Obrázky na stránke
PDF
ePub

or Lord

; they know it by the ftile and W must be the work of a certain famous wit, and no other-Aut Erafmus, aut Diabolus. But to put this matter out of all doubt, and to fatiffy the curiofity of my readers, all I am at liberty at present to divulge is, that none of the papers (to my knowledge) were written by the Honourable

or Lordor- Efquire; but that thofe which are marked with a T, and those with an O, and those with a W, (as well as those which hereafter may perhaps be figned N) are furnished by the ingenious and learned gentleman, who has fubicribed his name to this paper.

T, O, W, N.

END OF THE SECOND VOLUME.

THE

CONNOISSEUR.

VOLUME THE THIRD.

No LXXI. THURSDAY, JUNE 5, 1755•

EST BREVITATE OPUS, UT CURRAT SENTENTIA, NEU SE
IMPEDIAT VERBIS LASSAS ONERANTIBUS AURES:

ET SERMONE OPUS EST MODÒ TRISTI, SÆPE JOCoso.

HOR,

I WRITE, AS I WOULD TALK; AM SHORT, AND CLEARS
NOT CLOGG'D WITH WORDS, THAT LOAD THE WEARIED EARD
A GRAVE DULL ESSAY NOW AND THEN GOES DOWN;
BUT FOLKS EXPECT TO LAUGH WITH MR. TOWN.

[merged small][merged small][ocr errors]

have more obstacles to furmount at their fetting out than the writers of periodical effays. Talk with a modern critic, and he will tell you, that a new paper is a vain attempt after the inimitable Spectator and others; that all the proper fubjects are already pre-occupied, and that it is equally impoffible to find out a new field for obfervation, as to difcover a new world. With thefe prejudices, the public are prepared to receive us; and while they expect to be cloyed with the tale repetition of the fame fare, though toffed up in a different manner, they fit down with but little relifh for the entertainment,

That the Spectator firft led the way, muft undoubtedly be acknowledged: but that his followers mult for that reafon be always fuppofed to tread in his steps, can by no means be allowed. In the high road of life there are feveral exten. five walks, as well as bye-paths, which we may trike into, without the neceffity of keeping the fame beaten track with thofe that have gone before us. New objects for ridicule will continually prefent themselves; and even the fame charafters will appear different by being

there will never be two hands exactly alike.

After this introduction, I hope to he pardoned, if I indulge myself in speaking a word or two concerning my own endeavours to entertain the public, And firft, whatever objections the reader may have had to the fubjects of my papers, I fhall make no apology for the manner in which I have chofe to treat them. The dread of falling into. (what they are pleafed to call) colloquial barbarifms, has induced fome unfkilful writers to fwell their bloated diction with uncouth phrafes and the affected jargon of pe dants. For my own part, I never go out of the common way of expression, merely for the fake of introducing a more founding word with a Latin ter mination. The English language is sufficiently copious and expreffive without any further adoption of new terms; and the native words feem to me to have far more force than any foreign auxiliaries, however pompously ushered in: as Brie tifh foldiers fight our battles better than the alien troops taken into our pay.

The fubjects of my essays have been chiefly fuch, as I thought might recomX

mend

mend themfelves to the public notice by being new and uncommon. For this reafon purposely avoided the worn-out "practice of retailing fcraps of morality, and affecting to dogmatize on the common duties of life. In this point, indeed, the Spectator is inimitable; nor could I hope to fay any thing new upon thefe topics after fo many excellent mo'ral and religious effiys, which are the principal ornament of that work. I have therefore contented myself with ex pofing vice and folly by painting mankind in their natural colours, without affuming the rigid air of a preacher, or the morofenefs of a philofopher. I have rather chofe to undermine our fashionable exceffes, by fecret fapping, than to ftorm them by open affault. In a word, upon all occafions I have endeavoured to laugh people into a better behaviour: as I am convinced that the fting of reproof is not lefs fharp for being concealed; and advice never comes with a better face than when it comes with a laughing one.

There are fome points in the course of this work, which perhaps might have been treated with a more ferious air, I have thought it my duty to take every opportunity of expoling the abfurd tenets of our modern Free thinkers and Enthufiafts. The Enthufiat is, indeed, much more difficult to cure than the Free thinker; because the latter, with all his bravery, cannot but be conscious that he is wrong; whereas the former may have deceived himself into a belief, that he is certainly in the right; and the more he is oppofed, the more he confiders himfelf as patiently fuffering for the truth's fake.' Ignorance is too ftubborn to yield to conviction; and on the other hand, thofe, whom a little ⚫ learning has made mad,' are too proud and felf fufficient to hearken to the fober voice of reafon. The only way left us, therefore, is to root out superstition, by making it's followers athamed of themselves and as for our Free-think ers, it is but right to turn their boafted weapons of ridicule against them; and as they themselves endeavour to banter others out of every ferious and virtuous notion, we too (in the language of the Pfalmist) thould laugh them to scorn, ⚫ and have them in derifion."

It is with infinite pleasure that I find myfelf fo much encouraged to continue

my labours, by the kind reception which they have hitherto met with from the public; and Mr. Baldwin with no lefs pleafure informs me, that as there are but few numbers left of the Folio edition, he intends to collect my papers into Two Pocket Volumes. The reader cannot conceive how much I already pride myself on the charming figure which my works will make in this new form: and I fhall endeavour to render thefe volumes as compleat as I poffibly can, by feveral confiderable additions and amendments. Though contracted into the small space of a twelves volume, I ftill hope to maintain my former dignity; like the Devils in Milton's Pandæmonium, who,

-To fmalleft forms Reduc'd their fhapes immenfe, and were at large.

The Spectator has very elegantly compared his fingle papers, as they came out, to cherries on a tick; of the dearness of which the purchasers cannot complain, who are willing to gratify their tafte with choice fruit at it's garli eft production. I have confidered my own papers as fo many flowers, which joined together would make up a pretty nofegay; and though each of them fingly taken, may not be equally admired for their odours, they may receive an additional fragrance by an happy union of their fweets.

The learned decoration in the front of my papers, though perhaps it has fometimes put my fcholarship to a ftand, I could by no means difpenfe with: for fuch is the prevalence of cuftom, that the most finished effay, without a motto, would appear to many people as maimed and imperfect, as a beautiful face without a nose. But custom has impofed upon us a new tafk, of giving tranflations to thefe mottos; and it has been the ufual method to copy them promifcuoufly from Dryden or Francis: though (as Denham has remarked of tranflation in general) the fpirit of the original is evaporated in the transfufion, and nothing is left behind but a mere capur "mortuum." A motto, as it ftands in the original, may be very apposite to the fubject of the effay, though nothing to the purpofe in the common tranflation and it frequently derives all it's elegance

[ocr errors]

from

the effays themselves; and not like the patch-work of random translations.

In the mean time I fhall only add, that if any Nobleman, Gentleman, or Rich Citizen, is ambitious to have his name prefixed to either of these volumes, he is defired to fend in propofals, together with a lift of his virtues and good qualities, to the publisher; and the De dication shall be disposed of to the best bidder.

from an humorous application, in a dif-
ferent fenfe to what it bears in the au-
thor, but of which not the leaft trace
can appear in the verfion. For this rea-
fon I have determined to give entire new
translations, or rather imitations, of all
the mottos and quotations, adapted to
the prefent times. And these, I flatter
myfelf, will reflect an additional beauty
on my work; as fome of them admit of
epig.ammatic turns, while others afford
toom for lively and picturesque allufions
to modern manners. In this drefs they ed with.
will at leaft appear more of a piece with

None but principals will be treat

N° LXXII. THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 1755.

VERSUS INOPES RERUM, NUGÆQUE CANORE.

T

HOR.

WHAT THOUGH OUR SONGS TO WIT HAVE NO PRETENCE,
THE FIDDLE-STICK SHALL SCRAPE THEM INTO SENSE.

HE managers of our Public Gar

THE

dens, willing to make their fammer diversions as compleat as poñible, are not content with laying out beautiful walks, and providing an excellent band of mufic, but are alfo at much expence to amufe us with the old English entertainment of Ballad finging. For this end they not only retain the best voices that can be procured, but each of them also has a poet in ordinary, who is allowed a itated falary, and the run of the Gardens. The productions of thete petty laureats naturally come within my notice as Critic: and, indeed, whether I am at Vauxhall, Ranelagh, Marybone, or even Sadler's Wells, I indulge myself in many remarks on the poetry of the place; and am as attentive to the Sungs, as to the Cfcade, the Fireworks, or Mifs Ifabeila Wilkinson.

Ballads feem peculiarly adapted to the genius of our people; and are a fpecies of compofition in which we are fuperior to all other nations. Many of our old English Songs have in them an affecting Emplicity; and it is remarkable, that our beft writers have not been afhamed to cultivate this branch of poetry. Cowley, Waller, Rofcommon, Rowe, Gay, Prior, and many others, have left behind them very elegant Ballads: but it must be confeiled, to the honour of the prefent age, that it was referved for our modern writers to bring this kind of poetry to perfection. Scng-writing is

now reduced to certain rules of art; and the Ballad-maker goes to work by a method as regular and mechanical as a carpenter or a blackfinith.

Swift, in his Voyage to Laputa, defcribes a machine to write books in all arts and fciences: I have alto read of a mill to make verfes; and remember to have feen a curious table, by the affiftance of which the moft illiterate might amufe themselves in compofing hexameters and pentameters in Latin: inven tions wonderfully calculated for the pro motion of literature. Whatever gentle men of Grub Street or others are ambi tious to enlift themfelves as hackney fon netteers, are defired to attend to the following rules, drawn from the practice of our modern Song-writers: a fet of geniules excellent in their manner, and who will probably be hereafter as much known and admired as Garden-poets, as the celebrated Taylor is now famous un ler the denomination of Water-poet.

I muft beg leave pofitively to contra dict any reports infinuating that our Baila-makers are in poffeffion of fuch a machine, mill, or table, as above-mentioned; and believe it to be equally false, that it is their practice to hustle certain quaint terms and phrafes together in an hat, and take them out at random. It has, indeed, been afferted on fome just ground, that their productions are totally void of fenfe and expreffion, that they have little rhyme and leis reafon,

X 2

and

and that they are, from beginning to end, nothing more than nonfenfical rhap fodies to a new tune. This charge I do not mean to deny though I cannot but lament the deplorable want of taste, that mentions it as a fault. For it is this very circumstance, which I, who am profeffedly a Connoiffeur, particularly adinire. It is a received maxim with all compofers of mufic, that nothing is fo melodious as nonfenfe. Manly sense is too harfh and stubborn to go through the numberlefs divifions and sub-divifions of modern mufic, and to be trilled forth in eotchets and demiquavers. For this reafon, thought is fo cautiously fprinkled over a modern Song; which it is the business of the finger to warble into fentiment.

Our Ballad-makers for the most part flide into the familiar ftile, and affect that eafy manner of writing, which (according to Wycherly) is eafily written. Seeing the dangerous confequence of meaning, in words adapted to music, they are very frugal of fentiment: and indeed they husband it fo well, that the fame thoughts are adapted to every fong, The only variation requifite in twenty Ballads is, that the laft line of the stanza be different. In this ingenious line the wit of the whole fong confifts: and the author, whether he hall die if he has not the lafs of the mill,' or • deferves

to be reckon'd an afs,' turns over his dictionary of rhymes for words of a fimilar found, and every verfe jingles to the fame word, with all the agreeable variety of a fet of beils eternally ringing the laine peal.

The authors of love-fongs formerly wafted a great deal of poetry in illuftrating their own paffion and the beauty of their mistress; but our modern poets content themselves with falling in love with her name. There cannot be a greater misfortune to one of thefe rhymers, than a miftrefs with an hard name: fuch a misfortune fends them all over the world, and makes them run through all arts, fciences, and languages, for correfpondent terms; and after all, perhaps, the name is fo harsh and untractable, that our poet has as much diffi'culty to bring it into verfe, as the celebraters of the Duke of Marlborough were puzzled to reduce to rhyme the uncouth names of the Dutch towns taken in Queen Anne's wars, Valen

tine in Love for Love, when he talks of turning poet, orders Jeremy to get the maids together of an evening to Crambo: no contemptible hint to our Ballad-makers, and which, if properly made use of, would be of as much fervice to them as Byfhe's Art of Poetry.

Fearing left this method of Song-writing fhould one day grow obfolete, in order to preferve to pofterity fome idea of it, I have put together the following dialogue as a fpecimen of the modern manner. I muft, however, be ingenuous enough to confefs, that I can claim no farther merit in this elegant piece, than that of a compiler. It is a Cento from our most celebrated new Songs; from which I have carefully culled all the fweeteft flowers of poetry, and bound them up together. As all the lines are taken from different Songs fet to different tunes, I would humbly propofe, that this curious performance fhould be fung jointly by all the best voices, in the manner of a Dutch concert, where every man fings his own tune. I had once fome thoughts of affixing marginal references to each line, to inform the reader by note, at what place the Song, whence it is taken, was first fung. But I fhall fpare myself that trouble, by defiring the reader to look on the whole piece, as ariling from a coalition of our molt eminent Song writers at Vauxhall, Ranelagh, Marybone, and Sadler's Wells: alluring him, that this short dialogue contains the pith and marrow, or rather (to borrow an expreffion from the Fine Lady in Lethe) the Quinfetence and Emptity of all our modern Songs.

[blocks in formation]
« PredošláPokračovať »