PANEGYRICS. THE publication of the Iliad' in 1720 was the crisis of Pope's fame and fortune. No work within memory gained both objects more consummately: it rendered him at once affluent and celebrated: but he had already made all the lower ranks of literature too angry by his successes to escape the additional resentment with which malice sees genius established in renown. To repel this, his friends came forward with the zeal due to an ornament of their country, vindicated him in private, and panegyrised him in public. The greater portion of the following poems were written on the appearance of the 'Iliad ;' and from both the rank and ability of their writers, form a high evidence of the homage which a man of talent and virtue may obtain, without waiting for the tardy testimonial of the grave. Gay's graceful poem, which heads this collection, has the peculiar interest of giving almost a list of the friends who composed Pope's circle, apparently, the chief literary and accomplished society of the time. PANEGYRICS. MR. POPE'S WELCOME FROM GREECE. [A Copy of Verses, written by Gay, on Pope's completion of his Translation of Homer's Iliad.] I. LONG hast thou, friend! been absent from thy soil, Like patient Ithacus at siege of Troy ; On the wide sea, oft threatening to destroy: II. Did I not see thee, when thou first sett'st sail And wish thy bark had never left the strand? Ev'n in mid ocean often didst thou quail, And oft lift up thy holy eye and hand, Praying the virgin dear, and saintly choir, Back to the port to bring thy bark intire. 5 10 15 III. Cheer up, my friend; thy dangers now are o'er ; Methinks-nay, sure the rising coasts ap pear: Hark how the guns salute from either shore, As thy trim vessel cuts the Thames so fair! 20 Shouts answering shouts, from Kent and Essex roar, And bells break loud through every gust of air; Bonfires do blaze, and bones and cleavers ring, As at the coming of some mighty king. IV. Now pass we Gravesend with a friendly wind, 25 And Tilbury's white fort, and long Black wall; Greenwich, where dwells the friend of human kind, 30 More visited than either park or hall, Withers the good; and, with him, ever join'd, Facetious Disney, greet thee first of all: I see his chimney smoke, and hear him say,'Duke! that's the room for Pope, and that for Gay. 29 Withers the good. General Withers, on whom Pope wrote the epitaph in Westminster Abbey. 30 Facetious Disney. He is called by lady Mary Montague 'Duke Disney ;' also in the letters of Pope, &c. 'poor Duke Disney is dead.' Colonel Disney resided at Greenwich with general Withers, and was a convivial companion of Pope, Jervas, &c. V. 'Come in, my friends: here shall ye dine and lie, And here shall breakfast, and here dine again; And sup, and breakfast on, if ye comply; For I have still some dozens of champagne.' His voice still lessens as the ship sails by; 35 He waves his hand to bring us back in vain; For now I see, I see proud London's spires; Greenwich is lost, and Deptford dock retires. 40 VI. O, what a concourse swarms on yonder quay! 45 Hail to the bard, whom long as lost we mourn'd, From siege, from battle, and from storm return'd. VII. 50 Of goodly dames, and courteous knights, I view By no court-badge distinguish'd from the rest: 55 55 Methuen. Sir Paul Methuen, comptroller of the household to George I. VIII. What lady's that, to whom he gently bends? Who knows not her? ah! those are Wortley's eyes? 60 How art thou honor'd, number'd with her friends! Now to my heart the glance of Howard flies: Now Harvey, fair of face, I mark full well, IX. I see two lovely sisters, hand in hand, 65 For friendship, zeal, and blithesome humors known. Whence that loud shout in such a hearty strain? Why, all the Hamiltons are in her train. 61 Murray. Mrs. Murray, a woman of fashion. 65 Two lovely sisters. 67 Madge Bellenden. 69 Cheerful duchess. Martha and Teresa Blount. 70 |