OCCASIONED BY SEEING SOME SHEETS OF DR. BENTLEY'S EDITION OF MILTON'S PARADISE LOST.

ID Milton's prose, O Charles, thy death defend ?

A furious foe unconscious proves a friend.

On Milton's verse does Bentley comment ?Know

A weak officious friend becomes a foe.

While he but sought his Author's fame to further,

The murderous critic has avenged thy murder.

The "Grub-Street Journal " was started in January, 1730, and continued weekly for eight years. Carruthers ("Life of Pope," p. 270) says: "Of this periodical Pope was long the animating and presiding spirit. Indeed it seems to have been set on foot for the purpose of enabling the poet to continue his war with the dunces.' "Although Pope in the Epistle to Arbuthnot (v. 378, note) denied that he had any connection with it, he certainly wrote constantly for it, under the signature "A."

II.

EPIGRAM.

HOULD D--s' print, how once you robbed your brother,

Traduced your monarch, and de-
bauched your mother;

Say, what revenge on D- --s can be had;
Too dull for laughter, for reply too mad?
Of one so poor you cannot take the law;
On one so old your sword you scorn to draw.
Uncaged then let the harmless monster rage,
Secure in dulness, madness, want, and age.

III.

MR. J. M. S--E2

CATECHISED ON HIS ONE EPISTLE TO MR. POPE.

HAT makes you write at this odd rate?

Why, sir; it is to imitate.

What makes you steal and trifle so ?

Why, 'tis to do as others do.

But there's no meaning to be seen.
Why, that's the very thing I mean.

Dennis.

2 James Moore-Smythe.

IV.

EPIGRAM

ON MR. M -RE'S GOING TO LAW WITH MR. GILLIVER INSCRIBED TO ATTORNEY TIBBALD.

NCE in his life M-re judges right; His sword and pen not worth a straw,

An author that could never write,

A gentleman that dares not fight,
Has but one way to tease-by law.
This suit, dear Tibbald, kindly hatch;
Thus thou may'st help the sneaking elf;
And sure a printer is his match,
Who's but a publisher himself.

V.

EPIGRAM.

GOLD watch found on cinder whore,
Or a good verse on J-y M▬▬e,
Proves but what either should con-
ceal.

Not that they're rich, but that they steal.

VI.

EPITAPH.

ERE lies what had nor birth, nor shape, nor fame;

No gentleman! no man! no-thing! no name!

For Jamie ne'er grew James; and what they call

More, shrunk to Smith-and Smith's no name at all.

Yet die thou canst not, phantom, oddly fated: For how can no-thing be annihilated ?

Ex nihilo nihil fit.

VII.

A QUESTION BY ANONYMOUS.

ELL, if you can, which did the worse,
Caligula or Gr-n's Gr-ce ? 1

That made a Consul of a horse,
And this a Laureate of an ass.

VIII.

EPIGRAM.

REAT G——2 such servants since thou well canst lack,

Oh! save the salary, and drink the sack.

But, gentle Colley, should thy verse prevail,

1 Grafton's Grace, i.e. the Duke of Grafton. 2 George II.

3 Stephen Duck. See Imitations of Horace, Bk. ii, Ep. ii. 140.

Thou hast no fence, alas! against his flail: Therefore thy claim resign, allow his right: For Duck can thresh, you know, as well as write.

ON MRS. TOFTS,

A CELEBRATED OPERA-SINGER.1

O bright is thy beauty, so charming thy song,

As had drawn both the beasts and

their Orpheus along;

But such is thy avarice, and such is thy pride, That the beasts must have starved, and the poets have died.

EPIGRAM.

OU beat your pate, and fancy wit will

come:

Knock as you please, there's nobody at home.

This lady, an Englishwoman, maintained her ground against the Italian singers when the opera was first introduced to this country. She had a strong party in her favour, and one night, Feb. 5th, 1703-4, her Italian rival, Francesca Margherita de l'Epine, was hissed and pelted by Katharine Tofts' clamorous admirers. Colley Cibber speaks warmly of the English singer's voice and personal attractions.-Carruthers.