IMITATIONS

OF

ENGLISH POETS.

DONE BY THE AUTHOR IN HIS YOUTH.

Ar the suggestion of the ingenious Dr. John Hoadly, Mr. Hawkins Brown wrote six little poems, entitled, A Pipe of Tobacco, in imitation of six late English poets, Cibber, Philips, Thomson, Young, Pope, Swift. The second was written by Dr. Hoadly himself. The two best of these imitations are that of Young and Pope, whose manner is exactly characterized. Mr. Hawkins Brown, by his admirable Latin Poem on the immortality of the Soul, shewed he had a genius far above these pleasantries. Dr. Hoadly once shewed me a new Rehearsal, being a comedy written by himself and his brother, the Author of the Suspicious Husband, to ridicule several modern tragedies. I remember they were particularly severe on the Saguntum of Frowde and the Sophonisba of Thomson.

IMITATIONS OF ENGLISH POETS.

I.

CHAUCER.

WOMEN ben full of Ragerie,
Yet swinken nat sans secresie.
Thilke moral shall ye understond,
From schoole-boy's Tale of fayre Irelond:
Which to the Fennes hath him betake,
To filche the gray Ducke fro the Lake.
Right then, there
passen by the way
His Aunt, and eke her Daughters tway.
Ducke in his Trowses hath he hent,
Not to be spied of Ladies gent.
"But ho! our Nephew," crieth one,
"Ho! (quoth another) Cozen John;"
And stoppen, and lough, and callen out,—
This sely Clerk full low doth lout :
They asken that, and talken this,
"Lo here is Coz, and here is Miss."
But, as he glozeth with Speeches soote,
The Ducke sore tickleth his Erse roote:
Fore-piece and buttons all-to-brest,
Forth thrust a white neck, and red crest.

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