books that have been printed these twenty years, that I more wonder at that ever they were endured, than Richard Hooker's eight books of Ecclesiastical Polity, dedicated by Bishop Gauden to our present King, and vindicated by him, and these poems of Sir Fulk Grevill, Lord Brook. " Davies's

Nosce teipsum' is an excellent poem, in opening the nature, faculties, and certain immortality of man's soul.

"But I must confess, after all, that, next the Scripture Poems, there are none so savoury to me, as Mr. George Herbert's and Mr. George Sandys's. I know that Cowley and others far exceed Herbert in wit and accurate composure; but as Seneca takes with me above all his contemporaries, because he speaketh things by words, feelingly and seriously, like a man that is past jest; so Herbert speaks to God like one that really believeth a God, and whose business in the world is most with God. Heart-work and Heaven-work make up his books: and Dubartas is seriously divine; and George Sandys

'Omne tulit punctum, dum miscuit utile dulci.'

"His Scripture Poems are an elegant and

4

excellent paraphrase; but especially his Job, whom he hath restored to the original glory. O that he had turned the Psalms into metre fitted to the usual tunes! It did me good, when Mrs. Wyat invited me to see Bexley-Abbey, in Kent, to see upon the old stone-wall in the garden, a summer-house, with this inscription, in great golden letters, that In that place, Mr. G. Sandys, after his travels over the world, retired himself for his poetry and contemplations.' And none are fitter to retire to God, than such as are tired with seeing all the vanities on earth."

An extract from the principal "fragment" in Baxter's Collection, which consists of a Metrical Memoir of the pious author, may not be unacceptable.

"My parents here thy skilful hand did plant,

Free from the snares of riches and of want;
Their tender care was used for me alone,
Because thy Providence gave them but one:
Their early precepts so possess'd my heart,
That, taking root, they did not thence depart;
Thy wisdom so contriv'd my education,
As might expose me to the least temptation;
Much of that guilt thy mercy did prevent,
In which my spring time I should else have spent.

;

Yet sin sprung up, and early did appear
In love of play, and lies produced by fear
An appetite pleased with forbidden fruit;
A proud delight in literate repute;
Excess of pleasure in vain tales, romances;
Time spent in feigned histories and fancies,
In idle talk, conform to company;

Childhood and youth had too much vanity;
Conscience was oft resisted, when it check'd,
And holy duty I did much neglect."

TASSO'S "JERUSALEM Delivered."

TASSO completed this poem in the 30th year of his age; but it was not published by his own authority. The public had already seen several parts of it, which were furnished them by its patrons; but as soon as he had finished the last book, it was sent into the world before he had time to revise, or make those corrections such a work required. The success of the poem was prodigious: it was translated into the Latin, French, Spanish, and even the Oriental languages, almost as soon as it appeared.

The satisfaction, which, in spite of Tasso's philosophy, he must naturally have felt by the great applause which he received at this time

from the public, was soon disturbed by a melancholy event. Bernardo Tasso, his father, who had passed his old age in tranquillity at Ostia upon the Po, the government of which had been given him by the Duke of Mantua, fell sick. Tasso hastened to attend him, and scarce ever quitted the bed-side during the whole illness of his father; but, spite of all his attention, overcome with age, and the violence of his distemper, Bernardo, to the great affliction of his son, paid the debt of nature. The Duke of Mantua, who had a sincere regard for Bernardo, caused him to be interred, with great pomp, in the Church of St. Egidius, at Mantua, and had this simple inscription placed over his tomb:"Ossa Bernardi Tassi."—" The bones of Bernardo Tasso."

PETER PINDAR.

DR. WOLCOT, better known by the name of Peter Pindar, from the prodigious sale of his early pieces, became a desirable object of bookselling speculation; and about the year 1795, Robinson and Walker entered into a

treaty to grant him an annuity for his published works, and, on certain conditions, for his unpublished ones. While this was pending, Peter had an attack of asthma, which he did not conceal or palliate, but, at meetings of the parties, his asthma always interrupted the business. A fatal result was of course anticipated, and, instead of a sum of money, an annuity of £250 per annum was preferred. Soon after the bond was signed, Peter called on Walker, the manager for the parties, who, surveying him with a scrutinizing eye, asked him how he did. "Much better, thank you," said Peter; “I have taken measure of my asthma; the fellow is troublesome, but I know his strength, and am his master."-" Oh!" said Walker, gravely, and turned into an adjoining room, where Mrs. Walker, a prudent woman, had been listening to the conversation. Peter, aware of the feeling, paid a keen attention to the husband and wife, and heard the latter exclaim," There now, didn't I tell you he wouldn't die? fool that you've been! I knew he wouldn't die." Peter enjoyed the joke, and outlived both the parties, receiving the annuities for twenty-four years, during which, various efforts were used to frustrate his claims.