but, as Shirley says, "a comic writer should have a soul miraculously knowing, and conversing with all mankind, enabling him to express, not only the phlegm of thick-skinned men, but the strength and maturity of the wise." Stratford was not conversant with the world; he had sat, it is true, at the tables of the great, and began to find, when it was too late, that high life is a mere masquerade, eked out with unmeaning compliments and hollow friendship. Having composed two acts of his comedy, he for once submitted to the advice of his friends, and laid it by in the hope of being able to finish it in better days, when his mind would be more on its centre. Having retouched his translation of Milton into Greek, he prefixed the following inscription to it:

PATRI PATRIÆ,

GEORGIO III.

LIBRUM HUNC EXIMIUM

PARADISI AMISSI PRIMUM,

A SUMMO POETA,

JOANNE MILTON,

CONSCRIPTUM,

NUNC AD EXEMPLAR SUBLIME

HOMERI

GRÆCE REDDITUM,

AB IMIS PRÆCORDIIS,

QUIPPE NUNC ET OLIM,

NON IMMEMOR BENEFICII,

DAT, DICAT, DEDICAT,

T. STRATFORD.

He also added to this copy a Greek translation of Dryden's celebrated epigram in honour of Milton, which was allowed by judges to be equal to the original; and as, in all probability, it was the first attempt of the kind, the loss of it is to be lamented :-the following, perhaps, will make amends :

A Greek Translation of Dryden's Inscription under Milton's Picture.

BY THOMAS LONG, D. D.

ΤΡΕΙΣ μερόπων γενεὰς τριὰς ἐκύδηνεν ἀοιδῶν
Τηλεγόνων, Ελλην, Ιταλός, Αγγλιάδες.
Υψινόων ἐπέων καλὸν ηλέος ἔοατ ̓ ὁ πρῶτος,
Δέυτερος εὐεπίης, ἀμφοτέρων δὲ τς τος.

Η φύσις ἐς προτέζες ὅλην αφύσασα μενοινὴν,
Τον τρίτον ἔπλαττεν, τεσ δύο συμβιβασας.

The Original.

Three poets in three distant ages born,
Greece, Italy, and England did adorn.
The first in loftiness of thought surpass'd;
The next in majesty; in both, the last.
The force of nature could no further go,
To make a third she join'd the former two.

His thoughts were next turned to a poem, a considerable part of which he had composed under the shade of academic bowers." When he had finished it, he published the following

PROPOSALS

FOR

April 6, 1782.

PRINTING BY SUBSCRIPTION'

The First Book

OF

FONTENOY,

A CONSTITUTIONAL POEM, IN NINE BOOKS ; Written in Vindication of the National Honour.

Prefixed is an Essay, which illustrates the Nature and Design of the Work. Four Pastoral Essays annexed, uncopied from any Author, ancient or modern.

The Work to be speedily published in Quarto, on a Superfine Writing Paper, and to be delivered to the Subscribers at Half-a-Guinea each, to be paid at subscribing. The Names of the Subscribers to be printed.

Subscriptions will be received by J. DODSLEY, PallMall; and J. BELL, Strand.

The late Earl of Bristol, Bishop of Derry, who had never flattered our poet, at the expence of truth, stepped forward on this occasion, and subscribed in a liberal manner. The subscribers were not numerous, but Stratford boasted that such a galaxy of names, to use his own phrase, never appeared before to any other work; his hopes were once more raised, and it was even thought by some, that his ill stars had shed all their baleful influence; this temporary triumph was somewhat repressed by the severity of the Monthly Reviewers, almost as soon as the poem appeared. His opinion of critics in general, and of the reviewers in particular, may be collected from the following conversation with a literary gentleman (Capt. C-n,) who called a few days after these criticisms appeared.

Gentleman. You will be glad to see all your old friends, and your old books.

Doctor. Many of my old friends have sunk into the grave, since I left home. As to my