but what pleasure can we receive from an imitation of the language and ruftic cuftoms of fhepherds, without being enlivened with any variety of incidents, or harmony of verfification? Five hundred fuch lines as thefe, I rue the day, a rueful day I trow, will never pleafe a reader of tafte, who expects fomething even in paftorals, befides a barbarous rufticity. One more inftance of this woful fimplicity, I must quote from Gay's paftorals : Ah woful day! ah woful noon and morn! fhorn. Gay's poems, vol. i. p. 97. Then Then first, I ween, I caft a lover's eye *, Gay's * Gay's poems, vol. i. p. 84. This poet was more celebrated for the Beggars Opera, a fatire which was attended with amazing effects. He wrote it in an ill-humour, and being brought upon the ftage in the beginning of November 1727, it was received with greater applaufe than had ever been known on any occafion. For befides being acted in London fixty-three days, without interruption, and renewed the next feafon with fuccefs, it fpread into all the great towns of England, was played in many places to the thirtieth and fortieth time; at Bath and Briflol fifty, &c. It made its progrefs into Wales, Scotland, and Ireland, where it was performed twenty-four days fucceffively; and laftly, was acted in Minorca. The ladies carried about with them favourite fongs of it in their fans, and houses were furnished with it in fcreens. The fame of it was not confined to the author only; the perfon who acted Polly, till then obfcure, being all at once the favourite of the town; her pictures were engraved, and fold in great numbers; her life written; books of letters Gay's fables are poetic, and fome of them humourous; but their chief excellence letters and verses to her published, and pamphlets made of her fayings and jokes *; and to crown all, after being the mother of feveral ante-nuptial children, the obtained the title and rank of a duchefs by marriage. There is fcarcely, if at all, to be found in history an example, where a private fubje&t, undiftinguished either by birth or fortune, had it in his power to feaft his refentment fo richly at the expence of his fovereign. But this was not all. He went on in the fame humour, and cast a fecond part in the like-fafhioned mold; which being excluded from the flage by the Lord Chamberlain, he was encouraged to print it with the title of Polly, by fubfcription, and this too, confidering the powers employed against it, was incredibly large +. Neither yet did it end here. Swift's Intelligencer, No. iii. It was faid, that he got more this way, than he could have done by a bare theatrical reprefentation, Cibber the father, in his Apology, p. 144. cellence is in their propriety, and that beautiful fimplicity which characterises most of them . here. The The Duke and Duchefs of Queensbury took part in refenting the indignity put upon him by this laft act of power, refigned their respective places at court, took our author into their house and family, and treated him with all the endearing kindnefs of an intimate and much beloved friend. La Fontaine was at the fame time the celebrated fabulift in France. His fables have vast merit, and his are tales humourous, but indelicate. His humour was exceedingly averse to confinement, or reftraint of any kind, yet to oblige his parents he fuffered himself to be married; and, though the most unfeeling and infenfible of mortals, was yet fo far captivated by the wit and beauty of his wife, that he never performed any confiderable work without confulting her. The generous and witty Madame de la Sabliere furnished him with an apartment and all neceffaries in her house; who, one day having turned away all The fame may be faid of Philips's pastorals, which in fact are beneath criticism. We all her fervants in a pet, declared that fhe had kept but three animals in her house, which were her dog, her cat, and La Fontaine. In this fituation he continued twenty years, during which time he became perfectly acquainted with all the wits of his time, with Moliere, Racine, Boileau, Chapelle, &c. The delights of Paris, and the converfation of thefe gentlemen, did not hinder him from paying Mrs. la Fontaine a vifit every September; but that thefe vifits might turn to fome account, he never failed to fell a house or piece of land, fo that, what with his wife's economy and his own, a handsome family eftate was well nigh confumed. His Parifian friends urged him frequently to go and live with Mrs. la Fontaine, faying, that it was a fhame to separate himself from a woman of her merit and accomplishments; and accordingly he fet out with a purpose of reconciling himself to her |