PART III. LOUD SYMPHONY. But lo! what throngs of rival bards! More lofty themes! more bright rewards! Pattern and arbiter of wit! The laureate wreathe hangs graceful from his wand; Begin! he cries, and waves his whiter hand. 'Tis George's natal day— Parnassian Pegassus away Grant me the more glorious steed I kneel, I kneel; And at his snowy heel, Pindarick homage vow ;— He neighs; he bounds; I mount, I fly- The visionary mitre on my brow Spirit of hierarchy exalt thy rhyme, AIR for a Bishop. + Hither, brethren, incense bring, * It will be observed by the attentive reader, that the thought of mounting the Hanoverian Horse, as a Pegasus, has been employed by Mr. Dundas, in his Ode preserved in this collection. It is true, the Doctor has taken the reins out of his hands, as it was time somebody should do. But I hereby forewarn the vulgar Critic, from the poor joke of making the Doctor a horse stealer. Hither, brethren, &c.] When this Ode is performed in Westminster Abbey (as doubtless it will be) this Air is designed for the Reverend, or rather Praise him for his first donations; Praise him for his blest translations, Praise him in his height! The mighty, mighty height of his prerogative! RECITATIVE by an Archbishop. Orchestras, of thousands strong, With Zadoc's zeal each note prolong- Bates gives the animating nod Sudden they strike-unnumber'd strings Vibrate to the best of Kings Eunuchs, Stentors, double basses, Lab'ring lungs, inflated faces, Bellows working, Elbows jerking, Scraping, beating, } the Right Reverend Author. The numerous bench (for there will hardly be more than three absentees) who will begin to chaunt the subsequent chorus from their box at the right hand of his most sacred Majesty, will have fine effect both on the ear and eye. Thro' the old Gothic roofs be the chorus rebounded, *Bishops and Lords of the Bedchamber, Lords of the bed-chamber, &c.] Candour obliges us to confess, that this designation of the performers, and in truth the following stanza, did not stand in the original copy, delivered into the Lord Chamberlain's Office. Indeed, Signor Delpini had his doubts as to the legality of admitting it, notwithstanding Mr. Rose's testimony, that it was actually and bona fide composed with the rest of the Ode, and had only accidentally fallen into the same drawer of Mr. Pitt's bureau in which he had lately mislaid Mr. Gibbins's note. Mr. Banks's testimony was also solicited to the same effect; but he had left off vouching for the present session. Mr. Pepper Arden, indeed, with the most intrepid liberality, engaged to find authority for it in the statutes at large; on which Signor Delpini, with his usual terseness of repartee, instantly exclaimed, Ha ha ha! However, the difficulty was at length obviated by an obse:vation of the noble Lord who presided, that in the case of the King versus Atkinson, the House of Lords had established the right of judges to amend a record, as Mr. Quarme had informed his Lordship immediately after his having voted for that decision. Here end Mr. Robinson's notes. "A present God, "Heavy Hanover, "Abject Commons," &c. The imitation will be obvious to the classical reader, All the editors of Horace have hitherto read adjectis Britannis. Our author, as sound a critic as a divine, sus periculo, makes the alteration of a single letter, and thereby gives a new and peculiar force to the application of the passage.— N. B. Abject, in the author's understanding of the word, means that precise degree of submission due from a free people to monarchy. It is further worthy remark, that Horace wrote the Ode alluded to, before Britain was subjected to Proud Ierne's volunteers, Abject Commons, prostrate Peers- A present God! Hallelujah! absolute sway; and consequently the passage was meant as a prophetic compliment to Augustus. Those who do not think that Britain is yet sufficiently abject, will regard the imitation in the same light. We shall close this subject by observing, how much better GRAVIBUS applies in the imitation than in the original; and how well the untruth of Ierne's volunteers joining in the deification, exemplifies the dedicatory address of the lie SUBLIME. NUMBER XVIII. IRREGULAR ODE, By the MARQUIS OF GRAHAM. I. Το Help help! I say, Apollo ! What horrid pain; Come, now prithee come, I say: II. To lighter themes let other bards resort; A lustier troop, ye brave Beefeaters, Ye too, who watch in inner rooms; Ye Lords, ye Gentlemen, and Grooms; } |