I have never understood that his knowledge of modern languages extended beyond the French and Italian these, however, he studied when he was abroad with considerable diligence, and cultivated afterwards, in the leisure which he enjoyed at home. Indeed his acquaintance with the beautiful works of the Tuscan bards, has contributed in no small degree, to enrich and adorn many passages of his English poetry:

"Dum vagus, Ausonias nunc per umbras,

Nunc Britannica per vireta lusit."

6

It remains now only to speak of an intended publication in English literature, mentioned by Gray in an advertisement to the Imitation of the Welsh Odes, and which was an History of English Poetry.' It appears that Warburton had communicated to Mason a paper of Pope's, containing the first sketch of a plan for a work of that nature, and which was printed in the Life of Pope by Ruff head, and subsequently in many

other works.

"Milton (says Dryden in the preface to his Fables) was the poetical son of Spenser, and Mr. Waller of Fairfax; for we have our lineal descents and clans as well as other families." Upon this principle, Pope drew up his little catalogue of

* Pope observed to Spence that "Michael Drayton was one of the imitators of Spenser, and Fairfax another. Milton, in his first pieces, is an evident follower of Spenser too, in his famous Allegro and Penseroso, and some

Carew (a bad Waller), Waller himself and Lord own are all of one school; as Sir John Sucking, Sir Minnes, and Prior are of another. Crashaw is a sort of Cowley; he was a follower too of Petrarch arino, but most of Marino. He and Cowley were iends; and the latter has a good copy of verses on th. About this pitch were Stanley (the author of inions of Philosophers); Randolph, though rather r; and Sylvester, though rather of a lower form. ight and Bishop Corbet are of this class of poets; uggle, the author of Counter-Scuffle, might be adamong them. Herbert is lower than Crashaw, Sir Beaumont higher, and Donne a good deal so. e's Anecdotes, quoted in] Malone's Dryden, p. 589.

ave placed Pope's Catalogue of the Poets in the lix D. (with Gray's Letter on the same subject), me observations upon it. It is singular that this of Pope's should have been so often printed, without the editors, except Mr. Malone, pointing out its s and inaccuracies. It disagrees also, in many with the account which he gave to Spence; printed receding note. I must observe, that this catalogue ed by Mr. Mathias, in a far more correct manner, at in which it usually appears. It is published by m Gray's own hand-writing; and many of the inies pointed out by Mr. Malone, are only the blunprinters and transcribers.

Saxon poetry and when the different sources of English poetry were ascertained, the history was to commence with the school of Chaucer. Mr. Mason collected but few materials for this purpose; but Gray, besides writing his imitations of Norse and Welsh poetry, made many curious and elaborate disquisitions into the origin of rhyme, and the variety of metre to be found in the ancient poets. He transcribed many passages from Lidgate, from the manuscripts which he found at Cambridge, remarking the beauties and defects of this immediate scholar of Chaucer.*

About this time, however, T. Warton was engaged in a work of the same nature: and Gray, fatigued with the extent of his plan, relinquished his undertaking, and sent a copy of his design to Warton; of whose abilities, from his observations, on Spenser, Mr. Mason says, he entertained a high opinion. It is well known, that Warton did not adopt this plan; and gave his reasons for his departure from it, in the preface to his history. Gray died some years before Warton's publication appeared; but Mr. Mason mentions it with praise, in a note in the fourth volume of his Memoirs of Gray, where he calls it, a work, which, as the author proceeds in it through more enlightened periods, will undoubtedly give the world as

66

* See Mathias' Edition of Gray, vol. ii. p. 1 to p. 80. ↑ Gray died in July, 1771, and Warton's first volume appeared in 1774.

n idea of his critical taste, as the present en does of his indefatigable researches into ty."

James Mackintosh has given a sketch of poetical character with his usual tempeof judgment, and delicacy of taste, which th propriety be introduced, as our narrative ving to a close. Gray (he writes, after bservations on the merits of Goldsmith), Poet of a far higher order, and of an almost e kind of merit. Of all English Poets he e most finished artist. He attained the I degree of splendour of which poetical eems to be capable. If Virgil and his Racine may be allowed to have united nat more ease with their elegance, no other pproaches Gray in this kind of excellence. gree of poetical invention diffused over such

the balance of taste and of fancy necessary uce it, and the art with which the offensive ss of imagery is polished away, are not inlways perceptible to the common reader, they convey to any mind the same species cification, which is felt from the perusal of poems, which seem to be the unpremeditated as of enthusiasm. But to the eye of the and more especially to the artist, they afnew kind of pleasure, not incompatible distinct perception of the art employed, and hat similar to the grand emotions excited

by the reflection on the skill and toil exerted in the construction of a magnificent palace. They can only be classed among the secondary pleasures of poetry, but they never can exist without a great degree of its higher excellencies. Almost all his poetry was lyrical-that species which, issuing from a mind in the highest state of excitement, requires an intensity of feeling which, for a long composition, the genius of no poet could support. Those who complained of its brevity and rapidity, only confessed their own inability to follow the movements of poetical inspiration.* Of the two grand attributes of the Ode, Dryden had displayed the enthusiasm, Gray exhibited the magnificence. He is also the only modern English writer whose Latin verses deserve general notice, but we must lament that such difficult trifles had diverted its genius from its natural objects. In his Letters he has shewn the descriptive powers of a poet, and in new combinations of generally familiar words,

* In another place, the same writer observes :-" The obscurity of the Ode on the Progress of Poetry,' arises from the variety of the subjects, the rapidity of the transitions, the boldness of the imagery, and the splendour of the language; to those who are capable of that intense attention, which the higher order of poetry requires, and which poetical sensibility always produces, there is no obscurity. In the Bard' some of these causes of obscurity are lessened; it is more impassioned and less magnificent, but it has more brevity and abruptness. It is a lyric drama, and this structure is a new source of obscurity."