Around her filver throne the planets glow, Clear gleams of light o'er the dark trees are feen, o'er the dark trees a yellow fheds, O'er the dark trees a yellower green they shed, gleam And tip with filver all the mountain heads: foreft And tip with filver every mountain's head. The vales appear, the rocks in profpect rife, Eya Eye the blue vault, and bless the vivid light. glorious So many flames before the navy blaze, proud Ilion And lighten glimmering Xanthus with their rays, Gild the high walls, and tremble on the fpires, Of these specimens every man who has cultivated poetry, or who delights~ to trace the mind from the rudenefs of" its first conceptions to the elegance of its laft, will naturally defire a greater number; but most other readers are already tired, and I am not writing only to poets and philofophers. The Iliad was published volume by : volume, as the tranflation proceeded; the first four books appeared in 1715. The expectation of this work was undoubtedly high, and every man who had connected his name with criticism, or poetry, was defirous of fuch intelligence as night enable him to talk upon the popular topick. Halifax, who, by having been firft a poet, and then a patron of poetry, had acquired the right of being a judge, was willing to hear fome books while they were yet unpublished. Of this rehearsal Pope afterwards gave the following account *. * Spence. "The "The famous Lord Halifax was ra"ther a pretender to taste than really "poffeffed of it.-When I had finished "the two or three firft books of my "tranflation of the Iliad, that Lord de"fired to have the pleasure of hearing "them read at his houfe.-Addison, Congreve, and Garth, were there at "the reading. In four or five places, "Lord Halifax flopt me very civilly, "and with a speech each time, much "of the fame kind, I beg your par "don, Mr. Pope; but there is fome- 66 thing in that paffage that does not "quite pleafe me.-Be fo good as to “mark the place, and confider it a little "at your leifure.-I'm fure you can "give it a little turn. I returned from "Lord "Lord Halifax's with Dr. Garth, in his "chariot; and, as we were going along, 66 was faying to the Doctor, that my "Lord had laid me under a good deal of difficulty by fuch loose and general "obfervations; that I had been think ing over the paffages almoft ever fince, " and could not guefs at what it was "that offended his Lordship in either of "them. Garth laughed heartily at my "embarraffment; faid, I had not been "long enough acquainted with Lord "Halifax to know his way yet; that I "need not puzzle myself about looking thofe places over and over, when 6 "I got home. All you need do (fays "he) is to leave them juft as they are; ❝ call on Lord Halifax two or three "months |