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Hammond.

Vorzüglichen Beifall und Ruhm in der elegischen Gat tung erwarb sich unter den euglischen Dichtern James Hammond, geb. um 1710; geft. 1779. Er verfertigte seiz ne Elegieen schon in seiner frühen Jugend; und die Delia, die er darin besingt, war eine gewisse Miß Dashwood; sie wurden aber erst nach seinem Tode, durch den Grafen von Chesterfield, herausgegeben. Faft durchgängig sind sie Nachahmungen Tibull's; die funfzehnte ist in Ovid's Maz nier. Viel sanftes Gefühl, verbunden mit feiner Wendung und Sprache, giebt ihnen einen sehr vorzüglichen Werth; und Dr. Johnson urtheilt, verleitet durch Feindseligkeit wider ihren Herausgeber, sehr hart und ungerecht, wenn er ihnen Leidenschaft, Natur und Eitten schlechthin ab spricht. Man vergleiche die folgende Elegie mit der oben abgedruckten aus dem Tibull, deren glückliche Nachbildung fie ist.

Hammond.,

ELEGY.

Let others boast their heaps of fhining gold,
And view their fields with waving plenty crown'd,
Whom neighb'ring foes in conftant terrour hold,
And trumpets break their flumbers, never found:

While calmly poor, I trifle life away,
Enjoy fweet leifure by my cheerful fire ;
No wanton hope my quiet fhall betray,
But, cheaply bleft, I'll fcorn each vain defire.

With timely care I'll fow my little field
And plant my orchard with its master's hand,
Nor blush to spread the hay, the hook to wield,,
Or range my fheaves along the funny land.

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Hammond., If late at dufk, while carelessly I roam,
I meet a ftrolling kid or bleating lamb,
Under my arm I'll bring the wand'rer home,
And not a little chide its thoughtless dam.

What joy to hear the tempeft howl in vain,
And claip a fearful mistress to my breast!
Or lull'd to flumber by the beating rain,
Secure and happy, fink at laft to rest!

Or if the fun in flaming Leo ride
By fhady rivers indolently stray

And with my Delia, walking fide by fide,
Hear how they murmur as they glide away!

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What joy to wind along the cool retreat,
To ftop, and gaze on Delia as I go!
To mingle fweet difcourfe with kiffes fweet
And teach my lovely scholar all I know!

Thus pleas'd at not with Fancy's dream,
In filent happiness I reft unknown,
Content with what I am, not what I feem,
I live for Delia and myself alone.

Ah! foolish man! who thus of her poffeft
Could float and wander with Ambition's wind,
And if his outward trappings spoke him bleft
Not heed the fickness of his confcious mind

With her I fcorn the idle breath of Praise,
Nor truft to happiness that's not our own:
The fmile of Fortune might fufpicion raise,
But here, I know that I am lov'd alone.

Stanhope, in wisdom as in wit divine,
May rife and plead Britannia's glorious caufe,
With fteady rein his eager wit confine;
While manly fenfe the deep; attention draws.

Let

Let Stanhope speak his lift'ning Country's wrongs,, ammond.
My humble voice fhall pleafe one partial maid;
For her alone I pen my tender fongs,

Securely fitting in his friendly fhade.

Stanhope fhall come and grace his rural friend;
Delia hall wonder at her noble guest,
With blufhing awe the riper fruit commend
And for her husband's patron call the best.

Her's be the care of all my little train
While I with tender indolence am bleft,
The favourite fubject of her gentle reign,
By love alone diftinguifh'd from the reft

For her I'll yoke my oxen to the plow,
In gloomy foreft tend my lonely flock;
For her a goat therd climb the mountain's brow
And fleep extended on the nacked rock.

Ah! what avails to prefs the ftately bed,
And far from her 'midst tastelefs grandeur weep,
By marble fountains lay the penfive head
And while they murmur strive in vain to fleep?

Delia alone can please and never tire,
Exceed the paint of thought in true delight;
With her enjoyment wakens new defire,
And equal rapture glows thro' ev'ry night.

Beauty and worth in her alike contend
To charm the fancy and to fix the mind:
In her my wife, my miftrefs, and my friend,
I tafte the joys of fenfe and reafon join'd.

On her I'll gaze when others' loves are o'er,
And dying prefs her with my clay-cold hand
Thou weep'ft already as I wereno more,
Nor can that gentle breaft the thought withstand

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Hammond. Oh! when I die my latest moments spare,

Nor let thy grief with fharper torments kill:

Wound not thy cheeks, nor hurt that flowing hair.
Tho' I am dead my foul fhall love thee ftill.

Oh! quit the room; oh! quit the deathful bed;
Or thou wilt die, fo tender is thy heart:

Oh! leave me, Delia! ere thou feeft me dead;
Thefe weeping friends will do thy mournful part.

Let them extended on the decent bier
Convey the corfe in melancholy state.

Thro' all the village fpread the tender tear,
While pitying maids our wondrous loves relate.

Shen

Shenstone.

Shenstone.

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S. B. I. S. 429. Unter seinen Gedichten ist eine Folge von sechs und zwanzig Elegieen, voll mannichfaltiger Schönheiten der Empfindung und des Ausdrucks, und meis ftentheils durch einzelne wirkliche Vorfälle veranlasst. Er hat ihnen einen kurzen Versuch über diese Dichtungsart vor: ausgeschickt, worin er sie als die Ergießung eines betrach tungsvollen Gemüths erklärt, die zuweilen klagend, aber allemal ernsthaft, und daher über allen Schimmer kleiner Verzierungen erhaben ist. Dr. Johnson tadelt an diesen Elegieen die zu große Gleichförmigkeit des Inhalts, welcher fast in allen häusliches Glück, Ruhe und Genügsamkeit ist. Die folgende schrieb Sh. zum Andenken einer Privatfamilie in Worcestershire, der Penns von Harborough, einem Orte, dessen Namen in der angelsächsischen auf ein Heer anspielt; und es ist dort eine Sage, daß in jener Gegend zwischen den Britten und Römern eine Schlacht geliefert sey: und dieß ist die Grundlage der eingewebten Dichtung.

IN MEMORY OF A PRIVATE FAMILY
IN WORCESTERSHIRE.

From a lone tow'r with rev'rend ivy crown'd,
The pealing bell awak'd a tender figh;
Still as the village caught the waving found,
A fwelling tear diftream'd from ev'ry eye.

So droop'd, I ween, each Briton's breaft of old,
When the dull curfew spoke their freedom fled;
For, fighing as the mournful accent roll'd,

Our hope," they cry'd, our kind fupport, is
dead!"

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'Twas good Palemon! Near a fhaded pool, A group of ancient elms umbrageous role;

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