riety in the epithets; the plain of Zabran,' and the vale of Aly,' are both flowery. But this is not its fole fault. In the fourth line, the word once feems to refer to fome other time and circumftance than the prefent; and Shepherds lov'd alas! would have been better. By nymphs in vain,' After mention ing in general terms the products of a bounteous year;' the mention of one particular only, the date with fnowy bloffoms crown'd,' (though the image in itself is fine) has a bad effect.* Grammatical concord is alfo violated; of the three fubftantives, the tents,' the • products,' and the date,' two are plural and one fingular, and appear, the verb of action common to all, being plural, cannot agree with the last. The fate of beauty fuffering in the hands of favage ferocity, is ftrikingly represented in the following: In a speaker's fituation, to have introduced a number of different flowers or fruits would have been improper; the introducing a fingle inftance is aukward. V. 51. In vain Circaffia boafts her spicy groves, Their eyes, blue languish, and their golden hair! Those eyes in tears their fruitless griefs must fend; Thofe hairs the Tartar's cruel hand fhall rend. The conclusion sets the principal subject in full view; we hear the fhrieks of the diftreffed villagers, and fee the approach of the fires, with the two shepherds flying before them by moon-light, over a vast and solitary region. The paffage is an inftance of the true fublime; V. 67. He faid; when loud along the vale was heard, A fhriller fhriek, and nearer fires appear'd: The affrighted fhepherds through the dews of night, Wide o'er the moon-light hills renew'd their flight. Collins's disapprobation of his own Eclogues, has been imputed to his think ing them not sufficiently expreffive of Afiatick manners. But the idea of manners seems mistakenly substituted for the idea of language. The author has feldom violated the great outline of eastern customs, and his fubjects did not often lead him to a defcription of minute particulars. His diction, as Dr. Langhorne has remarked, is not the diction of the eaft; it is mostly fimple, and often elegant, but not flowery or metaphorical. The Eclogues, with all the faults that have been pointed out, have fuch poetical merit, that the above-mentioned writer's decifion may be safely adopted, when he intimates that they have nothing to fear from a comparison with any of their predeceffors. ESSAY ESSAY VII. On GRAY'S CHURCH-YARD ELEGY. TH nature of HE Elegy written in a Country Church-Yard, from the its fubject, and the merit of its executions, has obtained an uncommon fhare of popularity. The principal respect in which it has been fuppofed defective, is a want of plan; an ingenious Writer has observed, that it is thought by fome to be no more than a confused heap of fplendid ideas, thrown together without order, and without proportion.'*. That it is, however, not deftitute of Mr. Knox's Effays, Moral and Literary, Vol. 1, p. 92, ift. Edit. plan, plan, the following analyfis will fufficiently demonstrate: whether the arrangement might not have been in fome parts improved, is another question. The Poet very graphically defcribes the procefs of a calm evening, in which he introduces himself wandering near a Country Church-Yard. From the fight of the place, he takes occafion, by a few natural and fimple, but important circumstances, to characterize the life of a peafant; and obferves, that it need not be difdained by ambition or grandeur, whose most diftinguished fuperiorities muft all terminate in the grave. grave. He then proceeds to intimate, that it was not from any natural inequality of abilities, but from want of acquired advantages, as riches, knowledge, &c. that the humble race, whose place of interment he was furveying, did not rank with the most celebrated of their cotemporaries, The fame impediments, however, which obftructed their courfe to greatnefs, he |