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O let the Muse attend thy march sublime,
And, with thy prose, caparison her rhyme;
Teach her, like thee, to gild her splendid song
With scenes of Yven-Ming, and sayings of Li-

Tsong;

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the auspicious patronage he now so justly enjoys, added to the READY Vote of those who furnish ways and means, the royal work will speedily be completed.

Verse 2. Cynosure of British taste.] Cynosure, an affected phrase. Cynosura is the constellation of Ursa Mmor, or the Lesser Bear, the next star to the Pole. Dr. Newton, on the word in Milton.

Verse 10. With scenes of Yven-Ming.] One of the Imperial gardens at Pekin. (Sayings of Li-Tsong.) "Many trees, shrubs, and flowers," sayeth Li-Tsong, a Chinese author of great antiquity, "thrive best in low, moist situations; many on hills and mountains: some require a rich soil; but others will grow on clay, in sand, or even upou rocks, and in the water: to some a sunny exposition is necessary; but for others the shade is preferable. There are plants which thrive best in exposed situations; but, in general, shelter is requisite. The skilful gardener, to whom study and experience have taught these qualities, carefully attends to them in his operations; knowing that thereon depend the health and growth of his plants, and consequently the beauty of his plantations." Vide Diss. p. 77. The reader, I presume, will readily allow, that he never met with so much recondite truth, as this ancient Chinese here exhibits.

Like thee to scorn Dame Nature's simple fence; Leap each Ha-ha of truth and common sense; And proudly rising in her bold career,

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Demand attention from the gracious ear
Of him whom we and all the world admit
Patron supreme of science, taste, and wit.
Does Envy doubt? Witness, ye chosen train!
Who breathe the sweets of his Saturnian reign;
Witness, ye H*lls, ye J*ns*ns, Sc*ts, S*bb*s;
Hark to my call, for some of you have ears. 20
Let D**d H*e, from the remotest North,
In see-saw sceptic scruples hint his worth;
Dd, who there supinely deigns to lie
The fattest Hog of Epicurus' sty;

Tho' drunk with Gallic wine, and Gallic praise, 25
D**d shall bless Old England's halcyon days;

The mighty Home, bemir'd in prose so long,
Again shall stalk upon the stilts of song:

While bold Mac-Ossian, wont in Ghosts to deal,
Bids candid Smollet from his coffin steal;
Bids Mallock quit his sweet Elysian rest,
Sunk in his St. John's philosophic breast,

And, like old Orpheus, make some strong effort To come from Hell, and warble Truth at Court.

There was a time," in Esher's peaceful grove 35 When Kent and Nature vied for Pelham's love, That Pope beheld them with auspicious smile, And own'd that Beauty blest their mutual toil." Mistaken Bard! could such a pair design Scenes fit to live in thy immortal line?

Hadst thou been born in this enlighten'd day, Felt, as we feel, Taste's oriental ray,

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Thy satire sure had given them both a stab, Call'd Kent a Driveller, and the Nymph a Drab. For what is Nature? Ring her changes round, 45 Her three flat notes are water, plants, and ground;

Verse 34. Truth at Court.] Vide (if it be extant) a poem under this title, for which (or for the publication of Lord Bolingbroke's philosophical writings) the person here mentioned received a considerable pension in the time of Lord B-te's administration.

Verse 45. For what is Nature?] This is the great and fundamental axiom on which the Oriental taste is founded; it is therefore expressed here with the greatest precision, and in the identical phrase of the great original. The figurative terms, and even the explanatory simile, are en

Prolong the peal yet, spite of all your clatter,

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The tedious chime is still ground, plants, and water.
So, when some John his dull invention racks,
To rival Boodle's dinners, or Almack's,
Three uncouth legs of mutton shock our eyes,
Three roasted geese, three butter'd apple-pies.

Come then, prolific Art, and with thee bring The charms that rise from thy exhaustless spring; To Richmond come; for see, untutor'd Brown 55 Destroys those virtues which were once thy own.

tirely borrowed from Sir William's Dissertation. "Nature (say the Chinese, or Sir William for them) affords us but few materials to work with. Plants, ground, and water, are her only productions; and, though both the forms and arrangements of these may be varied to an incredible degree, yet have they but few striking varieties, the rest being of the nature of "changes rung upon bells," which, though in reality different, still produce the same uniform kind of jingling; the variation being too minute to be easily perceived," "Art must therefore supply the scantiness of Nature," &c. &c. &c. page 14. And again, "Our larger works are only a repetition of the small ones, like the honest Bachelor's feast," which consisted in nothing but a multiplication of his own dinner; "three legs of mutton and turneps, three roasted geese, and three buttered apple pies." Preface, page 7.

Lo, from his melon-ground the peasant slave Has rudely rush'd, and levell'd Merlin's Cave; Knock'd down the waxen wizard, seiz'd her wand, Transform'd to lawn what late was Fairy land; 60 And marr'd, with impious hand, each sweet design Of Stephen Duck, and good Queen Caroline. Haste, bid yon live-long Terrace re-ascend, Replace each vista, straiten every bend;

Shut out the Thames-Shall that ignoble thing 65 Approach the presence of great Ocean's King? No! let Barbaric glories feast his eyes,

August Pagodas round his palace rise,

"In their

Verse 67. No! let Barbaric glories.] So Milton: "Where the gorgeous East with richest hand Showers on her Kings Barbaric pearl and gold." Verse 72. Monkies shall climb our trees.] lofty woods, serpents, and lizards of many beautiful sorts, crawl upon the ground. Innumerable monkies, cats, and parrots, clamber upon the trees." Page 40. "In their lakes are many islands, some small, some large, amongst which are often seen stalking along, the elephant, the rhinoceros, the dromedary, ostrich, and the giant-baboon.” Page 66. "They keep in their enchanted scenes, a surprising variety of monstrous birds, reptiles, and animals, which are tamed by art, and guarded by enormous dogs of Tibet and African giants, in the habit of magicians.”

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