ON HIS GROTTO AT TWICKENHAM, COMPOSED OF MARBLES, SPARS, GEMS, ORES, AND MINERALS. THOU who shalt stop, where Thames' translucent wave Shines a broad Mirror through the shadowy Cave; Approach. Great NATURE studiously behold! 5 VARIATIONS. After Ver. 6 in the MS. You see that Island's wealth, where, only free, i. e. Britain is the only place in the globe which feels not tyranny even to its very entrails. W. NOTES. On his Grotto] The improving and finishing his Grot was the favourite amusement of his declining years; and the beauty of his poetic genius, in the disposition and ornaments of this romantic recess, appears to as much advantage as in his best contrived poems. W. Ver. 8. eye the Mine] "Aurum irrepertum, et sic melius situm Cum terra celat." Horat. 1. 3. od. 3. Approach: But awful! Lo! th' Ægerian Grot, 9 Where, nobly-pensive, ST. JOHN sate and thought; Let such, such only, tread this sacred Floor, VARIATIONS. Ver. 11. Where British sighs from dying Wyndham stole,] In his MS. it was thus: To Wyndham's breast the patriot passions stole, which made the whole allude to a certain anecdote of not much consequence to any but the parties concerned. W. NOTES. Ver. 9. Egerian Grot,] These are two charming lines; but are blemished by two bad rhymes, Grot to thought; scarce excusable in so short a poem, in which every syllable ought to be correct. It is remarkable that Juvenal having mentioned this celebrated cave, takes occasion to inveigh against artificial grotto-work, and adulterating the simple beauties of nature, in lines uncommonly poetical: "In vallem Egeria descendimus, et Speluncas Milton, in an exquisite Latin poem, addressed to Salsillus, vol. ii. p. 532. has beautifully feigned that Numa is still living in this dark grove and grotto, in the perpetual enjoyment of his Ægeria. TO MRS. M. B. ON HER BIRTH-DAY. OH be thou blest with all that Heav'n can send, Long Health, long Youth, long Pleasure, and a Friend: Not with those Toys the female world admire, Let Joy or Ease, let Affluence or Content, And the gay Conscience of a life well spent, Calm ev'ry thought, inspirit ev'ry grace, Glow in thy heart, and smile upon thy face. 5 10 NOTES. Ver. 10. 'Tis but] Immediately after this line were these four following, in the original: the "If there's no hope, with kind, tho' fainter ray, To gild the evening of our future day; If every page of life's long volume tell The same dull story, Mordaunt, thou didst well!" Colonel Mordaunt, who destroyed himself, though not under pressure of any ill or misfortune. Let day improve on day, and year on year, VARIATIONS. Ver. 15. Originally thus in the MS. And oh since Death must that fair frame destroy, In some soft dream may thy mild soul remove, 15 TO MR. THOMAS SOUTHERN, ON HIS BIRTH-DAY, 1742. RESIGN'D to live, prepar'd to die, And Ireland, mother of sweet singers, The feast, his tow'ring genius marks 5 In yonder wild goose and the larks! 10 NOTES. Ver. 3. This day Tom's] This amiable writer lived the longest, and died one of the richest, of all our poets. In 1737, Mr. Gray, writing to a friend, says very agreeably, "We have here old Mr. Southern, who often comes to see us; he is now seventy-seven years old, and has almost wholly lost his memory; but is as agreeable an old man as can be, at least I persuade myself so, when I look at him, and think of Isabella and Oroonoko." He was certainly a great master of the pathetic; and in the latter part of his life became sensible of the impropriety he had been guilty of in mixing Tragedy with Comedy. He was the first play-writer that had the benefit of a third night. He told Dryden that he once had cleared seven hundred pounds by one of his plays. Ver.6. A table,] Mr. Southern was invited to dine on his birthday with this nobleman (Lord Orrery), who had prepared for him the entertainment of which the bill of fare is here set down. W. Ver. 8. Presents her harp] The harp is generally wove on the Irish linen; such as table cloths, &c. W. |