At the suggestion of the ingenious Dr. John Hoadly, Mr. Hawkins Brown wrote six little poems, entitled, A Pipe of Tobacco, in imitation of six late English poets, Cibber, Philips, Thomson, Young, Pope, Swift. The second was written by Dr. Hoadly himself. The two best of these imitations are that of Young and Pope, whose manner is exactly characterized. Mr. Hawkins Brown, by his admirable Latin Poem on the immortality of the Soul, shewed he had a genius far above these pleasantries. Dr. Hoadly once shewed me a new Rehearsal, being a comedy written by himself and his brother, the Author of the Suspicious Husband, to ridicule several modern tragedies. I remember they were particularly severe on the Saguntum of Frowde and the Sophonisba of Thomson. IMITATIONS OF ENGLISH POETS. CHA UCER. Women ben full of Ragerie, “ But ho! our Nephew,” crieth one, vol. II. 20 Te-he, cried Ladies ; Clerke not spake : 25 NOTES. Ver. 25. Bette is to pyne] A gross and dull caricature of the father of English poetry, and very unworthy of our author at any age. |