THE LIFE OF FRANCIS FAWKES, BY MR. CHALMERS. MR. FAWKES was born in Yorkshire about the year 1721. He was edu cated at Leeds, under the care of the Rev. Mr. Cookson, vicar of that parish: from whence he went to Jesus College, Cambridge, and took his bachelor's degree in 1741, and his master's in 1745. After being admitted into holy orders, he settled at Bramham in Yorkshire, near the elegant seat of that name belonging to Robert Lane, esq. the beauties of which afforded him the first subject for his muse. He published his Bramhamn Park in 1745, but without his name. His next publications were the descriptions of May and Winter, from Gawen Douglas; the former in 1752, the latter in 1754: these brought him into considerable notice as a poetical antiquary, and it was hoped that he would have been encouraged to modernise the whole of that author's works. About the year last mentioned, he removed to the curacy of Croydon in Surrey, where he had an opportunity of courting the notice of archbishop Her ring, who resided there at that time, and to whom, among other complimentary verses, he addressed an ode on his grace's recovery, which was printed in Dodsley's collection. These attentions, and his general merit as a scholar, induced the archbishop to collate him, in 1755, to the vicarage of Orpington with St. Mary Cray, in Kent. In 1757, he had occasion to lament his patron's death, in a pathetic elegy styled Aurelius, printed with his grace's sermons in 1763, but previously in our author's volume of poems in 1761; about the same time he married miss Purrier of Leeds. In April 1774, by the late Dr. Plumptre's favour, he exchanged his vicarage for the rectory of Hayes: this, except the office of chaplain to the princess dowager of Wales, was the only ecclesiastical promotion he obtained. In 1761, he published by subcription a volume of original poems and translations, by which he got more profit than fame. His subscribers amounted to nearly eight hundred, but no second edition was called for. A few pieces are now added from Mr. Nichols' collection; and from the Poetical Calendar, a periodical selection of fugitive poetry, which he published in conjunction with Mr. Woty, an indifferent poet of that time. In 1767 he published an eclogue, entituled Partridge Shooting, so inferior to his other productions that the omission of it cannot be regretted. He was the editor also of a Family Bible, with notes, in 4to. which is a work of very inconsiderable merit, but to which he probably contributed only his name, a common trick among the retailers of "Complete family Bibles." His translations of Anacreon, Sappho, Bion, Moschus and Musæus, appeared in 1760; and his Theocritus, encouraged by another liberal subcription, in 1767. His Apollonius Rhodius, a posthumous publication, completed by the Rev. Mr. Meen of Emanuel College, Cambridge, made its appearance in 1780, when Mr. Fawkes's widow was enabled, by the kindness of the editor, to avail herself of the subscriptions, contributed as usual very liberally. Mr. Fawkes died August 26, 1777. These scanty materials are taken chiefly from Mr. Nichols's Life of Bowyer, and little can now be added to them. Mr. Fawkes was a man of a social disposition, with much of the imprudence which adheres to it: although a profound classical scholar, and accounted an excellent translator, he was un. able to publish any of his works without the previous aid of a subscription; and his Bible was a paultry job, which necessity only could have induced him to undertake. With all his failings, however, it appears that he was held in esteem by many distinguished contemporaries, particularly by Drs. Pearce, Jortin, Johnson, Warton, Plumptre and Askew, who contributed critical assistance to his translation of Theocritus. As an original poet, much cannot be said in his favour: his powers were confined to occasional slight and encomiastic verses, such as may be produced without great effort, and are supposed to answer every purpose when they have pleased those to whom they were addressed. The Epithalamic ode may perhaps rank higher, if we could forget an obvious endeavour to imitate Dryden and Pope. In the elegy on the death of Dobbin, and one or two other pieces, there is a considerable portion of humour, which is a more legitimate proof of genius than one species of poets are disposed to allow. His principal defects are want of judgment and taste; these, however, are less discoverable in his translations; and it was probably a consciousness of limitted powers which inclined him so much to translation. In this he every where displays a critical knowledge of his author, while his versification is smooth and elegant, and his expression remarkably clear. He was once esteemed the best translator since the days of Pope; a praise which, if now disallowed, it is much that it could in his own time have been bestowed with justice. POEMS OF FRANCIS FAWKES BRAMHAM PARK. Quis caneret nymphas ? quis humum floren tibus berbis Spargeret? aut viridi fontes induceret umbrâ Written in May 1745. THE PREFACE. VIRG. I SHOULD think a preface to this volume absolutely unnecessary, except as it furnishes me with an opportunity of returning my thanks to those gentlemen who have favoured me with their names; and therefore to their candour and indulgence I beg leave to inscribe the following sheets. Orpington, May 1, 1761. As careless through those groves I took my way F. FAWKES. Secure in these sequester'd groves to live, [court, THE themes of war to bolder bards belong, And bless'd with true hereditary taste, When vernal breezes had the glebe unbound, • A fine seat in Yorkshire, belonging to George Fox-Lane, esq. Robert, lord Bingley. This barbarous isle with liberal arts refin'd, Though my keen shafts dispatch'd their chief to Too soon our fate with anguish we deplor'd, ran : Soft on my mind ecstatic visions stole, Chief Dryad of the tutelary train; after several invasions, had entirely over-run the kingdom, whom by his extraordinary valour and conduct he dispossessed of it. Circa Eglerti tempora, anno Christi 800, nostra littora primùm in festarunt Dani. Postea mare cælo miscentes, multos annos per Angliam grassati, urbibus excišis, templis succensis, & agris vastalis, omnia barbarû immanitate egerunt, verlerunt, rapuerunt. 6 In the year 1408, the old earl of Northumberland and his army was overthrown on Bramham-Moor by sir Thomas Rooksby, then high 7 Borne in mock triumph from the fatal field; The azure lion on the golden shield Wav'd vainly rampant. But what horrors chill'd My heaving heart, and through my bosom thrill'd, When direful discord Britain's sons compeil'd To war on Towton's memorable field. I see the ranks embattled on the plain, Torrents of blood, and mountains of the slain; See kindred hosts with rival rage contend, Deaf to the names of father, and of friend; The brother by a brother's sword expires, And sons are slain by unrelenting sires. The brook, that flow'd a scanty stream before, Swell'd to a river red with human gore: Verbeia 9 then in wild amazement stood, To see her silver urn distain'd with blood; Verbeia, erst her waters wont to lead In peaceful murmurs through the flow'ry mead, To purge her currents from the crimson stain, Swift pour'd her waves to mingle with the main. Oft, as with shining share le ploughs the field', The swain astonish'd finds the massy shield, On whose broad boss, sad source of various woes, He views engrav'd the long-disputed rose. Huge human bones the fruitful furrows hide Of once-fam'd heroes that in battle died. Now all dire feuds and curst contentions o'er, They sleep in peace, and kindle wars no more: The friend, the foe, the noble and the slave, Rest undistinguish'd in one common grave. "But let us now, since genial spring invites, And lavish nature varies her delights, Partake the general joy, and sweetly stray, Where the birds warble, and the waters play; sheriff of Yorkshire, and the posse comitatus of the county, and slain in the battle. The earl Northumberland and the lord Bar dolph, With a great pow'r of English and of Scots, Shakespeare's Hen. IV. ? The arms of Percy are, Or, a lion rampant azure. A neighbouring village, near which, on the 29th day of March (being Palm Sunday) A. D., battle between the houses of York and Lancaster: 1461, was fought a most remarkable and bloody the number of the Yorkists, headed by Edward, earl of March, amounted to about 40,600 men, the Lancastrians were 60,000. This battle prov ed decisive in favour of the house of York; and in consequence of it, Edward was, in June 1461, crowned king of England, &c. There were killed in this engagement 36,776 men. The rivulet Cock, adjoining to the field of battle, and the river Wharfe, were for several days, in a very extraordinary manner, discoloured with the blood of the slain. For a circumstantial account of this battle, see Drake's Eboracum. 9 Verbeia was the Ron.an name for the river Wharfe; see an ancient inscription quoted by Camden. 10 finibus illis Agricola, incurvo terram molitus aratro, Exesa inveniet scabrâ rubigine pila : Aut gravibus rastris galeas pulsabit inanes, Grandiaque effossis mirabitur ossa sepulcris. Virg. Geor. 1. |