In praise of this tragedy, Mr. Welsted has prefixed a very elegant copy of verses.

Mr. Philips by a way of writing very peculiar, procured to himself the name of Namby Pamby. This was first bestowed on him by Harry Cary, who burlesqued fome little pieces of his, in fo humorous a manner, that for a long while, Harry's burlefque, paffed for Swift's with many; and by others were given to Pope: 'Tis certain, each at firft, took it for the other's compofition.

In ridicule of this manner, the ingenious Hawkins Brown, Efq; now a Member of Parliament, in his excellent burlesque piece called The Pipe of Tobacco, has written an imitation, in which the resemblance is fo great, as not to be diftinguished from the original. This gentleman has burlefqued the following eminent authors, by fuch a close imitation of their turn of verfe, that it has not the appearance of a copy, but an original.

SWIFT,

POPE,

THOMSON,

YOUNG,

PHILIPS,

CIBBER.

As a fpecimen of the delicacy of our author's turn of verfification, we fhall prefent the reader with his tranflation of the following beautiful Ode of Sappho.

HYMN

HYMN to VENUS.

1.

VENUS, beauty of the skies,
To whom a thousand temples rife,
Gayly falfe, in gentle smiles,
Full of love, perplexing wiles;
O Goddefs! from my heart remove
The wafting cares and pains of love.

2.

If ever thou haft kindly heard
A fong in foft diftrefs preferr'd,
Propitious to my tuneful vow,
O gentle goddefs! hear me now.
Defcend, thou bright immortal gueft!
In all thy radiant charms confefs'd.

3.

Thou once did leave almighty Jove,
And all the golden roofs above;
The carr thy wanton fparrows drew,
Hov'ring in air, they lightly flew;
As to my bower they wing'd their way,
I faw their quiv'ring pinions play.

4.

The birds difmifs'd while you remain)
Bore back their empty car again;
Then you, with looks divinely mild,
In ev'ry heav'nly feature fmil'd,
And afk'd what new complaints I made,
And why I call'd you to my aid?

5. What

5.

What frenzy in my bofom rag'd,
And by what cure to be affwag'd?
What gentle youth I would allure,
Whom in my artful toils fecure?
Who does thy tender heart fubdue,
Tell me, my Sappho, tell me who!

6.

Tho' now he shuns my longing arms,
He foon shall court thy flighted charms;
Tho' now thy off'rings he defpife,
He foon to thee fhall facrifice;

Tho' now he freeze, he foon fhall bury,
And be thy victim in his turn.

7.

Celestial vifitant once more,
Thy needful prefence I implore.
In pity come, and ease my grief,
Bring my diftemper'd foul relief,
Favour thy fuppliant's hidden fires,
And give me all my heart's defires.

There is another beautiful ode by the fame Gre cian poetefs, rendered into English by Mr. Philips with inexpreffible delicacy, quoted in the Spectator, vol. iii. No. 229.

1.

Bleft, as th' immortal Gods is he
The youth who fondly fits by thee,
And hears, and fees thee all the while
Softly speak, and fweetly fmile.

2. 'Twas

1

2.

"Twas this depriv'd my foul of reft,
And raised fuch tumults in my breast;
For while I gaz'd, in tranfport toft,
My breath was gone, my voice was loft.

3.

My bofom glow'd; the fubtle flame
Ran quick thro' all my vital frame;
O'er my dim eyes a darknefs hung;
My ears with hollow murmurs rung.

4.

In dewy damps my limbs were chill'd;
My blood with gentle horrors thrill`d;
My feeble pulfe forgot to play;

I fainted, funk, and died away.

Mr. Philips having purchased an annuity of 400 1. per annum, for his life, came over to England fometime in the year 1748: But had not his health; and died foon after at his lodgings near Vauxhall.

RICHARD MAITLAND, Earl of LAUDERDALE.

TH

HIS learned nobleman was nephew to John, the great duke of Lauderdale, who was fecretary of ftate to King Charles II. for Scotch affairs, and for many years had the government of that kingdom entirely entrusted to him. Whoever is acquainted with history will be at no lofs to know, with how little moderation he exercised his power; he ruled his native country with a rod of iron, and was the author of all thofe difturbances and perfecutions which have ftained the Annals of Scotland, during that inglorious period.

As the duke of Lauderdale was without iffuemale of his own body, he took our author into his protection as his immediate heir, and ordered him to be educated in fuch a manner as to qualify him for the poffeffion of thofe great employments his ancestors enjoyed in the ftate. The improvement of this young nobleman fo far exceeded his years, that he was very early admitted into the privy council, and made lord juftice clerk, anno 1681. He married the daughter of the earl of Argyle, who was tried for fedition in the ftate, and confined in the caftle of Edinburgh. When Argyle found his fate approaching, he meditated, and effected his efcape; and fome letters of his

I

being