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bard of Twickenham with respect to the preference to be given to rhyme, as his acknowledged master in this part of the art, John Dryden, used to hold the opinion," that though rhyme might add sweetness to verse, yet it diminished the sense."

Rhyme.

A very elegant writer, and excellent classical scholar, has spoken very decidedly, and perhaps justly, on this modern appendage to poetry, which we call rhyme. "Rhyme is rather a burden on versification than an ornament. It loads it with useless epithets it introduces affected phrases, and invests it with a tawdry dress: it often, by extending the paragraph, lessens the force of it: it often occasions a bad and weak line to be introduced, in order to bring in a good one.-Fenelon, Letters to M. De la Motte: à Cambray, 1719,

N.B. Is not this more observable in the French than in English versification, from the poverty of the former language?

President Montesquieu.

From the upright character which this eminent writer on "the Philosophy of Laws" has always

supported, we may trust his opinion of the literary character of his contemporary, Voltaire. Speaking of his great work, "As to M. de Voltaire, he has too much wit to understand me; besides, most of the books which he reads, he writes himself, and then reviews and applauds them." Speaking afterwards of Voltaire's flight from Berlin, after lamenting his forlorn state, in consequence of his abrupt dismissal from the Court of Prussia, adds, in a phrase not easily to be trans'lated, though very intelligible to his friend, "Le bon esprit vaut beaucoup mieux que le bel esprit." --Letters to Count Guasco.

Acquaintance.

After a "certain age," (to use a French phrase,) how little we wish for company of this descrip'tion, whose kindnesses may indeed blossom in common attentions, but seldom exuberate into the mature fruit of friendly affections! Indeed, what are acquaintances in general, but dubious things; sometimes spies on our words and actions, sometimes latent rivals in our schemes, and selfish allies in our pleasures; but an old friend is the "core of the heart." Honest Ben has well ad.vised, on this important and difficult subject, the prudent choice of friends:

True happiness

Consists not in the multitude of friends,"

But in the worth and choice; nor would I have
Virtue a popular regard pursue ;

Let them be good that love me, tho' but few.

B. Jonson's Cynthia's Revels.

Novels.

The grand objection made to this species of composition is, that they continually, often falsely, and generally too warmly, treat of the passion of love, to the corruption of the young of both sexes, and especially of the fairest part of the creation. Novels remind us of French engravings, where Cupids, whatever may be the subject, flourish and abound in the frontispiece, vignettes, and tailpiece. That right pleasant poet, the author of the "Fairie Queen," seems aware that grave persons would object to his frequent love-stories in his very amusing poem, and thus commences his introduction to his fourth book;

The rugged forehead, that with grave foresight,
Wields kingdoms' causes, and affairs of state,
My looser rhymes I wote* doth sharply wite,t
For praising love, as I have done of late,
And magnifying lovers' dear debate;

* Wote, know. + Wite, blame, Saxon.

By which frail youth is oft to folly led,
Through false allurement of that pleasing bate,
That better were in virtues discipled,

Than with vain poem weeds to have their fancies fed.

Operas.

Fairie Queen, 4th book.

Much inconsiderate abuse has been thrown on these compositions by ignorant persons, and pedants under the bondage of classic lore. Yet little do these latter critics recollect how much the modern opera resembles the Greek dramatic pieces, in which the poet seems often to have vailed his head to the musician. Many single lines in the plays of Euripides seem entirely subjugated to the musical performer; as their construction, from being single lines, is often very crabbed, and their metrical melody, unassisted by music, seems much obstructed. The reader, if he has any prejudices against an opera, well composed both by poet and musician, attended with all its proper accompaniments, will lay them aside on reading a modern writer. See Essay on the Opera, by Count Algarotti, F.R.S. F.S.A. London, 1767, in English.

Hint to Modern Philosophers.

A very appropriate censure on the writings of David Hume may be found in a passage of a very

learned and ingenious Pagan, that ought to have been a caution (as it is a damning clause) to this wily, acute, and unfair writer on religious subjects: "Mala et impia consuetudo est contra Deos disputandi, sive ex animo id fit, sive simulatè." It. it a very bad and impious habit, that of raising disputes in matters of religion, whether it be done seriously, or by inuendo.-Cicero de Naturâ Deorum, b. xi. c. 67.

Ovid's Metamorphoses.

Marlame Neckert conjectures that Ovid founded his "Metamorphoses" on natural history, and explained natural phænomena by poetic fables. She instances the story of Alcyone turned into a bird, and who goes in search of her husband's corpse. Some particulars belonging to the natural history of the kingfisher are indeed mentioned there, but do not seem applicable to that story in particular. Dr. Darwin's "Loves of the Plants" are a fine specimen of the union of poetry and natural history, and make Ovid, compared with our poet in this respect, very obscure, feeble, and contemptible in both characters.

* Melanges Extraits des MSS. de Madame Necker: edit. 1783, Paris, 3 tomes, Sro.

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