 Vide page 128. 17 Mr. Richard Burke; vide page 128. This gentleman having slightly fractured one of his arms and legs, at different times, the Doctor has rallied him on those accidents, as a kind of retributive justice, for breaking his jests upon other people. In short, so provoking a devil was Dick, That we wished him full ten times a day at Old Nick; But, missing his mirth and agreeable vein, As often we wished to have Dick back again. 18 Here Cumberland lies, having acted his parts, Like a tragedy queen he has dizened her out, His fools have their follies so lost in a crowd Here "Douglas retires from his toils to relax, The scourge of impostors, the terror of quacks: Come, all ye quack bards, and ye quacking divines, Come, and dance on the spot where your tyrant reclines: When satire and censure encircled his throne, I feared for your safety, I feared for my own; 18 Vide page 128. 19 Vide page 128. But now he is gone, and we want a detector, 20 Our 2o Dodds shall be pious, our "Kenricks shall lecture; 22 Macpherson write bombast, and call it a style; Our 23 Townshend make speeches, and I shall compile; New 24 Lauders and Bowers the Tweed shall cross over, No countryman living their tricks to discover; Detection her taper shall quench to a spark, 25 And Scotchman meet Scotchman, and cheat in the dark. Here lies 26 David Garrick, describe me who can, He cast off his friends, as a huntsman his pack; For he knew, when he pleased, he could whistle them back. 20 The Rev. Dr. Dodd. 21 Dr. Kenrick, who read lectures at the Devil Tavern, under the title of "The School of Shakespeare." 22 James Macpherson, Esq., who lately, from the mere force of his style, wrote down the first poet of all antiquity. 24 Vide page 128. 26 Vide page 129. 23 Vide page 130. See Farquhar's Love in a Bottle, vol. i. p. 150. |