Monsieur de Voltaire says, that " the English plays are like the English puddings: nobody has any taste for them but themselves."-Fanshaw. A common phrase for snuff among the Italians is, Hilarità del Naso.-Prince Eugene used to take vast quantities of it, out of his tin pocket, when he had given any orders and was most solicitous how to proceed-it helps meditation mightily.-Mr. Baillardeau. Lang did the eighth or tenth book of the Odyssey, and Mr. Pope gave him a twenty-two guinea medal for it.— Wilson, of Balliol College. There are no two things so much alike in nature as two kings. There are none but the very first, and very last of men that are particularly miserable; and even in them, it is, if well considered, frequently of their own seeking or by their own fault. Dr. King, of St. Mary Hall. It is necessary, in many cases at least, to feign a warmth for party: where the mob are to be the judges. They have the fairest chance for the majority, who have the most enthusiasm on their side. You may lose your cause by resolving to appear calm and reasonable. Dr. Collet upon mistaking un asoλos in his author for avλos, wrote in his notes, fifteen reasons to prove why the soul was like a flute.-Derham, of St. John's. Farquhar died young: he improved in each play; his last was the best. Had he lived, he would probably have made a very good writer that way.- -Oldisworth. Creech translated most of Lucretius in walking round * From a letter of Dr. Ar. Charlett, in Ballard's Collection, quoted by Thomas Warton in his life of Bathurst, the cause of poor Creech's death is thus stated:-" There was a fellow-collegian, of the parks: fifty lines, perhaps, at a time, which he used to write down when he came to his chamber, and correct afterwards at leisure.-Mr. Pitt, from his father, who translated the Plague of Athens in the Poem. I saw Mr. Dryden when I was about twelve years of age: -this bust is like him.-I remember his face well; for I looked upon him, even then, with the greatest veneration, and observed him very particularly.-Mr. Pope. This was not written down until 1730, but certain. I was acquainted with old men when I was young; which has brought some habits upon me that are troublesome.-Pope. The Book of Job is, perhaps, the first dramatic piece that ever was written. It is evidently a tragedy, and the design of it is to show cur malis bone, et bonis male! Taken with that single precaution, it is very easily understood all through. The performance is very well for a young man. whom Creech frequently borrowed money; but that repeating his applications too often, he met one day with a cold reception, and in a fit of gloomy disgust retired, and in three days was found hanging in his study.”—In a letter of Bishop Tanner's to Dr. Charlett, cited by Mr. Malone from the same collection, it appears that he was probably insane: the passage is as follows, "I found out Mr. Creech yesterday, at Jacob Tonson's. He complained to me of a fever, that he had had upon him ever since his coming to town; which, and his want of habit, has hindered him from waiting on Dr. Wake; though I believe it will not be hard to prove that he has been abroad every day. But I am very glad to hear that he is come to his senses again, and wish he may not relapse. I always feared that he would be mad at last: and the only way to prevent it, will be to help him to such preferment as his great merit deserves; for notwithstanding his failings, I can't choose but respect him, out of regard to his learning." MSS. Ballard, in Bibl. Bodl. vol. iv. p. 26.-Editor. Bishop Hare, from Dr. Conybeare. [The Bishop says, he would engage to prove it very plainly to have been written a little before Ezekiel's time.] Lord Cowper, on his death bed, ordered that his son should never travel; (it is by the absolute desire of the queen that he does.) He ordered this from a good deal of observation on its effects; he had found that there was little to be hoped, and much to be feared, from travelling. Atwell, who is the young lord's tutor abroad, gives but a very discouraging account of it too in his letters; and seems to think, that people are sent out too young, and are too hasty to find any great good from it.-Dr. Conybeare. Dr. Plot was very credulous, and took up with any stories for his History of Oxfordshire.-A gentleman of Worcestershire was likely to be put into the margin, as having one leg rough and the other smooth, had he not discovered the cheat to him out of compassion; one of his legs had been shaved.-Mr. Hudson. : In the Iliad you are fully engaged in the part you are reading in the Odyssey you are always wishing for the event; the latter is masterly in raising that appetite which is particular to romance: the other is full in each part :— one, always affords the pleasure of expectation ;--the other, of fruition.-Dr. Young. The splendid fault of Lord Bacon and Malebranche is being too beautiful and too entertaining, in points that require reasoning alone.-There should be one character preserved in style, as much as in painting. In a picture, though each figure is dressed differently, and in so different colours, that they shall be all used variously in the piece; yet there is such a general air that at a distance you perceive it to be one representation, the tints are so well managed. -Dr. Y. Cicero has not full justice done him: he suffers with us by our comparing him with Demosthenes; who is more strong and less diffused, and so more agreeable to our present taste. Had Cicero lived in Demosthenes' time and country, he would have followed his manner, and vice versa.Nearly the same may be said of Horace and Juvenal.-I believe it is true that Dryden gives the preference so much to Juvenal, because he had been just translating him.—Dr. Y. "Tis provoking that Dryden should give the preference to Persius too, for the same reason. Mr. Reynel. I think there are a great many fine copies of verses in the Musa Anglicana.-Dr. Y. [He mentioned only Bathurst and Hannes.] Swift, Steele, and Addison, are all great masters of humour. Swift had a mixture of insolence in his conversation.-Sir Richard Steele was the best-natured creature in the world: even in his worst state of health, he seemed to desire nothing but to please and be pleased.—Addison was not free with his superiors.-He was rather mute in society on some occasions; but when he began to be company, he was full of vivacity, and went on in a noble stream of thought and language, so as to chain the attention of every one to him.-I like his Campaign, though so many speak against it: he was undoubtedly a very good poet; but, after all, what will carry him down to posterity, must be his prose writings.-The love part in Cato was certainly given to the taste of the times; it is extremely cold and stiff: I believe he was so taken up with his chief character, which he has finished in so masterly a manner, that he neglected the subordinate parts.-Dr. Y. The portrait Mr. Pope has of Wycherley, was drawn when he was very old: as Sir Godfrey Kneller said, he would make a very fine head without a wig; it was drawn at first with his little straggling grey hair: he could not bear it when done, and Sir Godfrey was obliged to draw a wig to it.-Mr. Saville. The genteel manner of my Lord Oxford's present to Mr. Pope, is well worth recording. He seemed to have forgot some money due for subscriptions he had procured to the Homer (the amount about thirty guineas), some time after he sent a gold cup with the following inscription: Edv: Comes Oxon. Alex". Pope in memoriam Patris. The cup was worth about one hundred and fifty guineas; and he said he did not know the sum exactly, but thought it might be about what he owed him. The earl, his father, had never made Mr. Pope any present for his dedication : and Mr. Pope said he was perfectly right in not doing it, so that he is a man above presents in the common way.— Dean Swift's little silver cup had the following inscription. Jonathan Swift Alex. Pope: Pignus Amicitiæ exiguum ingentis. Mr. Pope said one day to Mr. Saville: "If I was to begin the world again, and knew just what I do now, I would never write a verse.' I have seen, of Mr. Pope's drawing, a grave old Chaucer, from Occleve; a Betterton; a Lucius Verus, large profile; two Turkish heads; a Janizary from the life; Antinous; and St. John praying.-Spence. |