P. 29, note 4." The crested adder's pride."-Dryden, Indian Queen.

P. 29, note 5.-Snowdon was a name given by the Saxons to that mountainous tract which the Welsh themselves call Craigian-eryri: it included all the highlands of Caernarvonshire and Merionethshire, as far east as the river Conway. R. Hygden, speaking of the castle of Conway, built by King Edward the First, fays, "Ad ortum amnis Conway ad clivum montis Erery;" and Matthew of Westminster, (ad ann. 1283) " Apud Aberconway ad pedes montis Snowdonia fecit erigi caftrum forte."

P. 30, note 6.-Gilbert de Clare, furnamed the Red, earl of Gloucester and Hertford, fon-in-law to King Edward.

Edmond de Mortimer, Lord of Wigmore.

They both were Lord Marchers, whofe lands lay on the borders of Wales, and probably accompanied the king in this expedition.

P. 30, note 7.-The image was taken from a well-known picture of Raphael, representing the Supreme Being in the vifion of Ezekiel. There are two of these paintings, both believed to be originals, one at Florence, the other in the Duke of Orleans' collection at Paris.

P. 31, note 8.-The shores of Caernarvonshire opposite the isle of Anglesey.

P. 31, note 9.-Camden and others obferve, that eagles used annually to build their aerie among the rocks of Snowdon, which from thence (as some think) were named by the Welsh Craigian-eryri, or the crags of the eagles. At this day (I am told) the highest point of Snowdon is called the Eagle's Neft. That bird is certainly no stranger to this island, as the Scots, and the people of Cumberland, Westmoreland, &c. can testify: it even has built its nest upon the peak of Derbyshire. [See Willoughby's Ornithol. by Ray.]

P. 31, note 10.-" As dear to me as are the ruddy drops

That vifit my fad heart."-Jul. Cæfar, Act ii. Sc. 1.

P. 32, note 11.-Edward the Second, cruelly butchered in Berkley Castle. P. 32, note 12.-Ifabel of France, Edward the Second's adulterous queen.

P. 32, note 13.- Triumphs of Edward the Third in France.

P. 33, note 14.-Death of that king, abandoned by his children, and even robbed in his last moments by his courtiers and his mistress.

P. 33, note 15.-Edward the Black Prince, dead fome time before his father.

P. 33, note 16.-Magnificence of Richard the Second's reign. See Froiffard and other contemporary writers.

P. 34, note 17.-Richard the Second, as we are told by Archbishop Scroop and the confederate Lords in their manifefto, by Thomas of Walfingham, and all the older writers, was ftarved to death. The story of his affaffination by Sir Piers of Exon is of much later date.

For the profufion of Richard II. fee Harding, Chron. quoted in the Preface to Mafon's Hoccleve, p. 5; Daniel, Civil Wars, iii. 87; and Pennant, London, p. 89, 4to.

P. 34, note 18.-Ruinous wars of York and Lancaster.

P. 34, note 19.-Henry the Sixth, George Duke of Clarence, Edward the Fifth, Richard Duke of York, &c., believed to be murdered fecretly in the Tower of London. The oldeft part of that structure is vulgarly attributed to Julius Cæfar.

P. 34, note 20.-Margaret of Anjou, a woman of heroic fpirit, who ftruggled hard to fave her husband and her crown.

Henry the Fifth.

P. 34, note 21.-Henry the Sixth, very near being canonized. The line of Lancaster had no right of inheritance to the crown.

P. 34, note 22.-The white and red rofes, devices of York and Lancaster.

P. 34, note 23.-The filver boar was the badge of Richard the Third; whence he was usually known in his own time by the name of the Boar.

P. 35, note 24.-Eleanor of Castile died a few years after the conquest of Wales. The heroic proof she gave of her affection for her lord is well known. The monuments of his regret and forrow for the loss of her, are still to be seen at Northampton, Gaddington, Waltham, and other places.

P. 35, note 25.—It was the common belief of the Welsh nation, that King Arthur was still alive in Fairyland, and would return again to reign over Britain. Both Merlin and Talieffin had prophefied, that the Welsh should regain their fovereignty over this island; which feemed to be accomplished in the house of Tudor.

P. 36, note 26.-Speed, relating an audience given by Queen Elizabeth to Paul Dzialinski, ambaffador of Poland, fays, "And thus fhe, lion-like rifing, daunted the malapert orator no less with her stately port and majestical deporture, than with the tartneffe of her princelie checkes."

P. 36, note 27.-Talieffin, chief of the bards, flourished in the fixth century. His works are ftill preferved, and his memory held in high veneration among his countrymen.

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P. 36, note 28.—" Fierce wars and faithful loves shall moralize my song." Spenfer, Proëme to the F. 2.

P. 36, note 29.-Shakespeare.

P. 37, note 30.-The fucceffion of poets after Milton's time.

P. 37, note 31.-The original argument of this ode, as Mr. Gray had fet it down in one of the pages of his common-place book, was as follows: "The army of Edward I., as they march through a deep valley, (and approach Mount Snowdon, Ms.) are suddenly stopped by the appearance of a venerable figure feated on the fummit of an inacceffible rock, who, with a voice more than human, reproaches the king with all the mifery and defolation (defolation and mifery, Ms.) which he had brought on his country; foretells the misfortunes of the Norman race, and with prophetic spirit declares, that all his cruelty shall never extinguish the noble ardour of poetic genius in this island; and that men shall never be wanting to celebrate true virtue and valour in immortal strains, to

expofe vice and infamous pleasure, and boldly cenfure tyranny and oppression. His fong ended, he precipitates himself from the mountain, and is swallowed up by the river that rolls at its foot."

"Fine (fays Mr. Mason) as the conclufion of this ode is at present, I think it would have been still finer, if he could have executed it according to this plan; but, unhappily for his purpose, instances of English poets were wanting. Spenfer had that enchanting flow of verfe which was peculiarly calculated to celebrate virtue and valour; but he chose to celebrate them, not literally, but in allegory. Shakespeare, who had talents for everything, was undoubtedly capable of exposing vice and infamous pleasure; and the drama was a proper vehicle for his satire; but we do not ever find that he profeffedly made this his object; nay, we know that, in one inimitable character, he has fo contrived as to make vices of the worst kind, fuch as cowardice, drunkenness, dishonesty, and lewdness, not only laughable, but almost amiable; for with all these fins on his head, who can help liking Falstaff? Milton, of all our great poets, was the only one who boldly cenfured tyranny and oppression: but he chose to deliver this cenfure, not in poetry, but in profe. Dryden was a mere court parafite to the moft infamous of all courts. Pope, with all his laudable deteftation of corruption and bribery, was a Tory; and Addison, though a Whig, and a fine writer, was unluckily not enough of a poet for his purpose. On these confiderations Mr. Gray was neceffitated to change his plan towards the conclufion: hence we perceive, that in the laft epode he praises Spenfer only for his allegory, Shakespeare for his powers of moving the passions, and Milton for his epic excellence. I remember the ode lay unfinished by him for a year or two on this very account; and I hardly believe that it would ever have had his laft hand, but for the circumstance of his hearing Parry play on the Welsh harp at a concert at Cambridge, (fee Letter xxxv. fect. iv.) which he often declared inspired him with the conclufion.

"Mr. Smith, the mufical compofer and worthy pupil of Mr. Handel, had once an idea of fetting this ode, and of having it performed by way of ferenata or oratorio. A common friend of his and Mr. Gray's interested himself much in this defign, and drew out a clear analysis of the ode, that Mr. Smith might more perfectly understand the poet's meaning. He converfed alfo with Mr. Gray on the subject, who gave him an idea for the overture, and marked also fome paffages in the ode, in order to ascertain which should be recitative, which

air, what kind of air, and how accompanied. This design was, however, not executed; and therefore I shall only (in order to give the reader a taste of Mr. Gray's musical feelings) infert in this place what his fentiments were concerning the overture. 'It should be fo contrived as to be a proper introduction to the ode; it might confist of two movements, the first descriptive of the horror and confufion of battle, the laft a march grave and majestic, but expreffing the exultation and infolent fecurity of conqueft. This movement should be composed entirely of wind inftruments, except the kettle-drum heard at intervals. The da capo of it must be fuddenly broke in upon, and put to filence by the clang of the harp in a tumultuous rapid movement, joined with the voice, all at once, and not ushered in by any symphony. The harmony may be strengthened by any other ftringed inftrument; but the harp should everywhere prevail, and form the continued running accompaniment, fubmitting itself to nothing but the voice.'

"I cannot (adds Mr. Mafon) quit this and the preceding ode, without saying a word or two concerning the obfcurity which has been imputed to them, and the preference which, in consequence, has been given to his Elegy. It seems as if the perfons, who hold this opinion, fuppofe that every fpecies of poetry ought to be equally clear and intelligible: than which position nothing can be more repugnant to the several specific natures of compofition, and to the practice of ancient art. Not to take Pindar and his odes for an example, (though what I am here defending were written profeffedly in imitation of him,) I would ask, are all the writings of Horace, his Epiftles, Satires, and Odes, equally perfpicuous? Among his odes, feparately confidered, are there not remarkable differences of this very kind? Is the spirit and meaning of that which begins, Defcende cœlo, et dic, age, tibiâ,' Ode iv. lib. 3, fo readily comprehended as Perficos odi, puer, apparatus,' Ode xxxviii. lib. 1? And is the latter a finer piece of lyrical compofition on that account? Is Integer vitæ, fcelerifque purus,' Ode xxii. lib. 1, fuperior to Pindarum quifquis ftudet æmulari,' Ode ii. lib. 4: because it may be understood at the first reading, and the latter not without much study and reflection? Now between these odes, thus compared, there is furely equal difference in point of perfpicuity, as between the Progress of Poefy, and the Prospect of Eton College; the Ode on the Spring, and the Bard. 'But,' say these objectors, the end of poetry is univerfally to please. Obscurity,

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