plication of a moft delightful thought in Homer and Pindar to the circumftances of his own country was fingularly happy; and the Ode for the Birth-day in the fame year, wherein he characterises the Poets laureate (if I may use the expreffion) of Greece, is inferior only to that of the following year, in which he does the fame with the Poets laureate of England. The latter ode is perhaps fuperior on the whole; though there is no part of it written in fuch exquifite tafte, or with fo much apparent interest in the subject, as the character of Theocritus, his favourite pastoral poet, in the former; unless indeed it is the character of his no lefs favourite romantic poet, Spenfer, in the latter.

"We have formerly observed," fays a critic, whom, as I have once or twice had occafion to diffent from, I now quote with approbation and pleasure, "that our Bard was particularly happy "in defcriptive poetry; and he has fince, in "his official odes as Poet Laureate, rendered "it just and neceffary to extend this praise to "his felicity in Gothic painting: for which he 'probably qualified himfelf by his study of "Chaucer, Spenfer, and other old authors, who "have described the feats of knights and barons "bold, and who

"In fage and folemn tunes have fung
"Of turneys and of trophies hung.

"The Odes for 1787 and 1788, while the Bard "had no fplendid foreign or domestic events "to celebrate, nor any calamities to deplore, "abound with Gothic pictures and embellish"ments, which give that kind of mellow"nefs to these poems, that time confers on "medals and productions of the pencil." A happy illuftration, and the fame with that which I have above remarked to be given by Quintilian of the effect produced by the adoption of antiquated words. With respect to these four odes, or rather the three last of them, I am unwilling even feemingly to depreciate the others, by declaring a preference for either. I cannot however but add, that the opening of that on Windsor Castle shows the grandest and moft vigorous conception.

The two laft odes are in a different ftyle: the last in particular, which contains a eulogy on the principal mineral fprings in England, blended with two or three fabulous or hiftorical allufions, which Drayton perhaps fupplied him with, contains alfo more glowing description than any of his former poems: and being compofed but a few days before his death, proves that his fancy was ftill warm and active.

It has been already intimated that our Poet

refembles Pindar in the felection of his topics; let me here add, that he difplays a Pindaric boldness and fire in his execution. But as thefe and fimilar expreffions are often used, perhaps without any determinate meaning, it feems advisable to mention, for the fake of precision, that by a Pindaric boldnefs and fire I would understand manlinefs of fentiment, grand and lofty imagery, glowing words, and a highlywrought and metaphorical style: qualities, more truly Pindaric than those which fome perfons seem to think conftitute an imitation of Pindar; fuch as irregular metre, fudden and unconnected tranfitions, and obfcure and confufed thoughts. Warton however has more of Pindar's majesty, than of his enthusiasm; which latter has been carried perhaps to its greatest extent in the English language by nature in Dryden's "Alex“ander's Feast,” and by art in "The Bard" of Gray.

Of the Latin poems of Warton little need be faid; as the judgment of his brother concerning them has never been difputed, that they are written with" a true claffical Purity, Elegance, "and Simplicity." The Author (to use another expreffion of the Doctor's) seems to have thought in Latin.

His model was evidently Virgil; though in

the opening of the Verfes on the rebuilding of Trinity College Chapel, he appears to wish for the Ovidian Graces of Bathurft. This was undoubtedly the most arduous of his Latin poems, and difplays the greatest knowledge and command of the language; but it is at the fame time much less calculated to create general intereft than Mons Catharinæ. The number of readers interested in the one fubject is comparatively fmall but every one is alive to whatever awakens the feelings, and recalls the fports and employments, of youth.

The two hendecafyllaba entitled "In Horto fcript." and "Apud Hortum jucundiffimum "Wintoniæ," are worthy of the hand of Flaminius: and the Epitaph on Mrs. Serle, and that in the "Infcriptionum Delectus" which begins O dulcis puer, have all the delicacy and tenderness of the purest Greek models; and are fuch as might have proceeded from Meleager or Callimachus, had they written in the language of Catullus.

A modern writer of an ancient language is always liable to inaccuracies. We are however surprised at finding in fuch a man as Warton, mistakes of fo glaring a kind as that of making Tempe a noun feminine of the fingular number.

If thefe obfervations are juft, it may be concluded, by way of general remark, that, notwithstanding his blemishes, for blemishes he undoubtedly had, Warton is entitled to claim no mean rank amongst the poets of his country: that he displays great facility and variety of powers; that his ftyle is forcible and ornamented; his thoughts lofty and dignified; his imagery in his defcriptive poetry felect, new, and diftinct; in his lyric poetry, gorgeous and magnificent; that in his lefs ferious pieces he has the humour, without the groffness, of Swift; that in his Latin compofitions he fhows a true claffical tafte and feeling; and that, in all his poems, though he abounds in imitations of his predeceffors, his imitations are not fervile, and that what he borrows he makes his own.

In one department he is not only unequalled, but original and unprecedented: I mean in applying to modern poetry the embellishment of Gothic manners and Gothic arts; the tournaments and festivals, the poetry, mufic, painting, and architecture of " elder days." Nor can I here refrain from repeating, that, though engaged in the fervice, his talents were never prostituted to the undue praise, of royalty: nor from adding as a topic of incidental applause, that, though he wanders in the mazes of fancy, he may always be reforted to as fupplying at least an harmless