The Modern Dunciad; Virgil

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: VIRGIL IN LONDON; TOWN ECLOGUES. TO WHICH ARE ADDED, IMITATIONS OF HORACE. FIRST PRINTED IN THE YEAR 1814. THIRD EDITION. VIRGIL IN LONDON; TOWN ECLOGUES. INTRODUCTORY DIALOGUE. LADY AND AUTHOR. Lady. What! Virgil in London 'twill never go down? He'll meet but a sorry reception in town; His manners are coarse, and his language, you know (As Dryden translates), is exceedingly low; An old fashion'd poet, whose obsolete rhymes Will ne'er suit the taste of these whimsical times; Unlike Thomas Little, all pathos and passion, A Bard, that, I'm sure, will-be always in fashion! But what hieroglyphics are these that I see Lord F? with a dash, and the Countess of D?, No scandal, I hope.? Author. Not a stroke of ill-nature, All sober hilarity, good-humour'd satire; My Muse, no prim quakeress, straight, and tig lac'd? Will, I hope, prove a nymph to your Ladyshi] taste. Lady. But why thus confine your poetical ra Give scope to your talents, and write for the sta 'Tis a second-hand task o'er the classics to poi And Virgil has had his translators before. Author. The Stage !?'twere in vain for yo poet to try, No half-witted melo-dramatist am I. Lady. Write a poem in Erse? Author. And provoke the Revie What! rival the chaste Caledonian Muse? Lady. Then conjure up Spirits, and b advance j. eld of R A Carlton House fete, or a squeeze at Vauxhall, The play-house, the park, and occasional news, Shall furnish right popular themes for his Muse. How like you the thought ? Lady. Why, the subject is witty, Tis a novel idea, and exceedingly pretty ! For Virgil to sing, when he travels from home, The fashions of London as well as of Rome.? The grave with the gay, you must skilfully blend; If dull, you will tire; if...