صور الصفحة
PDF
النشر الإلكتروني

To Francis Earl of Moira

"How many with'ring years of dull despair Have o'er my fated front relentless roll'd, Since first beneath a Moira's partial care

My happier moments way'd their wings of gold!
Ah me! And must I never more behold

The glorious orb of day in gladness rise?
No more salute with rapture-beaming eyes,

The glimm'ring star that shuts the shepherd's fold? No more! If led not by thy lenient band

To the lone hermitage of learned ease;
Where pensive joy may tenderly expand

His blooms, sore shatter'd by the blighting breeze;
And a new mental Eden by degrees

Bud forth, best patron, at thy soft command!"

It must be admitted, however, that the poems, in consequence of the attention excited by the extraor dinary history of the author, have had more than their due share of praise. Mr. Raymond has written the life of this profligate but brilliant youth.

[ocr errors]

ART. DCLXXIV. REV. RICHARD HOLE.

THIS poet was a native of Exeter; and educated at Exeter College, Oxford, where he took the degree of LL.B. in 1771. In early life he published a versification of Fingal in flowing and elegant rhyme. In 1781 he gave the world a translation of Homer's Hymn to Ceres, in 8vo. In 1789 came out, Arthur, or the Northern Enchantment, a Poetical Romance, in Seven Books. By Richard Hole LL.B. London printed for Robinsons, 8vo. Upon this work his poetical fame must rest. He communi

[ocr errors]

cated several pieces to Polwhele's Devonshire and Cornwall Poems; and several also to the volumes of Essays published by the Literary Society of Exeter. In 1797 he published separately Remarks on the Arabian Nights Entertainments, in which the origin of Sinbad's Voyages, and other Oriental fictions is particularly considered. In 1762 he was presented by the Bishop of Exeter to the rectory of Faringdon in Devonshire; and held with it by dispensation the vicarage of Buckerell, which he exchanged for the rectory of Inwardleigh. He died at Exmouth in the flower of his age after a painful illness, May 28, 1803. To his numerous friends his premature death caused the deepest regret; as they lost in him one not only of brilliant talents, and elegant and extensive learning; but of the most amiable character and greatest integrity. I will not attempt to characterize his Arthur; for it is long since I have read it with attention. I suspect that the tameness of the couplet is not quite consistent with the wildness of the subject; and the sort of charms with which the author wished to endue it. Romantic imagery and the combinations of enchantment seem better suited to his inclinations than his genius. But let it be remembered that this is a hasty opinion. Hole seems at least to have applied to the true fountains for inspiration.

ART. DCLXXV. RICHARD OWEN CAM-
BRIDGE.

ONE of the wits of a former reign, who died at his seat at Twickenham, Sept. 17, 1802, æt. 86. He

1

is best known by his Scribleriad, a mock heroic poem in six books, 4to. 1751. It is a poetical continuation of the Memoirs of Martinus Scriblerus, which ridicule the errors and follies of false taste and false learning. He also wrote An Account of the War in India, between the English and French on the Coast of Coromandel from the year 1750 to 1760, &c. 4to. 1761, and was the author of several papers in THE WORLD. His son has since republished his works with a Memoir. He was a very ingenious, learned and amiable man; but can hardly be admitted into the rank of poets.

ART. DCLXXVI. ROBERT JEPHSON, ESQ.

THIS author is best known as a dramatic writer. His Braganza, 1775; Law of Lombardy, 1779; and Count of Narbonne, 1781, were all received on the English stage; besides which he wrote a farce; an opera; and Julia, a tragedy, 1787. He was originally an officer in the Irish army, and being patronized by the late Lord Townshend, when Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, for his wit and convivial talents, was made Master of the Horse, (a place which he held for many years) and brought into the Irish Parliament. In 1794 be published Roman Portraits, a Poem, in heroic verse, with historical remarks and illustrations, in one vol. 4to. and the same year The Confessions of James Baptiste Couteau, Citizen of France, written by himself, and translated from the original French, in 3 vols. 12mo. a severe satire of his own on the depravity of French manners. He died at his house, Black Rock, near

Dublin, May 31, 1803. His Roman Portraits appeared to me when published dull and prosaic; and almost every where deficient in the spirit of true poetry.

ART. DCLXXVII. JOHN HOOLE.

THIS ingenious, and very laborious author scarce aspired to the merit of original composition. He was a very useful and elegant translator from the Italian in a style which, though it bore no similitude to the spirit of the originals, yet produced popular and amusing works for modern readers of no extraordinary erudition or energy. He was the son of Samuel Hoole, a London watchmaker, and was born about 1727 and was designed for his father's trade, but was too short-sighted for the business. He was therefore placed a clerk in the accountant's office of the East India Company; from whence in due time he was removed to the office of Auditor of Indian accounts, in which office he remained till he retired upon an annuity not long before his death. From an early period he employed his leisure hours in the cultivation of literature; and in 1763 brought forth his translation of Tasso's Jerusalem Delivered, 2 vols. 8vo. In 1767 he published The Works of Metastatio, translated from the Italian, 2 vols. 12mo. -and in 1773 the first volume of a translation of Ariosto's Orlando Furioso, which he published complete ten years afterwards, in five vols 8vo. He also published in 1791 the ORLANDO of Ariosto reduced to 24 books, the narrative connected, and the stories disposed in a regular series, 2 vols. 8vo.—

f

and in 1792 a translation of Tasso's RINALdo in 1 vol. 8vo. He also wrote three tragedies, Cyrus, 1768; Timanthes, 1770; and Cleonice, 1775.* He also edited the Critical Essays on the English Poets of his friend John Scott of Amwell, to which he prefixed an account of the life and writings of the author, 1785, 8vo. He retired in his latter days to Tenterden in Kent; but died at Dorking in Surry, Aug 2, 1803, æt. 76.

ART. DCLXXVIII. REV. RICHARD

GRAVES.

THIS amiable, well read, and lively old man, who died at the age of 90, at the close of 1804, was known to all the frequenters of Bath, near which hẹ resided at his rectory of Claverton, for more than half a century. He was the friend and correspondent of Shenstone; and author of a variety of spirited and amusing publications; of which his novel, entitled The Spiritual Quixote, bids fairest for permanent fame. He was born at Mickleton in Gloucestershire, May 4, 1715, being second son of Richard Graves, Esq. of that place. At the age of sixteen he went to Pembroke College, Oxford, where his acquaintance with Shenstone commenced. In 1736 he was elected fellow of All-Souls' College; and in 1740 took orders. In 1750 he was presented to the rectory of Claverton, to which was added the living of Kilmersdon. His first publication was

*His son, the Rev. Samuel Hoole, married a daughter of Arthur Young, the Secretary to the Board of Agriculture. He is author of Edward or the Curate, a poem, 1787; and Aurelia, or the Conlest, a poem, 1783.

« السابقةمتابعة »